Мальдивцы

Мальдивцы ( Dhivehi произношение:  [d̪iˈʋehiŋ] ; ދިވެހިން, dhivehin ) - это нация и индоарийская этническая группа, коренная в историческом регионе Мальдивских островов, включающем территорию, которая сейчас является Республикой Мальдивы, и остров Миникой на союзной территории Лакшадвип. , Индия. Все мальдивцы имеют одну и ту же культуру и говорят на мальдивском языке, который является членом южной группы индоарийских языков . ^[12]По этнографическим и лингвистическим целям, а также по геополитическим причинам антропологи делят мальдивский народ на 3 подгруппы. ^[13]

Подгруппы [ править ]

• Основная группа мальдивцев , насчитывающая более 250 тысяч человек. Это группа, населяющая многочисленные атоллы, простирающиеся от Ихавандхипполху (Хаа Алиф) до Хаддхунмати (Лааму) на Мальдивах . Они составляют более 70% от общей численности населения Мальдив. В более крупном масштабе к этой группе также относится третья группа. Из этой группы происходит стандартный диалект мальдивского языка, на котором говорят в столице Мальдив Мале, а также на центральных атоллах. На остальных островах от крайнего севера Мальдив до атолла Лааму говорят на немного отличающихся вариантах, которые очень тесно связаны с первым. ^[13]
• Южная группа Мальдив , проживающая в трех южных атоллах экваториальной зоны ( Huvadhu , Fuvahmulah и Адда атоллы ) в Мальдивах . Эта группа насчитывает около 60 000 человек и составляет около 20% от общей численности населения Мальдив. Самые ранние известные поселения были найдены в этом регионе. По мнению исследователей, эта группа мальдивцев имеет наибольшую близость к коренным мальдивским людям как с точки зрения лингвистики, так и с точки зрения этнической принадлежности. ^[13] Каждый из 3 атоллов этого региона говорит на своих отличительных формах мальдивского языка ( Huvadhu bas , Mulaku bas , Addu bas), которые сильно отличаются от остальных и, как предполагают исследователи, имеют более близкое сходство с тем, что могло быть оригиналом. ^[14]
• Народ Миникой (Маликун) - Мальс , насчитывающий около 10 000 человек. Остров Миникой находится в северной части цепи атоллов, населенных мальдивцами, и является самой северной группой мальдивского народа. Они составляют всего около 3% от общего количества мальдивцев. Хотя люди Миникой идентичны основной группе мальдивцев из первой группы с точки зрения этнической принадлежности и лингвистики и в более широком масштабе подпадают под эту группу, повседневная политика Миникойи после отделения острова от мальдивского правления и присоединения к индийскому правительству, таким образом, приобретение немалдивского гражданства сделало эту группу одной из подгрупп мальдивцев. По таким причинам, как политика, необходимость жить в большой изоляции от оставшегося мальдивского народа, миники неуклонно проходят процесс аккультурации. У этой группы есть свой диалект (называемый Maliku bas или Mahl ), который сохраняет некоторые черты более старого мальдивского языка, а также показывает влияние малаялама . Тем не менее, этот диалект взаимно понятен со стандартным мальдивским диалектом и больше связан с более легкими вариантами северных Мальдивских островов из первой группы. ^[13]

Мифы и легенды [ править ]

Этот раздел может потребовать очистки для соответствия стандартам качества Википедии . Нет очистки причина не была указана. Пожалуйста, помогите улучшить этот раздел, если можете. ( Апрель 2010 г. ) ( Узнайте, как и когда удалить этот шаблон сообщения )

Нет никаких исторических свидетельств происхождения мальдивцев; также нет никаких указаний на существование негрито или другого аборигенного населения, такого как андаманцы. Никаких археологических раскопок для изучения предыстории островов не проводилось. Однако существует субстрат тамильско-малаяламского происхождения в дополнение к другим более поздним культурным влияниям на островах. ^[15] Бенгальцы , одия и сингальцы в прошлом имели торговые связи с народом дивехи.

Ученые высказывают предположения, что предки мальдивцев прибыли на Мальдивы из Северо-Западной и Западной Индии , из Калибангана между 2500 и 1700 годами до нашей эры ^[16] и что они сформировали отдельную этническую группу примерно в 6 веке до нашей эры.

