King Muhammad Fareed Didi (, Al'amīru Muḥanmadu Farīdu Dīdī) , (January 11 1901 – May 27 1969), the son of the Sultan Prince

Abdul Majeed Didi Abdul Majeed ( Dhivehi: އަލްއަމީރު އަބްދުލްމަޖީދު ރައްނަބަނޑޭރި ކިލެގެފާނު) (or Al Ameeru Abdul Majeed Rannabandeyri Kilegefaanu) (29 August 1873 – 21 February 1952) served as Sultan of the Mald ...

(Al Munthakhab Liarshi Dhaulathil Mahaldheebiyya), was the last

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

Maldives The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...

and the first Maldivian monarch to assume the title of "King" with the style of "His Majesty". He was the

Sultan of the Maldives Maldives was turned into a Sultanate in 1153 when the Buddhist King Dhovemi converted to Islam. Prior to that the Maldives was a Buddhist Kingdom, a Hindu Kingdom and before that a matriarchal society with each atoll ruled by a chief queen ...

from 1954, until 1965, and King of the Maldives from 1965, until 1968. He was deposed in 1968 from the throne when Maldives became a republic, and died the following year in Maldives.

Early years

He studied at

Royal College Colombo Royal College, Colombo also known as; Royal Colombo, Colombo Royal College or Colombo Royal) is a boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started by Joseph Marsh in 1835, it was established as the Colombo Academy by Si ...

Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

. After spending 7 years in Ceylon (

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

), he came back and became the

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

of Sultan Hassan Nooraddine II on December 16, 1932. He served as the speaker of

People's Majlis The People's Majlis () is the unicameral legislative body of Maldives. It has the authority to enact, amend and revise laws, as outlined in the Constitution of the Maldives. It is composed of 93 members as of 2024. Each year on the first Mon ...

from 1933 to 1942.

Reign

After the fall of President Mohamed Amin Didi, a

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

was held and the country was again declared a Sultanate. A new '' People's Majilis'' was elected, as the former "People's Majilis" was dissolved after the end of the revolution. The members of the special ''majilis'' decided to take a secret vote to elect a Sultan, and Prince Mohammed Fareed Didi was elected as the 84th Sultan in 1954. His first Prime Minister was Ehgamugey Ibraahim Ali Didi (later Ibraahim Faamuladheyri Kilegefaan). On December 11, 1957, the Prime Minister was forced to resign and Velaanagey Ibrahim Nasir was elected as the new Prime Minister the following day. On November 15, 1967, a vote was taken in parliament to decide whether the Maldives should continue as a

constitutional monarchy Constitutional monarchy, also known as limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy or democratic monarchy, is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in making decisions. ...

or become a republic. Of the 44 parliamentarians, forty voted in favour of a republic. On March 15, 1968, a national referendum was held, in which 81.23% of the votes cast favoured establishing a republic.Malediven, 15. März 1968 : Staatsform
Direct Democracy The republic was declared on November 11, 1968, thus ending the 853-year-old monarchy.

Post-deposition and death

After his deposition from the throne, the King left the royal palace and retired to his own residence (Maabagychaage, now the parliament house) in Henveiru ward. He died on May 27, 1969, in

Malé Malé is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 211,908 in 2022 within its administrative area and coterminous geographical area of , Malé is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city i ...

. He was given a state funeral and was buried in the Galolhu Cemetery.

References

{{authority control 1901 births 1969 deaths 20th-century sultans of the Maldives Prime ministers of the Maldives Alumni of Royal College, Colombo People from Malé Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Maldivian Muslims Speakers of the People's Majlis Dethroned monarchs Sons of sultans