Social Studies 2

Transcription

Social Studies 2

Social Studies 2
Grade 7
First and Second Edition (1994, 2000)
Units 1 - 4
Written by:
Content Validity Checked by: Edited by:
Units 5, 6, 8 and 12
Written by:
Unit 7 Written by:
Unit 9
Written by:
Proofread by:
Unit 10 and 11
Written by: Third Edition (2003)
Units 5 - 8 & 10 -12
Revised and Edited by: Maryam Azra Ahmed
Dr. Hassan Hameed
Maryam Azra Ahmed
Muhammad Waheed (G. Fehiali)
Ahmed Muhammad
Muhammad Waheed (M.Banafsa Villa)
Ahmed Muizzu
Abdul Ghafoor
Khadeeja Adam
Muhammad Waheed (G. Fehiali)
Shaheen Hameed
Maryam Azra Ahmed
Fourth Edition (2011)
Revised and Edited by: Content Validity Checked by: Maryam Shazna
Mohamed Shareef
Anil Kumar (Panel member)
Mehala Jasudhasan (Panel member)
Fathimath Rasheeda (Panel member)
Huzama Idhrees (Panel member)
L.D.N.G Piyaratne (Panel member)
Proofread by:
Dheeba Moosa,
Dr. Naashia Mohamed
Typesetting and Layout:
Hushan Shafeeq
Maps and Illustrations:
Wajeedha Ismail,
Aminath Shaheeda
Hussain Ismail
Photographs:
Heritage Department, Ali Adam,
Ahmed Azha Shameem, Ahmed Naeem
Cover Design by Hushan Shafeeq
Acknowledgements: We are thankful to members of the Social Studies Panel who provided valuable information and to all staff of curriculum section, especially Aminath Sofeenaz who helped in the production of this textbook. Special thanks to the Heritage Department for providing the photographs.
C 2011 Educational Development Centre
Ministry of Education, Republic of Maldives
ISBN: 99915-96-33-X
Reg. No
This book is written to meet the requirements of Social Studies in the National Curriculum.
This is the prescribed textbook for teaching Social Studies to students of Grade 7.
The right to modify the contents of this book lies exclusively with the Educational Development Centre of the
Ministry of Education.
Ministry of Education
CONTENTS
UNIT 1 - MALDIVES AND SOUTH ASIA
1.1
The Maldivian Civilisation2
1.2 Sources for the History of Maldives
7
1.3
South Asia15
UNIT 2 - THE SPREAD OF ISLAM
2.1
The Rise and Spread of Islam17
2.2
Islam in South and South East Asia21
2.3
The Rise of Islam in Maldives22
UNIT 3 - MALDIVES AND COLONIALISM IN SOUTH ASIA
3.1
Maldives Liberated from the Portuguese25
3.2
Colonial Powers in South Asia30
3.3
Malabari Conquest and Dhon Bandarain 32
UNIT 4 - NATIONALISM IN ASIA AND MALDIVES
4.1
Nationalism in Asia36
4.2
Indian National Movement and the Independence of South Asia
38
4.3
Independence of Maldives41
4.4
Political Developments in Maldives after 1900
43
UNIT 5 - SOME MAJOR ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
5.1
Primary Economic Activities48
5.2
Secondary Economic Activities49
5.3
Tertiary Economic Activities50
UNIT 6 - ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN MALDIVES
6.1
Early Economic Activities in Maldives51
6.2
Major Economic Activities Today52
UNIT 7 - POPULATION, ENVIRONMENT AND MIGRATION IN MALDIVES
7.1
Population Pattern in Maldives55
7.2
Environmental Issues and Population59
7.3
Population Movement within Maldives61
UNIT 8 - INTRODUCTION TO COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES
8.1
Money and Banking64
8.2
International Trade67
UNIT 9 - LAW AND ORDER
9.1
Rules and Regulations69
9.2
Laws70
UNIT 10 - MODERN STATECRAFT
10.1 The Functions of a Modern Government
73
10.2
Different Systems of Government75
10.3
Levels of Government77
UNIT 11 - THE STRUCTURE OF MALDIVIAN GOVERNMENT
11.1
Development of Statecraft in Maldives79
11.2
Government in Maldives81
11.3
Local Administration in Maldives84
UNIT 12 - MAIN DEVELOPMENTS IN THE 20TH CENTURY
12.1
War and Peace in the 20th Century85
12.2
International and Regional Organisations91
Introduction
This is the fourth edition of Social Studies 2, which is a revised edition of the previous
textbook (2003) used for the teaching of Social Studies in Grade Seven. This edition is
written to meet the requirements of Social Studies in the National Curriculum.
Social Studies 2, fourth edition, has been modified to suit the requirements arising in the
context of Maldives. The content of unit 11 has been thoroughly revised and adapted to
suit Maldivian schools in relation to the objectives of the social studies syllabus. Pictures,
data and statistics have been updated and the glossary revised.
Although Social Studies 2 is the prescribed textbook to be used at this level, students
should make use of other relevant resources to enrich their knowledge and experiences on
each topic.
UNIT 1 MALDIVES AND SOUTH ASIA
1.1 The Maldivian Civilisation
Some famous
civilisations
A Civilisation is a society which has a high level of
culture. The culture can be seen in the peoples’ social
and political organization. A civilisation would also be
marked by scientific, artistic and material progress.
Sumerian civilisation The region between the
Euphrates and Tigris rivers
of Southwest Asia, gave rise
to the earliest civilisation.
This civilisation produced
well-developed towns with
advanced design of buildings
and lifestyle.The area, which
has rich soil, is known as
the Fertile Crescent. Today,
Iraq and eastern Syria are
in this region.The Sumerian
civilisation is the oldest
civilisation discovered so far.
In Social Studies 1, under Unit 7, we have
already studied about some civilisations.We
know that almost all civilisations began near
river valleys.This is because a steady supply of
water is necessary for thousands of people to
settle together and start a civilisation.Can you
remember some of those civilisations?
Some Features of Maldivian Civilisation
A society develops through many stages.
Civilisation is the highest level of the development
of a society. For any culture to become a
civilisation, certain characteristics or features
must be present. These features are:
The other early civilisations
are the Indus Valley,
Chinese, Greece and Rome,
and the Islamic civilisation.
The Indus valley civilisation
is the most widespread
civilisation.Borrowing
extensively from Islamic,
Indian, Chinese, Greek
and Roman civilisations,
the Western civilisation of
America and Europe is the
most advanced civilisation
the world has ever seen.It is
also the most destructive.
1. invention of writing
2. metal working
3. standard units of weights and measures
4.mathematics
5.architecture
6. long-distance trade
7. specialised workmen in industry and trade
8. surplus production of food and other materials
9. wheeled carts
The later civilisations
developed mainly due to
the spread of the early
civilisations.However, there
are some civilisations that
came up independently.All
these civilisations had their
own way of life, manners,
language, art, architecture,
music, science and
technology.
We say that the Maldivians have a distinct
civilisation because all the above conditions are
met. For example:
1. Invention of Writing – The early Maldivians
developed their own alphabet called Eveyla
Akuru.This was the first alphabet of the
Maldivians and was used before 1238M.
Between 1238 and 1780, an alphabet called
Dhives Akuru was also used.The alphabet
that we use today began to be used in the
early 18th century.
2. Metal work – Maldivians were skilful in the
craft of metalwork (kanburuverikan).They
Civilisations, like living things
develop, reach maturity, grow
old and finally decay.Then
other civilisations take their
place.
2
used iron, copper, brass and other alloys
to make boatbuilding tools and household
items.These skilful craftsmen also made
the first minted coins which were used in
Maldives.
3. Standard units of measurement - In the
past Maldivians used standard units of
measurement for weight (e.g. raathaa),
volume, (e.g. laahi, naalhi) and length (e.g.
gazu, muh, kaivah, angoo).
Activity
Some key features of Maldivian
civilisation are given as an
example in the text. Find more
features from the text and various
historical accounts and explain
why they are thought to be
features of a civilisation.
Some standard of units used to
measure weight, volume and length
Weight
4 gau =
1 raathaa
28 raathaa =
1 faulaa
4 faulaa =
1 handharu
20 handharu =
1 tanu
112 raathaa =
1 handharu
Volume
2 oabu =
1 bailaahi
2 bailaahi =
1 laahi
2 laahi =
1 laahi
2 laahi =
1 bainaalhi
2 bainaalhi =
1 naalhi
Location of Maldives
Length
8 angoo =
1 kaivai
9 inchi =
1 kaivai
16 angoo =
1 muh
18 inchi =
1 muh
2 muh =
1 gazu
4. Mathematics – The Maldivian counting
system is based on 12 numerals, e.g. Anaa
(6 laaris), Hatharuvana (24 or 25 laaris) etc.It
is a base-12 system.Some consider base-12
system to be better than base-10 (decimal)
system.
The Maldives is made up of 1190
coral islands and is situated in
the northern Indian Ocean. The
Maldivian archipelago is situated
in between Latitude 7º60’ North
to Latitude 0º 42’ South, and
between Longitudes 72º 32’ and
73º45’ East. Enjoying a beautiful
tropical climate, the archipelago
covers a total area of 90,000
square kilometres, which includes
the sea within territorial waters.
The length is 750 kilometres with
the widest point measuring 120
kilometres.
Early Inhabitants
The earliest history of the Maldives yet remains
unknown as no evidence has yet been found that
tells us anything about the earliest people or their
way of life.This had been due to the geographical
isolation of Maldives from the rest of the world
probably for centuries.
Historians believe that people began to settle
in the Maldives with the beginning of seafaring
activities in the Indian Ocean.It is thought that
they might have settled in Maldives to get some
sea products such as cowries, turtle shell and
ambergris which were valuable items of ancient
Early Maldivians: An artist’s
impression
Source: National Heritage
Museum, Maldives
3
trade.This is very likely as Maldives lies in the
direct route of travelers who went East.This could
have happened about 2500 years ago.
Kudhi Boli or Maldivian Cowrie
(Cypraea Moneta) is generally
found only in Maldives. The skull
below found in Palestine had
Maldivian cowrie shells as eyes.
The skull is 9000 years old. It
is now displayed in Ashmolean
Museum, Oxford, UK. What
does it tell you about the history
of Maldives?
Travellers could have also stopped by for a
supply of fresh water, wood, coir, and other
supplies.In the past, the waters around Maldives
were well known for shipwrecks, so there might
have also been instances of shipwrecked people
settling down in Maldives.
Identity
Due to the geographical isolation, the early
Maldivians developed a unique identity of their
own. This is clear from an account by a Roman
writer of the 4th century. He had written that
the countries Dhiva (Maldives) and Serendiva
(Sri Lanka) were competing with each other
in sending emissaries to the Roman Emperor
Julian. From this account we know that there
were people living in the Maldives even 1600
years ago and that they were independent. We
also know that they were civilised people with
a unique culture and that they did know about
other nations and governments of the world and
had good relations with them. Dhivehi culture
and Islam have combined together and formed
an identity for Maldivians which has gained its
uniqueness in the world. The peaceful harmony,
co-operation and kinship or oneness among
Maldivians are maintained because of these two
main features in our identity.
9000 year old skull
Museum, Maldives
Ambergris
Economy and Trade
Source: SS Grade 7 book 3rd
edition
Early Maldivian economy was closely linked
to the sea trade.In the ancient times, Maldives
produced cowries, coir, dried fish and turtle shell.
Cowries were the form of money even though
some foreign coinage such as the silver punchmarked coins of India and the Roman coins were
also used. Maldivian cowries had a demand
from Europe to China. One bag of cowries had
the value to purchase one bag of Bengal rice.
Cowries and shells were sent to Africa and Italy
and several other places. We know that cowries
4
from the Maldives had been exported to various
countries because the same type of shells has
been located in parts of China, the Middle East
and South Asia.As the Maldive cowry shell has
been found in the ruins of the ancient port of
Lothal of the Indus Valley civilisation, we know
that cowry shells from the Maldives were used by
these ancient people as well.
Working together
The turtle shell of Maldives was used in making
combs and ambergris was used in making
perfumes.The strong and good quality Maldivian
coir was popular for boats. Ambergris trade was
carried out with the Middle East.
Source: National Heritage Museum, Maldives
In the centuries that followed, Maldives
established contacts with the various peoples of
South Asia and also with distant peoples such as
the Arabs, Greeks, Romans, Persians, Egyptians,
Africans, Malays, and Chinese.
What is an era?
It is a time period within which years
are numbered one after the other
from a particular significant event that
provides its starting point.
Society
The Islamic Era started with the rise
of Islam. The time when Prophet
Muhammad
migrated from
Makkah to Madhinah was of special
significance to Muslims.
The ancient Maldivian society was mostly
matriarchal, which means that women had
considerable powers in the matters of statecraft,
family and property rights. There are many
Maldivian features and manners that are quite
unique. Early Maldivians depended on the
goodwill and kindness of one another. Socially,
they were very caring and helpful.
Muslims begin their calendar from the
Hijri year. The first Hijri year began on
16th July 622. The Islamic calendar has
12 months of 29 or 30 days, making
the year 354 days long. Because the
lunar year is 11 days shorter than the
solar year, the months move backward
through all the seasons completing a
cycle every 32½ years.
With the spread of Islam in Maldives around
1153 M, the Maldivians were devoted with the
honourable religious spirit and brotherhood of
Islam. This formed a great community spirit.
The great bond of being a Muslim created a
sense of peace and calmness by which they
lived a simple caring life. The community spirit
showed much more during special occasions like
Eid which comes in the month of Zul-Hijjah (H)
and when the fasting month, Ramazan is over.
They begin preparing for the Eid by cleaning,
whitewashing and decorating their houses. They
cook very big meals and invite others to join in
the festivities. People would visit one another and
they would distribute their delicacies to relatives,
5
Questions and Activities
1. Name the months of the lunar
year.
2. Find out your date of birth
in Islamic and Meelaadhee
calendar systems.
3. Find out the date on which1st
of Ramazan falls this year.
On what Meelaadhee date is
it likely to fall next year?
4. What are the advantages of
the Islamic calendar over the
Meelaadhee calendar?
neighbours and friends.We could expect two or
three Thashibari brought to our home on such
special occasions. If we fall ill, the neighbours
might come and help with our housework.
In the early days, (and very often even today)
pregnant women deliver their babies at home.
This is an occasion when the neighbours come
in and do all the household work, cook and take
care of the mother and baby. There were and
still are many instances like these when traits
of Islamic brotherhood, community support and
co-operation show the social kinship formed
amongst Maldivians.
Picture depicting social kinship amongst Maldivians
Museum, Maldives
Measuring long periods of time
Most people find it easy to refer to a period of
time or era by an important event that happened
during that time. For example; the era of
Mohammed Thakurufaanu would refer to the
period when he was the ruler.
The Islamic era refer to the period beginning
from the year when Prophet Muhammad
migrated from Makkah to Madhinah with his
group of followers to escape cruel treatment.This
migration is called Hijra and marks the first year
of Hijree calendar (H).
For business and other purposes the world
requires a calendar that is based on numerical
calculations rather than observations.Such a
calendar is the Meelaadhee calendar introduced
in 1582.With this calendar it is possible to
calculate the day and date into the future
because it makes no references to the moon
or observations.The starting point for the era of
this calendar is the year in which Prophet Easa
was born. All dates before that year is known as
BC, and dates after that year are referred as AD
dates.In this book, AD will be referred to as ‘’M’’
meaning Meelaadhee, BC will be referred to as
‘’BM’’ meaning Before Meelaadhee and “CE” will
be referred to as Common Era.
Al - Masjid al- Nabawi, Prophet Muhammad’s
(pbuh)mosque, Madina
Source:http://islamicwallpapersite.com
6
1.2 Sources for the History of
Maldives
History is based on evidence. By evaluating and
analysing available evidence and by reasoning, we
can find out about a person or event of the past.
There are three main types of sources that reveal
history: documentary evidence, archaeological
record, and folk evidence.These sources
are not always reliable. Documents are not
always reliable as they can be biased and
may have been changed in the course of time.
Archaeological evidence is more reliable than the
others because we get it directly from the past.
Folk stories may change in time as they are told
from person to person.Often there is more than
one version of a folk story.
Documentary evidence: Faiykolhu
Museum, Maldives
Documentary evidence
Written sources such as literature, notes of
foreign travellers, inscriptions, copper plates,
manuscripts and in modern times, newspapers,
magazines, photographs, films, CDs come under
documentary evidence.Below are some of the
documentary evidence for the history of Maldives.
1. Loamaafaanu (Copper Plates)
1.Haddhunmathi Loamaafaanu, No.1, 11951196 M., written in Eveyla Akuru.
2.Male’: Ethere Koilu (Palace)Loamaafaanu,
1196-1197 M, written in Eveyla Akuru.
3.Haddhunmathi Loamaafaanu, No.2, 12381239 M, written in Eveyla Akuru.
4.Male’: Bodugalu Miskithu Loamaafaanu,
1356-1357 M, written in Dhives Akuru.
2. Thaareekh is historical literature of Maldives
in Arabic written by Hassan Thaajuddeen.
It covers 670 years of history, from Sultan
Muhammad ul Adhil to Sultan Muhammad
Muinudhdheen I. This is the official version of
the history of the Sultans. Apart from political
events, it also covers natural happenings
such as earthquakes, tidal waves, eclipses.
3. Raadhavalhi was written before 1757 M, in
7
Copper plates (Loamaafaanu)
Museum, Maldives
Some items in the National Museum
edition
Dhives Akuru and in Thaana.This gives some
additional information which is not found in
the Thaareekh.
4. Inscriptions are found on beams of buildings
and gravestones, in Dhives Akuru and in
Arabic.
5. Observations made by foreign travellers
• Periplus: (Greek literature, First century M.)
Calls the islands as Limurike and mentions the
trade of turtle shells.
• Ptolemy: (Greek, 127-141 M.) In front of
Tapropane (Sri Lanka) lies a group of islands
numbering 1378.
Gravestone
Museum, Maldives
• A Roman Record: (362 M.) The countries
Dhivi (Maldives/Laccadives) and Serendivi
(Sri Lanka) were competing with each other
in sending emissaries to the Roman Emperor
Julian.
• Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa: (Sri Lankan
historical literature in Pali language.Composed
in 4-5th Century M. but narrates the events
from 500 BM). Dipavamsa says the aborigine
tribes of Sri Lanka were sent to some islands
off the western coast of Sri Lanka, before 500
BM.
Goldsmith at work
Museum, Maldives
• Cosmass Indikopleites:(535-550 M.) Around
Sri Lanka there are a number of islands where
one finds fresh water and coconuts.They are
close to one another.
• Hsuan Tsang: (Chinese, 629-635 M.) South of
Sri Lanka, there are coconut islands. People
are small-built. They produce no grains but
live on coconuts.
• Chinese Tang Dynasty Records: (785-805
M.) Mo-Lai (Maldives) sent two emissaries to
China in 658 M. and in 662 M.The Maldivian
King’s name was Baalaadhithya.
• Sulaiman: (880-900 M.) There are islands
numbering 1900. A woman governs them.
Ambergris is available. Coconut is cultivated.
The islands are all inhabited and coconut tree
Part of an old map of Maldives
Museum, Maldives
8
is grown on all of them.Cowries are the form
of money.The queen has a large collection
of them.They collect cowries by placing
coconut leaves or logs in seawater.People
are industrious.They wear a whole dress (no
stitches) and build ships, houses etc. These
islands are called Dipajat.
• Al-Masudi: (916 M.) The 1900 islands have a
queen. From ancient times the people never
allow themselves to be ruled by a man.These
islands are all ruled by one government.
People are numerous and can produce a
big army when necessary.People are skilful
in crafts. Ambergris trade is carried out with
Oman.Boats are built by sewing the logs with
ropes, without iron nails.
Haiykolhu - used as a shade for Sultans
Museum, Maldives
• Abul Hassan: (Persian 1026 M.) Maldives
produce cowries, coir, dried fish and turtle
shell.The cowries and shells are sent to Africa
and Italy.
• Al-Biruni: (1030 M.) In the Dhiva (Maldives
islands), islands appear and disappear
over time.When people find their islands
submerging they shift themselves to another.
They produce cowries and coir.The islands are
classified according to the produce as DivaKudha (islands producing cowries) and DivaKanbar (islands producing coir).
• Al-Idrisi: (1099-1168 M.) The Dipajat islands
(Maldives) are close to one another. Most
of them are uninhabited. All of the inhabited
islands have chiefs.The chief’s wife functions
like a judge.The chief never interferes with
the orders of his wife.This is their custom.
The queen’s crown, dress, sandals, etc. are
made of gold and precious stones.Only the
queen can wear sandals. On occasions, the
queen rides on a procession with slave girls,
elephants, banners and trumpets.The King
and the ministers follow her at a distance.The
queen gives charity on that day.Turtle shell
is a trade item.Ornaments and combs are
made from this.The women do not cover their
9
A letter to a Sultan of Maldives from a
foreign dignitary
edition
Lacquer work
Museum, Maldives
heads.They plait their hair and wear around
ten combs on the head. Coconut and sugar
cane are cultivated. Ambergris is found.People
are skilful craftsmen.They weave a kind of
shirt with sleeves, all in one piece.They build
boats and houses are made of hard stone.The
distance between Sri Lanka and Maldives is of
seven days’ journey.
• Ibn Batuta, 1343-44 M. and 1346 M. - He
served in Maldives as a judge for one and a
half years and wrote a ten-page description of
Maldives, which is a very valuable source of
information.
• Ma Huan, 1433 M. He was a Chinese Muslim,
who served in the naval expedition of the
Chinese commander Cheng Ho. His book
contains maps, navigation routes and place
names related to Maldives. He sailed from
Sumatra to Maldives in ten days. He also
mentions the flourishing coir trade of Maldives.
A skilful craftsman
Museum, Maldives
Archaeological record and Archaeology
Archaeology is the study of human culture
through the recovery and analysis of material
remains.The study of material remains is the
most reliable and primary form of understanding
societies, their ways of life and the changes
and occurrences that may have occurred within
a period of time. Archeological records include
environmental data left behind by societies such
as artifacts (human made objects), architectural
remains (remains of buildings etc), bio-facts
(previously unhandled objects like seeds, etc).
Archaeology uses a variety of methods to find
the necessary answers.Some of the methods
include surveying, excavation, analysis and
even virtual archaeology.These methods let the
archaeologists understand the sites better and
know more about particular societies.
