Jamshid bin Abdullah of Zanzibar

Jamshid bin Abdullah Al Busaidi, GCMG (Arabic: جمشيد بن عبد الله البوسعيدي; 16 September 1929 – 30 December 2024) was a Zanzibari royal who was the last reigning Sultan of Zanzibar. He was deposed in the Zanzibar Revolution, after the United Kingdom gave up its British protectorate.

Jamshid bin Abdullah جمشيد بن عبد الله
Sultan Jamshid in 1963
Sultan of Zanzibar
Reign	1 July 1963 – 12 January 1964
Predecessor	Sir Abdullah bin Khalifa
Successor	Abeid Amani Karume(as first President of Zanzibar)
Born	(1929-09-16)16 September 1929 Zanzibar Town, Zanzibar
Died	30 December 2024(2024-12-30) (aged 95) Muscat, Oman
Spouse	Zuleika bint Abdullah Al Aufy[citation needed]
House	Al Said
Father	Sir Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Said
Mother	Sayyida Tohfa bint Ali Al Said

Early life

Sultan Jamshid was born in Zanzibar Town, Zanzibar on 16 September 1929.^[1][2] He was educated in Alexandria and Beirut. He also served in the British Royal Navy for 2 years, gaining leadership experience before undertaking administrative roles under his grandfather, Sultan Khalifa bin Harub. ^[3]

Sultan of Zanzibar

Jamshid ruled Zanzibar from 1 July 1963 to 12 January 1964. On 10 December 1963, the United Kingdom gave up its British protectorate over the already self-governing Zanzibar, leaving it as a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth under Jamshid,^[4] responsible for its own defence and foreign affairs. But this state of affairs was short-lived. Without British protection the Sultan was soon overthrown by the majority Africans in the Zanzibar Revolution.^[5]

Life in exile

Jamshid fled into exile, firstly to Oman, but was not allowed to settle there permanently.^[6] He later moved to the United Kingdom, settling in Portsmouth^[7] with his wife and children.^[8]

While his children and siblings were allowed to settle in Oman in the 1980s, the Omani government continually denied Jamshid's requests to join them, citing security reasons.^[9] Their stance changed in September 2020 when, after Jamshid had lived more than 50 years in the United Kingdom, the government of the new Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, granted his request to return to his ancestral land as a member of the Al Bu Said royal family, but not as a titular Sultan.^[10]

Jamshid died in Muscat, Oman on 30 December 2024, at the age of 95. He was buried in the Royal Cemetery in Muscat.^[11]

Honours

National

• Sovereign of the Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar (Wisam al-Kawkab al-Durri al-Zanzibari) since 1 July 1963 (1st class on 30 March 1960).^{[citation needed]}

• Founder and Sovereign of the Most Illustrious Order of Independence of Zanzibar (Wissam al-Istiqlal) in five classes on 9 November 1963.^[12]

Foreign

• Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) on 29 December 1963.^[13]

• Knight Grand Collar of the Royal Order of the Drum (Rwanda).^[14]

Ancestry

Ancestors of Jamshid bin Abdullah of Zanzibar
8. Harub bin Thuwaini Al Said 4. Khalifa bin Harub Al Said 9. Turkiya bint Turki Al Said 2. Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Said 10. Hamud bin Mohammed Al Said (= 12) 5. Matuka bint Hamud Al Said 1. Jamshid bin Abdullah Al Said[citation needed] 12. Hamud bin Mohammed Al Said (= 10) 6. Ali bin Hamud Al Said 3. Tohfa bint Ali Al Said

References

1. Profile of Jamshid bin Abdullah
2. Rulers
3. Said, Mariam (31 December 2024). "Last Sultan of Zanzibar, Sayyid Jamshid bin Abdullah Al Said dies at 95 in Oman". Daily News. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
4. Eddoumi, Nabil (29 November 2021). "The Zanzibar Revolution of 1964 •". Retrieved 31 December 2024.
5. "Zanzibar Revolution", Wikipedia, 20 November 2024, retrieved 31 December 2024
6. Bakari, Mohammed Ali (2001). The Democratisation Process in Zanzibar: A Retarded Transition. GIGA-Hamburg. p. 192. ISBN 978-3-928049-71-9. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
7. "Why the Sultan of Zanzibar took me under his wing". The Guardian. 3 March 2012. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023.
8. "Royals in exile: In Britain, heirs to the thrones". The Independent. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
9. "So long, Southsea: last sultan of Zanzibar quits UK after 56 years in exile". The Guardian. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
10. Zanzibar's former sultan arrives in Oman for retirement
11. "Passing of Sayyid Jamshid".
12. "The Most Illustrious Order of Independence of Zanzibar, Officer". Medalbook. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
13. Galloway, Peter, The Order of St. Michael and St. George. Published by Third Millennium Publishing for the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, U.K. (2000). ISBN 0953696952
14. Guidance for Honours in the De Jure Kingdom of Rwanda

Jamshid bin Abdullah of Zanzibar House of Al Said Born: 16 September 1929 Died: 30 December 2024
Regnal titles
Preceded by Abdullah bin Khalifa	Sultan of Zanzibar 1 July 1963 – 12 January 1964	Sultanate abolished Abeid Karume as President of Zanzibar
New title	— TITULAR — Sultan of Zanzibar 12 January 1964 – 30 December 2024 Reason for succession failure: Sultan's government overthrown in 1964	Succeeded by Sayyid Ali bin Jamshid Al Said