The Voyage of Francois Pyrard of Laval to the East Indies, the Maldives,
the Moluccas and Brazil
Francois Pyrard de Laval
1611
translated into English in 1887 from the third French edition of 1619 by Albert Gray assisted by H.C.P. Bell
Vol. 1 Chapter
23
Of the expedition of the king of Bengal to the Maldives. - The
taking of Male' island. - Death of the Maldive king, and voyage of the author
to Bengal, with a description of the islands of Malicut (Minicoy) and Divandurou.
Having then resided at these islands for the space of five years, or thereabouts,
but sorely against my will, this long sojourn gave me a knowledge of the country,
and an acquaintance with the language, manners, and customs of the inhabitants,
greater, perhaps, and I may say it without vanity, than any other European has
ever had. Wherefore I have been led to enlarge with so much particularity and
exactness my description of the islands, well knowing that none before me has
written to tbe same effect: and perhaps it will be long ere another will make
so long a sojourn; for, indeed, men go there but rarely, and then against their
will, by reason of the great hazard and peril attending the voyage, which induce
them to avoid the islands as much as they can. In the next place, they have been
little known up to now; and if misfortune should carry any other person there
as it carried me, it is unlikely he should meet with the same favourable treatment
and liberty that I experienced.
This will gain me an excuse with my
readers if I have been somewhat lengthy and tedious in this description of the
Maldives; but I have thought that since God had granted me grace through the means
of my misfortunes to learn so many particular things, I was obliged to share my
knowledge with the public and my country, to whom my good intentions at least
will be acceptable, showing that I am not ungrateful for the favours of God in
that He hath granted me to know all these things, and at the last hath been pleased
to deliver me miraculously, in such wise as I shall now relate.
Pyrard
dreams of escape from Maldives and return to Europe
But first
I must not omit a dream I had while asleep at night at the islands two days before
my deliverance, for it is worthy to be known. I dreamed that I was gone forth
of that country, and was in full liberty in a christian land. I was infinitely
overjoyed, but at my awakening I was full sorely astonished to find my dream false.
Nevertheless, though I was exceeding sad, I arose, and falling on my knees prayed
God with all my heart and soul that He would be pleased of His grace to deliver
me out of this moslem servitude, and to set me again on christian soil, where
I could resume the free exercise of my religion, which I had been constrained
to discontinue for so long a time. Then I made a vow to make a voyage to St. James
in Galicia, there to render thanks to God.
Attack
by the king of Chittagong
Two nights after that in the month
of February, in the year 1607, the king had warning of the coming of an armada
of sixteen galleys or galleots, which were already preparing to enter the islands.
The news greatly astonished both the king and his people, for they had no word
of it before, and the suddenness of it surprised them. He commanded at once to
put in the sea such galleys as he had, to the number of seven, let alone other
vessels, barques, and boats, which were there in great number: and everyone set
to this work with all his might; but they could not get it done speedily enough
ere the enemy's sails came in sight.
His consternation was then the
greater, wherefore he commanded his people forthwith to ship all the most valuable
riches he was possessed of, and so to save himself and his wives in the more distant
islands of the south, where the enemy could not land because of the difficulties
of the passages.
At first sight of the galleys, all the people were
greatly taken up, some with attending to the galleys and vessels of the king,
others to their own barques and boats, so as to ship themselves and their goods
and seek safety in the other islands. As for me, as soon as I saw the alarm was
real, I called to mind my dream and the prayer I had made to God but a while before,
and began to take some hope: and chiefly, when I perceived at a great distance
the enemy's sails, I resolved, with my three companions, to seek an opportunity
of safety and a deliverance from captivity, as we had so far found grace with
God. But I leave you to imagine in what apprehension we were lest they should
seek to prevent us from embarking, the which we had to manage or die in the attempt.