Ruins of Buddhist temples were found
at K. Kaashidhoo
Because understanding cultures and societies is
essential for human growth, archaeology is a very
important discipline. It gives those who study a
unique opportunity to experience historic, cultural
Museum, Maldives
10
or social change first hand.
Chinese pottery which date back between 10th
and 14th centuries have been found in large
numbers in Maldives. Pottery belonging to the
Roman, Indian, Sri Lankan, Persian, Chinese,
Arabian and many more have also been
discovered.They are a rich source of evidence
which suggests that the early Maldivians had
trade relations or friendly relations with other
countries worldwide.
Jewellery, worn by the early
Maldivian women
The history of the cowries excavated in K.
Kaashidhoo date back to the third century. Ruins
of Buddhist temples were found at this site.
Inscriptions on stone in Nagari and EveylaAkuru
alphabet have also been found. These date back
to the 9th and 12th Centuries M.
Several archaeological sites of the ancient times
have been discovered in Maldives.These sites
indicate that the Maldives has been settled for
two thousand years. Archaelogical sites are
found in Thoddoo, Nilandhoo, Kaashidhoo and
many other islands.
Source: National Heritage Museum,
Maldives
Pottery work
Museum, Maldives
Folk Evidence
Stories that are remembered over time and
practices that are continued over generations are
called folk evidence. Here are some examples:
1.The story of Rannamaari.
1. Name the main types of
sources that tell us the
history of a place or thing.
2.The legend of Redhins in some atolls.
3.The folk stories: stories about evil spirits
(Handi,Haamundi, Fureytha), Dhon Hiyala
aai Alifulhu, local fauna (Makana, Findana,
Kalhubondage Diye, Fandiyaaru Kakuni,
Don Mohonaai Miyaru), stories about
mighty sourcerers (e.g. Oditan Kaleyge),
The Koimala myth etc
2. To which atolls of the
Maldives do Thoddoo,
Nilandhoo and Kaashidhoo
belong? Find these islands
on a map of Maldives.
3. Deduce information from
the available evidence and
write an article on one of the
following:
4.Folk arts, dances, songs, etc.
5.Folk crafts: boat building, coral masonry,
weaving, etc.
a. early economic activities
b. early lifestyle of Maldivians
c. arts and crafts of early
Maldivians.
6.Folk practices: fanditha, nadhuru, etc.
11
Some folk stories:
1- Araamagu Dhon Kamana (Kaashidhoo folk story)
Early coins
Museum, Maldives
The channels in the
Maldives and the
Laccadives archipelago
1. 9-degree channel, north of
Minicoy (Maliku).
2. 8-degree channel, between
Minicoy and Ihavandhippolhu.
3. Gallandhoo Channel,
between Ihavandhippolhu and
North Thiladhunmathi.
4. Baraveli Kan’du, between
South Miladhunmadulu and
Faadhippolhu.
5. Kaashidoo Kan’du (Kardiva
Channel).
6. Vaadhoo Kan’du, between
North Male’ Atoll and South
Male’ Atoll.
7. Fulidhoo Kan’du, between
South Male’ Atoll and Felidhe
Atoll.
8. Hatharu Atholhu Medhu,
between Felidhe Atoll, Mulaku
Atoll, Ari Atoll and Nilandhe
Atoll.
9. Ariyadhoo Channel, between
Ari Atoll and North Nilandhe
Atoll.
10.Kuda Huvadhoo Channel
(Kureli Kan’du) between
Kolhumadulu, Mulaku Atoll
and Nilandhe Atoll.
11.Veymandoo Channel,
between Kolhumadulu and
Hadhdhunmathi Atoll.
12.One and a half degree
channel between
Hadhdhunmathi and Huvadhu
Atoll.
13.Equatorial Channel between
Huvadhoo and Addu Atoll.
The story is about a woman spirit who came from the sea
and married a toddy extractor in Kaashidhoo. The man
thought that she was a human being. They lived a happy
life until a wise man came to the island and exposed to the
toddy extractor that the woman was not a human being.
Earlier the woman had asked her husband not to watch her
when she was in the bathroom and when she was cooking.
The toddy extractor broke his promise and watched her
while she was in the bathroom and when she was cooking.
The discovery was terrifying and shocking for him. He saw
that she took fish from the well in the bathroom and used a
thorn in her ankle as firewood while cooking.
Raged by the fact that her husband had broken the
promise, she left the island and went back to the sea.
2- The Koimala Myth
This is a myth about the first king of the Maldives.
In the year 1117 A.D, Koimalaa (also known as
Dharumavantharasgefaanu) arrived in Maldives. He
was a prince from the Indian subcontinent. The people
of Giraavaru spotted his vessel from afar and welcomed
him. They allowed him to settle on that large sandbank in
the midst of the waters tainted with fish blood.Trees were
planted on the sandbank and as time went by the local
islanders accepted the rule of this northern prince. A palace
was built and the island was formally named Maa-le (Malé),
while the nearest island was named Hulhu-le (Hulhulé).
Since then Malé has been the seat of the Maldivian crown
and now the capital city.
Koimala fought against the vanquished Cholas who had
control over Maldives at the time, and for the first time in
recorded history, unified the Maldives under one leader. He
was the first ruler of Maldives after the conversion to Islam.
It is said that he ruled from 1117 to 1141.The Theemuge
Dynasty started with this king whose Monarchic name was
Theemuge Mahaabarana Mahaaradhun.
12
The Atolls of Maldives
North Thiladhunmathee Atoll
THE
MALDIVES
South Thiladhunmathee Atoll
North Thiladhunmadulu Atoll
South Thiladhunmadulu Atoll
North Malhosmandulu Atoll
Faadhippulhu Atoll
South Malhosmandulu Atoll
Male’ Atoll
North Ari Atoll
MALE’
South Ari Atoll
Felidhe Atoll
North Nilandhe Atoll
Mulaku Atoll
Kolhumadulu Atoll
Hadhunmathi Atoll
North Huvadhu Atoll
South Huvadhu Atoll
Foammulah Atoll
Addu Atoll
13
Geographical Features of South Asia
14
1.3 South Asia
South Asia is often called a subcontinent because of its size
and geographical features. Did you know that every fifth
person in the world is a South Asian?
Geographical position
The map on page 14 shows the geographical features
of South Asia.South Asia is a very large area, almost
equal to the continent of Europe.The land stretches to
more than 3500 kilometers from North to South and
2500 kilometers from East to West.
The mountain ranges of the North acts as a barrier
against the harsh cold winds blowing from the Asian
mainland. Nevertheless, the warm monsoon winds
from the Indian Ocean give seasonal rainfall to the
region. South Asia is generally classified as a region of
monsoon climate.
The favourable environment of South Asia has made
it one of the favourite habitats of humans for the past
hundreds of thousands of years.The aborigines or the
earliest people of South Asia are called Austroloids or
Austro-Asians by Anthropologists.
Over thousands of years, several different races and
ethnic groups entered South Asia through the high
mountain passes of the North and through maritime
activities.These people became intermixed over
time and have become South Asians.Today, features
of people from various parts of the world can be
seen among South Asians.They speak hundreds of
languages and thousands of dialects. All the major
religions of the world and some of the minor ones are
found in South Asia.
The languages of South Asians share many similarities
and there are many common features in appearance,
culture, tradition and lifestyle.
Politically, South Asia of today is divided into the
following countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.The whole
population of South Asia is now larger than that of
China and is one of the largest populated regions of
the world.Every fifth person in the world is a South
Asian.
15
The main geographical
features of South Asia
(See the map on page 14)
a.The mountain ranges that
span out from the Pamir
Knot: the Karakoram
and the Himalayas in
the north; Sulaiman and
the Hindhukush in the
Northwest; and the Arakan
Yoma in the Northeast.
b.The fertile plains of the
rivers Indus, Ganges and
Brahmaputra.
c.The Great Indian Desert in
the Northwest.
d.The Deccan plateau of
peninsular India bordered
by the Western Ghats, the
Eastern Ghats and the
Vindya Ranges.
e.The coastal plains along
the Bay of Bengal and the
Arabian Sea.
f.The island of Sri Lanka,
the Laccadive Islands, the
Maldive Islands and the
Chagos Islands.
1. Explain why South Asian
region has been a favourite
habitat.
2. Make a list of the main
languages spoken by the
people of South Asia.
3. As group work, make a
model of South Asia and
find basic information of the
countries that make up this
region.
16
UNIT 2 THE SPREAD OF ISLAM
2.1 The Rise and Spread of Islam
The bond of Islam makes Muslims of all races and
tribes as brothers and sisters.
The rise of Islam in Arabia in the 7th Century
was one of the most significant events of world
history. The Prophet Muhammad
was
born in the year 570 M in Makkah in the land
of Saudi Arabia.The message of Islam was
revealed to Muhammad from 610 M onwards.
At the time of his death in 632 M, Makkah and
Madinah had already become strong centres of
Islam, controlling a part of Arabia. After Prophet
Muhammad’s death, his followers continued to
spread Islam.
The First Caliphs or Khulafa ul-Rashidun
(632-661 M. based at Madinah)
Islam is the religion that
offers Allah’s compassion
and guidance to all people, a
spiritual faith based on mercy,
peace, forgiveness, modesty
and happiness.
Islam is Arabic word which
means ‘submission’, ‘surrender’
or ‘obedience’. Another meaning
of the word is ‘peace’. It stands
for a person’s decision to
surrender totally to the will of
God.
The spirit of Islam is totally
against acts of violence and
oppression.
Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq (632-34)
Islam spread through entire Arabia and Palestine
Umar bin Al-Khattab (634-44) Islam spread throughout Syria, Egypt, Libya and
Iraq.
During the Abbasid dynasty,
science, art and technology
flourished. Arabic scholar
Alhazen (965–1039) wrote the
first accurate account of vision.
He gave us the term “lens”.
Lens is derived from the word
lentil which is mugu in Dhivehi.
Have you noticed any similarity
in the shape of a mugu seed
and a magnifying glass?
Uthman bin Affan (644-56) Islam spread to Armenia, Azarbaijan, parts of
Turkey and Persia (Iran).
Ali bin Abithalib (656-61) The rule of the Madinah based Caliphs came to
an end after Ali bin Abithalib.
The Umayyad Caliphs
(661-750 M. based at Damascus in Syria)
The rule of Umayyad Caliphs began in 661.
They ruled a vast empire extending from Europe
to India until 750. However, this line of Caliphs
continued in Spain until 1031.Science, arts and
technology learning centres were built all over the
empire.
The Abbasid Caliphs
(750-1258 M. based at Baghdad in Iraq)
In 750, the Abbasid family started a new
line (dynasty) of caliphs which ruled the
Islamic Empire until 1258. The Abbasids
17
Many of the stories in the
famous Alif Laila wa Laila
(The Thousand and One
Nights) was set in the court
of Haaroon al-Rasheed. The
stories feature Ali Baabaa,
Sindhbaad the Sailor and
Alaaudhdheen. Haroon al
Rasheed encouraged learning
and the arts.
were descended from the uncle of Prophet
Muhammad, Abbas.Under the rule of their first
Caliph, Abul Abbas Al-Saffah, the capital of the
Empire was moved from Damascus to the newly
founded city of Baghdad. Their most famous ruler
was Haaroon al-Rasheed.
Islam is a religion which
values individual freedom.
It does not regard anyone,
including kings, to be above
the law. For this reason,
whenever people are
oppressed (i.e., dominated
cruelly) then Islam acts as
a liberating force. This is
happening in Palestine and
Chechnya.
These Caliphs set up large free libraries all
over the Islamic empire. One of the earliest
universities, Al-Azhar was established in Egypt
in 969. By contrast, the first European university,
(University of Bologna in Italy) was established in
1100 and imitated Islamic universities.
Salahuddin the Magnificient
wanted a man to go around
the city with his burial cloth
shouting that that was all
Sultan Salahuddin was taking
to the grave, when he died.
Al-Azhar University in Cairo is the
oldest in the Muslim world and the oldest
religious institution of learning anywhere.
The University, in the foreground, was
constructed next to the Al-Azhar mosque.
Source: chronikler.com
Aurangzeb was a devout
Muslim. He wrote a copy of
the Noble Qura’n by hand.
When he died he wanted
his burial cloth (kafun) to
be bought from the money
obtained by selling that copy
of the Noble Qura’n.
The Ottoman Caliphs
From time to time the Islamic empire was
harassed by European and Mongol invasions.The
Mongols from East Asia almost destroyed the
Islamic civilization in the 13th century.But often the
conquerors become converted to Muslims and
revive the Islamic civilization. This happened with
the Turks and the Mongols.
When the Mongols withdrew from Muslim lands
at the end of the thirteenth century, a Turkish
muslim chief by the name of Usmaan started a
new Islamic empire called the Ottoman Empire.
The Ottoman Empire expanded rapidly.Its
most famous leader is Sultan Salahuddin the
18
Magnificent. He added the countries known today
as Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, Serbia, Croatia,
Bosnia and Hungary to the Empire.At the same
time, Islam spread to West Africa, the regions
South of Sahara and to South and South East
Asia.
The capital of Ottoman Empire was Istanbul,
which is placed between Europe and Asia. As a
result it became a centre for trading goods from
Asia and Europe.
However, later the government administration
weakened. Europeans began to deal directly
with Asia by way of sea and trade declined.The
later sultans led a life of leisure. In 1908, the
young officers of the Ottoman army overthrew the
unpopular Sultan and set up a new government.
From the tenth century, most
of the northwestern India had
been ruled by Muslim princes.
Among the most famous of
these was Muhammad of
Ghazni (998–1003) who, like
Muslim rulers, encouraged
poets, scholars, artists and
scientists to come to his court.
Another powerful Muslim
kingdom was the Sultanate of
Delhi which was established
in 1206. From the 13th century
onwards the sultanate was
practically dominating the
entire South Asia
The Moguls
Another line of famous muslim rulers were the
Moguls. The Moguls were descendents of
Mongols (thus the name) and Turks.The first
Mogul ruler was Babur who ruled northern India
from 1526 to 1530.However, the most well-known
is Akbar who ruled from 1555 to 1605. He was
a wise and great military leader who brought
Gujurat and Bengal under his control.Mogul
emperors were patrons of art and architecture.
Akbar’s grandson, Shah Jahan built one of the
wonders of the world – the Taj Mahal, in memory
of his wife who died in childbirth. Shah Jahan’s
son Aurangzeb was the last great Mogul emperor.
Under his rule the empire reached its greatest
extent. Aurangzeb conquered most of the rest
of India. After Aurangzeb’s death in 1707, the
Mogul empire declined.All real power was lost in
1803 when the British raided the capital city of
Delhi.
19
The Taj Mahal at Agra in India is the most
famous building in India. It was built for Mumtaz
Mahal, wife of the Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan,
and they are both buried here.
Source: whataphotos.com
Reasons for the Rapid Spread of Islam
A European historian, HG
Wells, gave the reason for the
rapid expansion of Islam as
thus:
Islam spread quickly because whenever people
accept Islam they become closely linked to one
another in one international community. This
came about through the shared religion, through
Islamic laws, and through Arabic which is used
for prayers and to write many documents.
“Islam prevailed because it was
the best social and political
order the times could offer. It
was the broadest, freshest, and
cleanest political idea that had
yet come into actual activity in
the world. It was full of the spirit
of kindliness, generosity and
brotherhood; it was a simple
and understandable religion…”
When Muslims conquered a country, they always
ruled it in a way which took account of the local
culture. Islam emphasizes learning.Schools and
universities were built everywhere in the Islamic
Empire.Before Islam came to different countries,
learning was the privilege of a few people.So
even after invasions, the people were still bound
together by its rich culture.The empire spread by
sea, because they had developed strong ships
and invented instruments for navigation.The
Islamic army was also strong and fearless.
Map of Silk Route and Spice Route used by Arabs
The silk route and the spice route used by Arabs
for trading among Africa, Asia, Middle East,
Europe and China. For the voyages Muslim
Arabs used dhows which can travel very close to
the wind.
Key:
____ Silk route
____ Spice route
Source: SS Grade 7 book 3rd edition
20
2.2 Islam in South and
Southeast Asia
The Astrolabe, charting and developments in shipbuilding technology made Arabs adventurous seafarers
and travellers.
From 8th century onwards, the Arabs had
a flourishing sea trade in the Indian Ocean
reaching up to China. Many contact points were
established and Islam became known in the
coastal parts of South India and Sri Lanka.
The Muslim traders obtained spices, ambergris,
cowries, coir rope, cotton, perfume, pearls,
rubies, medicines, dyes, and ivory from South
and South East Asia.From the North, they
brought glassware, metal ware, carpets, cloth,
amber, and furs.
Some spices
As Islamic sea-trade flourished many coastal
communities embraced Islam.An Islamic state
was established in the northern tip of Sumatra in
1210 M.In the next few centuries Islam spread to
the Indonesian islands and to Malaysia through
sea trade.
Islam has prevailed in South Asia for 1200 years.
South Asia was under active Islamic rule for at
least 600 years. A part of South Asian culture
today is Islamic.The blend of South Asian and
Islamic traditions contributed greatly in the fields
of politics, public administration, art, architecture,
literature and science.
Astrolabe used by navigators
Source: orientalwatchsite.com
Today, about 500 million people of South Asia
are Muslims. This is about 30-40 percent of the
population of South Asia.
Astrolabe used by navigators
Source: theplayhouse.org.uk
21
2.3 The Rise of Islam in Maldives
The legend of Rannamaari
The date of the introduction of Islam in Maldives is 1153 M.
is one version of how Islam was
introduced to Maldives
In ancient times, in the reign of an infidel King, a
Moroccan named Abul Barakaath visited Maldives. At
that time, there was a practice of sacrificing a young
girl every month to a spirit called Rannamaari which
was said to appear from the sea. One night, when Abul
Barakaath came home, the lady of the house where he
was residing at was crying. When he enquired about
the matter he came to know that her only daughter was
chosen to be taken to the Budhukoalu (Buddhist temple)
to be sacrificed. Abul Barakaath, out of sympathy
offered to go instead of the girl. He disguised himself as
a female and as soon as he entered the budhukoalu,
he began to recite the Noble Quran as he knew it by
memory. It was said that the Rannamari came out
from the sea and as soon as it heard the Noble Quran,
it disappeared into the sea and vanished. When the
villagers came to the temple in the early morning, they
found Abul Barakaath still reciting the Quran and very
much alive! They were astonished and soon the King
was informed. The King was very surprised to hear the
news. Abul Barakaath then asked him to accept Islam
whereupon the King who was quite interested in this
new religion asked him to drive away the spirit in the
following month too. If he succeeded in driving away
the spirit again, then the King would accept Islam.So
the next month, he recited the noble Quran throughout
the night and everyone was quite safe when the next
day dawned. Convinced by the faith of Islam, the King,
his family and the leading people became muslims.
However, Abul Barakaath was required to go to the
Budhukoalu the following month and again he did the
same. That time, the spirit did not appear at all and
more people gradually converted being convinced of the
sacredness of Islam. After some time, the King left for
Makkah on pilgrimage and nothing was heard of him.
His descendants ruled Maldives. Abul Barakaath died in
Male’ and was buried at Medhuziyaaraiy adjacent to the
Hukuru Miskiy (Old Friday Mosque).
22
Dharumavantha Rasgefaanu
Miskiy, Male’
Medhu Ziyaaraiy, Male’
Museum, Maldives
The above story is also in the travel
accounts of Ibn Batuta who visited
Maldives in the 14th century.
Very similar legends are heard
on the introduction of Islam in the
neighbouring coastal regions of South
India and Sri Lanka. They do give us
an idea on the peaceful ways of the
introduction of Islam in the southern
coasts of South Asia.
However, as we have seen in the previous
lessons, history is more than myths and legends.
Historical and archaeological evidence shows
that the Arabs had wide trade contacts and that
there were a number of Arab settlements in the
southern coasts of South Asia from 8th century
onwards. Maldives, because of its location, must
have been aware of Islam and muslims well
before 1153 M.
Excerpt from President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s Address to the Nation
on 14th July 2000 (2nd Rabeeul Aakhir 1421)
We have learnt how developments in Maldives
were linked to sea-trade in the past. Islam
brought in new economic opportunities to
Maldives. Being Islamic, it was easier to
participate in the maritime trade. Along with Islam
came new ideas on politics, society and culture,
which brought in new developments acceptable
to the people of Maldives.
According to another legend
found in the Thaareekh a mystic
called Yousuf Shamsudheen
from Barbar in Morocco or
Thabriz in Iran, came to Maldives
and performed a miracle of
raising a big Jinni. Impressed
by this, the King embraced
Islam. The King then changed
his name to Sultan Muhammad
Ibn Abdullah (Dharumavantha
Rasgefaanu). Sultan Muhammad
was a just, impartial and pious
ruler who observed the religious
laws very strictly and was beloved
by the people for his wisdom,
kindness and generosity.
He sent missionaries to
various parts of the Maldives
to spread Islam. The first
Friday Mosque to be built in
Malé and the Dharumavantha
Rasgefaanu Miskiy at Malé were
commissioned by this Sultan.
Until the 1970’s when crossing
Medhuziyaaraiy, people use to
say “Alhamdhu lillaahi” thanking
Allah for making Maldives Muslim.
Every year 2nd Rabeeu’l Aakhir
is celebrated to mark the rise of
Islam in Maldives.