Мифы о происхождении [ править ]

Согласно мальдивскому фольклору, основные мифы происхождения отражают зависимость мальдивцев от кокосовой пальмы и тунца . ^[17] Легенда гласит, что первые жители Мальдив погибли в большом количестве, но великий колдун или человек- фандита заставил кокосовые пальмы вырасти из черепов захороненных трупов первых поселенцев. Поэтому считается, что кокосовая пальма имеет антропоморфное происхождение в соответствии с мальдивскими преданиями по этой причине. Слово нааши (скорлупа кокоса) также используется для обозначения черепа на языке дивехи. ^[18] Кокосовая пальма занимает центральное место в современном национальном гербе Мальдив .

Тунец , как говорят, был доведены до мальдивских вод мифического мореплавателя ( maalimi ) под названием Bodu Niyami Kalēfanu , который был близок к DAGAS (на мифическое дерево в конце мира) , чтобы принести эту ценную рыбу. ^[18]

Легенда о первых поселенцах [ править ]

Один из самых ранних людей , которые поселились на Мальдивах были из Малабара в Индии и северо - западных берегов Шри - Ланки , а также из тамилов и малаяли происхождения, который ясно через сильное Тамил-малаялам субстрате в языке и культуре. ^{[ необходима цитата ]} Люди Гираавару считаются одними из первых поселенцев. Они были технологически продвинутыми людьми, строившими парусные лодки, называемые дхони. ^[19]

Эти люди использовали такие слова, как варам, для обозначения островов, на которых они жили. Примеры, приведенные в старинной рукописи: Нодиварам , Курухиннаварам и Гираварам . Многие из старых терминов, используемых мальдивскими рыбаками, происходят из дравидийских языков, что позволяет предположить, что эти термины были принесены людьми из южной прибрежной Индии в древние времена. Исторические записи показывают, что на южных и центральных атоллах Мальдив такие занятия, как земледелие и ткачество, были важны в первые дни.

Говорят, что вскоре после прибытия индоариев и введения индуистской религии на Мальдивы прибыл принц Индии. Это период, рассчитанный ранее из устной традиции, и история также соответствует истории из хроники Махавамсы Шри-Ланки, о сыне царя, который был изгнан из своей страны и прибыл на Ланку, а один из его кораблей сбился с пути и прибыл в Мальдивы. ^{[ необходима цитата ]} В мальдивской легенде принц, прибывший на Мальдивы, был сыном Брахмадитии , короля Калинги(Брахмадатта, царь Калинги на момент смерти Будды ок. 500 - 350 г. до н.э.), королевство на юго-востоке Индии (современная Орисса). Король Брахмадития был недоволен своим сыном и отправил его в Дхиву Маари (Мальдивы). Имя этого принца было Шри Соорудасаруна . Шри Соорудасаруна основал царство династии Адита Ванша (Солнечная династия) в Дхива-Маари, незадолго до правления императора Ашоки в Индии. Таким образом, первое королевство на Мальдивах было основано примерно в 4 веке до нашей эры. Затем традиция гласит, что император Ашока основал свое королевство в Паталипутре в Индии, и что его люди отправились проповедовать религию и учения Будды в место под названием Байрат., к западу от Паталипутры. Группа людей приехала на Мальдивы из Байрата, чтобы обучать религии Будды. Говорят, что эти люди прибыли на эти острова во время правления Ашоки, вероятно, когда он отправил буддийских миссионеров во все соседние страны в 3 веке до нашей эры. В то время, когда на Мальдивы прибыли буддийские миссионеры, страна называлась Дхива Мал. Примерно во 2 веке нашей эры был приток арабских торговцев, которые путешествовали и останавливались на Мальдивах по пути на Дальний Восток - их первое упоминание о Мальдивских островах, которые они назвали Махал Дибият, принадлежит арабским путешественникам. Мальдивы поставляли огромное количество ракушек каури - международной валюты древних времен. Каури теперь является символом Валютного управления Мальдив.Должно быть, в то время это была почти волшебная страна - забудьте о деньгах, растущих на деревьях, на Мальдивах их выбросило на берег! Махал Дибият - название, которое острова дали средневековые арабские путешественники. Считается, что Абу Аль Баракат, араб из Северной Африки, обратил мальдивцев в ислам в 1153 году.

