Aboobakuru I of the Maldives

Sultan Aboobakar I (Dhivehi: ސުލްޠާން އަބޫބަކުރު އެއްވަނަ) also known as Sri Bavana Sooja Mahaa Radun, was the Sultan of the Maldives from 1443 to 1463. He was the 11th sultan to ascend the throne from the Hilaalee dynasty.

Early life and accession

Aboobakar was the son of Sultan Hassan I of the Maldives. He succeeded his brother to the throne in 1443, becoming the 11th ruler from the Hilaalee dynasty which had governed the Maldives since 1388.

Reign

Sultan Aboobakar I reigned for 20 years, from 1443 to 1463. During his reign, he married Reki rani kamanaa faan from Kolhumadulu Atoll Kandoodhoo.

Little is known about the events of Aboobakar's two-decade rule. The Maldives remained an independent sultanate during this period, continuing the Islamic system of governance established in the 12th century.

Death

According to Maldivian sources, Sultan Aboobakar I was killed in 1463 during a battle with Portuguese forces. The Portuguese had come to the Maldives to summon the Council of Ministers to Cochin, likely as part of early Portuguese efforts to exert influence in the Indian Ocean region. However, this account of Aboobakar's death in battle with the Portuguese in 1463 requires further verification, as it predates the generally accepted timeline of initial Portuguese contact with the Maldives in the early 16th century.

Legacy

Sultan Aboobakar I's reign represented a continuation of the Hilaalee dynasty's rule over the Maldives in the 15th century. While details of his governance are limited in available sources, his two-decade reign suggests a period of relative stability. His reported conflict with Portuguese forces, if accurate, would represent one of the earliest encounters between the Maldives and European powers in the Indian Ocean.