23
Lineage of Sultans
(For Reference Only)
Sri Mahaabarana Maharadhun
AH 515 -36 : CE..1121-41)
Sultan Muhammad Ibn Adil
(AH 536-71: CE..1142-66)
Sultan Muthe Kalaminja
(AH 571-80 : CE..1176-84)
Sultan Ali Kalaminja
(AH 580-88 : CE..1184-93)
Sultan Dinei Kalaminja
(AH 588-95: CE..1193-99)
Sultan Dihei Kalaminja
(AH. 595-610: CE. 1199-1213)
Sultan Wadi Kalaminja
(AH 610-30: CE..1213-32)
Sultan (unnamed) Kalaminja
(AH 630-55: CE..1232-57)
Sultan Hudei Kalaminja
(AH 655-62: CE..1257-63)
Sultan Aima Kalaminja
(AH 662-64: CE..1263-65)
Sultan Ali Kalaminja II
(AH 664-64: CE..1265-66)
(AH 665-67: CE..1266-67)
Sultan Muhamad Audu Kalaminja
(AH 667-76: CE..1268-77)
Sultan Ali Kalaminja III
(AH 676-86:CE..1277-86)
Sultan Yusuf Kalaminja
(AH 686-93: CE..1287-94)
(AH 693-701: CE..1294-1301)
Sultan Davud kalaminja
(AH 701-06: CE..1301-06)
Sultan Jalaluddin Umar Veeru
(AH 706-34: CE..1306-35)
Sultan Ahmad Shihabuddin
(AH 735-41: CE..1335-41)
Sultana Rehendi Khadija (1st Acc)
(AH 741-44: CE..1341-43)
Sultan Muhammad Jamaluddin
(AH 744-64: CE..1344-43)
Sultana Rehendi Khadijah (2 Acc)
(AH 744-54: CE..1344-54)
Sultan Abdullah I
(AH 755-58: CE..1354-57)
Sultana Rehendi Khadiah (3 Acc)
(AH 758-62: CE..1357-61)
Sultana Raadfathi Kan’baidi
(AH 762-62: CE..1361-61)
Sultan Muhammad al-Maakurathi
(AH 762-66: CE..1361-65)
Sultana Rehendi Dainu Kabadi
(AH 766-71: CE..1365-70)
Sultan Abdullah II
(AH 771-72: CE..1370-70)
Sultan Usman
(AH 772-73: CE..1371-71)
Sultan Hilali Hassan
(AH 773-783: CE..1372-82)
Sultan Ibrahim I (1st Acc)
(AH 783-84: CE..1382-83)
Sultan Hussain I
(AH 784-95: CE..1383-93)
Sultan Nasruddin
(AH 795-98: CE..1393-94)
Sultan Hassan II
(AH 798-99: CE..1395-97)
Sultan Easa
(AH 799: CE..1397-97)
Sultan Ibrahim I (2nd Acc)
(AH 799-807: CE..1397-1405)
Sultan Usman II
(AH 808-08: CE..1406-06)
Sultan Danna Muhammad
(AH 808-09: CE..1406-06)
Sultan Yusuf II
(AH 809-33: CE..1407-30)
Sultan Abu Bakr I
(AH 833-33: CE..1430-30)
Sultan Haji Hassan III (1st Acc)
(AH 834-61: CE..1431-56)
Sultan Sayyid Muhammad
(AH 861-63: CE..1457-57)
Sultan Haji Hassan III (2nd Acc)
(AH 863- : CE1459-59 )
Sultan Muhammad
(AH 864-78: CE..1460-74)
Sultan Hassan IV (1st Acc)
(AH 878-78: CE..1474-74)
Sultan Umar II
(AH 878-82: CE..1474-77)
Sultan Hassan V
(AH 882-85: CE..1478-80)
Sultan Hassan IV (2nd Acc)
(AH 885-90: CE.. 1481-85)
Sultan Sheikh Hassan VI
(AH 890-93: CE..1486-88)
Sultan Ibrahim II
(AH 893-93: CE..1488-88)
Sultan Kalhu Muhammad (1 Acc)
(AH 894-94: CE..1489-89)
Sultan Yusuf III
(AH 895-95 : CE..1490-90)
Sultan Ali IV
(AH 895-898: CE..1490-92)
SultanKalhuMuhammad(2 Acc)
(AH 898-913: CE..1493-1508)
Sultan Hassan VII
(AH 913-14: CE..1508-08)
Sultan Sharif Ahmed
(AH 914-17: CE..1509-11)
Sultan Ali V
(AH 917-17: CE..1511-12)
Sultan Kalhu Muhammad (3 Acc)
(AH 917-35: CE..1512-27)
Sultan Hassan Shirazi VIII
(AH 935-55: CE..1528-1548)
Sultan Muhammad
(AH 955-57: CE..1548-50)
Sultan Hassan IX
(AH 957-59: CE..1550-51)
INTERREGNUM
(AH 959-63 : CE.. 1551-57 )
Sultan Abubakr II
(AH 963-63: CE..1555-55)
INTERREGNUM
(AH 963-965 : CE..1555 -57)
Sultan Ali VI
(AH 965-65: CE..1558-58)
INTERREGNUM
(AH 965-80 : CE..1558 -72)
Sultan Muhammad Thakurufaan
(AH 981-93: CE..1573-85)
Sultan Ibrahim III
(AH 993-1017: CE..1585-1609)
Sultana Kalhu Kamana
AH 1017 -17 : CE 1609 -13 )
24
Sultan Hussain II Faamudeyri Kilegefaanu
(AH 1021-24: CE..1612-19)
INTERREGNUM
(AH 1030 -30 : 1620 -20)
Sultan Shujai Muhammad Imaduddin I
(AH 1031-58: CE..1621-48)
Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar I
(AH 1058-98:CE..1648-87)
Sultan Kuda Muhammad
(AH 1098-1102: CE..1687-91)
Sultan Muhammad Muhiuddin-ul-Adil
(AH 1102-03: CE..1691-92)
Sultan Sayyid Muhammad Shamsuddin I
(AH 1103-03: CE..1692-92)
Sultan Muhammad
(AH 1104-12: CE..1692-1701)
Sultan Ali VII
(AH 1113-13: CE..1701-01)
Sultan Hassan X
(AH 1113-13: CE..1701-15)
Sultan Ibrahim Muzhiruddin
(AH 1113-15: CE..1701-03)
Sultan Muzaffar Muhammad Imaduddin II
(AH 1116-33: CE..1704-21)
Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar II
(AH 1133-63: CE..1721-50)
Sultan Mukarram Muhammad Imaduddin
III
(AH 1163-66: CE..1750-52)
Aimina Kan’baafaanu
(AH 1166-66 :CE..1752 -52 )
Aimina Rani Kilegefaanu
(AH 1166-73 : CE 1752 -59 )
Sultan Ghazi Hassan Izzuddin
(AH 1173-80: CE..1759-67)
Sultan Muhammad Ghiyasuddin
(AH 1180-87: CE..1767-73)
Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddin II
(AH 1187-87: CE..1773-73)
Sultan Muhammad Muizzuddin
(AH 1187-93: CE..1773-79)
Sultan Haji Hassan Nuruddin
(AH 1193-1213: CE..1779-99)
Sultan Muhammad Muinuddin Iskandar
(AH 1213-50: CE..1799-1835)
Sultan Muhammad Imaduddin IV
(AH 1250-99: CE..1835-82)
Sultan Ibrahim Nuruddin (1st Acc)
(AH 1299-1304: CE..1882-86)
Sultan Muhammad Muinuddin II
(AH 1304-05: CE..1886-88)
Sultan Ibrahim Nuruddin (2nd Acc)
(AH 1306-10: CE..1888-92)
Sultan Muhammad Imaduddin V
(AH 1310-10: CE..1892-92)
Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddin III (1st
Acc)
(AH 1310-11: CE..1893-93)
Sultan Haji Muhammad Imaduddin VI
(AH 1311-20: CE..1893-1901)
Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddin III (2nd
Acc)
AH 1320-72: CE..1903-34)
Sultan Hassan Nooruddin II
AH 1352-73 : CE.. 1935 -53 )
INTERREGNUM - FIRST REPUBLIC
(AH 1372-99 : CE..1953 -53)
Sultan Muhammad Fareed I
AH 1373-87 : CE 1954 -68 )
SECOND REPUBLIC
(AH 1388- : CE..1968-)
UNIT 3 MALDIVES AND COLONIALISM IN SOUTH ASIA
3.1 Maldives liberated from the
Portuguese
The European powers colonized parts of Asia and the Far East
using bribes and bullying. First they would come as traders,
and then create divisions within society by bribing discontented
people. Then they use these people to claim territory.
When the Portuguese explorers reached the East Indies
in the early 16th century, they found that these islands
were rich in the spices that Europe wanted. To control this
valuable trade, the Portuguese conquered the Moluccas
Islands and seized the main ports in the Indian ocean. As
Portuguese sailors had to sail around the Cape of Good
Hope to return to Lisbon, forts were set up at various
places along the coast of Africa to protect them.
During this time, the Indian subcontinent was controlled
by three powers i.e. the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire in
the South, the Bahmini Sultanate in the Deccan and the
Mughal Empire (after 1526) in the North.These Empires
stopped the Portuguese from getting any large territories
in India. But the Portuguese were giving war material to
the local rivalling powers to make them feel necessary
in the region.They controlled the sea trade without any
mercy and got hold of small and weak territories. By the
middle of 16th century, from Africa to Japan, they had
more than fifty forts to run their trading empire.
In 1505, the Portuguese visited Sri Lanka and got
permission to set up a trading station at Colombo. In a
few decades they were controlling the coastal areas of Sri
Lanka.They found out that ships carrying spices and other
valuable trade items from Burma, Thailand and Sumatra,
were sailing through the channels of Maldives.During
those times, the superior quality Maldivian coir was used
in ships all over South Asia. In order to control the sea
routes in the region and to get coir, cowries, ambergris
and dried fish, the Portuguese wanted to occupy
Maldives.
Maldivian coir trade at that time was in the hands of a
Kerala Muslim called Maamali Marakar of Kannanur.
A matriarchal Muslim Nayar family known as Ali Rajas
were ruling Kannanur during this period.They were also
controlling the Laccadive Islands.
25
The Arabs had been trading with
the East for hundreds of years.
However, they bought the goods
from the natives. As a result the
people enjoyed the profit from the
lucrative spice trade. But under
Portuguese rule, local people were
forced to harvest spices for them
and were enslaved to work in
factories run by Europeans.
Giant cowrie
Source: messersmith.name
The Portuguese got knowledge
about Maldives in 1507. They
wanted to occupy Maldives to
gain control of the sea trade.
Money cowrie
Source: filintrade.narod.ru
Sultan Kalhu Muhammad was ruling Maldives
during the period 1491-1492, and for a second time
from 1495-1510 M. When he was removed from
the throne, he looked for the help of Ali Raja and
came with the Kannanur warships. The Portuguese
also joined in the campaign and made him Sultan
of Male’ in 1512. He ruled for 17 years during this
period. The Portuguese killed Maamali Marakar
and tried to get the total control of trade in the
Laccadives and Maldives.In 1517, the Portuguese
were permitted to trade in Male’ but soon they were
put to death for ill-treating the Maldivians.
Maldives was paying tribute
to Kannanur for 150 years,
and tribute to the Portuguese
until the time of Muhammad
Thakurufaanu
Meanwhile, the Portuguese wanted to occupy
Maldives desperately.They used a former Sultan
(Kaafaruvi Hassan IX) who had fled to Cochin and
changed his religion to Christianity, to bring Maldives
under their control. But the people of Maldives
would not accept the Kaafir Sultan.Nevertheless,
in his name, the Portuguese invaded Maldives
in 1558.The military campaign was led by Adhiri
Adhirin.During the attack, the ruling Sultan Ali VI of
Maldives was killed on 1st Shau’ban 965 H (19 May
1558).In the name of Hassan IX, Adhiri Adhirin was
appointed to rule and was in power for 15 years 6
months. Thus the darkest years of Maldives history
began.
Sultan Ali VI’s resting place,
Maafannu - Male’
Three brothers from Utheemu
Island brought the cruelty of the
Portuguese rule and the forceful
religious conversions to an end.
Muhammad Thakurufaanu and the liberation
of Maldives
During the Portuguese rule, Maldivians faced severe
cruelty and great hardship.People were forced to
change their religion to Christianity and devout
Muslims in the country were brutally murdered.The
Portuguese sent groups of people to various parts of
the Maldives to forcefully change the religion.They
looted the belongings of Maldivians, burnt homes
and mercilessly dishonoured the women and girls.
Kalhuoh Fummi: An artist’s
impression
Three brothers from Thiladhunmathi Utheem
decided to end the unjust rule of the Portuguse
and fight for freedom. They were Muhammad
Thakurufaanu, his half brother, Ali Thakurufaanu,
and his own younger brother, Hassan
Thakurufaanu. They built a fast sailing ship,
Museum, Maldives
26
popularly known as Kalhuoh Fummi, and supplying it
with weapons and food, sailed to Minicoy with their wives
and children.
At Minicoy, the three brothers met two other Maldivian
brothers by the name of Ali Haji and Hassan Haji.They
were both very good at martial arts such as judo and
karate and were experts in the use of spears.When
Muhammad Thakurufaanu and his brothers told them of
their plans, the Haji brothers decided to join and support
them in their fight. Under the leadership of Muhammad
Thakurufaanu, they took an oath in the name of the
Almighty Allah, to fight the Portuguese to the end. With
this determination to defeat the Portuguese, the five of
them returned to Utheem and started their campaign.
The group had a fixed plan of attacking the Portuguese.
At night they would come ashore in various islands under
the cover of the dark, attack and kill the Portuguese
on the islands and leave with food, water and other
necessities before the break of dawn.On one of these
raids, while the group was at Haa Alifu Thakandhoo, Ali
Thakurufaanu fell asleep at his wife’s house and failed
to join the others when they left just before dawn. In the
morning, the Portuguese captured and killed him.
Once the Portuguese burnt
down an ‘odi’ with many
Maldivians tied on board while
in an Indian harbour.
Early sail boats, used for traveling
and carrying goods
Museum, Maldives
Portuguese raids continued for
about 75 years but each time
they were driven away. Maldives
became one of the few countries
which overthrew the invaders.
The tragedy of Ali Thakurufaanu’s death did not lower
the spirits of the rest of the group.It only made their
determination stronger.However, because of the
increased alertness and power of the Portuguese troops,
the group had to seek help from Ali Raja of Kannanore.
At this time Portuguese force and cruelty had increased.
The first day of Rabeeul Awwal, 981 H (1st July 1573
M) was publicly declared to be the day that everyone
in Male’ would have alcohol poured down into their
throats and forced to accept Christianity. Anyone – men,
women, boys and girls who refused would be murdered.
Meanwhile, a group of devout and courageous Muslims of
Male’ had met and promised to fight the Portuguese and
become martyres. By the Gracious will of Almighty Allah,
in the early morning of this frightening day, Muhammad
Thakurufaanu and his group arrived at Male’. They
went to the Portuguese garrison and began their attack.
Adhiri Adhirin was killed by a shot fired by Muhammad
Thakurufaanu.Thus began the fight that ended the
27
Bihuroazu Miskiy, Male’:
Burial place of Bodu Thakurufaanu
Portuguese rule.
The honour bestowed on
Muhammad Thakurufaanu
extends to Utheem, its properties
and things. Muhammed Jameel,
a writer, notes that ‘Utheem
baththeli’ are treated with
respect by the people of the
North.
Although Portuguese could not gain a foothold
in Maldives, their attacks continued for about 75
years. The Portuguese invaded Male’ again,
without any success during 1624-25, when
Sultan Muhammad Shujai Imaduddeen I (Bodu
Rasgefaanu) was ruling; and during 1648-87
when Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar I was ruling.To
face the invasions, Sultan Imaduddeen I built
a fort (Bodufaaru) around Male’, the remains
of which stood until not long before the present
time.In the middle of 17th century, the Dutch took
the place of the Portuguese power in the Indian
Ocean.Maldives had good relations with the
Dutch.
1. Write a few paragraphs on
the Portuguese activities in
South Asia.
2. Discuss the reasons for the
Portuguese interest in the
Maldives.
Muhammad Thakurufaanu is remembered as
a national hero for regaining the independence
of Maldives and for bringing back the faith of
Islam in Maldives.He brought many changes and
reform in the administration of the government.
He rebuilt the country with many innovations.
He made the Askarin or the military force into
an organised body and arranged provisions
for them.He introduced coins to Maldives.
Muhammad Thakurufaanu ruled wisely, being just
and showing concern for the rights and feelings
of others and protecting the poor.It was a time
of peace and prosperity for the country. He died
on 1st Ramazan 993 H (1585M). His tomb is in
Male’ at Bihuroazu Miskiy. All over the Maldives,
on 1st Rabeeu’l Awwal people pray and thank
Almighty Allah for liberating Maldives and pray to
Allah for forgiveness and blessings for this hero.
The poor and hungry are fed and Mauloodhu and
Salawaaiy are read in many islands.
3. Write an essay on the
significance of the role
played by Muhammad
Thakurufaanu in the history
of Maldives.
4. View the film ‘Bodu
Thakurufaanu’ to get a
better understanding about
life during Muhammad
Thakurufaanu’s time.
5. Why do you think that
some Maldivian rulers
sought foreign assistance?
What were some of the
consequences?
6. Explain how 1st Rabeeu’l
Awwal is marked in your
island.
The National Day is celebrated in remembrance
of Muhammad Thakurufaanu and those who
fought for the liberation of Maldives.
The Portuguese and the Dutch became weak
empires during the 18th century. In their place, the
British and the French became the main colonial
competitors. They struggled against each other
to build up empires in North America and in South
28
Asia.For this purpose they fought a Seven Years
War, between 1756 and 1763, simultaneously in
Europe, North America, and in India.Even though
the British succeeded in this war, their success
in North America was short lived. In 1776,
thirteen British Colonies in North America, aided
by France, rose up against Britain to become
an independent nation - the U.S.A. But in South
Asia, the British were able to maintain an empire
until 1947.
Masjid-al-Sultan Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al
Auzam – the largest mosque in Maldives, named after
the popular hero
Museum, Maldives
29
3.2 Colonial Powers in South Asia
An interesting aspect of colonial history is how the small
European countries were able to achieve the control
of large productive countries in the other continents.
Having powerful control of trade and sea power were
the most important factors for their achievements.
Spices make bland foods taste more
exciting and they also help preserve them
Source: balispices.com
After Portugal and Spain, many other European
countries too entered the competition of getting
colonial empires. In 1600 the English East India
Company was formed in London. Its purpose
was to unite the English merchants doing
business in South-East Asia.There was cut
throat competition for trade in this area which
had first been controlled by the Spaniards and
the Portuguese.In the 17th century, the contest
for trade with the East was between the Dutch,
English and French. The Netherlands (also called
Holland or Dutch) followed England and set up
the Dutch East India Company at the island of
Java in 1602.The French formed their own East
India Company later, in 1664.These organisations
became very powerful.Trading was only one of
their activities.They armed their ships to fight
at sea and kept private armies.The East India
companies set up military as well as trading
bases and made treaties with local rulers around
them.They waged war on the nations around
them and on each other.In many ways the East
India Company behaved as independent states
on their own right.
European nations were prepared
to fight to keep the trade with their
colonies to themselves. The wars
between England and the Netherlands
in the mid 17th century were the first to
be fought for trade rather than territory.
Dutch coins found in Maldives
Museum, Maldives
The Dutch concentrated their activities mainly in
the East Indies (Indonesia) and the Portuguese
were their main rivals. By the middle of 17th
Century, the Dutch captured Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
and Malacca from the Portuguese.They also had
trading stations at several places in South India.
A part of the fort that once protected Male’
Museum, Maldives
30
At this stage, when the Dutch had gained more
control over the region Maldives seized the
opportunity to free itself from sending tributes (a
payment in money or in kind) to the Portuguese
and to Ali Raja of Kannanur. From 1645, regular
emissaries (person or something sent on behalf
of the Government) were sent from Maldives
to the Dutch in Colombo. The items sent from
Maldives included sweets, coir ropes, ambergris,
mats, cowries and sea coconuts. The Dutch in
return used to send pepper, cinnamon, cloves,
nutmeg, mace and arecanuts. They traded the
Maldivian cowries in Africa. In 1671, the Dutch
Administration in Colombo began a marine
survey of Maldives and Laccadives to avoid
shipwrecks.
Why did the Portuguese
and the Spanish power
decline?
France, England and Netherlands
had growing industries. In contrast
the Portuguese relied solely on
trade, and Spain depended on
silver from its American colonies
to pay for manufactured goods
from the rest of Europe. Portugal
had to buy even food from others.
As a result the power of Spain
and Portugal declined and other
European countries became richer.
This change was reflected in
overseas power as well.
The Dutch had many well-built
ships. At this time, they owned
almost half of the ships in the
world. With this fleet they drove
away the English from the East
Indies as well.
Talk about the relationship that
existed between the Dutch
and the Maldives. What were
the main features of Dutch
connections with Maldives?
A Dutch naval vessel
Source: etc.usf.edu
Products of Maldives used in early trade
31
When the English were driven away
by the Dutch, India became the center
of their activities. The Mughal rulers
of India had little interest in foreign
trade and gave trading rights to
foreign merchants. By 1700, England
had sole trading rights with a number
of key ports, notably Calcutta, Madras
and Bombay.
The turban of Dhon Bandaarain
Museum, Maldives
The coastal parts of Kerala are called
Malabar. Maldives were frequently
threatened by the Ali Rajahs of
Kannanur.
3.3 Malabari Conquest and Dhon
Bandarain
Why do we mark the Huravee Day? We remember Don
Bandarain for retaining the independence of Maldives,
not only from the Malabarese but also from the French,
through a clever combination of war and diplomacy.
After the collapse of the Mughal Empire in the
Indian sub-continent the various regional rulers got
into series of power struggles.The British and the
French, who already had forts and trade centres
in the coastal areas, made use of this situation.
They took sides with the regional rulers to expand
their own power.In the early stages the British
concentrated their interests mainly in Bengal.The
French were active in South India and they used the
opportunity to get involved with Maldives.
In 1749 M (1163 H) Ali Faashana Kilegefaanu came
to the throne and was named Sultan Mukarram
Muhammad Imaaduddin III (also known as Koru
Bandarain).He was the younger brother of Sultan
Ibrahim Iskandhar II (Ibrahim Rasgefaanu).
In 1752 M (1166 H) during the third year of Sultan
Imaduddin’s rule, a group of Malabars sent by Ali
Raja of Kannanur, captured Malé and burnt down
the Sultan’s palace. The Malabars kidnapped the
Sultan, his nephew Muhammed who was the son
of Ibrahim Rasgefaanu and several other ministers.
Thereafter, the Malabars occupied the country for 3
months and 20 days.
During this period, the Maldivians were helpless.The
Malabar rule was very cruel and was still increasing
their cruelty day by day.Before long, a group of
courageous Maldivians decided to liberate Maldives
from the injustices and cruelty of the Malabars.The
leader of these patriots (one who loves and defends
his or her country) was Hassan Manikufaanu, son
of Huraa Muhammed Faamuladeyri Manikufaanu.He
was later known popularly as Dhon Bandaarain, the
person who later became Sultan Ghazee Hassan
Izzuddin.He had a very good plan for attacking the
Malabars.
32
Dhon Bandarain drives away the Malabars
The Malabars were staying in Maldives at
Veyodhoshu Gan’duvaru (where the Maldives
National Defense Force Headquarters (M.N.D.F)
now stands).In the early hours of Sunday, the
third day of Jumaadul Aakhir, he arranged the
pre-dawn prayers (munaajaa) from the Munnaaru
to be read earlier than the regular time to confuse
the foreign invaders.The Malabarese usually go
to bed when they hear the munaajaa.
