History

According to folklore, the Maldives was first colonised by an Indo-Aryan race, between the 4th and the 5th centuries BC. However, it is certain that early settlers came via Sri Lanka and practised age-old Buddhist customs.

The conversion to Islam took place in 1153. Legend tells us that during this time a demon rose from the depths of the ocean once every month and demanded that a virgin girl be sacrificed. A pious Moroccan saint, Abu al-Barakat, who visited Maldives at that time, learned of the story and exorcised the demon by reading verses from the Quran. The event led the King to embrace Islam.

The country has remained independent except for short periods of time, the longest being the 17-year Portuguese rule in the 16th Century. It is said that the sea grew red with Muslim blood as the invaders tried to enforce their Christian beliefs upon the islanders. In 1573, Mohammed Thakurufaanu, the greatest Maldivian hero, led a band of men into Male’ harbour and, in the pitch darkness of the night, searched for and slaughtered their enemy.

In 1782, the Malabars from the East Coast of India attacked the Maldives, destroying the palace and driving the Sultan into exile. Their rule was short-lived: within months the people became resistant and a group led by Ghaazee Hassan Izzuddeen fought against the enemy forces and defeated them.

In 1887, the Maldives became a British protectorate. However, the British never interfered with the internal politics of the country, and in 1965 the country became a fully independent state. In 1968 a Republic was declared.