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Tharia paid back his loan , earned some money and went back to see his parents in Kutchh after ten years . His parents were extremely delighted to see that their long lost son not only was alive but rich as well. They arranged his marriage and he came back to Zanzibar with his wife and started his business with added vigour. His first wife died in 1847, and his second wife died in 1863. In 1864,Tharia went back to his native land Kutchh once again and married for the third time Lady Janbai who was the mother of his six children. During his visits to India he sponsored and helped a good number of Ismailis to migrate to Zanzibar, many of them with his own expenses and employed them. Tharia then started to deal in spices, cloves, coconuts, timber and ivory as well by organising elephant hunting trips in the hinterland of Tanganyika . He rose to be known as King of Ivory trade. In 1876 Tharia Topan took over as Chief of Customs in Zanzibar in 1876 and was now chief confidential and right hand man of Sultan Sayed Baragash. His services or the Ismaily community was equally spectacular and invaluable. He was a munificent donor for numerous causes for the welfare of the community, building schools,hospitals , community halls , Jamaat Khana etc. He secured privileges for the Ismaily settlers from the Sultan of Zanzibar. Sheth Tharia Topan was considered to be one of the richest merchants in town and had already opened his offices in Bombay and also appointed his agents in all European ports. He financed the local and the European merchants as a banker and had the distinction of meeting explorers like Dr. Charles Livingstone (1821-18 ) . In 1866 he had also played a key role in the Aga Khan case in Bombay.

Tharia Topan was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1875 in London and again he was knighted in 1890 in India . His highest honour came when Imam Hassan Ali Shah invested Sir ThariaTopan the title of " Varas"in recognition of his invaluable service to the Ismailia Community.

Gijsbert Oonk (2009) in his ¡ÈKarimjee Jivanjee Family: Merchant Princes of East Africa, 1800 – 2000¡É describes the Karimjee Jivanjee family as the ¡ÈMerchant Princes of EA" and rightly so ! Briefly, Karimjee Jivanjee family's journey started way back in 1825 when Jivanjee Budhabhoy , a merchant from Kutchh Mandvi sailed to East Africa in a dhow and settled down in Zanzibar. And by the time he died in 1898 his family had not only expanded their businesses in East Africa but had already established solid trade connections with Europe . They were known as " Sisal barons of Tanga " and owned many properties, sisal farms and ran successfully a wide spread business Empire. They belonged to Bohora community. Their family's contribution to public institutions specially in Zanzibar and all over Tanganyika -Tanzania is immense . They built hospitals,schools , gymkhana clubs , mosques ,community halls not only in Zanzibar but all over East Africa and elsewhere . Two of Karimjeebrothers , Sir Yusufali and Sir Tayabali were honoured with knighthood by the British Colonial Government . By 1943, they had established their offices in Dar-es - Salaam headed by Abdulkarinbhai Karimjee. On March 1958 Abdulkarim Yusufali Alibhoy Karimjee amid pomp and celebrations, was appointed as the first Parliamentary Speaker of Tanganyika .

To this day the Karimjee family continue their family tradition of working for various social causes and donating generously in spite of the fact that they had lost a good number of properties that were expropriated from the family during post revolution Zanzibar as well as during nationalisation drive in Tanzania in 1971.

In response to Late His Holiness Sydenham Taher Saifuddin 's advice a great number of Bohoras had settled down in Zanzibar. They are well known as disciplined noble people and as successful entrepreneurs. Januwala ,Karimjee Goribai family, Abdulhussain and Karachiwala, Sadikot, Sulemanji and many others have made their names in business communities in Zanzibar-Tanganyika as well as present day Tanzania. They dealt and deal mostly in hardware , crockery , pharmaceuticals and had tin / glass cutting workshops , abounded in prosperity and were exceptionally good in cricket, volleyball and other sports while a few qualified as lawyers and doctors . After the Revolution in Zanzibar some moved to Dar-es-Salaam and other parts of Africa where they re-established themselves successfully and others, mostly younger generation left for western countries in search of a better life.

