Jamshid bin Abdullah, the last Sultan of Zanzibar, passes away at 95
Jamshid ascended to the sultanate on July 1, 1963, following the death of his father, Sultan Abdullah bin Khalifa.
Jamshid bin Abdullah, the last Sultan of Zanzibar, has died in Oman at the age of 95. The former monarch passed away on the evening of Monday, December 30, 2024, in a hospital after a prolonged illness and complications from advanced age, according to the BBC.
Born on September 16, 1929, in Zanzibar, Jamshid bin Abdullah belonged to the Royal House of Oman, which had historically extended its rule to the Zanzibar archipelago.
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He received his early education in Zanzibar before pursuing further studies in Egypt and the United Kingdom. While in the UK, he served for two years in the British Royal Navy, an experience that highlighted his international outlook during a transformative era for Zanzibar.
Jamshid ascended to the sultanate on July 1, 1963, following the death of his father, Sultan Abdullah bin Khalifa. His brief reign lasted only six months before the Zanzibar Revolution on January 12, 1964, overthrew the monarchy.
The revolution marked a pivotal shift in the nation’s political landscape, leading to the election of Abeid Amani Karume as the first president of Zanzibar. The revolution's aftermath forced Sultan Jamshid into exile, where he lived in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, for decades.
In recent years, Jamshid relocated to Oman, where he retired near his family. His return to the Sultanate was a poignant chapter, reconnecting him with the cultural and historical ties of his lineage.
Before his death, Jamshid was preparing to return to the Isles on January 9, 2025. This would have marked a significant historical milestone, as the former ruler of Zanzibar would have returned after six decades of exile in the UK and Oman.
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