For the Maldivians, who are drawn to enchanting narratives, it’s fitting that their country’s early history is a tapestry of myths and legends. One such tale is that of the Rannamaari, a sea monster that demanded a virgin sacrifice every full moon. This continued until a courageous man from Morocco, Mr Abdul Barakaath-Ul Barbary, confronted the creature and barred its entry into the Maldives. Before this incident, Maldives was an idol-worshiping country.
There is the story of Bodu Thakurufaanu, renowned for its length, who saved the Maldives from Portuguese Invaders. These stories, while very
much anecdotal, are based on the real facts that form the country’s history. Written accounts portray a Maldives whose people have traveled far and wide, adventurers whose geographical isolation had not limited the boundaries of their world. Maldives today remains very much like it had then—small but not lacking;
isolated but not invisible.
1st Century AD – The Roman manual of Navigation, the Periplus Maris Erythraei mentions islands that are assumed to be the Maldives
2nd Century AD – Ptolemy refers to the Maldives in his geography 362 AD Roman historian records a visit of a Maldivian delegation to Rome, bearing gifts to the emperor Julian 662 AD A historical Chinese document records that the King of the Maldives sent gifts to the Chinese Emperor Kao-Tsung of Tang Dynasty
1153 – Maldives converts to Islam
1558 – The Portuguese invade the Maldives
1573 – Mohamed Thakurufaanu liberates the Maldives from the Portuguese
1752 – The Malabars invade the Maldives for three months
1887 – Protectorate signed with Great Britain
1932 – The first Constitution of the Republic of Maldives enacted
1953 – The first Republic with Mohamed Ameen as President
1954 – End of the first Republic as Ameen is ousted; the Maldives reverts to Sultanate with Mohamed Fareed as ruler
1965 – Independence from the British
1968 – End of the Sultanate; second Republic begins with Ibrahim
Nasir as President
1972 – The first island resort is developed; tourists begin arriving to
the Maldives