The earliest settlers were probably from southern India.
Indo-European speakers followed them from Sri Lanka in the fourth and fifth
centuries BC. In the 12th century AD, sailors from East Africa and Arab
countries came to the islands. Today, the Maldivian ethnic identity is a blend
of these cultures, reinforced by religion and language. There still exists a
small population of people called Giravaaru who claim as the original settlers
of Maldives thus different from the Maldivian mainstream.
Originally Buddhists, Maldivians were converted to Sunni
Islam in the mid-12th century. Islam is the official religion of the entire
population.
The official and common language is Divehi (the written
script is called Thaana), an Indo-European language related to Sinhalese, the
language of Sri Lanka. Given the wide dispersion of islands it is not
surprising that the vocabulary and pronunciation vary from  Atoll to atoll, with
the difference being more significant in the dialects spoken in the
southernmost atolls. The language has been influenced heavily from Arabic since
the advent of the Islam in 1153 and English in more recent times, especially
since the introduction of English as a medium of education in the early 1960s.
The Maldivian script known as thaana was invented during
the 16th century soon after the country was liberated from Portuguese rule.
Unlike former scripts thaana is written from right to left. This was devised to
accommodate Arabic words that are frequently used in Dhivehi. There are 24
letters in the thaana alphabet.
The government is dedicated to improving the life of the
people on the islands. Young people are encouraged to strive for higher
education. Under government sponsorship young students are given grants to
study abroad and they return to give service to the country. Maldivians have been
able to blend tradition and modernity. All Maldivians have open access to
education. All have the opportunity to play significant roles in the economic
life of the nation.
Some social stratification exists on the islands. It is
not rigid, since rank is based on varied factors, including occupation, wealth,
Islamic virtue, and family ties. Members of the social elite are concentrated
in Malé. Outside of the service industry this is the only location where the
foreign and domestic populations are likely to interact. The tourist resorts
are not on islands where the natives live and casual contacts between the two
groups are discouraged.
|
