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By Ahmed

Fashion Copious

Fashion Copious

By Ahmed

South rebelion

By Ahmed

Arial photograph of Gan Island.
Rebellion of the Southern Atolls
Written by Naseema Mohamed, NCLHR, Male’.
Introduction
During the Second World War, the British used Gan Island in Addu Atoll as an air and
naval base. Looking back at this period, we can see that it was marked by conflicts
between the Addu people and the Maldivian central Government in Male’. It was said
that the reason for these conflicts was the rules laid down by the Maldivian Government
on the islanders, in their relations with the British at the base. The Maldivian Government
laid down these rules because of problems encountered during the early days after the
arrival of the British. The Maldivians in Addu were not used to having foreigners in the
islands, and the British also needed to know the ways and customs of the people. To
correct the situation, the Maldivian
Government sent Mr. Hussain Hilmy Didi, the
Maldivian Government Representative in
Ceylon (later Sri Lanka) to Addu Atoll to
formulate a set of rules for interaction with the
foreigners and these rules were explained to all
concerned.
The rules were supposed to apply to all
Maldivians, but it was noted that some of the
officials sent by the Government to Addu Atoll
were indulging in trade, and accepting gifts
from the officers. During World War II, the
Maldivian Government had given the use of Gan Island gratis to the British. The first
British forces landed in Addu Atoll on 29th September 1941. Since then the close contacts
between the people of the atoll and the British had led to many problem-creating
incidents. More problems arose in 1944, and Mr Hassan Fareed travelled to the atoll in
March 1944, on board the ill-fated British minesweeper, the Maaloy, to solve the
disputes. It was on his way back to Colombo from this mission that the vessel was
lostwith all on board, torpedoed by a German U-boat. Soon afterwards, Mr. Muhammad
Ameen travelled to Addu and conducted the inquiry which found many of the leaders
guilty; one of these was Mr. Abdulla Afeef who afterwards became the leader of the later
rebellion
The rebellion of the southern atolls of Maldives, Huvadhu, Fuah Mulaku and Addu
Atolls, was one of the most difficult episodes of the twentieth century for Maldives. In
1959 these three atolls decided to secede from Maldives and declared their own republic,
United Suvadive Islands.
http://nclhr.gov.mv/history.php 2
When the events that led to the declaration of a separatist government in these southern
atolls are studied, it becomes evident that behind the movement there was encouragement
from the British, who had a base in Gan Island in Addu Atoll. Some of the events during
this rebellion can be seen to have been planned ahead.
The members of the Maldivian Cabinet during the period leading to this event, i.e. in
1955, were as follows:
Prime Minister…………………... …………………Amir Ibrahim Faamuladeyri Kilegefaanu
Minister of Home Affairs …………………………..Amir Ibrahim Faamuladeyri Kilegefaanu
Minister of External Affairs…… …………………Amir Ibrahim Faamuladeyri Kilegefaanu
Minister of Finance………………………………… Mr. Ibrahim Muhammad Didi
Minister of Defense…………………………………Mr. Ibrahim Muhammad Didi
Minister of Education ………………………………Mr. Ibrahim Fareed Didi
Minister of Endowments……………………………Shaikh Ibrahim Rushdee
Minister of Health…………………………………..Mr. Abdul Wahab
Minister of Trade……………………………………Mr. Ibrahim Hassan Didi
Attorney General……………………………………Mr. Ahmed Kamil Didi
Minister of Justice…………………………………...Sheikh Muhammad Jameel Didi
Minister for Religious Guidance……………….........Mr. Ibrahim Shihab
Minister of Labour………………………………….. Mr. Hussain Habeeb
Maldivian Government Representative in Colombo...Mr. Muhammad Zaki
On 10th April 1955, Mr. Muhammad Zaki, Mr. Ibrahim Nasir, Mr. Muhammad Ibrahim
Didi and Mr. Umar Maniku were made Ministers of State. On 29th June 1956, the
following changes were made to the Cabinet:-
Minister of Justice………………...Mr. Ahmed Kamil Didi
Minister of Education …………….Mr. Ibrahim Shihab
Minister of Defense……………….Mr. Ibrahim Nasir
Attorney General………………….Sheikh Muhammad Jameel Didi
Mr. Ibrahim Fareed Didi, Mr. Ahmed Kamil Didi and Mr. Hussain Habeeb were made
Ministers of State.
In 1956, the British negotiated with the then Prime Minister Amir Ibrahim Faamuladeyri
Kilegefaanu to lease Gan Island for a period of 100 years. The initial agreement was for
the Maldives to lease Gan Island in Addu Atoll to the British for a sum of sterling pounds
2000 per annum. The Maldivian sultan at the time was Sultan Muhammad Fareed I. This
initial agreement was discussed during a visit of the Maldivian Prime Minister to
Colombo before consultation with the Maldivian Cabinet and the Parliament.
The Ceylon Government and the British had decided that the British bases in Ceylon
would be returned to Ceylon the following year and hence the necessity for the British to
acquire a base in Maldives, which would be a strategic alternative.
http://nclhr.gov.mv/history.php 3
On his return from Colombo, the Prime Minister consulted with his Cabinet on the initial
agreement with the British and the proposed draft of the final agreement. The cabinet
members discussed the matter and agreed to pass the initial document, but did not agree
on the final draft. This final agreement would have to be passed by the Cabinet and by the
Majlis and also by a referendum held among the people. In the meantime, on 25th
November 1955, the first group of British consisting of 13 men arrived in Addu Atoll.
The British Deputy High Commissioner in Ceylon Mr. Coster arrived in Male’ by an
R.A.F. flight on 13th December 1956, for discussions on the British base in Gan in Addu
Atoll. The initial agreement was signed on 15th December 1956, between Maldivian
Prime Minister Amir Ibrahim Faamuladheyri Kilegefaanu and the Deputy British High
Commissioner in Ceylon.
The initial agreement was based on Article 4 of an agreement signed between the
Maldivian and British Governments on 1st January 1953. In this article it was stated that
if the protection of any Commonwealth country or the Maldives required the presence of
British forces in the islands, the Maldives would make their stay possible.
With the problem of the agreement with the British, a group of Maldivians started their
demands for Maldives’ independence from the British, an end to the state of being a
British protectorate. Chief among these were Mr. Ibrahim Nasir and Sheikh Ibrahim
Rushdee. Sheikh Ibrahim Rushdee wanted to do away with agreements and gain full and
complete independence for Maldives. There were many who seconded his call. Among
these were Mr. Ahmed Zaki, Mr. Ibrahim Rasheed, Mr. Ibrahim Shihab, Mr. Hassan
Zareer, Mr. Muhammad Imaduddin, Mr. Farooq Ismail, Mr. Jaufar Kamaluddin, Mr.
Adnan Hussain, Sheikh Muhammad Jameel, Mr. Muhammad Ismail Didi and elder
academic Mr. Malim Muhammad Didi. Regarding this decision, Mr. Malim Muhammad
Didi is reported to have said; “So far we have been saying ‘yes sir’, so let us also see
what happens when we say ‘no sir’”.
Soon afterwards Prime Minister Amir Ibrahim Faamuladheyri Kilegefaanu visited Addu
Atoll where some young people of the Atoll too expressed their opposition to the
agreement with the British.
A short time later, the British High Commission in Colombo sent a final copy of the
agreement they had drafted for the Sultan’s ratification. The High Commissioner in
Colombo was now Mr. Alexander Morley. The British Liaison Officer stationed in Gan
was Major Phillips.
The first incident in the rebellion took place on the night of 31st December 1958.
A group of the local people tried to attack the Maldivian staff, but all except one member
of the team were taken to safety in Gan Island by the British. The one member who did
not escape was Mr. Anwar Hilmy Didi who was mistaken for Mr. Ahmed Zaki and was
attacked by the mob. He was seriously injured before he too was rescued by the British.
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As a result of signing the initial agreement, the population of Gan and Feydhoo were
displaced. The Maldivian Government magistrate in Addu Atoll was Mr. Abdullah
Afeef. His assistants, chosen by the Maldivian Government were, Mr. Moosa Anwar, Mr.
Muhammad Saeed and Mr. Ahmed Didi (Ibrahim Beyyage).
Agreement on Lease of Gan and Territory in Addu
During 1956, with the impending handover of the British naval and air bases in Ceylon
(Sri Lanka) to the Ceylon Government, the British felt the necessity of having an
alternative base in the region. The geographical position of Maldives in relation to the
countries of the region made the islands a good alternative. During the Second World
War, Britain had used the Gan Island base successfully, and this may have been one of
the reasons for choosing the island for an air base. During the war, in addition to the air
base, they had also used the natural harbour enclosed by the islands of Addu Atoll.
In 1956, the British held discussions in Colombo with the then Maldivian Prime Minister
Amir Ibrahim Faamuladeyri Kilegefaanu on a new agreement, by which Maldives would
lease Gan and 110 acres of land in Hithadhoo to them for a period of 100 years, for a
sum of 2000 sterling pounds per annum.. The heads of agreement was discussed in
Colombo between the British authorities and the Maldivian Prime Minister Amir Ibrahim
Faamuladeyri Kilegefaanu, and passed by the Cabinet later in Male’. The heads of
agreement quoted an article in a previous agreement made between Maldives and Britain
on 1st January 1953, which stated that if the need for protection of any Commonwealth
country or the Maldives arose, the Maldivian Government would facilitate the use of her
territory by the British. Based on this agreement there were many other clauses in the
heads of agreement, paving the way for a more comprehensive final agreement. The
heads of agreement also stated that Maldives could consider the sale of the land to the
British. This agreement was initialled by the British Deputy High Commissioner Mr.
Costar and the Maldivian Prime Minister on 15th December 1956 in Male’.
The Maldivian Cabinet were not in favour of leasing Gan for such a long period and did
not pass the draft of the final agreement which was sent to Male’ at a later date. By then
the British had come to Gan and started work on the airbase, and on a wireless station on
Maamendoo.
Re-location
Gan Island had to be evacuated to make way for the construction of the airbase. The
population of Gan Island was to be moved to neighbouring Feydhoo, and the Feydhoo
islanders moved to Maradhoo. The new housing was to be provided by the British
Government.
The relocation was not a move welcomed by the people of the island. On 16th November
Feydhoo islanders’ relocation to the eastern part of Maradhoo Island began. By 28th
December the removal was complete. The occupants of sixteen houses belonging to the
http://nclhr.gov.mv/history.php 5
Amir Ibrahim Faamuladeyri
Kilegefaanu
original population of Maradhoo were moved to a new location in Maradhoo. The
evacuation of the Gan Islanders to Feydhoo began on 8th December 1957. But after the
riots of 31st December 1958, the Maldivian Government called for a temporary halt to
this process. The cost of this evacuation was borne by the Maldivian Government.
The Maldivian Government had proposed that the Gan Islanders be re-located in Gan in
Huvadhu Atoll instead of Feydhoo so as not have to re-locate the population of Feydhoo
and Maradhoo, but the Gan islanders did not like this idea, as they wished to be as close
as possible to their original home.
Resignation of Amir Ibrahim Faamuladeyri Kilegefaanu
The Prime Minister Amir Ibrahim Faamuladeyri Kilegefaanu
resigned on 10th December 1957, for reasons of ill-health, and
Mr. Ibrahim Nasir was elected as the new Prime Minister of
Maldives.
On 5th March 1958, the British High Commissioner in Ceylon
Mr. Morley arrived in Male’, with their final draft of the
agreement, but this draft was not acceptable to the Maldivian
Government. Accompanying Mr. Morley was the
Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies, Admiral H. W. Biggs
and the First Secretary of the British High Commission in
Colombo. During their four-day stay, more discussions were
held on the Addu problem. The ship departed on 9th March
1958, leaving behind the First Secretary of the British High
Commission in Colombo Mr. Kenneth A. East, for more discussions with the
Government. Mr. Morley returned to Male’ on 15th March 1958. The revised agreement
drafted by the Maldivian Government was presented to the Majlis and it was then decided
to present this draft to the British High Commissioner. Discussions were held between
the British and the Maldivian Government regarding this draft, but the High
Commissioner left for Colombo on 1st April 1958, without the two sides reaching an
agreement.
