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.
Early life
Sultan Jamshid was born in Zanzibar Town, Zanzibar on 16 September 1929. 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.
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, 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.
Life in exile
Jamshid fled into exile, firstly to Oman, but was not allowed to settle there permanently. He later moved to the United Kingdom, settling in Portsmouth with his wife and children.
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. 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.
Jamshid died in Muscat, Oman on 30 December 2024, at the age of 95. He was buried in the Royal Cemetery in Muscat.
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).
- Founder and Sovereign of the Most Illustrious Order of Independence of Zanzibar (Wissam al-Istiqlal) in five classes on 9 November 1963.
Foreign
- Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) on 29 December 1963.[
- Knight Grand Collar of the Royal Order of the Drum (Rwanda).
