Dar es Salaam

February 1, 1865, Dar es Salaam.

Dar es Salaam means "Port of Peace" in Swahili. It is now Tanzania's largest city and port, the nation's economic and cultural center, an important East African port, and the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. The city is green year-round with a beautiful environment, dotted with well-preserved Western-style and Arab-style ancient buildings. It is a city along the "Maritime Silk Road." Zheng He, during his voyages in the Western Seas in the ancient East Asian Ming Dynasty, had visited the coastal areas here.

Currently, the Suez Canal is not open, making Dar es Salaam a necessary stop for European ships traveling to Asia. Many merchant ships dock here to rest, replenish fresh water, and resupply.

There are also some Portuguese and Dutch merchants trading here. The Sultanate of Zanzibar encourages Arabs to venture into the Tanzanian interior for slave hunting and ivory poaching. Local cultivation also includes specialty products like cloves. When European merchants return from Asia, they procure ivory, cloves, and other goods here to take back to Europe for higher profits.

Today, the temperature is around thirty degrees Celsius. A humid sea breeze blows in from the Indian Ocean, and coconut trees sway in the wind. The tide gently laps against the white sandy beach. Gazing out from the coast, a large fleet gradually appears on the horizon.

The ships fly Dutch flags and, under the guidance of a pilot, slowly sail into Dar es Salaam harbor.

A contingent of over two thousand armed men disembarks from the ships and lands on the port's docks. This group is a German colonial team hired by the Hechingen Bank.

The team is led by a recently retired old Prussian officer, and many of its members are veterans discharged from the Prussian army, having recently participated in the Second Schleswig War.

The deputy leader of the team is an old mercenary who has spent years operating in the Asian seas and previously worked in Dutch colonial territories in the Far East.

Of course, the majority are unemployed individuals recruited from various parts of Germany. After being equipped with surplus weapons from retired Prussian Army soldiers, they are dispatched to Africa for colonial activities.

This sizable colonial contingent, landing with "advanced" weaponry, instills fear in the local Sultanate of Zanzibar. A colonial team of this magnitude is sufficient to wage a war of annihilation in this era.

The Sultanate of Zanzibar is a thoroughly Arab nation, the African portion that split off from the former Indian Ocean power, the Omani Empire. During its peak, the Omani Empire occupied the East African lands centered around Zanzibar Island and controlled parts of the East African coast. Dar es Salaam port faces Zanzibar Island, which is also the core territory of the Zanzibari kingdom.

As a former master of the Indian Ocean, Zanzibar has had numerous dealings with Western colonizers. These individuals are ruthless; Zanzibar has clashed with the Portuguese before. Therefore, upon seeing the colonial team sent by Hechingen land at the dock, the Sultan of Zanzibar dares not act rashly and sends representatives to negotiate.

Europeans of this era naturally look down upon small countries like Zanzibar. Apart from Europe, all other regions are considered uncivilized and barbaric in their eyes. However, remembering the boss's instructions, it's best not to stir up trouble.

The representatives of the colonial team accompany the Zanzibari representatives to the Sultan of Zanzibar's palace. The Sultan hosts a banquet to receive the colonial team's representatives and begins to subtly inquire about their intentions.

"May I ask your name, Your Excellency?" the Sultan of Zanzibar asks.

The leader of the colonial team replies, "Your Excellency, you may call me Yalman."

"Mr. Yalman, are you Dutch? Your attire seems a bit different from those Dutchmen," the Sultan of Zanzibar says curiously. "But you arrived on a Dutch ship, so I'm unsure of your origin."

"Your Excellency, we are from the Kingdom of Prussia in the great German region. We have traveled to your land aboard a Dutch vessel."

Prussia! The Sultan of Zanzibar frowns. He has heard of Germany, but he is not very familiar with Prussia. He turns to his foreign minister.

The foreign minister, seeing the Sultan's signal, leans in and whispers to the Sultan, "Your Majesty, Prussia is one of the great powers in Europe. I've heard they have a formidable army there, but I haven't heard of Prussia possessing a navy like Portugal or England. We rarely see Prussian merchants here."

