Sultanate of the Maldive Islands

Sultanate of the Maldive Islands ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ (Dhivehi) Dhivehi Raajje
1153–1953 1954–1968
Flag (1926–1953)
Motto: الدولة المحمية المحلديبية (Arabic) Ad-Dawlat Mahmiyyatul Mahaldibiyya The Protected State of Mahal Dibiyat
Anthem:  Salāmathī (1940–1968)
Capital	Malé 4°10′31″N 73°30′32″E / 4.17528°N 73.50889°E / 4.17528; 73.50889
Official languages	Dhivehi
Demonym(s)	Maldive
Government	Hereditary absolute monarchy (1153–1932) Elective constitutional monarchy (from 1932)
Sultan
• 1153–1165	Adil I
• 1954–1968	Mohamed Fareed I
Prime Minister
• 1774 (first)	Ali Ranna Bandeyri Kilegefan
• 1954–1968 (last)	Mohamed Fareed I
Legislature	Hakuraa Gan'duvaru
History
• Sultanate established	1153
• Portuguese expelled	1573
• First republic declared	1 January 1953
• Sultanate restored	6 March 1954
• Independence from the United Kingdom	26 July 1965
• Dissolved	11 November 1968
Population
• 1960 census	91,650[1]
Currency	Maldive Rufiyaa
Preceded by Succeeded by Kingdom of Maldives Republic of Maldives United Suvadive Republic

The Sultanate of the Maldive Islands^[2] was an Islamic monarchy that controlled the Maldives for 815 years (1153–1968), with one interruption from 1953–1954.

Maldives was a Buddhist kingdom until its last monarch, King Dhovemi, converted to Islam in the year 1153; thereafter he also adopted the Muslim title and name Sultan Muhammad al-Adil. Six dynasties would rule over the Maldives until the Sultanate become elective in 1932.

From the 16th century, the Sultanate increasingly came under European influence, starting with a 15-year period of Portuguese rule. After the expulsion of the Portuguese, the Maldives became subject to Dutch hegemony before finally becoming a British protected state in 1796.^[a] Following an abortive attempt at forming a republic in 1953, the emergence of a short-lived breakaway state, and the establishment of independence from the United Kingdom, the Sultanate was abolished following a successful referendum in 1968, and the Maldives became a republic.

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