Biography of the Sultans of Kilwa

English Language

The novel "Biography of the Sultans of Kilwa" deals in a wonderful, engaging, and meticulously documented style with real events from the lives of the Sultans of Kilwa. His Highness narrated the biography of the Sultans of Kilwa Island, the reason for their migration to Africa, the events that befell them, and the trials and tribulations concerning their rule.
The 114-page novel comprises eleven chapters, an appendix containing a genealogical lineage of the Sultans of Kilwa, and dozens of Arab and foreign sources and references.
After precise scientific verification and documentation, His Highness was able to remove and resolve ambiguities that remained unknown and obscure for decades regarding the history of Kilwa. He based his investigation on the manuscript known as "Kitab al-Salwa fi Tarikh Kilwa" (The Book of Comfort in the History of Kilwa) and everything written about it, in addition to the documents and manuscripts he possesses concerning genealogies, ancient Persian history, Portuguese documents, and other references and sources.
His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah said in the book's introduction: "It is a true historical narrative that I wrote based on the manuscript 'Kitab al-Salwa fi Tarikh Kilwa.' Literary figures and historians from the coastal countries, which are currently known as Kenya and Tanzania, knowing my possession of many British and Portuguese manuscripts and documents concerning East Africa, asked me to write about the history of their countries. When I decided to write the history of East Africa, I promptly contacted the British Library in London and obtained a photographed copy of the manuscript known as 'Kitab al-Salwa fi Tarikh Kilwa.' I began studying that manuscript, as well as everything written about it by Arab and foreign historians, who failed to interpret what was stated in that manuscript, as it confused them."
His Highness added: "From studying that manuscript, 'Kitab al-Salwa fi Tarikh Kilwa,' it became clear, first: that the author was unknown, but he mentioned his date of birth in the manuscript as: Monday, the second of Shawwal, year nine hundred and four... Second: the manuscript was old, and this is evident from the date of its transcription by Abdullah bin Musbah al-Sawafi by order of Sultan Barghash bin Said bin Sultan in 1294 AH, corresponding to 1877 AD, which means the manuscript was three hundred and fifty years old... Third: the copyist had difficulty reading the names of individuals or countries, either due to the poor handwriting of the author or due to the manuscript's deterioration from age and damage... Fourth: out of the ten chapters of the manuscript, three chapters were missing, and I was able to cover them from Portuguese documents.
Fifth: what was written in the manuscript about the arrival of the Sultans of Shiraz to the African coast is a myth, and the truth is found in contemporary manuscripts regarding the departure of the Sultan of Shiraz at that time... And with the grace of Almighty God, and with the manuscripts I possess on genealogies, ancient Persian history, and Portuguese documents, I was able to resolve what was confusing to historians and write the history of Kilwa in the form of a true and documented historical narrative."