The Maldives: A brief history of the nation and its ties with India

The Hindu

30-07-2025

The story so far: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently concluded a two-day state visit to the Maldives, signalling a reset in ties between the countries, after a period of strain following the election of President Mohamed Muizzu in November 2023. Mr. Modi was also the Guest of Honour at the country's 60th Independence Day celebrations, held in the capital Male on July 26, 2025. Mr. Muizzu ran for Presidency on an 'India Out' campaign plank, and post his election, sought the removal of Indian troops from the Maldives. India replaced its military personnel with a civilian team.
The relationship between both the countries has since witnessed an improvement, seen in Mr. Muizzu's New Delhi visit in October last year, and Mr. Modi became the first Head of State to visit the Maldives since President Muizzu assumed office.
Historically, India and Maldives have shared good ties, with India being the third country to establish diplomatic ties with the Maldives post its independence from the British in 1965. India and Sri Lanka are among the closest nations on the Asian mainland to the Maldives, which lies in the northern part of the Indian Ocean.
It was a fact reiterated by Mr. Muizzu in his address at a state banquet held to welcome Mr. Modi, where he referred to the Indian Ocean as a 'living testament to the long-standing ties between the countries over centuries' and said that the shared journey of both nations, as traders and neighbours, had forged a resilient and unbreakable bond.
Maldives: a history
The smallest country in South Asia, Maldives stretches across the equator around 750 km from mainland Asia. It consists of a chain of 1200 coral and sandy islands in 26 clusters/atolls, of which only 200 islands are inhabited. One of the lowest lying countries, Maldives is situated on coral atolls lying atop the crowns of a submerged volcanic range (the Chagos-Laccadive ridge).
The islands of what is present-day Maldives are said to have been inhabited since 5th century B.C.E. The first settlers are believed to be Tamil and Sinhalese people from India and Sri Lanka; this is reflected in Dhivehi, the official language of the isles today, which has links to the Sinhala language.
In the 12th century, sailors from East African and Arab countries made their way to the Maldives. Till then the population largely practised Buddhism, but around 1153 C.E, Islam was widely adopted by the nation. The nation continues to have a majority Muslim population today.
Noted traveller Ibn Battutah is said to have resided in the Maldives in the mid-1340s, which came to be an independent Islamic sultanate till it was colonised. Some accounts describe attacks by Mopla pirates from the Malabar coast; however, they did not establish a long-lasting settlement.
The Portuguese set up shop in Male from 1558, ruling for 15 years till they were expelled in 1573 by the warrior Muhammad Thakurufar Al-Azam. In 17th century, the islands were a sultanate under the Dutch rulers of Ceylon (Sri
Lanka). In 1796, the British colonised Ceylon, so the Maldives became a British protectorate. This status was formalised in 1887.
In 1932, the nation adopted a democratic constitution. Up till then, administrative power had rested with sultans or sultanas. But following this, the office of Sultan became an elected one and not hereditary. A republic was proclaimed in 1953, but this was quickly reversed, and the country reverted to being a sultanate within the year.
In 1956, the Sultan permitted Britain to re-establish a military base on the island of Gan in southern Maldives. The Sultan, Mohammed Farid Didi, had demanded independence as far back as 1958 in return for the re-establishment the Gan airfield, which had been used as a base during the Second World War. Negotiations broke down and soon after a revolt led by Abdullah Afif Didi broke out in the southern Maldives. As a result of this secession movement, a United Suvadivan Republic was formed in the South in 1959, comprising around 20,000 inhabitants. This Republic however, was eliminated by the Sultanate in 1962, and southern Maldives were subsumed into its territory.
On July 26, 1965, the Maldives gained full independence from the British, after 77 years of being a protectorate. Following independence, the British were allowed to use the Gan and Hitaddu military facilities as a re-fuelling base for British military planes flying to Malaysia and the Far East. The last British troops left the country on March 29, 1976.
After a national referendum to abolish the sultanate, a new republic was created on November 11, 1968, three years after the Maldives gained independence from the British. The first President of the newly free republic was Ibrahim Nasr, who had been the Prime Minister under the pre-1968 sultanate.
In 1982, Maldives became a member of the Commonwealth (with a brief withdrawal from 2016 to 2020). The country remains a republic, with a unicameral parliament (Majlis).
