During the Age of Sail, which extended from the 16th to the mid-19th century, before the remarkable engineering achievement of the Suez Canal's opening in 1869, the Chagos, Addu, and Huvadhoo Atolls, located in the southern Maldives, played a crucial role in aiding navigation across the expansive Indian Ocean. These atolls were not merely geographical features; they were essential waypoints for maritime routes connecting distant continents and cultures. European fleets, parti

The tribute-funded 'Kingship' of the Maldives in Goa Exile features a collection of ambergris, cowrie shells, and gold coins displayed on an intricately designed wooden table. In the 17th century, the Portuguese Estado da India sustained a fragile network of economic and symbolic influence across the Indian Ocean, often relying on indirect mechanisms rather than direct military control. One of the most anomalous arrangements concerned the Maldives, where a line of Catholic ex

Historic map of the Maldivian archipelago depicting old island names and maritime routes in the Indian . From: Atlas. Amsterdam, J.B. Elwe, 1792. (Koeman, II, El2 The final rescue phase of the survivors from the Portuguese nau Conceição, wrecked on August 22, 1555 , on the perilous reefs of Kandhu Atoll (Peros Banhos) in the Foalhvahi (Chagos Archipelago), stands as one of the most poignant episodes in the early European encounter with the remote Indian Ocean world. This ch

Letter from Hassan IX, King of the Maldives, to the Mesa da Consciência, dated January 23, 1556. The Letter of Hasan IX, dated January 23, 1556, stands as one of the most poignant and revealing primary sources from the early modern history of the Maldives and the Portuguese Empire in the Indian Ocean. Written by Sultan Hasan IX who had renounced Islam, converted to Christianity, and adopted the name Dom Manoel (or Manuel) this document was addressed to the Mesa da Consciência

A satellite view of the Indian Ocean reveals the strategic location of the Maldives, nestled between India and Sri Lanka, with the Chagos Archipelago to the south. The Chagos Archipelago Handover : Geography, Boris Johnson's "A Long Way Away" Critique, and the Broader DebateIn October 2024 , The United Kingdom government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a historic agreement with Mauritius to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago administered as the Brit

In the mid-1830s, the Maldives stood at a crossroads between traditional sovereignty and encroaching European imperial interest in the Indian Ocean. The archipelago, with its intricate atolls and reefs, posed grave dangers to shipping on the India-to-Cape trade routes. Captain Robert Moresby, a celebrated British hydrographer of the Bombay Marine (East India Company), arrived in 1834–1836 to conduct the first comprehensive trigonometrical survey of the Maldives. This mission

An ancient Egyptian-style boat The Maldive Mystery , Thor Heyerdahl, the famous Norwegian explorer known for his 1947 Kon-Tiki raft trip across the Pacific, decided to explore the Indian Ocean in the early '80s. In 1982, the Maldivian government invited him to lead an archaeological expedition to the Maldives, which he did from 1983 to 1984. His team, including people like archaeologist Arne Skjølsvold and geologist Øystein Koch Johansen, focused on digging up ancient mound

In 1343, the renowned Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta arrived in the Maldives, a vast Islamic sultanate extending over 1,800 kilometers, encompassing the area of Minicoy (Maliku) and the (Foalhavahi) Chagos Archipelago. His journey, recorded in his travelogue The Rihla, provides a vivid depiction of a flourishing maritime society central to the Indian Ocean trade network. During this period, the Maldives served as a crucial hub for exporting Ambergris, "floating gold," C

Illustration of the ancient Cowry Shell & Ambergris Incense trade route, featuring a map with landmarks, ships on major waters, a navigation compass, a traditional Maldivian boat, and scattered cowry shells. The ancient Egyptians, renowned for their advanced cultural and religious practices, integrated exotic materials like ambergris and cowrie shells into their society, reflecting their deep engagement with long-distance trade networks and their sophisticated understanding o