The Pate Chronicle: edited and translated from MSS 177, 321, 344, and 358 of the Library of the University of Dar es Salaam

HISTORY OF PATE

mSTORY OF PATE Year 600 o/the Hijra (p. 2) There was Sulayman bin Sulayman Muzaffar al-Nabahani. The first in sequence to come to Pate was Sulayman bin Sulayman bin Muzaffar Nabahani and his two brothers, 'Ali bin Sulayman and 'Uthman bin Sulayman. And this Sulayman bin Sulayman the aforesaid had been sultan, and previously he reigned in the land of the Arabs. The aforesaid sultan came to Pate, about the date of the year 600 of al-Hijral was his coming to Pate. He asked for marriage from the king of Pate, from among the alBatawiyin . Sultan Sulayman bin Sulayman was a prominent man, the king of Pate married him to his daughter. And the custom of all the WaSwahili till now (is that) a man takes your daughter (in marriage), (then) seven days after the wedding he goes to see his father-in-law at the house of his wife, the father of his wife, to be given (gifts) from the people. This Sulayman bin Sulayman, that king gave him his kingship that had been theirs. (p. 3) (Thereafter) reigned Sulayman bin [Sulayman], this king. There was a town called Kitoki, on the same island of Pate, east ofPate; and Siu was not yet a town. There was another town called Shanga, east of Pate. And Faza was a town, the rulers of Faza were al-Mafazi. He ruled all these towns, all were under Sultan Sulayman bin Sulayman. And Mandra had I 1203-4. TRANSLATION 439 a separate king, [and he had] great power. Sultan Sulayman bin Sulayman died in the year 625 of the Hijra.2 He left two sons, Muhammad and Ahmad. Muhammad's age (was) twenty, (and) Ahmad's age (was) fifteen. Muhammad bin Sulayman bin Sulayman reigned after his father. A conflict arose between him and the people of Shanga, he made war on the city (and) destroyed it completely. And some of those (people) came, to Pate, and a separate (group, whose) tribe (was) WaKinandangu, fled, (and) the place where they ran away was not known, until some days passed (and) the news came to Sultan Muhammad bin Sulayman from the hunters (who) came and said to him, "Those unknown,3 we have seen them in the forest." The sultan sent people to look for them, (and) they caught up with them; they had made huts inside the forest. Sultan Muhammad bin Sulayman (p. 4) forgave them (and) returned them to their (own) place. This is the origin of the town of Siu. (Later) came other WaSwahili (and) they all settled. (Then) came the WaFamau (and) settled; they were the chiefs of Siu under the overlordship of Sultan Muhammad bin Sulayman. He died in the year 650.4 His brother Sultan Ahmad bin Sulayman reigned. He governed the land of Pate very well, building houses (and) farms; he did not make war anywhere, (and) died in the year 660.s 2 1227-8. 3 This phrasing is similar to MS 344. Wale wa-Siu "those unknown" is here taken to explain the etymology of the toponym Siu. 4 1252-3. 5 1261-2. 440 MS 358 (Next) reigned the son of his brother, by the name Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sulayman. He treated the people very well, following the example of his (paternal) uncle, building up the town of Pate and the farms, until he died in the year 700.6 He left many children. (Then) reigned his son Sultan Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sulayman. He governed the people in an excellent manner. (Then) the people of Faza seceded; he fought them (and) brought them under control after many battles, until he overcame them. He captured Mandra through a military ruse, because the sultan of Mandra had great power (in terms of) money and men. He destroyed it utterly, and carried off some people to Pate. And a few fled (and) ran away to all places; some came to Shela (and) put themselves under the protection of the men of Lamu. Sultan (p. 5) Muhammad bin Ahmad the aforesaid demanded (them) of the men of Lamu; they refused to surrender them. And some went to Malindi and other towns. Sultan Muhammad bin Ahmad pursued vigorously (the matter of) those who came to Shela. The men of Lamu refused to surrended them decisively. While this matter still lasted, Sultan Muhammad died in the year 732.7 His son...