DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49708#0069
SESSIONAL PAPERS, 1881.
55
The men are commonly of a dark copper colour, but their skin is often marked by
blotches of a lighter hue. At Male some of the higher classes have a much fairer com-
plexion, which may perhaps be attributed to descent from Persian stock.* * * §
Without exception, the men, from the Sultan downwards, keep their heads, and usually
their faces, shaved, though free to allow as much hair to grow on the latter as they like—
a noteworthy departure from the custom of not three centuries back, which permitted the
soldiers, officials, and those of gentle birth to wear their hair as long as the women,
whilst forbidding all but church dignitaries and Hajis to grow beards according to
fancy, t
The women are short, usually of a more olive colour than the men, much resembling
in this respect the “ fair-skinned Kandyans,” with oval-shaped faces, regular features, and
shapely figures. Clean and healthy in appearance, they are generally good-looking ; some
decidedly pretty. Their long hair, which they are at pains to render both thick and black
by frequent washing and the liberal use of dyes and unguents, is tied high up on the
back of the liead-t Pyrard says that girls have their heads shaved once a week from
infancy to their eighth year, leaving a small tuft on the forehead to distinguish them from
the boys.
; THE
Maldives.
Inhabitants.
DRESS.
The ordinary dress of the men consists of short drawers (M. haruvddii), a cloth wrapped Dress,
round the waist after the Sinhalese fashion (M. mundu) and a plain handkerchief twisted
over the head (M. rumd). On board their vessels and when in foreign ports, some don
a thin shirt, generally white (M. kuru Ubas), and Turkish waistcoat (M. saduriya),
which, with the peculiar coarse blue waist cloth edged with red, and the red handkerchief,
mark a Maldivian at once among other races.
The upper orders and those who have been the ZAq)‘ wear besides the waist cloth
(particularly on Fridays when attending Mosque) a kind of long dressing gown (M. Ziyw
Ubas), reaching to the ancles, somewhat similar to those worn by Muhammadan Priests in
Ceylon.§ At Male the soldiers are still required to appear in a distinctive “uniform”
when on duty, viz., a waist feliya, with a peculiar handkerchief (M. kachche ; bolu feliya),
bound up in stiff angular shape. ||
No Maldivian not of the Priesthood now ventures to wear a turban (Jdi. fagucli) in the
Royal presence or Island, this headdress being retained by the Sultan exclusively.
The Faddydru, or Kazi, and the lesser Priests wear the appropriate Muslim garb.
Like the Sinhalese, the women wear a waist cloth, generally of native manufacture,
coarse in texture, the ground of a rich chocolate colour, relieved by black and white stripes
(M.yhZzya). The upper part of the body is covered by a loose-fitting red-coloured “jersey”
reaching to the knees, short sleeved, and edged at the neck with silver tinsel lace
(M. whilst round the high-worn bonds is twisted a handkerchief matching the llbds
in colour,** the tout ensemble forming a very becoming and picturesque costume. A
* Trans. Bom. Geo. Soc., p. 58. f Pyrard, pp. 81, 83.
+ Pyrard, pp. 79, 80 “ Quant aux femmes, elles sont belles, horsmis qu’ elles sont de c'ouleur oliuastre :
et mesme il s’en trouve plusieurs ausi blanches qu’ en Europe. Toutesfois elles ont les cheueux tons noirs
mais ils estiment cela beaute.”
§ The dress of the men, as minutely described by Pyrard, must formerly have been richer and more
elaborate, including the use of turbans, silk scarfs, gold and silver chains, and fancy knives.
|| Cf. Pyrard, p. 123.
’ll The libas (Ar.) was only partially adopted in the 14th century. “Most of them wear only a cloth
covering them from the navel to the ground : the rest of the body remains uncovered,” writes Ibn Batuta,
who was much exercised at the scandal, which, even as Kazi, he was unable to abate.
** T he head-kerchief is a comparatively modern innovation at Male, and said to be still as much “ honoured
in the breach as in the observance” on the distant Southern Atols. Pyrard (pp. 80-1) speaks only of “ une
fausse perruque,” which the women occasionally added to their natural konde, and set off with flowers and
jewels, Ibn Batuta, too The women of these Islands do not cover the head : the Sovereign herself does
not so.” (Gray, quoting ZLz Bat. IV., 122.)
