Introduction

Welcome to a tropical paradise! Scattered on the clear blue waters of the Arabian Sea off the western coast of India is a group of coral islands of unparalleled beauty known as Lakshadweep. "Lakshadweep" which means 'A Hundred Thousand Islands' is an archipelago consisting of 36 islands, 12 atolls, 3 reefs and 5 submerged banks in the Arabian Sea. These emerald islands, rich in greenery and fringed by silvery beaches overwhelm you with their natural beauty. Visitors to these islands take back an unforgettable experience of enjoying nature in all her splendor.

History

The first settlements on these islands were established during the reign of Cheraman Perumal- the last king of Kerala during the fourth century A.D. He converted to Islam at the behest of Arab traders who frequented his capital of Kodungalloor to trade in spices. Without informing his court, Cheraman Perumal undertook a secret pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. When his disappearance was discovered, search parties in sailing boats set out to find him. One of these sailing boats of the Raja of Cannannore was caught in a fierce storm and was wrecked on the coral reefs off the island of Bangaram. The sailors swam ashore to Bangaram and later landed on the nearby island of Agatti. When the weather improved, they returned to the mainland sighting other islands of Lakshadweep on the way. After their return, another party of sailors and soldiers discovered and settled down on the island of Amini.

Islam came to these islands in the 7th century A.D. when St Ubaidullah, a muslim saint and a disciple of Prophet Mohammed was shipwrecked near Lakshadweep. He started propagating Islam in the island of Amini. Though the local population was initially hostile to him, he started gaining followers gradually. He married a local woman, Hameedat Beebi and traveled to the other islands preaching Islam among the islanders. He died on the island of Andrott where he was buried. Today, the tomb of Hazrat Ubaidullah in Andrott is considered as sacred.

The Portuguese landed in Amini in the 16th century and traded in the local produce of coir rope for use on board their ships. However, they did not remain in Amini and soon departed to the mainland.

The sovereignty of the islands remained with the Hindu Raja of Chirakkal for several years, though the population was predominantly Muslim. Around the middle of the 16th century, the administrative control of the islands passed on to the Muslim House of Arakkal of Cannannore. The Arakkal rulers were oppressive and the islanders petitioned Tippu Sultan of Mangalore in 1783 to take over control. Tippu Sultan held friendly negotiations with the Beebi of Arakkal and five islands came under his administration. After the defeat of Tippu Sultan in 1799 in the Battle of Srirangapatnam, the islands came under the British East India Company. In 1854, the remaining islands were also taken over by the British.

The British brought in the Lakshadweep Regulation in 1912, which gave limited judicial power to the Amins (Chieftains) of these islands. After Indian independence, Lakshadweep was formed into a Union Territory in 1956 and was renamed from Lacadives Minicoy and Amindivi Islands to Lakshadweep in 1973.

People

Only ten of the islands of the Lakshadweep group are populated. The population of all the islands is estimated to be 60,595 according to the 2001 census. More than 93% of the indigenous population is Muslims and majority of them belong to the Shafi School of the Sunni sect. The islands of Minicoy and Andrott have the largest populations while Bitra Island has the smallest population of only 225 persons. Malayalam is spoken in all the islands except Minicoy where Mahl is the spoken language and the script used is Divehi.

The society follows matriarchal traditions where women enjoy a prominent role in social affairs. The heir-ship of property rests with women and the husband is obliged to pay an annuity towards the maintenance of wife, which forms a part of the marriage contract. The eldest male member of the family looks after the day-to-day affairs of the family.

The economy of the islands is primarily agrarian and establishment of polluting industries is prohibited considering the ecological importance of the island chain. The main occupations of the people are fishing, coconut farming, poultry rearing, coir twisting and sea faring. Tourism and tourism related industries have emerged as a viable option for employment of the local population.