At about this time, the Maldivian Government engaged the services of Mr. K.C.
Nadarajah, a British-educated Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) barrister to advise them. Since the
heads of agreement about Gan were initialled, the R.A.F. had been proceeding with work
there, but Mr. Nadarajah, who had been consulting international lawyers in Geneva,
claimed their authority for the view that at that time the R.A.F. were trespassing, since no
final agreement had been signed. The Maldivian Government requested the R.A.F. not to
use Maldivian labour until an agreement was signed, but the British riposted by raising
their wages. The Maldivian Government asked the R.A.F. for aid for its police force, to
enable it to deal with the revolt in the southern atolls. This, the Maldivian Government
felt, would demonstrate to the world that, contrary to widely held suspicions, Britain had
no sympathy with the insurgents who had professed for the R.A.F. in their dispute with
the legitimate Government in Male’.(The Times, London, 1st May 1959).
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Mr. Ahmed Zaki
A permanent committee to deal with the Addu situation was formed on 6th November
1958. On 18th December 1958, the Liaison Office in Addu Atoll was brought under the
Office of the Maldivian Government Representative in Colombo.
Rebellion in Addu
On 30th December 1958, the Maldivian Government Representative in Ceylon Mr.
Ahmed Zaki arrived in Addu Atoll, with a directive from the Government, for Maldivian
labourers to stop working for the British. Besides this order, the letter said that the duty
which was routinely paid by all boats in Maldives was to be levied on boats in Addu as
well. He was accompanied by Mr. Anwar Hilmy.
The Government orders played into the hands of people who wanted trouble between the
Maldivian Government and the Addu population. The letter containing the above
information was read out by Mr. Abdulla Afeef, the magistrate of the Maldivian
Government in Addu, to the population of Hithadhoo on the night of 31 December 1958.
Such letters were routinely read to the people after Friday
prayers, but this time the arrangement was made to read it at
night, which in itself was reason for the Maldivian Government
to suspect that the intention was to cause rioting among the
people. As expected, this led to a riot that ended with violent
demonstrations, and an inflamed mob heading in their boats to
Gan. They attacked “Maaran’ga” the Government office in Gan,
looted the premises, set the place on fire and then went off in
search of Mr. Zaki, who was given refuge on a British ship in the
harbor. It was noted by people who witnessed the event that the
British officers stood by while the office premises were torched,
without attempting to stop any of the rioters. Adduans who were
at the site, said that the whole episode had been arranged earlier. Each man seemed to
know their particular part in the “drama.” Although the senior members of the British did
not act openly in this way, encouragement was given to these activities by some of the
others, including members working for the Costaines construction company. Major
Phillips, the British Liaison Officer, was also thought by some Adduans to have played a
part in encouraging these activities.
On 9th January, a commission of high level members of the Government went to Addu to
check on the situation there and to see for themselves the condition of the people who had
been re-located. They were not happy with the accommodation prepared for the evacuees.
On the day of their departure from Addu, 12th January 1959, there was another riot by the
Gan Islanders ending in a bodily attack on the members of the Commission. Again the
R.A.F. men stood by and watched the proceedings while people from the other three
islands saved the Government officials. The members of the Commission returned to
Male’ leaving behind Mr. Abdul Majeed Mahir as Liaison Officer. The Atoll Chief was
Mr. Muhammad Zahir.
http://nclhr.gov.mv/history.php 7
On 11th January, a committee was chosen by the Maldivian Government to negotiate with
the British on Addu Atoll. The committee members were the following:-
1. Mr. Hassan Zareer (Chairman)….Deputy Prime Minister
2. Mr. Farouk Ismail……………….Minister of Justice
3. Mr. Ibrahim Shihab……………...Minister of Education
4. Shaikh Ibrahim Rushdee………...Minister of Endowments
5. Mr. Ahmed Hilmy Didi………… Minister of Health
6. Mr. Ahmed Zaki…………………Maldivian Government Representative in Ceylon
7. Mr. Ibrahim Rasheed…………….Under-Secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs.
The committee members left for Colombo on 14th January 1959. Negotiations soon began
between the British and the Maldivian Government regarding the agreement on the lease
of Gan. A committee drawn from the People’s Majlis was given the mandate to study and
work on a Maldivian draft of the Addu agreement. This amended draft was completed on
24th March 1958 and was presented to the Majlis where each point was debated and
passed. This draft was presented to the British High Commissioner on 1st April 1959.
Secession of the three Southern Atolls
The leaders of the rebellion in Addu sent delegates to the neighbouring atolls of Fua
Mulaku and Huvadhoo, to persuade them to join in seceding from the Maldivian
Government. In February of the same year, these two atolls also joined in the rebellion,
and the three atolls formed the United Suvadive Islands, declaring themselves
independent of the Government in Male’. Fua Mulaku Atoll joined on 6th February and
Huvadu Atoll on 17th February. The Government in Male’ heard of this secession on 13th
March when the news was broadcast over the radio channels. Throughout this period, the
British maintained close relations with the breakaway factions, while carrying on their
work on Gan and Hithadhoo.
Negotiations were going on in Colombo between the ministerial delegation from
Maldives and the British. The Maldivian Government requested the reduction of the
period of the lease from 100 years to a shorter period. The British were keen to finish the
negotiations and the business of resettling the Gan Islanders so that work on the base
could be completed, and come to a proper agreement on the lease of Gan. When the news
of the secession of the three southern atolls was announced, the Maldivian delegation
broke off the talks and returned to Male’ for further briefing.
The Maldivian Government noted with concern that there was evidence of indirect
encouragement by the British in Gan to increase the frustrations of the people of Addu.
By now, the Addu people were working under the British, on construction as well as
other jobs. This made them feel that they would be better off with the British than with
the government in Male’.
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The rebels of Huvadhoo Atoll said that there was famine in the atoll and many people had
died of hunger and this story was widely circulated. They reported that they had had no
rice for the last six months and that about 40 people had died of hunger. The British sent
the ship, the Starline Trader to Havaru Thinadhoo with food. An inward telegram to the
Commonwealth Relations Office on the 22nd of March 1959 from Gan stated that the
German Captain of the ship, who went ashore on the island, saw no obvious signs of
starvation. To the contrary, he “was given lunch, and was presented with 16 chickens,
100 eggs, coconuts and bananas”. The R.A.F. Police Corporal who witnessed unloading
of the food items and surveyed the shore through binoculars confirmed that starvation
was not present.
On 30th March the Maldivian Government sent a vessel, the “Elizabeth Boye” to Fua
Mulaku, with some officers under the command of Mr. Moosa Maniku, to try to take
back the island. But they were met with stiff resistance from the island and the ship
returned to Male’.
Referendum of 4th April 1959
On 4th April 1959, the Prime Minister’s office issued a notice explaining the Addu
situation and the existing relations with the British. The government had decided to elect
a leader to be given the authority for conducting the operations required to resolve the
very difficult situation in the southern atolls. The voting was held in Male’ and in all the
atolls of Maldives excepting the three southern atolls. The results were declared on 9th
May 1959. 48 names were polled in the votes, out of which 83% of the votes polled were
for the Prime Minister Mr. Ibrahim Nasir. Mr. Nasir was therefore chosen to be the
leader in conducting the necessary operations to resolve the situation in the southern
atolls.
Huvadhoo Invasion
On 9th July 1959, the Ministry of Defense called for volunteers to accompany the
Government mission to the southern atolls. The Maldivian Government vessel, the
Maldive Star was prepared for the mission and a total of 700 volunteers and army
personnel were chosen. Accompanying this small force were Mr. Gadhdhoo Ali
Kaeyfaanu and Gadhdhoo Khatheeb Hussain Maniku, two of the leaders from Huvadhoo
Atoll who had come to Male’ earlier to report on the situation in the atoll. The “Maldive
Star” left Male’ on 14th July 1959, travelling first to Haddummathi, and then on to
Gadhdhoo in Huvadhoo Atoll.
It must be noted here that the population of Gadhdhoo were loyal to the Maldivian
Government and played a significant role in keeping the Male’ Government informed of
the situation in the atoll. The leaders of this group were Ali Kaleyfaanu, Gadhdhoo
Khatheeb Hussain Maniku, and Ahmed Thakurufaanu. The island of Gadhdhoo was
targeted for punishment by the dissidents, possibly because they exhibited their loyalty to
the Maldivian government.
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Mr. Ibrahim Nasir
When the ship arrived in Gadhdhoo harbour, hostile activities were instigated by
members of a “military force” from Havaru Thinadhoo, the capital of the atoll, who had
been in charge of Gadhdhoo Island since the beginning of the rebellion. These were about
200 men from Havaru Thinadhoo, calling themselves “sifain” (soldiers) who had roamed
the island, looting and terrifying the islanders, consisting mainly of women and children,
after most of the able bodied men had been captured and taken away. Soon afterwards,
the men from Havaru Thinadhoo capitulated and were handed over to the ship by the
islanders. Essential food items were off-loaded from the Maldive Star, which then left for
Havaru Thinadhoo.
The population of Havaru Thinadhoo was quite hostile to the Maldivian Government.
Letters were sent ashore to the leaders of the rebellion, and orders were given the
islanders to submit peacefully and that no harm would come to them, but these orders had
no effect. When the Maldivian force led by Mr. Ibrahim Nasir, some Government
officials, Maldivian army officers and volunteers, arrived in the island harbor, there was a
skirmish in which three of the islanders were injured. It was Friday, and at prayer time
the Government force went back to their vessel telling the islanders to submit and come
in peace after the Friday prayers. After prayers, the Maldivian force went back to the
island and eventually the dissidents gave up, and the leaders of the rebellion in the atoll
were brought to the “Maldive Star”. The rest of the day and most of the night were spent
in unloading necessary foodstuffs from the boat to the island.
The Atoll Chief Mr. N.T. Hassan Didi, who had been in Havaru Thinadhoo when the
rebellion took place, had been imprisoned, beaten up, and badly mistreated by the rebels,
was also brought to the vessel, where he received a very warm welcome. After picking up
the leaders of the rebels, the ship left for Male’ on 18th July 1959. Fifty army personnel
and one hundred civilians who had come aboard the ship from Male’ were to stay in
Havaru Thinadhoo to look after matters in the atoll.
The rebellion in Fua Mulaku ended formally when a delegation from the atoll came to
Male’, and the Maldivian Government pardoned the rebel leaders who had joined the
other two atolls in seceding from the Maldivian Government. The separation of
Huvadhoo and Fua Mulaku isolated Addu Atoll.
The 1960 Agreement (The Alport Agreement)
The talks between the Maldivian Government and Britain which had
halted in early 1959 with the political problems in the southern atolls
were started again on 13th January 1960.
The Maldivian Government was represented by the Prime Minister
Mr. Ibrahim Nasir, Mr. Ibrahim Shihab, the Acting Maldivian
Government Representative in Ceylon Mr. Ahmed Hilmy Didi, Mr.
Ahmed Zaki and Mr. Abdul Sathar Moosa Didi. The British team
included the British High Commissioner in Ceylon Sir A.F. Morley,
the Assistant Under-Secretary to the Secretary of State Mr. W.W.
Clark, Lord Bendon and Mr. Kenneth East.
http://nclhr.gov.mv/history.php 10
These talks ended with the Maldivian Government granting the British free use of the
base at Gan and other required land in Addu Atoll, for a period of thirty years. The other
points on which discussions were held were also brought to a mutual agreement, and the
first drafts were initialled. This new agreement allowed for a representative of Britain to
stay in Male’, the protection of Maldives by Britain when required, and an aid package of
850,000 sterling pounds to be used in improving health, education, communications and
the fisheries industry. Of this amount, 100,000 pounds would be a direct grant to the
Maldivian Government budget and the rest would be given for the development projects.
