Maldives..As a Tourist Destination

Resorts

Resorts in the Maldives woo tourists with promises of 'the last paradise on earth', and if your idea of paradise is a pristine tropical island with swaying palm trees, pure white beaches and brilliant turquoise lagoons, then the Maldives will not disappoint. It's also a major destination for scuba divers, who come for the fabulous coral reefs and the wealth of marine life. But it's not a place for low budget backpackers or amateur anthropologists who want to travel independently and live as the locals do.
Tourism in the Maldives is carefully managed. The country's tourism master plan identifies both the underwater environment and 'the Robinson Crusoe factor' as major attractions, but these are not seen as compatible with large-scale, low budget, mass tourism. The lack of local resources makes it necessary to import virtually everything a visitor needs, from furniture to fresh vegetables, so the Maldives cannot really compete on price. The strategy has been to develop a limited number of quality resorts, each on its own uninhabited island, free from traffic, crime and crass commercialism.
The Maldivian tourism strategy also aims to minimise the adverse effects of tourism on traditional Muslim communities. Tourists can make short guided visits to local fishing villages, but must then return to their resort. Most are satisfied with this glimpse of local life and culture, but to stay longer or to travel to atolls outside the tourist zone requires a good reason, a special permit, and a local person to sponsor the visitor. Most tourists come to understand the restrictions after a short visit to an accessible island - it is difficult to imagine how isolated Maldivian communities would benefit from extended stays by an uncontrolled number of tourists.
Like it or not, this highly regulated tourist industry has been enormously successful - there are more and better resorts, a steady increase in visitor numbers, and a minimal impact on the natural and social environment. The Maldives is internationally recognised as a model for sustainable, environment-friendly tourist development.


Beach & Sea

The house reefs around the islands bring about a very calm sea ideal for snorkeling and swimming. Due to the corals, bathing shoes are recommended. You do not have to be a diver to enjoy the many wonders of the tropical sea, while snorkeling you can also experience the underwater world. If you do not take along masks, snorkels, and flippers, they can be rented on the islands for about US $ 7.00 per day.

Nudism and topless

Not permitted on the Maldives and offenders will be fined, the same goes for harpooning fish and destroying corals.


Climate

Due to its proximity to the equator the Maldives experience an average humidity of about 80 percent during the whole year and practically the same air (29° C.) and water (28° C.) temperatures. The Southwest monsoon from May to November brings relatively wet air masses, where as the Northeast monsoon from December till April bestows dry weather to the Maldives.

Currency

The local currency is the Mal. Ruffian. As per law the prices in all tourist resorts and hotels have to be quoted in US dollars and paid by foreign visitors in foreign currency. All major credit cards are accepted at major hotels and resorts, however most of the resorts will add a surcharge up to 6 percent for payments with credit cards. Exchange rate: 1 US $ = ca. 11 RF.

Electricity

The Maldives uses 220-240 volts, alternating current. The outlets are tree-pronged. All the resorts have their own generator(s). Embarkation Tax Upon departure at the airport an embarkation tax of US $ 10.00 per person will be levied.

Entertainment

For people who are looking for entertainment and nightlife the Maldives are not the ideal destination to spend their holidays. In the evening after dinner one spends an hour or so cosily at the resort bar or sits on the beach under the sparkling stars.

Excursions

Excursions are regularly organised to the neighbouring islands and also to Male. Very popular is the night fishing followed by a barbecue on the beach.

Import Restrictions

Please note that the importation of products from pork meet, alcohol, pornographic material, weapons, narcotics, and objects of a religious character are prohibited. The Maldives have a very severe narcotic law.

Language

The local language is called Dhivehi. On all the resort islands English is spoken.

Sports

On all the islands in our Programme there are dive bases operating on their own. The instructors are mostly Germans or Swiss with a wide experience of diving. On offer are courses for beginners, advanced divers as well as excursions for experienced scuba divers. The minimum age at all the dive bases is 14 years. The prices include complete diving equipment. On the resort islands wind surfing boards and sailing boats can also be rented and occasionally also instructors are available.

Visa Regulations & Vaccination

As a rule visitors to the Maldives do not need an entry visa for a stay of up to four weeks, however the passport has to be valid for a least six months exceeding the date of leaving the Maldives. A vaccination certificate is only required for visitors arriving from cholera, yellow fever or malaria infested countries.

What to wear

T-shirts, light cotton dresses of the drip-try, wash-and-wear variety, shorts, lightweight suits are the most comfortable year round attire. In addition swimming gear and a light pullover. Sun glasses and a wide brimmed beach hat as well as enough sun cream with a high protection factor should not be missing in your luggage.

Getting There

There are regular flights to Colombo (Sri Lanka), Thrivandrum (south-west India), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), as well as many charter flights from European centres. Malé International Airport is the only international gateway; departure tax is $US10. There are regular cargo ships, but they don't usually take passengers. The Maldives is not popular with private yachts because the reefs are so hazardous and cruising permits are restrictive and expensive.