Minor coup attempts took place in the 1980s, with a major attempt on November 3, 1988 thwarted by the intervention of India at the behest of then president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Mr. Gayoom, of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), was to become the longest-serving president of the Maldives, serving 30 years from 1978 to 2008.
In 2007, pro-democracy protests erupted in the nation, prompting a referendum to determine the political system of the Maldives. The traditional presidential system trumped over the parliamentary system mooted by the reformists. However, in 2008, Maldives adopted a new constitution which imposed curbs on the powers of the government. Following this, a presidential election was held, featuring multiple candidates for the first time. Mr. Gayoom was replaced by Mohamed Nasheed.
Incumbent President Muizzu of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), came to power after he defeated Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the September 2023 presidential elections.
India-Maldives ties
India and Maldives established diplomatic relations on November 1, 1965, soon after the latter gained Independence from the British. It was the the third nation to do so, after the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka. The first resident mission of the Maldives in India was established in 2004, with a consulate established in Thiruvananthapuram in 2005.
For many years, the two nations have engaged in peaceful bilateral co-operation and trade, besides conducting bilateral defence exercises. This includes a bi-annual series of Coast Guard maritime joint training exercises, launched in 1991, codenamed DOSTI. Maldives is also part of the Colombo Security Conclave, an India-led regional security initiative. Additionally, the two nations have held joint army training exercises titled Ekuverin.
In terms of international co-operation, Maldives and India are both members of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC), and have been aligned on issues of regional security. Maldives has reportedly supported India's bid to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
India has provided aid and assistance to the island nation as well. It offered military support during the November 3, 1988 coup attempt in the Maldives. Then, a group of 80-100 Sri Lankan Tamil mercenaries from the Tamil secessionist outfit People's Liberation Of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), led by Uma Maheshwaran and funded by Abdullah Luthufi, a disgruntled Maldivian businessman, landed in Male, overrunning key infrastructure and making their way to the Presidential palace. After an SOS call from Maldives, India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, stepped in and offered assistance through 'Operation Cactus.' President Gayoom was safely secured and the mercenaries were rounded up. Mr. Luthufi sought to make his escape via a ship, which was reportedly sunk by an Indian navy vessel.
India has also offered humanitarian assistance to Maldives, such as in the aftermath of the devastating 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. In turn, Maldives has offered assistance post natural disasters such as the Gujarat earthquake in 2001.
Ahead of the recent rift between India and Maldives, post the election of President Muizzu, Indian tourists formed a substantial chunk of visitors to the country, where tourism is a major industry. India has also contributed to infrastructure projects in the area, including the Greater Male Connectivity Project.
President Muizzu came to power on an India-Out platform in November 2023, and demonstrated a keen interest in pursuing closer ties with China. He demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel in the Maldives, viewing it as a slight to the nation's sovereignty. The inking of several agreements with China also deepened the Indian government's concerns about growing Chinese influence in the region. Matters escalated when Prime Minister Modi visited Lakshadweep, followed by deregatory remarks by junior Maldivian ministers and a 'Boycott Maldives' campaign that followed on India social media.
Even post the strained ties, India continued existing aid and funding programmes, and diplomatic engagement with the Maldives. In May 2025, it extended budgetary support in the form of rolling over a $50 million Treasury Bill for an additional year. This was after it forked out over $400 million in an emergency financial package to help the Maldivian economy, besides inking a currency swap agreement.
During the recently concluded state visit, India and Maldives showed clear signs of improved ties. Leaders from both nations announced the commencement of discussions on a Free Trade Agreement. India announced a ₹4850 crore line of credit for the Maldives, and reduced the annual debt repayment obligation of the Maldives by 40% (from $51 million to $29 million). An India-Maldives Parliamentary Friendship Group has also been created in the 20th Majlis.
'Our nations continue to work closely in sectors like infrastructure, technology, climate change, energy and more,' Prime Minister Modi wrote in a post on X, following his meeting with Vice-President Uz Hussain Mohamed