Легенда о первой правящей династии [ править ]

Миф о происхождении правящей династии - это история о принце по имени Коимала. В мусульманских традициях, записанных в хрониках Лхамаафану и Радавани, вся домусульманская королевская семья представлена ​​королем, преемник которого был обращен в ислам. Имя Коимала Кало также наводит на размышления: koi или koyi на мальдивском языке означает сын, парень или принц (происходит от малаялам koya , сын, принц, господин, ср. Дравидийский корень kō , король). Компонент malā может происходить или не происходить от māla, как в Māla-dīv, но в таком случае имя будет означать «принц Мальдивских островов». Термин калуэто обычное слово человека, используемое как выражение нежности. Титул бывших мальдивских королей был каттири бована махаа радун , «Каттири» (ކައްތިރި), что на мальдивском языке означает кшатрий .

Одна устная традиция гласит, что народ Гираавару - коренное население Мальдив, жившее на островах до прибытия Коималы. ^{[ необходима цитата ]} Они имеют тамильское происхождение и являются самой ранней островной общиной Мальдив; их присутствие предшествовало буддизму и появлению на архипелаге индоариев. ^[19] Это может быть причиной того, что система родства Дивехи частично имеет дравидийское происхождение и несет свидетельства некоторой матрилинии, такой как Наяр и другие матрилинейные группы Кералы . Некоторые термины родства явно заимствованы из малаялама .

Здесь приведены пять версий мифа и объяснено их значение с точки зрения истории культуры. ^[15]

• 1. Следующая версия была записана Беллом в 1922 году:

Давным-давно, когда Мальдивы были еще малонаселенными, принц королевского происхождения по имени Коймала, женившийся на дочери цейлона Цейлона, совершил с ней путешествие на двух судах с острова Срендиб [Шри-Ланка]. Достигнув Мальдив, они успокоились и немного отдохнули на острове Расгетхему на атолле Северный Маалхосмадулу.

Мальдивские островитяне, узнав, что двое главных посетителей были выходцами из Цейлонской королевской семьи, пригласили их остаться; и в конце концов провозгласили Коималу своим королем на Расгетиму, изначальном «Королевском острове».

Subsequently, Koimala and his spouse migrated thence to Male' and settled there with the consent of the aborigines of Giraavaru Island, then the most important community of Male' Atoll.

The two ships were dispatched to Lanka, and brought over other people of 'the Lion Race' (Sinhalese).

To Koimala and his queen was born a male child who was called Kalaminja. He reigned as a Buddhist for twelve years, and was then converted to Islam, ruling for thirteen years more before finally departing for Mecca.

This ruler's daughter married the chief minister and reigned as a nominal Sultana. She gave birth to a son also called Kalaminja, who, in turn, married a lady of the country.

From them the subsequent rulers of the Maldives were descended.

• 2. According to this version, which Maloney heard in Male', Koimala's parents came from India, not Sri Lanka: The Indian king was angry with his son, and sent him off with his wife in two boats; they had 700 soldiers. They came to Rasgetheemu in Raa Atoll, and when he became king there, people called that island Rasgetheemu "King's Landing". Then the king and queen came to Male', and Koimala was born from that Indian couple.
• 3. The following variant Maloney heard in Noon Atoll: "... When Koimala and his wife came, there were already people here. Because she was a princess of royal lineage, people asked her husband to rule. Koimala sent ships to Sri Lanka and brought back more people. It is said that a beautiful woman named Malakamana from the Maldives was one of the early people who settled Sri Lanka."
• 4. A myth Maloney heard in Manadhoo, Noon Atoll, is, in condensed form, as follows:

One day, while a hunter king of Sri Lanka was hunting, he caught a man-beast in his net. The man-beast couldn't walk, so the king taught him to do it. The man-beast then married the king's daughter, but he made political trouble in Sri Lanka, so was forced to leave. He and the princess arrived in Rasgetheemu and they lived there for some time, where the locals there asked them to rule them.

• 5. Another version Maloney heard in Hulhumeedhoo, Addu Atoll, in the far south of the country, is as follows:

There was a king of India who was a hunter. Once, while out hunting with a net, he saw a creature which is like a human, but which walked on all fours, and which disturbed the people. This creature would also take hunters' nets and steal their prey, so the king couldn't get any catch. The king considered how he might capture this creature. He made big weights for his net, which no ordinary human could lift, and which would prevent the creature from taking the hunting net. One day, the king, with the help of many men, put the net over the creature, which could not get out because of the large stone weights. The king took the creature to the palace and looked after him well, and because he knew no language, the king taught him language, which took a long time. The creature started helping the king by showing him treasures in the forest, and the king came to respect him.

