Maldive Islands
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History
Legend has it that the earliest settlers were a sun worshiping people called the Redin. The Aryans who brought Buddhism to the country are the first recorded group. Indian sailors brought Hinduism to the islands. Because of the excellent location in the trade route the Maldives has influences from the Middle East, India, and Africa.
In 1153AD a sea demon called “Rannamaari” was terrorizing the island of Male. An Arab traveler went in place of the virgin sacrifice that the demon demanded. He recited the Koran and drove the demon away. The king converted to Islam and the whole nation became Muslim.
Because of the Maldives’ natural resources a Portuguese Captain named Andreas Andre stormed the capital, killed the Sultan, and took control of the country in 1558. This marked the beginning of a dark period in Maldivian history where the people were treated like slaves, women freely violated, and the natives were forced to convert to Christianity. After 15 years of ruling a Maldivian hero named Mohammed Thakurufaan lead an uprising where every Portuguese was slaughtered.
On December 16, 1887 the Sultan of the Maldives allowed the country to come under the military protection of the British in exchange for an annual fee.
The Maldives gained independence on July 26, 1965. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is now the current president, serving his third consecutive term. He survived an attempted coup by local Maldivians and Sri Lankans in 1988. This country has rapidly become a tourist nation. Some locals see this as a threat to their way of life; however tourism is now a huge asset to the economy. To find out more on history of the Maldives go to:
http://travelin-maldives.com/history.htm