Where did the Maldives people come from?

Anthropologist Clarence Maloney's monograph "People of the Maldive Islands" is a heavily cited and recommended source when it comes to the topic of early Maldivian history. Sadly, the book was originally published in 1980 and has long been out of print. I had tried getting hold of it several years ago without success and I've still yet to locate a copy. Anyway, I got reminded of the book last night after stumbling across an article from the same author that I had read back then. The article addresses a very important question that all Maldivians should ask: "Where Did the Maldives People Come From?". Have a read, it really is a fascinating few minutes of reading...

"What was not known previous to my research in the early 1970s, is that there is a strong underlying layer of Tamil population and culture. So far, most Divehis have not shown themselves interested in accepting this finding, as it does not suit their sense of their prestigious origins." - Clarence Maloney

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  1. Hilath Rasheed says:

    Thanks for sharing. Will have a read through. Cheers.

  2. Adam Haleel says:

    And why the emphasis on this point may I inquire.

  3. jaa says:

    That was a (if not the) key discovery that resulted from his research. And, I was amused by his remark regarding how it was received within the Maldivian community.

  4. thari says:

    @ adam haleel : most maldivians feel ashamed to be linked to tamils or to Indian origin. A former minister used to be ashamed and get offended if he was asked if he's tamil.. Obviously jaa has a point in quoting that specific lines from Maloney's article.

  5. suraj says:

    if you look at airport arrivals, most maldivians seem to come from sri lanka, trivandrum, bangkok or KL. i hear they even have houses there.

  6. canofworms says:

    "They know that he is likely to remarry their mother anyway. This game of marriage is often the most important entertainment in these isolated communities with their somewhat stultifying atmosphere."


    hehehehe, another interesting quote from the article.


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