55
The men are commonly of a dark copper colour, but their skin is often marked by
blotches of a lighter hue. At Male some of the higher classes have a much fairer com-
plexion, which may perhaps be attributed to descent from Persian stock.* * * §
Without exception, the men, from the Sultan downwards, keep their heads, and usually
their faces, shaved, though free to allow as much hair to grow on the latter as they like—
a noteworthy departure from the custom of not three centuries back, which permitted the
soldiers, officials, and those of gentle birth to wear their hair as long as the women,
whilst forbidding all but church dignitaries and Hajis to grow beards according to
fancy, t
The women are short, usually of a more olive colour than the men, much resembling
in this respect the “ fair-skinned Kandyans,” with oval-shaped faces, regular features, and
shapely figures. Clean and healthy in appearance, they are generally good-looking ; some
decidedly pretty. Their long hair, which they are at pains to render both thick and black
by frequent washing and the liberal use of dyes and unguents, is tied high up on the
back of the liead-t Pyrard says that girls have their heads shaved once a week from
infancy to their eighth year, leaving a small tuft on the forehead to distinguish them from
the boys.
; THE
Maldives.
Inhabitants.
DRESS.
The ordinary dress of the men consists of short drawers (M. haruvddii), a cloth wrapped Dress,
round the waist after the Sinhalese fashion (M. mundu) and a plain handkerchief twisted
over the head (M. rumd). On board their vessels and when in foreign ports, some don
a thin shirt, generally white (M. kuru Ubas), and Turkish waistcoat (M. saduriya),
which, with the peculiar coarse blue waist cloth edged with red, and the red handkerchief,
mark a Maldivian at once among other races.
The upper orders and those who have been the ZAq)‘ wear besides the waist cloth
(particularly on Fridays when attending Mosque) a kind of long dressing gown (M. Ziyw
Ubas), reaching to the ancles, somewhat similar to those worn by Muhammadan Priests in
Ceylon.§ At Male the soldiers are still required to appear in a distinctive “uniform”
when on duty, viz., a waist feliya, with a peculiar handkerchief (M. kachche ; bolu feliya),
bound up in stiff angular shape. ||
No Maldivian not of the Priesthood now ventures to wear a turban (Jdi. fagucli) in the
Royal presence or Island, this headdress being retained by the Sultan exclusively.
The Faddydru, or Kazi, and the lesser Priests wear the appropriate Muslim garb.
Like the Sinhalese, the women wear a waist cloth, generally of native manufacture,
coarse in texture, the ground of a rich chocolate colour, relieved by black and white stripes
(M.yhZzya). The upper part of the body is covered by a loose-fitting red-coloured “jersey”
reaching to the knees, short sleeved, and edged at the neck with silver tinsel lace
(M. whilst round the high-worn bonds is twisted a handkerchief matching the llbds
in colour,** the tout ensemble forming a very becoming and picturesque costume. A
* Trans. Bom. Geo. Soc., p. 58. f Pyrard, pp. 81, 83.
+ Pyrard, pp. 79, 80 “ Quant aux femmes, elles sont belles, horsmis qu’ elles sont de c'ouleur oliuastre :
et mesme il s’en trouve plusieurs ausi blanches qu’ en Europe. Toutesfois elles ont les cheueux tons noirs
mais ils estiment cela beaute.”
§ The dress of the men, as minutely described by Pyrard, must formerly have been richer and more
elaborate, including the use of turbans, silk scarfs, gold and silver chains, and fancy knives.
|| Cf. Pyrard, p. 123.
’ll The libas (Ar.) was only partially adopted in the 14th century. “Most of them wear only a cloth
covering them from the navel to the ground : the rest of the body remains uncovered,” writes Ibn Batuta,
who was much exercised at the scandal, which, even as Kazi, he was unable to abate.
** T he head-kerchief is a comparatively modern innovation at Male, and said to be still as much “ honoured
in the breach as in the observance” on the distant Southern Atols. Pyrard (pp. 80-1) speaks only of “ une
fausse perruque,” which the women occasionally added to their natural konde, and set off with flowers and
jewels, Ibn Batuta, too The women of these Islands do not cover the head : the Sovereign herself does
not so.” (Gray, quoting ZLz Bat. IV., 122.)