Sultan Hassan IX (Dom Manoel): Sovereignty in Exile , A Forgotten Chapter from H.C.P. Bell’s “Notices of the Exiled Kings of the Maldives”
- Ibrahim Rasheed
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
In the late 19th century, British scholar H.C.P. Bell compiled one of the most detailed accounts of a remarkable but largely forgotten episode in Maldivian and Indian Ocean history. Published as an appendix titled “Notices of the Exiled Kings of the Maldives” in the 1887–1890 Hakluyt Society edition of The Voyage of François Pyrard of Laval, Bell’s work drew upon Portuguese archives in Lisbon and Goa, as well as contemporary European traveler accounts. Among the most striking documents Bell reproduced are two related to Sultan Hassan IX, better known in his Christian exile as Dom Manoel.
The 1561 Document: Official Recognition in Goa
One key excerpt records the formal recognition of Dom Manoel’s status:
...birth of our Lord Jesu Christ one thousand five hundred and sixty years.” The document is approved, sealed, and registered by the Viceroy at Goa, under date 24th Sept. 1561.
This Portuguese viceregal patent officially acknowledged Dom Manoel’s position as a Christian king under Portuguese protection. It represents one of the earliest formal bureaucratic endorsements of his new identity following his conversion and flight from the Maldives.
The Royal Letter-Patent: A Bold Assertion of Sovereignty.
Even more remarkable is the royal charter Bell transcribed on page 496. Issued around 1558–1561 from the city of Santa Cruz of Cochin under Dom Manoel’s own seal, it begins with a grand royal style:
“Dom Manoel, by the grace of God King of the Maldive islands, and of the three patanas of Cuaydu, and of the seven islands of Pullobay, of the conquest and navigation of all the coasts of Sumatra, and of the Strait of Manacuma, etc...
To all to whom this my letter shall be shown, I make known and give to understand that as of right I think fit and am hereby pleased to grant unto Manoel da Silveira d’Araujo, Cavalier fidalgo of the household of the King of Portugal, three voyages as chief captain to my Maldive islands...”
This letter-patent granted the Portuguese nobleman and captain exclusive rights to three lucrative trading voyages to the Maldives, primarily for coir (coconut fiber), a vital commodity for Portuguese shipping. In return, Dom Manoel cited Silveira’s military service, especially his role in killing a local rebel chief known as “the robber of Baura” (Ali of Bára from Tiladummati Atoll), who had temporarily seized power.
The document is a classic example of a formal legal and constitutional instrument. Despite living in exile, Dom Manoel styled himself with expansive titles that blended traditional Maldivian claims with Portuguese imperial ambitions.
Key Titles and Territorial Claims
King of the Maldive Islands , His core claim.
Three patanas of Cuaydu , Likely referring to southern atoll districts ( linked to Suvadive/Huvadhu/Addu).
Seven islands of Pullobay ( Foalhavahi) , Widely interpreted by historians as referring to parts of the Chagos Archipelago, giving the claim modern relevance in Indian Ocean sovereignty debates.
Conquest and navigation of the coasts of Sumatra and the Strait of Manacuma (Malacca) , Aspirational maritime dominion.
Seven islands of Pullobay ( Foalhavahi)
Personal Life: Two Wives, Two Faiths
Bell records fascinating details about Dom Manoel’s family life. According to French traveler François Pyrard, when Dom Manoel fled to Cochin, he took his Maldivian wife with him, and she too converted to Christianity. Later, according to the Jesuit historian Daniello Bartoli, he married a “noble Portuguese lady” , identified in other documents as Dona Francisca de Vasconcellos (or Vasconcelos). This dual marriage reflects the cultural and religious transitions of his exile.
Life in Exile and the Continuation of the Line
Dom Manoel never regained effective control of the Maldives. After his conversion around 1551–1552 and deposition, the islands remained under local Muslim rulers. The Portuguese used his nominal Christian kingship for strategic and commercial advantage , securing supplies of coir and cowries , but provided only limited military support. He lived as a pensioner in Cochin and Goa.
His descendants continued the titular line for over a century:
Dom João
Dom Felipe (Philippe)
Dom Luís
They intermarried with Portuguese families in Goa and made occasional attempts to reclaim the throne (including expeditions in the 17th century), but all failed. The Christian “Kings of the Maldives” persisted nominally until around 1687, sustained by Portuguese pensions rather than real power.
Historical Sources and Significance
Bell’s meticulous research relied on three main pillars:
François Pyrard , The French traveler who visited the Maldives in the early 1600s and provided vivid eyewitness details.
Daniello Bartoli , Jesuit chronicler of missionary activities in Asia.
Portuguese colonial archives from Lisbon and Goa.
Together, these sources paint a poignant picture of a sultan who traded his throne for survival and faith. Dom Manoel’s story highlights the complex interplay of religion, trade, and colonialism in the 16th-century Indian Ocean. His grand royal titles and legal patents were powerful instruments that allowed a king without a kingdom to maintain status, reward allies, and project authority from exile.
Today, these documents preserved by H.C.P. Bell remain essential reading for understanding not only Maldivian history but also the broader dynamics of European expansion, religious conversion, and the enduring power of legal fictions in shaping sovereignty claims across the Indian Ocean , from the Maldives to the distant shores of the Chagos Archipelago.
Comments