758:
919:
768:
170:
Sulaiman was a
Persian merchant and sea-captain who lived in the first half of the ninth century AD. His manuscripts describing his travels and the places he visited were found in France in the 1700s. In his description of Maldives, he gives it the name
19:
has been known by many different names during its long history of more than two thousand years. Although several different names are given, the location and the description of the islands confirm the fact that they are part of the
Maldives Archipelago.
244:
236:
43:
or Mahal was always the most important island, the island where the king resided. It is therefore a logical assumption that the name given to the islands,
148:
records the visit of
Maldivians to China, bringing with them gifts from their king, Baladitiya, in AD 658 and also in AD 662. Maldives is referred to as
968:
133:
who travelled in India for religious studies in the years AD 629 to 645, was the first
Chinese writer to mention Maldives. He called the islands
723:
1059:
804:
1004:
878:
873:
868:
908:
672:
883:
1029:
903:
397:
733:
1244:
1118:
1024:
351:
1300:
1133:
1095:
647:
1310:
1305:
1270:
1054:
1039:
963:
817:
257:, who visited Maldives in 1343 and stayed for 18 months, and returned in AD 1346, called the islands by the name
1234:
956:
692:
369:(a Maldives government agency) — this article incorporates text from the NCLHR publications, which are in the
176:
1197:
951:
797:
299:
276:
108:(5th century), the ancient chronicle of the people of Sri Lanka. In these records Maldives is referred to as
1090:
1014:
978:
858:
228:(陆山) 'the countries of the island mountains'. In AD 1436, the Chinese writer Fei Hsin called the islands
898:
888:
863:
833:
1187:
1128:
1064:
1034:
1019:
929:
482:
1182:
992:
973:
946:
843:
838:
790:
728:
414:
390:
1177:
1123:
1113:
1009:
825:
687:
592:
1100:
941:
1229:
1167:
853:
697:
220:, the famous Chinese commander, came to Maldives, bringing with him a scribe by the name of
642:
607:
562:
88:
8:
1263:
1078:
893:
712:
532:
527:
422:
383:
339:
320:
1239:
1224:
1204:
1192:
1044:
918:
652:
627:
542:
522:
472:
442:
432:
180:
1279:
1219:
1172:
1105:
767:
738:
617:
612:
492:
347:
280:
265:
83:
Given below are some of the names by which
Maldives was known through the centuries.
51:.. A study of the names shows that in the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries, the original
1209:
682:
632:
587:
567:
557:
457:
268:
arrived in the East in the early 16th century, Maldives was referred to by them as
657:
572:
552:
437:
427:
344:
The
Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom
99:, adding that the magnet stone which attracts iron was produced in these islands.
702:
637:
602:
537:
517:
507:
467:
452:
447:
198:
156:
60:
190:
Abu Zayd, who lived in Iraq in the years AD 850 to 934, writes of
Maldives as
1294:
1162:
761:
743:
662:
622:
597:
577:
512:
487:
477:
462:
370:
160:
582:
547:
502:
497:
406:
145:
771:
284:
254:
212:
The
Chinese writer Wang Ta-Yuan, writing in 1349, gave Maldives the name
1157:
72:
104:
782:
813:
217:
130:
126:
16:
366:
224:
to record their travels. In Ma Huan's records, Maldives is called
848:
221:
116:
183:
in the 12th century AD also referred to
Maldives by the name of
167:'twelve thousand islands and the ocean where three waters meet'.
119:
dynasty inscriptions of the 7th century AD, Maldives was called
67:. However, throughout history the Maldivians have used the name
40:
24:
375:
294:
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Maldives was called
102:
One of the first known references to
Maldives is given in the
91:(AD 360–430), a classical Greek bishop, refers to Maldives as
141:
367:
National Center for Linguistics and Historical Research
71:
to refer to their country, meaning 'the country of the
302:records, but by the beginning of the 20th century,
55:became Arabicised by Middle Eastern travellers, to
1292:
47:, contained a reference to the chief island of
798:
391:
97:On the Races of the Indians and the Brahmans
205:of the 13th century AD, Maldives is called
805:
791:
398:
384:
333:
1293:
279:became sultan after the defeat of the
812:
786:
379:
59:, and later became Anglicised by the
13:
979:Baa Atoll UNESCO biosphere reserve
917:
310:had become the commonly used name.