Getting Around

Tourism is strictly regulated, and independent travel is discouraged because it is seen as disruptive to traditional island communities. Those wanting to see the Maldivian way of life can stay in Malé, the intriguing capital city, and make daytime visits to island communities close to tourist resorts. It's not impossible to visit the outer islands, but it's difficult enough to deter all but the most dedicated and determined. An Inter Atoll Travel Permit is required to visit islands outside the tourist zone, and the Ministry of Atolls Administration will only issue them to those whose visit is sponsored by a resident of the island concerned.
Air Maldives, the small national airline, has regular and very scenic flights to the four air strips in the outer atolls. Helicopters and seaplanes are used to transfer guests to some of the remoter resorts. The main form of local transport is the dhoni, a traditional all-purpose vessel now usually powered by a diesel engine. Larger boats called vedis are used for longer trips to outer atolls. Safari cruises in modified, live-aboard dhonis are increasingly popular, especially with dive groups who want to reach more remote sites. Most safari trips cruise around the tourist zone, but it is possible to arrange longer trips to the outer atolls - the operator will have to obtain the necessary permits. Most islands are so small that transport is not a problem, but there are taxis, motorcycles and bicycles in the capital.

Places to visit

Maldives is a fabulous holiday destination, with acres of white sandy beaches, fringed by swaying coconut palms and lapped by the frothy waves of the sparkling blue Indian Ocean. There are many popular tourist destinations in Maldives, which are visited by tourists around the year.

Some of the tourist destinations in Maldives are:

Male

The capital of Maldives is a small island around 1 Km long and 2 Km wide. A busy city with over 65,000 people, Male has a laidback charm with quaint mosques and narrow winding streets. Tourists can also enjoy shopping in the busy markets in Male, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Maldives.

Hukuru Miskiy

The Grand Friday Mosque was constructed in 1656, by Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, He also constructed a minaret or mannaaru before the mosque, from where the muezzin could call the faithful to attend their prayers. This was the chief mosque of the Maldives till the mid 1980's. The Hukuru Miskiy is made of blocks of coral carved with exquisite filigree designs. The entrance to the mosque is through heavy wooden doors, which lead to the inner sanctum where wooden panels inscribed with Arabic prayers are displayed. Outside the mosque is a cemetery, where more coral carving can be seen in the headstones on each grave. In 1984 an Islamic Center and Grand Friday Mosque became the primary mosque in Maldives. Hukuru Miskiy continues to be a functional mosque as well as a must-visit tourist destination in Maldives.

Seenu Atoll

Previously an air force base, Seenu Atoll is known as the 'Second City' of the Maldives. You can tour the villages of the Addu people and see their traditional lifestyle, when you tour the picturesque Seenu Atoll in Maldives.

Baa Atoll

This coral reef is popular among tourists for its traditional handicrafts. The cotton sarongs called felis, with their colorful prints and soft feel are a must buy on your trip to the Maldives. Another specialty of the master craftsmen of Baa Atoll is their polished lacquer ware. The bowls, vases and dishes are a lovely souvenir of your tour to the Maldives.

Fuamulaku

Fuamulaku is famous throughout the Maldives for its abundant fruit and vegetable farms. You can savor the delicious locally grown pineapples, mangoes and oranges on the tropical island of Fuamulaku your tour to the Maldives.

Kudahuvadhoo

Kudahuvadhoo Island is located in South Nilandhoo Atoll. It is famous for its hawittas, which are a series of unexplained mounds, possibly the remains of Buddhist temples. However it is not certain what these mounds once were. There is a also an ancient mosque made of masonry and carved stone.

Beaches of Maldives

Maldives has many beautiful beaches. Almost every island in Maldives has venues for swimming, snorkeling and catamaran rides. You can also enjoy scuba diving, surfing, jet skiing, parasailing, night fishing and sport fishing on tours to Maldives. Sea and Sun Maldives offers tours to Tourist Destinations in Maldives. For more information or to book a tour, please enter your query in the form below.

Where to stay











Things to do

Not only do you discover aspects of the planet denied to most people, but you make a lot of good friends as well!

The Maldives is famed for its rare underwater beauty. The profusion of psychedelic colours and the abundance and variety of life underwater have fascinated divers and snorkellers since Maldives was discovered as a diving destination. The highest level of visibility that one could expect- sometimes exceeding 50 metres - and warm temperatures throughout the year makes diving in the Maldives a delight you would want to experience over and over again. The Maldives has some of the best dive sites in the world and many visit the Maldives repeatedly for the sole purpose of diving.All resorts in the Maldives have professional dive schools with multi-lingual instructors and conduct courses for beginners as well as the advanced. Many of the resorts have excellent house reefs. Just a short swim from the beach and snorkellers too can experience the same pleasures from the surface.

Sultans contd.

Later chroniclers of the Maldives do not recognise these reigns. Instead the Muslim regents of the Christian kings are listed as sultans. However the names and styles of these vice-regal rulers betray the fact that in their own time they were not regarded as sovereigns.

Where a king’ sultan was "crowned" or accorded a gong ceremony, they were given a regnal name which were in the ancient Maldive language. This was their official names. This name was followed by the term " Maha Radhun (king) or Maha Rehendhi (reigning queen). The personal name usually preceded the regnal name in the royal style.

