maldives

THE

MALDIVE ISLANDS

BRIEF HISTORY

The Realm of the Maldive Islands (Divehi Rajje) has an ancient history going back at least 2,000 years, to Buddhist and Hindu times. The country numbers over a thousand low-lying coral islands and atolls scattered like a necklace of pearls in the middle of the Indian Ocean, south west of Ceylon. Increasing trading and cultural links with the Arab world eventually resulted in the establsihment of an Islamic Sultanate in 7th July 1153. Although, it took many centuries before Islam fully permeated through the many islands and throughout society. Strong measures were taken to eradicate non-Muslim beliefs and practices, this included the re-writing of history and the dissavowell of the pre-Islamic heritage of the islands. Nevertheless, the rulers continued to use ancient Sanskrit titles alongside their Islamic styles until the middle of the twentieth century. The sultanate was attacked by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century but regained its independence in 1573. They also fell prey to the marauding rades of the Ali Rajas of Connore, who frequently kidnapped princes and influential nobles and carried them off to the Laccadives. Although close trading relations were established with the Dutch once that power had taken control of Ceylon, the Maldives remained aloof from the Western powers for another two centuries. This continued until the increase in concern by the British that the islands may fall under the control of some other foreign power. The Germans and Italians having recently demonstrated their interests on the Eastern seaboard of Africa and the French in the islands off the South East coast. The islands became a British protectorate in 1887, and thereafter supervised by the them according to a unique political doctrine, best described as "sublime indifference". Palace revolutions came and went, Sultans overthrown several times over, even a quasi-republic established in 1953, without the slightest reaction from the protectorate authorities. On one occasion a missintepretation of a letter from the man who should merely have been a regent, resulted in his mistaken recognition as sovereign and Sultan by the Governor of Ceylon in 1893. The Imperial power not being comfortable about losing face by recognizing their error, he was allowed to continue in power, until overthrown during a visit to Egypt, ten years later. The half-hearted experiment with a republic in 1953, did not prove successful. Popular sentiment restored the sultanate in 1954. The country achieved full independence in 1965, and the Sultan proclaimed King, with the style of His Majesty. However, the old King's popularity did not endure the machinations of ambitious politicians, drunk with the populist dreams then in vogue throughout the Arab world. They engineered a "popular" refurrendum against the monarchy and established a republic on 11^th November 1968. The old King died six months later. However, the new regime was not entirely free of monarchist tendencies. The new President was an Amir, and the regime not only continued to award peerage titles but also established a few new ones of its own. The subsequent regime has proved to be avowedly anti-monarchist, to the point where discussion and even historical research are "severely discouraged". Strongly held republican sentiment, apparently, the consequence of several exhaustive, but fruitless, investigations to establish Royal descent.

STYLES & TITLES:
The Sovereign (after 1965): Jala'ala ul-Malik, i.e. King and the style of His Majesty
NB: previous rulers were styled: Sultan of Land and Sea and Lord of the twelve-thousand islands, holding both the Arabic title of Sultan and the more ancient Divehi title of Maha Radun or Ras Kilege. They also assumed a classical Divehi reign name at their installation or, "gong ceremonies", when they were invested with the Sword of State. The traditional European style for the ruler was Sultan of the Maldive Islands, with the style of His Highness.
The chief consort of the Sovereign: Rani Kilege.
The sons of the Sovereign, and grandsons in the male line: Manippulu (in Maldivian) or Amir (in Arabic), i.e. Prince.
The daughters of the Sovereign, and grand-daughters in the male line: Goma (in Maldivian) or Amira (in Arabic), i.e. Princess.
More distant members of the Royal House could be granted the titles of Prince or Princess in a parasol ceremony.

In common with most Islamic societies, the Maldive Islands do not have a system of hereditary nobles. Instead, a limited number of noble titles were bestowed on individuals for their lifetimes. Although normally conferred on members of the Royal House or on aristocrats, the appointment of commoners was not uncommon. In the latter case, appointment to a peerage title raised the status of the family into the aristocracy.
Male Peerages for life:
Fa'arina Kilege.
Rannabanderi Kilegefan.
Dorimena Kilegefan.
Fa'amuladeri Kilegefan
Ma'afai Kilege.
Kaulana'a Kilege.
Oligina'a Kilege.
Daharada Kilege.
Kuda Rannabanderi Kilegefan.
Kuda Dorimena Kilegefan.

Female Peerages for life:
Ma'ava Kilege.
Kamba'adi Kilege.

Ranking after the peerage, were several important administrators, not unlike our own Great Officers of State (furada'ana). These are given here because the titles involved are identical to the peerages, but without the suffixes of Kilege or Kilegefan:
Fa'arina.
Rannabanderi.
Dorimena.
Fa'amuladeri.
Ma'afai.
Handgiri.

