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Culture
Ethnicity
The origins of the Maldivian people are
shrouded in mystery. The First settlers may
well have been from Sri Lanka and Southern
India. Some say Aryans, who sailed in their
reed boats from Lothal in the Indus Valley
about 4,000 years ago, probably followed them.
Archeological evidence suggests the existence
Hinduism and Buddhism before the Nationality
embraced Islam in 1153 A.D.Not surprisingly,
the faces of today’s Maldivian display
the features of various faces that inhabit
the lands around the Indian Ocean shipping
and maritime routes, the Maldives has long
been a melting pot for African, Arab and South
East Asian mariners.
Language
The language of the Maldivians is Dhivehi,
a language which is placed in the Indro-Indian
group of languages. Dhivehi with its roots
in Sanskrit and according to some researchers
Elu, an ancient form of Sinhala, (spoken in
Sri Lanka), is strongly influenced by the
major lanuguages of the region. The language
has been influenced heavily from Arabic since
the advent of the Islam in 1153 and English
in more recent times, especially since the
introduction of English as a medium of education
in the early 1960s.
Given the wide dispersion of islands it
is not surprising that the vocabulary and
pronunciation vary from atoll to atoll,
with the difference being more significant
in the dialects spoken in the southernmost
atolls.
The Maldivian script known as thaana was
invented during the 16th century soon after
the Nationality was liberated from Portuguese
rule. Unlike former scripts thaana is written
from right to left. This was devised to
accommodate Arabic words that are frequently
used in Dhivehi. There are 24 letters in
the thaana alphabet.
Family Life
The close-knit island communities practice
mutual aid to survive difficult circumstances.
A system of extended families provide a safety
net for members of a family going through
a difficult period. In addition to the parents
other members of the family also contribute
in the care of children. Traditionally men
go out fishing during the day and women are
responsible to look after the affairs of the
family and vary often the community. This
remains so even today in smaller island communities.
Religion
Since Maldives embraced Islam in 1153, Island
has been central to the life of Maldivians.
The main events and festivalss of Maldivian
life follow the Muslim Calendar. From infancy
children are taught the Arabic alphabet. Religious
education is provided both at home and at
school. Islam is part of the school curriculum
and is taught concurrently with other subjects.
Food
Maldives being at an important crossroad
in the Indian Ocean, traders and visitors
over time have left their mark on Maldivian
cuisine in addition to contributing towards
the moulding of the Nationality’s culture
and norms.
As the Maldives comprises more sea than
land, it is only natural that fish (mainly
tuna) have always been the most prominent
element of Maldivian food. However, with
travelers from different parts of the world,
new seasonings and vegetables were introduced
in to the Nationality and added to the existing
(limited) repertoire of seafood and tubers
(e.g. taro & sweet potato). Each new
discovery was incorporated into the diet
in quantities most palatable to Maldivians.
Thus Maldivian cuisine now comprises Arabic,
Indian, Sri Lanka and Oriental tastes blended
into a unique cuisine that embodies a culinary
identity of its own.
