Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen Iskander III, , (

Dhivehi Dhivehi, also spelled Divehi, may refer to: *Dhivehi people, an ethnic group native to the historic region of the Maldive Islands. *Dhivehi language, an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by about 350,000 people in the Republic of Maldives ...

: ސުލްޠާން މުޙައްމަދު ޝަމްސުއްދީން; 20 October 1879 – 12 March 1935), son of

Ibrahim Nooraddeen Ibrahim Nooraddeen (Dhivehi: ސުލްޠާން އިބްރާހީމް ނުރައްދީން; died 1892) was twice the sultan of the Maldives. His first reign was from 1882 through 1886. After 4 years, 11 months and 29 days, Muhammad Mueenuddeen II too ...

and Kakaage Don Goma, 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 a ...

first from 7 May 1893 and then again from 1902. When he was 14 years, after the death of his father Sultan Ibrahim Nooraddeen, he was nominated as the Sultan only after the people expressed their dissatisfaction with the appointment of his eight-year-old half-brother as Sultan Muhammad Imaaduddeen V against ''the Law of Succession in the Maldive Islands''. Shamsuddeen's succession to the throne was in part favoured by the fact that he was great-nephew to Muhammad Didi Ranna Baderi Kilegefanu, the prime minister to three successive Sultans, who strongly protested to the Ceylon Governor in

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...

on behalf of his discarded great-nephew. From

Malé Malé (, ; dv, މާލެ) is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 252,768 and an area of , it is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city is geographically located at the southern ...

, Shamsuddeen wrote to his great-uncle, to return and resume the post of prime minister. At this time Haajee Imaaduddeen, nephew of the late sultan Nooraddeen, who would take over the throne after 2 months, ran the country. Ibrahim Didi and some other members of the Council of Ministers ('little knowing what evil a decade was to bring forth') encouraged Haajee Imaaduddeen to seize the throne from the young sultan as they despised Muhammad Didi's complete control over his grandnephew Sultan Shamsuddeen. However the enthronement was based on the specious plea stating a unanimous dissatisfaction by the people regarding the existing sultanate with a 'mere lad as Sultan, not able to do or undo anything himself'. By this decree Haajee Imaaduddeen was raised to the throne and named Sultan

Muhammad Imaaduddeen VI Sultan Haji Muhammad Imaaduddeen VI Iskandar was the sultan of the Maldives from 1893 to 1902. Sultan Imaaduddeen was born on 25 October 1868 to Prince Hassan Izzuddeen and Maandhoogey Dhon Didi. He was the younger half brother of Sultan Muhammad ...

, with Ibrahim Didi as his prime minister. Shamsuddeen came back to power again in 1902 after the peaceful Malé Revolution which took place while Sultan Muhammad Imaaduddeen VI temporarily quit his kingdom with the object of marrying the high-born Egyptian Sharifa Hanim, the daughter of Abd-ur Rakhman Khami Bhey, the Consul of

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. Muhammad Shamsuddeen III's full coronation ceremony (''the Ceremony of the Assumption of the State Sword of the Kingdom of the Maldive Islands'') was not held until 27 July 1905. The ceremony was attended by Sir John Keene on behalf of

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...

, the Katheeb of

Kelaa Kelaa may refer to: * Kelaa (Haa Alif Atoll) Kelaa (Dhivehi: ކެލާ) is one of the inhabited islands of Haa Alif Atoll and geographically part of Thiladhummathi Atoll in the north of the Maldives. It is an island-level administrative constitu ...

of Thiladhummathi Atoll on behalf of the inhabitants of the northern atolls of the kingdom and the Katheeb of Isdhū of

Haddhunmathi Atoll Haddhunmathi or Laamu Atoll (Dhivehi: ހައްދުންމަތި އަތޮޅު) is an administrative division of the Maldives. The administrative capital is Fonadhoo Island. It corresponds to the natural atoll of the same name. It is mostly rimmed ...

on behalf of the inhabitants of the southern atolls of the kingdom. He was arrested on 2 October 1934 and was banished to

Fuvahmulah Fuvahmulah (Dhivehi: ފުވައްމުލައް) is an island (atoll) in the Maldives. It is under Maldives’ administrative divisions of Gnaviyani Atoll or Nyaviyani Atoll. The inhabitants speak a distinctive form of the Dhivehi language, known as ...

with crown prince Henveyru Ganduvaru Manippulhu. The crown prince died there but later the Sultan was brought to Malé Atoll Villigili. The sultan died in Malé at the residence of Moonimaa'ge. He is credited with bringing the first

Constitution of Maldives The Constitution of the Maldives is the supreme law of the country of Maldives. It provides the legal foundation for the existence of the Republic of the Maldives, sets out the rights and duties of the citizens of the Maldives, and defines the str ...

on 22 December 1932.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Muhammad Shamsuddeen Iii 19th-century sultans of the Maldives Honorary Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George 1879 births 1935 deaths 20th-century sultans of the Maldives