The Early Hindu – Muslim Encounters in Kerala – A Tale of Treachery

Kerala has been described as the land of secularism by many, the land where various religions coexisted peacefully, especially Hinduism and Islam. Even today many Keralites take pride in being secular and about their secular past. They say that unlike in northern India where there were intense conflicts between Hindus and Muslims, in Kerala they coexisted peacefully. Many historians also have the view that throughout history, Kerala was a land of peaceful coexistence between Hindus and Muslims. But how true is this notion? This post analyzes about Hindu-Muslim relations in Kerala from early period. 

Early contacts between Hindus and Muslims in Kerala

Early contacts between Hindus and Muslims in Kerala starts from the arrival of Islam in Kerala through Arab traders. Regarding the coming of Islam in Kerala, many are of the opinion that the Last Chera king named Cheraman Perumal converted to Islam via Arab contacts and went to Arabia for pilgrimage after dividing the kingdom to various local chiefs. As per the belief of Kerala Muslims, he is said to have met the Islamic prophet Mohammed later in Arabia.  Cheraman Juma Masjid at Kodungallur, the former capital of Chera kingdom, is considered as the first mosque ever to be built in India by the advice of Cheraman Perumal and as one of the earliest mosque in the world. 

However as per Kerala’s veteran historian MGS Narayanan, the base of this moque is only dated to 12th century [1], which is way after the time of Islamic prophet Mohammad. MGS does hold the view that the last Chera Perumal converted into Islam during 12th century, but we cannot agree with this view since there is no direct evidence for the statement that the last Perumal converted to Islam in 12th century. In fact we have evidence from contemporary Chola realm that the last Perumal, who is counted as among the 63 Nayanars or Shaivite Bhakti Saints,  went on a pilgrimage to Kailasa along with his close friend Sundarar after forsaking his kingship as narrated in 12th century Tamil work Periya Puranam by Bhakti poet Sekkizhar which details life of Shaiva saints. There is a Chola era mural in the Thanjavur Brihadisvara temple where this episode is depicted, it is thus dated to Chola period. 

(Cheraman Perumal Nayanar ascending Kailasa, painting from Thanjavur Brihadisvara temple. Source https://www.sahapedia.org/chola-murals#lg=1&slide=3 )

Hence, we can conclude that the legend of Shaivite Chera Perumal was also widespread in neighbouring Chola kingdom. The later Islamic legend about the conversion and pilgrimage of Chera Perumal to Arabia could only be a later day twisted version of the original Shaivite legend.  It is also to be noted that there exists a legend about another Perumal who first converted to Buddhism named Pallivana Perumal. So it is likely that the king was a very important figure in Kerala history and many religious sects claimed him as theirs.

The most brief, authentic, widespread and the earliest account of the king is of course from contemporary Tamil sources on Cheraman Perumal Nayanar from 12th century Tamil work Periya Puranam. So there is no need to go by the later day myths like the Perumal converted into Islam and built mosques. 

All likely it is possible that Islam gained roots in Kerala in later times through Arab contacts and local converts who called themselves Mappilas or Moplahs.

Samuthiri Rajas of Calicut and Muslim appeasement

After the fall of Chera empire in 12th century, the right to conduct Mamankam or the national festival of medieval Kerala was given to the Valluvakonathiris or Valluvanad Rajas of Malabar. The Samuthiris or Zamorins of Calicut forcibly annexed regions of Valluvanad and grabbed the right to conduct Mamankam festival every 12 years. This festival must have had great significance during earlier Chera period. All rulers of Kerala, except the Valluvanad Raja send flags of submission to Samuthiris during Mamankam. The Valluvanad Rajas instead sent Hindu Nair suicide fighters named Chavers to assassinate the Samuthiris and claim back the right to conduct Mamankam. 

It is to be noted that it was a Muslim who persuaded the Samuthiris to invade Valluvanad and annex the regions, thus turning the national festival of Kerala, Mamankam, into a bloody battlefield where hundreds and hundreds of Nair youths fought and perished. The Muslim leader who persuaded Samuthiris were given the title Calicut Koya and was appointed as bodyguard of Samuthiri, always taking position to his right side [2]. 