But our good luck would have it that the alarm was so hot and sudden that they
had no time to recover themselves, far less to think of us. So we had to save
ourselves that day or never, and what happened was a true miracle for us. Meanwhile,
during the great tumult which ensued at the sight and approach of the enemy, we
made as though we were as greatly distressed and distracted as the rest, and made
the same hurry; insomuch that the country folk, seeing us to be of like action
and countenance with themselves, entertained no distrust of us. But I certainly
believe that if the enemy's galleys had not appeared before the king had embarked
(as I shall relate presently), and had we remained in the island without embarking
with them, the king would not have failed on his return to have put us to death,
all four, - that is, if the enemy had not cared to land, or the alarm had proved
false. But God, having pity upon us, permitted the enemy to appear before the
king and his people were ready, and this was the sole cause of our liberty.
Meanwhile the enemy was ever approaching, and the king perceiving this, came forth
of his palace and took to flight with the three queens, his wives, who were borne
in the arms of some gentlemen, as a nurse carries her infant. They were covered
each with veils and taffetas of various colours, figured in the Chinese style,
and as large as shrouds. They did not come forth from the palace till the king
did, and he embarked with them.
I was at the moment burdened with
arms and other goods, which I was carrying to put on board the galleys, and being
all soaked and in mean attire, the king met me and told me I was an honest man,
and should take courage, using a word to me which is common throughout all India,
namely, 'Sabatz!', 'Bravo, Well done!'; it is used also to praise a man for something
he has done well. When he said this word to me, tears of pity came into my eyes,
for he wept and made the greatest lamentation to see himself obliged to quit all,
and to see them thus bear away his wjves, who on their part were bathed in tears,
while all the people were in the saddest plight throughout the streets, and one
heard naught but groans, cries, and howling of women and children.
The king, having embarked for his safety in his royal galley, called by them 'Ogate
Gourabe' (gourabe means 'galley', and ogate, 'royal'), along with his wives and
his nephew, was constrained to leave behind the greatest part of his wealth, and
all his arms and cannon, of which he had a great store in the island, for he had
no time to arm himself or to ship them; and then, at the same moment when all
the rest were on board, he gave the word to use sail and oars, and to take the
route for the south and the atolls of Suvadhu.
When all the galleys
were gone saving the smallest, which was tarrying to load some goods, then said
I to my companions that it was time to seek safety in the wood, fearing lest they
should compel us to embark with them. Nevertheless, I made another journey to
the king's palace with the islanders, and let them all take their loads first
and go ahead towards the galley, while I, in place of following them, took a path
aside and gained the wood, as did two of my companions from another quarter -
the third was got on board I know not how, though he had the same designs as we;
but the galley was soon taken.
Afterwards I learnt from him that he
had been impressed on board by the islanders. So on that day we all four were
borne on the same course of fortune, without knowing anything of one another.
We were for more than four hours in the island along with some poor folk, all
the rest having gone. I wandered about the king's palace, where there were all
sorts of things, gold, silver, and. jewellery, lying about; but I never dreamed
of touching any, nor even of hiding the silver that I had, the which I gave to
a friend, along with the trees, a boat, and a house I had purchased: that was
to the son of the lord who had brought me out of the island Fehendhoo, whereof
I have spoken; to him I gave all I had. My companions saved some stuff they had
hidden.
The pursuit and death of Kalafan
As
soon as the captain of the enemy's armada discovered that the king was fled, he
ordered eight galleys to the pursuit, while the other eight anchored at the island
whereon I was. I gave myself up to the first that landed, and implored them to
save me. At the first, not recognising me as a Frenchman, and believing me to
be a Portuguese, they were about to kill me, and, stripping me naked, took from
me all I had. But when they found that in truth I was not a Portuguese, they treated
me more humanely, and conducted me to their captain, who took me under his protection,
assuring me that I should suffer no evil; then he had me clad in other garments,
and bade me remain in his galleys for my safety, at least for that day and night.
Afterwards I was allowed to go where I liked throughout the island, without anyone
saying a word.
The eight galleys that were bidden to go after the
king came up with him and to close quarters, whereupon the king, attempting to
defend himself was slain by a pike thrust, followed by sword cuts; his wives were
taken prisoners, and his nephew was drowned. No harm, however, was done to the
wives, save that they lost all their trinkets, which were seized by the soldiers
and mariners, these being the most dangerous fellows at pillage: these mariners
are called Mukkavar.