The problem of the Addu rebellion would be solved and the atoll brought under the
Maldivian Government through British mediation over a period of time.
An invitation to Male’ for the signing of the formal agreement on 14th February 1960 was
extended to the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations Mr. C. J. M. Alport by the
Maldivian Prime Minister Mr. Ibrahim Nasir. Mr. Alport arrived in Male’ on the 13th of
February in H.M.S. Gambia and the formal signing ceremony was held on the following
day, 14th February 1960.
On 8th October 1960, the first British Representative in the Maldives, Mr. Arthington
Davy arrived in Male’. His residence was on the island of Dhoonidhoo, an island lying
very close to Male’, the capital.
Second rebellion
The Maldivian Government had felt that Huvadhoo Atoll was too large for one atoll
office to administer. It had therefore been decided that the atoll would be divided into two
administrative regions, one to be the western region under the present atoll office in
Havaru Thinadhoo and the other, the eastern region, the atoll office of which was to be
situated in Vilin’gili Island in the north east of the atoll. The change was to be made on
1st Muharram 1381(15th June 1961). The Atoll Chief for the eastern region was already in
Vilingili, getting his new office ready for work.
On 14th June 1961, there was another rebellion in Huvadhoo atoll. The plans for this
rebellion had been made at meetings organized in Addu Atoll and attended by many
people from Huvadhoo Atoll. Meetings had also been held in Havaru Thinadhoo. The
plan was to once again form a separate government in the three southern atolls as they
had done in the first rebellion at the beginning of 1959.
On the night of 14th June 1961, a group of people had come in eight boats from Addu to
Havaru Thinadhoo. They attacked and captured the Atoll Chief, the wireless operator, ten
people who had been housed in the army quarters and the staff in the generator room, and
took them back to Addu Atoll as prisoners.
Many houses and the premises of the Huvadhoo Branch of the Qaumee Kunfuni (a
national trading company) in Havaru Thinadhoo were looted and all the money and
goods had been taken. According to available figures there were goods and money worth
more than 364,000 rufiyaa in the office at the time. One of the senior staff of the
http://nclhr.gov.mv/history.php 11
Chart showing Huvadhoo
Atoll, Gnaviyani Atoll and
Addu Atoll.
http://nclhr.gov.mv/history.php 12
company, Ranvikkaa Thuththu Maniku, was killed and many others were seriously
injured.
Two hundred men and some of the leaders of the rebellion then travelled in dhonis to
Gadhdhoo and beat up the people of the island. They looted homes and took valuables
from the terrified population, and then went around the island destroying the houses and
buildings. The rebels had sent a boat to Vilingili in the north of the atoll to take the Atoll
Chief and the two other administrative staff prisoner and take them back to Addu Atoll.
On 18th June the rebellion spread to Fua Mulaku and a group of rebels attacked and
injured Mr. Hilihilaage Muhammad Didi and Mr. Mugurige Dhon Maniku, two Fisheries
Advisory Board members who were in the atoll, and other Government staff in the Atoll
Office. They were then tied up and taken as prisoners to Addu Atoll.
The news of the rebellion in Huvadhoo Atoll was given to the Maldivian Government
Representative’s Office in Colombo, from where the information was sent to the Prime
Minister’s Office in Male’. The first information from Huvadhoo atoll reached Male’ on
17th June, when a Gadhdhoo boat arrived at 11o’clock that night with the news and a
letter from the Atoll Chief of the Eastern region of the atoll, Mr. Kuda Ahmed
Kaleyfaanu, giving the details he had gathered from atoll sources.
The rebellion which had started in Havaru Thinadhoo, spread from island to island and
finally involved all of Huvadhoo Atoll. The Atoll Chief of the Eastern region of
Huvadhoo atoll, Mr. Kuda Muhammad Kaleyfaanu who was in the administrative office
in Vilin’gili, was also made a prisoner and taken to Addu. Stories of the events that had
occurred in the two atolls were brought to Male’ by people who had fled the atoll.
The British authorities in Gan took charge of the people taken to Addu as prisoners and
treated those who had been injured. They assured the Maldivian Government that these
people would be returned safely to Male’. There were thirty prisoners who were returned
to Male’ by the British within the next two weeks, some of them had very severe injuries.
End of Rebellion in Huvadhoo Atoll
On 28th January 1962, the Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir left Male’ for the atolls in the
yacht “Silver Crest”, accompanied by Mr. Ahmed Hilmy Didi, Mr. Ahmed Zaki, Mr.
Muhammad Imadhudhdhin and Mr. Maizan Ibrahim Maniku. Others accompanying him
were the navigator Mr. Maalimee Muhammad Maniku and the wireless operator Mr.
Maizan Umar Maniku. It was assumed by people in Male’ that this was one of the regular
trips the Prime Minister had been making to different atolls.
“Silver Crest” headed south and reached Feeali in North Nilande Atoll where it made its
first stop. On 29th January it travelled to Maamendhoo in Hadhdhunmathi. The yacht
picked up nine army officers who were at the island and set sail at 2 o’clock in the
morning of 30th January, heading towards Huvadhoo Atoll. At this time those on board
came to know that the yacht was carrying some sub-machine guns. The yacht reached
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Havaru Thinadhoo at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. At 10 o’clock the next morning Mr.
Ibrahim Nasir, Mr. Ahmed Zaki, Mr. Ahmed Hilmy and Mr. Muhammad Imadhudhdhin
set off in a dhoni to Havaru Thinadhoo. As the dhoni came closer to the island calling for
the people to surrender, the mob gathered on the beach threw rocks and came running to
attack the people in the boat with various weapons. A sub-machine gun was fired from
the boat and immediately the mob stopped their attack, and then they started to flee the
island.
The leaders of the rebellion were captured and brought back to a dhoni tied to “Silver
Crest”, to be taken back to Male’ for trial. During the skirmish and the gunfire from the
boat, one man from Thinadhoo was killed. The chief instigator of the rebellion,
Muhammad Waheed of Thinadhoo fled to Addu Atoll.
After this second rebellion, it was decided that the island of Thinadhoo should be vacated
and the people dispersed to other islands. The population of the island was asked to take
their belongings and leave the island. Many of them travelled to other nearby islands to
make their temporary home. The process of evacuation took many days, and when
everyone had left, Thinadhoo became an unpopulated island. Gadhdhoo Island was made
the administrative centre of Huvadhoo atoll.
Huvadhoo Atoll was again divided administratively into two sections, this time into a
northern and a southern region, with Gadhdhoo as the southern administrative island and
Vilin’gili as the northern administrative island. Atoll Chiefs were appointed to the two
sections and atoll committees were elected, thus putting in place the atolls’ administrative
network. All the prisoners taken in Huvadhoo were sent to Male’. On 14th February 1962
“Silver Crest” returned to Male’
The detainees from Huvadhoo were housed in the prison in Male’. In mid-March, an
epidemic of dysentery broke out in the section that housed these prisoners, and they were
moved to new quarters built on Vilingili in Male’ Atoll. Some deaths occurred from the
disease, including that of Muhammad Saeed, one of the leaders of the rebellion.
Referendum of 16th March 1962
The Prime Minister wished to have a referendum taken to see if he had the confidence of
the public on how matters relating to the problem of the southern atolls had been handled.
On 16th March 1962, a referendum was held in Male’ and in all atolls of Maldives, except
for the three southern atolls. The results showed that a majority of 81.285% had
confidence in the Prime Minister.
Improving Relations
During the period after the signing of the 1960 Agreement, there were signs of improving
relations between the British and the Maldives. On 21st March 1962, the British High
Commissioner in Ceylon, Sir A.F. Morley paid a visit to Maldives on the ship H.M.S.
Eastbourne. Lady Morley accompanied him, and the visit turned out to be a very cordial
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Mr. Abdullah Afeef
one, with many functions carefully planned by the Maldivian authorities. The chief
purpose of this visit was to present His Highness the Sultan of Maldives Muhammad
Fareed I, with the medal of K.C.M.G. awarded by Queen Elizabeth II of England.
On 14th February 1962, Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir sent a letter to the British High
Commissioner in Colombo, Sir Alexander Morley, stating that the Maldivian
Government would send their officials to Addu Atoll only when the problems regarding
the Atoll were settled in a satisfactory manner for both parties. In his reply of 21st March,
the High Commissioner stated that the British Government felt that there should be no
more delay in sending Maldivian officials to the atoll. He also felt that the Maldivian
Government should now grant a pardon to the Addu people with no pre-conditions
attached. He also felt that the number of personnel sent at first should not be more than
six, and that it would be better not to include any police or army officers in this group.
In his reply to this letter, Prime Minister Nasir accepted the suggestions made by the
Ambassador, saying that if the Addu people accepted the authority of the Maldivian
Government and the conditions stated in the Maldivian Government’s letter of 7th July
1961 an unconditional pardon would be given to them. This letter was sent to the High
Commissioner through Mr. Arthington Davy, the British Representative in Maldives.
In accordance with the matters agreed to in the letters exchanged between Male’ and the
British Ambassador in Colombo, on 15th April 1962 the following Maldivian officials
were sent to Addu Atoll. They were:
1. Mr. Ibrahim Haleem………………as acting Atoll Chief
2. Mr. Ali Riza ………………………as acting Liaison Officer
3. Mr. Ali Ibrahim Maniku…………..secretary
4. Mr. Sikka Thuththu Didi…………..storekeeper
5. Mr. Zakariyya of Kinilhus…………cook
6. Mr. Abdul Rahman………………...general workman.
This team carried with them part of the general documentation necessary to re-open the
Addu Atoll Office.
On the first day of their arrival in Gan, Mr. Arthington Davy and
Mr. Abdullah Afeef and the British commander in charge of the base
met them. However, there was no chance for any negotiations to
take place because throughout the one and a half days of their stay,
there were screaming mobs shouting obscenities at the Maldivian
Government and the visitors from Male’, even screaming for their
blood. There were mobs made up of island women too. The British
seemed unable to control them and Afeef made no effort at all to
stop the mob. On Mr. Arthington Davy saying that he could not
guarantee their safety, the official in charge of the Male’ team, Mr.
Ibrahim Haleem, decided to leave the atoll and return to Male’, as
they were unable to carry out their work.
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A New Committee
A new committee was chosen by the Prime Minister on 16th April 1962, to work with the
British authorities with the aim of resolving the problems in Addu, arising from the
establishment of a British base in the Atoll. This committee consisted of the following
members:-
1. Mr. Ibrahim Shihab
2. Mr. Ahmed Zaki
3. Mr.Ahmed Hilmy Didi
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of the Commonwealth Relations Office in Britain,
the Duke of Devonshire arrived in Male’ on 18th April and was met at Hulhule by Mr.
Arthington Davy and the Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Abdullah Khaleel. The Duke met
the consultative committee on Addu, in Male’ on the 19th April 1962. The Duke
explained that he was in Male’ to ask for more assistance from the Maldivian
Government. This was to request the Maldivian Government to give a longer period for
the lease of Gan and also to lease more land from the atoll. The Committee’s reply was
that the Maldivian Government had been patient for six years since the problems began at
Addu, and it was not possible to discuss any new matters before the existing problems
had been resolved. Two days later on the 21st of April, the Duke met the Committee
again, but again the Committee was unwilling to discuss other issues until existing
matters were sorted out.
In the last week of July1962, the Prime Minister Mr. Ibrahim Nasir wrote to the British
Prime Minister Harold Macmillan regarding a solution to the long standing Addu
problem. In reply Mr. Macmillan said that he would be sending a representative to Male’
to discuss and settle the Addu problem in October 1962 if the time was convenient to the
Maldivian Government. The time was confirmed and the discussions were agreed to be
held in October.
Arrival of Sir Arthur Snelling K.C.M.G.
