Angoche Sultanate | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. 1485–1910 | |||||||||
 Angoche within the Kilwa Sultanate | |||||||||
| Status | Vassal of the Kilwa Sultanate (early 16th century) Portuguese occupation (late 16th century–17th century) Independent (17th century–1910) | ||||||||
| Capital | Angoche Island | ||||||||
| Religion | Islam | ||||||||
| Demonym(s) | Angochians, Koti[a] | ||||||||
| Government | Sultanate | ||||||||
| Sultan | |||||||||
• c. 1485–? | Xosa (first) | ||||||||
• 1861–1877 | Musa Mohammad Sahib Quanto the fearsome | ||||||||
• 1877–1890 | Disputed between 7 claimants, the most effective leaders being Suleiman bin Rajah and Ussene Ibrahimo | ||||||||
• 1903–1910 | Farelay (last) | ||||||||
| Historical era | Early to Late modern period | ||||||||
• Established | c. 1485 | ||||||||
• Civil War | 1877–1890 | ||||||||
• Conquered by Portugal | 1910 | ||||||||
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| Today part of | Mozambique | ||||||||
| History of Mozambique |
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 Africa portal •  History portal |
The Angoche Sultanate was an important sultanate centered on the islands of Angoche[b], present-day Northern Mozambique coastline. Established in the late 15th century by dissidents from the Kilwa Sultanate, the sultanate arose during the decline of the Kilwa and Sofala, serving as an alternative entrepôt outside of Portuguese control to the inland trade fairs in the Zambezi and Mashonaland. The trade was mainly in ivory, ambergris, gold, and slaves, though the local craftsmen were known throughout the east for the straw mats and straw hats which they made.
Following the establishment of Portuguese factories along the Zambezi in the 1530s and 1540s, the settlement of the Marave in the hinterland — who blocked access to the mainland and imposed tolls on passing caravans — and internal conflicts among the ruling families, the sultanate experienced a period of decline, leading to the Portuguese gaining control of the sultanate by the late 16th century. This control was later relinquished in the following century as trade along the Angoche coast diminished significantly.
Angoche rose as a power again in the 1800s, quickly supplying a growing demand for ivory, rubber and slaves. The latter became increasingly important throughout the century as the European anti-slavery movement grew. The Sultanate expanded greatly into the hinterland with the help of Musa Quanto who later became sultan himself. By the time of Musa's death in 1877, the sultanate controlled most of the coast from the Licungo River to the south and Mozambique Island to the north and inland about 100 miles.
Following Musa's death, the sultanate fell into a 7-sided civil war and was finally conquered by a well-equipped Portuguese military expedition in 1910.
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