The cause of the taking and death of the king
was that there was no wind, but the greatest calm possible, and that the enemy's
galleys were better for rowing than those of the king, which were only good for
sailing, and of no use for oars. Had there been but a little wind they could not
have caught him; but his ill fortune cast him into this fate, which he fully merited
for the great cruelties he had used.
Not one of the island vessels
was taken in this chase; and had the king and his wives embarked in them, they
would have had a chance of escape; but his hour was come, and for my part I hold
that it was by the mercy of God he was thus slain at the first shock, so that
he saw not the sad and piteous spectacle, which met my eyes, of the condition
of his wives and state. There was, however, no great massacre, for except the
king and two or three others slain with him, and as many wounded - among others,
a young soldier, the son of a Portuguese metiz, who had aforetime been wrecked
in his ship at these islands - there was no one harmed, except, also, his nephew,
who, thinking to save himself by swimming, was drowned by reason of weakness,
sickness, and of the melancholy and sorrow that he had for his wife, who had died
in childbed but a while before. He had abducted this woman from her husband, as
I have related above.
Sacking the palace
The
enemy having thus seized and pillaged all the king's galleys, they collected them
together, except two that were lost upon the shallows and reefs. They brought
back, too, the three queens in a miserable plight, and lodged them in the house
of the king's nephew, adjoining the royal palace. This house was also called palace,
being enclosed by walls, and of the same form as the king's, only smaller: all
the other houses of princes and princesses are called 'gan'duvaru', that is, 'palace',
while other houses are called 'ge'.
The queens were put in that palace,
for all day and night the men were ransacking the king's palace and carrying off
everything that was of value. In his nephew's there was nothing to take, because
all his property had been shipped off in good time; besides, this nephew had not
much goods, no more indeed than what the king gave him, in addition to a small
patrimony. Had he been richer, the king would have been afraid lest he should
wage war against himself.
Soldiers were placed on guard over these
poor queens, who were kept in the semblance of prisoners, that so they might be
led to discover the king's treasures; but this they could not do, for they knew
nothing about any such; and I well know that the king let none know of these,
except a certain secretary who had escaped among the first.
Each of
the queens was allowed a female servant to wait upon her, also three gentlemen
of the king's household; but neither these nor the women dare go without the house,
and the three gentlemen entered not the queens' apartments, nor even saw them,
but tarried with the soldiers to see what good or ill-fortune should befall their
mistresses. All this was done according to the General's command.
As for me, I went to see them often, the natives not being allowed to enter. I
used to go in as often as I liked, and gave them what advice and consolation I
could, for I heard all that was said about them. With tears in their eyes, they
asked me again and again if I sorrowed greatly for the death of the king, who
had such affection for me. I answered I did, and now that he was dead I was minded
to go away and remain no more at the islands, having no longer a master there.
Had he not been slain I should never have gone away. All this was very far from
my desire and thoughts.
Nevertheless, I assured them that I would
not withdraw without taking their advice and leave: this they highly approved,
and promised they would never desert me. As they asked me what was being said
of them, I told them they were held prisoners to point out the king's treasures
(as they had already been informed), but that they should do nothing, for all
threats of carrying them off were but to terrify them. I had myself heard from
the chief men that they would not carry them off, with which news they were greatly
pleased, and they besought me not to leave them.
They begged me also
to go to and fro among the enemy, to bring word of all that was said and done,
the which I did willingly enough, and discovered to them all I could glean from
every quarter. The queens also told me in private a great deal about each other,
namely, the chief queen, the foreigner from Bengal, who was as fair and white
as the women of this country; and the young one, whom the king had but recently
taken, in manner already described. She told me with sorrow that she brought misfortune
wherever she was (this they call 'sompas'), and that since the king had taken
her, every disaster had befallen them.
