Minicoy is a territory of Maldivians; Indians should not consider it as their own: President Yameen
Former President Yameen asserted that Minicoy is historically a Maldivian territory and not an inherent part of India, noting during a PNF meeting that the island is inhabited by Dhivehi speakers and was once under the jurisdiction of the Maldivian monarchy before falling under Indian control due to various historical events.
Minicoy, the southernmost atoll of Lakshadweep, has gained renown for its rich marine biodiversity and pristine white sandy beaches. | Tripper Hub | tripperhub.com
Former President Abdulla Yameen has asserted that Minicoy Island, located to the north of the Maldives, belongs to the Maldivian people and that Indians should not claim it as their own territory.
Sharply criticizing Indian journalists, President Yameen stated that they are reporting without any regard for historical facts.
Speaking at a meeting of his party, the PNF, on Monday night, former President Yameen stated that some Indian journalists have been questioning whether Minicoy belongs to Maldivians. His response to this, he said, is that "Minicoy is a place belonging to Maldivians."
"Maliku belongs to Maldivians, you know," President Yameen said.
Yameen noted that the Maldives was originally referred to as the Maliku-Addu Atoll.
"The Maldives extends from Minicoy to Addu Atoll," Yameen stated.
President Yameen noted that the region known as Maliku or Minicoy, was once under the jurisdiction of the Maldivian administration.
Yameen stated that the individuals there are speakers of the Dhivehi language.
President Yameen noted that King Hassan IX sought the protection of Ali Raja of Cannanore to expel the Portuguese due to their "excessive harassment." In exchange for this assistance, the King reportedly ceded Minicoy Island to Ali Raja as payment.
Yameen stated that Minicoy is "therefore not an original part of India."
President Yameen repeatedly asserted that it belongs solely to the Maldivian people.
President Yameen stated that even if King Hassan IX believed ceding Minicoy to India was the most strategic way to save the Maldives from Portuguese interference, Indians should not regard the island as their own territory.
Malicaddu - From Minicoy to Addu
According to the Maldivian historian Mohamed Ibrahim Luthufee, the island of Minicoy (Maliku) was lost from Maldivian sovereignty during the early 1500s, under the reign of Sultan Kalu Mohamed Siri Dhammaru Bavana Mahaaradhun.
Official correspondence and documents exchanged between Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar I and Sultan Mukarram Muhammad Imaduddin between the 17th and 18th centuries identify Maliku (Minicoy) as an integral territory of the Maldives.
When the Portuguese occupied the Maldives during the 1500s, Minicoy was under the dominion of the Malabari Ali Rajas of Cannanore. The national hero who liberated the Maldives from Portuguese colonial rule, Sultan Mohamed Thakurufaanu al-Auzam, relocated his family to Minicoy for their safety. During that period, the people of Minicoy constructed a residence and a mosque specifically for them.
When Pyrard de Laval visited Minicoy in the early 1600s, he observed that the language and customs of the island were identical to those of the Maldives. He further documented that the island had previously been under the sovereignty of the Maldivian monarchy, noting that the King at the time had gifted the island to his younger brother.
In the mid-1600s, following persistent harassment and provocations from Ali Raja, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar I dispatched Maldivian forces to reclaim Minicoy (Maliku) under Maldivian sovereignty. Following this reclamation, the territorial extent of the Maldives was recognized as "Malikaddu"—stretching from Minicoy in the north to Addu in the south—a definition that remained in place until 1752.
When the forces of Ali Raja invaded the Maldives in 1752, they also brought the island of Minicoy under their control. During this invasion, the reigning monarch, Sultan Mukarram Muhammad Imaduddin, along with the Crown Prince Muhammad Manikfan and several ministers, were taken captive and transported to Cannanore.
Although Maldivians fought and reclaimed their independence four months later, Minicoy Island did not return to Maldivian sovereignty. The island remained under the control of Ali Raja. The captive Maldivian King was later exiled to Minicoy, where he eventually passed away while in detention. Historical records cite the King's tomb on the island as enduring evidence of this event.
Following the British East India Company's consolidation of power across much of the Indian subcontinent in 1790, the Ali Raja (or Arakkal Beevi) was reportedly granted authority to administer Minicoy, subject to the payment of a tribute to the Company.
In 1858, sovereignty over Minicoy Island was transferred from the East India Company to the British Crown under Queen Victoria. However, it was not until 1905 that the Ali Raja of Cannanore officially lost full administrative control over the island. From that year onward, the administration of Minicoy was integrated into the Malabar District.
Since 1752, the Maldivian state has held no political authority over Minicoy Island. However, historical records indicate that during the 1800s, while the former Maldivian Prime Minister Kakaage Mohamed Didi was in exile on the island with his two younger brothers, he was appointed as the ruler of Minicoy by the Madras Government.