The king had a daughter who fell in love with this creature (in an alternate version, the king forced his daughter to marry the creature). The king, being angry, put the couple on a ship and sent them off into exile. Their ship came to Laam (Hadummati) Atoll (towards the south), where the exiled pair saw a crow which cried. They thought the crow was not a good omen, and it was therefore undesirable to land there, so they went on to Male'. They settled in what is now Sultan Park (site of the former palace) and started a kingdom.

After fifteen years, a jinni began to come from the ocean every once a month and disturbed the people... (from here follows the story of the saint who came and dispelled the jinni and caused all the people to become converted to Islam from Buddhism and Hinduism).

Gujaratis[edit]

Maloney says Gujarat, with its indented coastline and its proximity to the old navigation routes of the Mesopotamian and Indus civilisations, has apparently maintained a tradition of navigation over the past 4000 years. Certainly the earliest Buddhist literature indicates active seafaring from its ports. It was from Gujarat that North Indian civilisation impinged upon the Maldives and Sri Lanka. From Gujarat, North Indian civilisation also expanded to Java and other parts of South-east Asia. The export of this civilisation to all coasts of South Asia and South-east Asia began about 500 B.C., but during the Mauryan period and the diffusion of Buddhism, sea traffic in the Bay of Bengal supplemented and, to some extent, surpassed that originating along the coasts of Western India. The long story of the cultural and economic expansion of North Indian civilisation by sea cannot be told here.

Three Jataka tales cited above seem to refer to the Maldives, particularly the comment that exiles from Bharukaccha went to a thousand islands [Laccadive and Maldive islands] where they found standing room, and that these were near an island named for coconuts [Kerala]. This suggests that not only did seafarers emanating from Bharukaccha and Suppara visit the Maldives, but Gujaratis actually settled there in pre-Buddhist times. The other Jataka tales suggest that ships from Gujarat going to South-east Asia stopped in the Maldives, and that merchants in search of treasures sailed in several seas called – maala (or maara).

The Maldives might well have been settled parallel with the arrival of Indo-Aryan speakers in Sri Lanka, as suggested in the above interpretations of the Sri Lanka myths and the Koimala story.

Mariners from the north-western coasts of the peninsula, from the time they commenced sailing to southern India, must have on occasion been blown over to the Maldives—unmanned canoes and rafts from Kerala even now get wafted there from time to time – and the dangers of shipwreck vividly described in several of the Jātakas might have arisen from contact with some of the thousands of reefs in the Maldives, which sailors have long dreaded. It may be, therefore, that shipwrecked Gujaratis, as well as exiles, were early settlers on the islands of the Laccadive-Maldives archipelago.

Geographic distribution[edit]

Maldives[edit]

All Maldivians are native to the historic region of the Maldive Islands comprising what is now the Republic of Maldives and the island of Minicoy in Union territory of Lakshadweep, India. The secession of Minicoy from Maldivian rule and affiliating with the Indian government gradually led to the emergence of a Maldivian population of Indian citizenship who came to be known as Mahls.

Being the heartland of Maldivian people, more than 97% of all Maldivians are from the Maldives.^{[clarification needed]} For all the Maldivian communities across the world (including the people of Minicoy) their origin lies in the Maldives. The Maldivian community of the Maldives consist of the two major groups from the three subgroups of Maldivians: The main group of Maldivians and the southern group of Maldivians (also known as Suvadivians) respectively.^[13]

Southern group of Maldivians[edit]

As a result of some political activities which occurred in the South during the early 1960s, the term Suvadivian has been adopted by some authors to refer to the southern group of Maldivians. From 1959 to 1963 there was a short-lived breakaway government named United Suvadive Republic which was formed by the Southerners, from which the name originated though there are no such native names. The names Suvadive and Suvadivian suggest that the origin of the names lye in the ancient name for the three southernmost atolls of Huvadhu, Fuvahmulah and Addu which was Suvadiva.^[20]

The Suvadivians, living in the three southernmost atolls of the equatorial zone (Huvadhu, Fuvahmulah and Addu atolls) number approximately 60,000 and constitute about 20% of the total population of Maldivians.^[13] According to researchers, this group of Maldivians have the closest proximity to the original Maldivian people in terms of linguistics as well as on ethnic grounds. The reason behind this suggested by researchers and proven from historical records is that there were less interference from the outside world to this group. Unlike the other group of Maldivians, this group was not affected by the Portuguese rule in the Maldives as it does not exceed the Suvadiva channel. Also there were no interference from traders and travellers as much as in the case of the other.^[14]