I was deeply grieved to see
them in the state they were, having aforetime seen them so richly and luxuriously
apparelled; they were indeed but poorly dressed, and had hardly anything but their
own gowns left them, and everything was searched. But saving that, there was no
harm or violence done to their persons, nor to their honour; not even a lewd word
was passed; and all the girls and women of the island were treated in like manner.
Their food was brought from the house of the Fandiyaru, who remained in the island
along with the other clergy and many beside; but these did not for all that escape
the general sack. The Fandiyaru did indeed save somewhat, for his house was the
refuge of all, men and women alike, for personal security only, their goods being
pillaged there as elsewhere. Yet he managed to appease in some degree the fury
of the enemy, being held by them in some respect.
Pyrard
well-treated by the invaders
I, too, though in the hands
of the General and his army, was treated with much favour and courtesy, the reason
whereof was our cannons, which indeed were the object of their enterprise and
coming to the islands. They had not been used to see such pieces, and were in
great straits how to mount and get them on board, not knowing by which end to
take them. Therefore they took me with them to show them all the tackle and the
way to use it; and they were well pleased with all I told them, for I gave them
information as well in that respect as concerning the other equipment of our ships,
and also the affairs of the islands, whereof I had good understanding. For all
this they valued me much, and were exceeding kindly towards me. Another thing
was that the pilot who had brought them thither was a native of the islands, though
a resident of the continent, and I had often seen him at Male'. He well knew what
regard the king and the lords of the country had for me, and this, rumoured among
them, won for me the more respect.
Yet did this vile fellow for gold
betray his king and country, for all that the king had a great affection toward
him, and gave him no cause of complaint; for the landing on these coasts is so
difficult and dangerous, that the rest of the party had never dared come without
him to guide them, and so was he the cause of the whole disaster. At this juncture,
I often went to the Fandiyaru's house to visit a number of my friends that were
there, not daring to venture abroad; amongst others, the three sons of the lord
with whom I resided so long. They counselled me to be gone, saying that the king
their master was dead, nor were they nor I under any protection now; but all the
others advised contrarywise, that if they had but one coconut, they would give
me half; yet I took the advice of the three, one of whom had a gunshot wound.
They were severely put to the torture, and all had to pay a ransom.
Burial of Kalafan at Guraidhoo
Three
or four days after the arrival of this army there came to Male' a barque sent
by the dead king's people, to ask leave of the General to convey some rice and
other commodities for the funeral ceremonies of the late king, who was buried
at the island Guraidhoo, where that great master was of whom I have already spoken.
It had been his fixed intention and desire to be buried at Male', as I shall now
tell; but they never keep their corpses, and have no custom of embalming them
or of conveying them from island to island.
At length, the General
gave permission to take all that was required for the purpose, and so they did,
and would even have taken me along with them, as they strongly suspected that
I was minded to escape. Had the king been slain by others than of his own faith,
they say he had been blessed and sanctified (such a one they call 'shahid'); then
had they made no ceremony, but buried him as he died, without washing the body
or performing any other customary act; but though he did not die in defence of
the faith, they did not perform the ceremony wont to be observed at the obsequies
of a king, but buried him as any ordinary countryman of the islands, albeit this
was to their great sorrow.
They were even at much pains to get a white
cloth for a winding sheet, and a coffin to put him in - him who in his lifetime
had so lavishly given to all the poor of his kingdom when they were in need. He
had always by him more than thirty coffins ready made, for himself, his queens,
and court, for use when occasion was. He had also caused to be built a magnificent
shrine, and a burial-ground entirely enclosed, in Male', with a view to being
buried there. It was the best constructed of all, but God willed not that he should
be laid there.
Such are the common results of war, and so was it here,
where all the wealth that he had collected was involved in havoc and useless waste;
for whatsoever the soldiers could not carry off, they utterly destroyed. It was
most pitiful to see the ravages committed in the island, and especially at the
king's palace; for all the private citizens had secured their goods in their boats,
and lost nothing: the boats being small, escaped in all directions, and sailed
faster than the galleys. All that belonged to the king and queens, however, was
pillaged, and nothing was saved either of what was in the galleys or on shore.