Some king/sultans and queen/sultanas did not have a "coronation" ceremony or gong ceremony. There were several complex reasons for this in some cases. In other cases it was just due to incidental circumstances. Where a sovereign was not "crowned" he or she were called Keerithi Maha Radhun (king) or Keerithi Maha Rehendhi (queen).

Kings and queens of the Maldives, upon accession were given a dynastic name, following the gong ceremony. These names were in the classical Divehi language, which is not intelligible any more. The name was prefixed with Siri, an honorific prefix and suffixed with either maha radun (great king) or maha rehendi (great queen). So the official name of a king may be Siri Suddasuvara Maha Radun. Hear Suddasuvara is the name of the king. Until the gong ceremony takes place, the monarch’s birth name is used with the suffix Keerithi Maha Radun (the Exalted Great King) or Keerithi Maha Rehendi. In some case it may take years between the accession and the gong ceremony, but on average this took place within the year. Some reigns finished without the gong ceremony.

With the advent of Islam, the title of Sultan (in Arabic, this roughly translates as sovereign) was introduced, in conjunction with and arguably subordinate to, the Divehi language title of radun or rasge meaning king or rehendi meaning queen. The title of Sultan was abolished in favour of only the title King (al-melik in Arabic and radun in Divehi) in 1965 three years before the monarchy itself was abolished. So from 1153 until 1965 (with the exception of a period during the sixteenth and the seventeenth centuries), the Maldive monarchs were King-Sultans (or Queen-Sultanas). Prior to 1153 and from 1965 to 1968 they were Kings or Queens. Between 1965 and 1968, the Arabic title of melik (king) was used in conjunction with the title Keerithi Maha Radun. The official title of the last Maldive king between those years was "Jelalet-el-melik Mohamed Farid el-awwal Keerithi Maha Radun, which translates as "His Majesty King Mohamed Farid the First the Exalted Great King".

In common usage the king-sultan was referred to as radun. Since the 16th century, the word "bandaarain" was used occasionally and interchangeably with the word radun. In the Maldive royal tradition, there had always been a distinction between The Crown (raskan) and the State (bandaara). Until 1932 these two roles converged in the person of the king-sultan (or queen-sultana). Surviving royal deeds and other documents bear testament to this distinction. When the Utheem kateeb Mohamed Thakurufan seized control of Male from the Christian King

Manoel's (former Hassan IX's) regent Andiri Andirin, a need arose to more clearly demarcate the roles of radun and bandaarain. Under the terms of the truce that was subsequently agreed between the Utheem rebels and the legitimate king, Mohamed Thakurufan and his successors were forced to recognise the sovereignty of King Manoel and his successors over the Maldives. Although later historians and officialdom bestowed the titles of king and sultan on Mohamed
Thakurufan, all surviving documents and coinage from that time refer to him as al-vazir (the minister). His continued use of the rank of Thakurufan suggests that he never thought of himself as king or sultan, as indeed he was legally not entitled to do so. Thakurufan was a rather low-ranking appellation which was incongruent with the rank of royalty. Two of the Thakurufan's immediate successors bore titles (kalaafaanu and faamuladeyri kilege respectively) which suggest that they were never elevated to the rank of king-sultan in keeping with the terms of the truce with the Christian king and his successors, who were resident in Goa and continued to be referred to in succession as "kings of the Maldives". Mohamed Thakurufan (Ghazi Bandaarain or Utheem Bandaarain) was one of the first to be called bandaarain. This may have been a cunning ploy devised by the Thakurufan himself to circumvent the terms of the truce. By adopting that title based on at least one historical precedent, the Maldivians would have been led to regard him as a sort of king albeit not the legitimate one. He was, after all, the de facto head of State. Buraara Koi referred to King Dammaru Bavana Sultan Mohamed (Mohamed the Black) as Kalu Mohamed Bandaarain. Tradition has it that his wife Burecca was responsible for restoring the throne for him by assassinating her brother King Ananda Sultan Ali. Burrecca was beleived to have shared the throne with her husband for a time, and this may have been the reason why her husband bore the title of bandaarain for at least a time- again a case where the roles of The Crown (raskan) and the State (bandaara) had been devolved. For more details on the subject see the page on the Myth of Portuguese Rule

It must be noted that there was, another term for "head of State", which was mainly used during the gong ceremony that confirmed the accession of a king or queen. That term was "raadafathi". I have extracted the following passage from the section on the Gong Ceremonies in my, as yet, unpublished book Kingdom of Isles. "....While the Sultan stood before the throne, the Prime Minister would ask the kateebs of the islands of Kelaa in Thiladummathi Atoll, Isdu in Haddummati Atoll and Hithadu in Addu Atoll if they had any objection to the prince before them being proclaimed Head of State. These three kateebs from islands in the north, middle and the south of the realm represented the entire population of the kingdom. The actual question was worded in ancient Maldivian, barely intelligible to the uninitiated and was "Mi kimerun raadafathi-kamu reyda kuravvai mudifiloddevvumah thibaa meehun ruhettha?.............