Dhon Bandaarain had earlier persuaded
the Malabar gatekeeper to open the gate of
Veyodhoshu Ganduvaru. He and his group then
made a surprise attack on the Malabars, killing
some and chasing the others.The few, who were
able to escape, fled the country in a ship. These
events took place on 3rd Jumaadul Akhir, 1166 H
(7th April 1753).The people of Maldives offered
this hero the throne several times as an honour,
but he refused saying that there was a Sultan
of Maldives alive somewhere in the world.For
sometime, Hassan Manikufaanu ruled the country
as regent. First on behalf of a daughter (Amina
Rani Kilegefaanu) of Ibrahim Rasgefaanu. After
that, he acted as regent to a daughter (Amina
Rani Kilegefaanu) of Mukarram Muhammad
Imaduddin.Even during that time, the Maldives
continued to be harassed by the Malabars
from time to time.On one occasion, a group of
Malabars occupied the island of Dhonakulhi in
Haa Alif and operated from there, using the island
as a base and sending bands (Feyrey Meehun)
to various islands to kill the people, burn houses
and loot property.On receiving this news, Hassan
Manikufaanu took armed action against them.By
this time he had been awarded the high honour of
Rannabandeyri Manikufaanu.
As harassment and raids by Malabars increased,
Hassan Rannabandeyri Manikufaanu looked for
the help of the French at Pondicherry in India.
After defeating the Malabars at Dhonakulhi, he
returned to Malé and decided to host a French
defence force in Malé.For that reason, the Sultan
33
A Malabari expedition sent by Ali Raja of
Kannanur attacked Male’ and burnt down
the palace in 1166 H
A gravestone
Museum, Maldives
hired the services of 28 French soldiers who
remained in Malé for some time.They maintained
a garrison (a fortified place where troops are
stationed) at Male’ and even hoisted their flag on
one of the fort walls. But soon, due to a quarrel,
the French left Male’ in 1754.
Sultan Mukarram Muhammad Imaduddin died
in Minicoy (Maliku) on the way back to Male’. In
1759, three years after the death of the Sultan,
on popular demand,Hassan Rannabandeyri
Manikufaan (Dhon Bandarain) ascended the
throne on 15 Rabeeul Akhir 1173 and adopted
the title Sultan Ghazee Hassan Izzuddin.
The Thaareekh written by Hassan Thaajuddeen,
praise him for his fair rule. When the captured
Sultan’s nephew escaped and returned to Male’
in 1763, Dhon Bandarain received him with
great respect and chose him as his successor.
Dhon Bandarain died in 1767. Huravee
Day (3 Jumaadhul Akhira) is marked in his
remembrance. He is remembered for retaining
the independence of Maldives, not only from the
Kannanur invaders (Malabars) but also from the
French, through a clever combination of war and
diplomacy.
1. What were the methods
used by Dhon Bandarain to
defeat the Malabarese?
2. What are the common
features in the approaches
and methods used by
Muhammad Thakurufaanu
and Dhon Bandarain, in
liberating Maldives?
3. Which European country
was in power in this region
during the time of Dhon
Bandarain ?
4. Why did Maldives become
a protectorate of the
British?
5. What did the Maldives
and British agree in the
Protectorate Treaty of
1887?
In the meantime, the Seven Years War in India
ended in favour of the British. Except for a few
small territories, the French lost their empire
in the sub-continent to the British.The Malabar
Coast, Kannanur and the Laccadive islands all
came under the British.They also gained the
Dutch territories in Sri Lanka in 1796. When the
district of Kandy was conquered in 1815, Sri
Lanka became a British colony.
Maldives too accepted the British supremacy in
South Asia.From 1796, the annual emissaries
of Maldives were sent to the British governor in
Colombo, seeking permission to trade with Sri
Lanka.
In the 1860s Shia’ Muslim merchants from
Western India, called Borah merchants were
permitted by the government to trade in Maldives.
Their actions and attitude caused political
disturbances because they took sides with
powerful rival officials in the government. Until
then, the British and the Dutch didn’t have any
formal treaties with Maldives. Then the British
considered signing a treaty to regulate the
Maldivian affairs.A Protectorate Treaty was
signed in 1887 between Maldives and Britain.
According to the treaty the Maldives gave up her
right to sign treaties with other countries and in
return, Britain agreed to protect Maldives from
foreign enemies and promised they would not
interfere in the internal matters of Maldives.
Hukuru Miskiy minaret, Male’
Museum, Maldives
34
UNIT 4
NATIONALISM IN ASIA AND MALDIVES
35
UNIT 4
For your Folders
Origin of Nationalism
The beginnings of modern nationalism
may be traced back to the end of the
Middle Ages, with the breakdown of
the social order in Europe and of the
cultural unity of the various European
states.
The cultural life of Europe was based
on a common inheritance of ideas
and attitudes conveyed in the West
through Latin, the language of the
educated classes.
The break-up of feudalism, which
was the existing social and economic
system, gave way to the development
of larger communities, wider social
interrelations, and dynasties that
fostered feelings of nationality in order
to win support for their rule.
Nationalism is the mental attachment
of the people towards their nation.
Defending the independence of ones
nation, working for its prosperity and
promoting its interests and values are
some aspects of nationalism.
4.1 Nationalism in Asia
The making of a nation depends on the sense of unity based
on several aspects that are common to a group of people.
The mental attachment of the people towards their nation is
called Nationalism.
Nationalism is a modern political idea.It is a powerful
idea behind the existence of countries in the world
today. Nationalism comes from the word nation.
When a body of people feels a sense of unity based on
common history, language, religion, culture, traditions,
etc., and identifies itself with a geographical region,
they make a nation.Nations that have independent
governments are called nation-states.
Modern nation-states emerged in Europe after the 14th
century. England and France are considered to be the
first nation-states. Eventually, the idea spread to other
nations of Europe to form nation-states. Unification
of Germany and unification of Italy made two powerful
nation-states in the 19th century Europe.
The European nation-states conquered territories all
over the world and made them colonies. During their
colonial rule, they exploited the wealth of colonies for
the benefit of their nation-states.They made people
of the colonies feel inferior.They often deprived the
natives of their political, civil, religious, linguistic and
cultural rights.
Some people in the colonies, who received western
education, were inspired by the idea of nationalism.
They started working towards creating an awareness
of nationalism among their people.The nationalists
pointed out that the people in the colonies with their
rich cultural heritage of the past were in no way
inferior to the Europeans. Events such as the War of
American Independence, the French Revolution
and the Russian Revolution encouraged the people
of the colonies to fight against exploitation.
The national movements in the colonies inspired
the population, reformed the societies and revived
the native, religious, linguistic and cultural freedom.
Naturally, such national movements became anti
colonial in their outlook.
36
UNIT 4
They wanted the colonies to become independent, modern,
nation-states.The national movements became powerful
political organisations in the 20th century.The colonial powers
were shaken by the strength of the people.
Mahathma Gandhi of India, Dr Sun Yat-sen of China, Ho Chi
Minh of Vietnam, Sukarno of Indonesia and Jamal Abdul
Nasir of Egypt are some of the important leaders of 20th
century.
Jamal Abdul Nasir
Source:http://images.google.com/
hosted/life/
Sukarno of Indonesia
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Key Ideas
Questions and
Activities
1. What is Nationalism?
Identify some aspects of
nationalism.
2. Make a list of the
advantages and the
disadvantages of being a
colony.
3. Identify the main reasons
for the development of
nationalism in Asia.
4. Find basic information on
some of the leaders of the
Nationalist Movements in
the 20th century Asia
• Modern European nation
states, which emerged after
the 14th Century, conquered
and colonised territories
all over the world. They
exploited their wealth and
deprived them of their
political, civil, religious
linguistics and cultural
rights.
• Educated people of the
colonies were inspired by
the idea of nationalism and
started to promote it among
the people. The movement
of people to fight against
exploitation was termed as
nationalistic movement.
• These movements
reformed the societies and
revived the native religious,
linguistic and cultural
freedom.
37
For your Folders
The French Revolution
The great turning point in the
history of nationalism in Europe
was the French Revolution.
National feeling in France until
then had centered in the king.
As a result of the revolution,
loyalty to the king was replaced
by loyalty to fatherland.Thus
“La Marseillaise,” the anthem of
the French Revolution that later
became the national anthem,
begins with the words Allons
enfants de la patrie (“March
on, children of the fatherland”).
When in 1789 the medieval
French Estates-General, was
transformed into a National
Assembly, France achieved a
truly representative system of
government. Regional divisions,
with their separate traditions
and rights, were abolished, and
France became a uniform and
united national territory, with
common laws and institutions.
French armies spread the new
spirit of nationalism in other
lands.
The rise of nationalism coincided
generally with the spread of
the Industrial Revolution, which
promoted national economic
development, the growth of
a middle class, and popular
demand for representative
government. National literatures
arose to express common
traditions and the common spirit
of each people. New emphasis
was given to nationalist symbols
of all kinds; for example, new
holidays were introduced to
commemorate various events in
national history.
UNIT 4
The Indian Rebellion failed because
the people were not united
4.2 Indian National Movement and
the Independence of South Asia
Did you know who introduced the unique form of resistance
called Satyagraha? This was a mass movement, which created
an awareness of nationalism and unity amongst the people in
the Indian subcontinent.
Native Indians
Source: burrowers.blogspot.com
Indians during the Freedom Movement
Source: rajhikarnmarxist.blogspot.com
British control of India was in the hands of the East India
Company, which had been set up in 1600.The Company
had its own army, with British officers and mostly Indian
troops.By the end of the eighteenth century the company
had become so powerful that the British government
became alarmed and sent several regiments of the
regular British army to India to share the company’s
power.
India was a long way away from Britain and
communications were slow.The commanders of the
company and British armies could do more or less as
they liked, setting themselves up as rulers of large areas.
They interfered with the Hindu and Muslim religions of
India and tried to make the local people follow European
ways and ideas.They spent money on roads, ports and
industry but this was for the benefit of trade, not to help
the Indian people.The British officers lived well and
enjoyed hunting large animals and other sports.They
treated India as if it were a vast estate providing them
with wealth and an unlimited supply of servants.
To the British, India seemed to be doing well under
their rule, so the rebellion that broke out in 1857 came
as a great shock to them.It started with a rumour in the
army in Bengal that the gun cartridges were greased
with animal fats.This offended the sepoys (soldiers)
as the cow was sacred to the Hindus and the Muslims
considered the pig unclean.The rebellion spread, fuelled
by the discontent felt by the Indians against British
interference in their customs. For a few months, British
rule in the North was in danger of collapsing.
After the rebellion ended in 1858, India was placed under
the rule of the British government, and its policy became
more cautious.British officials left control of local affairs
to the princes. In return for their allegiance, the British
promised their support.
38
UNIT 4
Nationalism grew after the rebellion. Young
educated Indians wanted more say in
government. They also felt that India was being
held back. They were angered by Britain’s failure
to encourage Indian industries, like cotton,
because it could compete with industry in Britain.
Gandhi’s resistance movement of nonviolence
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in 1869
in Gujarat in India. He had his higher education
in England and went to work in the British colony
of South Africa. It was there that he realised
the ill effects of colonialism and racism. After
returning to India in 1914, he entirely devoted
himself to work for the independence of India.
Gandhi introduced unique ideas such as nonviolence and non co-operation in the struggle
against colonialism.This was called ‘Satyagraha’.
Non-violence was compulsory in all of Gandhi’s
movements, but ‘Satyagraha’ also meant mass
actions through marches and violation of cruel
laws and a willingness to fearlessly suffer the
consequences.At that time, the British bought
cotton very cheaply from India and sold back
the finished textiles in India at a higher price.
To protest against the British, Gandhi led the
people to give up British textiles and to use
local, handmade clothes. As a symbol of protest
against colonialism Gandhi himself used to spin
thread and dressed himself in a simple, handloom
loincloth.
His methods of protest created an awareness
of nationalism and unity amongst the Indians.
Even though it was not an armed struggle, the
British found it difficult to face such a unique
mass movement. From time to time, the British
Government provided limited self-government
to the people of the subcontinent, but the
nationalists were not satisfied.They demanded
total independence.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi,
(1869-1948), Indian nationalist leader,
who established his country’s freedom
through a non-violent revolution
Source: indiaexplored.wordpress.com
India produced fine printed cotton
called ‘calico’. The English
parliament passed a law forbidding
its import to Britain. Instead
England wanted cotton produced in
her industries to be sold in India.
Cotton Industry, India
Source: weblog.greenpeace.org
After the Second World War in 1945, Britain
began to lose its power. It lost the ability to retain
39
the colonies. The new world powers, USA and
USSR were against colonialism. One of the
tasks of the newly formed United Nations was
decolonisation.In the general election held in
July 1945, the Labour Party won and Winston
Churchill, the Prime Minister who led Britain in
the Second World War resigned.The new Prime
Minister decided that South Asian countries
should get independence.
UNIT 4
In the meantime, the Muslim League, led by
Muhammad Ali Jinah had become popular in
the Muslim dominated provinces of India.They
demanded a separate country for the Muslims.
The subcontinent was partitioned as India
and Pakistan and was given independence in
August 1947. Nehru became the Prime Minister
of India. A Hindu fanatic assassinated Gandhi
on 30 January 1948 for showing strong approval
towards Hindu-Muslim unity. In Pakistan Jinah
became the Governor. Pakistan had two wings,
West Pakistan and East Pakistan. In 1971, East
Pakistan became Bangladesh.
Ceylon (Sri Lanka), which was under British
rule, was given independence in February1948.
D.S. Senanayake became its first Prime Minister.
Muhammad Ali Jinah
Source: pakistan33.blogspot.com
1. List the factors that made
the independence of South
Asian countries possible.
2. Identify the important
leaders who promoted
nationalism in South Asia.
3. Find more information and
write a short biography or
prepare a leaflet on each of
these famous people.
40
UNIT 4
4.3 Independence of Maldives
The people of Maldives have exercised supreme rule in
the internal affairs of their country, except for a brief
period of Portuguese and Malabarese rule.
For strategic reasons of security,
the British retained some vital
colonial possessions, protectorates
and bases in Asia and the Indian
Ocean.
We have learnt how the South Asian countries
(except Maldives) got their independence
from the British after the Second World War.
The Americans gave independence to the
Philippines in 1946.The other Asian countries like
Palestine, Lebanon, Iran and Burma also became
independent from the British in the 1940s. Yet, for
strategic reasons of security, the British retained
some vital colonial possessions, protectorates
and bases in Asia and the Indian Ocean.
They were the Suez Canal, Aden, Seychelles,
Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore, North Borneo
and Hong Kong. Maldives was also retained as a
protectorate.
The struggle against colonialism continued.It was
a violent struggle in the case of French IndoChina and Dutch East Indies. Finally in 1954,
the French and the Dutch were forced out of
Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos (Indo-China) and
Indonesia (East Indies).
In 1956, Jamal Abdul Nasir of Egypt
nationalised the Suez Canal from the British
and the French. In the same year the Sri Lankan
Prime Minister, Mr.S.W.R.D.Bandaranayake told
the British to quit their bases in Sri Lanka.By the
efforts of Nehru, the Portuguese and the French
gave up Goa and Pondicherry to India in the early
1960s.
In 1887, a State Agreement was signed by the
British to protect Maldives and official missives
had to be exchanged between the Sultan of
Maldives and the British Governor in Ceylon.
A new agreement was signed in 1948 and the
Protectorate of Maldives stopped sending the
annual gifts or tributes to the British Governor in
Ceylon. Under the new Agreement, the British
would protect the Maldives and they would
govern the external affairs of the country.
41
Gan Airstrip
Because of the trend of these events, the British
became more concerned about their strategic
interests in Maldives.They were operating an
airstrip in the island of Gan in Addu Atoll, during
the Second World War between 1939 and 1945.
In 1956, the British negotiated an agreement with
Maldives to re-establish the Royal Air Force base
at Gan. This agreement was not approved by the
Maldivian Parliament and was revised. The
revised agreement that was signed in 1960
reduced the period of Britain’s rights over Gan
and Maamendhoo (part of Hithadhoo) from 100
years to 30 years.
UNIT 4
There was discontent in the southern atolls due
to the rate of salaries paid by the British to the
Maldivians working on the British project in Gan.
The Prime Minister, Ibrahim Nasir wanted Britain
to stop construction work in Gan and he had been
talking with the British to grant full independence.
In the meantime, the British gave independence
to Malaya, Singapore and North Borneo.
Therefore the necessity to maintain security for
the British in the Indian Ocean was minimised.
There was also much opposition from the other
South Asian countries to the presence of foreign
control in their neighbourhood.
The British War Memorial at Gan, Addu Atoll
Museum, Maldives
Furthermore, Britain became economically
weak and unable to support the bases.Their
role of providing safety was taken over by the
Americans.There was also the proposal to have
a joint British - American base at Diego Garcia in
the Chagos Islands, south of Maldives.
In this background, Britain agreed to the
independence of Maldives, which was proclaimed
on 26th July 1965, and in return Britain were
to retain its base in Gan until 1986. Maldives
became a member of the United Nations as
an independent, sovereign country. Under an
economising programme, the British closed up
their base at Gan in 1976, ten years before the
agreement expired.
1. Prepare a table naming the Asian
countries which got independence
from 1947 to 1965. Include the year of
independence and the colonial powers
concerned.
2. What is the difference between a colony
and a protectorate?
3. Identify the reasons why Maldives
continued as a British protectorate
while other countries obtained their
independence.
4. Interview an informed person about
Maldives before independence.
5. Describe the circumstances under
which Maldives got her independence.
Sultan Muhammad Imaduddeen IV with the British
42
UNIT 4
4.4 Political Developments in
Maldives after 1900
Far from being an isolated group of islands that the
world had barely known, Maldives now maintains
diplomatic relations with a wide spectrum of more
than a hundred countries worldwide.
The 20th century opened with a series of political
problems for Maldives.There was the issue of
succession between two sultans - Imaduddeen
VI and Shamsuddeen III. In the background
were family feuds, competition of foreign
traders and enmity between two powerful Prime
ministers- Ibrahim Didi (Bodu Dhoshimeynaa
Kilegefaanu) and Kakaage Muhammad Didi
(Rannaban’deyri Kilegefaanu).
Sultan Muhammad Imaddudin VI
Museum, Maldives
The situation provided sufficient opportunities for
the British to intervene. Sultan Shamsuddeen
and Prime Minister Ibrahim Didi became
ultimately successful by getting recognition from
the British. However, the institution of sultan
became weak, especially after the death of Prime
Minister Ibrahim Didi in 1925. Educated people
with a modern outlook wanted to bring changes in
the political system.
In 1932, Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen
introduced the first constitution. A Majlis and
a Council of Ministers were formed according
to the new constitution. Sultan Shamsuddeen
was deposed in 1934 for plotting against the
constitution. He was succeeded by Sultan
Hassan Nooruddeen. A new constitution
was introduced in 1942 and Sultan Hassan
Nooruddeen resigned from office. A widely
respected person, Abdul Majeed Didi, son of
Ibrahim Didi was elected as the new Sultan but
never assumed power. He lived for a time in
Egypt and died in Colombo in 1952. During this
time the country was ruled by Prime Minister
Muhammad Amin Didi.
Sultan Muhammad Shamshuddeen III
Museum, Maldives
Sultan Hassan Nooruddeen
Museum, Maldives
43
UNIT 4
Muhammad Amin Didi was a visionary in
modernising the country. He stopped paying
tribute to the King of England in 1948. Modern
schools, health facilities, education for women,
a power plant, telephones, cultivation methods
and food stores in the islands were some of his
contributions to the development of the country.
To regulate trade and to check the monopoly of
foreign merchant companies, he established the
Maldivian Government Bodu Store or MGBS (the
predecessor of the State Trading Organisation
or S.T.O.). The wide avenues and the football
grounds we see today in the islands were his
innovations. There was a ban on smoking in his
time.
In 1952, after the death of Sultan-designate
Abdul Majeed Didi, a referendum was held for
the people to choose between a monarchy and a
republic. In 1953, with the consent of the people,
Maldives was declared a Republic.Muhammad
Amin Didi became the first president. His new
Republican Constitution provided voting rights
to women. Despite his vision, some of his ideas,
ways of enforcement and food shortages made
some people go against him. In August 1953,
while he was abroad, the vice-president Ibrahim
Didi suspended the constitution and took over
the government. On his return, President Amin
Didi was arrested. In December 1953, he was
sentenced to be banished for an attempted coup.
President Amin Didi died in January 1954 while
still in banishment. Thus ended the First Republic
within a year of its declaration.
President Muhammad Amin Didi (1953)
Museum, Maldives
The rule of the Sultanate was revived under
another constitution in March 1954. Muhammad
Fareed Didi, son of Abdul Majeed Didi, became
the Sultan. He appointed Ibrahim Ali Didi as
Prime Minister. In 1957, when Ibrahim Ali Didi
resigned, Ibrahim Nasir became the Prime
Minister.
Sultan Muhammad Fareed Didi
(1954-1968)
Museum, Maldives
In the previous lesson we learnt the background
of the establishment of an RAF base at Addu
Atoll in 1956. In the next few years there was
44
UNIT 4
an anti-governmental attitude in the Southern
atolls. Addu, Fuvah Mulaku and Huvadhu atolls
joined together to declare a separate state called
the United Suvadive Islands. Nevertheless,
this declaration was never accepted by the
Maldivian government, the British, or any other
governments in the world.
The traditional economy of the Southern atolls
was based on trade and shipping. With the
creation of the Bodu Store, the fish products
from all the atolls had to be brought to Male’
and sold to MGBS.This was a law enforced due
to limitations in foreign income as the world
was experiencing hard times due to World War
II. As the southernmost atolls had to come to
Male’ instead of trading directly with Sri Lanka,
it affected their economic opportunities. Such
grievances and indirect encouragement of the
British were behind the separatist movement.
A state flag, People’s Council, a Trading
Corporation and a Bank were established by the
separatists.
Activity
Prepare a character profile of
President Ibrahim Nasir.
Points to consider are:
• Name and background.
• How he became Prime Minister.
• How he became the first
president of the Second
Republic.
• Maldives under his leadership.
• His contributions to the country.
Since the attitude of the British was not clear, the
government was cautious in taking action and
chose to negotiate with the separatists.A revised
treaty strengthened the relationship with the
British in 1960. In the same year the government
took military action to quell the rebellion in the
southern atolls. By this time the British had
decided on the independence of Maldives
and they were not interested in a separatist
movement. The separatist leader was given
asylum in Seychelles by the British.
