Maldives: a land of atolls - Republic of Maldives

Maldives A land of atolls

THE Republic of Maldives (formerly the Maldive Islands) is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The islands are grouped into twenty-six natural clusters or atolls (the English word atoll is derived from the Maldivian atolhu), but are divided for administrative purposes into nineteen atolls with the capital, Male', forming a twentieth division. Stretching 750 km from north to south, thne islands are the coral crowns of a vast submerged mountain range. Out of some 1,200 islands, only 200 are inhabited. The northernmost atoll is some 550 km from the Indian sub-continent.

The ring-shaped atolls of coral reef are pierced by openings which are in some cases deep enough for shipping. All the islands are low-lying, usually not more than 1-2 metres above sea level. They have white sandy beaches and crystal clear lagoons with tall coconut palms.

Most of the population inhabit tiny villages on remote islands, and live from fishing, which forms the basis of the economy, and from collecting coconuts. Male' is the collection centre for the entire export trade and the distribution centre for the entire import economy.

Arable land is minimal and, while small amounts of coconuts, millet, sorghum, maize and yams are grown, virtually all the main food staples have to be imported. Apart from fishing, the other most important sources of income are tourism and shipping. Maldivians speak a common language, Dhivehi (referring to themselves as Dhivehin--"islanders" and to their country as Dhivehi Raaje--"the island realm") and practise a common religion, Islam. In Male' itself there are no less than thirty-one mosques.

The early history of the Maldives is shrouded in mystery, although according to one authority the islands may have been originally colonized, probably by people from Sri Lanka or India, several centuries before the Christian era. Until the twelfth century AD, Buddhism seems to have been the prevalent religion, and a number of ruins of Buddhist temples and other sacred places have been excavated in modern times. Then, through gradual contact with Arab traders, for whom the Maldives lay on the direct route to Malacca and China, the country was gradually prepared to receive Islam, which was officially accepted by Sultan Mohammed ibn Abdullah, who in 1153 proclaimed this religion throughout his realm.

Two important features stand out in the history of the Maldives. First, the orderly fashion in which this small but scattered kingdom was ruled; second, the valour with which the Maldivians have defended their country's independence against all odds and superior powers.

Orderly rule sprang from the administrative machinery. The Sultan was acknowledged as the source of all power and law so long as he ruled for the benefit of the people, which could, by custom and usage, dethrone him or correct him if he went astray.

As for the second feature, the Maldives can be said to have remained independent virtually throughout their history. The only periods marred by foreign domination were the fifteen years of Portuguese rule in the mid-sixteenth century and two months of rule by the Moplas of south India in the mid-eighteenth.

The Portuguese, based at Goa in India, began their period of colonial rule in 1558. They were beset by problems in controlling the widely scattered islands with their hostile population, and were driven out in 1573 after a guerilla war led by Mohammed Thakurufaanu the Great. After liberation this Sultan, whose exploits are still remembered in folklore and epic, introduced reforms in every field; he is credited with having introduced a new monetary system, a new script, reform of the administrative machinery, and the setting up of a standing militia to maintain internal peace and defend the country against foreign invaders.

In 1752, Moplas from the Malabar coast of India took Male', destroyed the Sultan's palace, and took the Sultan into captivity. Their occupation lasted only two months; Ghazee Hassan Izzuddeen led the Maldivians in a rebellion which expelled the Moplas. THis national hero was the founder of a dynasty of sultans which reigned until the twentieth century.

The period of British "protection" which began with the forcible signing of an "agreement" on 16 December 1887 by Sultan Mohammed Mueenudhdeen XI was not a particularly significant episode. Britain did not interfere with the internal affairs of the Maldives to any market degree. There was no British governor or representative stationed in the Maldives to advance their country's interests. This was, in fact, an agreement whereby the Maldivian Sultan managed to keep a super-power which was all-powerful in the Indian Ocean outside his domain. For the Maldivians, foreign affairs and defence were not so important so long as they had unobstructed relations with Sri Lanka, where they sold the dried smoked fish for which they were renowned, and obtained all the provisions they required. The ingenuity of the Maldivians had again managed to find a way to keep their own world to themselves. The Protectorate came to an end in 1965, and later that year the Maldives joined the United Nations. In March 1968, following a referendum, the country became a republic.

COPYRIGHT 1986 UNESCO
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