The second female sovereign in Islamic times also bore the title of raadafathi, for reasons I do not yet know.

Sultans of Maldives

Lunar Dynasty

Hilaaly Dynasty

Utheemu Dynasty

Hamawi Dynasty

Isdhoo Dynasty

Dhiyamigili Dynasty

Huraa Dynasty

Dhiyamigili dynasty (restored)

Huraa Dynasty (first restoration)

First Republic of Maldives

Presidents of the First Republic (1953-1954)

Amir Ahmad Muhammad Amin Didi (1 January - 2 September 1953)
Ibrahim Muhammad Didi (2 September 1953 - 7 March 1954)
Muhammad Fareed Didi (6 March 1954 - 11 November 1968)

Huraa Dynasty (second restoration)

Second Republic of Maldives

Presidents of the Second Republic (1968-Present)

Ibrahim Nasir (11 November 1968 - 11 November 1978)
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (11 November 1978 - Present)

Maldives..A journey back in time..Forklore & Life

Truths and Myths
The Maldives lie in the warm equatorial area of the Indian Ocean surrounded by very deep waters. This nation is made up exclusively of coral atolls. There are about 1,200 small flat and sandy islands, but only about 200 of them are inhabited.
The Maldives have been continuously populated for millennia; therefore the folklore of these islands is very ancient.
The main myths of origin are reflecting the dependence of the Maldivians on the coconut tree and the tuna fish. A legend says that the first inhabitants of the Maldives died in great numbers, but a great sorcerer or fandita man made coconut trees grow out of the skulls of the buried corpses of the first settlers. Therefore the coconut tree is said to have an anthropomorphic origin according to Maldive lore. The coconut tree occupies a central place in the present-day Maldive national emblem.
The tuna fish is said to have been brought to the Maldivian waters by a mythical seafarer (maalimi) called Bodu Niyami Kalēfanu who went close to the Dagas (the mythical tree at the end of the world) to bring this valuable fish.
These myths tell that the end of the Maldives will be a great catastrophe where the islands will be submerged by the surrounding ocean. Similar myths are found in the Andaman Islands as well as in the Nicobar Islands.
Malé
This is a local legend about the origin of the capital of the Maldives. This is a very poetic legend and it may not be accurate as regards the actual founding and building of the city.
The first settlers in the Maldive Islands were Dravidian people from the nearest coasts, which are in the Indian Subcontinent and coastal Ceylon. The people of Giraavaru, an island located in Malé Atoll (now a tourist resort, after its inhabitants were removed) claim to descend from the first settlers.
It is said that Giraavaru fishermen used to go regularly to a certain large sandbank (finolhu) at the southern end of their atoll to clean tuna fish after a good catch. Owing to the large amount of tuna fish offal and blood, the waters around that sandbank looked like a big pool of blood (maa ley gandeh). "Maa" (from the Sanskrit "Maha"), meaning big, and "Lē" meaning blood. Traditionally the first inhabitants of the Maldives, which include the Giraavaru people, didn't have kings. They lived in a simple society and were ruled by local headmen.
One day a prince from the Subcontinent called Koimala arrived to Malé Atoll sailing from the north on a big ship. The people of Giraavaru spotted his vessel from afar and welcomed him. They allowed Prince Koimala to settle on that large sandbank in the midst of the waters tainted with fishblood. Trees were planted on the sandbank and it is said that the first tree that grew on it was the papaya tree. As time went by the local islanders acceped the rule of this Northern Prince. A palace was built and the island was formally named Maa-le Malé, while the nearest island was named Hulhu-le (Hulhulé).
Popular tales
Most of the popular tales in Maldives are about evil spirits and their interaction with the islanders. These stories contain always a lesson in some form or the other. Certain actions became necessary in order to avoid trouble with the spirit world. These patterns of behaviour, like the importance of keeping a secret, as well as the avoidance of certain areas of the island and of inauspicious times, were an essential component of the ancient popular spirituality.
The Maldivian spirits can take human form, even if it is not known whether they have a human origin or not. While in human shape, the malevolence of those spirits is often masked by beauty and youth. Certain Maldivian evil spirits i) have the appearance of charming, beautiful women. These stories about$(hand female spirits have their origin in the ancient Dravidian mother-goddess worship and they point to the ethnic origin of the Maldive people.
Other evil spirits which are the subject of many folk stories in the Maldives (furēta) are crude monsters coming from the ocean waters. The tales about sea monsters are part of the local cultural background, which is characterized by the oceanic environment in which, along the millennia, the Maldivian culture developed.
Don Hiyala and Alifulhu
Among the stories in which the spirit and sorcery theme are not essential, the most significant is perhaps Don Hiyalā and Alifulhu. This story about two good-looking lovers is a much distorted Maldivian version of the Rāmāyana. Despite the apparent dissimilarities, the common sequential structure linking the elements of the Maldivian story with the Indian epic (the heroic married couple, the wicked and powerful king, the kidnapping of the beautiful heroine, etc.) is palpable. This is hardly unexpected, for all South and Southeast Asian countries have local Rāmayāna variations and the Maldives is definitely part of the South Asian cultural sphere.
Local fauna
Folktales where fishes, crabs and seabirds are the heroes, like the tales about Mākana, Findana, Kalhubondage Diye, Fandiyaaru Kakuni, or Don Mohonaai Miyaru, introduce us to the world of the local fauna of the Maldive Atolls, where land animals are very few. Many of these are tales for children and some are still quite popular. Although most of the stories of this type are original, a few are foreign tales or fables which have been adapted to the island context through local storytellers or by Maldivian learned men, like the late Muhammad Jamil.
Of Sorcerers & Magic
In the ancestral oral literature of Maldivians, the sorcerer, or learned man of the island who knew the magic arts. Magic or sorcery is known in Maldives as fanḍita.
The Maldivian sorcerer or fanḍita man is always portrayed in the folklore of Maldivians as a hero. Only he knew how to appease the spirits that terrified the average island folk on a daily (or better nightly) basis. Some recent stories tend to cast the sorcerer in the role of a villain, but these are totally disconnected from the ancestral Maldive lore.
The Maldivian folklore contains legends about sage Vashishta. Vashishta is known locally as Oditan Kalēge, a mighty sorcerer. Oditan Kalēge's wife is a beautiful woman called Dōgi Aihā who possesses a fiery temperament and who is a powerful sorceress as her husband. Her name is derived from the Sanskrit word yogini.
Islam
According to the well-known Moroccan traveler Ibn Batuta, the person responsible for converting the Maldivians to Islam was a Sunni Muslim visitor named Abu al Barakat ul Barbari. He subdued Ranna Maari, a demon coming from the sea and convinced the King to become a Muslim.
However, the more reliable local historical chronicles, Raadavalhi and Taarikh, mention that this saint was actually a Persian from the city of Tabriz, called Yusuf Shamsud-din. He is also locally known as Tabrīzugefānu. The much venerated tomb of this saint now stands on the grounds of Hukuru Miski, in the centre of Malé, the capital.
Life
Stories about local characters, like Rōnu Eduru, Kuḍa Tuttu Didi, Karukuru or the poor man of Naalaafushi give us a glimpse on the way of life in the Maldives when the archipelago was a kingdom, and Malé, the capital, was a quaint, laid back place. In those stories we learn much about the life in the court in Malé and about the mutual interaction between the Radun (the king of Maldives) and his subjects.
Modernized Versions of stories
Since there are a great number of islands in the Maldives, many folkstories have different versions according to the particular island and the storyteller in question. In recent times some stories have been abridged by contemporary Maldivian writers, like Abdulla Sadiq or Ahumadu Sharīfu (Maradū) because of their extreme length.
Other stories (Karukuru, Telabagudi and the Māmeli tales) have been sanitized, because there was much casual reference to defecation and bodily fluids, particularly in ancient folk-stories from the outer atolls, where local values found this acceptable.

