Early history of Lakshadweep is unwritten. What now passes
for history is based on various legends. Local traditions attribute
the first settlement on these islands to the period of Cheraman
Perumal, the last king of Kerala. It is believed that after
his conversion to Islam, at the behest of some Arab merchants,
he slipped out of his capital Cranganore, the present day Kodungallor
- an old harbour town Kochi, for Mecca. When his disappearance
was discovered, search parties went after him in sailing boats
and left for the shores of Mecca, in search of the king from
different places. It is believed that one of these sailing boats
of Raja of Cannanore was struck by a fierce storm and they were
shipwrecked on the island now known as Bangaram. From there
they went to the nearby island of Agatti. Finally the weather
improved and they returned to the mainland sighting other islands
on their way. It is said that after their return another party
of sailors and soldiers discovered the island of Amini and started
living there. It is believed that the people sent there were
Hindus. Even now unmistakable Hindu Social stratification exists
in these islands despite Islam. Legends say that small settlements
started in the Islands of Amini, Kavaratti, Andrott and Kalpeni
first and later people from these islands moved to the other
islands of Agatti, Kiltan, Chetlat and Kadmat. This legend of
Cheraman Perumal is not, however, substantiated.
The advent of Islam dates back to the 7th century around the
year 41 Hijra. It is universally believed that one St.Ubaidullah(r)
while praying at Mecca fell asleep. He dreamt that Prophet Mohammed(s)
wanted him to go to Jeddah and take a ship from there to go
to distant places. Thus, he left Jeddah but after sailing for
months, a storm wrecked his ship near these small Islands. Floating
on a plank he was swept ashore on the island of Amini. He fell
asleep there but again dreamt of the Prophet asking him to propagate
Islam in that Island. Ubaidullah started doing so. But this
enraged the headman of the island and he ordered his exit at
once. St. Ubaidullah(r) stood firm. Meanwhile,a young woman
fell in love with him. He gave her the name Hameedat Beebi and
married her. This further offended the headman and he decided
to kill him. It is said that the headman and his henchmen surrounded
Ubaidullah(r) and his wife to kill them. At once St.Ubaidullah(r)
called up on the Almighty and the people were struck blind.
At this time St.Ubaidullah(r) and his wife disappeared and as
soon as they left the island people regained their eye sight.From
Amini St.Ubaidullah(r) arrived at Andrott where he met with
similar opposition but he succeeded finally in converting the
people to Islam. He next went to other islands and successfully
propagated Islam and returned to Andrott where he died, and
was buried. The grave of St.Ubaidullah(r) is today a sacred
place. Preachers from Androttare respected deeply in far off
lands like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Burma etc. It is a marabout
or Mukbara.
The Arrival of the Portuguese in India again made Laccadives
an important place for seafarers. It was also the beginning
of years of plunder for the islands. The finely spun coir was
much sought after for ships. So the Portuguese started looting
island vessels. They forcibly landed at Amini to procure coir
sometime in the early 16th century, but it is said that the
people killed all the invaders by poisoning, ending the Portuguese
invasion.
Even after the conversion of the entire islands to Islam, sovereignty
remained in the hands of the Hindu Rajah of Chirakkal for some
years. From the hands of the Chirakkal Raja, the Administration
of the island passed on to the Muslim house of Arakkal of Cannanore
around the middle of the 16th century. The Arakkal rule was
oppressive and unbearable. So sometime in the year 1783 some
islanders from Amini took courage and went to Tipu Sultan at
Mangalore and requested him to take over the Administration
of Amini group of islands. Tipu Sultan at that time was on friendly
terms with Beebi of Arakkel and after deliberations, the islands
of Amini group were handed over to him. Thus the islands suzerainty
came to be divided as five came under the rule of Tipu Sultan
and the rest continued under Arakkal house. After the battle
of Seringapattom in 1799 the islands were annexed to the British
East India Company and were administered from Mangalore. In
1847, a severe cyclone hit the island of Andrott and Raja of
Chirakkal decided to visit the island in order to assess the
damages and for distributing relief. An officer of the East
India Company Sir William Robinson volunteered to accompany
him. On reaching Andrott, the Rajah found it difficult to meet
all the demands of the people. Sir William then offered the
Rajah help in the form ofa loan. This was accepted. This arrangement
continued for about four years but when the interest started
mounting, the English asked the Rajah to repay them which he
could not. In 1854 all the remaining islands were handed over
to the East India Company for Administration. so, came the British
rule.
The sequestration of the islands is a clear example of the
political manipulations and methods adopted by the British for
establishing their supremacy in India. Its traditional system
of administration was treated by the English as something of
misgovernment. But they were more interested in their own political
and economic interests than the good government of the islands.
Their policy was to exploit the profits from the islands through
the Beebi without taking responsibility of its administration.
the British later brought the Lakshadweep Regulation 1912,which
confers limited power of judicial and magisterial status to
Amins/Karanis of the islands. A reasonable restriction of outsiders
were also brought into force by the above regulation. Nine Primary
Schools and few dispensaries were started during the colonial
rule in the islands.
The Union Territory was formed in 1956 and it was named Lakshadweep
in 1973.