14:
1322:
360:
89:Palladius, Bishop of Hellenopolis
63:to emerge in its present form of
31:, considered to be the origin of
766:
757:
756:
405:
87:In the early fifth century AD,
724:British Indian Ocean Territory
239:gives the name of Maldives as
1:
326:
289:Al Daulat min al-Mahaldibiyat
277:Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al-Azam
165:Munnir Palantivu Pannirayiram
163:, Maldives is given the name
123:'a hundred thousand islands'.
245:Bodugalu Miskiiy Loamaafaanu
39:. Throughout known history,
7:
314:
10:
1327:
904:2008 Multi-party democracy
1257:
1153:
1146:
1086:
1077:
1000:
991:
937:
928:
915:
824:
752:
711:
671:
413:
232:'atolls of the Maldives'.
1005:Administrative divisions
909:2011–13 political crisis
884:1988 coup d'état attempt
879:1968 republic referendum
874:1953 monarchy referendum
869:1952 republic referendum
473:East Timor (Timor-Leste)
237:Kudahuvadhoo Loamaafaanu
179:in the 11th century and
115:In ancient South Indian
1301:History of the Maldives
734:Cocos (Keeling) Islands
247:gives the same name as
78:
1311:Country name etymology
1306:Maldives-related lists
922:
921:
287:the official name to
648:United Arab Emirates
281:Portuguese occupants
675:limited recognition
340:Xavier Romero-Frias
321:History of Maldives
209:'many old islands'.
1119:Telecommunications
969:Towns and villages
923:
346:, Barcelona 1999,
181:Muhammad al-Idrisi
155:In a 10th-century
144:document from the
137:'coconut islands'.
95:, in his treatise
1288:
1287:
1253:
1252:
1198:COVID-19 pandemic
1142:
1141:
1073:
1072:
1060:Political parties
1025:Foreign relations
987:
986:
899:2005 civil unrest
894:2004 Black Friday
889:2003 civil unrest
780:
779:
717:other territories
275:In AD 1573, when
235:The 13th-century
194:'cowrie islands'.
152:in this document.
23:In ancient times
1318:
1273:
1266:
1151:
1150:
1109:
1084:
1083:
1050:
998:
997:
935:
934:
807:
800:
793:
784:
783:
770:
760:
759:
729:Christmas Island
415:Sovereign states
400:
393:
386:
377:
376:
354:
337:
226:Lu Shan Tieh-kan
135:Na-lo-ki-lo-chou
27:was also called
1326:
1325:
1321:
1320:
1319:
1317:
1316:
1315:
1291:
1290:
1289:
1284:
1276:
1269:
1262:
1249:
1138:
1107:
1069:
1048:
1040:Law enforcement
983:
924:
913:
820:
811:
781:
776:
748:
716:
707:
688:Northern Cyprus
674:
667:
409:
404:
363:
358:
357:
338:
334:
329:
317:
308:Maldive Islands
296:Maldiva Islands
264:When the first
259:Dhibat al-Mahal
81:
12:
11:
5:
1324:
1314:
1313:
1308:
1303:
1286:
1285:
1283:
1282:
1275:
1274:
1267:
1259:
1258:
1255:
1254:
1251:
1250:
1248:
1247:
1242:
1237:
1232:
1227:
1222:
1217:
1212:
1207:
1202:
1201:
1200:
1190:
1185:
1180:
1175:
1170:
1165:
1160:
1154:
1148:
1144:
1143:
1140:
1139:
1137:
1136:
1131:
1126:
1121:
1116:
1114:Stock Exchange
1111:
1103:
1098:
1093:
1087:
1081:
1075:
1074:
1071:
1070:
1068:
1067:
1062:
1057:
1052:
1042:
1037:
1032:
1027:
1022:
1017:
1012:
1007:
1001:
995:
989:
988:
985:
984:
982:
981:
976:
971:
966:
961:
960:
959:
957:Climate change
949:
944:
938:
932:
926:
925:
916:
914:
912:
911:
906:
901:
896:
891:
886:
881:
876:
871:
866:
861:
856:
851:
846:
841:
836:
830:
828:
822:
821:
810:
809:
802:
795:
787:
778:
777:
775:
774:
764:
753:
750:
749:
747:
746:
741:
736:
731:
726:
720:
718:
709:
708:
706:
705:
700:
695:
690:
685:
679:
677:
669:
668:
666:
665:
660:
655:
650:
645:
640:
635:
630:
625:
620:
615:
610:
605:
600:
595:
590:
585:
580:
575:
570:
565:
560:
555:
550:
545:
540:
535:
530:
525:
520:
515:
510:
505:
500:
495:
490:
485:
480:
475:
470:
465:
460:
455:
450:
445:
440:
435:
430:
425:
419:
417:
411:
410:
403:
402:
395:
388:
380:
374:
373:
362:
361:External links
359:
356:
355:
331:
330:
328:
325:
324:
323:
316:
313:
312:
311:
292:
273:
262:
252:
233:
216:. In AD 1414,
210:
195:
188:
168:
159:record of the
153:
138:
124:
113:
100:
80:
77:
73:Dhivehi people
69:Dhivehi Raajje
61:British Empire
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1323:
1312:
1309:
1307:
1304:
1302:
1299:
1298:
1296:
1281:
1278:
1277:
1272:
1268:
1265:
1261:
1260:
1256:
1246:
1243:
1241:
1238:
1236:
1233:
1231:
1228:
1226:
1223:
1221:
1218:
1216:
1213:
1211:
1208:
1206:
1203:
1199:
1196:
1195:
1194:
1191:
1189:
1186:
1184:
1181:
1179:
1176:
1174:
1171:
1169:
1166:
1164:
1161:
1159:
1156:
1155:
1152:
1149:
1145:
1135:
1132:
1130:
1127:
1125:
1122:
1120:
1117:
1115:
1112:
1110:
1104:
1102:
1099:
1097:
1094:
1092:
1089:
1088:
1085:
1082:
1080:
1076:
1066:
1063:
1061:
1058:
1056:
1053:
1051:
1047:
1043:
1041:
1038:
1036:
1033:
1031:
1028:
1026:
1023:
1021:
1018:
1016:
1013:
1011:
1008:
1006:
1003:
1002:
999:
996:
994:
990:
980:
977:
975:
972:
970:
967:
965:
962:
958:
955:
954:
953:
950:
948:
945:
943:
940:
939:
936:
933:
931:
927:
920:
910:
907:
905:
902:
900:
897:
895:
892:
890:
887:
885:
882:
880:
877:
875:
872:
870:
867:
865:
862:
860:
857:
855:
852:
850:
847:
845:
842:
840:
837:
835:
832:
831:
829:
827:
823:
819:
815:
808:
803:
801:
796:
794:
789:
788:
785:
773:
769:
765:
763:
755:
754:
751:
745:
742:
740:
737:
735:
732:
730:
727:
725:
722:
721:
719:
714:
710:
704:
701:
699:
698:South Ossetia
696:
694:
691:
689:
686:
684:
681:
680:
678:
676:
670:
664:
661:
659:
656:
654:
651:
649:
646:
644:
641:
639:
636:
634:
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
619:
616:
614:
611:
609:
606:
604:
601:
599:
596:
594:
591:
589:
586:
584:
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
544:
541:
539:
536:
534:
531:
529:
526:
524:
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
499:
496:
494:
491:
489:
486:
484:
481:
479:
476:
474:
471:
469:
466:
464:
461:
459:
456:
454:
451:
449:
446:
444:
441:
439:
436:
434:
431:
429:
426:
424:
421:
420:
418:
416:
412:
408:
407:Name of Asia
401:
396:
394:
389:
387:
382:
381:
378:
372:
371:public domain
368:
365:
364:
353:
352:84-7254-801-5
349:
345:
341:
336:
332:
322:
319:
318:
309:
