-
600 BCE
Adeetta Vansa Kingdom
founded and was the first known monarch of the Dheeva Maari -
500 BCE
Arrival of Sinhalese people
arrived from the northeastern part of india as part of an exiled prince's company. -
300 BCE
Buddhism
Representatives of Ashoka court brought Buddhism to the islands. -
1000
Chola Empire
islands incorporated by southeastern india into Chola Empire -
1153
Islam
Dhovemi king converted from buddhism to islam after exposure through traders -
1558
Portuguese
Portuguese troops occupied the islands as part of their trading post in Goa -
1573
Expelled the Portuguese
expelled by local forces from the island ports -
Dutch traders
created outposts and eventually created a protectorate -
British Rule
took control of the islands as part of their ceylon colony -
Self-Rule
Maldives were given self-rule as a protectorate of the UK -
constutition
created with elections that installed a sultan -
Amin Didi
Became president but a revolution deposed him and sent him into exile -
Death of Sultan
Muhammad Amin Didi declared a republic after the death of the sultan. -
Didi death
attempted to return and was beaten to death and the sultanate returned. -
Leaving common wealth of nations
Maldives leave the common wealth of nations The Maldives gained total independence from the British on 26 July 1965. -
Ibrahim Nasir
Sultan was deposed and a republic was recreated under Ibrahim Nasir -
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
assumed presidency after Nasir's retirement -
Gayoom ousts
Three failed coups to oust Gayoom -
Tourism
Maldives made a concerted effort to invite tourism to buoy economy -
Rejoining common wealth of nations
Maldives rejoining common wealth of nations The island nation has been readmitted after showing evidence of functioning democratic processes and popular support for being part of the family of nations. -
Death of Four inmates
4 inmates were killed in prison leading to protests and riots in the capital On Saturday September 20, 2003 civil unrest broke out in Malé, the capital city of the Maldives. This unrest was provoked by the death of Hassan Evan Naseem at Maafushi Prison - located on a separate inhabited island - and the subsequent shooting at the same prison, that killed 3 and injured 17 others. -
Gayoom 6th Term
won sixth term as president as sole candidate in election -
state of emergency
called due to pro-democracy protests -
Tsunami
devastated by a tsunami that set the development of the islands back by decades -
NEW constitution
passed that allowed the first multi-party presidential elections -
Mohamed Nasheed
defeated Gayoom to become president -
Vice President became president
Mohamed Waheed Hussain Manik became president -
Nasheed resignation
resigned after unchecked demonstrations over the arrest of the chief of justice -
Nasheed arrested
sentenced for 13 years for terrorism -
Maldives leaving common wealth
due to pressure to increase democratic reforms -
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
defeated president Abdulla Yameen in open elections