Khadijah of the Maldives
Encyclopedia
Dhivehi language
Maldivian is an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by about 350,000 people in the Maldives where it is the national language. It is also the first language of nearly 10,000 people in the island of Minicoy in the Union territory of Lakshadweep, India where the Mahl dialect of the Maldivian...
: އައްސުލްޠާނާ ޚަދީޖާ ސިރީ ރާދަ އަބާރަނަ މަހާރެހެންދި) or more famously known as just Rehendhi Khadeejah (Dhivehi
Dhivehi language
Maldivian is an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by about 350,000 people in the Maldives where it is the national language. It is also the first language of nearly 10,000 people in the island of Minicoy in the Union territory of Lakshadweep, India where the Mahl dialect of the Maldivian...
: ރެހެންދި ޚަދީޖާ) meaning, Queen Khadeejah, was the Sultana
Sultana
Sultana may refer to:* "Sultâna", is the term used for the mothers of the Ottoman emperors if and only if the aforementioned mother of an ottoman emperor was acquired the title of "Valide Sultân"....
of the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
from 1347 to 1380. She is one of the earliest female heads of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
in a Muslim nation. She was the eldest daughter of Sultan Omar I of the Maldives
Omar I of the Maldives
Al-Sultan Abul Fath Jalaaluddin Omar Veeru Siri Loka Abaarana Mahaa Radun was the Sultan of the Maldives from 1306 to 1341. He was the son of Sultan Salis. Sultan Omar I ruled the country for 35 years until his death on 1341...
. She was also half-sister of Raadhafathi
Raadhafathi of the Maldives
Al-Sultana Raadhafathi Sri Suvama Abaarana Mahaa Rehendhi was the Sultana of the Maldives from 1379 to 1380. She was the third daughter of Sultan Omar I of the Maldives and ascended the throne of the Maldives after the death of her sister, Rehendhi Khadijah...
who succeeded her after her (Khadijah's) final reign. Her first accession to the throne was in 1347 after deposing her own brother, Sultan Ahmed Shihabuddine
Ahmed Shihabuddine of the Maldives
Al-Sultan Ahmed Shihaabuddine Sri Loka Adheehtha Mahaa Radun was the Sultan of Maldives from 1341 to 1347. He succeeded his father to the throne and ruled until his deposition by his sister, Queen Khadijah. After his deposition he was banished to Haddhunmathi Atoll and was assassinated while he...
, which lasted until 1363. In 1363 she was deposed by her vizier
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
and husband Muhammad el-Jameel
Mohamed el-Jameel of the Maldives
Sultan Mohamed el-Jameel Sri Bavana Sooja Mahaa Radun was consort of Queen Khadijah of Maldives. He ascended the throne on 1363 by forcing his wife to abdicate. Before his succession he was the vizier of his wife. Sultan Jameel was assassinated by his wife on 1364 to regain her throne back....
. However 1364 she came to the throne once more after deposing and assassinating her first husband. Her second reign lasted from 1364 to 1374 until she was deposed again, by her second husband and minister Abdullah I
Abdullah I of the Maldives
Al-Sultan Abdullah I Sri Dhanmaru Aadheettha Mahaa Radhun was the Sultan of the Maldives from 1374 to 1376....
. In the third year after her deposition, she assassinated and deposed her second husband Abdullah I in 1376. Hence her third and final reign began in 1376 which lasted until 1380. Despite being deposed twice by her husbands she ruled the country for nearly 30 years. She was succeeded by Raadhafathi
Raadhafathi of the Maldives
Al-Sultana Raadhafathi Sri Suvama Abaarana Mahaa Rehendhi was the Sultana of the Maldives from 1379 to 1380. She was the third daughter of Sultan Omar I of the Maldives and ascended the throne of the Maldives after the death of her sister, Rehendhi Khadijah...
.