By Lindsay Wong
The Maldives has historically been a peaceful country as it has not experienced as much conflict to the scale of other countries around the world. As a small and isolated nation, they have mostly dealt with their neighbors and potential colonizers. The Maldives’ history was heavily influenced by religion and European colonization, just like many other commonwealth countries.
Archaeological evidence shows that the Maldives has existed from 2000 BC. Initially, it served as a trading junction between different nations due to its geographical location. For ancient maritime civilizations like the Egyptians, Romans and Mesopotamians, the Maldives was the ideal point of convergence for trade. In the early 20th century, British explorers discovered Buddhist dome-shaped structures, illustrating the importance of religion in ancient civilization and lifestyle. Arab traders also used the Maldives as a path on the way to the Far East. At the time, it had large quantities of cowry shells, which was used as an international currency.
In 1153, the Maldivians converted to Islam because of Abul Barakat Yoosuf Al Barbary. He was a scholar who was highly familiar with the Quran (Islam’s holy book). In the capital city of Malé, Barakat had successfully converted the sultan and the rest of the royal family. As a result, he sent missionaries around the rest of the country to convert them. Other religions that already had a presence there like Buddhism were eradicated from society. For example, temples were destroyed. Consequently, there were six dynasties and a total of 84 sultans.
Similar to neighboring countries, the Maldives also fell under Portuguese rule in the 16th century. The Portuguese already had a stronghold in western India, particularly in Goa, before deciding they wanted a greater share of trade routes around the Indian Ocean. Having more trade routes would make the Portuguese more profitable. After murdering Sultan Ali VI in 1558, they invaded the royal palace and ruled the Maldives for around 15 years. Under colonial rule, the Maldivians were forced to reject Islam and convert to Christianity. However, persisting resistance meant that Christians and Muslims often clashed violently. Ultimately, the Muslim elites were able to defeat the Portuguese and claimed victory. For the next century, they ruled over the Maldives and made reforms to society, including the establishment of a judicial system, a defense force, and a new system of currency.
In the 17th century, the Maldives was briefly ruled by the Dutch, who already had control over Sri Lanka. They also had good relations with the French and British – other European colonial powers that had conquered portions of the world. As a result, the Maldives were protected from external threats and enjoyed a peaceful lifestyle. They had internal autonomy, meaning they could rule over themselves and choose their own government. In comparison to other commonwealth countries, European powers chose not to establish a colonial government because the islands were so remote and it would not be productive to do so. Furthermore, disease was prevalent and the Maldives’ ports, land and naval stores largely had no use for the European powers. They simply granted them statehood and by 1887, the Maldives was officially a crown protectorate. In 1965, the British granted them full independence. Since then, they have enjoyed their status as an independent nation.
The Maldives’ history of relationships with different colonial powers has led to their culture being influenced by other countries and religions. As a small nation during the rush for colonies and territories, they were included in the race and faced threats from their neighbors and European powers. However, their history has not been as brutal or violent as other countries, making their experiences with colonialism fairly peaceful in comparison. Now, the Maldives is mostly known as a tourist spot and popular destination for people wanting to relax at a sunny resort.
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