In 1698 Zanzibar became part of Oman's overseas possessions.
Between 1887 and 1892 the Sultan lost all these possessions which were taken over by Great Britain and Germany.

The British Empire gradually gained control of the region and become the protectorate of the empire, there was a modest attempt on behalf of the Germans to intervene in the control of the island. This all concluded in an indirect way, after a very short conflict in 1896 between the Anglos and Zanzibarians.

When the Sultan Hamoud Bin Mohammed rose to the throne he agreed to the request made by the English and put an end to the principal role of slave trading on the island which initiated in the 17 century under the rule of the Oman, thus prohibiting slavery and freeing all the slaves in the country.

On December 1963 Zanzibar obtained its independence from Great Britain as a constitutional monarchy ruled by the Sultan. But the Sultan was overthrown in January 1964 and in April Zanzibar united itself to the state of Tanganika thus forming Tanzania.