Mohammed Kunjali Marakkar was the Muslim naval chief of the Samoothiri Raja Manavikraman (Samoothiri was anglicized as Zamorin) a title of the Hindu kings of Kozhikode (anglicized Calicut, also known as kozhikode), in present day state of Kerala, India during the 16th century. He was the first of the four Kunjalis who played a part in the Raja's naval wars with the Portuguese, who arrived in India in 1498. The Marakkars are credited with organizing the first naval defence of the Indian coast, to be later succeeded in the 18th century by the Maratha Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre (Also read alternative version below). There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Zamorin, a title of the kings of Kozhikode (Calicut) The Samoothiri Raja (anglicized as Zamorin) were the erstwhile rulers of Kozhikode (Calicut). ... Zamorin is the anglicised version of Samoothirippadu or Samoothiri or Swamy Thirumulpad, a title of the rulers of the erstwhile Hindu state of Kozhikode (previously known as Calicut)(Nediyirippu Swarupam), located in the present day state of Kerala, India, between the 14th and 18th century AD. Manavikraman Raja, the Samoothiri... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... For other uses, see Monarch (disambiguation). ... , For the district with the same name, see Kozhikode District. ... , Kerala ( ; Malayalam: കേരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... Navy is also:- shorthand for Navy Blue the nickname of the United States Naval Academy A navy is the branch of the armed forces of a nation that operates primarily on water. ... 1498 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Marāthās (Marathi: , also Mahrattas) form an Indo Aryan group of Hindu warriors and peasants hailing mostly from the present-day state of Maharashtra, who created a the expansive Maratha Empire, covering a major part of India, in the late 17th and 18th centuries. ... Kanhoji Angre or Conajee Angria or Sarkhel Angre (? – 1729) was the first notable chief of the Maratha Navy in 18th century India. ...

Title

The title of Marakkar was given by the Raja. It may have been derived from the Malayalam word marakkalam meaning ‘boat,’ and kar, a termination, showing possession. Marakkar or Maraikayar or Maraicayar or Maricar is a common title, surname or name of a sub group of Tamil and Malayalam speaking Muslim people of kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. ... Malayalam (മലയാളം ) is the language spoken predominantly in the state of Kerala, in southern India. ...

The four key Marakkars:

1. Mohammed Kunjali Marakkar - Marakkar I
2.  ? Kunjali - Marakkar II
3. Pattu Kunjali - Marakkar III
4. Mohammed Ali Kunjali - Marakkar IV

Origins

According to tradition, they were originally marine merchants of Kozhikode who left for Ponnani in the Samoothiri Raja's dominion when the Portuguese came to Kozhikode. The Raja took them into his service and eventually they became the Admirals of his fleet. , Ponnani is a coastal town and a municipality in Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala. ... Zamorin, a title of the kings of Kozhikode (Calicut) The Samoothiri Raja (anglicized as Zamorin) were the erstwhile rulers of Kozhikode (Calicut). ...

Of the four Marakkars, Kunjali Marakkar II is the most famous.

Portuguese

The Portuguese initially attempted to obtain trading privileges in 1498, but soon began to pressure the Raja to evict the Arabs, who had traditionally been trading in his ports, and give the Portuguese a monopoly in trading spices. The Raja resisted these attempts which resulted in the Portuguese trying to destabilise his rule by negotiating a treaty with his arch enemy, the Kingdom of Kochi in 1503. Sensing the Portuguese superiority at sea, the Raja set about improving his navy. He appointed Kunjali to the task. “Cochin” redirects here. ...

The fight between the Raja and the Portuguese continued on until the end of the 16th century, when the Portuguese convinced the Raja in 1598 that Marakkar III intended to take over his Kingdom. The Raja then joined hands with the Portuguese to defeat Marakkar III, ending in his defeat and death in 1600. Events January 7 - Boris Godunov seizes the throne of Russia following the death of his brother-in-law, Tsar Feodor I. April 13 - Edict of Nantes - Henry IV of France grants French Huguenots equal rights with Catholics. ... 1600 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Key events

