Maldives Holiday Travel Guide
The History
The origin of the first settlers of
the Maldives still remains a mystery. The historians
date early settlers back to 5th century BC with the
Aryan immigrants coming from the neighbouring countries
India and Sri Lanka. The Maldivian language is said
to be Indo-Aryan with influences from Sinhalese, Tamil,
Sanskrit, Persian, Urdhu and Arabic. It is believed
that Hinduism existed before Buddhism. The Maldivians
were practising Buddhism until AD 1153, when a learned
scholar converted the king to Islam.
The exact name and origins of this scholar is an
ongoing debate. Some are of the opinion that he was
a Moroccan traveller named Sheikh. Abul Barakaath
Yoosuful Barubaree. Others say that he was from Persia
and known as Sheikh Yoosuf Shamsudheenul Thabreyzi.
Mr Mohammed Ibrahim Luthufi, an acclaimed contemporary
historian and researcher, claims that the name of
the person who converted Maldivians to Islam was Sheikh
Aburikaab Yoosuf Thabreyzi.
Since the conversion to Islam, the Maldives boasts
of a recorded history that is rich and colourful.
The system of government was a monarchy with Sultans
as sovereigns while Sultanas or queens ruled on rare
occasions. Traders from Arabia, India, Sri Lanka and
Persia visited the Maldives to exchange goods. Slaves
were also brought from Africa. Quite often, sailors
were shipwrecked in the treacherous reefs of Maldives.
These visitors contributed much to the language and
culture of the Maldives. However, the visitors' influence
did not change the identity of the country as a secluded
haven virtually unknown to the rest of the world.
The Maldives - A chronology of key
events:
12th century - Islam introduced.
1558-1573 - Portuguese
occupation, which ends after expulsion by locals.
17th century - Islands
become a protectorate first of the Dutch rulers of
Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and later of the British who take
control of Ceylon in 1796.
1887 - Status formalised
as internally self-governing British protectorate.
1932 - First democratic
constitution proclaimed. The sultanate becomes an
elected position.
1953 - Becomes a republic
within the Commonwealth as the sultanate is abolished.
However, the Sultan is restored within months.
1965 - Full independence
as a sultanate outside Commonwealth.
1968 - Sultan deposed
after referendum; republic reinstated with Ibrahim
Nasir as president.
1978 - Nasir retires,
replaced by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
1980s - Development of
tourist industry fuels economic growth.
1982 - Rejoins Commonwealth.
1988 - Coup attempt involving
Sri Lankan mercenaries foiled with the help of Indian
commandos.
1998 - Gayoom re-elected
for a fifth term in presidential referendum.
Domestic dissent
1999 November - Parliamentary
elections take place, with more than 120 independent
candidates contesting 40 seats.
2000 January - Amnesty
International says three candidates in 1999 parliamentary
elections were tortured after being detained on suspicion
of instigating unrest.
2002 March - Concern over
the Maldives' vulnerability to rising sea levels prompts
government to announce decision to take legal action
against US for refusing to sign Kyoto Protocol.
2002 July - Lengthy prison
terms are handed down to four people found guilty
of defamation and inciting violence.
2002 September - At World
Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg,
President Gayoom warns that low-lying islands are
at greater risk than ever before, and calls on international
community to take urgent action to prevent global
environmental catastrophe.
2003 July - Amnesty International
accuses Maldives government of political repression
and torture. It says arbitrary detentions, unfair
trials and long-term imprisonment of government critics
are commonplace. The government rejects allegations
as "false and baseless".
2003 September - Unprecedented
anti-government riots break out in Male, sparked by
deaths of four prison inmates.
Amnesty International blames unrest on political
repression and human rights abuses. President Gayoom
dismisses police chief, promises independent inquiry
into prison deaths.
2003 October - Gayoom
re-elected for unprecedented sixth term in presidential
referendum, winning more than 90% of the vote.
2004 June - President
Gayoom promises constitutional changes to limit presidential
term and to allow formation of political parties.
2004 August - State of
emergency imposed after a pro-democracy demonstration
turns violent. Almost 100 people are jailed.
Tsunami
2004 December - Scores
of people are killed and many islands suffer severe
damage when a tsunami generated by a powerful undersea
earthquake off the Indonesian coast hits the Maldives.
The government says the disaster has set development
work back by 20 years.
2005 June - Parliament
votes unanimously to allow multi-party politics.
2005 August - Opposition
party leader Mohamed Nasheed is charged with terrorism
and sedition. The government says he made comments
against President Gayoom and incited people to violence.
2006 August - President
Gayoom pardons senior opposition figure Jennifer Latheef
serving a 10-year term on terrorism charges, but she
refuses to recognise the pardon and demands a retrial
to clear her name.
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