Maldives..A journey back in time

Maldives is a nation consisting of 26 natural atolls comprising of 1192 islands. Since very ancient times, the islands were ruled by kings (Radun) sultans and occasionally queens (Ranin) sultanas. Historically Maldives has had a strategic importance because of its location on the major marine routes of the Indian Ocean. Maldives' nearest neighbors are Sri Lanka and India, both of which have had cultural and economic ties with Maldives for centuries. The Maldives provided the main source of cowrie shells, then used as a currency throughout Asia and parts of the East African coast.

After the 16th century, when European colonial powers took over much of the trade in the Indian Ocean, first the Portuguese, and then the Dutch, and the French occasionally meddled with local politics. However, these interferences ended when the Maldive became a British Protectorate in the 19th century and the Maldivian monarchs were granted a good measure of self-governance.

Maldives gained total independence in 1965. However, the British, continued to maintain an air base on the island of Gan in the southernmost atoll until 1976. The British departure in 1976 at the height of the Cold War almost immediately triggered foreign speculation about the future of the air base. Apparently the Soviet Union made a move to request the use of the base, but the Maldives refused.

The greatest challenge facing the republic in the early 1990s was the need for rapid economic development and modernization, given the country's limited resource base in fishing, agriculture and tourism. Concern was also evident over a projected long-term rise in sea level, which would prove disastrous to the low-lying coral islands. Fortunately in the early 2000s it was found sea level had fallen during preceding decades. [citation needed]

Early Age

It is not known when the Maldives were settled for the first time. Comparative studies of the oral tradition reveal that the first settlers must have been Dravidian people from the nearest coasts, probably fishermen from the SW coast of the Indian subcontinent and the western shores of Sri Lanka. The first settlements of the Maldives must have happened many millennia ago, for there is a lack of a proper myth relating the settlement of the islands.

These first Maldivian settlers didn't leave any archaeological remains. Their buildings were probably built of wood, palm fronds and other perishable materials which would quickly decay in the tropical climate. Moreover, their chiefs or headmen didn't live in elaborate stone palaces, and their religion did not require the building of large temples or compounds. Therefore, although the Maldives have been populated continuously for perhaps many thousands of years, the first archaeological remains in the Maldives date from the Buddhist period.