On 19th October 1962 the Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth Relations Office Sir
Arthur Snelling arrived in Male’. Sir Arthur Snelling is in Maldives as the emissary of the
British Prime Prime Minister for discussions with the Maldivian Government on the
Addu issue. Mr. L. S. Howard of the air Ministry accompanied him as his advisor. Sir
Arthur Snelling met with the Maldivian officials for the discussions on Addu. The
members consisted of the following:-
1. Mr. Ibrahim Nasir………………….Prime Minister
2. Mr. Ibrahim Rasheed………………Minister of Home Affairs.
3. Mr. Ibrahim Shihab………………..Attorney General
4. Mr. Abdullah Khaleel……………...Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
5. Mr. Ahmed Zaki…………………...Minister of Justice (Mr. Zaki interpreted
During the discussions).
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6. The British Government was represented by Sir Arthur Snelling, Mr. Howard and
Mr. Arthington - Davy the British Representative in Maldives. These were
discussions were held over many days. During the discussions, the Prime Minister
proposed the abrogation of all articles of the agreement signed in 1960 between
the Maldivian Government and the British, except for the article regarding the use
of the staging post. This proposal was made at the fifth session of discussions held
on 4th November 1962. There was no agreement on the new issue raised by the
Maldivian Government.
Soon after this there were large demonstrations called by women of Male’, who held
rallies expressing their discontent and anger at the British refusal to give complete
freedom to the Maldives. The residence of the British Representative was in the island of
Dhoonidhoo, and after shouting slogans and demonstrating in Male’, the women made
their way close to the island in dhonis. They were unable to disembark because the
Maldivian police did not allow them, but they shouted slogans from the dhonis, making
sure that their displeasure came to the notice of the people in Dhoonidhoo.
The day after the demonstrations a British Navy ship arrived and cast anchor close to
Dhoonidhoo. The Government had not been informed of this ship’s arrival, in the usual
manner. Later, the British Ambassador informed the Maldivian Representative in
Colombo that Sir Arthur Snelling felt that the Navy ship had come to Maldives in
connection with the discussions on the Addu problem. However, Mr. Arthington Davy
the British Representative in Maldives told the Foreign Ministry that the ship was there
for the protection of Dhoonidhoo Island. This ship the “H.M.S. Lockfada” was followed
by the “H.M.S. Caesar” which was followed by the “H.M.S. Casembra” and thereafter by
“H.M.S. Blackpool” and “H.M.S. Caprice”. These Navy ships were posted in Male’
harbour ready to evacuate British personnel in case of danger. During the following
months, a British Navy ship always had a ship in Male’ harbour anchored close to
Dhoonidhoo. H.M.S. Whitby and H.M.S. Cavendish were two of the other ships that
carried out these duties during the next few months.
The Maldivian Government apologized for the women’s demonstrations, but it became
obvious to all concerned that the people in other regions of Maldives also wished to
demonstrate their feelings of frustration. These scenes of anger were directed mainly
towards the British Representative Mr. Davy, the reason being that in spite of the years
gone by, no solution had been reached regarding the Addu issue.
During this time there was some speculation in the media that Russia wished to lease the
Gan Island base in Maldives. At the same time there were also many overtures of
friendship by the Russians towards the Maldives.
A visit by the British Secretary of State for the Colonies and Secretary of State for
Commonwealth Relations Mr.Duncan Sandys was announced for early September 1963.
He arrived on 7th September 1963. Accompanying him were Mrs. Sandys, the British
High Commissioner in Colombo Sir Michael Walker and Lady Walker, Mr. Heap, Miss
Smith Private Secretary, and Mr. Roundthwaite, an official from the British High
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Lord Duncan Sandys
in Hulhule’
Commission in Colombo. The British officials taking part in the discussions were the
following:-
1. Mr. Duncan Sandys………British Secretary of State for the Colonies and
Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
2. Sir Michael Walker………British High Commissioner in Colombo
3. Mr. Arthington Davy……..British Representative in Maldives.
4. Mr. Heap………………….First Secretary of the British High Commission in
Colombo.
5. Mr. Roundthwaite……….. from the British High Commission in Colombo
The Maldivian officials taking part in the discussions were the following:-
1. Mr. Ibrahim Nasir……………….Prime Minister.
2. Mr. Ibrahim Rasheed……………Minister of Home Affairs
3. Mr. Ibrahim Shihab……………...Attorney General
4. Mr. Ahmed Zaki…………………Minister of Justice
5. Mr. Ahmed Hilmy Didi………….Minister of Health
6. Mr. Abdullah Khaleel……………Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Ahmed Zaki acted as interpreter during the discussions. Three sessions were held
during which Mr. Sandys assured the Maldivian Government that the Addu problem
would be resolved. He also requested that the individuals who had staged the rebellion
should be given a pardon for their actions before the re-establishment of Maldivian
authority over Addu Atoll. He also requested the Maldivian Government to give an
additional land in Hithadhoo for the establishment of a British Broadcasting Service relay
station.
The Maldivian Government proposed certain changes to the
Agreement of 1960 and asked for a reply to the Government’s
earlier request for full and complete independence from Britain.
Mr. Duncan Sandys (later lord Duncan Sandys) gave his
assurance that the Addu problem would be settled before the 31st
of December of that year, but the matter of full independence for
Maldives was one he would have to discuss with his Government
after his return to Britain. He asked that the Maldivian
Government send the request formally to the British Government.
The final discussions with Mr. Sandys were held on 8th September
1963 and the following agreement was reached:
AGREEMENT
The Maldivian Prime Minister, Mr. Ibrahim Nasir, and the British Secretary of State for
Commonwealth Relations, Mr. Duncan Sandys, have, on behalf of their respective
Governments, agreed as follows:
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(a) The British Government agrees to take such steps as may be necessary to
re-establish the authority of the Maldivian Government in Addu Atoll not
later than 31st December, 1963.
(b) To facilitate the smooth implementation of this decision, the Maldivian
Government agrees to grant an unqualified pardon and indemnity to all
the inhabitants of Addu Atoll in respect of all acts connected with or
arising from the revolt of the atoll, up to the date of the re-establishment
of the Maldivian Government’s authority.
(c) With effect from the date of the re-establishment of the Maldivian
Government’s authority in Addu Atoll, the Maldivian Government agrees
to make available to the British Government such additional land on
Hithadhoo as the British Government may require for the establishment ,
operation and maintenance of further radio installations by them or by the
British Broadcasting Corporation, on the same terms, regarding the tenure
of the land and the status of the necessary personnel (whether military or
civilian) as those set out in the agreement of 1960.
A joint communiqué to this effect was issued on 9th September 1963 by the Maldivian
Prime Minister and the British Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations.
Mr. Duncan Sandys and his party left Male’ for Addu Atoll on 9th September. At
Hulhule’ Airport Mr. Sandys requested Mr. Ibrahim Rasheed, the Minister of Home
Affairs to provide him with a Maldivian flag as he might not be able to get one in Addu
Atoll. Before his departure he said that, the Maldivian flag he had just received would be
flying in Addu that day.
In Addu Atoll Mr. Sandys issued the following press release on the same day:
Press Note issued from Gan by Mr. Duncan Sandys, 9 September 1963
“The British Government have, for a long time, made it clear to the people of Addu Atoll
that it was their intention to re-establish the Authority of the Maldivian Government here.
The British Government are convinced that it is in the best interests of the people of
Addu and of the people of Maldives as a whole, that normal relations should be reestablished
with the Central government in Male’ and that the present unnatural division
between these two sections of the Maldivian people should be brought to an end.
I have just returned from a visit to Male’, where I have had talks with Maldivian
Ministers. After full discussions we decided that the time had now come to restore the
Authority of the Maldivian Government in Addu Atoll as quickly as possible, and in any
case not later than the end of this year. The necessary preparations will begin at once.
The Maldivian Government have given a solemn undertaking to the British Government
that a full pardon will be granted in respect of all acts committed in the past in connection
with the revolt in Addu Atoll. I ask all the people of Addu Atoll to co-operate fully in the
preparations for the return of the Maldivian Government. No-one who co-operates now
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need have any fear or anxiety that they will suffer in any way for acts which they may
have committed in the past in connection with the revolt. The pardon granted by the
Maldivian government is a formal Agreement with the British Government and I have
every confidence that it will be implemented to the full.
The restoration of the authority of the Maldivian Government in Addu Atoll will, of
course, not affect in any way the position of the British Forces in Gan and Hithadhoo, or
their happy relations with the inhabitants. The Political Advisor, Mr. Roundthwaite, will
make contact with each of the villages as soon as possible, to explain the position, and to
answer any questions. I assure the people of Addu Atoll of the firm friendship of the
British Government and of the British Forces here, and of our desire to see you all
continue to live happily in peace and prosperity.”
On 29th September 1963 the Maldivian Prime Minister chose a Committee which was
given the mandate to hold discussions with the British in order to settle the Addu
problem. The members were the following:
1. Mr. Ibrahim Rasheed…………………………….Minister of Home Affairs.
2. Mr. Ibrahim Shihab………………………………Attorney General
3. Mr. Ahmed Zaki………………………………….Minister of Justice
4. Mr. Ahmed Hilmy Didi…………………………..Minister of Health.
British Government gives Afeef Asylum in Seychelles
On 29th September 1963, Mr. Arthington Davy, the British Representative in Maldives,
informed the Prime Minister of Maldives that Mr. Afeef, the leader of the revolt in Addu
Atoll, and his family was to be given asylum in Seychelles. The Prime Minister said that
this would amount to the British Government interfering in Maldives’ internal affairs,
which was in direct opposition to the agreement the British had signed with Maldives.
However, on 1st October 1963, Mr. Abdullah Afeef and his family were taken to
Seychelles by the British and given political asylum in that country.
Although promises had been made by the British to settle the Addu problem before the
end of the year, this did not happen, and the fact that Britain gave Mr. Afeef asylum in
the Seychelles served to anger the local population against the British. The population of
Male’ showed opposition to the British Representative, through demonstrations, and by
causing damage to British property in Male’ and Hulhule’.
Fua Mulaku surrenders
On 1st November 1963 Fua Mulaku surrendered to the Maldivian Government, ending
more than two years of rebellion. When a delegation from the atoll came to Male’ to
inform the Government of their surrender, they gave the news that there was flooding in
the atoll due to very heavy rain. They had not been able to grow the yams which were
part of their staple diet, because of flooding, and things were very difficult in the atoll.
The Government sent emergency food rations and started a fund for assistance to the
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atoll. An Atoll Shop was opened for Fua Mulaku, as had been done for the other atolls, to
give the atoll additional income. Until an Atoll Chief could be chosen, two of the most
dependable leaders in the Atoll were asked to look after Fuah Mulaku Atoll’s affairs.
Adduans start arriving in Male’
Mr. Roundthwaite who had been working in Addu to settle the Addu problem, informed
Mr. Arthington Davy that a group of Adduans who wished to accept Maldivian
Government rule, had left Addu to come to Male’. Mr. Arthington Davy informed the
Maldivian government of this development on 7th November 1963. In December more
people from Addu arrived in Male’ at various times, declaring their loyalty to the
Maldivian Government. Many of the leading members of the Atoll’s population came to
Male’ during this period of change.
In late December, an Atoll Committee to direct activities in the Atoll was elected in
Addu. This was in line with the regulations for all atolls. The people in charge of the
newly elected Committee were two reliable leaders who had come to Male’ declaring
their allegiance to the Maldivian Government. When they arrived in Addu to hold the
elections, they found many people beaten up and imprisoned in Maaran’ga. Since this
building was one of those being used by the British this incident raised doubts about their
intentions, and complicity in the activities of those people opposed to the Maldivian
Government.
As more people arrived from Addu, the real situation of the people in the atoll was
revealed to the Government in Male’. The Atoll had no law and order, and people were
afraid to go about their normal affairs because of their fear of attack by unruly groups.
There was a lack of the main food items, rice, flour and sugar. The dried fish, copra and
coir rope made by the people on the instruction of Mr. Afeef had not been exported and
were rotting in the warehouses. Less Maldivian labour was required on the British base
after its completion and therefore there were fewer people receiving payment from the
British. All these factors together caused the Adduans great difficulty.