Astrologers' error contributed to Kalafan's death
Moreover,
as the misfortune of these poor islanders would have it, there was a large ship
belonging to the king all laden and ready to sail eight days before, but their
magicians and astrologers had put it off to this very day, as being a lucky day
for weighing - so had they made it out by their reckoning and ephemerides; but
they had made a sad mistake.
The voyage was to be to Arabia, and she
could not get away from the islands by reason of the great calm which befell,
whereby she was seized, like everything else. The cargo of this vessel consisted,
among other things, of the cinnamon that the king had of the ship of Ceylon, which
a while before had been wrecked at the islands, as I have said; the rest was merchandise
of the islands, the greater part being coconut produce. The enemy, in sacking
the ship, took only the island stuff; for as for the cinnamon, they left it to
its fate, with the vessel, which never made another voyage, as I afterwards learnt
at Goa, and as I shall relate in the proper place.
Pyrard
leaves Male'
At length, when the enemy had tarried in the
island for the space of ten days, gathering their booty and loading their ships
with all the valuables they found, and five or six pieces of cannon, large and
small, that were there, they withdrew, and set the queens and all the rest of
the people at liberty. They took no prisoners with them, except the chief queen's
brother, brother-in-law to the late king. At first I believed they took him in
order to get a ransom; but afterwards I learnt, on the contrary, that it was with
his own consent, as he wished to go to visit Ali Rhaja, the king of Cananor, for
a purpose I shall explain hereafter.
On my part, I went and took farewell
of the queens and my friends, not without tears, indeed - theirs of sorrow and
chagrin, but mine of joy. When it came to embarking, all the captains quarrelled
about which should have my companions and me in his galley. At length I embarked
in one, and my three companions severally in three others, and we did not see
each other for a long time. As for what followed at the Maldives, I heard afterwards,
while at Goa, that the natives fell into a bitter civil war. The king had died
without children or nephews, and the kingdom there never goes to females, no more
than in France.
Rannabandeyri Takuru
wins throne of Maldives
Four of the greatest lords in the
country banded themselves one against another who should be king; and this war
continuing a long time, the king of Cananor, Ali Raja, had despatched a goodly
armament of galleys, under the guidance of Ranabandeyri Takuru, the chief queen's
brother, whom the Bengal galleys had taken prisoner, as has been said.
By means of this army he had at length established that prince upon the throne
- who was, indeed, as next of kin, the lawful heir - but on condition that he
should hold it of him, and regard him as his suzerain. He scattered all who were
causing trouble, and so restored peace to the islands. Such is what I heard at
Goa.
But to return to what befell us: we embarked, as already said,
at the Maldives, intending to make our course up the Gulf of Bengal. The passage
between the islands is very dangerous, by reason of the reefs and banks, which
are exceeding numerous; and no one would dare to steer through them without having
native pilots, as we then had.
Attack
on Utheemu
The island from which the dead king came, by name
Utheemu, being at the head of the others, and quite the last, they cast anchor
there, and set themselves to slay, sack, and pillage, carrying off everything
they could find. We saw by day a wonderful number of barques and boats sailing
away in all directions. Having refreshed themselves with a half-day's sojourn
at this island, they passed orders as to their course, in case they should happen
to separate - as, indeed, they did, by reason of the great calm.
Minicoy
(Malicut)
At length we got out of the islands, by God's
grace. The calm was such that we were about three days in reaching a little island
named 'Malicut', (Minicoy), which is only thirty-five leagues to the north of
the Maldives. This island is surrounded with very dangerous banks, which have
to be carefully watched. Three of our galiots that had kept together cast anchor
there; the others had separated. This island of Malicut is only four leagues in
circumference; it is wonderfully fertile in coconut trees, bananas, millet, and
other products of the Maldives; all sorts of fruit are abundant. The fishery is
very good; the climate more healthy and temperate than at the Maldives; the people
have the same customs, manners, and language as those of the Maldives.
