History of Maldives in brief

The history of Maldives is as interesting as its people. It's a bit of a hazy past up to the arrival of the Muslims with myths, which are supported by somewhat questionable archaeological discoveries. According to archaeologist Thor Heyerdahl, Maldives was a trading point for many civilizations like Romans, Egyptians, Indus Valley and Mesopotamians from the time of 2000 BC. It is also believed that the sun-worshipper Redin were present in the island country till 500 BC when they were most probably overtaken by Buddhists from Sri Lanka and Hindus from northwest India. Certain excavations like Buddhist stupas have revealed the influence of Buddhism in Maldives. Some archaeologists, including the now much-dismissed Thor Heyerdahl, believe that the Maldives was well known from around 2000 BC, and was a trading junction for several ancient maritime civilisations including Egyptians, Romans, Mesopotamians and Indus Valley traders. The legendary sun-worshipping people called the Redin may have descended from one of these groups.

Around 500 BC the Redin either left or were absorbed by Buddhists, probably from Sri Lanka, and by Hindus from northwest India. HCP Bell, a British commissioner of the Ceylon Civil Service, led archaeological expeditions to the Maldives in 1920 and 1922. Among other things, he investigated the ruined, dome-shaped structures (hawittas), mostly in the southern atolls, that he believed were Buddhist stupas similar to the dagobas found in Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

For many years, Arab traders stopped at the Maldives en route to the Far East – their first record of the Maldive islands, which they called Dibajat, is from the 2nd century AD. Known as the ‘Money Isles’, the Maldives provided enormous quantities of cowry shells, an international currency of the early ages. The cowry is now the symbol of the Maldives Monetary Authority. It must have been an almost magical land at the time – forget money growing on trees, in the Maldives it was washed up on the shore!

 

Abu Al Barakat, a North African Arab, is credited with converting the Maldivians to Islam in 1153. According to the legend, young virgin girls in Male’ were chosen from the community and left alone in a temple as a sacrifice to Rannamaari, a sea jinni. One night Barakat took the place of a prospective sacrificial virgin and drove the demon away by reading from the Islamic holy book, the Quran. The Maldivian king at the time was sold on Islam, and ordered that the whole country convert.

A series of six sultanic dynasties followed, 84 sultans and sultanas in all, although some did not belong to the line of succession. At one stage, when the Portuguese first arrived on the scene, there were actually two ruling dynasties, the Malei (or Theemuge) dynasty and the Hilali.

Maldives history mentions that the Portuguese arrived in the island country in the 16th century in their attempt to expand trade over the Indian Ocean. One version of the story states that they first just built a fort and a factory in Male but soon they forced them to invade and defeat the army of the ruling sultan and the Portuguese under Captain Andreas Andre ruled for the next 15 years. Another popular version of the story suggests that the Portuguese had not ruled Maldives but merely created a trading post in the country. In any case, the Portuguese were defeated by Mohammed Thakurufaanu who succeeded in defeating the foreigners and successfully created the next Muslim dynasty.

The Portuguese attempted to conquer the country several times after that along with the rajahs of Cannanore, South India. The Maldivians took the protection of the Dutch but many limitations including the lack of good ports, outbreak of malaria and other diseases, its remote position and other factors neither compelled the British nor the Dutch to establish colonial administration in the Maldives.

It was only to save the islands from the monopoly trade of the Bombay Borah merchants that the ruling sultan signed a treaty with the British that would recognize the statehood of the British and formalize their status as protector.

It was the 20th century that witnessed the introduction of the Maldives constitution and statehood. The century also saw some real hardships like shortage of rice and other basic necessities, the outbreak of illness and also death because of World War II. A new constitution was constructed again in 1942 and a new prime minister, Mohammed Amin Didi was elected. The Maldives received its independence from the British on 26th of July in 1965 and also became a member of the UN.

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Maldivian ambassador to the UN became the President of the country and ruled it for three decades. It was under him that the country achieved an international profile and became a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) and the Commonwealth. Gayoom was replaced by Mohammed Nasheed and his Democrats in 2008 after Nasheed fought against the government, even going to prison for his controversial criticisms and actions.