Every year, on the first day of Rabi’ al-Awwal, the Maldives observes its National Day, a day of remembrance for one of the most defining struggles in Maldivian history. It commemorates the liberation of the Maldives from fifteen years of Portuguese occupation and honours the courage and sacrifice of those who fought to preserve the nation’s sovereignty, its people, and its Islamic faith.
National Day is not simply a celebration of a victory. It is a day to remember the generations who stood against foreign domination, the rulers who gave their lives defending the country, and the ordinary Maldivians who joined the struggle. At the centre of this history stands Al-Sultan al-Ghaazee Muhammad Thakurufaanu al-A’uzam, the great national hero of Utheemu, whose resistance ultimately brought the Portuguese occupation to an end in 1573.
The Portuguese Atrocities Maldives had to Face
The Maldives fell into Portuguese hands through the betrayal of one of its own.
The Portuguese established their control over Malé in 1558, after Sultan Ali Rasgefaanu was killed while resisting them. For the next fifteen years, the Maldives lived under Portuguese domination. Official Maldivian historical material describes this period as one of terror and violence, including attempts to force Maldivians to abandon Islam and embrace Christianity.
The Portuguese occupation was remembered in Maldivian history as a period of extraordinary brutality. Christianity was forcibly imposed upon the Muslim population, with death threatened against those who refused to comply. According to historical accounts of the period, Maldivians who refused to renounce Islam faced horrific punishments: the hands of some were cut off, while others were killed. The occupation was described as widespread bloodshed and the deaths of large numbers of Maldivians, leaving the population living under fear and oppression. The violence was not limited to the battlefield; it was connected to an attempt to break the religious identity of the Maldivian people and compel them to abandon Islam.
The occupation was therefore remembered not merely as the loss of political independence, but as a threat to the very foundations of Maldivian society. The country’s sovereignty, its Islamic identity, its traditions and the freedom of its people were all placed under foreign control.
Sultan Ali Rasgefaanu himself became one of the earliest symbols of this resistance. He was killed on 19 May 1558 while fighting the Portuguese and is remembered as a martyr and national hero for sacrificing his life in defence of the Maldives, its faith and its freedom.
His sacrifice was not the end of the struggle. It became part of the legacy carried forward by those who came after him.
The Struggle of Muhammad Thakurufaanu and His Brothers
From Utheemu, Muhammad Thakurufaanu and his brothers Ali Thakurufaanu and Hassan Thakurufaanu organised a resistance against the Portuguese. For years, they fought through a campaign of guerrilla warfare across the islands and seas, using their knowledge of the Maldivian archipelago and its waters to strike the occupying forces. Official Maldivian historical material records that the resistance continued for years before the brothers finally took Malé and ended Portuguese rule.
The struggle is traditionally remembered as a jihad, a fight to liberate the homeland and protect the religion and people of the Maldives from foreign domination. The Maldivian government itself continues to describe National Day as a remembrance of the jihad waged by Maldivians for independence.
It was a struggle that demanded courage, patience and sacrifice. The men who sailed with Thakurufaanu did not have the overwhelming resources of a European colonial power. They relied upon their knowledge of the sea, their determination and the support of Maldivians across the islands.
The famous Kalhuohfummi became inseparable from this story, a vessel associated with Muhammad Thakurufaanu’s resistance and with the maritime tradition that allowed the Maldivians to carry their fight across the archipelago.
And behind the names recorded in history were countless people whose names may never have been written down: sailors, warriors, islanders, families and communities who supported the resistance and endured the hardships of those years.
Remembering the Kings and Those Who Stood Beside Them
National Day therefore belongs not only to Muhammad Thakurufaanu.
We remember Sultan Ali Rasgefaanu, who fell fighting the Portuguese in 1558. We remember Muhammad Thakurufaanu, Ali Thakurufaanu and Hassan Thakurufaanu, whose resistance eventually liberated the country. We remember the martyrs who gave their lives during the struggle, including those whose names survive in the historical memory of individual islands.
Among them is Ali Thakurufaanu, remembered as one of the first martyrs of the resistance. His historical connection to Thakandhoo remains commemorated there to this day.
But beyond the famous names were the people who stood beside them.
The fishermen who carried messages. The sailors who crossed dangerous waters. The island communities that offered shelter and support. The families who endured separation and uncertainty. The warriors who never returned home.
Their sacrifices form part of the same story.
For this reason, National Day is a remembrance of a people, not merely of a single king or hero.
A Nation Saved for Its People and Its Faith
The Portuguese occupation left a deep mark on Maldivian historical memory because it represented more than foreign political control. Historical accounts describe attempts to impose Christianity upon a society that had been Muslim for centuries.
The resistance was consequently remembered as a defence of both country and faith.
The legacy of Muhammad Thakurufaanu has endured precisely because the struggle came to represent the preservation of what Maldivians considered fundamental to their identity: their homeland, their independence, their Islamic faith, their culture and their way of life.
Maldivian leaders of today have continued to describe these values together. Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, for example, called upon Maldivians to protect the country’s shared faith, language and culture while remembering the sacrifices of the national heroes.
Also the current President Muizzu said that as the Maldives marks National Day, the nation remembers the 467-year-old struggle against Portuguese colonial rule and the sacrifices of the brave fighters who liberated the country. He warned that whenever the Maldives has fallen under foreign influence, betrayal and disunity among Maldivians have often played a role, and urged citizens to ensure such painful experiences are never repeated. He called on Maldivians to protect the nation’s sovereignty, independence and identity, prevent discord and unrest, and uphold the principle of “Nation First” while strengthening national spirit and unity in every Maldivian child.
National Day therefore asks a simple question of every generation:
What will we do with the freedom that was left to us by those who sacrificed for it?
The answer cannot only be found in remembering the past. It must also be found in protecting the nation, preserving its heritage, caring for its people and remaining grateful for the sacrifices that made the Maldives what it is today.
On this National Day, we remember the kings, warriors, sailors, scholars and ordinary Maldivians who stood together during one of the darkest periods in the nation’s history.
May Allah have mercy upon Sultan Ali Rasgefaanu, Sultan Muhammad Thakurufaanu al-A’uzam, Ali Thakurufaanu, Hassan Thakurufaanu and all those who sacrificed their lives in the struggle to liberate the Maldives.
May Allah grant them peace and honour, accept the sacrifices of those who died defending their people, and preserve the Maldives, its people, its sovereignty and its faith.
And may the memory of those who fought for the Maldives never disappear from the hearts of the generations who came after them.
May the Maldives remain free, sovereign and protected.
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