Buddhism in the Maldives

Buddhism in the Maldives

Buddhism was important in the Maldives for many years. It lasted for about a thousand years until around the 12th century. Buddhism is thought to have come to the Maldives around the 3rd century BC.

For a long time, people practiced a type of Buddhism called Theravada Buddhism. Later, starting in the 6th century, another form called Vajrayana Buddhism became more common.

Even though Buddhism was strong in the Maldives, the nearby country of Sri Lanka has always stayed mostly predominantly Buddhist. The history of Buddhism in the Maldives shows how different places can have their own religious paths, even when they are close to each other.

Scholarship

Western interest in the old ruins of the Maldives began with H. C. P. Bell, a British official from the Ceylon Civil Service. Bell was stuck on the islands in 1879 and visited many times to see old Buddhist places. He studied special mounds called havitta or ustubu, which the local people call Dhivehi: ހަވިއްތަ. These mounds are found on many islands.

Bell thought the old Maldivians practiced Theravada Buddhism like their Sinhalese relatives in Sri Lanka. However, the Buddhist items in the Malé Museum show styles from Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism.

History

A story from Maldivian Folklore says a prince named Koimala from India or Sri Lanka came to the Maldives. He became the first king from the House of Theemuge. Before him, people from nearby places, like the Giravaaru, lived there. They helped start the capital city Malé and the kingdom.

The old kings of the Maldives supported Buddhism. Many beautiful sculptures and buildings from that time show how advanced the culture was. Later, the people changed from Buddhism to Islam in the late 1100s, as written in old copper plates.

A well-known story talks about a foreign saint who helped the islanders. The islanders faced big challenges, but this saint brought peace using words from the Quran.

The change from Buddhism to Islam took a long time. King Gadanaditya tried to encourage people to become Muslim, but some people still kept Buddhist traditions for many years.

We do not know exactly when Buddhism fully disappeared from the Maldives. Archeological findings show that Buddhist temples and monasteries, such as those on Kaashidhoo, might have been used until the late 1400s. A Dutch sailor named Frederick de Houtman visited in 1599 and saw old Buddhist places, though they were likely already broken down.

Legacy

Even after people in the Maldives started practicing Islam, Buddhist ideas still influenced the island's buildings, art, and pictures. Some old Buddhist places were turned into Islamic or everyday spots.

In February 2012, a group of people who were very strict about their Islamic beliefs entered the National Museum in Malé and damaged many old sculptures from before Islam. These sculptures were mostly broken beyond repair.