Ali Raja
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arakkal Ali Raja was a Muslim Raja (King in Malayalam language) of Arakkal Palace. This palace is 3 km from Kannur town of Kerala state in south India. The place where this palace is now is called Kannur City. Arakkal family was the only Muslim royal family of Kerala that controlled parts of the coast and Lakshadweep.
The Kannur Fort was owned for some time by Arakkal family. The Dutch captured the fort from Portuguese in 1663 they sold the fort to the Arakkal Ali Raja.
Contents |
[edit] How a Muslim became Arakkal Raja
| Centuries back Kolathu Nadu (present Kannur district and near places) was ruled by Chirakkal Raja. While bathing in the Chirakkal kulam (pond), the daughter of the then ruler was drowned. Seeing this her friends cried and shouted. They were unable to rescue her. By the same time a Muslim boy walking nearby heard the shouting and went to see what was happening. He saw a girl was drowning in the pond. He knew it was the princess but at first he hesitated to save her because in that time there was untouchability practiced in Kerala. That meant if a lower caste person touched a higher caste person it was considered a sin and sometimes he might even have lost his life.
The boy anyway jumped in to the pond and saved her. Since the girl was naked, the boy gave her his mundu — a long cloth used to cover the lower part of the body. When this news reached the ruler, he called both her daughter and the Muslim boy to him. The boy was so afraid that he thought he will lose his life. As per the custom in that days, if a man gives a "pudava" (a long cloth used for covering body) to an unmarried woman, it is considered as if he and she got married. The elders and religious people advised the ruler that, two thing happened here, one is the kings daughter was touched by a Muslim the second thing was a boy gave "pudava" to his daughter (by giving boys "mundu" to the girl), meaning that the daughter cannot enter the palace anymore and also she got married by the Muslim boy. As per the custom the ruler had no other choice but give her daughter to the Muslim boy. The Raja was unhappy to give his daughter to a poor family, so he gave the boy some part of his country, and made him the ruler of that part. The area which was given to the boy was then onwards known as Arakkal and his family, Arakkal family. The rulers daughter was known as Arakkal Beebi. Many people believe that the place where the Chirakkal kulam (kulam means pond in Malayalam language) was, still exists today as the locality called Chirakkalkulam located between Thayatheru and Kannur City. |
[edit] Another story
The more acceptable story goes like this:
| Around 17th century, one of the Padanair (General) of Kolathiri Arayankulangara Nair converted to Islam due to the influence of Arab merchants of Kannur and his wife was a daughter of Kolathiri, later they known as Arrakkal. Around this time, a lot of Muslim merchant families became financially influential in Malabar region and when Arakkal family got the control of Lakshadweep, they almost got royal status. Later on, they got support from Mysore also. |
[edit] Ali Rajas and Arakkal Beevis
The Arakkal family followed a matriarchal system of descent. The elder most member of the family, male or female, was its head and ruler. While male rulers were called Ali Rajah, female rulers were known as Arakkal Beevis.
Sultana Aysha Aliraja was the ruler till her death on the morning of September 27, 2006.
[edit] History
Muslims of Kerala have always believed that their origins in Kerala go back to 7th century AD when the religion originated in Arabia. The numbers increased in the 9th century. In the 8th century there were many centers for religious conversion in the state. Cheraman Perumal's pilgrimage to Mecca was a major influence in this regard. The history of Muslims in Kerala is closely intertwined with the history of Muslims in nearby Laccadives (Lakshadweep) islands. Kerala's only Muslim kingdom was Kannur's Arakkal family. Historians disagree as to the time period of Arakkal rulers. Some claim that ancient coins date the Arakkal rulers to the 8th century. Kerala historian A. Sridhara Menon seem to believe that the Arakkal kings came to power in 16th or 17th century and issued their coins at the earliest in the 18th century. One of the rulers that presided over the kingdom was Junumma Beevi who ruled for 49 years. By 1909 Arakkal rulers lost Kannur and the Cannanore Cantonment. By 1911 there was further decline with loss of chenkol and udaval (Sword). During those years they allied and clashed with the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the English. The British played the biggest part in removing all vestiges of titles and power from the Arakkal rulers. One of the last kings Arakkal Abdu Rahiman Ali Raja (1881 -1946) was active in helping his subjects. The last ruler was Ali Raja Mariumma Beevi Thangal. After her time, the family broke up.
During the time of the Samuthiries the Muslims of Malabar played major role in the local army and navy as well as ambassadors to Arabia and China. They also forged alliances with Moslil rulers of Gujarat and Bijapur. Even before this period they had settlements in Perumathura, Thakkala, Thengapattanam, Poovar and Thiruvankottu in southern Travancore. Muslims from Pandi Desham migrated meantime for trade to Erattupetta, Kanjirappalli, Mundakayam, Peruvanthanam and Vandiperiyar in Kottayam district of Kerala. In the 17th century trade links were established with places like Kayamkulam and Aleppy in the west.
It was during the time of Samuthiris that the title of Marakkar was created. During the reign of the four Marakkars played significant role in trade. During the time the second Marakkar Muslims spread from port areas to hillsides of Valapattanam, Thikkodi, Pandalayani, Kakkad, Kozhikode and Ponnani. From there many migrated to Palakkad. Muslim influence reached it's peak at the time of Kunjali Marakkar (4th). After Kunjali Marakkar and Samuthiri parted company, Muslim influence declined.
During the Dutch period, a prominent Muslim trader named Moosakoi spearheaded the development of trade centers in Chenganacherri, Pandalam, Kayamkulam, and Alappuza.
During the time of Hyderali and Tippu Sultan there was a revival amongst Muslims of Malabar. The Arakkal king signed a treaty with Hyderali. Samathuri followed up with his own treaty with Hyder.
[edit] Predecessors
[edit] Rulers from Arakkal dyanasty
Ali Raja Ali (1545 - 1591)
Ali Raja Abubakar I (1591 - 1607)
Ali Raja Abubakar II (1607 - 1610)
Ali Raja Muhammad Ali I (1610 - 1647)
Ali Raja Muhammad Ali II (1647 - 1655)
Ali Raja Kamal (1655 - 1656)
Ali Raja Muhammad Ali III (1656 - 1691)
Ali Raja Ali II (1691 - 1704)
Ali Raja Kunhi Amsa I (1704 - 1720)
Ali Raja Muhammad Ali IV (1720 - 1728)
Ali Raja Bibi Harrabichi Kadavube (1728 - 1732)
Ali Raja Bibi Junumabe I (1732 - 1745)
Ali Raja Kunhi Amsa II (1745 - 1777)
Ali Raja Bibi Junumabe II (1777 - 1819)
Ali Raja Bibi Mariambe (1819 - 1838)
Ali Raja Bibi Hayashabe (1838 - 1852)
Ali Raja Abdul Rahman I (1852 - 1870)
Ali Raja Musa Ali (1870 - 1899)
Ali Raja Muhammad Ali V (1899 - 1907)
Ali Raja Bibi Imbichi (1907 - 1911)
Ali Raja Ahmad Ali (1911 - 1921)
Ali Raja Bibi Ayesha (1921 - 1931)
Ali Raja Abdul Rahman II (1931 - 1946)
Ali Raja Bibi Arakkal Mariumma (1946 - 1947)
[edit] External link
[edit] See also
- Chirakkal Raja
- Keyi family
- Kannur
- Kannur Fort - (St. Angelo Fort)
