The Zanzibar Revolution took place in the early 1960s, primarily driven by growing discontent among the African majority against the Arab-dominated Sultanate. The Afro-Shirazi Party, which represented the interests of the African population, organized a revolt to challenge the existing political power structures. At the heart of this conflict was deep-rooted resentment over systemic inequalities and the domination of political power by the Arab elite over the island’s Black African majority, which felt marginalized and oppressed. Early in the morning, on January 12, revolutionaries launched a coordinated attack on key government positions and residences of the ruling elite.

The aftermath of the revolution was characterized by significant violence, with estimates of thousands of casualties occurring in the ensuing conflict. The insurgents effectively seized power, leading to the flight of the Sultan and his royal family. The following day, the Afro-Shirazi Party formally declared Zanzibar a republic, marking a significant shift in the political landscape of the island. The new government established itself with a focus on nationalization and land reforms, aiming to redistribute wealth and address the inequalities that had plagued the society.

Significantly, the Zanzibar Revolution also had a broader impact on the relationship between Zanzibar and the mainland, eventually contributing to the formation of the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, later simply known as Tanzania. This revolution highlighted the volatile mix of colonial legacies, ethnic tensions, and the quest for self-determination, serving as a precursor to similar movements across Africa during the post-colonial period.