Utheemu dynasty
Encyclopedia
The Utheemu dynasty was created in 1573 when Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al Auzam
became sultan of the Maldives
. The dynasty was named after the northern Maldives island of Utheemu, birthplace of Thakurufaan. Thakurufaan is considered is a national hero, as he and his two brothers led a successful rebellion against the Portuguese and established his country's independence. Eleven more sultans ruled during this dynastic period which ended in 1692.
From 1602-1607, a French sailor, François Pyrard de Laval
spent time in the Maldives, and gave a detailed account of the customs of the islanders during the Utheemu dynasty. His three-volume work was published in 1619 and is considered a valuable historical archive.
Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al Auzam
Al-Sultan Al-Gaazee Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al-Auzam or Al-Sultan Ghazi Muhammad Bodu Thakurufaanu ruled over the Maldive Islands from 1573 to 1585 AD. He was a great captain, environmentalist and a military strategist...
became sultan 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...
. The dynasty was named after the northern Maldives island of Utheemu, birthplace of Thakurufaan. Thakurufaan is considered is a national hero, as he and his two brothers led a successful rebellion against the Portuguese and established his country's independence. Eleven more sultans ruled during this dynastic period which ended in 1692.
From 1602-1607, a French sailor, François Pyrard de Laval
François Pyrard de Laval
François Pyrard de Laval was a French navigator who is remembered for a personal written account of his adventures in the Maldives Islands from 1602 to 1607, which was part of a ten-year sojourn in South Asia, et al...
spent time in the Maldives, and gave a detailed account of the customs of the islanders during the Utheemu dynasty. His three-volume work was published in 1619 and is considered a valuable historical archive.