Diyamigily and Devvadu mausoleums in the royal enclosure of Malè Hukuru Miskit

The House of Diyamigily is Majid's maternal line and Antu's paternal great-grandfather's maternal line. Diyamigili is an island in Huvadu Atoll, the ancestral home of the first Diyamigily sultan's father. The events preceding the first Diyamigily reigns are of interest and are summarised below. It is quite possible that the consorts of the early Diyamigily royal ladies were descended from the previous short-lived royal House of Isdu. There is no documented evidence to establish this as yet.

News of the possible drowning of Isdu King Siri Muthei Ranmani Loka (Sultan Ibrahim Mudhiruddine after abdication, known as Isdu Ibrahim Bodu Kilegefan), while returning from the Hajj pilgrimage reached Malé in 1704. His wife and regent Princess Fatima attempted to usurp the throne in her own right. Her rival and brother-in-law, Admiral-in-chief Hussain was banished to Naifaru.

Fatima was however displaced from the Eterekoilu (the residence of the Sultans) by the Prime Minister Mohamed Faamuladeyri Thakurufan on 2 June 1704. The Prime Minister was the son of Ibrahim Dorhimeyna Thakurufan of Diyamigili in Kolumadulu Atoll and Aminah Dio. As monarch he assumed the name of King Siri Kula Sundhura Siyaaka Sasthura (Sultan Mudzhaffar Mohamed Imaduddine II).

As it turned out, having survived an epidemic of smallpox Isdu Ibrahim Bodu Kilegefan and his young cousin and predecessor, ex-King Hassan X survived the storm at sea and their battered vessel was driven near the port of Surat on the Western coast of India.

They repeatedly set out in unfavourable conditions against the advice of the likes of Suleiman Pasha, the Ottoman governor of Jeddah and Sheikh Saleh el-Hariri, the emir of Mocha. After much hardship, privation and hunger, the pair found their way back to the Maldives. At landfall in Manadoo they heard about the coup d'état and sailed south, hoping to land in Malé secretly. Isdu Ibrahim was captured and incarcerated in chains in Fua Mulak from where he escaped and fled to Galle in Ceylon.

His young cousin, ex-Sultan Hassan X was banished to Hithadu in Addu Atoll. His descendants are still mainly in Addu Atoll. Ex-Chief Justice and Chronicler Hassan Tajuddine, who returned with them from Hajj was sent to his native Gan in Haddummati Atoll. He was recalled after only a few weeks and restored to the position of Chief Justice.

From Galle, Isdu Ibrahim travelled in a Dutch vessel to Chennai-Pattam (Madras) on the eastern coast of India where he acquired arms and a company of troops from the commandant of the English East India Company for a consideration of one hundred thousand rupees. The Tarikh is silent on how he acquired such an enormous sum of money. When news of this reached Malé Mudzhaffar Mohamed Imaduddine became very nervous.

He dispatched a native of Minicoy called Haji Thakuru to Chennai-Pattam in order to abduct Isdu Ibrahim. Haji Thakuru met Kuñhi Mohamed son of the Ali Raja of Cannanore at sea and the latter offered to help with the abduction. In Chennai-Pattam, the pair wormed their way into Isdu Ibrahim's confidence and abducted him to Tenagai-Pattam in the Ali Raja's dominions. Kuñhi Mohamed sent word to Malé, asking for a ransom of ninety gold mohori coins for the extradition of Isdu Ibrahim. While the ransom was on its way, Isdu Ibrahim escaped and found his way on foot to the port of Mohamed-Bandar.

From there he travelled to Hughli (Calcutta) in the Mogul Empire where the Mogul governor Ziauddine referred him to Farrukhshiyar, the viceroy of Bengal. With Farrukhshiyar's help, he attempted to recapture Malé unsuccessfully several times. Isdu Ibrahim Mudhiruddine Bodu Kilegefan must have been a determined, persuasive and colourful fellow indeed. It is with much pity I must declare that I still have not found a way of claiming descent from this chap. He did leave a son in Malé.

The first half of the reign of Diyamigily King Siri Kula Sundhura Siyaaka Sasthura (Mudzhaffar Mohamed Imaduddine II) was fraught with anguish caused by actual or imagined threats from Isdu Ibrahim at large. Having consolidated his reign, Diyamigily King Siri Kula Sundhura Siyaaka Sasthura ruled for over 13 years.

The events related to the final reigns of the House of Diyamigily are outlined elsewhere in this site