The Buddhist Kingdom of Maldives

Despite being omitted or just mentioned briefly in most history books, the Buddhist period has a foundational importance in the history of the Maldives. It was during this period, that the culture of the Maldives, as we know it now, flourished and developed. Buddhism probably spread to the Maldives in the 3rd century BC, at the time of the Mauryan emperor Aśoka the Great, when it extended to the regions of Afghanistan and Central Asia, beyond the Mauryas' northwest border, as well as South to the island of Sri Lanka and the Maldive Islands. Serious studies on the archaeological remains of the Maldives began with the work of H. C. P. Bell, a British commissioner of the Ceylon Civil Service. Bell was shipwrecked on the islands in 1879, and he returned several times to investigate ancient Buddhist ruins.


Western Side

Early scholars like H.C.P. Bell, who had been residing in Sri Lanka most of his life, claimed that Buddhism came to the Maldives from Sri Lanka). However, since then, new archaeological discoveries point out at Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist influences, which are likely to have come straight from the Subcontinent. An urn discovered in Maalhos (Ari Atoll) in the 1980s has a Vishvavajra inscribed with Protobengali script. This text was in the same script used in the ancient Budddhist centres of learning in Nalanda and Vikramashila. There is also a small Porites stupa in the Museum where the directional Buddhas (Jinas) are etched in its four cardinal points as in the Mahayana tradition. Some coral blocks with fearsome heads of guardians are also displaying Vajrayana Iconography. All these relatively recent archaeological discoveries are today exhibited in a side room of the small National Museum in Male' along with other artifacts.
Buddhist remains have been also found in Minicoy Island, then part of the Maldive Kingdom, by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), in the latter half of the 20th century. Among these remains a Buddha head and stone foundations of a Vihara deserve special mention.

Following the Islamic concept that before Islam there was the time of Jahiliya (ignorance), in the history books used by Maldivians the introduction of Islam at the end of the 12th century is considered the cornerstone of the country's history. Islam remains the state religion in the 1990s. And yet the Maldivian language, the first Maldive scripts, the architecture, the ruling institutions, the customs and manners of the Maldivians originated at the time when the Maldives were a Buddhist Kingdom.

Buddhism became the dominant religion in the Maldives and enjoyed royal patronage for many centuries, probably as long as over one thousand and four hundred years. Practically all archaeological remains in the Maldives are from Buddhist stupas and monasteries, and all artifacts found to date display characteristic Buddhist iconography. Buddhist (and Hindu) temples were Mandala shaped, they are oriented according to the four cardinal points, the main gate being towards the east. Even today, many mosques in Maldives face the sun and not Mecca. Since building space and materials were scarce, Maldivians constructed their places of worship on the foundations of previous buildings.

The ancient Buddhist stupas are called "havitta", "hatteli" or "ustubu" by the Maldivians according to the different atolls. These stupas and other archaeological remains, like foundations of Buddhist buildings Vihara, compound walls and stone baths, are found on many islands of the Maldives. They usually lie buried under mounds of sand and covered by vegetation. Local historian Hassan Ahmed Maniku counted as many as 59 islands with Buddhist archaeological sites in a provisional list he published in 1990. The largest monuments of the Buddhist era are in the islands fringing the eastern side of Haddhunmathi Atoll.

In the mid-1980s, the Maldivian government allowed the popular Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl, to excavate ancient sites. Despite the clear evidence that all the ancient ruins in Maldives are Buddhist, Heyerdahl claimed that early "sun-worshiping seafarers", called the "Redin", first settled on the islands. Keeping up with his sensationalist style, Heyerdahl argued that 'Redin' were people coming from somewhere else, whereas an ancient Maldivian poem (Fua Mulaku Rashoveshi) says: "Havitta uhe haudahau, Redin taneke hedi ihau". This poem gives us the clue about the name 'Redin'. According to Magieduruge Ibrahim Didi, a learned man from Fua Mulaku, it was merely the name which the converted Maldivians used to refer to their infidel (ghair dīn = 'redin') ancestors after the general conversion from Buddhism to Islam.
It is generally said that the conversion of the Maldives to Islam was peaceful, but historical evidence suggests the contrary. For example, the 12th century copperplates found at Isdhoo Island state that the monks (Sangumanun) from the monastery at that island were brought to Male' and beheaded.

Introduction of Islam

The interest of Middle Eastern peoples in Maldives resulted from its strategic location and its abundant supply of cowrie shells, a form of currency that was widely used throughout Asia and parts of the East African coast since ancient times. Middle Eastern seafarers had just begun to take over the Indian Ocean trade routes in the tenth century A.D. and found Maldives to be an important link in those routes.
The importance of the Arabs as traders in the Indian Ocean by the twelfth century A.D. may partly explain why the last Buddhist king of Maldives converted to Islam in the year 1153 (or 1193, for certain copper plate grants give a later date). The king thereupon adopted the Muslim title and name (in Arabic) of Sultan (besides the old Divehi title of Maha Radun or Ras Kilege or Rasgefānu) Muhammad al Adil, initiating a series of six Islamic dynasties consisting of eighty-four sultans and sultanas that lasted until 1932 when the sultanate became elective.
The person responsible for this conversion was a Sunni Muslim visitor named Abu al Barakat. His venerated tomb now stands on the grounds of Hukuru Mosque, or miski, in the capital of Malé. Built in 1656, this is the oldest mosque in Maldives. Arab interest in Maldives also was reflected in the residence there in the 1340s of the well-known North African traveler Ibn Battutah.

