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{{Infobox royalty
| name = Dhovemi
| title = Dharumavantha Rasgefaanu
| succession = {{hlist |[[List of sultans of the Maldives|Kingdom of Maldives]]}}
| regnal name = Dhovemi Kalaminja Siri Thiribuvana-aadiththa Maha Radun
| reign = {{nowrap|1141 – 1166}}
| predecessor = [[Koimala of the Maldives|Koimala]]
| successor = [[Muthey of the Maldives|Muthey]]
|birth_date = 12th century
|birth_place = [[Malé]], [[Maldives]]
|death_date = 1167
|death_place = [[Salalah]], [[Imamate of Oman]]
| house = [[House of Theemuge|Theemuge]]
| mother = Henevi Maavaa Kilage ( Sister of [[Koimala]] )
}}
'''Dhovemi Kalaminja Siri Thiribuvana-aadiththa Maha Radun''' ([[Dhivehi language|Dhivehi]]: ދޮވެމި ކަލަމިންޖާ ސިރީ ތިރިބުވަނަ އާދީއްތަ މަހާ ރަދުން) or '''Donei Kalaminjaa''' ([[Dhivehi language|Dhivehi]]: ދޮނެއި ކަލަމިންޖާ) was the second [[List of Sultans of the Maldives|king]] of the [[Maldives]] from 1141 to 1166 or 1176 according to the ''Raadhavalhi'' and the [[Loamaafaanu]] copper plate writings (two sources from which the early history of the Maldives is studied). The ''Tarikh chronicles'' however, calls this king [[Sultan]] '''Muhammad al-Adil''' which is probably the [[Muslim]] name of the king after his conversion to [[Islam]] in the 12th year of his reign. Later on the title of '''Dharumavantha (Dharumas) Rasgefaanu''' or the '''Benevolent King''' was bestowed upon him. He is also known as the first ruler of the Theemuge Dynasty (not considering King Koimala of the Lunar Dynasty). This name was derived from his house's name, Theemuge, some sourced refer to the royal house as the ''Maalei Dharikolhu''. Though it was being called ''Theemuge Darikolhu'' they were descendants of the Buddhist Kings of the Lunar Dynasty or Soma Vansa.
[[File: Dharumavantha miskyii in male maldives.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The ''Dharumavantha Miskyii'' in Malé, the Maldives built by and named after its first Muslim King in the 1150s]]

Dhovemi was the son of ''Henevi Maavaa Kilage'' ([[Dhivehi language|Dhivehi]]: ހެނެވި މާވާ ކިލެގެ) the sister of the first King [[Koimala of the Maldives|Koimala]] of all the Maldives. He ruled for 25 years, 12 years as a [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] and 13 years after his conversion to Islam. The conversion of Dhovemi,<ref>{{cite book |title=Maldives |first=Stefania |last=Lamberti |location=London |publisher=New Holland |year=2007 |page=15 |isbn=978-1-84537-641-3 |url={{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=JrwndjvkA3QC |page=15 }} }}</ref> and later the whole Maldivian Kingdom to Islam was accredited by [[Ibn Batuta]], after visiting the Kingdom and staying there for some time, to Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari from [[Morocco]].
Later sources claim that a Persian from the [[Tabriz]], called Yusuf Tabrizi was responsible for the conversion of the Maldivian Kingdom to Islam in the year 1153. The newly converted king became the first sultan of the Maldives. The governance of the country is said to have been carried out by the king as advised by [[Yusuf Tabrizi]]. King Dhovemi sent emissaries to the different atolls to convert all the inhabitants of the Maldives without any exception to the Muslim faith. The king himself sailed to the island of [[Nilandhoo (Faafu Atoll)|Nilandhoo]] in [[Faafu Atoll|North Nilande Atoll]] and converted the inhabitants there to Islam. He is also said to have built a mosque there. The conversion of the whole country is said to have taken place on the 2nd day of [[Rabi' al-thani|Rabi'-ul-Akhir]] 548 AH (1153 AD) on the 17th year of [[Al-Muqtafi (Abbasid Caliph)|Al-Muqtafi]], the [[Caliphate|Caliph]] of [[Baghdad]], and since then the Maldives has been a predominantly Islamic country. By the order of the king as his brother Siri Kalo the first Friday mosque of [[Malé]] was built by Al-Wazir Shanivirazaa. The ''Dharumavantha Miskyii''—the oldest mosque in Malé—is said to have been built by King Dhovemi.

Sultan Dhovemi was the first to enforce Islamic Sharia law in the Maldives. All traces of idolatry were razed during this period of major transformation of the Maldives and [[mosque]]s were built on many of the inhabited islands. The sultan is said to have been just, impartial, pious and was beloved by his subjects for his wisdom, kindliness, and generosity, though his actions sometimes indicate otherwise.

The death of the Sultan is not recorded, but he is said to have disappeared in 1166 on a voyage to [[Mecca]] to perform the [[Hajj]]. The Taarikh writes as revived from the Isdhoo loamaafanu:

"(he said) next Friday a ship will arrive, whereon I shall sail for Makkah. The day named verily a vessel anchored at [[Malé]]. The Sultan, having performed the [[Jumu'ah]] (Friday-noon prayers) at the mosque, hurried to the seashore and embarked in the vessel without attendants or provisions. Forwith the ship passed from sight as suddenly as lightning (and he was not heard from thence)"

On the disappearance of his uncle, [[Muthey of the Maldives|Muthey Kalaminja]] took over the throne of the Maldives and ruled as the sultan from 1166 according to the ''Raadhavalhi''. The Isdhoo (1195–1196) and Dhan'bidhoo (1196–1197) Loamaafaanus (copper plates) give the date as 1176.

According to Maldivian historians Mohamed Ibrahim Lutfy and Mohamed Waheed Nadwi, the king learned that a ''sur nav'' (a ship which is belonged to Sur of Oman) arrived on its way to Oman completing its journey from the Malay archipelago. He went to Sur by that ship and after completion of his pilgrimage, he got ill on the way back and died and was buried in [[Salalah]], Oman.<ref>{{cite book |title=Notes on the history of Islamic Maldives |first=Mohamed Ibrahim |last=Lutfy |location=Male' |publisher=Novelty |year=2007 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-reg}}
{{succession box | before=[[Koimala of the Maldives|Koimala]] | title=[[List of Sultans of the Maldives|King of the Maldives]] | years=1141–1153 | after=—}}
{{succession box | before=— | title=[[List of Sultans of the Maldives|Sultan of the Maldives]] | years=1153–1166 | after=[[Muthey of the Maldives|Muthey]]}}
{{s-end}}

[[Category:Maldivian monarchs]]
[[Category:Maldivian Buddhists]]
[[Category:Maldivian Muslims]]
[[Category:Converts to Islam from Buddhism]]
[[Category:12th-century sultans of the Maldives]]

Dhovemi of the Maldives - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article