Buddhism in the Maldives

Buddhism was an important part of life in the Maldives for many years, lasting for about a thousand years until around the 12th century. It is believed that Buddhism came to the Maldives around the 3rd century BC. For a long time, people in the Maldives 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 unique religious paths, even when they are close to each other.

Scholarship

Western interest in the old ruins of the Maldives started with the work of H. C. P. Bell, a British official from the Ceylon Civil Service. Bell was stuck on the islands in 1879 and came back many times to look at 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 kept in the Malé Museum show styles from Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism.

History

According to a story from Maldivian Folklore, a prince named Koimala from India or Sri Lanka arrived in the Maldives and became the first king from the House of Theemuge. Before this, people from places nearby, like a group called the Giravaaru, had already settled there. They are important because they are part of the story about how the capital city Malé and the kingdom began.

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

A well-known story tells of a foreign saint who helped the islanders by dealing with a scary monster called Rannamaari. The islanders used to face great challenges, but this saint brought peace by using words from the Quran.

The change from Buddhism to Islam wasn’t quick. King Gadanaditya tried to encourage people to become Muslim, but even many years later, some people still held on to Buddhist traditions.

We aren’t exactly sure 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 described seeing old Buddhist places, though they were likely already broken down by then.

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, and parts of broken-down Buddhist sites were used for new structures.

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, made from soft stone, were mostly broken beyond repair, with only a few that might be fixed.