List of Maldivian monarchs facts for kids

The Maldives became a Sultanate in 1153. This happened when the Buddhist King Dhovemi decided to become a Muslim. Before this, the Maldives was a Buddhist Kingdom. Even earlier, it was a Hindu Kingdom. Some stories say it was a society led by women, with each island group (atoll) ruled by a chief queen. Other stories suggest it had societies led by priests who worshipped the sun, moon, and stars.

The first king to rule all the islands of the Maldives was King Koimala. He also ruled the island of Maliku. Before him, rulers only controlled parts of the Maldives, which was then known as Deeva Maari.

The ruler of the Maldives was called a Sultan until 1965. Their full title was "Sultan of Land and Sea, Lord of the twelve-thousand islands and Sultan of the Maldives." After the Maldives became independent in 1965, the Sultan was called a King. This lasted until 1968, when the Maldives became a republic for the second time. The main palace for the Sultan was the Etherekoilu in Malé.

We learn about the Sultans from three main sources. One is the Taarikh, written by Hasan Taj Al-Din, which covers 670 years of history. Another is the loamaafaanu, which are copper plates. The third is the Raadhavalhi, written in 1757 using old Maldivian scripts.

There have been seven main dynasties (ruling families) in the Maldives:

• Theemugu dynasty
• Umaru veeru dynasty
• Hilai dynasty
• Utheem dynasty
• Isdhoo dynasty
• Dhiyamili dynasty
• Hura dynasty

Exploring Early Maldives Rulers

The Maldives has a long history of rulers, starting with ancient kingdoms before the well-known dynasties.

The Solar Dynasty (Aditta Vansa)

This dynasty began with Prince Sri Soodasarunaditya around the 4th century BCE. He was a prince from the Kalinga kingdom in India. He founded the kingdom of Dheeva Mari.

Not much is known about many rulers from this time. The copper plates that recorded their history were lost early on. The last known ruler of the Solar Dynasty was Queen Srimati Damahara in the mid-tenth century. She married Prince Sri Baladitya, who then started the Lunar Dynasty.

The Lunar Dynasty (Soma Vansa)

The Lunar Dynasty began with Prince Sri Baladitya around 990 CE. He married Queen Damahara of the Solar Dynasty. Early in his rule, King Rajaraja I of the Chola empire took over some northern islands.

King Sri Laukabarana was a later ruler, followed by his son, King Sri Maha Sandura. King Maha Sandura's daughter, Princess Kamanhaar, was sent away to an island. She took the important copper plates with her, which were later buried, leading to the loss of much information about the Solar Dynasty. King Sri Bovana Ananda was another ruler from this dynasty, and he was the father of King Koimala.

The Theemuge Dynasty (1117-1388)

This dynasty lasted for 271 years. It began with King Mahaabarana Adeettiya (Koimala). He was the first king to rule over all of the Maldives.

His nephew, King Dhovemi, became Sultan Muhammad al-Adil. He ruled as a Buddhist until 1153, when he converted to Islam. He then became the first Sultan and started the Theemuge dynasty. He was known as the "Benevolent King."

Many Sultans followed, including Sultan Muthey, Sultan Ali I, and Sultan Dhinei. During Sultan Dhinei's rule, the important Lōmāfānu copper plates were written.

Later rulers included Sultan Wadi and Sultan Valla Dio. The dynasty saw several changes in power, including Sultana Khadijah, who ruled three times. She was known for being a powerful ruler.

The Theemuge dynasty ended with Sultan Uthman al-Fahandavi in 1388.

The Hilaalee Dynasty (1388-1632)

The Hilaalee dynasty ruled for 244 years. It began with Sultan Hasan I. Many sultans followed, with some ruling multiple times.

One notable ruler was Sultan Nasir al-Din al-Gulavihi, who brought in Islamic laws. Sultan Abu Bakr I was a brave ruler who died in a fight with the Portuguese.

During this dynasty, there were times when the Maldives was influenced by outside powers. For example, Sultan Hasan IX became the first Maldivian royal to convert to Christianity and was known as Dom Manoel. He lived in Goa, and the Maldives was ruled by a regent named Andiri Andirin.