With the arrival of the Addu people in Male’, the Government stepped in to protect them
from angry locals. The Ministry of Defense even declared it an offence to use abusive
language at these new arrivals.
After five years of rebellion, Addu Atoll did not have the administrative infrastructure in
place as in the other atolls. After the Government pardoned the people of the Atoll, and
since there now were inhabitants of the atoll who wanted the Maldivian Government to
take charge, the Government decided that it was time to delegate responsibility to an atoll
chief and the elected Atoll Committee. Mr. Moosa Ali Didi of Hithadhoo was given the
post of Acting Atoll Chief and the Atoll Committee was asked to assist in all
administrative matters. These appointments took place on 4th January 1964.
Economic activities were gradually started, at first under some restrictions. The Addu
Atoll Shop in Male’ was started under the management of Mr. Moosa Ahmed Didi of
Hithadhoo.
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Independence for Maldives
The Maldivian Government had formally requested the British Government to grant
independence to Maldives in a letter addressed to the Secretary of State for
Commonwealth Relations, Mr. Duncan Sandys on 25th September 1963. The British
Government wanted assurances that the Maldivian Government would honour the terms
of the Agreement. After the British sent Mr. Afeef and his family to Seychelles without
the consent of the Maldivian Government, the Maldivians felt that the British had not
acted according to the terms of the Agreement. Therefore they were not agreeable to
discussing any other matters until these matters had been cleared.
Assurances were given by the British Representative in Maldives, Mr. Arthington Davy
at a meeting with the Maldivian Prime Minister, on 4th April 1964, that the British
Government would be willing to grant full independence to Maldives if the Maldives
would assure them that the conditions under which Gan and the land in Hithadhoo had
been leased to the British remained the same. He extended an invitation to the Maldivian
Prime Minister or any member of his Cabinet to come to Britain for direct discussions
with the British Government. The Maldivian Prime Minister said that since the same
discussions had been conducted recently in Maldives, the most important matter for the
Maldivian Government now was the granting of full independence to Maldives. He
suggested that a draft of the agreement could be made, and discussions held, based on the
contents of the draft. He felt that travelling to Britain for these discussions were
unnecessary.
The main problem the British wanted to discuss at this time was the payment of salaries
to Maldivian workers in Maldivian currency. But since such an arrangement would be
completely against the interests of the Addu people and a huge economic loss to them,
the Prime Minister refused to discuss this point any further.
During this period there were other incidents that caused bad feelings between the British
and the Maldivians. This included an incident where officers from H.M.S. Leopard
boarded and searched a Maldivian fishing vessel, and the problem of the British
Government transporting Maldivian citizens to the Seychelles without the permission of
the Maldivian Government. Protests were held in Male’ against these actions of the
British Authorities, and the Government sent a strong letter of protest to the British
Representative in Maldives regarding these incidents. The letter also stated that the
Maldivian Government would not hold any further discussions regarding Addu Atoll
until full independence was granted to Maldives.
Formal talks on a new agreement granting Maldives full independence from the British
began in Colombo on 13th January 1964. A draft for the new agreement had been
proposed by the British and another by the Maldivian Government. The draft proposed by
the Maldivian Government was aimed at gaining full and complete independence from
Britain. The Maldivian Government Representative in Colombo, Mr. Abdul Sathar
Moosa Didi, and the Third Secretary Mr. Ahmed Ismail, represented the Maldivian
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Signing of agreement granting Independence to Maldives.
Maldivian Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir seated left, and the High commissioner for Great Britain in Colombo Sir
Michael Walker seated right.
Government and the British High Commissioner in Colombo, Mr. Michael Walker
represented Britain.
Britain eventually agreed to Maldives’ demands for full independence and the agreement
was formally signed on 26th July 1965 at 10 AM, at the residence of the British High
Commissioner in Colombo. The agreement granting Maldives full and complete
independence, was signed by Maldivian Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir and and the High
Commissioner for Great Britain in Colombo Sir Michael Walker. With her new found
freedom, Maldives became a member of the United Nations on 21st September 1965.
Reference
1. Ameen, Muhammad: Dhivehi Raajje Han’guraamaige Vilaagan’degge Dhashugai,
1949, Male’.
2. Records from National Centre for Linguistics and Historical Research;.Volume I.
3. Viyafaari Miadhu, (Newspaper); Publications from 1957 – 1962.

scripts of maldives

By Ahmed
Scripts of Maldives
Introduction
Ancient Maldives was known by many different names, among them Mahiladvipika, Diva Mahal,
Maldiva and the Cowrie Islands, but the traditional name for these islands is Dhivehi Raajje, the
inhabitants are Dhivehin, and their language is Dhivehi.
The Dhivehi civilization dates back more than two thousand years. Cowrie shells from the Maldives
travelled the ancient world, from Africa and the Middle East to South East Asia and China. If the
history of the ancient Maldivian cowrie shell trade could be traced, historians could perhaps go back
even further in time. The identity of the first settlers in the archipelago remains unknown, but the
language and old place-names show Aryan and Dravidian origins, suggesting early migrations from
the Indian subcontinent.
The Dhivehi people built places of worship out of coral stone, cutting the blocks and fitting them
together with amazing mastery. Regrettably, all that exists now of the oldest of these buildings are
only the foundations, or at most, only the lower parts of what must once have been strong edifices.
What existed of the old structures have been covered with the soil and vegetation of the passing
centuries, so that these places now exist in the form of mounds or gentle hillocks, still to be seen in
many islands of the Maldives.
The history of writing in these islands is more than 1400 years old. Inscriptions have been found on
some of the artifacts discovered at heritage sites and on artifacts unearthed in various islands. The
Dhivehi scribes of long ago carved their inscriptions on soft coral, probably using a metal instrument.
The coral stone inscriptions that have been found are religious mantras of the Vajrayana Buddhist
sect; the earliest is dated to the 6th century AD.
In Dhivehi, letters of an alphabet are called akuru, the word originating from the Sanskrit akshara or
from the Pali akkhara. Three main scripts or akuru were used in Maldives over different periods of
history. These were Eveyla, Dhives and Thaana. Until the late 18th century AD, Dhivehi was written
in a script that had strong similarities to South Asian scripts such as Grantha, Elu and Vatteluttu.
Although there were differences between earlier and later forms of the letters used in Maldivian
writing, Dhivehin (Maldivians) called the old scripts Dhivehi or Dhives Akuru, literally meaning
“letters of island people”.
Ancient Scripts
A recently discovered inscription from the Maabudhuge archeological site, on the island of Landhoo
in South Miladhunmadulu Atoll, is now thought to be the oldest script found in Maldives. The letters
are inscribed on four sides of a block of coral, in a version of the Southern Brahmi script of the
Pallava period, estimated to date back to the 6th century AD (Fig. 1). The inscription is a mantra of
Vajrayana Buddhism, a form of Buddhism that had existed in Maldives in ancient times.(Gippert
2003). The stone may have been buried in the foundation of a religious building to ensure safety from
evil spirits, a practice known to have been used during the pre-Islamic period. The letters show some
resemblance to the later Eveyla Akuru leading to the theory that this early script may have played a
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Fig.2 : Gold leaf inscription from Veymandoo Island
in Kolhumadulu Atoll.
Photo: Yassin Hameed - f8 Professional Photography.
Fig. 1: Coral stone from Landhoo in South Miladhunmadulu Atoll.
Photo: Yassin Hameed - f8 Professional Photography.
part in the formation of the first known Dhivehi alphabet. Some letters of this script are similar to
letters inscribed on relics found in 1962 in Aifaanu Magu in Male'.
Another palaeographically datable
legend was inscribed on the cover of
a coral stone casket found in
Maalhos in Ari Atoll. This is a
Vajrayana Buddhist inscription in
Sanskrit and, dates back to the 9th or
10th century AD. This inscription is
written in an early form of Nagari.
(Ragupathy 1994). The same Nagari
script is also found in some parts of
the old copperplate grant called
Isdhoo loamaafaanu, written in
1195/96 AD. This is the oldest
loamaafaanu (copperplate grant)
found so far in Maldives.
A gold leaf found in a relic casket on Veymandoo Island of Kolhumadulu Atoll has a very interesting
inscription (Fig. 2). The general appearance of the letters is in the category of the Grantha alphabet
evolved to write Sanskrit, and belongs to the Grantha
of 10th-11th centuries AD which was used by the
Cholas of South India. However, the nature of the
writing in some of the letters show affinities to the
Sinhala alphabet and Tamil Vatteluttu of that period
and to Maldivian Eveyla Akuru of the later period
(Mohamed, Ragupathy 2005:10-12). This inscription
on the gold leaf may show a stage in the development
of Eveyla Akuru, the first truly Dhivehi script.
Examples of similar letters can be seen on an old
coral stone casket found in Nilandhoo in North
Nilandhoo Atoll. Here, the legends are written in a
mixed script containing elements of the Kannada-
Telegu alphabet of the Western and Eastern
Chalukyas dated to the 10th-11th century AD. A
marked influence of the Sinhala alphabet and
elements of the Grantha-Tamil and Vatteluttu scripts
are to be seen. Some of the letters are closer to
Eveyla Akuru. All these seem to show a stage in the
evolution of Eveyla Akuru. (Mohamed, Ragupathy 2005:24-27). The coral stone casket has been
tentatively dated to the 10th -11th century AD. It should be noted that during the latter part of the 10th
century and the 11th century AD, two of the Maldives northernmost atolls, Thiladhummathi and
Malikatholhu, were occupied by the Cholas of South India.
Eveyla Akuru
When Mr. H. C. P. Bell came to Male' in 1922, he collected all the available documents containing
old scripts. At that time Maldivians referred to all the old scripts found in these documents as Dhivehi
Akuru. Among the material collected by Mr. Bell were old documents from past centuries. He found
great variation in these scripts, mainly due to changes brought to the scripts over a long period of
time. To distinguish the early form of the scripts from the ater variant, Mr.Bell named the early form
of the letters, Eveyla Akuru.(Bell 1940:166). Eveyla means “ancient” in the Maldivian language. The
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Fig. 3. Eveyla Akuru inscribed on a Buddhist relic found in Male’.
Photo: Yassin Hameed - f8 Professional Photography.
Fig. 3. Part of official missive of 18th century written in Dhives Akuru.
Photo: NCLHR Collection.
word e means “that” and veyla is “time” or “period”, thus together eveyla means “that time”, or
“ancient”. Eveyla Akuru, therefore simply means “ancient letters”.
The Eveyla Akuru alphabet had
twenty- seven consonants and nine
symbols representing vowels, and
was written from left to right. A
consonant written by itself had the
inherent a sound, and vowels written
in non-initial positions were
represented by vowel strokes called
fili. Early forms of Eveyla Akuru
have been found, inscribed on some
of the Buddhist relics found at sites
in Male' and the atolls (Fig. 3.).
The later form of Eveyla is found in
the old loamaafaanu, official records
of grants made for the upkeep of
mosques. These were narrow plates
of copper on which these records
were inscribed. The inscribed plates were threaded on a metal ring and hung inside the mosque. Each
mosque is said to have had one of these grants, but very few remained at the beginning of the 20th
century.
The existing copperplate grants are from the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries AD, and reveal several
variations in letter forms. Of these, the Bodugalu Miskithu Loamaafaanu, written in1356 AD, the
sixteenth year in the reign of Sultana Rehendhi Khadheeja, has been described by Mr. H .C. P. Bell as
showing “distinct modification from the characters of the earlier Haddummati, and Palace
Loamaafaanu, belonging as it does, to a period nearly two hundred years later and already exhibits
clear tendency towards the later evolution into Dives Akuru.” (Bell 1940:182-186). No paper or
parchment documents with the Eveyla script have been found.
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Dhives Akuru
Eveyla Akuru underwent many changes over the centuries and evolved into the later form, now called
Dhives Akuru or Dhivehi Akuru (Fig. 4.). Many features of Eveyla Akuru were retained in Dhives
Akuru. As in the earlier Eveyla Akuru, Dhives also had vowels and consonants, and vowel strokes or
fili. It was also written from left to right, and consonant characters standing on their own had the
inherent a sound.
