Sultanate of Zanzibar

Sultanate of Zanzibar, 19th-century East African trading empire that fell under the domination of the British, who controlled it until the mid-20th century.

The island of Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania) became a possession of the south Arabian state of Muscat and Oman in the late 17th century; Saʿīd ibn Sulṭān, who created a flourishing commercial empire along the East African coast, made it his capital in 1832. In 1861 Zanzibar was separated from Muscat and Oman and became an independent sultanate, which controlled the vast African domains acquired by Saʿīd as well as lucrative trade in slaves and ivory. Under the sultan Barghash (ruled 1870–88), however, Great Britain and Germany divided most of Zanzibar’s territory on the African mainland between them and secured economic control over the remaining coastal strip. In 1890 the British proclaimed a protectorate over Zanzibar itself, which endured for several decades. During this period the sultan’s authority was reduced and the slave trade curtailed.

Under the protectorate, the sultans were generally aligned with the British. An exception occurred after the death of the sultan Ḥamad ibn Thuwayn on August 25, 1896, when his nephew, Khālid ibn Barghash, seized the throne, preempting the British-supported candidate, Ḥamud ibn Moḥammed. The British issued an ultimatum to Khālid: either relinquish the throne by 9:00 am on August 27 or be at war with Great Britain. Khālid did not stand down, and the Anglo-Zanzibar War followed. Having lasted less than an hour before Khālid’s forces surrendered, it is considered the shortest war in recorded history. After Khālid’s defeat, Ḥamud was installed as sultan.

Zanzibar’s longest-serving sultan, Khalīfa ibn Harūb, assumed the throne on December 9, 1911, and served until his death on October 9, 1960. He was a well-respected leader—both on Zanzibar and abroad—and was credited with being a moderating influence in the region during times of political crisis.

In 1963 the sultanate regained its independence, becoming a member of the British Commonwealth. In January 1964 a revolt by leftists overthrew the sultanate and established a republic. In April the presidents of Zanzibar and mainland Tanganyika signed an act of union of their two countries, creating what later in the year was named Tanzania.