The Man Of All Islands

Maumoon Gayyoom becomes director of telecommunications department, and teaches Islam, Arabic and English in the afternoon.

Ibrahim Manik, Abbas Ibrahim and Maumoon Gayyoom are arrested for ‘treacherous talk’. Gayyoom has claimed that selling alcohol, a mainstay of the tourism industry, is against Islamic law. Gayyoom placed under house arrest.

Gayyoom permitted to return to Male’.

Gayyoom banished for four months to Makunudhoo island on Maamakunudhoo atoll.

British queen Elizabeth II visits Maldives. Ibrahim Nasir awarded the KCMG.

Maumoon Gayyoom, Fathulla Jameel and Zahir Hussein summoned to meet President Nasir at his office. He invites them to write new Friday sermons for the mosques.

Maumoon Gayyoom returns to live in Maldives after being resident overseas, mainly in Egypt, for 24 years. He teaches at Aminiya school.

Ibrahim Nasir becomes President of Republic of Maldives.

Maumoon Gayyoom completes MA degree in Egypt at Al-Azhar university. His tertiary work is in Islamic Studies and Law. Dr Mohamed Kamal Abdul Ghani, a friend of Maumoon’s from primary school in Egypt, says: ‘Maumoon obtained his BA and MA in Islamic Sharia and Civil Law, with the degree of Excellence with Honours. In addition to his MA from Al Azhar university, he obtained a second Master’s degree in the same field from the American university in Cairo which demonstrates his mastering of the English language.’ Maumoon also found time to ’sit for and obtain a GCE (the English General Certificate of Education) at Ordinary and Advanced levels from the British Council in Cairo.

Ibrahim Nasir demands independence as a further price of the Addu facilities.

Ibrahim Nasir aboard the Silver Crest, and leading another armed attack on Thinadhoo on Huvadhu atoll and Fua Mulak, attacks Thinadhoo. The island is leveled and population dispersed. Many people, driven from Thinadhoo onto surrounding islands, starve to death.

British are granted a 30 year lease for Gan island and the Mamendu area of Hithadhoo island, and unrestricted lagoon access. Agreement confirms the sultan (king) of Maldives as the sole head of state, and reaffirms the ‘UK government’s desire and concern to promote an early reconciliation between the inhabitants of Addu atoll and the government of his highness the sultan.’
British withdraw Cheshire regiment from Gan.
Male’ government receives a ‘special grant’ of £100,000 from UK and a further £750,000 for specific projects.
Addu republic writes letter to Male’ agreeing to accept sultan of Maldives as head of state in Addu.

Ibrahim Nasir holds referendum which supports suppression of the southern revolt.
Maldive government officials prevented from landing on Fua Mulak. Shots are fired from their ship, and one islander is killed and four seriously wounded.

Ibrahim Nasir orders the government office in Gan to cease supplying labour for the base. 2,000 islanders working there. Costain Ltd arranges transport between Gan and the other islands, and construction continues despite problems with wage payments.

Ibrahim Ali Didi resigns after a Male’ mob surrounds his house, and majlis nominates Ibrahim Nasir (31 years old) as new chief minister.

Ibrahim Nasir becomes minister for public order and safety.

Ibrahim Mohamed Didi has been ill, and when he leaves for treatment in Ceylon, Ibrahim Nasir becomes treasurer and deputy police minister.

Ibrahim Nasir, Mohamed Zaki, Ahmed Did (Maajehige) and Kolige Umar Manik are appointed to cabinet.

Maumoon Gayyoom’s mother Khaddadhi dies in Male’ after his father marries a new wife.

Maumoon Gayyoom, officially 13, leaves Colombo for Egypt.

Maumoon Gayyoom, then officially nearly 10 years old, leaves Male’ for education in Ceylon and Egypt.

Maumoon Gayyoom is born (This is his birth date according to his authorised biography, but people close to the family insist he was born in 1932.) His father is Maafaiyge Dhon Seedi , a descendant of a slave trader from Zanzibar. His mother is Khaddadhi (Khadeeja Moosa) from Huvadhu atoll.

Ibrahim Nasir is born.