Each of the 3 atolls of the Suvadiva region speak their own distinctive forms of the Maldivian language (Huvadhu bas, Mulaku bas and Addu bas), which are much different from the rest and as suggested by researchers, having a closer affinity to what may have been the original.^[13] Thus, the native features of the original Maldivian people are preserved in this group greater than any other group of Maldivians.^[14]

Main group of Maldivians[edit]

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Unlike the southern minority, this group of Maldivians were subject to foreign intercourse. There were numerous occasions of reported interference from outsiders such as traders, travellers, etc... Also, the Portuguese rule and many other factors pushed this group into a state that imported materials got mixed into their linguistics as well as ethnic background to a large extent.^[14]

India[edit]

The secession of Minicoy from Maldivian rule and affiliating with the Indian government gradually led to the emergence of a Maldivian population holding Indian citizenship. This group of Maldivians consist of the people of Minicoy and migrant communities from Minicoy across India and elsewhere. Except for the people from Minicoy, there is no community of ethnic Maldivians with Indian citizenship. This group of Maldivians are officially referred as Mahls.^[21] The people locally identify themselves as Malikun.^[22] The Mahls make up the third subgroup of Maldivians.

People of Minicoy (Malikun) – Mahls[edit]

Mahls are the third subgroup of Maldivians centred in the island of Minicoy making up the only community of ethnic Maldivians in India. This group has its own dialect (called Maliku bas or Mahl) which retains some features of archaic Maldivian language, and shows Malayalam influences as well. Still, the dialect is mutually intelligible with the standard dialect of Maldivian and is more related to the slighter variants of northern Maldives.^[14]

In case of linguistics and ethnic grounds, this group of Maldivians are identical to the main group of Maldivians in the Maldives. However, the secession of Minicoy from Maldivian rule and gradually becoming part of India, thus becoming the only group of ethnic Maldivians with a non-Maldivian citizenship made anthropologists to label the Mahls among the subgroups. The isolation of this group from the rest of the Maldivians and the acculturation process which the Mahls are undergoing as a result of this as well as the change in nationality is one of the reasons for separation of this group from the main group of Maldivians. The origin of this group like any other group of Maldivians lie in the Maldives. The story of the Tivarun, the linguistics of the people in Minicoy and many other factors prove this side of the story.

Mahls are the only community of ethnic Maldivians (excluding migrant communities) outside the Republic of Maldives. They make up about 3% of the total population of all Maldivians.^[13]

Most Mahls live in their native land of Maliku (Minicoy). Mahls are 15.67% of the total population of Lakshadweep emerging as a separate ethnic group among the rest of the population. All Mahl communities in India emerged from Minicoy.

There are Mahl communities (migrant communities from Minicoy) in other parts of India too. A number of Mahls have settled in the districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) in the southern state of Kerala. The ancestors of present Mahl communities in Kerala migrated from Minicoy and settled there in the 17th century, when the islands of Lakshadweep came under the rule of Ali Rajahs/Arakkal Bheevi of Kannur.

Since 1957, this group of Maldivians in Minicoy are totally off-limits for their Maldivian counterparts in the Maldives. The direct transport between Minicoy and the Maldives was forbidden by the Indian government. Thus, this Indian group of Maldivians are steadily undergoing a process of acculturation owing to lack of contact with the remaining Maldivian people and pressure to use other languages such as Malayalam, English and Hindi. This proves to have a big influence upon the culture, linguistics and other day-to-day affairs of this group of Maldivians.^[13][23]

Emigrant communities[edit]

A significant number of Maldivian emigrant communities can be found in several countries. The emigrant communities could only be located from the Maldivian side as it is only the Maldivians who are all of the same ethnicity unlike India where the presence of thousands of cultures and ethnicities make the records more stringent on this matter. Since ethnic Maldivians of Minicoy are only no more than 0.0015% of the total population of India compared to 100% for their counterparts in the Maldives, it is only from the Maldivian embassies across the world that this information could be gathered.

Sri Lanka[edit]

There are approximately 20,000 people of Maldivian ethnicity living in Sri Lanka, as of 2013.

Genetics and Research Studies[edit]

In 1899, Professor John Stanley Gardiner visited Maldives, during which time; he collected anthropometrical data of a number of Maldivians from many islands. Analysis of this data by Dr. Wynfrid Duckworth, suggested that there were three major sources of immigration into the country. These are:

• The peninsula of Hindustan with Ceylon,
• The coast of Arabia and possibly of Africa,
• The western shores of the Malay Peninsula, and the islands of the Malaya Archipelago.