Maldives became independent in 1965. By now
Ibrahim Nasir had become very popular. In view
of the popular opinion and with the consent of the
Majlis, a referendum was held and Maldives was
again declared a Republic on 11th November
1968. There was another constitution. The Sultan
retired and Ibrahim Nasir was elected as the first
President of the Independent Republic.
President Nasir is considered as the father of
Independence of Maldives. He brought about
45
President Ibrahim Nasir (1968-1978)
Museum, Maldives
UNIT 4
the independence of Maldives from being a
protectorate of the British. Maldives became
a member of United Nations, and the country
was opened to the outside world and leaders
of the neighbouring countries visited Maldives.
The tourism industry was introduced, the
country’s first international airport was built, the
fishing Industry and the shipping lines improved
the economy, and the value of Maldivian
currency rose. A rich variety of consumer items
started coming into Maldives. The Englishmedium education system based on external
examinations was introduced and television
broadcasting was started.
President Nasir lead the country for twenty
years, first as Prime Minister (1957-1968) and
completed two terms in office as president (1968
-1978) and retired. He did not seek a third term in
office and turned down the parliament’s offer for a
third term.
President Nasir passed away in Singapore, on
22nd November 2008. President Nasir’s body was
flown to the Maldives, where his body was laid
to rest at dawn at the cemetery attached to the
Friday Mosque (Hukuru Miskkiy).
President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
(1978 to 2008)
Museum, Maldives
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom succeeded President
Ibrahim Nasir on 11th November 1978. He was
the president of the Maldives from 1978 to
2008. During his presidency, an attempted coup,
organised with the help of foreign mercenaries,
was defeated with the military help of India in
November 1988. President Gayoom maintained
political stability and a favorable investment
climate in the Maldives and is widely credited
for building the modern Maldivian economy.
Developments in fisheries and tourism; great
improvements in economy and social services,
and well-balanced foreign relations were some
of the notable achievements. The living standard
of the people improved considerably and the
per capita increased dramatically from less than
US Dollar 200 to US Dollar 2,400, the highest in
South Asia. Maldives has now graduated from
Activity
Prepare a character profile
on President Maumoon Abdul
Qayoom. Areas to be covered
are:
• Name and background.
• How he rose to the post of
President.
• Maldives under his
leadership.
• His contributions to
Maldives.
• His roles in the international
arena.
46
UNIT 4
a least developed country to a middle income
nation. Maldives also became well-known to the
outside world during his time.
President Gayoom played a key role in the
international sphere in drawing global attention
to vital issues such as the environment and the
special vulnerability of small states.
On 9th June 2004, during his sixth term in office,
President Gayoom announced historic plans
to make sweeping changes to the Constitution
to usher in a 21st century democracy in the
Maldives. On 2nd June 2005, the Maldivian
parliament voted unanimously in favour of
endorsing the introduction of political parties in
the country. Prior to June 2005, the Maldivian
political system was based on the election of
individuals, rather than the more common system
of election according to party platform.
In August 2008, the new constitution was ratified
by president Gayoom, paving the way for the
country’s first ever multi-party presidential
elections in October 2008.
Mohamed Nasheed, the leader of Maldivian
Democratic Party (MDP) won the election in the
second round of voting after defeating incumbent
president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who
contested as the leader of Dhivehi Rayyithunge
Party (DRP).
President Mohamed Nasheed
(2008 to present)
Museum, Maldives
President Nasheed is a prominent advocate of
human rights, democracy and environmental
protection.
In March 2009, President Nasheed announced
that the Maldives aims to become the first
carbon-neutral country by 2020.
The World’s first underwater cabinet meeting
was held by President Nasheed to highlight the
danger faced by global warming and climate
change.
The new government has formulated five key
pledges aimed at bringing about economic
growth and development in the country.These
47
include the Establishment of a nationwide
transport system; Ensuring affordable living costs;
Provision of affordable housing; Providing quality
healthcare for all; Prevention of narcotics abuse
and trafficking.
UNIT 5 SOME MAJOR ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
5.1 Primary Economic Activities
Activity
The production of goods that we use everyday
begins with the extraction (obtaining) of some
basic materials such as wood, mineral ores and
oil. The extraction of these basic materials is
known as primary economic activity. This consists
of fishing, farming, forestry, mining and quarrying.
The basic materials produced from these
activities are known as primary products.
Conduct a research on one
primary activity in Maldives.
You can consider these focus
questions to answer:
1. What is the Primary
Economic Activity you have
chosen?
2. How is the material
extracted?
3. Who extracts the material?
4. What is the material used
for?
5. Do any constraints exist?
(Legal, labour, transport land,
machinery, communications,
or any other difficulties for the
development of the Primary
Economic Activity?)
6. How is the material related to
the lifestyle of a community?
7. Who owns the material?
8. How has the activity
developed over time?
9. Has there been any effect on
the environment due to this?
Fishing is a primary economic activity in the
Maldives. People of a region or country can get
involved in a particular primary economic activity
only if the environment around them allows that
type of activity. In the Maldives we are involved
in fishing because sea is all around us and there
is a lot of fish in these seas. In addition to this,
Maldivians have become skilled fishermen over
time. Similar examples can be taken from other
parts of the world.
Tea plantation in Assam (a Primary
Economic Activity)
Source: assamchronicle.com
Fish in the market
48
5.2 Secondary Economic Activities
Secondary economic activities started as people
learned to make things out of the primary
products. Secondary products are goods made
out of the primary products. Manufacturing
industries such as food processing, carpentry
and the production of vehicles are secondary
economic activities.
The fishing industry in the Maldives was only a
primary economic industry in the past. Now fish
is processed and canned. Therefore fishing has
developed into a secondary economic activity.
Countries can engage in secondary economic
activities even if they do not produce the primary
product needed for it. We import wood from
Malaysia and Indonesia to produce our furniture.
Some of the towns and cities of advanced
countries are specialised in secondary economic
activities.
Fish canning in Maldives
49
Make a list of secondary products
used in your home and answer the
following questions:
1. To what extent do these
products have an impact on
your lives?
2. How many of the products
existed during your
grandparent’s time?
3. Have these products made
life easier or harder?
4. How many of the goods were
produced in Maldives?
5. What is the product made
from?
6. Are they recycled? Can they
be recycled?
7. Has using these products
had any effect on the
environment?
5.3 Tertiary Economic Activities
Activity
1. Compare and contrast
tertiary economic activities
in Maldives with such
activities in another
country.
2. List tertiary economic
activities.
3. Highlight the similarities
and differences.
4. Develop links between
primary and secondary
economic activities.
5. Why do you think that one
country has more tertiary
activities than another
country?
6. What are the types of
employment that exist
within the tertiary sector?
Primary and secondary economic industries
make use of the service industries. Production
cannot take place properly without the help of
communication and administration. Primary
products need to be transported to factories
before they can be used for manufacturing.
Activities such as administration, transportation,
insurance, wholesaling, retailing, advertising and
communication are known as tertiary economic
activities.
After countries move on to the secondary stage
of production, the tertiary economic activities
become very important. Banks provide loans
for new businesses, wholesalers, retailers and
advertisers help to sell the goods produced.
A container terminal, Port of Singapore
Source: hjtann-pixs.blogspot.com
50
UNIT 6 ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN MALDIVES
6.1 Early Economic Activities
in Maldives
Early economic activities were based on locally
available raw materials and traditional styles of
workmanship.
Early economic activities are traditional economic
activities which have been carried out since the
time of our ancestors. Such activities include
fishing, agriculture, thatch-making, weaving,
handicrafts, shipping and boat-building.
Sample of lacquer work
Museum, Maldives
With such activities people were able to meet
their needs with what was available. Fishing
and agriculture provided food.Thatch-making
provided the means for housing. Boat-building
provided the means for transport. Weaving, coirrope making and handicrafts also provided for
everyday needs.
Some of the traditional economic activities are
carried out even today in the same way as they
were carried out in the past. Others have been
improved by the use of modern methods and
tools. Some have lost their importance because
of the availability of other choices.
In boat building in the past, all the work was done
by hand using local methods.Today electric tools
and modern methods are also used in addition
to the traditional methods.Thatch-making is not
as important as it was in the past.Traditionally,
Maldivian houses were built with thatch walls and
roofing while today most houses are built with
cement and brick walls and tin-sheet roofing.
The art of weaving has been lost almost
altogether due to changes in fashion and the
availability of better and cheaper products from
abroad.
51
Mat weaving
Museum, Maldives
Traditional mat
The importance of an economic
activity is measured in terms of
the number of people employed,
the income it generates, and
the importance of the activity
in relation to other activities or
livelihood.
6.2 Major Economic Activities
Today
The importance of an economic activity for a community can
be determined by the number of people engaged in it and the
income or benefits it bring to the people in that community.
Fishing
Fishing has historically been the most important
economic activity in the Maldives. Fish is an important
part of our food. In the past almost all the islands
of Maldives depended on fish as the only source of
income. In the past, dried fish was the most important
export from Maldives. In exchange for dried fish we
were able to get goods from abroad. In addition to this,
fishing was the main occupation.
Fishing vessels in front of the fish
market in Male’
In the past fishing was carried out in Riyaadhoani.
When the men brought the fish to the island, the
women cooked and dried the fish. Fish was then
brought to Male’. The fishermen were paid according
to the weight of fish. The fish was then kept in
storehouses ready for export, mainly to Sri Lanka.
Even today fishing is an important economic activity for
us due to the same reasons as noted above. Fish is
still an important part of our food. Although it is not the
only source of income today, it still provides income
and occupation for a large part of the population. In
addition to this, even today it is the most important
export from which we get the foreign currency to buy
goods from other countries.
Vessels at the harbour
Museum, Maldives
Today fishing is carried out in engine dhoanis.The
fishermen can either take the fish to their own island
or sell it directly to the collecting vessels for export or
take it to the factory. Today fish is exported in many
forms: canned, frozen, dried, smoked and dried or
salted.
In recent years, there is a trend of declining fishery
resources due to depletion of stocks in the wild. At the
same time the demand for fisheries has increased due
to increasing human population. Therefore, the country
is focusing on diversifying its fisheries industry by
venturing in to Aquaculture and Mariculture activities.
52
Agriculture
The total land area of the Maldives is 300 square
kilometres and the total cultivable land in the country is
about 9% of the total land area. Although there is scarcity
of land and good soil in the Maldives, agriculture is one
of the most important economic activities in the country.
Rainwater and ground water are the main sources of
water for the cultivation of crops in the country. Some of
the agricultural products include coconut, watermelon,
chillies, cucumber and breadfruit.
Agricultural products
Watermelons
Coconut (young)
Papaya
Pumpkin
Cucumber
Banana
Brinjal
Coconut
Wax gourd
Bottle gourd
Weight in Kg
1673538
1502967
1227955
1087123
849315
434033
286752
271430
260798
242350
Banana
Weight (kg) of
Agricultural
products traded in
male’ markets by
atolls in 2009
Breadfruit
Tourism
People come to the Maldives from different parts of
the world, to spend their holidays. Tourism is a tertiary
economic activity in which we provide services to
these visitors. Tourism industry started in Maldives in
1972 with the opening of the first tourist resort Kurumba
Village formerly known as Vihamanaafushi. Since
then, the tourist accommodation capacity has been
increasing steadily over the years. There are four types
of accommodation available in the Maldives, including
resorts/marinas, hotels, guesthouses and safari vessels.
In 2009, there were 97 resorts, 14 hotels, 22 guest
houses and 145 safari vessels.
Today tourism has become one of the most important
economic activities in the Maldives. It plays an
important role in earning foreign exchange revenues
and generating employment in the tertiary sector of the
country.
As Maldives is committed to become a carbon neutral
nation by 2019, there is an urgent need to invest in
renewable energy, invest in other technology, increase
53
Maldives is well known for its
natural beauty
Source: tripatini.com
widespread education and share best
practices. Some resorts in the Maldives
practice ecotourism, emphasizing on
environmentally friendly habits such as
recycling, safe waste disposal methods
etc. and on conservation of natural beauty
of the islands.To encourage tourist resorts
to adopt and embed green policies in
their development and operation, the
government of Maldives announced
“The President of Maldives Green Resort
Award” in 1997. Some winners of this
award include SonevaFushi (2000, 2005,
2007) and Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru
(2006).
The rise of some of the new
industries is due to improved
transport and communication
between Maldives and other
countries. Some of these industries
can be taken as examples of
tertiary industries which do not
have primary economic activities to
back them up.
Shipping
We live close to the sea and sea transport was the only means
of communication and travel between islands in the past. This
was also the only mode of transport between Maldives and
other countries.Therefore sea travel was an important part of
Maldivian life.
Maldivian ships were first used to carry goods to and from
Maldives. Sailing boats called Nauzoangu Faharu took as
much as three to six months to complete a journey from Sri
Lanka or India to Maldives.
Today we own a shipping fleet which carries goods to and
from different parts of the world. The ships used today are
very different from those used in the past. They are faster and
bigger and can complete a trip from Sri Lanka to Maldives in
two or three days.
A cargo ship
Shipping also provides income and jobs for us. It also provides
some of the foreign currency that we earn. In addition to
those people working in the Maldivian ships there are many
Maldivian sailors working in ships that belong to other
countries.
Other Economic Activities
Questions and
Activities
1. In groups compare and discuss
early economic activities with
those of the present. Report
your findings to the class.
2. Choose an economic activity,
e.g. Fishing, Tourism,
manufacturing. Plan and
devise a project for further
development of this activity.
You can suggest your own
ideas and get help from your
teacher.
3. Do some research on how an
activity has progressed over
time.
Fishing, tourism, agriculture and shipping are the most
important economic activities in the Maldives today, but
even today many people are involved in traditional economic
activities such as boat building and handicrafts. New industries
have also started. Manufacturing industries such as the
production of soft-drinks, garments, packaging of cement,
tin-making, fibreglass boat-building and book production
are growing in importance. Construction, civil engineering,
architecture, mobile business (e.g. Gaadiya), aquaculture
etc. are also some of the other economic activities, which are
increasing and gaining importance in the Maldives.
Boat building
is one industry
which has
developed over
the years in
Maldives
Source: National
Heritage
Mueseum,
Maldives
54
UNIT 7 POPULATION, ENVIRONMENT AND MIGRATION IN MALDIVES
7.1 Population Pattern in
Maldives
Population Statistics
Population growth in Maldives
With a population of less than 300, 000 people, Maldives is
one of the least populated countries in the world. However
due to the small size of our land area we also rank among
the most densely populated nations in the world. Maldives
remained sparsely populated without any substantial
increase until 1950. The capital Male’ has always been the
most densely populated island.
In recent years up to 1990, the population growth of
Maldives had been alarming. It started rising sharply from
the mid sixties at a rate of 3.9%. (i.e. 39 persons per
thousand). In 1990 the growth rate was 3.4%. If this rate
had continued it would have doubled in just twenty years.
This doubling would mean that it is increasing three times
faster than the first half of the century. It seems now that
the growth rate is being maintained as the census taken in
1995 shows that it has dropped to 2.7%, in 2000 to 1.96%
and in 2006 to1.69%.Population growth over the years are
shown in the table given below.
Population (2006):
Pop. growth rate:
Population of Male’ :
298,842
1.69%
104,403
2004 statistics:
Sex Ratio:
(males/100 females) Dependency Ratio: /00
Infant mortality rate: /’000 Child mortality rate: /’000
Crude birth rate: /’000
Crude death rate:/’000
Maternal mortality rate:
Still birth rate: /000
Life expectancy: Male
Female
103
63
15
22
18
3
1
9
71
72
Source: Preliminary Results of
Census 2006 and Statistical Year
Book of Maldives 2005
Population growth in Maldives 1911-2006
Year
Population
1911
1921
1931
1946
1957
1965
1977
1985
1990
1995
2000
2006
72,237
70,413
79,281
82,068
83,075
97,743
142,832
180,088
213,215
244,814
270,101
298,842
Sex Ratio
males/100
females
118.95
118.41
119.94
117.34
116.00
113.51
111.26
107.94
105.25
103.69
103.23
103.10
Change
in pop.
size
-1,824
8,868
2,787
5,802
3,783
14,135
37,256
33,127
31,599
25,287
28,741
Source: Statistical Year Book of Maldives 2010
55
Annual
growth
rate
-0.27
1.18
0.23
1.81
3.95
2.98
3.20
3.43
2.73
1.96
1.69
Health professionals at work
The main reasons for higher
population growth in the country
can be considered as follows:
1.Increased birth rate and
reduced death rate,
especially infant mortality
rate.
2.Higher life expectancy
owing to improved health
care services.
Apart from the demographic reasons (e.g. such as
the structure and distribution of populations, size
and changes in response to birth, migration, aging
and death) the socio-cultural beliefs and practices
are also contributing factors of high population
growth.
Over population can cause social
problems
The population of Male’ was estimated at 104,403 in
2006 compared to 29,552 in 1977, which is 27% of
the nation’s total population. The 1.8 sq. km. island
has a density of around 50,000 persons per sq. km.,
which indicates that it is the most densely populated
piece of land in the world.
The major reason of population increase in Male’ is
due to immigrants from other islands.
Population Structure
An early family photo
Population age of Maldives in 2005 indicates that
it consists of 43% under 18 years of age and 4%
over 64 years. These are known as dependent age
groups. Children under 5 years of age constituted
10% of the population in 2005. Narrow base
indicates that birth rate is declining as shown in the
0-4 age group of the pyramid.
56
Some Social Factors Affecting Population
There are various socio-cultural beliefs and
factors affecting population growth. Some such
factors in the Maldives are:• Early marriage and repeated pregnancies
• Sex preference
• Divorce
• Beliefs with regard to large family - meaning
more hands to work and more income
• Beliefs with regard to family planning
These contributing factors for rapid population
growth, however, are changing in Maldives as
modernisation takes place. To bring about this
change, education and employment opportunities
are important variables. For example, education
delays marriage because of two possible
reasons: Firstly, the education process itself takes
time. Secondly, educated persons take more time
to plan for their future, which include finding an
employment, a way to live, a suitable partner and
deciding on the number of children.
A fertility survey conducted by the United
Nations in 38 developing countries found that
women at the child bearing age who complete
seven or more years of schooling will have an
average of 4 children during their lifetime, while
women with no education will have nearly 7
children. In addition, there is a close association
between education and desired family size, age
at marriage, family planning.
The above findings reveal that education is
important to change the social and cultural beliefs
with regard to population growth. One factor
that affected population growth in Maldives was
divorce and re-marriage.
In the past, Maldivians got married at an early
age. There were many possible reasons; young
people did not get the oppertunity to go for
higher education and did not have oppertunity to
become involved in socio-economic activities. In
addition, parents encouraged their children to get
57
One of the islands of Maldives
Source: yourmaldives.mv
High rising buildings of Male’
Museum, Maldives
Education affects population growth
married at an early age for fear of undesirable
alliances. These were some of the factors that
influenced young people to start a married life at
a young age. At this age they were not mature
enough physically and emotionally to become
parents. As a result, many of marriages ended up
in divorce.
Population Distribution
Acitivities
1. Draw a Graph by looking
at the table (Population
growth in Maldives 19112006) to show the change
in population.
2. Describe possible reasons
for rapid population change
over the years.
3. List 3 or 4 social factors
that affect population
growth and discuss the
reasons for those factors.
4. Describe in brief, the
difficulties of dispersed
population with reference to
Maldives.
5. Please refer the table
Population growth in
Maldives on page 54 and
give reasons for high male
ratio between the years of
1911-1977.
6. Write 5 advantages of
population growth.
Maldives being an island country, has to face
tremendous difficulties in its efforts towards development.
Geographical distribution of 195 inhabited islands in an
area of 90,000 sq. km., with only 298 sq. km. of land
available, poses numerous difficulties in the equitable
provision of education, health, transportation and
communication.
One can assume that about 300,000 people could be
served with a single big hospital and a dozen primary and
secondary schools. However, the problem of distance
and scattered nature of population not only poses
greater difficulties of transport, but also add to the cost of
providing these services.
The population growth of Male’ has increased due to
the concentration of socio-economic and educational
development over the years. Since 1985, more than onefourth of the population has been living in Male’ alone.
Up to the 1930s not even one tenth of the population had
lived in Male’. Due to the increasing demand for better
facilities and services by the population as a whole,
people started to reside in Male’. This movement resulted
in the living condition being extremely difficult in Male’ in
terms of housing, environment, drinking water, etc.
Nearly one third of the population of Maldives lives
in Male’ city. Since Male’ is the center for social and
economic activities, people would settle in Male’ for the
required and improved services and this phenomenon is
likely to continue.
Marraiges and divorces in Male’ 2005-2007
Age group
2005
2006
M
D
M
D
15-19
314
33
366
41
20-24
1728
350
2131
452
25-29
1156
464
1284
534
30-34
481
382
565
405
35-39
256
251
260
281
40-44
144
150
184
198
45-49
76
114
121
114
50 & over
91
126
117
121
Source: Statistical Year Book of Maldives 2010
58
2007
M
49
935
772
337
203
95
56
71
D
40
461
570
403
308
219
122
145
7.2 Environmental Issues and
Population
Environment determining population
distribution
Increase in the number of people affects all
the available resources. More people means
demand for more water, more houses, more land,
more building materials (e.g. wood, coral, sand,
etc.) and so on. Therefore the key elements of
environmental change are the population growth
rate, its size and also the consuming passion of
people.
The population of Maldives from the mid sixties
until 1990 was growing at the rate of 3.4% and
would have doubled in just twenty years. This
means the previous population density of 800
people per sq. km. would have risen to 1500
people within two decades. Environmental
problems will increase in the Maldives, if the
population growth rate is not slowed down
reasonably.
The environmental issues and the problems
in the Maldives may be determined in terms
of population distribution. In some islands the
population is so dense that they are faced with
many difficulties including environmental related
problems. The environment problems of Male’ are
an example of this. The density of the island has
reached a critical level in terms of environmental
management.
Population causing stress on environment
The fast population growth in the Maldives has
placed great constraints on the natural resources
and the people’s quality of life. Some islands are
already overcrowded to the extent that people
cannot fulfil their needs of everyday life. For
example, to get a plot of land for housing in Male’
is extremely difficult as land is scarce. This forces
families to live in extremely difficult conditions. If
a family in Male’ has six children now and each of
them in turn has six children, in 20 years time, the
59
Mined corals
Removal of sand can lead to beach
erosion
family would consist of 36 members. It is difficult
to imagine what the consequences would be for
such a family, living under one roof.