Zanzibar's oldest newspaper was a weekly Samachar published by Fazal Master whose establishment dated back to 1903. Initially the bilingual - English and Gujarati paper was circulated on Sunday only. It was later reorganised as a daily newspaper and first appeared on Monday August 21,1905. Such another newspaper was 'Zanzibar Voice ' being published by Ibrahim Kassam and Rati Balsara started ' Adal Insaaf '. The Government Press published 'Mariffa besides the Gazette'.

My parents Tarachand Gandhi and Labhuben Gandhi also had arrived by dhow in Zanzibar in early 19th century where my father had joined the customs service in Zanzibar. I was born in Pemba in 1931. At the time due to its strategic location near the East African coast and the Sultan's active encouragement, Zanzibar Isles was the main entry point to East Africa for Indian settlers.However, it was the other way round for Suchak family.

Born in Verad in 1880 in Gujarat as one of the sons of Valjibhai Premji Suchak , Muljibhai Suchak sailed in a dhow with his parents from Porbandar and landed in Dar-es-Salaam in 1893 at a very young age. Initially he worked as an employee and then moved to Zanzibar in 1894 - 95 where he was tasked to manage a clove farm belonging to one of the wives of the then Sultan. Being business minded Muljibhai got involved in buying and marketing cloves and slowly diversified in to importation of textile as well.

In 1908 - 1909 Muljibhai got married, had 5 five children - three sons and two daughters who were all born in Zanzibar.As their businesses expanded his three sons - Pradhanbhai ,Chaganbhai and Manilalbhai joined the firm one by one . Thus family's business identity Mulji Valji And Sons was established in 1920- 21. When the Sultan's wife, whose clove farm Muljibhai was managing, passed away in 1924,Muljibhai purchased her residential home as per her desire and will. Apart from marketing cloves, Mulji Walji And Sons diversified their business activities to include sole agencies of Sugar distribution from Kakirain Uganda, textiles from India , cigarette from France, Ford cars, Ford Lorry Chasis and Good Year tyres and Carlfax petroleum products. In Late 1940, they established Oil Manufacturing Unit and bought several sisal estates and properties in and around Dar . Muljibhai's sons Pradhabhai and Chaganbhai followed by their grandsons moved to Dar-es-Salaam and Manilalbhai the youngest son remained in Zanzibar.

Manilal Mulji Walji Suchak was born in Zanzibar. After finishing his education in 1938 he joined his family business which was already established by then. By this time the slave trade was completely dismantled and general businesses were booming . Muljibhai had established Kanyashala - girl's school in memory of Velabai - his wife. Manilalbhai also was a leading member of the community and following the trend set up by his father established a secondary school for the benefit of students in Zanzibar who had failed to secure a place for further education in Government schools . He helped many deserving students with fees and facilities. Apart from his numerous commitments Manilalbhai was also President of Hindu Mandal and and Chairman of VelabaiMuljiWaljiSuchakKanyashala and Hindu Union Secondary School.

His lasting legacy is a road that leads to Hindu Crematorium on the beach just a few miles from the Stone Town. The crematorium is just above high tide mark on the beach with a cliff drop of about a hundred feet. It has been on the same site since 1900. Probably it is the oldest Hindu Institution in continuous existence in East Africa. The cite for the crematorium was donated by Bhanjibhai way back, most probably even before 1900. Interestingly his full name is not known and the place is just known as ,' Bhanjibhai no Shambho - Bhanjibhai's Farm even now . It was in disrepair at the time. Also, for years during the high tide mourners had to struggle to lower the remains down the hundred steps to the pyre on the beach. The community under the leadership of Manilalbhai Suchak built a road from the top of the cliff leading to the pyre on the beach and completely renovated the crematorium.This work was just finished.