Tippu Tip, also spelled Tippu Tib or Tippoo Tib ( – June 14, 1905), real name Ḥamad ibn Muḥammad ibn Jumʿah ibn Rajab ibn Muḥammad ibn Saʿīd al Murjabī (), was an Arab-Omani ivory and slave owner and trader, explorer, governor and plantation owner. He worked for a succession of sultans of Zanzibar, trading in slaves for Zanzibar's clove plantations.
As part of the large and lucrative trade, he led many trading expeditions into Central Africa, constructing profitable trading posts deep into the Congo Basin region and thus becoming the best-known slave and ivory trader in Africa, supplying much of the world with ivory from enslaved Africans. While still loyal to the Sultan of Zanzibar, he came to rule a large territory in the eastern Congo, centered on the town of Kasongo in the present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo, in his own right.
Early life
Tippu Tip was probably born in Zanzibar in the 1830s, although sources differ on the exact year. According to Heinrich Brode, who based his account largely on Tippu Tip's own recollections, Tippu Tip's mother, Bint Habib bin Bushir, was the daughter of a "respected and prosperous Muscat family" of the Wardi clan. His paternal ancestors were Arab traders connected with the Swahili Coast and the interior caravan trade. His paternal great-grandmother, Mwana Arabu, was the daughter of Juma bin Muhammed el Nebhani, a member of a respected Muscat family, and an African woman from Mbwa Maji, south of Dar es Salaam.
Throughout his life, Hamad bin Muhammad bin Juma bin Rajab el Murjebi was more commonly known as Tippu Tip. Hinde translated the nickname as "the gatherer together of wealth". According to Tippu Tip's own account, however, the name came from the "tiptip" sound of gunfire during expeditions in Central Africa.
At a relatively young age, Tippu Tip led a group of about 100 men from Zanzibar into Central Africa, seeking slaves and ivory. After raiding several areas, he returned to Zanzibar to consolidate his resources and recruit more followers. He later returned to the African mainland.
Career
Tippu Tip built a slave-trading empire, and is considered the second wealthiest Muslim slave trader in history, using the proceeds to establish clove plantations on Zanzibar. Abdul Sheriff reported that, when he left for his twelve years of "empire building" on the mainland, he had no plantations of his own. By 1895, he had acquired "seven 'shambas' [plantations] and 10,000 slaves".Sheriff, 108
He met and helped several Western explorers of the African continent, including David Livingstone and Henry Morton Stanley.Stanley, H. M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, Vol. One , Vol. Two Between 1884 and 1887, he claimed the Eastern Congo for himself and for the Sultan of Zanzibar, Bargash bin Said el Busaidi. In spite of his position as protector of Zanzibar's interests in Congo, he managed to maintain good relations with the Europeans. When, in August 1886, fighting broke out between the Swahili and the representatives of King Leopold II of Belgium at Stanley Falls, al-Murjabī went to the Belgian consul at Zanzibar to assure him of his "good intentions". Although he was still a force in Central African politics, he could see by 1886 that power in the region was shifting.
Military victories during his career in Central and Eastern Africa
Tippu Tip's military forces were extremely successful in Central and Eastern Africa, upsetting the balance of power in the region and accumulating vast, decisive victories that enriched Tippu Tip with war spoils, like slaves, precious metals, and ivory.
1859–1860 campaign in Unyanyembe Tippu Tip first arrived in the region that is now central Tanzania, specifically the Tabora Region, with a force of less than a hundred men, armed only with muskets and had managed to, in a few short years, kill in battle a few thousand enemies and take thousands of slaves and pounds of ivory. This early engagement was where Hamad bin Muhammad first showed his military prowess. A part of a band of roughly 300 men, armed with muskets, they had managed to defeat a force of a few thousand Nyamwezi warriors, who were defending their chieftain, Mnywa Sere. The coastal slave traders wanted to overthrow Mnywa Sere, and assaulted his fortified village, which was surrounded by large earthen defences. Tippu Tip himself and a force of about a hundred men entered his fortified village and managed to capture the Chieftain, but Tippu Tip was wounded by an arrow in this fight. The coastal slave traders had killed nearly the entire enemy force and captured Mnywa Sere, who they imprisoned and replaced with Mkasiva.
Punitive expedition to Usaramo in 1864 Returning from Unyanyembe with his share of the captured goods, Tippu Tip and his caravan was attacked by a large force of Zaramo people armed with Muskets. Tippu Tip returned with a force of 80 men, and he led a 5-day campaign through their territory. He captured 800 enemies and took them as slaves, as well as a large amount of copper.
