Khālid ibn Barghash

Khālid ibn Barghash was a sultan of Zanzibar who reigned briefly in 1896. He seized the throne after the death of his uncle, Sultan Ḥamad ibn Thuwayn, bypassing the British-supported candidate. This action led to the Anglo-Zanzibar War, a conflict that lasted less than an hour and is considered the shortest war in recorded history.12

The British issued an ultimatum to Khālid, demanding he relinquish the throne. When he refused, British naval forces attacked the palace. Following Khālid's defeat and exile, the British installed their preferred candidate, Ḥamud ibn Muḥammad, as sultan. Zanzibar had been a British protectorate since 1890, and its sultans were generally aligned with British interests, making Khālid's defiance a significant challenge to British authority.123