Many modifications had been made to the shapes of letters and new symbols had been incorporated
into the Dhives alphabet, to represent new sounds. In the Dhives Akuru alphabet, the consonant
symbols numbered forty-one and there were fifteen symbols for vowels, including in some cases,
more than one symbol for the same vowel. In documentation written in Dhives Akuru, verses from the
Qur'an as well as all Arabic words, including Arabic names and words commonly used in Dhivehi,
were always written in the Arabic script. This often led to difficulties since Dhives was written from
left to right and Arabic from right to left.
Very beautiful examples of Dhives Akuru can be seen in the inscriptions on the walls of the Hukuru
Miskiy, on ancient tombstones carved from coral slabs, and in some finely written official land
grants, inscribed on wood or parchment. This script was used extensively for all official purposes until
the end of the 17th century, and the beginning of the 18th century. A few copperplates written in later
years have been written in this script.
Thaana Akuru
Thaana is a system of writing, which was developed to meet the needs of the Dhivehi language.
Although the influence of Arabic and Persian can be seen clearly, vestiges of the early Dhives Akuru
writing system can still be found in its basic rules (Mohamed 1999:39).
Early Dhivehi scripts were written in the left to right direction, unlike scripts used in many Islamic
countries. Arabic, Persian and Urdu, languages used by Muslims in the Middle-East and India, were
written from right to left. The late 16th to the 18th centuries was a period when trade was well
established between Maldives and other countries and Maldivians were in constant contact with
people from these countries. Trading ships came regularly to Maldives to buy cowries and other
products and learned Muslim teachers often arrived on these vessels. By the 15th and 16th centuries
Maldivians too were travelling to Arabia for religious studies and some of them were well-versed in
Arabic. The religious awareness of the time, and a desire to belong to the community of other Islamic
nations may have been one of the chief reasons for the change to Thaana (Fig. 5.).
Wilmott Christopher who stayed in Male' from 4th June to 9th September 1835 AD, writing in his
memoirs of his visit to the Maldives, spoke of the scripts then in use. He writes thus of Thaana, which
was in extensive use at that time:
The modern alphabet contains eighteen letters, and is called by the natives Gabuli-Tana
(early Thaana). There are some auxiliary letters in it, derived from the Arabic and Persian,
in common use, but not included in the alphabet. It is written from the right hand, and was
introduced when the Portuguese garrison were overcome, and Mahomedanism (Islam) reestablished
by a chief and men from the Northern Atolls, and is now used throughout the
islands.
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Fig. 5. Old Thaana script. Page from late 18th century Raadhavalhi.
NCLHR Collection.
The chief and men from the Northern atolls referred to in this context were Muhammad Thakurufaanu
and his companions from Utheem in Thiladhummathi. This is the story told in oral tradition, which
says that Thaana was introduced to Male' by Muhammad Thakurufaanu.
There are different theories about the origin of the name Thaana. Since many Dhivehi words have
their origins in old Sanskrit and a few in old Indonesian as well as some other languages, one of the
following derivations might be possible:
Tana (Sanskrit), meaning offspring or posterity
Tanah (Indonesian), meaning land or country
Than (Dhivehi), meaning place.
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Thaana Akuru would then mean 'script of the country', or 'script of the people'.
The Thaana alphabet consists of twenty-four letters, the first nine of which are derived from the first
nine Arabic numerals, and the next nine from a set of old Dhivehi numerals. (Salahuddin, 1928). The
last six letters of the alphabet are adaptations of existing letters to accommodate the remaining
sounds. In early Thaana, the term viyani was also used to indicate the letters of the alphabet. In the
mid-twentieth century, more letters were added to this original alphabet, to enable the phonologically
correct writing of names and loan words, mostly from Arabic. These were formed using a system of
placing dots on individual letters. Unlike the earlier Dhivehi scripts, the Thaana script is written from
right to left.
On examination of early Thaana documents, it seems probable that the existing Thaana script of the
17th century was modified for official use during the early 18th century. Early Thaana writing shows
a strong Arabic influence in the use of vowel strokes and in the shapes of individual letters. The script
shows a radical change in the form of the letters, and the system of Dhivehi writing. This script did
not evolve from Dhives or Eveyla Akuru, but was developed from other existing sources to fit the
needs of the Dhivehi language. It does not have the inherent a sound as in Eveyla and Dhives Akuru,
and is written from right to left unlike the earlier scripts, showing the Arabic and Persian influence of
the post-Islamic era. It can be clearly seen, that some of the characteristics of Arabic writing had been
modified, indicating that the creators of this system of writing were well versed in Arabic as well as
Dhivehi.
Early Thaana was known as Gabulhi Thaana. In Dhivehi, the word gabulhi was frequently used as a
derogatory term to indicate incompleteness, or a lack of finish. Thus it can be conjectured that the
gabulhi here refers to the incomplete stage of the script, taking the term from the Dhivehi word for
the in-between stage of the coconut, when it is neither the ripe nut nor quite tender, meaning that it is
not fully developed. Early in the 20th century, the script became known simply as Thaana.
From the early years of the 18th century, until about 1780 AD, Dhives and Thaana Akuru were both
used for official documentation, but at the end of this period, Dhives Akuru was superseded by
Thaana. At the time of Christopher's arrival in Male' in 1835, Dhives Akuru had been almost
forgotten in Male'; only a few individuals were able to write the script, but it was still in use in the
Southern atolls.
Pyrard de Laval's Observations
Pyrard de Laval and his companions were shipwrecked in Maldives, on 2nd July 1602, following
which, Pyrard spent about seven years in Maldives, until his departure in February 1609. During this
time, he made a number of observations on the people, their culture and the country. He observed that
there were three scripts in use in Maldives at that time. Among the observations he made was the
following:
Their letters are of three sorts: the Arabic, with some letters and points which they have
been added to express their language; another, whose characters are peculiar to the
Maldivian language; and a third, which is common to Ceylon and to the greater part of
India.
Pyrard's eyewitness account proves that three scripts were in use at the time. The first of these, “the
Arabic, with some points added to express their language”, is clearly the script known to Maldivians
as Hedhi Akuru, a less common script, which used the Arabic alphabet and had additional letters
included, to express sounds not present in that alphabet. These additional letters were formed, by
http://nclhr.gov.mv/history/ 7
placing a dot (point) or dots at different positions on particular letters. This script was used mainly to
write names, and continued to be used until the 20th century.
The second script, which Pyrard says is peculiar to the Maldivian language, could only be the very
early Thaana Akuru. This is the script that eventually superseded Dhives Akuru in the late 18th
century. The earliest records of Thaana found so far, date from 1705 AD. According to oral tradition,
the Thaana script was introduced by the national hero Muhammad Thakurufaan in the 16th century.
Pyrard's account shows that this script was in use at the beginning of the 17th century, suggesting that
oral tradition may be correct in saying that Thaana was in fact introduced by Muhammad
Thakurufaan. His son Ibrahim III (Kalaafaanu), was the reigning sultan at the time of Pyrard's stay in
Maldives.
The third script referred to by Pyrard as, “common to Ceylon and the greater part of India”, must be
the Dhives Akuru script which was in common use during the 16th and 17th centuries. This script has
a marked resemblance to the Malayalam script of South West India, and also to the Sinhalese script of
Ceylon (Sri Lanka); therefore, it is quite possible that Pyrard made the mistake of thinking that they
were the same.
Conclusion
If civilization is to be measured by the time when writing started in a culture, Maldivians had
achieved this almost one and a half thousand years ago, the earliest existing inscription being dated to
the 6th century AD. The evidence from the following centuries, show experiments at different stages
in the evolution of a script that became part of the nation's identity. This script Eveyla Akuru, was
further developed with additional letters, to facilitate the writing of the new sounds in words that were
constantly being introduced into Dhivehi. The script eventually became the elegant Dhives Akuru.
In later years when it became necessary to break with the old traditional way of writing, the learned
Dhivehi scholars formed a totally new alphabet that suited the demands of the time and was capable
of adaptation. Modern Thaana has changed considerably from its early style. The rules of writing
have been modified to meet changing needs, and may have to evolve still further, to accommodate
future demands of the Information Technology age.
References
Al-Hussaini, Hussain ibn Mohamed (Bodufenvalhuge Seedi) 1959. Dhivehi Akuru. Male'.
Bell, H. C. P. 1940. The Maldive Islands: Monograph on the History, Archeology and
Epigraphy. Colombo.
Christopher, W. 1836-38. Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, Vol. I. Bombay.
Gippert, J. 2003. A Glimpse into the Buddhistic Past of the Maldives, I: An early Prakrit Inscription.
(Unpublished essay).
Mohamed, N. 1999. Dhivehi Writing Systems. Male’
Mohamed, N. and Ragupathy P. 2005. Inscriptions of Maldives No. I. Male'.
http://nclhr.gov.mv/history/ 8
Najib, A. and A. Shafeeq, 1993. Eveyla Akuru. Male'.
Pyrard, F. 1887-1889. Edited and translated by Albert Gray assisted by H.C.P. Bell.1887-1889. The
Voyage of Francois Pyrard of Laval to the East Indies, the Maldives, the Moluccas and Brazil.
London.
Ragupathy, P. 1994. The South Asian Heritage of Early Maldives. Male'.
Date of revised Essay: 2004

PRE -ISLAMIC MALDIVES

By Ahmed

PRE-ISLAMIC MALDIVES
by
Naseema Mohamed
Abstract
Maldives is a small country, a double string of coral islands, none of which are very large.
Nevertheless, in spite of its small size, the country has been populated for well over 2000
years. With research and archaeological excavations, the ancient history of the islands is at
last coming to light.
The language of the Maldives, Dhivehi, is of Indic origin, the people are of different
ethnicities, perhaps because of the strategic position of the islands, almost in the centre of
the most travelled routes in the Indian Ocean. Ships called at the Maldives, stopping over
during the stormy days of the monsoon, on their way to the East and on the return journey.
Trading ships also called at the islands, bartering their goods for cowries, ambergris,
tortoise shells, fish and coir rope. Some of the industries of the islands were fishing, ropemaking,
weaving, boat building and coconut cultivation.
Maldives converted to Islam in 1153 A.D. Recent archaeological evidence proves that until
the advent of Islam, the Buddhist religion had existed in the country. Buddhist relics and
ruins of monasteries have been found in many islands. Additional evidence of a Buddhistic

1. past was found in late 12th century copperplate grants, translated in the 1980’s.

The islands had their own customs and culture. Ruled by their kings and queens for many
centuries, the islands seem to have remained an independent kingdom through most of its
known history. Maldives had its own system of rule, which seemed to have been suitable to
the geographical setting of this unique archipelago.
Mention of islands identifiable as Maldives were made in ancient Buddhist texts of India
and Sri Lanka. Roman and Greek writers, and in later centuries, Chinese, Arab and Persian
records also mention the Maldives. These records reveal that the ancient Maldivians were
seafarers and travelled long distances, to Rome, China, and perhaps other distant countries
for which no records now exist.
More extensive research, including scientific excavation of archaeological sites, will help
us gain a clearer picture of the country’s pre-Islamic past.
_______________________________________________________
Naseema Mohamed holds the position of Advisor in the National Centre for Linguistic and Historical Research, Male’
Republic of Maldives.
2
Introduction
The Maldives are said to be little known, even “ unheard of ” by many writers, perhaps
because of their insignificant size and because the islands did not possess the mineral or
agricultural wealth desired by the medieval world. However, the islands have been
populated for over two thousand years, as shown by recent archaeological excavations.
Due to the climatic conditions, the heat and humidity, which do not make for the long
survival of artifacts, and the fact that most artifacts produced in the islands have of
necessity been made of non-durable materials, there is little to show as evidence of the
nation’s long history. The fact that the Maldives did not come to the attention of the betterknown
countries of the medieval world preserved the country’s anonymity for hundreds of
years.