The Samuthiris also allowed the Muslims to settle down and preach their religion in his kingdom with total freedom. Apart from Calicut Koya, the naval force of Samuthiris was also headed by Muslim admirals who held hereditary title named Kunjali Marakkars. Kunjali Marakkars fought with the Portuguese along with other forces of Calicut.

The betrayal of Kunjali Marakkars

Thus the Samuthiris had close contacts with the Muslims during initial days of their independant rule after the fall of Chera Perumals around 12th century. But the scene changed in coming centuries.  After the defeat of Portuguese, the Kunjali Marakkar became arrogant and declared themselves as independent ruler of Malabar Muslims. They betrayed the Samuthiris who earlier had given him special privileges just like any other Nair Noble of his court.  He also challenged the authority of Samuthiris and attacked his subjects. He also claimed himself to be the King of Moplahs and as the lord of the Indian sea.

As Kerala historian KV Krishna Ayyar notes [3]:

“ The implicit confidence and the wholehearted loyalty of the former days had been gradually impaired by jealousy, fear and uncertainty.  Further, the behaviour of the Moplah hero also tended to precipitate a crisis. Success turned his head. He was indiscreet enough to style himself king of the Moors and Lord of the Indian Seas, and to waylay ships bound for Calicut and levy blackmail. He had even the audacity to cut off the tail of one of the elephants belonging to the Zamorin. And when asked to explain his conduct, he added insult to injury by ill-treating the Nayar whom the king had sent.”

Another historian, Sardar KM Panikkar also writes about treachery and arrogance of the Marakkar thus [4]:

“In 1595 Kunjali IV succeeded as Chieftain of Marakkar Kotta at Pudupattanam, and admiral of the Zamorin’s fleet. He strengthened the fortifications, erecting towers heavily armed with cannon, and digging deep ditches. He was even more successful against the Portuguese than his father. But in his success, he became proud and haughty and forgot his allegiance to the Zamorin. He cut off the tail of one of the Zamorin’s elephants, and humiliated a Nair.”

French navigator François Pyrard de Laval writes in brief about the atrocities done by Marakkar [5]:

“This Cognialy was likewise one of the cruelest men in the world, and his great strength and power led him to despise his neighbours, even the king of Cananore, who had formerly been his protector and suzerain, and had aided him in all his projects. He harried in all directions, and all men’s goods. None could number the cruel barbarities practised by him and his against all sorts and conditions of men, without distinction : among others, against his own neighbour, the Nair king Auriole, already mentioned, whom he robbed and pillaged and drove from his kingdom : he cut off the nose and breasts of that prince’s queen, and had himself acknowledged as king. At length, puffed up with prosperity, he would no longer recognise the Samory, and rebelled against him, refusing to deliver up some vessels of his subjects that he had taken ; and when commanded so to do, he set all such commands at nought.”

In the end the Samuthiris had to make a treaty with the Portuguese and take down the last Kunjali Marakkar, thus putting an end to the arrogance of Marakkar and his Moplahs whom the Samuthiris considered as close allies before.

The betrayal of Arakkal Muslim rulers against Hindus of Malabar

After the fall of Marakkars, the Arakkal Ali Rajas of Kannur followed the same path. Ali Rajas of Arakkal were converts from a line of the Hindu Kolathiri Rajas of north Malabar. There are many folklore associated with them in North Malabar. They gained royal status via association with Kolathiris. But later they betrayed the Hindus of Malabar and began to claim superiority over Hindu kings by allying with Hyder Ali of Mysore [6]

“ Hyder was now visited by Ali Raja, a Mapelet, which is a nation that came originally from Arabia, and had spread over the whole coast of Malabar. These people had monopolised all the commerce of this country, and, by lending sums at exorbitant interest, had impoverished the Nayres, or native nobility. At this time, the Mapelets had grown rich and proud ; and Ali, their countryman, having by marriage been raised to the dignity of a prince, their insolence had greatly increased ; and, in order to obtain more consequence, they now solicited the protection of Hyder, which was readily granted, as they were of the same religion.”

To put an end to the arrogance, the Samuthiris and his Nair forces confronted the Moplahs by killing thousands of them  and making even more flee from their lands.[7]

“The Nayres, irritated by the arrogance and extortion of the Mapelets, conspired against them. and on an appointed day massacred above 6000 of these people. The rest fled in various directions.”