(Duckworth 1912: 8–30).^[24]

In 1997, a Maldivian NGO, Society for Health Education, conducted a study on the mutations of thalassaemia found in the Maldives. This study showed one mutation that probably originated in the Middle East, another mutation which could have been derived from Portuguese or Algerians, and another which probably originated from South Asia and Malays. The observations are consistent with the historical records of Maldives, showing that early travellers from India, Indonesia, North Africa, the Red Sea and Persian Gulf areas, settled in the Maldives. (Firdous et al. 1998:148,149). Thalassaemia is the commonest genetically transmitted blood disease found in Maldives, and the results of this study suggest that many of the people now living in the Maldives had ancestors who came from the above-mentioned countries.^[24]

Anthropological studies, as well as ethnographic and linguistic researches, suggest that in terms of ancestry Maldivians share similar genes principally with the Sinhalese of Sri Lanka as well as western Indian populations, such as Marathis, Konkanis and Gujaratis with traces of Arab, Malay, southern Indian and North African genes in the population.^[15]

In 2013, genetic study about the Maldivian population by department of Human Genetics, Liden University, which was published online on the American Journal of Physical Anthropology has revealed very interesting facts about the genetic origin of Maldivian people. The research studied autosomal DNA-, mitochondrial DNA-, and Y-chromosomal DNA markers in a representative sample of 141 unrelated Maldivians, with 119 from six major settlements. The researchers found a total of 63 different mtDNA haplotypes that could be allocated to 29 mtDNAs, mostly within the M, R and U clades.^[25] They also found 66 different Y-STR haplotypes in 10 Y chromosome haplogroups, predominantly R1a1, R2, H, L and J2.^[26] The study concluded that their new genetic data agree with the commonly reported Maldivian ancestry in South Asia, but furthermore suggest multiple, independent immigration events and asymmetrical migration of females and males across the archipelago.^[26]

The genetic study confirmed that the most likely origin of the Maldivian population is in South Asia with possible gene flow from the Middle East. Also it has pointed out that the Dhivehi language of the Maldives being the southernmost Indo-Aryan language, and sharing of specific haplogroups with Indo-Aryan populations mostly from India and from Sri Lanka, could point to a common origin of these populations.^[26]

Culture[edit]

Language and literature[edit]

Maldivians have strong feelings towards the Maldivian language. It has historically been, and to large extent still is, central to the Maldivian identity. Unlike the other languages of South India, it is an Indo-European language, while other South Indian languages are Dravidian languages. However the language shows some influences of neighbouring Dravidian languages on it, and have a number of loanwords from Dravidian vocabulary.^[27]

Religion[edit]

The Maldivians are entirely Muslims, adhering to the Sunni school of thought.^[10] In the Maldives which is the heartland of Maldivians and home for more than 97% of the Maldivian people, the national religion is Islam.^[9] Islam is the country's state religion as well as the backbone of the society with daily life in the country being regulated according to the tenets of Islam and government regulations too being based on the regulations of Islamic law (Shari'a).^[10] The law of the country prohibits the practice of any other religion by the country's citizens.^[10] In general all Maldivians from the island of Minicoy too are Sunni Muslims.

Visual art and architecture[edit]

Most traditional Maldivian art is influenced by Perso-Arabic tradition in some form and usually centres on Islam, since all the Maldivians are Muslims. The skill of visual art and architecture among the Maldivians is centered in the Maldives since the people of Minicoy are mainly sailors.

Various fine art practices exist in the Maldives at present. Primary among them is drawing and painting. Sculpture and crafts that overlap with art making also exist in the country. However, due to various limitations, they have not flourished as art forms. Painting and drawing also exist in similar circumstances. Lack of avenues in which to exhibit, and lack of arts education and training, combined with a growing understanding that these arts are best served in the tourist souvenir trade, has hampered a healthy development of these arts. However, with the establishment of private galleries and with various exhibitions organized by the government and the artists themselves, in the last 15 years, the awareness that painting can be an expressive art form apart from also being a lucrative commercial activity has provided encouragement for several young Maldivians to pursue painting, and to an extent sculpture and other public and commercial art forms. Renewed interest in these arts have also led to various individuals to pursue on their own whatever education they can obtain, whether through distance learning courses from foreign universities, or via books and magazines. In addition, privately funded students have also been obtaining arts education and training at undergraduate and graduate levels in international universities. More indirectly, artists also get the opportunity to meet foreign artists through the tourism trade when foreign artists visit the country as tourists. This provides the much needed contact with artists that is so necessary to the development of any art form. Until recently, fine arts in the Maldives have been usually defined as the various crafts and skills of craft making. These include the use of locally found materials to produce decorative and functional objects such as mats, hand held or displayed objects, etc. The present situation of the arts has come about because of a lack of critical and theoretical interpretation and a lack of dialogue and discourse in an organized, sustained or documented form.^[28]

Performing arts[edit]

The traditional Maldivian performing arts have Indian and even African roots.