In addition, population increase demands an
increase in shelter, which affects the island’s
greenery, as trees have to be cut down.
Population increase also leads to salinity of
ground water due to over exploitation as has
happened in Male’. At present there are a number
of islands facing similar problems. Do you expect
this to happen to all our islands?
Mined corals on the beach
The lack of consideration given to the utilisation
of available resources, especially water, has
adverse effects on people’s quality of life.
When there were fewer houses, there was no
problem in garbage disposal. However, due to the
sudden increase in population, garbage disposal
is a great problem. The amount of garbage in
the Maldives has increased rapidly giving rise to
pollution.
Beach erosion - a major environmental
problem in Maldives
Due to population increase and the demand on
land for housing increased, more and more trees
are being cut down. Because of this, the number
of trees in the Maldives is reducing.
One of the main problems fishermen face today is
the difficulty in catching bait. With the increase in
population, the number of fishermen and fishing
vessels also has increased. As a result, baitfish
might not be multiplying at the rate in which it is
being caught. Furthermore, more coral from the
reefs have to be mined for construction purposes,
thus depriving the natural environment in which
bait exist. The population increase is also causing
destruction to the environment leading to land
erosion and flooding due to tidal waves.
Acitivities
1. Describe how environment
determines population
distribution.
2. Make a list of
environmental problems
which have been caused
by people and have a
discussion about them.
60
7.3 Population Movement
within Maldives
Migration
Movement of people from one place to another
for settlement purposes is called migration. Such
movements within the country are called internal
migration. When people move from one country
to another country it is called external migration.
IGM Hospital: Many people come to
Male’ for medical treatment
Source: minivannews.com
Why do people migrate?
Migration from rural to urban areas is a common
phenomenon in Maldives. The capital Male’ is
overpopulated. It is crowded with people who
have moved in from the islands for various
reasons. When we look at the reasons as to why
people migrate to Male’, the following can be
seen.
• Looking for job opportunities and higher
salaries which provide a good income on a
permanent basis.
Education : A reason for migration
• Some people migrate to Male’ to provide
better education for the children.
• Male’ provides better medical facilities
compared to the atolls and these attract
people to Male’.
• Social attitudes to have urban and modern
life while the possibilities of having a nuclear
family, social privacy, entertainment, etc., are
often found in such a life.
• Some people from the islands stay in Male’ to
serve the government as civil servants.
• People migrate from one island to another
due to environmental reasons. i.e. erosion,
depletion of fresh ground water, etc.
• People migrate due to social reasons such as
marriage.
• Government decisions to move people
from one island to another for resettlement
purposes to provide better services.
61
Male’ has better facilities than the
islands that attract people
Problems due to migration
Migration from rural to urban areas has its
advantages. However, large number of migrants
in a small area cause a lot of problems to the
community.
Due to immigrants Male’ has become
overcrowded. This means that the natural,
physical and social resources, such as housing,
space, water and social services such as
education, medical aid, etc. have become
inadequate to meet the requirements of the
people.
A house, abandoned due to migration
Pollution is another major problem caused by
migration. More people means more garbage
and more environmental degradation. The usual
habit of throwing garbage into the sea is a threat
to health. This was noticed especially during the
tidal waves in 1987. Moreover, it was found that
the plastic containers could destroy living corals.
Congestion and pollution have become major
problems in Male’. The Municipality had to take
certain steps on the one hand to arrange for the
quick disposal of garbage and on the other hand,
to reduce the number of people migrating to
Male’.
Migration could affect the industries in
the islands
In a place where there are too many people,
accidents tend to happen. In Male’ people are not
very aware of traffic rules and thus cars, lorries,
motor cycles and pedestrians crowd on the roads.
Contagious diseases spread easily in crowded
areas. It becomes difficult to control the spread
of such diseases. The diarrhoea infection in 1987
and the spread of fever, eye infections, etc. in
recent times are good examples of this.
Migration causes a different set of problems in
the islands. Often, able people leave the islands
and the development work in the islands is
affected. People who leave the islands mostly
belong to the productive age group, between
15 and 45. If educated people leave, the island
schools may get affected. If craftsmen leave, the
industries may get affected.
Development work is affected by
migration
62
Migration causes family problems. The wives of
those who leave the island are heavily burdened.
Alone, they face the responsibilities of looking
after the young and the old as well as the
household. They have to attend to the work done
previously by the men in the island. Above all,
they feel at a loss without their husbands and
children grow up without the love and guidance of
their fathers.
Acitivities
1. Give the causes for migration.
2. Write the problems of migration
in Maldives.
3. Write the steps taken by
the government to ease the
population congestion in Male’.
4. Suggest ways of stopping
migration to Male’.
Steps taken by the government to solve
the problems
• Desalination plants for safe drinking water.
• Making public parks, playgrounds and
entertainment centres.
• A part of the population of Male’ has been
allocated land in Male’ Atoll Villingili and
Maafilaafushi.
• The Hulhumale’ reclamation and housing
project.
• Housing projects to provide affordable
housing, to all Maldivian citizens.
• Development of comprehensive and
sustainable transport system in the Maldives
(Intra atoll, inter atoll, inter regional).
• Provision of better health and education
facilities .
Apartments built in Male’ to ease
housing problems
Reclamation for increasing the land area
Standards have to be met in construction of houses
63
UNIT 8 INTRODUCTION TO COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES
8.1 Money and Banking
An Economy without money
A person is not capable of producing everything
that he or she wants. So if we want something,
we buy it using money. Even in early societies
different members of the society had specific
occupations. For example, one person may be
a carpenter and another may be a fisherman. In
these societies money did not exist. Therefore
if the carpenter wanted something from the
fisherman he would take some of the surplus
that he had produced in exchange for what he
wanted. Exchanging one good for another is
known as barter. That is how trading took place
in those societies.
Coconuts were used for trading
goods, in the past.
Museum, Maldives
Early forms of money
The barter system of trade had several difficulties
and people started realising these difficulties.
Sometimes the carpenter might not want the
fish in exchange for his chair. So what would
the fisherman do if he wanted the chair? To
solve this problem people started using things
that everyone needed from time to time. These
items became the first medium of exchange. For
example, everyone drinks tea and this was an
item used in some societies. The fisherman can
then exchange his fish for tea leaves, which he
can keep and give the carpenter in exchange
for a chair. The carpenter can also use this to
exchange for whatever he may need. So things
like tealeaves, which were generally accepted,
became the first form of money. After sometime
it was realised that they could use generally
accepted commodities such as money even if it
did not serve any purpose in itself. Cowry shells
were used as money in this way. In the past
everyone accepted it in exchange because of its
ornamental value. Gold and silver were also used
as money in this way.
Some items used for bartering, in
the past
Cowries were used as money in the early
days
Museum, Maldives
64
Functions of money
From the earlier sections you would have found out
that the most important function of money is that
it acts as a medium of exchange. Money is also
used to measure the value of goods and services.
In modern societies we know the value of goods
like soap and services such as haircuts in terms of
Rufiya, Dollars, Rupees etc. Therefore money is a
measure of value.
Very often people work more than they would need
to get the goods they want now. With money they
can save the value of their work in the form of
money. In this way money acts as a store of value.
Characteristics of money
All the commodities that were used as money
had some important characteristics. What is used
as money must be generally accepted. Tea
leaves, cowry shells, silver and gold, all had these
characteristics when they were in use as money.
Today bank notes and coins are accepted by law in
exchange for goods and services.
Early coins of Maldives
Some of the items once used as money were too
heavy or difficult to carry. These were given up
because of this difficulty. Modern money is easy to
carry, in other words it is portable.
Money must also be divisible.You can divide
a Rufiyaa into a hundred Laari which makes it
possible for you to buy goods valued at different
prices. Some commodities, which were used as
money, were not easily divisible and therefore
difficult to use in small exchanges. What problems
of divisibility would arise if cows were used as
money? People use money to store wealth or to
save.Therefore whatever is used as money should
last for a long time. In other words money must be
durable. It is also important for money to be scarce.
If the commodity used as money is free for everyone
to pick up, no one will accept it as a medium of
exchange. This was important when commodities
were used as money. Today people are paid by
money only, for their work.
65
The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA)
issues currency, regulates the availability
of the Maldivian rufiyaa and promotes its
stability.
Source: panoramio.com
Currencies used in the world today
In modern societies the most important form
of money used is bank notes and coins. All the
different types of bank note and coins have the
characteristics to perform the functions of money.
In Maldives we use Rufiyaa and Laari.This is
accepted in Maldives as a medium of exchange.
Other currencies such as the United States
Dollar, Singapore Dollar, Japanese Yen and the
Egyptian Pound also have these characteristics.
In addition to these some currencies such as the
United States Dollar, Euro and the Sterling Pound
are also accepted in the exchange of goods
between countries.
Bank notes
Source: webbestforextrading.net
Banks and the use of cheques as money
A bank is a financial institution where people can
deposit their money. Banks provide a system for
easily transferring money from one person or
business to another. Using banks and the many
services they offer saves us an incredible amount
of time.
Cash card
Banks lend money to people as loans. Banks
also create their own form of money. When
you open an account in a bank the bank gives
you a chequebook. Cheques can be used to
pay people. People accept these as payment
because banks give them the money from your
account. Therefore cheques have some of the
characteristics of money and can perform some
of its functions too.
Today cash cards are widely used in the
Maldives as an alternative payment method to
cheques or cash when making purchases. Many
people also use online and mobile banking
services to conduct banking transactions.
Bank of Maldives Head Office,
Male’
66
8.2 International Trade
In the early years the barter system of trading was
used even in international trade. Boats from Maldives
used to carry dried fish and copra to Sri Lanka to
exchange for rice, flour and oil.
Just like a single person, a single country is
not capable of producing everything it needs.
Different countries have different climates,
which help them to grow certain crops. Different
countries have different resources. Similarly,
people have different skills. Some countries are
capable of producing some of the things more
efficiently. These are the reasons why countries
have to buy goods from other countries. With our
climate and soil we cannot grow rice in Maldives
so we buy rice from Burma. We do not have oil
in Maldives, therefore we buy it from the Middle
Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and
Kuwait. We cannot manufacture televisions and
refrigerators, so we buy these from countries like
Singapore and Japan.
An oil Tanker
International Trade Today
Today all countries of the world depend on other
countries for many of the goods they need.
Oil is produced mainly in the countries of the
Middle East. Countries in Europe, Africa, Asia
and the America buy oil from the Middle Eastern
countries. Unlike the early days of international
trade, today internationally accepted currencies
are used for trading between countries.
Today big ships carry goods from one country to
another. The seaports of all the countries have
many ships with their cargo from different parts
of the world. Oil tankers carry oil while container
carriers carry containers filled with various goods.
Refrigerated ships carry foodstuff like meat, fruits
and vegetables. The major trade routes are the
routes between the major ports of the world.
67
Goods brought from abroad for sale
in a shop
Activities
Conduct a survey at your local
store. Select ten goods and record
the name of the product and where
it has been produced. Present
your results in class and compare
with other students. Make a graph
showing the combined result.
Importance of International trade to
modern life
Think about the things that you see at home
and on the streets. You will notice that many of
the things you see come from other countries.
Imagine life without them. Without International
trade, we cannot live the kind of lifestyle we live
today. This is also true for all the countries in the
world.
Trading blocs
Euro banknotes are the currency
of the euro zone and have been in
circulation since 2002.
A trading bloc is a group of countries which
protect their industries and markets. It allows free
trade within the trading bloc, but usually imposes
tariffs, and places restrictions on the amount
of imports from other countries. The European
Union (E.U) is an example of a trading bloc.
Cargo Ship
Source: curiousqatar.blogspot.com
68
UNIT 9 LAW AND ORDER
9.1 Rules and Regulations
The Noble Qur’an is the basis of Islamic Shari’ah, and
gives all the principles and commands that are accepted
by Muslims.
Are Rules Necessary?
Think about this question and read the following
scenario.
A class of twelve year old students leave on a trip. A
fierce storm wrecks their dhoani but they manage to
swim safely to a nearby uninhabited island.
Hussain wiped his face.
“Shazan and the boys go looking for food, and the
rest of us will build some shelters”.
Hussain was the biggest in the group and was
used to having his own way, but there were some
grumblings.
Nizam spoke up, “Says who? Nobody tells me what
to do. I’ll look after myself, that’s all”.
“If you were ill’’, said Shazan, “you’d want someone
else to look after you”.
“Suppose I found the only bunch of bananas, you’d
expect me to share it round, and not keep it all for
myself? I don’t want Hussain to give me “orders” but
I do think we should share things”.
“Right now, the most important thing is to find our
way home”, said Ali.
Nizam disagreed. “The vital thing is to find food’’ he
replied.
“Look’’ shouted Niuma. “Everyone is arguing. We
need someone in charge to organize our efforts. We
need some guidance - some rules - else we’ll be at
each others throats.’’
“I can do without rules,” said Habib. “You’ll have us
running around after you while you sit giving orders.’’
Rumza nodded in agreement. “Maybe we do need
some rules”, she said. “But I don’t see that one
person has to make them. Surely we should all
agree on what we need to do, then we can make
sure things get done”.
69
Questions & Acitivities
1. In the story, do you think
that they believe rules are
necessary?
(a) Say everything you can
think of to support
• Hussain’s point of view.
• Rumza’s point of view.
• Nizam’s point of view.
2. In three groups, discuss
the following issues. There
should be a spokesperson
for each group.
a. Do you think that a small
group should look for food
and water and share it out
according to who needs it
most?
b. Or that people who do the
most work should get the
most food?
c. Or that everybody should
take it in turns to find food
because everybody eats and
the food should be shared
out equally?
d. In your class group how
would you deal with:
(i) property
(ii) settling disputes
(iii) caring for the sick?
There will be differences of
opinion, and you will have to
agree on rules to adopt.
9.2 Laws
Law is a system of rules and guidelines, usually enforced
through a set of institutions or the government. It shapes a
country’s politics, economics and society in numerous ways. It
also serves as a social mediator of relations between people.
Without laws to govern human interrelations, there would be
anarchy, and the lives of all persons would be affected in a
harmful way.
Rules are important for the safety of
people
From the previous lesson we have learnt that we need
some kind of rules to share things out, to settle disputes
and to solve many other problems that arise when
people live together. The larger the community or the
country, the more complex and numerous will be the
rules.
Who makes the law?
The first written system of law was the
Code of Hammurabi, a king of Babylonia
(Iraq) written about 4000 years ago. “An
eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’’ is said
to be a fundamental aspect of this code.
Islamic Shari’ah is the code of behaviour
for Muslims. The Noble Qur’an and the
Prophet Muhammad’s (
) Sunnah
are the basis of Shari’ah.
Societies form rules and laws based on their religion,
customs, culture and beliefs. Rules can be made by
anyone or any group and it applies only to a particular
group. Custom and rules become laws when they are
enforced regularly by society through persons given the
authority to do so, i.e. the Police.
In modern societies the parliament makes the laws.
The parliament is an elected body of people who are
entrusted with the task of making laws. When one
wants to make a law on a particular issue, a draft
known as a bill is presented to the parliament. The
parliament then debates on the bill so that all aspects
of the proposals are looked into very carefully. Usually
after a lengthy debate, a vote is taken on whether the
bill should be passed. If the majority of the members
had voted on and accepted the bill, then it is passed on
to the Head of State for his approval. If he approves
then it becomes law and everyone in the country should
obey it.
Laws change
Laws are merely made by human beings. Laws respond
to public opinion and change accordingly. Laws are
often changed to suit the circumstances in which the
people live in. Education of the people and their material
prosperity, the invention of new machines or new ideas
are some factors that affect these changes.
70
UNIT 9 Lawyers and Law Commissions
A lawyer is a professional person who has studied the
law. Lawyers give advice to people about the law and
help them by speaking on their behalf in the law courts.
Their relations with clients are based on confidence. A
lawyer cannot be both for and against the same client
in a case. In order to become a lawyer you must obtain
a recognised law degree or a certificate.
LAW AND ORDER
Since we all are equal before the law, the law
must be applied equally in the same manner
for everyone without any discrimination.
Unless a law is enforced properly it loses its
effectiveness as a law and those persons
subject to it will regard it as dead.
The law commissions have the role of reforming
existing laws in a country and recommend changes
if necessary. In Maldives, this is done by the Attorney
General’s Office.
Since we all are equal before the law, the law must
be applied equally in the same manner for everyone
without any discrimination. Unless a law is enforced
properly it loses its effectiveness as a law and those
persons subject to it will regard it as dead.
Law is generally divided into two main branches criminal law and civil law.
An island court
Criminal Law
Criminal law deals with crimes - actions that the
community considers harmful. Examples of crimes are
murder, deliberate injury, theft, and arson. Criminal law
is enforced on behalf of the State.
In the Maldives, the Police investigates all
noncompliance (the failure to obey the law) with law
and cases are referred to the Prosecutor General’s
office for prosecution. The Prosecutor General’s office,
after studying the case, may decide to prosecute or
not. If decided to prosecute, the case will be referred
to the court. The court examines the circumstances
in order to find out whether the accused really has
committed the crime or not. If he/she is found guilty, he/
she is punished either by being fined (made to pay a
sum of money) or by being house arrested or banished
or imprisoned for a certain length of time. The purpose
of such punishment is to discourage him/her from
committing crimes in the future, and to warn others
against crime. It is a moral duty of the society to punish
the wrongdoer. In some countries, people who commit
very serious crimes, such as murder, are executed.
71
Rules tell us what must or must not be done in
a particular situation.
Civil Law
Civil law is sometimes called ‘private law’. It consists
of rules for settling disputes between individual
persons or between groups. It is divided into many
smaller branches:
Ownership rights protect people’s property
Activities
1. Examine the law on traffic
regulations, ie, lamps, parking,
one way roads, speed limits and
identify the legislative, executive
and judicial elements.
2. Name some laws in Maldives that
influence your behaviour.
3. Write a paragraph on the
importance of law and order.
What might happen if there were
no laws?
The law of property deals with the ownership of
land, buildings, and other things. It also deals with
inheritance. When someone dies, the court has to
decide on how the property he/she has left would be
divided among the heirs.
Family law regulates such relationships as marriage
and divorce, parenthood and guardianship and their
rights and duties. People desiring to get married
are required to make an application to the court
seven days before intended date of marriage and
the woman has to obtain the consent of the legal
guardian before marriage. Now the law requires
even husbands to apply to the court and get the
consent of the court for dissolution of the marriage. The law of contract deals with agreements
between people, especially agreements that involve
money. If I agree to sell you something or to do
something for you, and you agree to pay me for it,
you can legally insist that you enforce your rights
against me.
Other branches of law
Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Define law.
Who makes the law?
Why does the law change?
Who is a lawyer?
What is the role of law
commissions?
6. What is criminal law? Give
examples.
7. What will happen if you break
the law?
8. What is civil law? Give
examples.
There are several other branches of law, too.
Constitutional law, for instance, contains the rules
of law relating to the workings of government such
as the powers of the President and government
ministries. International law deals with disputes
between countries.
72
UNIT 10 MODERN STATECRAFT
10.1Functions of a Modern
Government
All governments carry out three major functions in order
to maintain law and order in the country. These may be
termed legislative, executive and judicial functions.
Legislature
The law making body of a country is called
legislature. The Parliament comprises of people
(Members of Parliament) who are entrusted with
the task of making laws.Members of Parliament
are usually elected by the people for a fixed term.
Members of Parliament debate on the various Bills
presented to them.These Bills become the Law of
the country after it is approved and ratified.
Parliament Square, London
Source: angells.com
Some Parliaments comprise of two Houses - the
Upper House and the Lower House.This is known
as a bicameral legislature.The Bills must be
passed by both houses before they become Law.
In Britain, the Lower House is called the House of
Commons and the Upper House is called the House
of Lords. In the United States, the Parliament is
known as the Congress, comprising the House of
Representatives (the Lower House) and the Senate
(the Upper House). When there is only one House of
Parliament, it is known as a unicameral legislature.
Meetings of the Parliament are conducted by
the Speaker, who is the highest authority in the
Parliament.
Executive
The Executive branch of the state is responsible for
governing the country in accordance with the laws
passed by the Parliament.The executive function of
the government is carried out by the President or the
Prime Minister, who is the head of the government,
and his or her cabinet. In the Parliamentary system
of government, the Prime Minister is the head of
Government while the President, the King, or the
Queen is the Head of State. In the Presidential
system of Government, the President acts as
both the Head of State as well as the Head of
Government.
73
Queen Elizabeth II
Source: jubileetimecapsule.wordpress.com
In a Democratic system of government,
(Parliamentary or Presidential) the President or the
Prime Minister is elected by the people through
popular voting. He or she will rule the country for a
fixed term of office and may be re-elected at the end
of the term for which he or she was elected.
Judiciary
Justice Building in Male’
The Judicial branch of the government is known as
the Judiciary.It is responsible for the interpretation
of the laws passed by the legislative branch
and implemented by the executive branch.They
are responsible to ensure that law and order is
maintained in accordance with the Constitution of
the country. The Judiciary is composed of Judges,
Magistrates and the Courts of Law.
The Courts of Law are headed by a Judge or
Magistrate who has the authority to pass judgement
on matters referred to the Court.When there is a
dispute between two parties, or when someone has
broken the law, the matter is referred to the Court.
The Judge or the Magistrate, after hearing the cases
passes judgement, which is called the sentence.
The sentence is based on the laws passed by the
Legislative branch of the Government.
This monument in front of Sultan’s Park is a popular
landmark in Male’
74
10.2 Different Systems of
government
Absolute Monarchy
An Absolute Monarchy is a political system in which the
King or the Queen has absolute power to rule the country.
An absolute Monarchy does not have a Constitution or
Parliament, but govern by decree, which means that his
word is law. In such a political system, the citizens are
considered to be subjects of the Monarch and do not
have any rights other than that which is granted by the
Monarch. In an absolute monarchy, the transmission of
power is twofold; hereditary and marital.
Absolute monarchies survived until the 17th century in
England, until the 19th century in the rest of Europe, and
until 1917 in Russia.There are a few absolute monarchies
in existence today in some parts of the Arab world, in
Asia and Africa.
