History, Culture and Economical Aspects of Lakshadweep

Lakshadweep comprises of group of islands lying between8 degree and 12 degree North latitude, and between 71 degree and 74 degree East longitude. It is located at a distance ranging from 280 km to 450 km away from the mainland of India .There are total 27 islands,3 reefs and 6 submerged sandbanks. Only 11 islands are inhabited with very low ground elevation of few meters above Sea Level Island.Total geographical area of the territory is 32 sq.km.All the land is classified as agricultural land and the land used area is 28.5sq.km.The lagoons cover 4200sq, km.with 20,000sq.km.of territorial waters and about 0.4 million sq.km.of Exclusive EconomicZone (EEZ).Length of Coastline of Lakshadweep is 132 km..Lakshadweep also has an intriguing history to narrate. Like the rest of India, Lakshadweep too had to put up monarchical dominance and colonial rule in the past. Historical records confirm that the island was hometo the Cheras before the Pallavas annexed it in the 7thcentury. By the 14thcentury, Lakshadweep fell into the hands of Muslims.Themuslim rulers not only governed the place but also left a lasting impression on the culture of the land. Although Lakshadweep came under the dominance of diverse rulers, very few empires managed to influence the land as much as the Muslim traders did. The supremacy of the Arakkal family continued even after the invasion of the Portuguese and the Dutch rulers in 17thcentury. Once the British East India Company completely took over the region in 18thcentury, the Arakkal clean was forced to cede its power to the colonial rulers. The culture of the Lakshadweep group is quite rich. There are many types of practices and traditions here. Life and Culture of Lakshadweep island are highly Influenced by the Culture of Mappile Community in the North Malabar in Kerala, Perhaps due to the Historical Contracts through navigation, Commerce and political dominance. Coconut farming and fishing was the main occupation. Exporting copra and dried fishes were the main sources of income. This article is revealed that History, Culture and Economical Aspects of Lakshadweep.