Sultan Al-Haj Muhammed Ghiya'as ud-din Iskandar Sri Kula Sundara Maha Radun
Encyclopedia
Muhammed Ghiya'as ud-din, (Muhammed Manifufaanu), the son of Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar II, was the sultan
of the Maldives
from 1766 to 1773. As per the will of his predecessor Dhon Bandaarain, Muhammed Manifufaanu ascended the throne and reigned as Sultan Al-Haj Muhammed Ghiya'as ud-din Iskandar Sri Kula Sundara Maha Radun. He was the last sultan of the Dhiyamigili Dynasty
; he was deposed while away on a pilgrammage, and later, on his return trip he drowned, or was murdered by Kalhu Bandaarain.
. The internal troubles were disputes that emerged between the Sultan and the family of Dhon Bandaarain. The Sultan was the son of Sultan Ibrahim Iskandhar II of the Dhiyamigili Dynasty. Dhon Bandaarain was the first Sultan of the Huraage Dynasty. Therefore, Dhon Bandaarain's family was unhappy that the throne had by-passed them and had gone to the Dhiyamigili Dynasty
. The leader of the disaffected group was Dhon Bandaarain's nephew, Muhammed Manikufaan, who was the son of Dhon Bandaarain's brother, Hussain Bodu Dhoshimeyna Kilegefaan. The result of this squabbling was that Dhon Bandaarain's family members were penalised. Muhammed Manikufaan and Dhon Bandaarain's sons were banished to different islands. Other members of the family were also banished. Although Dhon Bandaarain had treated Ghiyaasuddin with kindness, the new Sultan was denied the opportunity of reciprocating the same sentiments to the Huraage family. The attacks by the Malabars
during this period were defeated by the Maldivians. The Sultan himself took part in these battles.
Sultan Ghiyaasuddin loved learning. The first Dhivehi
dictionary written in Thaana
was compiled during his reign. A number of other books, including a chronicle of his war with the Malabars
, were also written during that time.
Seven years and 1 month into his reign, the Sultan left Malé
during the month of Shawwal
, 1187 AH for Mecca
to perform pilgrimage
. He appointed his sister, Amina Kanbafaan, and her husband Ali Shah Bandar (Velaanaa Manikufaan) as dual regents. Four days after the Sultan departed, Ali Shah Bandar decided to usurp the powers of Sultan for himself. The result was that Muhammed Manikufaan moved against Ali Shah Bandar and the outcome was Muhammed Manikufan proclaimed himself as the Sultan.
Muhammed Manikufaan ascended the throne as Sultan Muhammad Shams ud-din Iskandar II
. After becoming the Sultan, he banished the family members of Sultan Ghiyaasuddin to various islands and recalled to Malé
the three sons of Dhon Bandaarain and their uncle, Ali Rannabandeyri Kilegefaan. He dismantled the residence of Sultan Ghiyaasuddin, impounded all the property to be found there and also all the land and waqf
belonging to the members of the Dhiyamigili Dynasty. Some of the books, personal property and jewellery were also seized and the members of the Dhiyamigili Dynasty
were banned from learning.
After reigning for a short while, Sultan Muhammed Shamsuddin abdicated in favour of Muhammed, the eldest son of Dhon Bndaarain. The new Sultan reigned as Sultan Muhammed Muizzuddin, popularly known as Kalhu Bandaarain. After abdication, Sultan Muhammad Shams ud-din Iskandar II
proclaimed himself Muhammed Faashanaa Kilegefaan.
As Sultan Ghiyaasuddin returned to the Maldives
, he learned about the developments in Malé
, and upon hearing which, he set sail to Malé
. The ship drifted off course and entered Malé
atoll near Guraidhoo
-Vilingilivaru. Staying on board, he sent a letter to the reigning Sultan. In this letter, he said that he was reconciled with the will of the Almighty Allah
, and sought the protection of the Sultan and Faashanaa Kilegefaan.
Upon receiving the letter, the Sultan and Faashanaa Kilegefaan sent their troops and brought to Malé
all Maldivians and men from Muscat
who were with Ghiyaasuddin. Three close aides of the Sultan and other courtiers were sent in a boat to Ghiyaasuddin's ship. These people took Ghiyaasuddin in their boat away from the sight of the men who had traveled with Ghiyaasuddin and killed him by drowning him with weights tied to his body.citation required He drowned 8 October 1774.
The nobles in Malé
informed the people that a boat had been sent to bring Ghiyaasuddin to Malé
. Ranjehi Ganduvaru was readied to welcome Ghiyaasuddin. On the return of the boat to Malé
, the people were informed that Ghiyaasuddin had disembarked and entered Ranjehi Gandavaru. Welcome ceremonies and festivities were begun at Ranjehi Ganduvaru. The people did not learn of the assassination until a day or two later. Once the people learned about the killing, they gathered in protest near Bodu Ganduvaru. As the mob grew more vociferous, Muhammed Faashanaa Kilegefaan came out and said that the decree for the assassination was issued by the Chief Justice. But the latter took an oath to declare that he was completely unaware of it. Following these protests, young Abdulla, a son of Ghiyaasuddin who was in Malé
, was banished to Fuvahmulah
Sultan Ghiyaasuddin is popularly known as the Martyred Sultan. He is also known as Haajee Bandaarain. He was the last sultan of the Dhiyamigili Dynasty.
