Several sultanates in the Comoro Islands, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, were founded after the introduction of Islam into the area in the 15th century. Other titles could also be fani, mfaume and ntibe. Unlike sultans in many other Arab nations, these sultans had little real power. At one time alone on the island of Ndzuwani or Nzwani (today Anjouan), 40 fanis and other chiefs shared power of the island; Ngazidja (today Grand Comore) was at many times divided into 11 sultanates. This article addresses the major sultanates.

The term Shirazis (derived from the former Persian capital Shiraz) is a reference to Iranian roots, in some dynasties. The sultans of Hamamvu (Washirazi sultans) are a surviving dynasty that claims origins in Persia and carries an extant connection to the Washirazi people of the East African Coast.

The following five cities have been collectively inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2026:

Ntsudjini Iconi Itsandra Moroni Mutsamudu

Sultans of Ndzuwani (Anjouan) # Name Reign Start Reign End Notes 1 Muhammad I Founder 2 Hassan ? - 3 Muhammad II ? ? – 4 Msindra ? ? 5 Alimah I ? First female sultan of Anjouan. Otherwise known as Halima. 6 Sayid Alawi Regent 7 Hussein – 8 Sayid Idarus Regent 9 Sayid Abu Bakr Regent 10 Alimah II Second female sultan of Anjouan. Also known as Halima II. 11 Alimah III Third female sultan of Anjouan. Also known as Halima III. 12 Sheikh Salim 1741 – 13 Sheikh Ahmad 1741 1782 Also known as Said Ahmad. 14 Abdallah I 1782 1788 – 15 Alimah IV 1788 1792 Fourth female sultan of Anjouan. Also known as Halimah IV. – Abdallah I 1792 1796 Second reign 16 Alawi I 1796 1816 Also known as Mwinye Fani 17 Abdallah II bin Alawi 1816 1832 – 18 Ali 1832 1833 Also known as Ali bin Salim – Abdallah II bin Alawi 1833 1836 Second reign 19 Alawi II 1836 1837 Also known as Saidi Alawi bin Abdallah 20 Salim I 1837 1852 Also known as Salim bin Alawi 21 Abdallah III 1852 February 1891 Also known as Saidi Abdallah bin Salim. The Sultanate of Anjouan became part of the Mayotte Protectorate in 1866. 22 Salim II February 1891 2 April 1891 Also known as Salim bin Abdallah 23 Said Omar 2 April 1891 14 April 1892 Also known as Saidi Omar bin Said Hasan 24 Said Ali 14 April 1892 25 July 1912 Also known as Said Ali bin Said Omar

Sultans of Mayotte Mayotte was conquered by the Sultanate of Anjouan in 1835, after which it was ruled by Anjouani qadis (governors) until 1841 when it became a protectorate under the French. # Name Reign Start Reign End Notes 1 Hassan I 2 Muhammad 3 Isa 4 Amina Queen Regent 5 Bwana Fuma ibn Ali Regent 6 Ali I 7 Umar 8 Ali II 9 Aisa Queen Regent 10 Monavo Fani Queen Regent 11 Abu Bakr 1727 12 Salim I 1727 1752 13 Bwana Kombo I 1752 1790 14 Salim II 1790 1807 15 Salih 1807 1817 19 Ahmad 1817 1829 20 Bwana Kombo II 1829 1832 21 Andrianametaka 1832 19 November 1835 – Umar 19 November 1835 Anjouan Qadi – Adriantsuli 25 March 1841 Anjouan Qadi

Sultans on Ngazidja (Grande Comore)

Sultans of Bambao Styled mfalme (plural wafalme). No.Name NotesInya Mwatsoa Pirusa dynasty1 Ngoma Mrahafu2Mwasi Pirusa3Fum Mbavu Inkwaba4Mwenye Mji wa Mwenye Mambo5Inye wa Mantsi6Mwenye Mji wa Mwanze7Tambavu mna Muhame wa Saidi8Tambavu InkwabaInya Fey wa Mbaya dynasty9Fum Nau wa Kori DoziHe was the first ruler of Bamboa to be given the title (Sultan) Tibe, i.e. Paramount ruler of the island. Inya Mwatsoa Pirusa dynasty (Restored)10Mwenye Mji wa Mvunza Panga 11 Mla Nau Second ruler with the hegemonic title Sultan tibe. 12Fozi Wa13 Suja Oma Inkwaba14 Nyau wa Faume Only female sultan of Bambao. 15 Bamba Oma wa Ju Mamba First reign. 16 Ahmed bin Shekhe Ngome First reign. The fourth ruler to styled Sultan tibe. Born in c. 1793 and died in 1875. *Bamba Oma wa Ju MambaSecond reign.*Ahmed bin Shekhe NgomeSecond reign.17 Saidi Bakari *Ahmed bin Shekhe NgomeThird reign.18 Mwenye Mambo 19 Ju Mamba 20 Mohamed bin AhmedFirst reign. * Ahmed bin Shekhe NgomeFourth reign. Also known as tibe X.21 Abdallah bin Saidi HamzaFirst reign.* Mohamed bin AhmedSecond reign.22 Mwenye MjiFirst reign.*Abdallah bin Saidi HamzaSecond reign.23 Saidi Bakari bin AhmedFirst reign.*Mwenye MjiSecond reign.*Abdallah bin Saidi HamzaThird reign.*Saidi Bakari bin AhmedSecond reign.24 Saidi Ali bin Saidi OmarReigned c. 1875–1886. Also known as tibe XV. Born in c. 1856 and died in 1916.