In recent years efforts have been made to bring at least some of this history to light,
through archaeological and historical research and linguistic studies. Archaeological
evidence as well as copperplate records led to the discovery of the country’s Buddhistic
past during the pre-Islamic period. Research into the cowrie shell trade, has shown that
these islands had supplied cowries to many of the countries bordering the Indian Ocean and
countries further afield (Heimann 1980:48). Excavations have revealed that there was a
constant trade with Chinese vessels, which called at the Maldives on their way to trade
with the countries of the Middle East. These facts become self evident when the strategic
position of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean is taken into context. The Indian Ocean was
reputed to be the most travelled ocean in the ancient world, and therefore the islands which
lie in its central position is an easy port of call for food and water besides being a safe
harbour during the monsoons.
There are few sources of information about the pre – Islamic period of Maldives. Available
information indicates that there was “a matriarchal society, with myths and magicoreligious
beliefs, a system of class distinctions instead of the caste system” in existence in
many other South Asian countries, a king who was a father figure and whose power was
supreme, and a ruling system, “which was guided by time honoured customs and
traditions”(Maniku 1993: 39).
According to available historical sources, the islands converted to Islam in 1153 A.D.,
during the reign of King Tribhuvana Aaditya of the Theemuge Dynasty.
Copperplate Grants from the 12th Century A.D.
The oldest and most accurate Divehi records are copperplate grants from the late 12th
century known as “loamaafaanu ”. These loamaafaanu are specifically records of official
grants given by the ruling king to individual mosques, bestowing on them the benefits from
various islands for their expenditure and upkeep. Some of these copperplate grants were
first translated into modern Divehi and English in 1922, and more comprehensive
translations of two of these grants were made in 1982 and 1986. These translations opened
up a whole new area for research on the ancient history and customs of the people of the
Maldives.
3
The copperplate grants, or loamaafaanu, of the 12th century records the names of the kings
of the late pre- Islamic period. The first king recorded in the loamaafaanus is “the great
King, Shri Mahaabarana of the noble house of Theemuge, the lord of the prosperous Lunar
Dynasty”(Maniku, Wijeyawardhana 1986: 1) who ascended the throne in c.1118 A.D. This
king was the founder of the Theemuge Dynasty, which ruled the country from c.1118 until

of twenty-one years, perhaps implying that at the time of his ascension to the throne, the
country was divided, and that he brought the kingdom under one rule. King Mahaabarana
is thought to be the Kaimala Kalo(or Koimala Kalo) of legend, a foreigner of noble blood
who arrived in Maldives with his family, and was invited by the islanders to become their
king. “Kaimal” is said to be a title given to certain Keralese noblemen (Bouchon
1988:225), therefore it is quite possible that this was a nobleman from Malabar fleeing a
hostile situation in his country. Mahaabarana was succeeded by his nephew, Swasthi Shri
Tribhuvana Aadheethiya, who ruled for a period of thiry-five years. It was during
Tribhuvana Aadheethiya’s reign, in the year 1153 A.D., that Maldives converted to Islam.
The copperplates also cast some light on the system of government and way of life that
existed in the country at the time. The script and the language of these loamaafaanu take us
back more than eight hundred years and give us an idea of the older Divehi language,
before the changes brought about by the influence of Persian, Arabic and European
languages. The loamaafaanu usually gave the name and lineage of the king who built the
mosque, the circumstances in which the mosque was built, and other important information
regarding the location and also, the names of the witnesses to the grant.
The two oldest of the existing loamaafaanu copperplate grants were translated in 1982 and
1986. One of these grants, the Isdhoo Loamaafaanu was written in 1195 and the other, the
Dhan’bidhoo Loamaafaanu in 1196 A.D. These dates were 42 and 43 years respectively,
after the official conversion of Maldives to Islam, but the incidents recorded in both
loamaafaanu show that the mosques in the two islands, Isdhoo and Dhan’bidhoo were built
immediately after their conversion (Wijeyawardhana and Dissanayaka 1982, Maniku and
Wijeyawardhana 1986). This places the dates of their conversion at 1195 and 1196 A.D,
and reveals the fact that although Maldives had officially converted to Islam in 1153 A.D.,
all the islands did not embrace the religion at the same time. Due to the distances and
difficulties of travel within the atolls, conversion of the entire country took much longer,
and until then the existing customs prevailed. Since these copperplates were inscribed soon
after the conversion, most of the customs and system of government of the earlier days
remained unchanged at the time of writing, and therefore, we have a reliable record of
some of the culture and customs that existed at the end of the Buddhist period in Maldives.
The Dan’bidhoo Loamaafaanu (Fig.1.) is written in the Eveyla script in old Dhivehi, and
describes the conversion of the island of Dhan’bidhoo by Sri Gadanaaditya, the reigning
king of the Theemuge Dynasty. He is said to have converted the inhabitants of the island,
destroyed the monastery, and in its place, built a mosque, naming it the Juma Masjidu
(Friday Mosque). The community of monks in the island was disbanded, the chief clans of
the island were identified and groups were formed to carry out Government duties.
Generous concessions were made to the poor of the island. Noteworthy is the fact that the
ruler had accurate information regarding the islands of the kingdom mentioned in the grant.
Donations to this mosque were to be given from some of the land in Male’ as well
4
(Wijeyawardhana and Dissanayake 1982; Najeeb 2001), showing that even during ancient
times, the principal island had responsibilities towards distant islands of the kingdom.
Isdhoo Loamaafaanu written in 1195 A.D., also in the Eveyla script, was translated in
1986, and gives more information on existing customs. A description is given on how a
dwelling for one of the eminent families of the island should be constructed, including
instructions to cover the walls with Chinese silk (Maniku and Wijayawardhana 1986: 23).
This account is evidence of the fact that Chinese silk was a familiar commodity, giving rise
to the assumption that Chinese trading ships stopped at Maldives on their way to the
Middle East, exchanging their silks and other goods for the commodities they needed
through the common barter system. Other indications of the Chinese trade, lies in the fact
that shards of Chinese pottery dating to between the 9th and 19th centuries were found in
Maldives (Carswell 1996:505).
The copperplates also reveal that the rulers in the capital of Male’ were aware of
developments in other islands, even though travel between islands was difficult and time
consuming. The witnesses to the grant were ministers of the king; among the titles of these
ministers are some that existed until the mid-twentieth century. There was also a system of
land grant to families. These properties remained in families for generations, within a
matrilineal system of inheritance.
Information from Foreign Sources
There are some early sources of information, which may be referred to, that could also
shed light on pre-Islamic Maldives. The earliest mention of the Maldives, is in ancient
Buddhist Jatakas and in Sri Lankan texts, which refer to events that occurred between 300
– 250 B.C. A reference in the Mahavansa indicates the arrival of a group of exiles in the
Maldives around the period 300 B.C., at the same time as another group arrived in Sri
Lanka. These two groups are said to have come from the same place of origin in western
India (Maloney 1980). This could accommodate the hypothesis that Divehi and Sinhalese
separated from the same Prakrit (Cain 2000:3), which itself could have evolved in India.
The next mention of Maldives occurs in records of Roman and Greek writers, covering the
period 90 – 522 A.D., proving that the Maldives were known to travellers in the
Mediterranean countries. In 362 A.D., Ammianus Marcellinus records that among other
nations, the “Divis”(Maldivians) sent gifts to the Emperor Julian (Bell 1940:16; Maloney
1980:415). Other writers who have mentioned islands which may be identified as Maldives
include Pappus of Alexandria (about the end of the 4th century), Scholasticus the Theban
(circa AD 400) and Cosmas Indicopleustes (circa 535 AD) who probably gives the first
eyewitness description of the islands (Maloney 1980; Mikkelsen 2000).
Chinese documents from 658 and 662 A.D. record visits to China from ambassadors of
King Baladitya of Maldives, who brought gifts to the Emperor of China, consisting of
products from their country. These documents also mention the dependence of Maldives as
well as some other countries of the South Asian region on the ruler of South India, showing
that at that time, there was an inter-dependence of these countries on the sub-continent, and
that they had contacts with one another.
5
Other informative sources are the written records of travellers who came to the Maldives
during the period in question. Some writers wrote their records from hearsay, and some
from first hand information gathered during their travels in the Indian Ocean. Among these
are Arab and Persian travellers and merchants, who crossed the Indian Ocean in search of
commercial opportunities in the trade in ambergris, tortoise shell and spices. The
descriptions given by some of these travellers are convincing and corroborate the
information given in other accounts. There are also descriptions of boat-building
techniques unknown to the visitors; techniques used Maldives until recent times.
The most accurate information on Maldives, is given by Sulaiman (850 A.D.), Al Masudi
(visited Sri Lanka in 916 A.D.), Al Biruni (1030 A.D.) and Al Idrisi (1150 A.D.). These
writers give detailed information about Pre-Islamic Maldives, which they called Divah or
Dibadjat, its people, culture and society as well as trade (Bell 1940; Maloney 1980;
Mikkelsen 2000).
Accurate geographical descriptions of Maldives are given, about islands that lie between
the sea of Harkand (Bay of Bengal) and that of Lar (Gujarat), and number up to 1,900. The
produce of the islands, including ambergris from the seashore and cowries collected in the
same way as in later centuries, are mentioned. Weaving of fabric, building of ships and
houses and all kinds of work are said to have been executed with consummate art. These
accounts say that a queen ruled the islands, and the wealth of the country consisted of
cowries, which the queen amassed in large quantities in the royal depots (Sulaiman 850
A.D.; Masudi 916 A.D.).
The erosion of some islands, the formation of new islands, and the migration of the
populations from one to another, is described in detail (Abu Zayd 890 A.D., Al Biruni
1030 A.D.). Al Jawaliqi, writing in 1135 A.D., describes a queen named “Danhara”who
wore a robe of gold fabric, rode on an elephant and was accompanied by her attendants and
army. She was the ruler of the kingdom and lived on an island called Abannba (Male’),
where the inhabitants were in great number (Al Jawaliqi 1135 A.D.). Al Idrisi, writing in
1150 A.D. calls this chief island “Ambriya”(Al Idrisi c.1150).
The best description of the pre-Islamic culture of Maldives is given by Al-Idrisi. Writing in
Arabic in his book, “Kitab Nuzhat Al Mushtaq Fi Ikhtiraq Al Afaq” he described some of
the customs of the country. He says that the islands had a king who united them, protected
and defended them and made truce according to his ability. His wife acted as arbitrator
among the people and did not veil herself from them. When she issued any orders, her
husband, the chief, although he was present, did not interfere with any of her ordinances. It
had always been a custom with them that women arbitrated, a custom they always upheld.
Al Idrisi also says that this queen had riches, which she collected by means of certain
known taxes, and she then gave in charity the wealth thus acquired to the needy inhabitants
of her country. Her subjects are said to have hung silk cloths along her route during her
public appearances (Al Idrisi c.1150 A.D.).
Al Idrisi states that tortoise shell was the merchandise of the people of Dibajat (Maldives).
He writes that coconuts were cultivated on the islands and cowries were used as means of
exchange and these were said to comprise most of the King’s treasures. He described the
6
inhabitants of Dibajat as accomplished and skilful craftsmen. As an example, he says they
would weave a shirt with its two sleeves, its gores and its pocket, all in one piece. He also
states that the islanders built boats of small pieces of wood, and substantial houses and
other excellent buildings of hard stones. They are said to have constructed wooden houses
that floated on the water. These were probably storehouses for coconuts, built on platforms
in the shallow water, to keep out rodents. These wooden houses were called
“moodhuge”(sea houses), and were in use until the early years of the 20th century.
Sometimes the islanders used perfumed sandalwood in their buildings, for pride and
display (Al Idrisi c.1150 A.D.).
He also speaks of the “sewn” boats used for travel in the “Sea of India and China”.
