Maldives
The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...
National Day (also known as Qaumee Dhuvas (national day in
Dhivehi
Dhivehi, also spelled Divehi, is the main language, used in the Maldive Islands. This may refer to:
*Dhivehi people, an ethnic group native to the historic region of the Maldive Islands
*Dhivehi language, an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoke ...
), is an important day, as it is observed to celebrate the victory of
Mohamed Thakurufaanu
As-Sulṭaan al-Ghaazee Muhammad Thakurufaanu al-A'uẓam or As-Sultan Ghazi Muhammad Bodu Thakurufaanu (; died 18 August 1585) ruled over the Maldives Islands from 1573 to 1585. He is known for fighting the Portuguese who ruled over the Maldiv ...
over the Portuguese occupation in the year 1573. According to the
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar (), also known in English as the Islamic calendar, is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to determine the proper days of Islamic holidays and rituals, such as the Ramad ...
, the National Day of Maldives falls on the 1st of
Rabi' al-Awwal
Rabiʽ al-Awwal (, also known as Rabi' al-Ula (), or Rabi' I) is the third month of the Islamic calendar. The name ''Rabī‘ al-awwal'' means "''the first month'' or ''beginning of Spring (season), spring''", referring to its position in the ...
, the third month of
Hijri (Islamic) calendar.
In the year 1558, Portuguese colonial power invaded the Maldives and established its colonial rule. A rebellion was launched when the colonial power attempted to forcefully impose Christianity on the Maldives with the threat of death.
This was described as:
A time when intolerable enormities were committed by the invading infidels, a time when the sea grew red with Maldivian blood, a time when people were sunk in despair
It was later in 1573;
Muhammad Thakurufaanu arrived the capital Malé along with his companions and succeeded in ending the fifteen-year colonial rule of the Portuguese. Since then, 1st of
Rabee ul Awwal each Islamic year is marked as a National Day of the
Republic of Maldives
The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about from the Asian c ...
.
Celebrations of the day include parades, color festivals and route marches on the streets of
Malé
Malé is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 211,908 in 2022 within its administrative area and coterminous geographical area of , Malé is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city i ...
, and in islands.
See also
*
Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al Auzam
As-Sulṭaan al-Ghaazee Muhammad Thakurufaanu al-A'uẓam or As-Sultan Ghazi Muhammad Bodu Thakurufaanu (; died 18 August 1585) ruled over the Maldives Islands from 1573 to 1585. He is known for fighting the Portuguese who ruled over the Maldiv ...
References
{{reflist
Annual events in the Maldives
Observances set by the Islamic calendar
National days