sultanate · Central and Southern Africa
Sultanate of Mayotte
Origins
A Shirazi Muslim dynasty established itself on Mayotte (Maore) around 1500, linked by marriage and trade to the other Comorian islands. The sultans ruled from Tsingoni, where the Friday mosque, dated by inscription to 1538, is among the oldest in the region.
Rule and society
The sultanate was a small maritime state trading rice, cattle and slaves with the Swahili coast, Madagascar and passing European ships. Its rulers were often drawn into the wars of the Sultanate of Anjouan, which claimed overlordship, and the island suffered heavy Malagasy slave raids in the late 18th century. The capital later moved to Dzaoudzi.
Decline and legacy
In 1832 Andriantsoly, the former Sakalava king of Boina driven out by the Merina Kingdom, seized Mayotte. Seeking protection, he sold the island to France in 1841. Mayotte remained French and is now an overseas department.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (1)
- Sultanate of Mayotte paid tribute to Sultanate of Anjouan1790 CE – 1830 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sultanate of Mayotte. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sultanate-of-mayotte
- MLA
- “Sultanate of Mayotte.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sultanate-of-mayotte. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Sultanate of Mayotte.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sultanate-of-mayotte.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sultanate of Mayotte’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sultanate-of-mayotte (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