“Who is this Ibrahim Nasir?”, asked me a 19 year that had
just finished A levels at Billabong High International. A lifelong history
buff, I was appalled to say the least. Maybe this is an extreme example and I’m
sure that most millennials at least know a bit more about Ibrahim Nasir, it is
a symptom of a far greater problem that we face.
There seems to be a collective disinterest in our history.
Maybe it is by design, but such a claim could put me firmly and irrecoverably
in the category of conspiracy theorists.
Having been a largely feudal society till the last quarter
of the 20th century, our long-held traditions, rich culture and
history has largely been erased from the Maldivian zeitgeist. It was re
assuring to see bodu beru gain popularity with the bodu beru challenge of
recent years, but no beat can soothe the lack of general historical awareness
amongst us.
It is not only a problem that millennials face, the
generations that have come after the 1950’s seem to largely be unaware of our
political history and the myriad sultans that reigned over our ancestors. I
concur that the data on this issue (something highly prized in the Dhiconomist
community) is largely unavailable. But there is perhaps enough qualitative
evidence to justify this complaint. What is even more tragic is that our
history is so interesting that it almost at par with the likes of Game of
Thrones. George R. R. Martin would find inspiration in the way the Huravee
dynasty was established by chaining the last sultan of the Dhiyamigili dynasty
and drowning him upon his return from the Hajj.
From the great fire of the 1880s, an arson campaign carried
out by an ousted prime minister to the tragic demise of Mohamed Amin Didi, our
history is rife with political intrigue and enchanting stories. It is a shame
that our national curriculums do not educate our young with the richness of our
history. In a modest attempt to remedy this, we at Dhiconomist will in the days
to come bring you interesting episodes from our history and mythology. Keep
reading!