Sultan Muhammed Ghiya'as ud-din's father is Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar II son of Sultan Muzaffar Muhammad Imaduddin II of the Dhiyamigili Dynasty.
Sultan Muhammed Ghiya'as ud-din's mother is Aisha Kanbafan daughter of Fathima Maavaa Kilegefan daughter of Athiree Kamanaa daughter of Athiree Hawwa Bee daughter of Koruvalu Zulaikha Bee daughter of Hafiza Bodu Fathima Fan daughter of al- Qazi Muhammad Shamsuddin al-kabeer (Addu Bodu Fandiyaaru Thakurufaan) from the island of Meedhoo
in Addu Atoll
.
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
from 1766 to 1773. As per the will of his predecessor Dhon Bandaarain, Muhammed Manifufaanu ascended the throne and reigned as Sultan Al-Haj Muhammed Ghiya'as ud-din Iskandar Sri Kula Sundara Maha Radun. He was the last sultan of the Dhiyamigili Dynasty
Dhiyamigili dynasty
The Dhiyamigili dynasty was the fifth royal dynasty to rule over the Maldives. It comprised four sultans:* Sultan Muzaffar Muhammad Imaduddin II * Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar II * Sultan Mukarram Muhammad Imaduddin III...
; he was deposed while away on a pilgrammage, and later, on his return trip he drowned, or was murdered by Kalhu Bandaarain.
Biography
The Sultan Muhammed Ghiya'as ud-din's reign was beset with many domestic troubles, which were coupled with a number of attacks by MalabarsMalabars
Malabars is an appellation originating from the colonial era that was used by Westerners to refer to all the people of South India...
. The internal troubles were disputes that emerged between the Sultan and the family of Dhon Bandaarain. The Sultan was the son of Sultan Ibrahim Iskandhar II of the Dhiyamigili Dynasty. Dhon Bandaarain was the first Sultan of the Huraage Dynasty. Therefore, Dhon Bandaarain's family was unhappy that the throne had by-passed them and had gone to the Dhiyamigili Dynasty
Dhiyamigili dynasty
The Dhiyamigili dynasty was the fifth royal dynasty to rule over the Maldives. It comprised four sultans:* Sultan Muzaffar Muhammad Imaduddin II * Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar II * Sultan Mukarram Muhammad Imaduddin III...
. The leader of the disaffected group was Dhon Bandaarain's nephew, Muhammed Manikufaan, who was the son of Dhon Bandaarain's brother, Hussain Bodu Dhoshimeyna Kilegefaan. The result of this squabbling was that Dhon Bandaarain's family members were penalised. Muhammed Manikufaan and Dhon Bandaarain's sons were banished to different islands. Other members of the family were also banished. Although Dhon Bandaarain had treated Ghiyaasuddin with kindness, the new Sultan was denied the opportunity of reciprocating the same sentiments to the Huraage family. The attacks by the Malabars
Malabars
Malabars is an appellation originating from the colonial era that was used by Westerners to refer to all the people of South India...
during this period were defeated by the Maldivians. The Sultan himself took part in these battles.
Sultan Ghiyaasuddin loved learning. The first Dhivehi
Dhivehi language
Maldivian is an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by about 350,000 people in the Maldives where it is the national language. It is also the first language of nearly 10,000 people in the island of Minicoy in the Union territory of Lakshadweep, India where the Mahl dialect of the Maldivian...
dictionary written in Thaana
Thaana
Thaana, Taana or Tāna is the modern writing system of the Divehi language spoken in the Maldives. Taana has characteristics of both an abugida and a true alphabet , with consonants derived from indigenous and Arabic numerals, and vowels derived from the vowel diacritics of the Arabic abjad...
was compiled during his reign. A number of other books, including a chronicle of his war with the Malabars
Malabars
Malabars is an appellation originating from the colonial era that was used by Westerners to refer to all the people of South India...
, were also written during that time.
Seven years and 1 month into his reign, the Sultan left Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
during the month of Shawwal
Shawwal
Shawwāl is the tenth month of the lunar Islamic calendar. Shawwāl means to ‘lift or carry’; so named because she-camels normally would be carrying a fetus at this time of year.-Fasting during Shawwāl:...
, 1187 AH for Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
to perform pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
. He appointed his sister, Amina Kanbafaan, and her husband Ali Shah Bandar (Velaanaa Manikufaan) as dual regents. Four days after the Sultan departed, Ali Shah Bandar decided to usurp the powers of Sultan for himself. The result was that Muhammed Manikufaan moved against Ali Shah Bandar and the outcome was Muhammed Manikufan proclaimed himself as the Sultan.
