Malt
is situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, halfway between
Gibraltar and Alexandria, and Sicily and North Africa. Thus it has
always been at the cross-roads of the trading and warring routes of
this land-locked sea.
Malta
is chiefly composed of limestone with no hills higher than 300 metres
and no rivers. On the South-West side it is guarded by high cliffs
whilst on the North-East side the shore is indented with sheltered
harbours. These proved to be very attractive to the sailors and
navigators that sailed the Mediterranean.
The
origin of Maltese history goes back to some 4500 years BC, when some
people from the neighbouring island of Sicily, who could see the
island lying on the horizon, decided to cross the narrow waters to
investigate. This obviously could not have happened unless these
people had skills in sailing or rowing some form of craft which was
large enough to carry with them their belongings, which included such
animals as sheep, goats and cattle, as well as seeds like wheat and
barley.
These
people settled on the island and sheltered in the many caves which
exist there. The earliest inhabited cave is called 'Ghar-Dalam', the
cave of darkness, where remains of these people and their artefacts
give us an insight into their way of life. They cultivated the land,
growing wheat and barley and practised animal husbandry.
Around
3500 BC they started to build large buildings the like of which were
not to be found anywhere else. They kept in touch with their cousins
in Sicily obtaining from them obsidian and flint with which they
could make tools to help them work the stones. These buildings, of
which there are fifteen , are spread across the island. They are the
oldest existing megalithic structures known to man - places like
Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, Tarxien, etc. antedate the pyramids and
Stonehenge by some 1000 years. This Neolithic peril about 1800 years,
when, for no explicable reason, it ended abruptly. Nobody knows what
happened, but famine, over population and disease could have been
possible causes.
Around
1200 BC Phoenicia started to expand her empire. The Phoenicians were
traders and great mariners who sailed their ships along the shores of
the Mediterranean. They sailed to England where they traded tin. It
is said that they circumnavigated the continent of Africa. They
settled on the North coast of Africa and established a city called
Carthage. They also settled on the West coast of Sicily and in Malta.
Indeed, the name 'Malta' is said to be derived from the Phoenician
word 'Maleth', meaning refuge. Their stay in Malta was to last for
320 years. Conceivably the roots of the Maltese language derive from
this Phoenician period. The Phoenicians also introduced glass making
and weaving and built temples were they could worship their gods.
Meanwhile,
the city of Carthage grew in size and strength and eventually carved
out an empire which covered the North African coast to the west of
Carthage, and included Spain, Sardinia, Western Sicily and Malta. The
Carthaginians got into difficulties with the Greeks in Eastern Sicily
and with the arrival of Rome on the political scene during the 3rd
century BC it was inevitable that the two nations would wage war for
mastery of the area. Three wars, known as the Punic Wars, were fought
from 264 to 146 BC ending with the fall of Carthage, and with Rome
becoming supreme in the Central and Western Mediterranean. Malta
became part of the Roman Empire during the 2nd Punic War (c. 218 BC)
and remained part of the empire till the Vandals raided the islands
in AD 395. One event of great importance to the Maltese took place in
AD 5 8, when St. Paul, who was on his way to Rome as a prisoner, was
shipwrecked on the Island. He stayed for three months during which
time he introduced Christianity to the people. The Maltese take great
pride in saying that they were one of the first nations to accept
Christianity as their faith - but that is another story.
We
now enter a dark period in Maltese history, the period from AD 395 to
535. No records exist as to what happened during that time. Rome fell
the Vandals in AD 455 and it is quite likely that towards the end of
the 4th century, Malta too became part of the Ostrogothic Kingdom
centred in Rome In AD 535, Malta was conquered by General Belissarius
the Byzantine to form part of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire,
till the arrival of the Arabs.
