History of Maldives Maps

I love maps in general, especially oldie-worldie maps. And there are few places on the planet where maps were vital in the Old World than the Maldives which formed a minefield of reefs across the maritime East-West trade route. “The VOC’s mapping of the Maldives: navigation, shipwrecks, and cartography in the heart of the Indian Ocean” by Ruud Stelten and Wendy Van Duivenvoorde not only features a trove of maps (some featured here), but also provides an excellent account of the history of mapping this corner of the world:

• “Throughout the VOC’s existence, its ships experienced numerous mishaps in the Maldivian islands, whereby vessels were wrecked, sailors died, and trade goods were lost. As a result, the Company made various efforts to chart the archipelago in order to better understand its physical layout and safely navigate its treacherous waters. This has resulted in a rich cartographic record, which, albeit limited in size, provides fascinating insights into the VOC’s development of knowledge of the Maldivian islands. Until now, however, it has been unclear how these charts came into existence, who made them and why, how the Dutch navigated the Maldivian waters, what dangers the islands presented, how many Dutch ships wrecked here, and how this influenced the VOC’s decision making on its sailing routes. This article aims to address these issues by exploring the role the Maldivian archipelago played in the VOC’s shipping network. By investigating how the Dutch came to understand the geography of the Maldives and how to map it, this study aims to provide an understanding of how the archipelago influenced navigation, shipping and commerce, and the establishment of shipping lanes. Furthermore, this study will examine how the archipelago’s dangers were mitigated, and what happened when ships did fall victim to its treacherous reefs.”