This island was at one time part of the Maldive realm; but a king gave it to his
brother as a portion. It is now governed by a lady, who holds it of the king of
Cananor, for the sake of greater security. This queen gave me a very good reception,
for she had often seen me at the court of the king of the Maldives, her near relative.
When she saw me she began to weep, as did most of the inhabitants, with sorrow
for the death of the king, the story of which I have told.
Divandurou
After
tarrying about two days at this island we set sail and made for the islands of
Divandurou, thirty leagues from Malicut to the north; they are five in number,
and vary from six to seven leagues in circumference; they are eighty leagues distant
from the Malabar coast, right opposite Cananor. They are under the rule of the
king of Cananor, who also possesses thirty of the Maldive islands, that were ceded
to him about fifty years before by a king of the Maldives, to whom he had given
succour against a revolt of his own people.
These islands of Divandurou
are inhabited by moslem Malabars, most of them rich merchants, who drive a great
trade throughout India, and especially at the Maldives, whence they export much
merchandise, and where they keep resident factors. They have the same customs
and languages as the people of Cananor, Calicut, Cochin, and the rest of Malabar:
their soil is very fertile, and the climate good. The Malabar corsairs, when on
their voyages, often come there to refresh, and in most cases, being quite like
natives, marry there. Albeit they fail not betimes to pillage them too, for all
the friendship that is between them: for they do hold gain above all the friendship
in the world, and when they cannot reap any booty from their enemies, being anxious
not to return empty handed, they fall upon their friends.
Sailing
around Ceylon into the Sea of Bengal
These islands are, as
it were, a half-way house for merchandise between the mainland and the Maldives
and Malicut. Having refreshed ourselves four or five days at these islands, we
again set sail, now towards the south, in order to double Point de Galle, which
is a cape at the end of the island of Ceylon.
On our way we fell in
with a great number of whales, which thought to upset our galiots; but those on
board, with drums, pans, and kettles, set up such a din as caused them to make
off. We also fell in with some galleys or 'padocs', 'patak', of the Malabars,
on one occasion just at daybrak when the sky was cloudy and thick, so that we
did not perceive them till they were close upon us. I was never more astonished
than to see the perfect order of their sailors, all armed and ready to charge.
We were taken unawares, while they had been the first to sight us; but being friendly,
they only passed by. They numbered three galiots, and we the same.
For the rest, before closing this chapter, I would say, for the better understanding
of what has been described above, that this army, which thus attacked and sacked
the Maldives, was sent on behalf of the king of Bengal, a kingdom lying beyond
these islands, on the mainland, under the tropic of Cancer. The principal motive
which had induced him to make the enterprise was to seize the cannon that the
king of the Maldives had gotten out of our wrecked ship, and the many others he
had obtained in like manner. The cannon in question was the most beautiful example
to be seen anywhere, and had great renown in the Indies, many kings and princes
having been continually on the point of coming to see it.
Footnotes
1887:
Pyrard's pilgrimage vow to St. James in Galicia
Santiago Compostella, the famous shrine in Galicia of the patron saint of Spain.
As will be seen hereafter, Pyrard was enabled to perform his vow.
Mukkavar
The Mukkavar are a fisher caste of Malabar, as
Pyrard himself describes them later. But there is no doubt that the present expedition
came from Bengal, as there were rejoicings when they returned home to Chittagong.
Possibly there may have been some Mukkavar on board, but more likely the author
thought he was justified in giving the Malabar name to people of the same class
in Bengal.
Rannabandeyri Takuru
As will be
remembered, this chief, on his return from Arabia, paid a visit to Ali Raja at
Cananor, and was with difficulty induced to return to the Maldives. At that time,
a treaty seems to have been negotiated, whereby the aid of Ali Raja was secured,
to obtain for Rana Banda the possession, and for Ali Raja the suzerainty, of the
islands. The Bengal fleet, which took away this prince as well as Pyrard, touched
at Minicoy and at the Laccadives, but proceeded to Chittagong without touching
land on the Malabar coast. When Pyrard afterwards leaves Chittagong for the Malabar
coast, he makes no mention of the Maldive prince; it may be conjectured that he
was left at the Laccadives to make his own way across to Cananor. According to
tradition gleaned by Mr. Bell, he was after wards known as Maafilaafushi Rasgefanu,
from the name of his family island.
