Parting of ways

By: Zueshan Ali

An island nation comprising of approximately 1192 islands, the Maldives has an eminent history of Buddhism dating back to centuries. Though renowned as a 100% Muslim nation, the 1400 years of Buddhist practices have left its mark in our society; of which some are still evident. Specially in the lives of the Maldivian women.

When the Maldives converted to Islam back in 1153 AD, it not only accepted a new way of life, but also gave up a century worth of beliefs and practices. The process of conversion was slow and met with great hostility and rebellion. Not every Maldivian was ready to give up their ancestors’ religion, or the way they had been living for years. Many of them were unwilling to give in to orders by the King to convert. This resulted in monks being brought to court and be-headed (as is evident in the ‘Loamaafaanu’ copper plates found in Isdhoo). Though the Maldivians converted to Islam, Buddhist cultures, along with some of the practices still had its roots engraved deep within the society; which time failed to change.

The Maldivian society was then dominated by women, who were superior to men in every aspect. Al-Idrisi (1099-1168) wrote that in the pre-Islamic times the Maldives was ruled by Queens. Even after the recognition of polygamy, this matriarchal influence continued. Wives and female relatives of the Sultans remained influential politically at high levels in the government though they rarely held office. The Maldives had a system of class distinction; the royalty was never questioned despite any wrong they might do. The king made the Queen his arbitrator, who made top level decisions in which no man interfered or voiced their opinion on.

In the years after conversion, the Maldivian women found the idea of veiling themselves ridiculous. The veil was a foreign garb to them and thus they cursed the idea of having to wear it. The veil was called ‘Dholhi’, which was also the word used for the piece of clothe tied around the head of the human corpses in order to keep the mouth from opening. This is suggestive of the oppressive view the Maldivian women at that time had in regard to the garment. They walked the roads with their heads uncovered; their hair put up in a bun with a scarf tied around it. The famous traveler, Ibn Batuta, who had the misfortune of serving a female ruler (Queen Siri Raadha Abaarana), wrote that he observed women walking around in their ‘feyli’ (a sarong-like garment worn around the waist), completely topless. They did not cover their upper bodies till after puberty or after marriage. This obscene practice failed to impress many Arab men who traveled to Maldives for trade purposes. Ibn Batuta also wrote that he tried in vain to convince these women to dress up decently and wear the veil. He made his 3 wives wear veil, for which they were mocked and scorned by other women when they got out onto the roads.

One such story concerning veiling of women in the years that followed conversion says a formidable elderly lady out on her morning walk was escorted by a “male member of the foreign-funded veil mongers brigade”. He gave her an ear-full of abuse for walking “naked” on the road. He told her that this sin would result in her being “hung by her hair from a tree in hell”. She thought for a while and replied that this meant that any remote chance of her wearing the veil was gone. When inquired why, she answered that she couldn’t bear the thought of basking in paradise while her mother and grand mother hung by their hair from trees in hell. The man hung his head low in disgust and walked away.

In 17^th century when King Siri Naakiree Sundhura (Sultan Al-Adil Mohamed Mohyeddin), who was a follower of Iraqi Mullah Abdel Qadir Jeilani, succeeded the throne, efforts were put to tame the unruly women of the society. On 6^th April 1691, he made a public declaration banning Alcohol and fornication. It was made compulsory for the women to wear veil and they were forced to stand on a side to let men pass. Islam was practiced and taught in harsh ways at times. Under Sultan Shamsuddins’ reign, people who missed the 5 prayers were be-headed. This enforcement of foreign cultures meant that our culture and social norms died out.

Apart from the role of women, some other skills lived on as well. Mosques were built in a syncretistic style, with attractive wood carvings and lacquer work. Lacquer work and wood carving is still done in some islands in the Maldives, but mostly for tourist souvenir shops. Yet, this art gives us a glimpse of the ancient cultural splendor in the Maldives.

The 1960’s introduced mini skirts to the Maldivian fashion scene. Some women still stick to this, although a lot of them have succumbed to pressure and quit skirts and ‘shifts’. It is since the 1990’s that the veil has become a common thing among the Maldivians. Till then, most women still followed the footsteps of their ancestors which can be dated back to the ages of Buddhism in the Maldives.

Although there are changes in our society, the fact remains that even today; signs of our Buddhist ancestors’ cultures are still visible in our society. For centuries even after conversion, the Maldivians continued with their pre-Islamic practices, which only changed of late. Until recently, women covered from head-to-toe were not a common sight in the Maldives, nor were girls in western clothes. With the transition of our society from a matriarchal to a patriarchal one, our way of life changed. In a fight for ultimate power between foreign cultures as that of Middle East and Western, some of us fear that we are letting go of thousands of years of practices and way of life. Yet, it should be noted that despite these new changes, most Maldivians still continue to live their lives the way they had been for centuries.