King Mswati III, Swaziland
Source: wikipedia.org
Constitutional Monarchies
A Constitutional Monarchy is a political system in which
the Monarch rules in accordance with the constitution of
the country.In such a political system, the Monarch does
not have absolute power, but shares power with other
branches of the government. The laws of the land are
passed by the Parliament, which is usually elected by
the people.Sometimes the Constitutional Monarchy can
be hereditary.In a hereditary monarchy the person next
in line to the throne is usually the eldest son (prince),
who becomes the king when the ruling king dies.If the
succession is not hereditary, then the king or queen may
be chosen by the people, usually from within the Royal
Family.
Emperor Akihito of Japan
Democracy
Democracy literally means ‘rule by the people’. Any
government in which the people have supreme powers is
a democracy. A Democracy is a political system in which
the Government is elected by the people of the country.
In a democracy, political power rests with the people and
the government rules with the consent of the people.
Most democracies today are known as representative
democracies, as the government is formed by peoples’
representatives who are elected by the people through
75
President Mohamed Nasheed,
Maldives
Museum, Maldives
popular vote. In earlier times, when communities were
much smaller, there existed direct democracies, where
people governed themselves through direct participation
in passing the laws.
Military Dictatorship
Thein Sein, Burma
A Military Dictatorship is the opposite of a Democracy.
The Military Dictator is not an elected representative of
the people, but has taken over the government by force.
The Military Dictator is usually a high-ranking Military
Official, who rules with the backing of the armed forces of
the country. In a Military Dictatorship, all laws are passed
by the Military and the people are usually deprived of
even their basic rights.In some ways a Military Dictator
is like an Absolute Monarch but is different because he
does not claim to have divine rights. Military Dictators are
usually not very popular with the people.
Communist Governments
Hu Jintao, China
A Communist Government is a political system in which
all property is owned by the State or a group, to be
shared equally among all the people. Individuals are
not allowed to own land or property. All political and
economic power rests with the State, which is run by the
Communist Party or the State Party. The stated aim of
Communist Governments is to eliminate class conflict
between rich and poor people. The Soviet Union had
a Communist Government from 1917 to 1992. Today,
China, North Korea and Cuba are among the most well
known Communist countries.
Theocracy
A Theocracy is a form of Government in which God is
regarded as the supreme ruler.The government is run
by priesthood or religious leaders who claim that all
laws are divinely inspired.As such, the priesthood or
religious leaders claim to rule on behalf of God, as his
representatives.The former Tibetan government of Dalai
Lama was a theocracy.
Dalai Lama, Tibet
76
10.3 Levels of Government
Unitary System of Government
A Unitary Government is one in which all authority is
vested in the central or national government. Authority
is thus ‘centralised’ in a unitary Government. There are
no separate states with independent powers existing in
a unitary form of government. Maldives is an example
of a Unitary Government, as all authority is vested in
the national government.The Atolls do not have any
authority other than which has been granted by the
national government.
Federal System of Government
The government is not centralised in some countries.
These countries have a central government and
various State or Provincial Governments functioning
simultaneously. Such a system of government is called
a Federal System of Government (see page 72).The
powers vested with the central government and the
powers vested in the State Government are defined in
the Constitution. Normally, affairs of national interest
such as defence and external affairs are dealt with by
the Central Government. Affairs of provincial interest
such as law and order, local transport, education and
health are maintained by the State Governments.
Normally, large countries find the federal system
of government more suitable because of their size
and varied ethnicities.The United States of America,
Canada, Australia and India have federal systems of
government.
* Check the meaning of the
difficult words in the unit from the
Glossary at the end of this book.
1. Make a list of the different types
of governments.
2. What type of government exists
in these countries?
USA
Britain
Japan
China
Cuba
3. Imagine that one person is
living in a democratic country
and another in a military
dictatorship. Who will live a
better life? Why?
4. As group work find more
information on how democracy
evolved and developed as we
see it today.
Local Government
In the past, villages and urban centres throughout the
world had their own organisations to deal with local
affairs such as maintenance of market places, religious
places, elementary schools, peaceful settlement of local
disputes, etc. Many modern governments today have
also accommodated these organisations in the system
of statecraft.This is called the Local Government. In
several countries they are known as village council,
urban council, municipal council, etc. In Britain they are
called counties. In democratic countries members are
elected to these councils through local elections.
77
Municipal Buildings of
Glasgow, UK
Source: frontispiece.co.uk
States of India
India has a Federal System of Government
78
UNIT 11 THE STRUCTURE OF MALDIVIAN GOVERMENT
11.1 Development of Statecraft
in Maldives
Institution of Sultan
In Maldives the post of Sultan was not necessarily
an inherited post.The Sultans from the very earliest
days ruled more like a constitutional monarch.
Even though the country’s first constitution was not
introduced until 1932, the Sultans adhered to and
followed the examples set by their predecessors
who had always followed a wide range of customs
and conventions that had been looked upon as laws
in the administrative structure.
Throughout the known history of the country the
Sultans had ruled with the assistance of councils of
advisors.These councils not only assisted the Sultan
in administrative matters, but they also represented
the people, often voicing the people’s opinion at
the councils meetings.There are also recorded
instances when Sultans have been deposed on
decisions taken by the councils on such occasions
as when the Sultan had gone against existing
customs and conventions. Hence the councils not
only represented people in the government, they
also restricted the authority of the Sultans.
Sultan in an official function
Activities
1. Write a paragraph on the
main features of the institution
of Sultan as it was practiced
in Maldives.
2. Prepare a list of some
important officials and their
functions in early Maldives.
3. Identify the main features of
the relationship between the
institution of Sultan and island
administration in the past.
A historical bathing tank (Veyo)
79
80
11.2 Government in Maldives
The Constitution
The first written Constitution of Maldives was
introduced in December 1932.The Constitution
forms the basic principles according to which the
state is governed. It contains the basic rights of
the citizens of the country. The functions and the
powers of the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary
are defined in the Constitution. A new Constitution
was ratified in August 2008, paving the way for the
country's first multi-party presidential election two
months later.The new constitution clearly stipulates
the separation of powers among the legislature,
executive and the judiciary and has a strong focus
on the protection and promotion of human rights
including the right for women to stand for president.
Article 4 of the Constitution states “All the powers
of the state of the Maldives are derived from,
and remain with, the citizens”. The constitution is
amended and upheld by the People’s Majlis.
The President (Head of Government and
Head of State)
The President is the Head of State, The Head of
Government and the Commander in
Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic. The
President is elected directly by the people by
universal suffrage or by public voting. The term of
office is five years and can serve a maximum two
terms in office. The President heads the executive
branch and appoints the Cabinet.
Some of the principal roles of the president
include the following:
• Approve laws (bills) created by the People’s
Majlis (Parliament), which is the legislative
branch of government.
• Lead the nation's people, making sure citizens
obey the laws and setting priorities for the
country, including helping the People’s Majlis
decide how the budget is spent.
81
People’s Majlis
Presidential Office
• Manage the government, making sure that
decisions and programs are being carried out
effectively, with the help of the vice president
and appointed cabinet members who head
different ministries (Education, Finance
and Treasury, Home Affairs, Economic
Development etc).
• Represent the Maldives in meetings with
leaders of other countries, including signing
treaties and other agreements (with approval
from People’s Majlis) on behalf of the
Maldives.
The Cabinet
Source: doreview.blogspot.com
The Cabinet
The Cabinet of the Maldives is made up of
the President, the Vice President, Attorney
General and ministers. Each Cabinet Minister is
entrusted with a Ministry and is responsible for
implementing Government policies related to the
specific area of concern to the Ministry. Attorney
General is the legal advisor to the Government.
It is the duty of the Attorney General to advise
the Government on all legal matters affecting the
State. The president consults the Cabinet on all
important matters. Except for the Vice President,
the President must receive the approval of
the People’s Majlis for all appointments to the
Cabinet.
The People’s Majlis
Source: beautifulmaldives.wordpress.com
The Parliament / The People’s Majlis
The People’s Majlis is the country’s legislature
or the law making body (parliament). It is
also entrusted with the powers to amend the
constitution. The members of Parliament hold
office for a term of five years. The People’s Majlis
is chaired by the Speaker who is elected among
its members by the Majlis. In his absence, the
Deputy Speaker chairs the sitting, who is also
elected among its members.
82
When the Government or any member wishes to
pass a law on a particular issue, a draft known
as a Bill is presented to the People’s Majlis. The
Majlis then debates on the Bill as well as any
amendments proposed to it by any member. It
is then put to vote. The presence of twenty five
percent of members constitute a quorum of the
People’s Majlis to hold a sitting. All decisions of the
People’s Majlis are decided by a majority of votes
of the members present, except for those matters
requiring compliance by citizens. Once a bill is
passed, it is sent to the President for ratification.
The Bill becomes law only after it is ratified.
The Supreme Court
The membership of the People’s Majlis is
determined in accordance with the following
principles:
1.Two members for the first five thousand
residents registered for each administrative
division or two members for administrative
divisions with less than two thousand
residents.
2.Where the residents registered to an
administrative division exceed five thousand
residents, one additional member for each
group of five thousand residents in excess of
the first five thousand.
The Judicial System
The judicial power is vested in the Supreme
Court, the High Court and such Trial Courts as
established by law. The Supreme Court is the
highest authority for the administration of justice
in the Maldives. The President as the Head of
State appoints the Chief Justice, and the judges
of the Supreme Court, after consulting the
Judicial Service Commission. All other Judges are
appointed by the Judicial Service Commission. The
Chief Justice is highest authority of the Supreme
Court. All matters adjudicated before the Supreme
Court shall be decided upon by a majority of the
judges sitting together in session.
83
Source: praguepost.com
The powers of the State of the
Maldives
All the powers of the State of the Maldives
are derived from, and remain with, the
citizens. All powers of the state are exercised
in accordance with the Constitution.The three
powers, for purpose of governing the State,
comprise the following:
(a) Executive power;
(b) Legislative power; and
(c) Judicial power
The executive power is vested in the
President. The legislative power is vested
in the People’s Majlis. The judicial power is
vested in the courts of the Maldives.
11.3 Local Administration in
Maldives
The Administrative Divisions of the Maldives
refers to the various units of government that
provide local government services in the Maldives.
In the past, the administrative divisions consisted of
20 administrative atolls, all controlled by the central
government in Male’. Each atoll was headed by an
atoll chief.
In an attempt of decentralization, seven
provinces were established in 2008. In 2010,
the Decentralization Act was ratified, which
saw the decentralization of the country as 21
administrative divisions, consisting of 20 atoll
divisions and Male’ division. According to the
criteria for determining cities, Addu Atoll was
declared a city, under the name of “Addu City”.
20 Atoll Division
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Code
Name
Haa Alif
Haa Dhallu
Shaviyani
Noonu
Raa
Baa
Lhaviyani
Kaafu
Alif Alif
Alif Dhaal
Vaavu
Meemu
Faafu
Dhaalu
Thaa
Laamu
Gaafu Alif
Gaafu
Dhaalu
Gnaviyani
Seenu
Code
Abbr.
HA
HDh
Sh
N
R
B
Lh
K
AA
ADh
V
M
F
Dh
Th
L
Ga
GDh
Official Name
Thiladhummathee Uthuruburi
Thiladhummathee Dhekunuburi
Miladhummadulu Uthuruburi
Miladhummadulu Dhekunuburi
Maalhosmadulu Uthuruburi
Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi
Faathippolhu
Male’ Atholhu
Ari Atholhu Uthuruburi
Ari Atholhu Dhekunuburi
Felidhe Atholhu
Mulakatholhu
Nilandhe Atholhu Uthuruburi
Nilandhe Atholhu Dhekunuburi
Kolhumadulu
Hadhdhummathi
Huvadhu Atholhu Uthuruburi
Huvadhu Atholhu Dhekunuburi
Administrative
Division Center
Dhidhdhoo
Kulhudhuffushi
Funadhoo
Manadhoo
Ungoofaaru
Eydhafushi
Naifaru
Thulusdhoo
Rasdhoo
Mahibadhoo
Felidhoo
Muli
Nilandhoo
Kudahuvadhoo
Veymandoo
Fonadhoo
Villingili
Thinadhoo
Gn
S
Fuva Mulah
Addu Atholhu
Fuvah Mulah
Hithadhoo
Male’ Division
The Male’ division includes the capital city Male’, Villingili and Hulhumale’
Source: Bill No. 5/2010 “Dhivehi Raajeyge Idhaaree Dhaairaathah
Laamarukazee Usoolun Hingumuge Bill
84
UNIT 12 MAIN DEVELOPMENTS IN THE 20TH CENTURY
12.1 War and Peace in the 20th
Century
The First World War was the fiercest and the most
frightening war the world had seen to that time. As the
name indicates this was the first war in which the whole
world was involved.
Why did the First World War occur?
Most historians agree that no one wanted war in 1914.
They also agree that the events that occurred in the
years before 1914 led the world automatically into war.
Imperialism and Colonialism
In the decades before the First World War competition
between the European Powers such as Britain,
France and Germany, to gain land in Africa, Asia and
the Pacific increased.This sometimes led to fighting
between some of the European Powers in these
regions.
European colonies in Africa
Nationalism
Newly formed countries in Europe wanted to be united
with others of the same race. An important example
is that of Serbia. She wanted Austria to give back the
lands inhabited by Slavic people. Austria was a strong
country in Europe at that time.
Military Rivalry
Nationalism and Imperialism led to the growth of
armies and navies in the European countries. Each
country wanted to be strong enough to be able to
defend its territories.In addition to this a strong army
was a symbol of national pride.By 1914 there were
over 3 million soldiers in Europe.
European army
Source: warrelics.eu
The Alliances
In the last few years of the 19th century and at the
beginning of the 20th century two alliances were
formed. One between Britain, France and Russia and
the other between Germany, Austria and Italy. These
alliances divided the major powers of Europe into two
opposing groups.
85
A battleship
Source: padresteve.com
The War
On 28th June 1914, the Archduke, Francis
Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian throne was
assassinated at Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia.
Austria blamed Serbia for this act. When Austria
declared war against Serbia, Russia came to
Serbia’s help. Germany declared war on Russia
and her ally France. This drew the two alliances
and eventually their allies and colonies all over
the world into the war. For four years the war
was fiercely fought by both sides. In 1917,
Russia withdrew from the war after the Russian
Revolution overthrew the Tsar. One month later,
America joined Britain and France.
Archduke Francis
Ferdinand and his family
Source: answers.com
The End of the War and its Outcome
At 11 am on the 11th of November 1918 the
guns stopped firing and the First World War
came to an end. More than twenty million men
had either been killed or disabled. The loss in
money and buildings was impossible to calculate.
The destruction caused during the war made
countries realize the importance of peace in
the world. This led to the formation of the first
international organization to preserve peace and
understanding between countries of the world.
This organization was called the League of
Nations.
League of Nations Headquarters
in Geneva
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Why did the Second World War occur?
Just twenty years and a few months after the First
World War ended the whole world was involved
in another war on the same scale; the Second
World War. Some of the reasons were similar to
those of the First World War.
German Rearmament
The Treaty of Versailles signed after the end
of the First World War between the victorious
powers and those which were defeated prohibited
German rearmament and limited the size of the
German army and navy. In spite of this Germany
started to build up its army soon after the end of
the war. After Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933,
Hitler in a rally to gain support for
German rearmament
Source: britannica.com
86
German rearmament became more open and
vigorous.
The Policy of Appeasement
Due to the fear of another war many of the
countries in Europe including Britain and France
ignored the aggressive actions of some of the
other countries. This policy is known as the policy
of appeasement. Germany, Italy and Japan
took advantage of this knowing that even if they
invaded a less powerful country, Britain, France
or the United States would take no action against
them. Germany invaded areas which were taken
away from them after the First World War. Later
they also took over part of Austria. In Asia,
Japanese forces invaded Manchuria.
British Prime Minister Churchill
opposed the policy of appeasement
Source: blog.charlesmccain.com
Failure of the League of Nations
The League of Nations did not have the power
to stop aggressors.Germany left the League
when she was asked to stop rebuilding her army.
The League did not have a peacekeeping army
and therefore was unable to use force against
aggressors.In addition to this, the United States,
even then one of the most powerful countries of
the world, was not a member of the League.
Cartoon depicting failure of the
League of Nations
The Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis Pact
This was a pact signed by Italy, Germany and
Japan in 1940. In this pact the countries agreed
to give economic and military help to each other
if war broke out. This pact made these three
countries into a strong group, which, in the event
of war would be able to fight together against
Britain, France, the United States and the Soviet
Union.
The Abandonment of Appeasement
In 1939 when Hitler invaded part of
Czechoslovakia, the British government realized
that the policy of appeasement was not working
and decided that Britain should declare war
on Germany if Hitler’s aggression continued.
Britain and France gave the guarantee to support
Poland in the case of German invasion.
87
Hitler and Mussolini
Source: levantium.com
Outbreak of World War II
On 1st September 1939 Hitler invaded Poland and
two days later Britain and France declared war on
Germany. On that day only three countries were
at war but behind each of them were colonial
empires and allies.Quite soon more countries got
involved in the conflict and by the end of 1941 the
whole world was at war.
Destruction due to war
The End of the War and its Aftermath
Source: ww2today.com
Germany surrendered to the allied forces of
Britain, France, United States and Russia in May
1945. Later the same year, Japan surrendered
after American planes dropped atomic bombs on
two of its cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.The war
and its ending showed to mankind the destruction
caused by modern warfare. Even before the
war ended, discussions were held between
the allied powers to form a better international
organization to replace the League of Nations.
This organization, which was the most important
outcome of the Second World War, is called the
United Nations.
End of war and its Aftermath
Source: bloggingbeirut.com
The Cold War
Although the Soviet Union and the West were
allies in the Second World War their friendship
did not last after the end of the war. The cold
war is a term used to describe the tension,
which developed soon after the end of the
Second World War between the Soviet Union
and the Western countries. The Cold War was
not a direct war. It was a competition for world
dominance mainly between the USA and USSR.
They started helping opposing sides in certain
selected regions of the world, for example: Korea,
Vietnam, West Asia, and Afghanistan.
88
Spread of Communism
The Soviet Union became a communist country in
1917. By the end of the Second World War the West
believed that the Soviet Union wanted to spread
communism in Europe and the world. The west did
not want this to happen.
Several incidents after the Second World War
brought the two sides close to the start of a war. Only
the fear of a nuclear war which would destroy the
whole world, stopped the outbreak of war.
The Arms Race
A dismantled portion of the Berlin Wall
Source: awgood.wordpress.com
The Soviet Union and the United States became the
most powerful countries in the world and became
known as the Super Powers. Both sides were
concentrating on building up their military strength.
Nuclear weapons were developed and this led to an
arms race in which both sides competed to be the
most powerful. From time to time attempts were
made to stop the arms race but only limited success
was achieved.
End of the Cold War
There were meetings held between the leaders of the
Soviet Union and the United States to reduce tension
between the two sides. This led to periods of reduced
tension. The fall of the Berlin Wall in November
1989 marked the end communism in Europe. Most
historians would agree that the cold war ended with
the break-up of Soviet Union in 1992.
The World After the Cold War
Most people may have expected a more peaceful
world after the end of the cold war. Immediately after
the break up of the Soviet Union, several conflicts
began in Europe and other parts of the world. Some
of the newly formed independent states which were
part of the Soviet Union fought each other due
to border disputes while in countries such as the
former Yugoslavia, racial tensions which were under
control under communist rule erupted into fighting as
soon as communist rule ended. Even today there
are many areas in the world where wars are being
fought.
89
1.In groups, prepare a class
presentation on one of the
following:
World War I
World War II
Different groups can research
on the various points below:
• Reasons for War
• Countries involved and why
• Major conflicts
• Major identities (people
involved)
• Weapons used
• End of war and its aftermath.
2. In groups, prepare a class
presentation on one of the
following:
-Escalation of international
terrorism
-September 11 attacks
-So called war on terror (Iraq –
Afganistan)
-Arab uprising
90
12.2 International and Regional
Organizations
It was realised that an international organization can act
together against aggressors and work together to improve the
economic and social conditions in all the countries.
Need for an International Organization
The World War I brought about a great deal of human
loss and suffering. For all the nations involved the losses
were enormous. Most of the countries which fought in
the war wanted a more peaceful world. They wanted
to avoid such wars in the future. People realised that
discussions can be held in the case of disputes so
that countries can avoid war. Thus it was at the end of
World War I that the first attempts were made to form an
international organization for this purpose.
Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill
Source: publicdomainclip-art.blogspot.com
The League of Nations and the United Nations
In the meetings held after World War I, President
Woodrow Wilson of the United States proposed to
create an association of nations mainly for the purpose
of maintaining peace in the world and to improve the
economic and social conditions throughout the world.
The League of Nations was inaugurated in January 1920
with 42 member nations.
The United Nations formed after the World War II is also
similar. Winston Churchill the Prime Minister of Britain
and Franklin Roosevelt the President of the United
States first agreed upon the idea of a new international
organisation in 1941. The United Nations came into
being in October 1945 with 50 original members. The
United Nations learnt from the mistakes and examples
of the League and so has proved itself far more powerful
and successful than the League.
UN Headquarters, New York
Source: officeoftourism.us
Regional and special international organizations
There are many organizations formed by groups of
countries in the different regions of the world. The South
Asian Association of Regional Co-operation in which
Maldives is a member, is a good example of such an
organization. The purpose of these organizations is also
similar to that of the United Nations. These organizations
91
UN Peace keeping force
Source: edwardrees.wordpress.com
work to create closer friendship between
the countries in the region so that they
can avoid conflict.
Another important aim of these organizations is to
work towards the economic and social development
of the region through closer co-operation in trade,
education, health, industry and other social affairs.
This is important because countries can help each
other through their own experience and knowledge.
While regional organizations consist of countries in a
region of the world, special organizations are formed
by countries with a common purpose or those with
common historical or social characteristics. Member
countries of such organizations can be from all over
the world. The Non-aligned Movement is such an
example. The member countries of the Non-aligned
Movement aimed to remain neutral during the
cold war. The members included countries from all
corners of the world.
United Nations Security Council
Source: eurasianfinance.com
The Organization of Islamic countries (OIC) consists
of Islamic countries from all over the world.
Commonwealth Games
Source: commonwealthdelhi2010.
blogspot.com
Some Specialised Agencies of the United Nations
Initials
UNICEF
UNESCO
ILO
FAO
WHO
IMF
Full Title
Responsibilities
United Nations Children’s Fund Health and welfare of children, especially at
times of disaster.
United Nations Educational,
Promotion of education and curbing of literacy.
Scientific and Cultural
Organization
International Labour
Achievement of reasonable conditions for
Organization
workers, especially in matters of pay, hours and
job security.