Sultans of Itsandra Styled "Mfaume" (in Shingazidja) or Mfalme (in Kiswahili). All rulers were part of the Inya Fey wa Mbaya dynasty. Reign dates are unknown. No.Name Notes1 Fey Owa Mbaya2Fey Mwenza3Fey Jumbe4Ju Mwamba Pirusa5Zombe Ilingo6Nguzo wa Inehili7Tibe wa Kanzu8Mkongo9Mna Musa Hibu10Muhammadi Saidi11Mvunza Panga12Fey Beja wa Wabeja Only female sultan of Itsandra.13Fum Nau wa Kori DoziSultan of both Bambao and Itsandra. Also known as tibe I.14Fey FumuFirst reign. Also known as tibe III.15Bwana FumuFirst reign. Also known as tibe V.*Fey FumuSecond reign. Also known as tibe VI.*Bwana FumuSecond reign. Also known as tibe VII.*Fey FumuThird reign. Also known as tibe VIII.16Fum MbavuAlso known as tibe IX.17Musa Fumu wa Fey FumuFirst reign. Also known as tibe XI.18Tibe BambaFirst reign. Also known as tibe XII.*Musa Fumu wa Fey FumuSecond reign. Also known as tibe XIII.*Tibe BambaSecond reign. Also known as tibe XIV.*Musa Fumu wa Fey FumuThird reign.*Tibe BambaThird reign.*Musa Fumu wa Fey FumuFourth reign. Died in 1883.*Tibe BambaFourth reign.19Kalega

Sultans of Mitsamihuli Styled "Mfaume/Mfalme". All rulers were part of the Inya Mwatsoa Pirusa dynasty. Reign dates are unknown. No.Name Notes1 Mahame Msahi2Fozi wa Mahame3Mbantsi4Ju Mambu Madi wa Musa Fumu5Jumbe Fumu Mfaume wa DombaCo-rulers. First reign of Jumbe Fumu Mfaume wa Domba.6Kori Dazi*Jumbe Fumu Mfaume wa DombaCo-rulers. Second reign of Jumbe Fumu Mfaume wa Domba.7Tambavu wa Jumbe Fumu8Fozi Wa9Suja Fumu MbambaCo-rulers.10Mba Fumu wa Jumbe Fumu11Msa Fumu wa TambweCo-rulers.12Jumbe Fumu wa Jumbe Mfumu13Mbandhi wa Bwana Haji14Abdallah bin AhmedCo-rulers.15Mbandhi wa Bwana Haji16Bwana FumuReign ended around 1886.

Sultans of Washili Styled "Mfaume/Mfalme". Rulers were part of the Inya Maoni Yambao and Inya Fu Wemba dynasties. # Name Notes 1 Mohama Mdume wa Beja2Fey Zinda wa Mawana3Fey Zinda wa Makasara4Tambwe Msa FumuCo-rulers.5Tambwe wa Habadi6Jumbe Fumu wa Mlala Bwani 7Tambwe No Fumu wa Mla NauBorn in 1735 and died in 1815. He reigned around 1760.8Ju Mwamba Mwenye Majini9Mba Fumu wa Suja Fumu BambaCo-rulers.10Shekhe Salim11Mavunzanga12Tibe Mle13Abudu

Sultans of Bajini Styled "Mfaume/Mfalme" # Name Reign Notes 1 Mwenya Bamba I ?2Bamba Jumbe?3Tambe Mbafu wa Fum Nau?4Ju Mamba Oma wa Mla Nau?Co-rulers.5Mwambatsi?6Mwenye Bamba II?7Bamba Oma?Co-rulers.8Suja Oma wa Tambwe?9Shekani?10Fuma Oma?Co-rulers.11Oma wa Dari?–188412Ja Mhaba?First female sultan of Bajini.13Hashimu bin Ahmed?First reign.14Hadija bint Ahmed?Second female sultan of Bajini.*Hashimu bin Ahmed?–1886Second reign.–Interregnum1886–1889*Hashimu bin Ahmed1889Third reign.

