Background

This proposal deals with a book that has been published in Dhivehi in 1996. My intention is to publish an English version of the book as I feel that an outright translation will look very alien to foreign readers. The book is a product of very intensive research conducted in the Maldives, India, Sri-Lanka and England during a period of three years. It is a fact that its footnotes and other references encompass almost all historical documentary evidence, both primary and secondary, available, on the Maldives.

Rationale

The main theme of the book revolves around the investigations on how and why Maldives became a British Protectorate in 1887. In this process, one of the main objectives of the book has been to include all the available local information on the period, while indicating the relevance of the information to the main theme of the book.

Approach

All through-out the book, I have tried to maintain the concept of writing history from the receiving end; what was going-on in the local polity while colonization was taking place. I believe that this approach have been most fruitful, in that it not only allows one to investigate local history, but also makes room for the understanding of the effects of local events on the global march; on British history.

Features

The most important international aspect of my book will be on the issues of how and why the concept of Protectorate-ship was developed. It also will throw much light on Anglo-Dhivehi relations of the 1800's. The book will further give in-depth coverage of the local events of the period.

Readership

The book will not only be aimed at the scholar and historian, but also to all those who have an interest in the Maldives. This is to say that the politically correct tourist will find the book engaging. The book will of course have a substantial market both in Sri-Lanka and the Maldives. Also, the fact that there are very few books on the history of the Maldives, will make this book that much more in-demand.

Synopsis

The Dhivehi version of book was published in the Maldives under the title "Dagadu Dhahanaa: Divehi Raaje Egireysinge himaa yatuge dashah (1800 - 1900)". This title can be translated as "Iron Amour: Maldives becomes a British Protectorate (1800 - 1900)". However, the English version proposed here need not have the same working title and perhaps it would be best if the question of the exact title is left to be decided at a later stage.

Section One

This section will examine and describe the Dhivehi Polity as it existed in the early 1800's, prior to the arrival of the British in the Maldives. This section will contain Seven chapters. Chapter One will function as an introduction to the section and therefore it will explain the form of the antiquated Dhivehi Polity. It will high light on the fact that the Radun (The King) had an inner council of people know as the Bodun. The chapter will also briefly state the types of Bodun. Chapter Two will deal with how one of the identified types of Bodun, the Clan Bodu, are formed. Chapter Three: Learned Persons, are one of the types of Bodun identified in Chapter One, and this chapter will come to explain how they are formed. Chapter Four will elucidate on another type of Bodun know as Arisbykalun, those Close to the Radun. Chapters Five, Six and Seven, will scrutinize the relationship that the Radun has with each of these types of Bodun and close the section with a conclusion.

Section Two

This section will deal with the metamorphosis of the Dhivehi Polity in the early 1800's. It explains the events that took with the arrival of the British in the Maldives, most important being the shifting of the balance of power between the Radun and the Bodun. Section Two will contain Four Chapters. Chapter One, will be an introduction to the section, but it will lead to the events of the Rise of the Athireegey Clan. Chapter Two will come to examine the issues of the consolidation of power by the Athireegey Clan and therefore the marginalisation of certain other Clans then operating in the Maldives. In Chapter three attention will be focused on the effects of the rise of the Athireegey Clan. Most importantly, those effects felt by the Radun. Chapter Four: This chapter will contend with the issues of the arrival of Borah Merchants in the Maldives. It will also function as a concluding chapter of Section Two.

Section Three

This section investigates the phenomena of the rise of the New Bodun and the Puppet Radun and it will contain Nine Chapters. Chapter One: For the rise of the New Bodun, there had to be a power vacuum. This vacuum was created with the departure of the leading members of the Athireegey Clan to Ceylon. This chapter will out line the events that led to the departure. With the departure of the leading members of Athireegey Clan the newly formed Bodun intensified feuding among themselves and Chapter Two will examine these feuds. The departure of Athireegey Clan to Ceylon were to have far reaching consequences to Dhivehi events, most important being the creation of a new generation of Bodun, fashioned according to British ideals, and Chapter three will focus on Brown Sahibs. One of the effects of the rise of the new Bodun were the reduction of the power of the Radun and Chapter Four will concentrate on the Puppet Raduns. Puppet Raduns started reigning with the arrival of the Athireegey Clan from Ceylon and this Chapter Five will highlight the events that led to the arrival of the Athireegey Clan. Chapter Six will inspect the effects of the arrival of the Athireegey Clan. The rise of the Athreegey Clan created rifts both with other Bodun of the Polity and the Borah Merchants stationed in Male'. Chapter Seven will look at the rifts within the Bodun while Chapter Eight deals with their relations with the Borah Merchants. Chapter Nine will function as a concluding chapter for the section.

Section Four

All the above highlighted events and incidents culminated to create a period of serious political instability in the Maldives. Feuds among Bodun were reaching higher standards, engraving not only a wide range of local problems but also those related to foreign merchants based in the Maldives. It was with this background that the Maldives became a British protectorate. Section Four, the final section will deal with the events that led to the signing of this protectorate agreement and the section will contain eight chapters. Chapter One will pickup from end of Section Three, to describe the results of the feuds among the Bodun and Borah Merchants. It will examine the insurgency of Bodu Hulu (Great Fire) in 1887. Bodu Hulu, again got the leading members of Athireegey Clan banished to islands and Chapter Two will examine the events of this marginalisation of Athireegey Clan. In Chapter Three we again see the come back of the Athreegey Clan, and events connected therein. With this arrival of Athireegey Clan, Anglo - Dhivehi relations were redefined and this Chapter Four will relate on this new twist. Chapter Five will both close the section and the Book.

Summary

The four sections of the Book will run to some 250 pages and it will contain more than 25 illustrations and about the same amount of pictures. As The Book has already been published in Dhivehi, a draft translation of any of the chapters of the book can be produced reasonably quickly.

Please contact Mohamed Nasheed
If you are able to help him in any way.

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