Shirazi people
Ethnic group / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Shirazi also known as Mbwera, are a Bantu ethnic group inhabiting the Swahili coast and the nearby Indian ocean islands.[3] They are particularly concentrated on the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Comoros.[1][3]
The factual accuracy of parts of this article (those related to History) may be compromised due to out-of-date information. The reason given is: A genetic study, published on March 29, 2023, confirmed the presence of significant Iranian-origin ancestry in the Y-chromosomal DNA of medieval inhabitants of the Swahili Coast, strongly supporting elements of the Persian-admixture narrative.
Citation: Brielle, E.S., Fleisher, J., Wynne-Jones, S. et al. Entwined African and Asian genetic roots of medieval peoples of the Swahili coast. Nature 615, 866–873 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05754-w. (March 2023) |
Regions with significant populations | |
---|---|
Swahili coast (mainly Zanzibar, Pemba, Mafia, Comoros)[1] | |
Languages | |
Swahili varieties, English, French | |
Religion | |
Predominantly Sunni Islam[2] | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Swahili people, Afro-Iranians |
A number of Shirazi legends proliferated along the East African coast, most involving a named or unnamed Persian prince marrying a Swahili princess. Modern academics reject the authenticity of the primarily Persian origin claim, although recent genetic evidence points towards noticeable Persian admixture.[4][5][6] They point to the relative rarity of Persian customs and speech, lack of documentary evidence of Shia Islam in the Muslim literature on the Swahili Coast, and instead a historic abundance of Sunni Arab-related evidence.[7] The documentary evidence, like the archaeological, "for early Persian settlement is likewise completely lacking".[8]
The Shirazi are notable for helping spread Islam on the Swahili Coast, their role in the establishment of the southern Swahili sultanates like Mozambique and Angoche, their influence in the development of the Swahili language, and their opulent wealth.[9][10][11] The East African coastal area and the nearby islands served as their commercial base.[3][12][13][note 1]