The Rise of Islam in Maldives

Loamaafaanu (Copper plates)

An artist's impression of the copper-strip books or Loamaafaanu. The copper-strip books are the oldest written records to be discovered in the Maldives. These strips were written in the oldest own script of the Maldives called the Eveylaa script .

The oldest historical records discovered in the Maldives are the Loamaafaanu. These are writings engraved on narrow strips of copper using a sharpened iron tool. The script used in the copperplates is believed to be the oldest script used by the Maldivians, called the Eveyla script. Some of the copperplates written during the 12th and 14th centuries AD have been found. These are official records containing the king's grants to various mosques. The oldest copper plate grant to be found is the Isdhoo Loamaafaanu which was written during 1194 AD by the order of Sultan Sri Gadanaditiya (Dinei Kalaminja The Isdhoo Loamaafaanu contains a list of the names and dates of all the kings of the Theemuge Dynasty who had reigned up to that time. These plates also record some of the events and customs of that time and also the original Dhivehi names used by Maldivians of that time. They also record names and positions held by some of the ministers of the realm. These indicate that even by the late 12th century AD the Maldives had a systematically organised government and a judicial system. The Loamaafaanu also shows that notwithstanding the difficulties of transport, the court had information from all the islands of the country. The Sultan had arranged for the mosque at Isdhoo to receive income for their maintenance (Boaga) from various islands in the northern and southern parts of the Maldives. According to the Isdhoo Loamaafaanu, duirng the third year of the reign of Sultan Sri Gadanatiya, the Buddhist monastery in Isdhoo was destroyed and all the monks at the monastery were brought to Malé and put to death. The inhabitants of Isdhoo were converted to Islam and a mosque was constructed at an appropriate location at the site of the monastery. In order to complete the related arrangements, the Sultan set out the commission of the mosque, appointed caretakers to the mosque and decreed the manner in which various work was to be carried out. The Isdhoo Loamaafaanu shows that even 41 years after the Maldives embraced Islam, difficulties in transport had held back the spread of Islam to cover the entire archipelago. Conversion of the entire country had taken a number of years and a lot of effort. Isdhoo Loamaafaanu was engraved by a scribe by the name of Surisiru from the island of Theeferidhoo in Thiladdhunmathi Atoll. The names of ten witnesses to the royal order are recorded in the Loamaafaanu. They were eight ministers, the Chief Justice and a Judge.

Isdhoo Loamaafaanu: this is the oldest copper-strip book to be discovered in the Maldives to date. The book was written in 1194 AD (590 AH), during the reign of Sri Gadanaditiya (Dhinei Kalaminja).