It is worth noticing that compared to the other areas of South Asia, the conversion of the Maldives to Islam happened relatively late. Arab Traders had converted populations in the Malabar coast since the 7th century, and the Arab invader Muhammad Bin Qāsim had converted large swathes of Sind to Islam at about the same time. The Maldives remained a Buddhist kingdom for another five hundred years (perhaps the westernmost Buddhist country) until the conversion to Islam.

Era of colonial powers

Portuguese

In 1558 the Portuguese established a small garrison with a Viador (Viyazoru), or overseer of a trading warehouse in the Maldives, which they administered from their main colony in Goa. It is said that they tried to impose Christianity on the locals. Thus, fifteen years later, a local leader named Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al-Azam and his brother organized a popular revolt and drove the Portuguese out of Maldives. This event is now commemorated as National Day, and a small museum and memorial center honor the hero on his home island of Utheemu on South Thiladhummathi Atoll.

Dutch

In the mid-seventeenth century, the Dutch, who had replaced the Portuguese as the dominant power in Ceylon, established hegemony over Maldivian affairs without involving themselves directly in local matters, which were governed according to centuries-old Islamic customs.
However, the British expelled the Dutch from Ceylon in 1796 and included Maldives as a British protected area. The status of Maldives as a British protectorate was officially recorded in an 1887 agreement in which the sultan accepted British influence over Maldivian external relations and defense. The British had no presence, however, on the leading island community of Malé. They left the islanders alone, as had the Dutch, with regard to internal administration to continue to be regulated by Muslim traditional institutions.

British

Britain got entangled with the Maldives as a result of domestic disturbances which targeted the settler community of Bora merchants who were British subjects. Rivalry between two dominant families, the Athireege clan and the Kakaage clan was resolved with former winning the favour of the British authorities in Ceylon, who concluded a Protection Agreement in 1887. During the British era, which lasted until 1965, Maldives continued to be ruled under a succession of sultans. It was a period during which the Sultan's authority and powers were increasingly and decisively taken over by the Chief Minister, much to the chagrin of the British Governor-General who continued to deal with the ineffectual Sultan. Consequently, Britain encouraged the development of a constitutional monarchy, and the first Constitution was proclaimed in 1932. However, the new arrangements favoured neither the aging Sultan nor the wily Chief Minister, but rather a young crop of British-educated reformists. As a result, angry mobs were instigated against the Constitution which was publicly torn up. Maldives remained a British crown protectorate until 1953 when the sultanate was suspended and the First Republic was declared under the short-lived presidency of Muhammad Amin Didi.

This first elected president of the country introduced several reforms. While serving as prime minister during the 1940s, Didi nationalized the fish export industry. As president he is remembered as a reformer of the education system and a promoter of women's rights. Muslim conservatives in Malé eventually ousted his government, and during a riot over food shortages, Didi was beaten by a mob and died on a nearby island.

Beginning in the 1950s, political history in Maldives was largely influenced by the British military presence in the islands. In 1954 the restoration of the sultanate perpetuated the rule of the past. Two years later, the United Kingdom obtained permission to reestablish its wartime airfield on Gan in the southernmost Addu Atoll. Maldives granted the British a 100 year lease on Gan that required them to pay £2,000 a year, as well as some 440,000 square metres on Hitaddu for radio installations.

In 1957, however, the new prime minister, Ibrahim Nasir, called for a review of the agreement in the interest of shortening the lease and increasing the annual payment. But Nasir, who was theoretically responsible to then sultan Muhammad Farid Didi, was challenged in 1959 by a local secessionist movement in the southern atolls that benefited economically from the British presence on Gan. This group cut ties with the Maldives government and formed an independent state with Abdullah Afif as president.

The short-lived state (1959-63), called the United Suvadive Republic, had a combined population of 20,000 inhabitants scattered in the southernmost atolls Huvadu, Addu and Fua Mulaku. In 1962 Nasir sent gunboats from Malé with government police on board to eliminate elements opposed to his rule. One year later the Suvadive republic was scrapped and Abdulla Afif went into exile to the Seychelles, where he died recently.

Meanwhile, in 1960 Maldives allowed the United Kingdom to continue to use both the Gan and the Hitaddu facilities for a thirty-year period, with the payment of £750,000 over the period of 1960 to 1965 for the purpose of Maldives' economic development.
Independence

On July 26, 1965, Maldives gained independence under an agreement signed with United Kingdom. The British government retained the use of the Gan and Hitaddu facilities. In a national referendum in March 1968, Maldivians abolished the sultanate and established a republic.