Conquest of Itahua and the defeat of King Nsama in 1867 Tippu Tip had first set out to Itahua on the 12th of May, 1867, according to Livingstone, after hearing reports of its vast riches in ivory, gold, copper and slaves. The country of Itahua was ruled by a powerful and bloodthirsty chief, known as King Nsama. Tippu Tip had become aware that Nsama could raise a force of 20,000 men through reports from Amer bin Said esh Shaqsi, an Arab trader already based in Itahua. Amer bin Said had lead an expedition some years earlier, but he was one of few survivors. Tippu Tip and his men crossed the stream which formed boundary between Urungu and Itahua, in the modern day district of Haut-Ulele. The area, next to the famous Ituri forest known for its difficult terrain, is similarly difficult to traverse, especially in the Victorian period. The area was full of dense jungle, and highly populated due to previous raids that had forced the population into the area. After six days of marching through the difficult terrain, Tippu Tip and his force had reached the base of a mountain, where Nsama had made his capital. It was heavily fortified with palisades, thorn bushes and trenches, and had a large population of some 50,000. Tippu Tips' force consisted of a few hundred men including porters, with only 105 men who were all armed with muskets. Nsama had summoned all of the Coastal traders in the vicinity of the city to his court, and outraged during an argument, he ordered them to leave. The next day, Nsama had ordered them to return to the city, where they were ambushed by a force of a few thousand of his warriors, at least 3,000. Tippu Tips' forces were caught off-guard and two of their porters were killed, and one of their soldiers was wounded. Tippu Tip himself was wounded by an arrow, but despite this he rallied his forces into formation where they fought off the attackers, who were poorly trained and attacked from all sides. The enemy spread its muskets out thinly and did not form any formation. They attacked Tippu Tip believing their numerical advantage would overpower him. After the first volley, Tippu Tips' forces had cut down 200 attackers. After the first hour, Tippu Tips' forces had killed 1,000 enemies, and the Chieftain Nsama had fled the city with most of the civilians. That night Nsama and his forces returned to the city, which Tippu Tip and his forces had made camp in, and Nsama besieged them. By the following morning, the enemy had gathered in great masses, probably around 20,000 men. Even the Chiefs' sons who lived far away had arrived with their soldiers at the town. The enemy began to smoke hemp and beat the drums, the smoke obscured the outer edge of the city. Tippu Tip gathered 50 of his best men and 50 of his best guns, most likely breech loading rifles, and he sent 10 men to each gate. They fired from the gates, and then returned to the center where another group of ten would advance and fire. The next morning, Tippu Tips' forces exited the city to loot the defeated enemy force, who had suffered another 600 casualties, whereas Tippu Tips' force did not lose a single man. Later on in the day, another crowd of enemy soldiers attacked the city. Tippu Tip let the enemy force get within close proximity to the town, then giving the order for his troops to charge with their swords. The already frightened enemy force broke ranks and fled, and suffered another 150 casualties, with Tippu Tips' force losing two men. On the third day, an even larger force arrived at the town, and once again the enemy force got extremely close to the town, before Tippu Tip and his forces fired a volley from their guns, and then charging the fleeing enemy forces. They killed another 250 enemies, losing 3 men themselves and another 4 were wounded. After Nsamas' men had stopped attacking the city, Tippu Tip and his force as well as his porters left the city, pursuing their fleeing enemies. They had chased the enemy beyond the mountain, where they caught up with them and engaged the enemy force. Their enemies quickly surrendered, and Tippu Tip captured 1,000 of them and took them as slaves, as well as countless other valuables. When retreating back to the town, Tippu Tips' force had discovered the bodies of a group of coastal merchants, in his own words describing how they were likely slaughtered by Nsama, who had resolved to seek vengeance on all of the Muslim traders in his territory. Tippu Tip looted the ivory stores in the city, and captured 1,950 Frasilas of ivory, worth £13,650 at that time or roughly $2.86 million US dollars in 2026.
All in all, Tippu Tips' forces had killed about 2,000 enemies, and taken at least another 1,000 as slaves. Countless enemies had also been wounded and the capital of that district had been completely abandoned. Tippu Tip's forces had only lost six men. In the aftermath, a rival tribe with the aid of a force of coastal traders launched a war of extermination against Itahua, which lasted two months and resulted in the overthrow of Nsama and the collapse of his state.
Afterwards Tippu Tip would return to Urungu where he would meet the famous explorer David Livingstone for the first time.
Tippu Tips' journey through Ugalla towards the Lunda Kingdom