Later, King Dom João and King Dom Philippe also ruled from Goa, with regents managing affairs in the Maldives. A key figure during this time was Ibrahim Kalaafaan, who was the de facto (actual) ruler even though the kings were in Goa.

The Utheemu Dynasty (1632-1692)

This dynasty ruled for 60 years. Sultan Muhammad Imaduddin I was the first legally proclaimed sultan of this dynasty in 1632. He had previously been a regent for King Dom Philippe.

His son, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar I, ruled for 39 years. Later, Sultan Kuda Muhammad ruled, with his mother Princess Maryam acting as regent because he was young. Sadly, he and his mother died in an explosion at sea.

The dynasty ended with Sultan Muhammad Mohyeddine, who brought back strict Islamic laws.

The Hamawi Dynasty (Less than 1 year)

Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen I ruled for a very short time in 1692. He was an Arab scholar who had mentored the previous Sultan. He focused on education and religion, making the Maldives peaceful. He likely died suddenly.

The Dhevvadhoo Dynasty (1692-1701)

This dynasty lasted for 9 years. Sultan Muhammad Ali IV, also known as Dhevvadhoo Rasgefaanu, was the first Sultan of this family. He was appointed by the Viziers (ministers). He also appointed the historian Hassan Thaajuddeen as his Chief Justice. He likely died suddenly.

The Isdhoo Dynasty (1701-1704)

This dynasty was short, lasting only 3 years. Sultan Ali VII was the first ruler. Sultan Hasan X, also known as Addu Hassan Manikfan, later gave up his throne for his cousin, Sultan Ibrahim Muzhir al-Din.

Sultan Ibrahim Muzhir al-Din was removed from power by his Prime Minister while he was on a religious journey (Hajj).

The Dhiyamigili Dynasty (1704-1759)

This dynasty ruled for 55 years. Sultan Muhammad Imaduddin II was the first ruler of this dynasty. He was the Prime Minister before becoming Sultan. He also asked Hassan Taj al-Din to write the important Ta’rīkh history book.

His son, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar II, ruled for 30 years. Sultan Muhammad Imaduddin III, another son, was captured by the Ali Raja of Cannanore in 1752 and held on Kavaratti island until he died in 1757. During his captivity, his niece Amina I and daughter Amina II ruled as regents, with Muleegey Don Hassan Maniku as the actual leader.

There was a period of no direct ruler (interregnum) from 1757 to 1759, as everyone waited for the captive Sultan's heir to return. Sultana Amina I ruled briefly after the Malabars were driven out of Malé. She later gave up her throne. Sultana Amina II became queen at a young age, with Muleegey Hassan Manikfaan managing the country.

Sultan Hasan 'Izz ud-din, also known as Don Bandaara, ruled while the true heir was still captive. He gave up his throne when the heir, Sultan Muhammad Ghiyath al-Din, returned. Sadly, Sultan Ghiyath al-Din was removed from power and died after returning from Hajj. The last young prince of this dynasty was sent away to another island.

The Huraa Dynasty (1774-1968)

The Huraa dynasty was the longest-ruling, lasting 194 years. Sultan Muhammad Shams al-Din Iskandar II took the throne by force. He removed the previous Sultan's supporters and took their belongings.

Sultan Muhammad Mu'izz al-Din, also known as Kalhu Bandaarain, became Sultan. During his rule, the returning Sultan Ghiyath al-Din was sadly killed.

Many Sultans followed, including Sultan Hasan Nooraddeen I and Sultan Muhammad Mueenuddeen I. Sultan Muhammad Imaaduddeen IV had a long reign of 47 years.

Sultan Muhammad Mueenuddeen II accepted British protection in 1887, making the Maldives a protectorate. Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen III introduced the first Constitution, but he was later removed from power and sent away.

Sultan Abdul Majeed Didi was elected Sultan but lived in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). The Maldives was ruled by a Council of Regency.

The last ruler was King Sir Muhammad Fareed Didi. He became King in 1965 when the British protectorate ended. In 1968, a public vote decided to change the government from a Sultanate to a republic, and King Fareed Didi was removed from power.

See also

• History of the Maldives
• Kingdom of Dheeva Maari
• List of head of state of the Maldives
• President of the Maldives
• Sultanate of Maldives