Martial arts[edit]

Martial arts among Maldivians are known as hevikamuge kulhivaruthak, while gulhamathi hifun is traditional wrestling among Maldivians.

Festivals[edit]

Most of the Maldivian festivals are related to Islam, however there are some festivals which belongs to old Maldivian traditions, like kite flying festival. Naming a newborn child, Mauloodhu (a prayer accompanied with festive meal), Eid festival and circumcision of male child are few events that take place where the taste of rich cultural 'cocktail' can be experienced.

A traditional meal called Keyn is prepared for the above Mauloodhus consisting of a number of courses. A single Keyn would serve 10 – 12 people and includes rice, curries, salads, grilled fish, coconut cream, coconut syrup, bananas, puddings and other delights.

Keyn is set out in a very large wooden dish called a Malaafaiy. The outside of this dish is placed within the dish and small individual plates are filled with curries, salads, and other items and set around the rice. This would be covered with the lid and wrapped in a white cloth and tied at the top. At the meal times this would be carried into the Mauloodh Haruge (dining hall specially made for this event) and placed on straw mats for service. Individual plates and other food items in individual dishes are placed as well. Beverages are individually set in glasses. Water is served in a ceramic jug. Food is consumed using the fingers of the right hand. At the end of the meal hand is washed using a copper jug into a copper basin. 10 December is marked as Kandu Rōdi duvas and 14 April as Gamu Rōdi duvas on which date Maldivian language day is marked from 2011 onwards.

Dress[edit]

Traditionally Maldivian men wear a Mundu with a shirt, it is very similar to that of Malayali people. Maldivian women wear a red-top called a Libaas and a long black skirt.

Cuisine[edit]

Rice, the major staple food in most Maldivian households, is usually cooked and served with Garudiya (Tuna Fish soup). Here are some of the speciality cuisines.

Bocholhi

Made of rice flour, coconut – semi-firm (grated) and coconut palm syrup by mixing all the ingredients until freed from lump and cooked over a moderate heat until the mixture is thickened.

Godhan Furhu Boa Folhi

Made of flour, coconut – semi-hard (blended to a smooth paste), eggs, coconut cream, jasmine water, coconut palm syrup, cinnamon powder, cardamom powder and oil by mixing all the ingredients apart from the oil together. Cooked over a moderate heat and once the top of the pancake dries up, turned over and cooked.

Han’dulu Aurus

Made of rice (soaked overnight), washed and blended to a smooth paste), coconut palm syrup, Jasmine water and jasmine flowers by placing all the ingredients apart from the flowers in a thick-bottomed pan and cooked over a moderate heat by stirring constantly to avoid the mixture getting stuck to the bottom. Wrapped entirely with banana leaf and placed jasmine flowers over the sweets. This sweet will keep for two to three months without spoiling.

'Han’dulu Furhu Kubus

Made of Patna Rice (soaked overnight, washed and blended to a smooth paste), coconut – semi-firm (grated), coconut palm syrup, caster sugar, banana leaf by cooking over a moderate heat the grated coconut, palm sugar and caster sugar until the mixture has thickened. Removed from heat and allowed cooling and added in the blended rice and kneaded thoroughly and combined all the ingredients well. Divided the mixture into eight portions and placed each portion on a banana leaf and wrapped entirely to seal and wrapped a second banana leaf around it and secured well.

Dug a suitable hole in the ground in which all the wrapped dough pieces could be placed neatly. Placed coconut fibres and coconut shells and burned them in the dug hole and removed the charcoals.

Placed banana leaves within the hole and placed the wrapped dough in the heated hole and placed neatly one against another.

Covered the dough parcels placed in the hole with another large piece of banana leaf and covered the leaf with two-inch white sand. Placed the charcoals and coconut fibres and coconut shells over it and burned the coconut fibres and shells for half an hour.