Mm, the Sultan understands. These are not ordinary people, and they cannot be easily offended. After all, the Portuguese are already quite powerful, and this so-called Prussia is also a European power, so their strength should not be significantly less than that of the Portuguese.

"Then, what is your purpose in coming to Zanzibar? Zanzibar is just a small country with no outstanding resources to exploit," the Sultan of Zanzibar asks.

"Your Excellency, we Prussians come with sincerity. We primarily aim to engage in agricultural production in Tanganyika and will not threaten your rule in Zanzibar," says Commander Yalman.

The Sultan of Zanzibar doesn't believe European promises. He cautiously asks, "The land in Tanganyika is not as good as one might imagine, especially inland. Lions and wild beasts are everywhere, outnumbering humans. Even our country cannot develop the interior. It will be difficult for you to succeed, coming from afar."

Commander Yalman explains, "Your Excellency need not worry. To be frank, we intend to develop farms inland, cultivating tobacco and some tropical plants. These are rare commodities in Europe, which is why we have chosen this location."

The Sultan of Zanzibar remains uneasy and asks, "While I am not interested in whether your country develops the interior, my country has many interests there, such as the natives and ivory, which we cannot abandon. How will you ensure that Zanzibari interests are not harmed?"

"Your Excellency, I can guarantee that we will not interfere with your interests in the interior. Furthermore, we can cooperate and sign an agreement. Because we will be driving away wild beasts and natives when developing the land, and although these have some value, our team does not find them particularly appealing. We can sell them to your country. This is just the first batch of our arrival; more will follow. Therefore, conflict is a dead end, while cooperation leads to a harmonious future for both parties," Yalman persuades with a hint of threat.

Thinking of the two thousand "elites" at the port, the Sultan of Zanzibar's alarm bells ring. He subtly says, "Mr. Yalman, peaceful development for both sides is also our pursuit as Zanzibaris. However, if an army is stationed right under one's nose, I believe no king can sleep soundly!"

Seeing the Sultan of Zanzibar has softened, Yalman smirks inwardly and says reassuringly, "Your Excellency, please rest assured. As a token of our sincerity, we will depart within two weeks and will not reside in Dar es Salaam for an extended period. Of course, with your country's support, we could leave even sooner."

The Sultan of Zanzibar immediately understands this obvious hint and generously replies, "You are too kind, Mr. Yalman. We will do our utmost to assist our 'friends'." However, his heart aches.

Yalman explains, "Your Excellency, there is no need to worry. We merely need to build some camping tools for the wilderness. After all, we cannot live in the open in the wild, can we?"

Hearing Yalman's words, the Sultan of Zanzibar's heart eases, and he quickly responds, "Mr. Yalman, you are too polite. We can provide some additional support."

Unexpectedly, Yalman accepts without hesitation, "Actually, there is another matter for which we require your country's assistance."

Damn it... Why didn't you say so earlier! the Sultan of Zanzibar thinks, preparing to be extorted.

"We will need your country's port to help transship our subsequent supplies and personnel. We hope your country can provide us with convenience."

So that's what it is. The Sultan of Zanzibar had anticipated this. Such a large group isn't moving house; they'll definitely need a transit point to connect with Europe. However, out of caution, the Sultan of Zanzibar still mentions, "There's no problem with using the port. We can allocate a specific area for your use, but your country cannot station troops in the port or within Zanzibar, and your personnel at the port cannot carry weapons."

Hearing this, Yalman knows the matter is almost settled, but he still bargains, "No problem, but the safety of the personnel stationed at the port must be guaranteed. Therefore, we will leave a twenty-man armed group to protect them."

Hearing it's only twenty men, the Sultan of Zanzibar agrees. Although the Sultanate of Zanzibar is a small country, it has some strength. It's just that they fear a mutually destructive conflict with these Prussians, which might embolden the nearby Portuguese.

The conditions proposed by the Prussians are, for the most part, acceptable as long as they do not threaten Zanzibar's rule. After all, the guns are pointed at their heads; what else can they do? Whether they fight or not, Zanzibar will suffer. Fortunately, these Prussians know their limits; otherwise, the Sultan of Zanzibar would never allow them to pass through Zanzibar into the interior, even at the cost of his life.