Islam
started with the Hegira, when Mohammed fled from Mecca to Medina in
AD 622. Before long his followers spread across North Africa into
Spain and across the Pyrenees. Their expansion into Europe was
stopped by the French King Charles Martel at Tours in AD 732, just
one hundred years after the death of Mohammed. They invaded and
captured Palermo in AD 832 and in 870 they invaded Malta. Once again
Malta came in contact with a new and vigorous Semitic people.
Unfortunately,
very little documentation relating to the two centuries of Arab rule
in Malta survives today. Indeed, Arab influence in Malta lasted much
longer, since the Normans, who invaded in 1090 and took over the
island from the Arabs, were indeed enlightened people and they
tolerated the presence of the Arabs in the island. In fact, Count
Roger never garrisoned the islands. Arab influence remained more or
less unrestricted till about 1224, when the Muslims were finally
expelled. The chief legacy of the Arab occupation in Malta must be
the Maltese language itself, which has many elements of Arabic.
Legends
about the coming of Count Roger and the Normans to Malta are
numerous, but most probably unfounded. Count Roger is said to have
given Malta her flag based on the Hauteville colours. He is reputed
to have re-Christianised the Maltese, established churches,
re-appointed a bishop and even expelled the Arabs. All of this is
doubtful. However, the Normans' presence opened the door for the
re-Europeanisation of the Maltese people. The so-called Norman Period
lasted till 1194 and though the Normans left many treasures and
architecture in Sicily, hardly any relics of this period exist in
Malta.
Following
the death of King Roger II in 1154, a series of political struggles
ensued. William the Good died childless in 1189 and a dispute arose
over his successor. The rightful heir was the daughter of Roger 1,
Constance, who was married to Henry VI, son of the German Emperor,
Frederick Barbarossa. However, the Pope had other ideas. Fearing the
penetration of the Germans in Sicily and Southern Italy, the church
threw its support with Tancred. He was crowned king in 1190. However,
he did not last long because Henry VI, through a series of intrigues
within Tancred's court, acquired Sicily in 1194. Thus Malta became
part of the German Kingdom under Frederick II - the Hohenstaufen
rule. The Arabs were finally expelled from Sicily and Malta after an
uprising in 1224.
Following
the death of Frederick II in 1250, the Hohenstaufen dynasty declined
very rapidly. Many of Frederick's enemies, including the church, were
keen to rid Sicily and Southern Italy of the Germans. Sixteen years
of plots and counterplots eventually brought a new master to Malta.
In 1266, Pope Clement finally achieved his objective and proclaimed
Charles of Anjou as King of Sicily.
Although
the period of Angevin rule over Malta was short-lived (1266-1283), it
is from this point onward that Malta shifted into the European scheme
of government and administration. Because of high taxation, moves
were made in Sicily to restore the island to Aragon, the rightful
heirs to the crown of Sicily. Things came to a head in 1282 with the
Sicilian uprising against the French, known as the Sicilian Vespers,
which led to a bloody massacre of the French. The Aragonese took
immediate advantage and installed Peter of Aragon as ruler of Sicily
and Malta.
The
Aragonese period in Malta was to last for 130 years. During that time
the Maltese people suffered the indignity of having their island
handed from one noble to another as a fief for various services
rendered to the king. These individuals increased taxation which led
to local unrest amongst the people. Malta remained at the mercy of
these powerful Sicilian magnates, like the Alagonas and the Moncadas.
It was not till 1397 that the local council for Malta and Gozo, the
Universita, made a strong petition to the crown for the islands to be
restored to direct rule by the King.
In
1412, Ferdinand de Antequera was elected King of Aragon, Castille and
Sicily, the first Castillian to ever occupy the throne. In 1421, King
Alfonso granted the Maltese islands and all the revenue from them to
Don Antonio Cardona in exchange for a loan of 30,000 gold florins. He
then transferred his right over Malta and Gozo to Don Gonsalvo
Monroy. The Maltese disagreed with this arrangement. After five years
they finally rebelled. In 1426 they pillaged Monroy's house in Mdina
and laid siege to his castle at Birgu. The Maltese bought back the
island for 30,000 florins. They also insisted on radical reforms
including one that said that the islands wore never to be ceded again
by the crown. Alfonso agreed to these reforms and finally ratified
them in a Royal Charter in 1428.