Muhammed Manikufaan ascended the throne as Sultan Muhammad Shams ud-din Iskandar II
Sultan Muhammad Shams ud-din Iskandar II
Sultan Muhammad Shams ud-din Iskandar II was the Sultan of the Maldives from 1773 to 1774. His father was Husain Bodu Dorimena Kilegefan. He usurped the throne from the Dhiyamigili Dynasty on 22 December 1773. He abdicated in 1774 and was succeeded by Sultan Muhammad Mu'iz ud-din Iskander ibni...
. After becoming the Sultan, he banished the family members of Sultan Ghiyaasuddin to various islands and recalled to Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
the three sons of Dhon Bandaarain and their uncle, Ali Rannabandeyri Kilegefaan. He dismantled the residence of Sultan Ghiyaasuddin, impounded all the property to be found there and also all the land and waqf
Waqf
A waqf also spelled wakf formally known as wakf-alal-aulad is an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law, typically denoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. The donated assets are held by a charitable trust...
belonging to the members of the Dhiyamigili Dynasty. Some of the books, personal property and jewellery were also seized and the members of the Dhiyamigili Dynasty
Dhiyamigili dynasty
The Dhiyamigili dynasty was the fifth royal dynasty to rule over the Maldives. It comprised four sultans:* Sultan Muzaffar Muhammad Imaduddin II * Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar II * Sultan Mukarram Muhammad Imaduddin III...
were banned from learning.
After reigning for a short while, Sultan Muhammed Shamsuddin abdicated in favour of Muhammed, the eldest son of Dhon Bndaarain. The new Sultan reigned as Sultan Muhammed Muizzuddin, popularly known as Kalhu Bandaarain. After abdication, Sultan Muhammad Shams ud-din Iskandar II
Sultan Muhammad Shams ud-din Iskandar II
Sultan Muhammad Shams ud-din Iskandar II was the Sultan of the Maldives from 1773 to 1774. His father was Husain Bodu Dorimena Kilegefan. He usurped the throne from the Dhiyamigili Dynasty on 22 December 1773. He abdicated in 1774 and was succeeded by Sultan Muhammad Mu'iz ud-din Iskander ibni...
proclaimed himself Muhammed Faashanaa Kilegefaan.
As Sultan Ghiyaasuddin returned to the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
, he learned about the developments in Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
, and upon hearing which, he set sail to Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
. The ship drifted off course and entered Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
atoll near Guraidhoo
Guraidhoo (Kaafu Atoll)
Guraidhoo is one of the inhabited islands of Kaafu Atoll in the Maldives....
-Vilingilivaru. Staying on board, he sent a letter to the reigning Sultan. In this letter, he said that he was reconciled with the will of the Almighty Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
, and sought the protection of the Sultan and Faashanaa Kilegefaan.
Upon receiving the letter, the Sultan and Faashanaa Kilegefaan sent their troops and brought to Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
all Maldivians and men from Muscat
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
who were with Ghiyaasuddin. Three close aides of the Sultan and other courtiers were sent in a boat to Ghiyaasuddin's ship. These people took Ghiyaasuddin in their boat away from the sight of the men who had traveled with Ghiyaasuddin and killed him by drowning him with weights tied to his body.citation required He drowned 8 October 1774.
The nobles in Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
informed the people that a boat had been sent to bring Ghiyaasuddin to Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
. Ranjehi Ganduvaru was readied to welcome Ghiyaasuddin. On the return of the boat to Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
, the people were informed that Ghiyaasuddin had disembarked and entered Ranjehi Gandavaru. Welcome ceremonies and festivities were begun at Ranjehi Ganduvaru. The people did not learn of the assassination until a day or two later. Once the people learned about the killing, they gathered in protest near Bodu Ganduvaru. As the mob grew more vociferous, Muhammed Faashanaa Kilegefaan came out and said that the decree for the assassination was issued by the Chief Justice. But the latter took an oath to declare that he was completely unaware of it. Following these protests, young Abdulla, a son of Ghiyaasuddin who was in Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
, was banished to Fuvahmulah
Sultan Ghiyaasuddin is popularly known as the Martyred Sultan. He is also known as Haajee Bandaarain. He was the last sultan of the Dhiyamigili Dynasty.
Sultan Muhammed Ghiya'as ud-din's father is Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar II son of Sultan Muzaffar Muhammad Imaduddin II of the Dhiyamigili Dynasty.
Sultan Muhammed Ghiya'as ud-din's mother is Aisha Kanbafan daughter of Fathima Maavaa Kilegefan daughter of Athiree Kamanaa daughter of Athiree Hawwa Bee daughter of Koruvalu Zulaikha Bee daughter of Hafiza Bodu Fathima Fan daughter of al- Qazi Muhammad Shamsuddin al-kabeer (Addu Bodu Fandiyaaru Thakurufaan) from the island of Meedhoo
Meedhoo (Seenu Atoll)
Meedhoo is the oldest populated island in Addu Atoll in the Republic of Maldives, having been settled between 1000 and 500 BCE. Its current population is 2511. Its name comes from the original Indo-Aryan settlers; Meedhoo means Big Island in Sanskrit.The original settlers were divehi people of...
in Addu Atoll
Addu Atoll
Addu City is a city in Maldives consisting of the inhabited islands of the southernmost atoll of the archipelago....
.