Utheemu island, Thiladhunmathi
atoll
It is noteworthy that our two great authorities on the Maldive
islands, Ibn Batuta and Pyrard, both landed here, the one on his coming to, the
other on his departure from, the islands. The fact of landing at it seems to have
led the former to give its name to the atoll, of which it was but a unit, Teeim,
according to this traveller, being one of the provinces or climates.
It
is not quite at the head of the others, as Pyrard states here: indeed, he says,
but a few lines below, that after leaving it 'at length we got out of the islands'.
The northernmost island of the Maldives proper is Thuraakunu, in Ihavandhippolhu
atoll.
Minicoy
Called Maliku by the natives,
lies north of Maldives, being separated by the Eight Degree Channel, the distance
being about 68 miles. This channel is the course generally adopted by steamers
proceeding to Ceylon during the S.W. monsoon. The island is about 7 miles by half
a mile broad; it still belongs to Cananor.
Pyrard is right in his
statement that the people of Minicoy are of Maldive race and language. The population,
according to the last census (1881), is 3,915. The majority follow a seafaring
life, the island possessing six large vessels fit for the Bengal trade, four coasting
vessels, and eight fishing boats. Their trade is with the Maldives, the Malabar
coast, Ceylon, and Calcutta. Minicoy has thriven to a great extent, owing to being
free of the restrictions which require the Laccadive natives to carry all their
produce to particular Malabar ports.
Recently a lighthouse has been
erected on the island by the British Government. One of the staff employed in
its erection has written an interesting though short account of the island and
its inhabitants (Minicoy, etc., by Bartholomeusz; London, 1885).
Divandurou,
Laccadives
The Anduru islands, from the chief of them, generally
called Androt, which contains the tomb of the apostle of local Islam. The name
Laccadives (Laksha Dwipa, 'the Hundred Thousand Isles'), by which they are generally
known, is that applied by the people of India, and was evidently meant to include
the Maldives.
Albiruni speaks of the Maldives and Laccadives as Divah
Kuzah and Diva Kanbar, the 'cowrie' and the 'coir' islands.
By the natives
they are called Amendivi, from the island Amini, or simply divi.
Barbosa
says they are four in number, and were called Malandiva (Barbosa, Hak. Soc., p.
164).
The Portuguese generally called these the Mammale islands, from
the great Cananor merchant who controlled their trade; and the same name survives
in Lancaster (Voy., Hak. Soc., p. 10).
The Laccadives consist of ten
islands - Amini, Chetlat, Kadamat, and Kiltan (with Bitra, which is uninhabited)
are British; Agathi, Kawrati, Androt, and Kalpeni (with Suheli, uninhabited) are
the property of the Cananor Raja, but since 1877 have been sequestrated for non-payment
of tribute, and are at present also under British administration.
Another classification obtains: - Amini, Kalpeni, Androt, and Kawrati are 'tarwat'
islands, in which alone the high-caste natives reside; the rest are 'melacheri',
or low-caste islands.
The total population in 1881 (excluding Minicoy, which
is the personal property of the Raja) was 11,287.
See the valuable
account, from a naturalist's point of view, by Mr. Allan Hume, in Stray Feathers,
vol. iv; Calcutta, 1876.
Ali Raja's islands in Maldives
It must remain uncertain which were the thirty Maldive islands ceded by the Maldive
king, and who was the king who ceded them. They could only have been ceded during
a very serious revolt, such as that which ended in the abdication of Sultan Hassan
(Dom Manoel), A.D. 1552, so that we may believe that the islands were given up
by that Sultan, rather than by his rival Ali, who succeeded him.
Patak
vessel
Malayalam 'patak', a country craft not now in use, frequently
mentioned by the Portuguese writers.
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Gayyoom's Dictatorship 1978-2008 
