Some versions of his legend claim that it refers to the first ruler of the Maldives after the
conversion to Islam,
Dharumavantha rasgefaanu, who ruled from 1117 to 1141. It is believed that he was the first king from the
House of Theemuge and the Lunar Dynasty. By other accounts he was the fourth king of the Lunar Dynasty founded by King Balaadeettiya as the Soma Vansa Kingdom, although until Koimala the house ruled over only part of the Maldives. However, ascribing the legend to the first Islamic ruler does not explain who built the large
Buddhist monuments that are present in many inhabited islands and that were built in the first millennium AD. It also does not explain the existence of an ancient kingly dynasty in the Maldives before the conversion, as evidenced by the 12th century correspondence from the king to the
Sangumanun, or community of Buddhist monks, in Sathudhuvumati (
Haddummati Atoll copper plates prove). According to
Maldivian Folklore, Koimala was a prince from the
Indian subcontinent who arrived in the
Malé Atoll. The people of
Giraavaru spotted his vessel from afar and welcomed him. They allowed Prince Koimala to settle on that large sandbank in the midst of the waters tainted with fish blood. Trees were planted on the sandbank and the first tree that grew on it was a
papaya tree. As time went by the local islanders accepted the rule of this northern prince. A palace was built and the island was formally named Maa-le (
Malé), while the nearest island was named Hulhu-le (
Hulhulé). Since that time Malé has been the seat of the Maldivian crown and is now the seat of the
President of the Maldives. A different account claims Koimala to be a
Sinhalese prince of royal birth from
Ceylon. The prince is said to have married the king of Ceylon's daughter and made a voyage with her in two vessels from the island. Reaching the Maldives they became becalmed, and rested in Northern Maalhosmadulhu Atoll for sometime. King and gents at
Rasgetheemu island (meaning the King's Island) and Queen with her servants at Angolhitheem island (meaning the Queens island or island of servants) in
Northern Maalhosmadulhu Atoll. The Maldive islanders who were then
Buddhists, learning that the two chief visitors were of royal descent from the Buddhist kingdom of Ceylon, invited them to remain and ultimately proclaimed Koimala their king at Rasgetheemu. The new king and his spouse migrated to Malé and settled there with the consent of the
aborigines of
Giraavaru - then the most important community of Malé Atoll. Until then the Maldives is thought to have been ruled by various
matriarchies in different atolls. After the settlement in Malé, two vessels were dispatched to bring more people of his race to populate Malé. It was not in the tradition for the Giraavaru, and perhaps other aboriginal people of the Maldives, to marry outside their community. Although he might have been the first king of the whole of Maldives, the story of a prince might instead be a corruption of the stories of King Soorudasaruna-Adeettiya and King Balaadeettiya, both exiled princes from the
Kalinga Kingdom of India who founded the Solar and Lunar Dynasties of the Maldives. According to this source (
Kitab fi Athaari Meedoo el-Qadimiyyeh by Allama Ahmed Shihabuddine relating from The
Maapanansa copper plates), Koimala or Siri Mahaabarana, the son of King Siri Bovana Aananda was the fourth king of the Lunar Dynastry and uncle to
King Dhovemi (Siri Bavana-adiththa) the first Sultan (Muslim king) of the Maldives. Koimala's kingdom was referred to as
Malikaddu dhemedhu- or 'all that lies between the
Maliku and
Addu'. He fought against the Raja Dada'Indians to claim the two northernmost atolls for the newly formed Maldivian kingdom. The atolls from the north to south were then named: • Malikatholhu (now
Minicoy island belonging to India) • Thiladunmathi (
Northern and
southern parts of Thiladhunmathi Atoll) • Miladunmaduva (
Northern and
southern parts of Miladhunmadulhu Atoll) • Maalhosmaduva (
North and
South Maalhosmadulhu Atolls) • Faadu Bur (
Faadhippolhu) • Mahal Atholhu (
The Male' Atolls) • Ari adhe Atholhu (
Ari Atoll) • Felide Atholhu (
Felide Atoll) • Mulakatholhu (
Mulaku Atoll) • Nilande Atholhu (
North and
South Nilande Atolls) • Kolhumaduva (
Kolhumadulu) • Sathudhuvumati (
Haddhunmathi Atoll) • Suvadinmathi (
Huvadhu Atoll) • Addumulah (
Addu and
Fuvahmulah Atolls) It is not clear where exactly Ihavandhippulhu Atoll,
Maamakunudhoo Atoll,
Goifulhafehendhu Atoll, Fasdūtherē Atoll, Vattaru Faru/Atholhu,
Gahaafaru Atoll,
Rasdhukuramathi Atoll as well as the islands of
Alifushi,
Kaashidhoo and
Thoddoo were grouped in this early classification. Koimala was succeeded by his nephew
Dhovemi Kalaminja in 1141. ==References==