Lakshadweep (), formerly Laccadive, is a union territory of India. It is an archipelago of 36 islands serving as the maritime boundary between the Arabian Sea to the west and the Laccadive Sea to the east. It is located off the Malabar Coast of India.
The name Lakshadweep means "one lakh islands" (; one hundred thousand islands) in Malayalam and Sanskrit, though the Laccadive Islands are just one part of the archipelago of no more than a hundred islands. Jeseri is the primary as well as the widely spoken native language in the territory. The islands form the smallest union territory of India and their total surface area is approximately . The lagoon area covers about , the territorial waters area and the exclusive economic zone area . The region forms a single Indian district with 10 subdivisions. Kavaratti serves as the capital of the Union Territory and the region comes under the jurisdiction of Kerala High Court. The islands are the northernmost of the Lakshadweep–Maldives–Chagos group of islands, which are the tops of a vast undersea mountain range, the Chagos-Lakshadweep Ridge. The Lakshadweep originally consisted of 36 islands; however, due to the Parali 1 island being submerged in water due to sea erosion, 35 islands remain.
The islands were also mentioned in the Buddhist Jataka stories of the sixth century BCE. Islam was established in the region when Muslims arrived around the seventh century. During the medieval period, the region was ruled by the Chera dynasty, the Chola dynasty, and finally the Kingdom of Kannur. The Catholic Portuguese arrived around 1498 but were expelled by 1545. The region was then ruled by the Muslim house of Arakkal, who were vassals to the Kolathiri Rajas of Kannur, followed by Tipu Sultan. On his death in 1799, most of the region passed on to the British and with their departure, the Union Territory was formed in 1956.
Of the total 36 islands, 10 are inhabited. At the 2011 Indian census, the population of the Union Territory was 64,473. The majority of the indigenous population is Muslim and most of them belong to the Shafi school of the Sunni sect. The islanders are ethnically similar to the Malayali people of the nearest Indian state of Kerala. Most of the population speaks Jeseri with Dhivehi being the most spoken language in Minicoy island. Jeseri dialect is spoken in the inhabited islands of archipelago, namely Amindivi and Laccadive Islands, with an exception of the southernmost island of Minicoy, where the Mahl dialect is used. The Ponnani script of Malayalam was used to write Jeseri until the British Raj. The culture is almost similar to that of Mappilas in the nearest mainland state of Kerala. The islands are served by an airport on Agatti Island. The main occupation of the people is fishing and coconut cultivation, with tuna being the main item of export.
Etymology
Lakshadweep is a compound of lakṣa and dvīpŭ meaning lakhs of islands.
History
Ancient history
As the islands have no aboriginal inhabitants, scholars have suggested different histories for the settlement of these islands. Archaeological evidence supports the existence of human settlement in the region around 1500 BCE, Jataka stories of Buddhism has mentioned these islands, which documented the spread of Buddhism to the islands during 6th century BC. Buddhist era archaeological finds are also notable, during Buddhist era monk Sanghamitra is believed to have visited the island. The islands have long been known to sailors, as indicated by an anonymous reference from the first century CE to the region in Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. There are references to the control of the islands by the Cheras in the Sangam Patiṟṟuppattu. Local traditions and legends attribute the first settlement on these islands to the period of Cheraman Perumal, the last Chera king of Kerala. The oldest inhabited islands in the group are Amini, Kalpeni Andrott, Kavaratti, and Agatti.
Islamic influences
According to popular tradition, Islam was brought to Lakshadweep by Ubaidullah in 661 CE. His grave is located on the island of Andrott.
The History of Islam in lakshadweep very clearly recorded in a book known as 'Futhuhathul Jaza'ir', this book in Arabic language was written by 'Abubakar ibn Ubaidulla, and the author was the son of Ubaidullah who brought Islam in lakshadweep.A manuscript copy of this book is still available, which was passed down from generation to generation.