Food and Agriculture
Improvement in the quality and increase of
Organization
quantity of agricultural produce.
World Health Organization
Curbing of diseases by medical research and
treatment.
International Monetary Fund
Distributing development loans from a fund to
which all members contribute.
92
Some regional and special organizations in
which Maldives is a member
South Asian Association of Regional
Co-operation
South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation
(SAARC) was established at a summit meeting
held in Dhaka in December 1985. SAARC
comprises of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan was
added to the regional grouping on 13th November
2005. With the addition of Afghanistan, the total
number of member states were raised to eight.
The aim of SAARC is to increase the speed of
economic and social development in the member
states through joint action. It is an organization
in which the people of South Asia can work
together towards finding solutions to their common
problems.
16th SAARC Summit in Bhutan 28-29
April 2010
Source: insidebayarea.com
The Commonwealth
All Commonwealth countries were formerly part of
the British Empire but most are now independent
sovereign states that adhere to the organization
known as the Commonwealth. The term 'old
Commonwealth' refers to the territories that were
settled rather than conquered and which are
mainly of European origin. Countries such as New
Zealand, Canada and Australia are examples of
such countries. The term 'new Commonwealth’
refers to the countries which gained their
independence in the period after the Second World
War.
Some other international organizations
The European Community, Organization of African
Union and the Organization of American States are
all regional associations.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is
an example of a defence pact in which member
countries agree to help each other in the case
of war. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is
an Agency of the United Nations set up after the
Second World War aimed at producing stable
economic relations between countries of the world.
93
Commonwealth Institute
SAARC summits (1985 – 2011)
No.
Date
Country
Host
Host leader
1st
7-8 December 1985
Bangladesh
Dhaka
Ataur Rahman Khan
2nd
16-17 November 1986
India
Bangalore
Rajiv Gandhi
3rd
2-4 November 1987
Nepal
Kathmandu
Marich Man Singh
Shrestha
4th
29-31 December 1988
Pakistan
Islamabad
Benazir Bhutto
5th
21-23 November 1990
Maldives
Male’
Maumoon Abdul
Gayoom
6th
21 December 1988
Sri Lanka
Colombo
Dingiri Banda
Wijetunga
7th
10-11 April 1993
Bangladesh
Dhaka
Khaleda Zia
8th
2-4 May 1995
India
New Delhi
P.V. Narasimha Rao
9th
12-14 May 1997
Maldives
Male’
Maumoon Abdul
Gayoom
10th
29-31 July 1998
Sri Lanka
Colombo
Sirimavo Ratwatte
Dias Bandaranaike
11th
4-6 January 2002
Nepal
Kathmandu
Sher Bahadur
Deuba
12th
4-6 January 2004
Pakistan
Islamabad
Zafarulla Khan
Jamali
13th
12-13 November 2005
Bangladesh
Dhaka
Khaleda Zia
14th
3-4 April 2007
India
New Delhi
Manmohan Singh
15th
2-3 August 2008
Sri Lanka
Colombo
Ratnasiri
Wickremanayake
16th
28-29 April 2010
Bhutan
Thimpu
Jigme Thinley
17th
9-10 November 2011
Maldives
Addu city
Mohamed Nasheed
Source: http://www.saarc-sec.org/SAARC-Summit/7/
94
Glossary
Aborigine The aboriginal people or animals of a place are ones that have been there from the earliest known times.
Abundance An abundance of something is a large quantity of it.
Advertising Tell people about something on newspapers, television, posters etc.
Agreement Reaching a decision or conclusion about something that everyone involved finds acceptable.
Aggressor Someone who attacks other people, especially people who seem innocent or peaceful.
Agriculture The practice of farming and the methods that are used to raise and look after crops and animals.
Airforce An airforce is the part of a country’s military organization which is concerned with attacks from the air and fighting in the air.
Alliance A group of countries or political parties who are formally untied and working together because they have similar aims.
Ambergris A substance (maavaharu) which forms in the intestines of the whale shark (fehu rihi) which is found floating on the sea. It is used in traditional medicine and to make perfume.
Ancient Belonging to a distant past.
Anthropology The study of people, society and culture.
Appeasement The act or practice of trying to prevent someone from harming you or being angry with you by giving them what they want.
Aquaculture
This is the cultivation of aquatic organisms especially for food
Archaeology The study of the history and culture of ancient societies, by examining the remains of their buildings, tombs, tools etc.
Architecture The architecture of a particular building or group of buildings in their style and layout, and artistic or decorative features.
Army An army is a large organized group of people who are armed and trained to fight on land in a war.
Assassinate Murder an important person.
Asylum Protection that is given by a government to foreigners who leave their country for political reasons.
Astronomy The scientific study of the stars, planets and other objects in space.
Atom bomb A bomb that causes an explosion by a sudden release of energy that results from splitting atoms.
Attorney General A country’s Attorney General is its chief law officer who advises its king, president, prime minister or government.
Autocracy A political system governed by a single individual with unlimited authority and power. Tsar Nicholas II of Russia was an autocratic ruler.
Authoritarian A ruler who expects unquestioning obedience from his subjects and behaves like a tyrant or dictator.
Authority The right to command and control other people.
-an official, organization or government department that has the power to make decisions.
i
Bank An institution where people or businesses can keep their money and which also offers services such as lending, exchanging or transferring money.
Banish Send someone away from his place of living as for punishment and not allow him to return.
Barrister A lawyer who speaks in the higher courts of law on behalf of either the defence or the prosecution.
Barter Exchange of goods rather than sell them for money.
Base A place where some equipments are there and from which missions start and end, i.e. a military base.
Bicameral Legislature A parliament consists of two chambers or houses (see Unicameral Legislature)
Cabinet A group of the most senior and powerful ministers in a government, or advisers to a president, who meet regularly to discuss and decide policies.
Caste A social class or system in any country that is based on dividing people into groups according to their family, rank or wealth.
Cheque A piece of paper that you can use instead of money to pay for things. You sign it and write on it the name of the person you are paying and the amount of money you are paying them.
Chief A person who has authority over a group or organisation.
Chief Justice The head judge of a court, especially a supreme court.
Christianity A religion that is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the belief that he was the son of God.
Civil Used to describe things that exist or occur within a country and involve the relationship between the different groups of people in it.
Civilisation A human society which has its own social organization, culture and way of life.
Coir Rope made by coconut husk.
Colonialism The practice by which a powerful country controls less powerful countries and uses their resources in order to increase its own power and wealth.
Colony A country controlled by a more powerful country.
Committee A group of people who represent a large group or organization and who make decisions or plans for it.
Commodity Something that is sold for money, such as food, clothing or machinery.
Community All people who live in a particular area or place.
Communism The political belief that the state should own and control the means of producing everything, so that all levels of society can be made equal be
cause everyone will do as much as they can and get as much as they need.
Congestion The condition of being so crowded with traffic or people that natural movement is impossible.
Constitution The system of laws and rules which formally states people’s rights and duties.
Co-operation Working together for a purpose.
ii
Contagious Easily spread from one person to another by infection. Contagious diseases are more commonly known as communicable diseases.
Continent A continent is a large area of land that is surrounded or almost surrounded by sea, which is usually consists of several countries.
Convention The ways of thinking and behaving that are believed to be normal and right by most people in a society.
Conversion The act or process of changing something into different form. e.g. changing of a person’s religion.
Copper Plates Long narrow plates made out of copper (Loamaafaanu) on which early Maldivian Sultan’s inscribed orders and historical extracts.
Council A group of people who are elected to run a particular town.
Coup A sudden and decisive change of government illegally by force.
Coup de’ tat A coup intended to get rid of the President or government of a country.
Corrupt Being dishonest or doing illegal things in return for money or anything else.
Court A place where legal matters are decided by a judge or a magistrate.
Cowrie A large shellfish which has an oval shell with a long narrow opening.
Culture Consists of the ideas, beliefs, values, customs and art that are produced or shared by a society.
Currency The system of money that is used in a country.
Customs A check point at a border, airport, or harbour where people arriving from a foreign country are looked over very carefully.
Decision The act of making up your mind about something.
Degradation A state of poverty and dirtiness.
Democracy A political system governed by the people or their elected representatives for the benefit of the masses.
Democratic A country that follows the principles of democracy.
Demography The study of the changes in numbers of births, marriages, and deaths in a community over a period of time.
Department One of the sections in large organisation such as a business, hospital or university.
Dependency A country which is controlled by another country.
Deposed Remove an important person from a job or position.
Desalination The separation of water from salt water by the process of distillation or filtering.
Descendant A person or animal that is descended from an individual or group that lived a long time ago. e.g. Human beings are descendants of Adam and Hawwa.
Designate To mark out so as to make known to others officialy.
Destruction The act of destroying something.
Dethroned To remove a monarch from the throne or position of power.
Dialect A form of language that is spoken by a particular group of people, especially those living in the same area.
Diarrhoea A persistent purging or looseness of the bowels.
Dictator Someone who rules a country in authoritarian manner.
Diet The food that a person or animal eats regularly.
iii
Diplomacy The management of relations between countries.
Disease An illness in people, animals or plants which is caused by bacteria or infection, rather than by an accident.
Disintegrate To break up, fell apart, crumble.
Disposal The act or process of getting rid of something that is no longer wanted or needed.
Dispute A disagreement about the facts or truth of something, or a fight among several countries to try to win control of something such as an area of land.
Distribution The delivering of something to several people or organization.
Diversity A range of difference in condition, quantity or type.
Divorce A formal ending of marriage by law.
Dynasty A dynasty is a series of rulers of a country who all belong to the same family.
Earthquake A shaking of the ground caused by movement of the earth’s crust.
Economic Concerned with the organization of money, industry and trade of a country, region or social group.
Election An organized process in which people vote to choose a person or group of people to represent them in a parliament, committee, etc.
Emissary A person who is sent by government or leader to another government or leader.
Emperor A person who rules an empire or is head of state in an empire.
Employment
Work that you do in order to earn money.
Environment The natural world of land, sea, air, plants and animals.
Erosion The gradual destruction and removal of rock or soil in a particular area by rivers, sea, or the weather.
Ethnic Means connected with or relating to different racial groups of people, especially when referring to the native people of a particular region.
Evidence Anything that you see, experience, read or are told that causes you to believe that something is true or has really happened.
Exchange To give or give up in return for something else.
Executive The part of the government of a country that is concerned with carrying out decisions or orders.
Expatriate Someone who is living in a country which is not their own.
Expedition An organized journey, usually involving several people, that is made for a particular purpose such as exploration.
Exploit Someone who treats someone unfairly by using ones work or ideas and giving very little money or anything else in return.
Export The export of a product or raw material is the sale and sending of it to another country.
Extract To obtain something from a substance by using force or skill.
Fanatic A person whose behavior is considered to be extreme, especially in the way they support particular religious or political parties.
Farming The practice or business of growing crops or rising animals on a farm.
iv
Feudalism The social system that existed during the Middle Ages in Europe in which people were given land and protection by a nobleman, and had to work and fight for him in return.
Feudal
Connected with or similar to feudalism
Fishing
The sport, hobby or business of catching fish.
Foreign Something that is foreign belongs to or relates to a country that is not your own.
Forestry The science or skill or growing and taking care of trees in forests, especially in order to obtain wood.
Fort A strong building or a place with a wall or fence around it where soldiers can stay and be safe from the enemy.
Garbage Waste food, paper etc. that you throw away.
Garrison A group of soldiers whose job is to guard the town or building in which they live.
Government The group of people who are responsible for governing a country.
Governor A person who is responsible for the political administration of a region.
Gravestone A stone that is used to mark the burial place of someone.
Habitat The natural environment in which an animal or plant normally lives or grows.
Handicraft A work produced by hand labour in a skilful way such as embroidery and pottery.
Heritage A country’s heritage is all the qualities, traditions or features of life that have been passed from one generation to another.
High Court The highest court in a country.
History The events of the past, especially when they are seen as a long process which leads up to the present.
Identity The qualities, beliefs and ideas which make you feel that you are different from everyone else or that you belong to a particular group.
Immigrant A person who officially comes to live in a country from some other country.
Immigration The coming of people into a country in order to live or work there.
Imperialism The system of belief in which a rich and powerful country controls other countries in order to become richer and more powerful.
Import Bring in goods from other countries.
Income Money earned over a period of time.
Independence Not dependent or relying on others, completely self governing.
Industry The work and process involved in manufacturing or producing a particular thing.
Infant Mortality The number of deaths in infancy.
Infection A disease that you catch, caused by germs which your body cannot fight off.
Inferior Lower in any respect, subordinate, or poorer in quality.
Inherit
If you inherit something such as a position, situation or attitude, you take it over from someone else or deal with it yourself.
Innovation A new idea or method that is introduced in the way that something is done or made.
v
Insurance A scheme to compensate for the loss of property or personal injury.
Inscription Writing carved into something made of stone or metal.
International Between or involving different countries.
Iron Age The time period when people started making things from iron about three thousand years ago.
Islam The religion of the Muslims, which teaches that Allah is only God and that Muhammad is his prophet.
Kingdom A kingdom is a country or region ruled by a king or queen.
Law A system of rules that a society develops in order to deal with crimes, social relationships, business agreements and other matters.
Legend A story about mythical or supernatural beings or events.
Lifestyle The lifestyle of a particular person or group of people is the conditions, behavior and habits that are typical of them or are chosen by them.
Literature Novels, plays, poetry and other creative written works are referred to as the literature relating to it
Legislature Persons who make or amend or repeal laws.
Mainland The mainland is the large, principle part of a country or continent considered in contrast to the islands that form smaller parts of the country or continent.
Magistrate Is an official who acts as a judge in law courts.
Manuscript A handwritten or typed document or book submitted for publication.
Mariculture
This is the cultivation of fish and marine organisms in their
natural habitats, usually for commercial purposes.
Marriage State of being husband and wife.
Mass The common people of a country.
Matriarchal Society or system in which the ruler is a female and the power is passed on from mother to daughter.
Mechanical Relating to or concerned with machinery or tools. A mechanical device has moving parts and uses power from an engine or electricity in order to do a particular type of work.
Mercenary A soldier who is paid to fight by a country or group that he or she does not be
long.
Merchant Is a person who buys and sells goods in large quantities, especially one who imports and exports them.
Migrate Move people from one place to another, especially in order to find work.
Mining The act of getting minerals like coal, gold coral etc. by digging holes and tunnels into or underground.
Ministry A government department that deals with a particular area of administration within a country, for example, education, health or tourism.
Military Relating to the armed forces of a country.
Modernization To adapt to the present time, conditions, needs, etc.
Monarchy A system of rule in which a monarch reigns over a country and in which the next monarch will be another member of the same family.
vi
Money The coins or banknotes that you use when you buy something or pay for a service.
Monopoly Complete control of a particular subject or activity by one person or group of people, so that other people find it difficult or impossible to compete with them.
Monsoon The season in South Asia when there is heavy rains.
Monument A large structure, usually made of stone, which is built to remind people of an event in history or of a famous person.
Mosque A place where Muslims go to worship.
Municipality An urban district either a city or town which has authority to appoint a local council and local officials to administer its internal affairs.
Mutiny A rebellion by a group of people who refuse to accept a person’s authority any longer and try to take control of power from that person.
Myths Traditional stories about gods, goddesses, and mortals with special powers.
Nation A country considered together with its social and political structures. A country is the territory or geographical area of a nation.
Nationalism Love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it.
~the belief that the culture and interests of your nation are superior to those of any other nation.
Navigation The process or skill with which people work out their position, direction and speed when they are travelling.
Navy A navy is a country’s military force that fights at sea.
Neutral A country that is neutral does not officially support anyone in a disagreement or war.
Non-aligned A country that is non-aligned does not support and is not part of any politically linked group of countries. A term more frequently used during the Cold War era when Russia and America had bitter differences and Non-aligned countries had a unified approach in facing the challenges.
Occupation A job or profession.
Oligarchy a small group of people who control and run a particular country or organisation.
Parliament The law making assembly of a country.
Pedestrian A person who travels by foot.
Peninsular A long narrow piece of land that is almost surrounded by water but that is joined to the mainland.
People’s Majlis
The country’s legislature or the law making body (parliment)
Phenomena
Something that happens or exists and can be either seen or experienced.
Philosophy The study or creation of theories about the nature of existence, knowledge, through about how people should live or behave.
Plot A secret plan to do something that is illegal or wrong, usually against a person or government.
Policy A general set of ideas or plans that has been officially agreed on by people in authority and which is used for making decisions.
Politics Refers to the actions or activities which people use to achieve power in a country, society or organisation.
vii
Pollute Make impure of water, air, land, etc, by any action so that it becomes dangerous for people and animals to live in or to use.
Pottery The craft of making things like pots, dishes etc. from clay.
Power Ability to do something using whether physical, mental, spiritual or legal power.
Predecessor The person who had your job before you started doing it.
President The president of a republic is the person who has the highest political position, and also who is the head of state.
Priest A clergyman in many Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites (equivalent to an Imaam in Muslim religion).
~ a man in many non-Christian religions who has particular duties and responsibilities in the place where people worship.
Primary Most basic or main part.
~of first rank or importance
~things obtained from the most immediate and direct natural resources.
Primary Source First hand account of information that came directly from the original source.
Prime Minister The main minister and leader of the government in some countries.
Product Something that is produced and sold, often as the result of an industrial process: eg. Packaged foods and other consumer products.
Prohibited Disallow by means of law, rule or in any other way.
Protectorate A country that is controlled and protected by a more powerful country.
Province (State) An administrative district of a nation governed by the district government rather than the central government.
Provincial Of or relates to province.
Quarrying To quarry a stone or mineral means to remove it from a quarry or an open sur
face of the earth by digging, drilling or blasting.
Racism The treatment of some people as inferior because they belong to a particular race.
Ratify Give formal approval to a written agreement or document by signing it.
Rearmament The process of building up a new stock of military weapons.
Rebellion A violent, organized action taken by a large group of people against the rulers of their country, usually in order to force a change in the system of government.
Referendum A Yes or No vote to see on how the people respond to a particular issue.
Region An area or part of the surface of the earth.
Regional Relates to region.
Regulation
An official rule made by a government or some other authority
Religion A particular system of belief in a god or gods. e.g. Islam, Christianity, Buddhism.
Republic A political system governed by the people or their representatives based on the idea that every citizen has equal status, so that there is no king or queen and no aristocracy. The government is usually elected by the people.
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Resign If you resign from a job or position, you state that you do not want to continue doing it and so you leave it.
Resource Something useful, such as coal, oil or land, that a country has and that it can use to increase its wealth.
Retailer A person or business that sells goods by retail.
Rivalry Active competition between people, business or organization.
Royal Connected with a king or a queen or a member of their family.
Ruins The ruins of building are the parts of it that remain after the rest has been destroyed or allowed to fall down.
Rules
Usually refer to statements of what may, must or must not be done in a particular situation. Without rules civilized life will be impossible
Rural The countryside, far away from large towns or cities. The opposite of rural is urban.
Salinity The level of salt content in something, i.e. water, soil.
Secondary Of second rank or importance or value not direct or immediate.
~something which is produced from a primary product.
~happens as a result of something that has already happened.
Secondary Source Someone’s written account, opinion or version of an event or phenomena. Not derived from the original source.
Sect A group of people that has separated from a large group and has a particular set or religious or political beliefs.
Sentence A final judgement passed in a court of law after studying a case stating whether a person is guilty or not.
Separatist People within a country who want to establish their own separate government instead of being ruled by the existing government of the country.
Settlement An official agreement between two sides in a disagreement.
~ a place where people live.
Sewerage The system by which waste matter is carried away in sewers and made harmless.
Scarce Not enough; hard to find.
Society People in general, thought of as a large organized group.
Sovereignty Complete political power that a country possesses to govern itself or another country or state.
Specialize Concentrate time, energy and resources on a special area of work. e.g. Fishing, Farming.
State A country, usually when it is considered in terms of its political organisation and structure.
Strategy A plan you adopt in order to get something.
Sub-continent A part of a larger continent, made up of a number of countries that form one large mass of land. e.g. Indian subcontinent
Subsistence Means of surviving the life like the daily requirements of food that is needed to stay alive.
Sultan A sultan is a ruler in some Muslim countries.
Summit The highest level or heads of governments meeting at which they discuss important matters such as trade, economy, peace, etc.
Supremacy If one group of people has supremacy over another group, they are stronger or more powerful military, economically or politically.
Surplus A quantity of something that is extra or more than is needed.
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Surrender If you surrender, you stop fighting or resisting someone and agree that you have been beaten, often by singing a document.
Tension The feeling that is produced in a situation when people are anxious and do not trust each other, and when there is a possibility of sudden violence or conflict.
Tertiary industry Firms in these industries provide services of all kinds to firms in the primary and secondary sectors. e.g. banks, insurance companies, transport, communications, postal, etc.
Territory Land which is controlled by a particular country or ruler.
Theocracy A society which is ruled by priests who represent a god.
Tidal Wave A very large wave of the sea that comes over the land and destroys things. Tidal waves are often caused by earthquakes.
Trade The activity of buying, selling or exchanging goods or services between people, firms or countries.
Tradition A tradition is a custom or belief that the people in a particular group or society have practiced or held for a long time.
Treaty A written agreement between countries in which they agree to do some
thing or to help each other.
Trial A formal legal process in which a judge decide whether someone is guilty of a crime by questioning and considering the evidence.
Tribe A group of the same race, who share the same customs, religion, lan
guage or land. e.g. Guraish of Makkah, Hutus of Ruwanda.
Tourist
Someone who travels for pleasure
Tourism The business of providing services to tourists.
Unanimous
A descision on an opinion agreed by everyone in a group.
Unicameral legislature A parliament with one chamber or house.
Unification The act of unifying and bringing together something. e.g. East Germany and West Germany were re-united and became the unified Germany in 1990.
Unity The state of people or countries being in agreement and acting together for a particular reason.
Uninhabited A place where nobody lives.
Unrest A state of restlessness of the people of a country due to social or political problems.
Urban Belonging to or relating to a town or city.
Utilization The act of using something.
Value Judge the usefulness or worth of something.
Violence Behavior which is meant to hurt or kill people.
Vote A choice made by a person or group in a meeting or an election.
Voyage A long journey on a ship or spacecraft.
War A fighting between different groups or countries or states by using weapons.
Warehouse A place where goods are kept until they are sold or distributed to shops or exported to other countries.
Wholesaler Someone who buys large quantities of goods and resells to small shops rather than to the ultimate customer. Sometimes he is called the middleman.
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Social Studies 2

Transcription

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