Left the cooked kubus parcels overnight in the hole. In the morning scraped off the burnt ashes and charcoals aside and the sand covering the banana leaf and slowly lifted the wrapped kubus parcels.

Hukkaru

Made of coconut palm syrup by boiling the syrup over a moderate heat and cooked by stirring continuously until it starts to thicken. Removed from heat and whisked until frothy and cooled.

Huni Folhi

Made of Patna Rice flour, coconut – semi-hard (grated), coconut palm syrup by cooking all the ingredients over a moderate heat in a thick-bottomed pan stirring continuously.

When the mixture starts to come loose from the side of the pan removed from heat and taken a tablespoonful of the cooked mixture, spread on a cork wood leaf. Smoked and dried the leaves spread with the sweet over the fireplace.

Karukuri Banbukeyo

Made of fried bread fruit (crushed coarsely), coconut palm syrup, jasmine water by bringing the syrup and the jasmine water to boil and cooked it over a moderate heat until it comes to ribbon stage. Added in the crushed breadfruit into the sugar and coated well. Removed from heat, allowed cooling and kept in an airtight container.

Karukuri Ala

Made of fried taro (crushed coarsely), coconut palm syrup and jasmine water by boiling the syrup and the jasmine water and cooked it over a moderate heat until it comes to ribbon stage. Added in the crushed taro in to the sugar and coated well. Removed from heat, allowed cooling and kept in an airtight container.

Kulhi Bis Fathafolhi

Made of Patna Rice flour, coconut (grated), Rihaakuru, Rihaakuru Bondi (blended), eggs, onion (sliced thinly), curry leaves (chopped), cherry pepper, juice of two limes, ginger, salt to season and oil by crushing the onion, curry leaves, cherry pepper, ginger with salt. Added and mixed the rice flour and coconut to make sandy texture. Formed a bay in the center of the rice mixture and add in the eggs and Rihaakuru and Rihaakuru Bondi. Mixed/kneaded the dough and divided the dough into 15 gram balls. Spread each ball to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut using a round cutter of 3 – inch diameter and pre-heated oil.

Meeraa

Made of coconut sap (collected at noon) by boiling the sap over a moderate heat and cooked by stirring continuously until it comes to ribbon stage. Removed from heat, greased a large tray and taken a spoonful of the cooked thickened syrup and placed it over the greased sheet in strings.

Thela Kubus

Made of Patna Rice flour, coconut palm syrup, eggs and coconut oil by whisking the egg and the syrup and added in the rice flour and beaten further. Poured a table spoonful of the mixture into the oil and deep-fried until golden.

Thelli Keyo

Made of plantain (peeled and cut length-wise) and oil by frying the bananas until crisped. Drained on absorbent kitchen paper and kept airtight container.

Veli Hakuru

Made of coconut palm syrup by boiling the syrup over a moderate heat and cooked by stirring continuously until it starts to crystallise. Removed from heat, allowed cooling and put into jars and seal well.

Other Cuisines Regularly Cooked

• Falhoa Aurus
• Naaroh Faludha
• Fuppi Baiy
• Gerhi Banbukeyo
• Gerhi Kattala
• Kaliyaa Kuri Kattala
• Varukuri Baiy

Communities[edit]

Maldivian names[edit]

A generation ago, most Maldivian people were not commonly known by their birth names. Instead they were called by an alternative name such as Dohuttu, Lahuttu, Tutteedi, Kudamaniku, or Don Goma. The rationale behind this practice was that if the evil spirits did not know one's real name, one would be free from their spells.^[33] However ancient Maldivian naming system is similar to that of Gujaratis and Marathas. Even now some people follow that system. For example, the first name of historian Mohamed Ibrahim Lutfy is "Mohamed;" "Ibrahim" is his father's name, and "Lutfy" is the family name.

Frequent Maldivian family names include Bee, Beefan, Boo, Didi, Fan, Fulhu, Kader, Kalaminja, Kalinga, Kalo, Kavah, Kavya, Koi, Koya, Manik, Manika, Manike, Manikfan, Naha, Raha, Rana, Tarkan, Thakhan, Thakur, Thakurfan, Veer.^[34]

See also[edit]

• Maldivian folklore
• Minicoy
• Giraavaru people

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

• Maldives Ethnography, by Xavier Romero-Frias
• A Guide to Mahl Language, Minicoy
• Clarence Maloney, his vision, his work and the ancient underlying cultural influences in the Maldives