Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Har zuwa 1886, sultan na Zanzibar ya mallaki babban yanki na gabar gabashin Afirka, wanda aka sani da Zanj, da kuma hanyoyin kasuwanci da ke faɗaɗa zuwa cikin nahiyar, har zuwa Kindu a Kogin Congo. A wannan shekarar, 'yan Burtaniya da Jamusawa sun haɗu a asirce kuma sun sake kafa yankin a ƙarƙashin mulkin sultan. A cikin 'yan shekaru masu zuwa, yawancin yankuna na Sultanate sun mallaki ikon mulkin Turai. Tare da sanya hannu kan Yarjejeniyar Heligoland-Zanzibar a cikin 1890 a lokacin mulkin Ali bin Said, Zanzibar ta zama mai kare Burtaniya. A watan Agusta 1896, Biritaniya da Zanzibar sun yi yaƙi na minti 38
, mafi guntu a cikin tarihin da aka rubuta, bayan da Khalid bin Barghash ya karɓi iko bayan mutuwar Hamid bin Thuwaini. 'Yan Birtaniya sun so Hamoud bin Mohammed ya zama sultan, suna gaskanta cewa zai fi sauƙi a yi aiki tare da shi. 'Yan Birtaniya sun ba Khalid sa'a guda ya bar fadar sarkin a Stone Town. Khalid ya kasa yin hakan, kuma a maimakon haka ya tara sojoji 2,800 don yaƙi da Birtaniyya. 'Yan Birtaniya sun kaddamar da hari a fadar da sauran wurare a kusa da birnin. Khalid ya ja da baya kuma daga baya ya tafi gudun hijira. Daga nan sai aka nada Hamoud a matsayin sultan.