Bodufenvalhuge Sidi

Bodufenvalhuge Sidi or Assayyidhu Bodufenvalhugey Seedhee (1888 - 1970), was a much-celebrated Maldivian intellectual and writer.

Bodufenvalhuge Sidi, born on 19 May 1888 as Hussain el-Hussaini, was Bodufenvalhuge Don Manike and Mohamed Kuda Sidi’s son. He was a poet and also one time chief justice. He married eight ladies and had five surviving children, from four of these marriages. His first wife was Bodugalhuge Aysha Didi, daughter of Bodugaluge Lhatuttu Didi.

Among his descendants are Ahmed Mujuthaba and Mohamed Mustafa, who are both prominent in Maldivian administration and politics.

Bodufenvalhuge Sidi spent several years of his youth in Addu Atoll with his maternal relatives. Addu Atoll was the main centre of learning in the Maldives at that time, the turn of the 20th century. He was educated there by a well-known master and relative, Elhageì Abdullahi Didi son of Ganduvaru Hasan Didi also known as Don Beyya of Meedhu. Bodufenvalhuge Sidi was credited with many of the developments in Maldivian poetry in the 20th century. He was the last major poet to write in the Maldivian poetic style called raivaru and one of the first poets to write in the style called lhen. Bodufenvalhuge Sidi's early poems were mainly political satire.

In 1925, an attempt was made to depose Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen III in favour of Prince Abdulla Imaduddin, son of the deposed King Siri Kula Sundhura Katthiri Bavana (Sultan Muhammad Imaaduddeen VI). The deposed king was exiled in Egypt while Abdulla Imaduddine was on a visit to Male' from Egypt. The attempt was foiled in February 1925 and Abdulla Imaduddine was deported to Egypt. The other conspirators were banished to various atolls of the Maldives. Bodufenvalhuge Sidi, the most well-educated and widely respected of the conspirators, was accused of masterminding the plot. He denied the charge and claimed that he advised strongly against the timing and the modus operandi in the plot. Bodufenvalhuge Sidi engaged in hunger strike and refused to answer any questions saying that he had done nothing wrong. After he had agreed to take his food, he insisted that it nust be delivered from his residence. He was successful in having this wish granted and at every meal time his brother-in-law Beruge Yoosuf Fulhu turned up with his meals and waited there while he ate. Bodufenvalhuge Sidi was implying that he did not trust the Maldivian authorities. Usually the authorities meted out summary justice in cases such as that. The victim would be taken outside and given a good flogging with a cat-o-nine-tails until he was covered in blood, then lonumirus (chilli paste) would be applied to his wounds and he would be banished to a remote island. In Bodufenvalhuge Sidi's case they were reluctant to do so because the British had become aware of the situation. The Maldives was then a British Protectorate even though the British were bund by a treaty not to interfere in the internal affairs of the Maldives.

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