Nasir

The Second Republic was proclaimed in November 1968 under the presidency of Ibrahim Nasir, who had increasingly dominated the political scene. Under the new constitution, Nasir was elected indirectly to a four-year presidential term by the Majlis (legislature). He appointed Ahmed Zaki as the new prime minister.
In 1973 Nasir was elected to a second term under the constitution as amended in 1972, which extended the presidential term to five years and which also provided for the election of the prime minister by the Majlis. In March 1975, newly elected prime minister Zaki was arrested in a bloodless coup and was banished to a remote atoll. Observers suggested that Zaki was becoming too popular and hence posed a threat to the Nasir faction.

During the 1970s, the economic situation in Maldives suffered a setback when the Sri Lankan market for Maldives' main export of dried fish collapsed. Adding to the problems was the British decision in 1975 to close its airfield on Gan in line with its new policy of abandoning defense commitments east of the Suez Canal. A steep commercial decline followed the evacuation of Gan in March 1976. As a result, the popularity of Nasir's government suffered. Maldives's 20 year period of authoritarian rule under Nasir abruptly ended in 1978 when he fled to Singapore. A subsequent investigation revealed that he had absconded with millions of dollars from the state treasury.

Gayoom (The neutrality of this writeup is disputed as of today 13.11.07)

Elected to replace Nasir for a five-year presidential term in 1978 was Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, a former university lecturer and Maldivian ambassador to the United Nations (UN). The peaceful election was seen as ushering in a period of political stability and economic development in view of Gayoom's priority to develop the poorer islands. In 1978 Maldives joined the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Tourism also gained in importance to the local economy, reaching more than 120,000 visitors in 1985. The local populace appeared to benefit from increased tourism and the corresponding increase in foreign contacts involving various development projects.

Despite the popularity of Gayoom, those connected to the former President hired ex-SAS mercenaries in 1980 to carry out a coup to oust him. The attempt was sponsored by Ahmed Naseem, brother-in-law of Nasir and former junior Minister and was supported by a handful of Nasir loyalists. Naseem had objected to the emergence of Gayoom and had vowed to depose him within 6 months. Naseem's disaffection only increased when the parliament began investigating financial irregularities under Nasir as well as the murder of inmates and torture in Villingili Prison in the early 1970s, which implicated his brother-in-law, the erstwhile strongman Abdul Hannan Haleem who was Nasir's Minister for Public Safety.

The small group of mercenaries arrived in the Maldives smuggling their light arms in diving equipment, but did not carry out the mission because Gayoom had been tipped about their arrival and they found that they had been misinformed about the popularity of Gayoom.
In 1983, a local shipping businessman, Reeko Ibrahim Maniku made a bid to win the parliamentary nomination by offering bribes to members of parliament and to High Court judges. Reeko Ibrahim remained in self-imposed exile, returning to Maldives only in 2006 and has since registered a political party, Social Democratic Party.

Despite coup attempts in 1980, 1983, and 1988, Gayoom's popularity remained strong, allowing him to win three more presidential terms. In the 1983, 1988, and 1993 elections, Gayoom received more than 90 % of the vote. Although the government did not allow any legal opposition, Gayoom was opposed in the early 1990s by Islamists (also seen as fundamentalists) who wanted to impose a more traditional way of life and by some powerful local business leaders.

Whereas the 1980 and 1983 coup attempts against Gayoom's presidency were not considered serious, the third coup attempt in November 1988 alarmed the international community. About 80 armed Tamil mercenaries belonging to PLOTE [1] landed on Malé before dawn aboard speedboats from a freighter. Disguised as visitors, a similar number had already infiltrated Malé earlier. Although the mercenaries quickly gained the nearby airport on Hulule, they failed to capture President Gayoom, who fled from house to house and asked for military intervention from India, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi immediately dispatched 1,600 troops by air to restore order in Malé. Less than 12 hours later, Indian paratroopers arrived on Hulele, causing some of the mercenaries to flee toward Sri Lanka in their freighter. Those unable to reach the ship in time were quickly rounded up. Nineteen people reportedly died in the fighting, and several taken hostage also died. Three days later an Indian frigate captured the mercenaries on their freighter near the Sri Lankan coast. In July 1989, a number of the mercenaries were returned to Maldives to stand trial. Gayoom commuted the death sentences passed against them to life imprisonment.

The 1988 coup had been masterminded and sponsored by a few disgruntled businessmen, chiefly Sikka Ahmed Ismail Maniku and Abdulla Luthufi, who were operating a farm in Sri Lanka. Earlier, the two of them had also been caught in an attempt to assassinate Nasir when he was president and had been tried and imprisoned before being released in 1975. The captured mercenaries and their paymasters were put on trial. Sikka Maniku and Luthufee were sentenced to death in 1989, but Gayoom commuted their sentences to life imprisonment. In 1994, Gayoom pardoned and released Sikka Maniku on humanitarian grounds as he had developed cardiovascular complications, and Maniku went into self-imposed exile in Colombo.
Ex-president Nasir denied any involvement in the coup. In fact, in July 1990, President Gayoom officially pardoned Nasir in absentia in recognition of his role in obtaining Maldives' independence.