Sultans of Hambuu Styled "Mfaume/Mfalme". All rulers were part of the Inya Mba Mro dynasty. Reign dates are unknown. # Name Notes 1 Beja Mbuyuni2Nau wa Migira3Nau wa Moro4Fumu Mau5Yasi Azu6Demani Mtango7Fumu Jimba wa Idimani8Madi Jimbwa wa TangweCo-rulers.9Dari wa Mla Nau10Jumbe Fumu wa Suja Oma Inkwaba11Suja Oma wa Tambwe12Mrunda MijoCo-rulers.13Fey Mwando wa Tambwe14Bamba Oma wa Ju Mamba15Tambwe wa Hinye16Abudu bin Mohamed bin SultaniCo-rulers.17Bamba Oma wa Oma

Sultans of Hamahame Styled "Mfaume/Mfalme". Subordinated to Itsandra. Reign dates unknown. # Name 1 Nye Hila2Haji wa No Fumu3Suja Oma Mshinda Kodo4Jumbe Fumu Madi5Bwana Haji Musa6Simai7Dari Oma8Fumu Oma wa Nasiri9Suja Oma wa Fumu10Mba Fumu wa Bwana Haji11Suja Oma Bwana

Sultans of Mbwankuu The sultan was also styled Mfaume/Mfalme; the only known incumbent (no dates) was: Bwana Fumu.

Sultans of Mbude Sultans (also styled Mfaume/Mfalme). All rulers were part of the Inya Mwatsoa Udhiwa dynasty. Reign dates are unknown.

Mbude was subordinated to Itsandra from c. 1860 to 1872 and again from 1873 to 1880. It was subordinated to Bambao briefly from 1872 to 1873 and then again from 1880 to 1892. # Name 1 Msa Mwinza2Bamba3Lwali4Jumbe Fumu wa Tambwe 5Dari Mbamba6Mwandhi Oma wa Jumbe Fumu7Bamba Oma wa Suja Funu8Jumbe Fumu Mna Mango9Bamba wa Madi Jimba10Jumbe Fumu wa Sinai

Sultans of Domba The sultan was also styled Mfaume/Mfalme; the only known incumbent (no dates) was: Febeja Mambwe.

Sultans of Mwali (Mohéli) # NamePicture Reign Birth–Death Notes 1 Abderremane I (Ramanetaka-Rivo) 1830–1842 ?–1842 Son of Merina princes of Madagascar. Brother-in-law to Radama I. Ran away from Madagascar after the death of Radama I. Founded the Sultanate of Mohéli in 1830, which had previously been part of the Ndzuwani sultanate.2Djoumbé Fatima bint Abderremane1842–September 1865c. 1836–1878 (age 41) First female sultan of Mohéli. Daughter of Abderremane. Her mother, Ravao, ruled as regent from 1842 to 1847. Known as Raketaka Jombe Sudy before 1851. Known as Jumbe Fatima bint Abderremane from 1851 onwards. First reign.3Mohamed bin Saidi Hamadi MakadaraSeptember 1865–1874c. 1859–1874 (age 15) Son of Djoumbé Fatima. His mother ruled as regent from September 1865 to 1868, and again from January 1871 to 1874. Joseph-François Lambert ruled as regent from 1868 to January 1871.*Djoumbé Fatima bint Abderremane1874–1878c. 1836–1878 (age 41) Second reign.4Abderremane II bin Saidi Hamadi Makadara1878–1885c. 1860–1885 (age 15) Son of Djoumbé Fatima.5Mohammed Shekhe1885–1886Born c. 18306Marjani bin Abudu Shekhe1886–1888Born c. 1851 Mohéli was a French Protectorate from 1886 to 1889.7Salima Machamba bint Saidi Hamadi Makadara1888–19091874–1964 (age 89) Second female sultan of Mohéli. Daughter of Djoumbé Fatima. Never took office. Three regents ruled from 1888 to 1889: Fadeli bin Othman, Balia Juma (female regent) and Abudu Tsivandini. Mahmudu bin Mohamed Makadara ruled as regent from 1889 to 1897. He was a son of Djoumbé Fatima and half-brother of Salima Machamba. He resigned in 1897 and died a year later. Last Sultan before Mohéli became a colony of France in 1909. Moheli was governed by French residents in Anjouan until 1912, afterwards being annexed by France.

See also List of rulers of the Comoros List of Sunni dynasties

Sources and external links Almanach de Bruxelles (now a paying site) World Statesmen – Comoros

References