305:
301:
297:
293:
290:
286:
282:
278:
274:
271:
267:
263:
260:
256:
253:
250:
246:
242:
238:
234:
231:
227:
223:
219:
215:
211:
208:
204:
200:
196:
193:
189:
186:
182:
178:
174:
169:
166:
162:
161:Chola dynasty
158:
154:
151:
147:
143:
139:
136:
132:
131:Buddhist monk
128:
125:
122:
121:Dvipa Laksham
118:
114:
111:
110:Mahinda-dvipa
107:
106:
101:
98:
94:
90:
86:
85:
84:
76:
74:
70:
66:
62:
58:
54:
50:
46:
42:
38:
34:
30:
26:
21:
18:
1214:
1183:Demographics
1091:Economic aid
1049:(parliament)
1045:
1030:Human rights
1015:Constitution
713:Dependencies
643:Turkmenistan
608:Saudi Arabia
343:
335:
307:
303:
295:
288:
269:
258:
248:
240:
230:Lu Shan Yang
229:
225:
213:
207:Palpalamtivu
206:
202:
192:Dyvah Kouzah
191:
184:
172:
164:
149:
146:Tang dynasty
134:
120:
109:
103:
96:
92:
82:
68:
64:
56:
52:
48:
44:
36:
32:
28:
22:
15:
772:Asia portal
673:States with
593:Philippines
533:South Korea
528:North Korea
423:Afghanistan
255:Ibn Battuta
249:Fanandheebu
241:Panandheepu
203:Tolkattiyam
201:commentary
127:Hiuen-Tsang
53:Mahal Dvipa
45:Mahal Dvipa
33:Mahal Dvipa
1295:Categories
1245:Newspapers
1108:(currency)
1101:Industries
653:Uzbekistan
628:Tajikistan
543:Kyrgyzstan
523:Kazakhstan
443:Bangladesh
433:Azerbaijan
327:References
266:Portuguese
1188:Education
1129:Transport
1065:President
1035:Judiciary
1020:Elections
930:Geography
859:Dynasties
854:Sultanate
739:Hong Kong
693:Palestine
618:Sri Lanka
613:Singapore
493:Indonesia
270:Ilha Dywe
105:Mahavamsa
37:Maléldvip
1280:Category
1240:Diaspora
1225:Language
1134:Airports
1106:Rufiyaa
1055:Military
993:Politics
974:Wildlife
947:Channels
864:Monarchs
844:Buddhism
839:Folklore
818:articles
814:Maldives
762:Category
683:Abkhazia
633:Thailand
588:Pakistan
568:Mongolia
563:Maldives
558:Malaysia
458:Cambodia
315:See also
304:Maldives
298:in many
285:Arabised
218:Zheng He
177:AlBiruni
93:Maniolae
65:Maldives
57:Mahaldib
17:Maldives
1264:Outline
1178:Culture
1173:Cuisine
1147:Society
1124:Tourism
1096:Fishing
1079:Economy
1010:Cabinet
964:Islands
952:Climate
849:Koimala
826:History
658:Vietnam
573:Myanmar
553:Lebanon
483:Georgia
438:Bahrain
428:Armenia
300:English
222:Ma Huan
214:Pei Liu
197:In the
185:Dibajat
173:Dibajat
142:Chinese
117:Pallava
1235:Sports
1205:Emblem
1193:Health
1163:Anthem
1158:People
1046:Majlis
942:Atolls
834:Museum
816:
703:Taiwan
638:Turkey
603:Russia
538:Kuwait
518:Jordan
508:Israel
468:Cyprus
453:Brunei
448:Bhutan
350:
243:. The
150:Mo-lai
1271:Index
1230:Music
1220:Islam
1215:Names
1168:Crime
744:Macau
663:Yemen
623:Syria
598:Qatar
578:Nepal
513:Japan
488:India
478:Egypt
463:China
283:, he
199:Tamil
157:Tamil
49:Mahal
29:Mahal
1210:Flag
583:Oman
548:Laos
503:Iraq
498:Iran
348:ISBN
129:, a
79:List
41:Malé
25:Malé
715:and
306:or
75:'.
35:or
1297::
342:,
175:.
140:A
806:e
799:t
792:v
399:e
392:t
385:v
291:.
272:.
261:.
251:.
187:.
112:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.