history of maldivian freedom
In the late 1500s, the Portuguese attempted to colonise the Maldives and convert the people living there from Islam to Christianity
The Portuguese ruled the country for 15 years during which Muhammad Thakurufaanu and his two brothers left the Maldives to build a small navy
In the middle of the night, Thakurufaanu and his brothers began attacking and killing the colonialists an island at a time, until they reached Malé
Many Maldivians were imprisoned in Malé and sentenced to death for refusing to convert to Christianity
Thakurufaanu continued to fight, ultimately overthrowing them and freeing the Maldivian people. Thakurufaanu became the Sultan of the Maldives, ushering in the Utheemu Dynasty, which ruled for the next 125 years