In
1479, Ferdinand II married Isabella of Castille. Their daughter
Joanna married Philip Archduke of Austria. In 1518, the Habsburg
dynasty was consolidated when their son Charles V, became the Holy
Roman Emperor. Through the intercession of Pope Clement VIII, he
granted Malta, Gozo and Tripoli to the homeless Order of St. John in
1530.
The
Order of St. John came to Malta after the loss of Rhodes in 1522.
They had been in Rhodes since 1309. Before that they were in the Holy
Land where the Order was established in 1099 by Blessed Gerard to
look after the pilgrims and the crusaders. The main enemy now was
Turkey. The Ottomans were the dread of the Christian powers bordering
the Mediterranean and the Balkans. Malta was becoming of supreme
strategic importance for the control of the Mediterranean against the
alarming growth of Muslim power. In 1547 the Turks made an unexpected
attack on Malta and Gozo, taking many prisoners. The attack that
followed in 1551 was more serious, for they ransacked Gozo and made
off with 5000 prisoners. The Order was convinced that they must
prepare the defences of the island for a bigger invasion. Soon
afterwards, in 1565, a great Turkish armada appeared off the coast of
Malta, starting what is now called The Great Siege of Malta, which
was to last for four long months. When it was finally raised on the
7th September of the same year, many knights and Maltese had lost
their lives, as did many Turks.
After
the siege a new city was built, called Valletta in honour of the
Grand Master who led the Order through the siege. This was to be a
modem, fortified city, and eventually a city of culture and commerce.
The city grew and so did the wealth of the Order. The threat of
Turkish invasion was ever present. In 1572 the Turkish fleet was
defeated by the Christian powers, including the Order, led by Don
Juan of Austria at the battle of Lepanto.
In
the years that followed, Valletta became an impregnable fortress,
housing imposing palaces and churches. It also became a flourishing
centre for trade and learning. Successive Grandmasters initiated
grand projects, such as the building of many fortifications,
aqueducts and a university, where the teaching of anatomy and surgery
took place.
As
time went by, however, the Order began to decline. The haughtiness
and despotism of some of the Grandmasters upset the Maltese, leading
to the famous Rebellion of the Priests, led by Mannarino in 1775
during the magistery of Ximenes de Texada. After the death of
Grandmaster de Rohan (1797) the Order elected Ferdinand von Hompesch
as its leader.
The
situation in Europe at the time was explosive. The French revolution
had changed the face of Europe and through the influence of Napoleon
Bonaparte, 'The Directory' gave him permission to invade Egypt and
take Malta in the process. In 1798 he invaded Malta and expelled the
Order. Thus ended 268 years of rule by the Order of St. John.
French
rule in Malta lasted only two years. The Maltese rebelled within
three months of their arrival, besieging them in Valletta, from
where, with the help of the British, they were finally ousted in
1800. The British occupied the island and for the next fifteen years
the fate of Malta was undecided. The Maltese did not want the knights
back and Britain was quite undecided as to whether it wanted to stay
in Malta, but equally Britain did not want either the French or the
Russians, who had their eyes on Malta for quite a while, to occupy
the islands. The Maltese finally made up their mind and asked the
British to stay. In the treaty of Paris, the occupation of Malta by
the British was finally recognised. This was legalised in 1815 at the
Congress of Vienna.
The
Maltese got used to British rule but it was not long before the
Maltese appealed to the British for equal participation in the
running of their island. Mitrovich and Sceberras made extraordinary
efforts for this cause, as a result of which a Council of Government
was set up in 1835, a small beginning along the road to
representative government.
Despite
slow progress in the field of constitutional reform, Malta moved
ahead, particularly in defence and imperial strategy. Malta benefited
from increased defence spending by Britain. The dockyards were
enlarged with five new dry docks being completed by 187 1. Malta
prospered.