 But when Hyder and his son Tipu invaded Malabar, these Moplahs wholeheartedly joined their forces and attacked the Hindus and destroyed their countless temples. [8].

The atrocities of Hyder and Tipu on Malabar Hindus is well recorded and it need not  be discussed in detail here as it is beyond the scope of the article. Later, as history records, Tipu was defeated during his invasion of Travancore and was forced to retreat back to Mysore, where he eventually met his end.

Even after the fall of Tipu and British take over of Malabar,  many Moplahs remained as radical fanatics. They kept attacking Hindus and trying to convert them into islam. There were many such clashes between Hindus and Moplahs – always initiated by latter. These series of clashes finally lead to the 1921 genocide of Malabar Hindus, where thousands of Hindus were killed and several more were made to flee the region and numerous Hindu temples were destroyed by Moplah fanatics. It is a well recorded fact that the Hindus also retaliated against their attacks. Kalliat Nambiars for instance took out the Moplah fanatics who attacked their household [9]

It is to be noted that Eranad was one of the most affected regions during riots by the Moplah fanatics. Eranad in Malappuram was the ancestral home of Samuthiri’s Eradi Nair clan. The Samuthiris paid the ultimate price for settling down the Muslims in their kingdom.

Kerala Folklore on Muslims

Apart from recorded history, the local folklore of Kerala also narrates about Moplah troublemakers. The local legends recorded in Aithihyamala, a popular collection of legends by Kottarathil Shankunni also narrates how the Muslims were troublemakers in the kingdom of Cochin [10]. It narrates the story of Kochi king Rama Varma Shaktan Thampuran on how he executed a Moplah who slaughtered a cow in the kingdom. Another story from same work narrates how Shaktan Thampuran executed a Moplah who tried to sexually assault a Nambuthiri Brahmin lady while her husband was away [11] and also talks about punishment given by Shaktan Thampuran to Moplah thieves who pillaged the travellers [12].

There are also other records of Moplah troublemakers. For instance one of Vadakkan Pattu or ballads of North Malabar records that famous heroine Unniyarcha confronted the Moplahs who tried to assault her [13]. Another ballad also records famous warrior Thacholi Othenan battling Moplahs who disrespected the Kolathiri king of north Malabar [14].

Conclusion

So, to conclude, history again teaches us that secularism is a bane of Hindus. Kerala was not an utopia where Hindus and Muslims coexisted peacefully. There were clashes between the Hindus and Muslims in Kerala from pre-colonial times – with the initiators being Moplahs in almost every single instance. The treacherous Moplahs betrayed the very Hindu Rajas who gave them all sorts of freedom in their kingdoms including the right to preach their religion and convert willing Hindus – which no Muslim king ever allowed to Kafirs in their kingdoms. 

No one can question the devotion of Malabar kings including the Samuthiris towards Hinduism. They firmly supported Hindu temples, rituals, literature, arts etc. They made many grants to the temples and priestly families, they also took oaths to protect temples, cows and Brahmins. But politically they made a big mistake by trusting the Moplah fanatics and allowing them to settle down and interfere in political matters. Let the history of Kerala be a reminder to modern Hindu leaders. Let us hope that they won’t make the same mistake with useless appeasements and won’t let the history repeat itself again.

References

[1] Charithram Vyavaharam: Keralavum Bharathavum by MGS Narayanan

[2] The Zamorins of Calicut: From the Earliest Times Down to A.D. 1806 by KV Krishna Iyer

[3] Ibid

[4] Malabar and the Portuguese Book by K M Panikkar

[5] The Voyage of François Pyrard of Laval to the East Indies, the Maldives, the Moluccas and Brazil – by François Pyrard

[6] Choice Biography by Eneas Mackenzie

[7] Ibid

[8] Ibid

[9]  The Moplah rebellion, 1921 by C. Gopalan Nair

[10] Aithihyamala by Kottarathil Shankunni

[11] Ibid

[12] Ibid

[13] 24 Vadakkan Pattukal by K V Achuthanandan

[14] Kerala Sahitya Charithram by Ulloor S Parameswara Iyer.