Ranking below the Great Officers of State, were a larger number of gentry titles, the more important of these were:
Ma'afahai.
Mena'a.
Ranahama'anthi.
Gadahama'anthi.
Hirihama'anthi.
Fenna.
Watha Banderi.
Ka'ana'a.
Da'ana'a.
Fandiai.

RULES OF SUCCESSION:
The priciple is meant to be male primogentiture, often over ruled by events; palace coups and usurpations being commonplace.

ORDERS & DECORATIONS:
Nishan Izzaiytheri Verikan (the Order of the Distinguished Leader): Founded by King Muhammad Farid I ca. 1965. Awarded in five classes (1. Nishan-i-Ghazi, 2. Nishan-i-Izz ud-din, 3. Nishan-i-Shahid-i-'Ali, 4. Nishan-i-Iskander, and 5. Nishan-i-Majidi)
Askari Medal-ge Verikan (the Medal of the Military Leader): Founded by King Muhammad Farid I al-Awwal.

GLOSSARY:
Amir: Arabic title meaning commander, prince. Used in the Maldives for princes and peers of the realm alike.
Atollu: province, not coral reef surrounded by a lagoon.
Atolluverin: provincial governor.
Banda'ara Naibu: Attorney-General.
Bodu Banderi: Treasurer.
Bodu Vizier: Prime Minister.
Daharada (or Dahara'a): General.
Fakha'ama: Excellency.
Furada'ana: great officers of state.
Goma: "ambergris", the most precious commodity in the islands. A title meaning Prince or Princess, but limited to the latter from the middle of the nineteenth century.
Hakura'a: one of the Vazierin, Minister for Public Works.
Kala'a: Prince. A title in use before the accession of the Hurage dynasty.
Kalifa'anu (or Kali-ge): suffix borne by those not belonging to the aristocracy or gentry.
Kala'afanu: Lord.
Kamba'a: Princess. A title in use before the accession of the Hurage dynasty.
Kerithi Maha Radun: the exalted great ruler.
Khatib: the chief spiritual and temporal authority in each island or village, except in Male, where they only exercised religious authority.
Kilege (or Kilegefan): peerage title limited to eight males and three females, at any one time, three additional titles being created by the Republican regime in 1976. All peerage titles were abolished by Act of Parliament in 1979.
Ma'a Banderi: Minister of the Royal Household and Keeper of the Royal Seal.
Ma'ali: Sublime.
Maha: great.
Malik: King.
Manippulu (or Manifulu): Prince.
Manikufa'anu: suffix borne by individuals descended from previous Royal dynasties, Seedis, and the children and grandchildren of those holding Kilege titles.
Miruhahuru: Director of Immigration and Ports.
Mudimu: administrator working under the Chief Justice and responsible for the maintenance of mosques and burial sites.
Naibu: deputy, lieutenant. The chief judicial functionary on each island, responsible to the Chief Justice on Male.
Rani Kilege: Chief consort of the Sultan, usually created at a Gong ceremony, not necessarily assumed as of right. Sometimes conferred on the eldest daughter of the reigning Sultan.
Radun: ruler.
Rehendhi: femine form of ruler.
Saridhaleys: ivory throne.
Seedi (or Sayyid): descendant of the prophet.
Shahbandar: one of the Vazierin, Minister for the Navy or Admiral-in-Chief.
Singhasana: lion throne.
Sultan: ruler. The title was usually accompanied by the Maldivian style of Kerithi Maha Radun.
Sultana: the usual title for a regnant female ruler. The title was usually accompanied by the Maldivian style of Kerithi Maha Radun.
Sumuww: "Highness", a style adopted for use by those entitled to the title of Amir.
Thakurufa'anu (or Takkhan): suffix borne by the gentry.
Uttama Fandia'aru: Chief Justice. He ranked before thegreat offices of state and held charge over civil and ecclesiastical justice, the maintenance of mosques, burial sites, charitable trusts, religious rituals and the recording of the tarikh (state chroncile).
Vazierin: ministers, usually ranking below the great officers of state.
Vela'ana'a: one of the Vazierin, Minister for Foreign Affais.
Vizier: minister.
Waqf: charitable trust.
Waliyy ul-Amr: "First in Command", the title of the Head of State during the period of the first "republic" in 1953-1954.

SOURCES:
H.C.P. Bell, The Maldive Islands: Monograph on the History, Archaeology and Epigraphy. Government of Ceylon, Colombo, 1940.
Lars Vilgon, Maldive Odd History: The Maldive Archipelago and its People, Volumes One to Four. Privately published by Lars Vilgon, Stockholm, 1992-1993.
Majid Abdul-Wahhab, http://www.maj.s5.com/genealogy.htm#d.

HILALI	UTHIMU	HAMAWI
ISDHU	DHIYAMAGILI	HURA'AGE

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