The
Crimean War (1854-56) again brought considerable military activity to
the island and Malta's importance as a supply station and as a naval
base was unquestionable. When steam replaced sails, and after the
opening of the Suez canal, Malta thrived. She was now on the highway
between Europe and the East. With every ship calling, the grand
harbour became a beehive of activity from which everybody benefited.
As
usual the island's prosperity was quickly reflected in a dramatic
rise in the population. This would continue well into the 20th
century. From 114,000 in 1842, the population rose to 124,000 by
1851. Twenty years later it would reach 140,000 and it would more
than double by the advent of World War II. With each increase, the
problem of congestion, especially in the urban areas of Valletta and
the Three Cities, would become serious. Attempts were made to
encourage the people to move to the newer suburbs and the older towns
and villages. Despite the prosperity, employment for the ever
increasing work force would not always be available. Emigration
schemes were introduced which initially were not successful. However,
towards the end of the century, with the trade boom on the decline
and Malta's fortune ebbing, the Maltese started to emigrate, mainly
to North Africa.
The
political situation in Malta before World War I was increasingly
overshadowed by the economic gloom that engulfed the island. The
position deteriorated over a long time due to competition from other
well-equipped ports in the Mediterranean. Government revenue from the
slower activities in Malta's ports was falling steeply. It became
clear that Malta's dependence on Britain's military spending was a
severe handicap. Whenever there was a cut in defence spending, the
people suffered.
The
winds of change in Europe and the gathering clouds of war also
weighed heavily over Malta, and when World War I broke out, the
people rallied to the allied cause. The naval dockyards again came
into their own - but at the close of the war Malta had to once more
face reality. There were to be severe cutbacks in defence spending.
Much hardship and distress followed. Men were discharged from the
army and naval establishments, unemployment soared and inflation ate
its way into the miserable pay packets. There were strikes and
protests. On the 7th June 1919 a huge and angry crowd gathered in
Valletta for one of the meetings of the assembly. The pent-up
frustration of the people suddenly exploded into a riot. The mob got
out of control and caused much damage. Troops were called in and they
opened fire. Five men were killed.
In
1921 Malta achieved responsible government. Under a new constitution
she was to have a legislative assembly composed of 32 elected members
and an upper house of 16 members. All internal domestic affairs were
to be in the hands of the Maltese with Britain retaining
responsibility for foreign affairs and defence.
Germany
started the Second World War in September 1939. Malta was soon in the
thick of it, once again coveted for its great strategic position in
the Mediterranean. She was bombed very heavily by the Italian and
German air forces and after two and a half years of never-ending air
raids, the bravery, heroism and sacrifice of its people were
recognised when King George VI awarded the Maltese people the George
Cross Medal.
After
the war Britain started the process of decolonisation. Malta too was
part of that process, but her path to independence was slow and often
uncertain. Self-government was restored in 1947, but the decision of
the British Government to dismiss workers from the dockyards caused
massive unemployment. Consequently, there began a great exodus of
Malta's people to the United States, Canada and Australia, where work
was available.
By
1964 a call for independence was made by the major political parties
and after discussions with the British Government, an independence
agreement, tied to a ten year defence and financial accord with the
United Kingdom was finally approved. On 21 September 1964, Malta
became a sovereign and independent nation within the Commonwealth.
Ten
years later, Parliament enacted important changes to the constitution
and on the 13th December 1974, Malta was declared a Republic within
the Commonwealth and appointed Sir Anthony Mamo as the first Maltese
President of the Republic of Malta. Five years later, the last of the
British troops on the island left Malta and on 31 March 1979 the
Union Jack was finally lowered. Malta had at last reached the goal
for which its people had striven for many centuries - the ability to
make decisions on their own for their own good and the good of their
own people, without any interference from outside powers. Malta is
represented at the United Nations, takes an active part in European
affairs and has finally taken its rightful place amongst the
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