Shirazi Islam and the Patricians of Kilwa

Most of the Swahili states are to this day ruled by dynasties that claim to be descended from the first Islamic migration into this region. The Islam practiced by these 'Shirazis', as they call themselves, is, however, not the most orthodox form of the religion. Many older local ceremonies are performed daily in our court and the Shirazi lineages are considered to have magical abilities that give them the right to rule these cities.\nAs the wealth of Kilwa and the other Swahili states grows, however, new waves of foreigners continue to arrive in great numbers. Traders from Oman, Persia, the Bahmani kingdom and other faraway lands have made our cities their home and a rising class of indigenous merchants has made these groups their partners. Many of the newcomers are abhorred by our traditions. If we would adopt a more orthodox form of Islam this would certainly help our relations with the other states of the Indian Ocean, but there is a very real risk that it would undermine our own rule and hurt relations with the other Swahili states.