History

Another legend said that these islands are known to have been inhabited since unknown past. There existed in Amini a council of four principal families. This council had some authority over chetlat and other islands also but in many matters all islands enjoyed certain amount of autonomy. 

Historically the first reference is from the periplus of the Erythrarean Sea (A.D.90). Describing the trade of the Malabar coast, the author mentions "tortoise shell from the islands off Limurike", the latter being the name given to Malabar or part of it in ancient times. The other classical reference is found in Ptolemy's Geography (Circa A.D.150). He refers to a multitude of islands in the Indian Ocean lying around Taprobane (Sri Lanka) and numbering about 1378. He gives a long list of islands, out of which a few belonging to Lakshadweep.

The travelers like Al Biruni in A.D.1030, Abu Zayad in A.D.950 and Marco Polo in A.D.1254-1324 mentioned about the islands in the coast of Kerala. Marco Polo gives a fantastic account of their marriage custom, fish trade and collection of ambergris.

The earliest reference about these islands is in the Vaylur inscription which indirectly mentions the conquest of the islands by Rajasimha (Narasimha Varman  II-AD. 680-720). The other inscription referring to these islands is the inscription  in Rajarajeswara Temple Tanjore which mentions about the "many ancient islands" conquered by Rajarajendra Chola (A.D.1018-1019). From Arab accounts, it is gathered that people from the west coast went to these islands to collect cowries and tortoise shells which were items of commerce. They also probably planted coconuts which they sold to the Arab sailors. The  'mooshakavamsa' which is a Sanskrit work composed towards the end of the 11th century A.D. by Atula who is the court poet of the Mooshaka King Sreekantha of Kolathunad mentions while narrating the history of that kingdom, the annexation of several islands of the Arabian Sea by Valabha , the immediate predecessor of Sreekantha . These islands may be identified with the modern Lakshadweep.

During the16^th century the island have to suffered greatly at the hands of the Portuguese. A major part of the inhabitants were put to death and many were taken prisoners. The Portuguese built a fort at Amini. Because of their cruelty and harshness the islanders were driven to seek assistance of Raja of Chirakkal. As a result of his intervention in this matter the Raja could eventually establish his authority over all the islands. He held them for many years and later transferred them in Jaghir, with the title of Raja upon the Ali Raja, the head of the Moplah community in Cannanore.

The Raja of Cannanore first managed the islands through the chiefs of the islanders themselves called 'Muthalals'. Later on the Rajas used to send their own agents known as 'Kariakars'. Chetlat was administered by the 'Kariakar' stationed at Amini. In A.D.1764-65, the Cannanore Raja levied an export duty on coir and later imposed duty on rice imported from mainland for home consumption. In 1783 as a result of the compulsory introduction of monopoly an export of coir, the people of Aminidivi group of islands including Chetlat rose in revolt and extended allegiance to Tipu Sultan wh attached the Aminidivi Islands in 1779 since then, the islands were under the British, till India's Independence in 1947. The Union Territory was formed in 1956 and it was named Lakshadweep in 1973.