Whether big or small, these were constructed out of well-hewn wood. The planks were put
edge-to-edge and trimmed and then “sewn with fibre” (tied with coir rope). The boats were
then caulked with the oil of the sperm whale, to stop up the seams. Even at the present day,
boat building in Maldives is called “dhoani banun”, which literally means tying boats, the
term used in the days when the above technique was employed. People from Oman and
Marbat (Hadramaut), belonging to Yemen, came to the islands and cut the wood of the
coconut palms and made ropes from the fibre of the palm with which they tied up the
wood. They took this wood back to their own countries and sold it or used it for different
purposes (Al Idrisi c.1150 A.D.).
Trading links with other countries seem to have been established very early. Cowrie shell
exports from the Maldives can be traced to the early centuries of the first millennium,
which links Bengali, African and even European sources. The discovery of a Roman coin,
identified as a Roman Republican Denarius of Caius Vibius Pansa minted at Rome in
either 90 or 89 B.C. within a reliquary of a Buddhist stupa excavated during 1958 in the
Maldives (Forbes 1982), gives rise to many questions. The worn state of the coin and the
fact that it was pierced indicated that it had been used for some years before ending up in
the ancient stupa. It also seems to indicate that some early contacts were made between the
Roman trading establishments in India and the Maldives. The reason for these contacts, if
any, may have been the availability of cowrie shells, money cowrie (cypraea moneta), in
the islands. Cowrie shells have been discovered in many different places of the ancient
world, and the primary producer of most of these was understood to be the Maldives
( Heimann 1980). As stated earlier in the literary sources, indications are, that the Maldives
was known to the outside world as early as in the Roman period.
Archaeological Evidence
It has been established that Buddhism was the religion of the Maldives before the
conversion to Islam in 1153 A.D. Evidence of this fact is overwhelming. Mounds
containing ancient Buddhist artifacts have been found in many islands throughout the
Maldives. The first reference to archaeological sites in Maldives was made in 1835, by
English naval officers Lieutenants I.A.Young and W.Christopher. They had been told by a
Buddhist priest, “who was well-read in Sinhalese Books, that two noted Temples of
Buddha” formerly existed in Maldives (Bell 1940:104)). Two other visitors to Maldives,
Mr. C. W. Rosset in 1886, and Mr. J. Stanley Gardiner in 1900, also recorded information
on the presence of ruins of Buddhist buildings on several islands (Bell 1940:104-105).
7
However, the most valuable contribution to archaeological data on pre-Islamic Maldives
was made by Mr. H. C. P. Bell, who collected a wealth of information during his later
visits to Maldives. Mr. Bell first visited Maldives in 1879 on another mission, and at the
end of that visit, he made the following observations in his provisional report:
“Whilst the evidence so far available is both quite insufficient, and of a nature too vague, to
warrant definite conclusion, it is far from improbable that a close scrutiny of names of
Islands, of non-Muhammadan (non-Muslim) customs and festivals, and, above all, an
Archaeological Survey will make it abundantly clear that Buddhist Missionaries, in the
spirit of the Asoka Edicts, departing to intermingle among all unbelievers, teaching better
things, carried their doctrine across the sea even to the despised and little known
Maldives.” (Bell 1940: 104).
The above observation suggests that Mr. Bell felt that it was quite probable that Buddhism
was brought to the Maldives about the same time as when missionary activity encouraged
by Emperor Asoka took place, resulting in the establishment of the religion in many South
Asian countries. However, it is left to doubt, whether the ancient missionaries regarded the
Maldives as “despised and little known.” As additional evidence of the islands’ past
religion, Mr. Bell noted the titles given to Maldivian royalty, and further, the names of
certain islands, which were suggestive of a Buddhistic past.
Mr. Bell returned twice more to Maldives. He visited many of the islands in the southern
atolls, which contained ancient mounds and investigated some of them. His findings were
published in detail in his monograph on the history, archaeology and epigraphy of
Maldives in 1940. These and subsequent findings of amateur Maldivian archaeologists
proved beyond doubt that Buddhist places of worship existed in Maldives before the
conversion to Islam.
In July 1958, a Maldivian team excavated the archaeological site in Thoddoo island in Ari
Atoll, where a figure of the Buddha (Fig.2.) and a relic casket was found. This was the
reliquary in which the earlier mentioned Roman coin was found.
An amateur archaeological expedition was undertaken by a Maldivian team in February
1959, to Ariadhoo island in Ari Atoll, where some ancient mounds were investigated. No
Buddhist relics were found, but another important relic was excavated, a carved coral
phallus (linga), 15 inches in height and 12 inches in circumference at the base (Maniku
1993:41). This was a unique find in Maldives, and lent weight to the theory that Hinduism
had also existed in the country during a bygone age.
In later years, several artifacts including images, caskets and miniature stupas belonging to
the Vajrayana sect of Buddhism, were found in various places in Male’ and in Ari Atoll. A
later archaeological find, also of Vajrayana context, had carvings of Hindu deities Siva,
Lakshmi, Kubera and sage Agasthiya. The cult of sage Agasthiya, being related to
maritime activities, was common in South India, Sri Lanka and also in Southeast Asia
(Ragupathy 1994).
In 1983-84 the Maldivian Government in collaboration with the Kon-Tiki Museum of
Oslo, undertook some excavations in Nilandhoo in Nilandhoo Atoll, one of the southern
8
atolls of Maldives. The report of this expedition states that the ancient Havitta (chaitya)
ruin on Nilandhoo Island was built about 400 years before the conversion to Islam. It
further stated that the finds of discarded building material with classic designs, in the fill
inside the ruins, indicated an older structure in the same locality, or in the neighbourhood
(Skjolsvold 1991). This could indicate an older Buddhist structure, or one belonging to an
earlier religion, since the ancient Maldivians built places of worship on older sites, after
destroying the existing buildings.
The same team visited other islands, which had ancient sites, including Vaadhoo and Gan
in South Huvadhoo Atoll. During their short stay in Gan, they found interesting material,
reminiscent of such sites in other countries of the region. Finds from Bodu Havitta, the
biggest mound on the island, included many decorated and moulded coral stone fragments
with a common motif. These were decorative elements including symbols of concentric
circles with a trisected band–like decoration on either side. They found especially striking,
the similarity of this design with the decoration displayed on a marble panel at Amaravati,
depicting “The Great Departure”, a panel dated to the second century A. D. The same motif
occurs on railings at the entrance of a Buddhist cave sanctuary at Udayagiri in Orissa
(Skjolsvold 1991:52-54 and 67-69). Due to the lack of time, the team did not have the
opportunity to carry out a full excavation of the site.
In cooperation with the National Centre for Linguistics and Historical Research in Male’,
archaeological excavations were conducted at Kaashidhoo Island in Kaafu Atoll, by
Professor Egil Mikkelsen of the University of Oslo, Norway, from 1996 to1998. These
excavations revealed that a Buddhist culture was established there “in the first part of the
first millennium A.D. probably founded on an Indian origin. Exchange relations were
established with South Asia and according to written sources, also with the Roman World,
and later also with China”(Mikkelsen 2000:22). There was also a Chinese bronze coin, a
cash-coin from the Northern Song Dynasty, struck under the Emperor T’ai Tsung in 990-
94 A.D (Mikkelsen 2000:21), indicating Chinese contacts in the 10th century.
The available findings led Mikkelsen to believe that cowrie shells played an important role
in the Buddhist culture and religion that existed in Maldives at that time, symbolically, as
well as in terms of economics. In his report he states that, around 500 A.D. when cowrie
shells spread to northern and central Europe, as shown by archaeological finds, they were
also mentioned as trading products from Maldives (Mikkelsen 2000). The ruler of
Maldives had control over the export and exchange of cowrie shells, leading to the import
of other commodities such as beads, gold and silver as well as metal objects which were
not available in Maldives. Other materials exchanged for cowries included pottery, china
and clay objects for everyday use. Mikkelsen was of the opinion that this provided for a
rich monastic culture in Maldives and that it could have been the start of the spread of
cowrie shells to the north. He felt that distance in itself was not necessarily a limitation on
contact (Mikkelsen 2000), which is proven by the fact that cowrie shells from islands in the
Indian Ocean found their way to the Far East, even to distant China.
Among the relics found at the Kaashidhoo site were offerings of bones of the giant tortoise
(Aldabrachelys elephantina), showing that this species existed in Maldives at that time.
Bones of turtles were also found ( Mikkelsen 2000:17).
9
During the last Buddhist period before the introduction of Islam, from the 10th to the late
12th century, part of the monastery site was used as a burial ground. Bones from four
graves were carbon dated, resulting in dates varying between the late 9th to the 12th century
A.D.
According to Mikkelsen’s findings, there were several different stages in the building of
the Kaashidhoo monastery, the structures being founded on different levels on older floors.
In some places, white coral sand had been used to cover older structures before the
construction of new buildings. Since the conclusion reached was, that building commenced
around the beginning of the 3rd century A.D., and continued until the 6th century A.D., it
may be assumed that by the 3rd century A.D., Buddhism had been well established in
Kaashidhoo. Mikkelsen felt that the building of miniature stupas, and conducting of
sacrificial ceremonies continued through the 7th to the 9th century. He found many
similarities to the type of construction found at Kaashidhoo, at Ratnagira in Orissa state in
India. (Mikkelsen 2000:21).
Language and Scripts
Linguistic research into the Dhivehi (Maldivian) language shows a divergence of Dhivehi
from its mother language as early as the 2nd or 1st century B.C (Cain 2000), indicating that
speakers of this idiom may have arrived in the Maldives prior to this period. Linguistic
evidence shows a close relationship between Dhivehi and Sinhala, both languages having
evolved from the same Prakrit, Proto-Dhivehi-Sinhala. B.Cain (2000:3) is of the opinion
that “perhaps as early as the 2nd c. B.C., Proto-Dhivehi-Sinhala came to the Maldives and
became the lingua franca of a diverse population made up of Aryan speakers, Dravidians
and possibly others”(Cain 2000:3). Frequent contact with neighbouring countries resulted
in their influence on Dhivehi and its development through the following centuries.
The earliest palaeographically datable inscription found in Maldives is a Sanskrit
inscription of Vajrayana Buddhism written in the Nagari script and can be dated to the 9th
century A.D. (Ragupathy 1994). This inscription is on the cover of a coral stone casket
(Fig.3.)
The earliest Maldivian script is Eveyla Akuru,the oldest examples of which can be found
on the Vajrayana images and artifacts that may be datable from the 9th to the 10th century
A.D. Later examples of this script can be found in the copperplate records of the 12th and
13th century A.D. Eveyla Akuru has close affinities with Sinhala Elu and Tamil and
Malayalam Vatteluttu scripts. As these scripts evolved from a common branch of Brahmi,
there are strong similarities between Eveyla, Elu and the South Indian scripts (Ragupathy
1994).
Conclusion
Interpreting the information gathered from sources within Maldives and data gathered from
documents from various parts of the world, the conclusion may be reached that Maldives
has been peopled for more than 2000 years. The earliest religion followed by the
Maldivians is not known, but the theory that Hinduism had existed at some ancient period
10
cannot be discarded. Immediately prior to the conversion to Islam, the Buddhist religion
existed in the islands, archaeological evidence pointing to a Buddhist culture that was in
place in the first part of the first millennium A.D.
The islands were independent for most of its known history, and were ruled by kings and
queens. The country had its own system of governance suited to its geographical situation.
The rulers of the country maintained contacts with countries of the region and powerful
nations. The islanders were hardy seafarers, and travelled long distances. Trading vessels
called at Maldives and sailors of the Indian Ocean had a fair knowledge of the country.
Structures were constructed out of available materials, hard coral stone and the timber of
the coconut palm, which grew in abundance. Fishing, boat building and coconut cultivation
were some of the important industries of pre-Islamic Maldives.
The difficulty for researchers of Maldivian history lies in the fact that many records and
artifacts of that early period no longer exist, and what remained was neglected for many
centuries. However, archaeological excavation could still bring to light the historical
information that lies buried beneath the soil of these islands, providing the answers to
questions on Maldives’ pre-Islamic past.
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