• 1498 - Raja builds a fort at Ponnani.
• 1500 December - Raja expels Portuguese from Kozhikode.
• 1500 December 24 - Portuguese (led by Pedro Alvares Cabral) take refuge at port of Kochi, where the King offers them spices.
• 1501 January - Portuguese conclude a treaty with Tirumulpad, the King of Kochi, allowing them to open a factory there.
• 1503 - Portuguese crown the new King of Kochi, effectively making him a vassal of the King of Portugal.
• 1503 March - Samoothiri Raja attacks foe Hindu Kingdom of Kochi, also known as Perumpadapu Swaroopam.
• 1503 - Portuguese Viceroy D. Francisco de Almeida arrives in Kochi to find it destroyed, manages to obtain permission to build a fort. Thus the first European fort is built in India by 1505 called Fort Manuel or Manuel Kotta.
• 1505 November - murder of the Portuguese factor Antonio de Sa, the other Portuguese men and the destruction of the church of St. Thomas in Kollam.
• 1506 - Samoothiri Raja now approached Raja of Kolathiri. The Portuguese had behaved contemptuously to the Muslims at Kannur, and so Raja of Kolathiri also intended to teach them a lesson. The Raja laid siege the St. Angelos fort at Kannur. But the Portuguese won this battle, and the Raja of Kolathiri was forced to plea for peace.
• 1506 - Raja's naval forces join the Turkish and Arab navies to defeat the Portuguese navy led by D. Lourenço Almeida, son of the Portuguese Viceroy. However, Portuguese repel the attack.
• 1507 November 14 - Portuguese under Almeida attacked Ponnani.
• 1508 March - Sultan of Cairo's navy defeats Portuguese at Battle of Chaul, killing D. Lourenço Almeida
• 1509 February - Portuguese counter attack and defeat the Samoothiri's forces and the Egyptian/Turkish Navy at the Battle of Diu. Turks and Egyptians withdraw from India, leaving the seas to the Portuguese.
• 1513 - Raja and Portuguese sign a treaty giving Portuguese right to build a fort at Kozhikode, in return for their assistance in the Raja's fight with the Kingdoms of Kochi and Kolathiri.
• 1520? - Assassination attempt on Raja
• 1524 - King of Portugal re-sends Vasco Da Gama back to India to control the Raja.
• 1525 February 26 - Portuguese navy led by new Viceroy Menezes raids Ponnani, but the Raja defeats them with assistance from Tinayancheri, and Kurumliyapatri.
• 1530 - Formation of Chalium (also known as Challe, now Chaliyam) fort by Portuguese - the Raja of Vettathunad enabled the Portuguese to erect a fort at Chalium at the mouth of the Beypore river. Chalium was a strategic site, for it was only 10 km south of Kozhikkode. Raja of Chaliyam also helped the Portuguese.
• 1540 - Samoothiri Raja entered into an agreement with the Portuguese and stopped the war. Treaty allows the Portuguese a trade monopoly at Kozhikode port.
• 1550 - Portuguese attacked, pillaged and plundered Ponnani. They set fire to several houses and four mosques, including the Valia Palli.
• 1569-1570 - War between the Portuguese and Samoothiri's forces at Chaliyam fort. The battle of Talikota in 1565 in which Vijayanagar, the ally of the Portuguese, was defeated, emboldened the Samoothiri to start large scale operations against the Portuguese.
• 1571 September 15 - Portuguese lose the war and surrender Chaliyam fort. Samoothiri Raja destroys the fort.
• 1573 - Pattu Marakkar (Kunjali III) obtained permission from Samoothiri to build a fortress and dockyard at Puthupattanam. This fort later came to be called the Marakkar Kotta (Marakkar Fort).
• 1584 - Samoothiri Raja needed free navigation without the passes of the Portuguese, to the ports of Gujarat, Persia and Arabia, to continue his trade. So an agreement with the Portuguese was made. The sanction to the Portuguese to build a factory at Ponnani was given. By now the Raja had clearly shifted his policy towards the Portuguese.
• 1586 - Marakkars defeat the Portuguese in a naval battle.
• 1588 - The Portuguese settle again in Kozhikode with the Samoothiri's permission.
• 1589 - Marakkars inflict a crushing defeat on the Portuguese.
• 1591 - Samoothiri Raja allowed the Portuguese to build a factory at Kozhikkode. He even laid the foundation stone of their church and granted them the necessary land and building materials. His commanders like Kunjali III who were sworn enemies of the Portuguese were ignored again. Kunjali III began to distance himself from Samoothiri.
• 1595 - Kunjali IV becomes the Chief of the Marakkars. Marakkar, who had been given the powers and privileges of any Nair noble in the Samoothiri's service, strengthened the fortress at Kottakal and openly challenged his master by styling himself as the "Lord of the Indian seas". He cut off the tail of one of Samoothiri's elephants and ill treated a Nair noble and his wife, who had been sent to get his explanation for the deed.
• 1598 - The overbearing attitude of his vassal exasperated the Samoothiri, who joined up with the Portuguese and fought Kunjali Marakkar III. The first joint operation went very bad for the allies, owing to a lack of communication between the Portuguese and the Samoothiri. They suffered heavy losses.
• 1600 - In the second battle, the Samoothiri attacked Marakkar Kotta from the land with an army of 6000 and the Portuguese navy under Andre Furtado bombarded it from the sea. Left with no choice, Kunjali Marakkar surrendered to Samoothiri on a solemn promise of pardon, but the Samoothiri broke his word and handed his former Admiral over to the Portuguese, who executed him and his men, after taking them to Goa.

1498 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , Ponnani is a coastal town and a municipality in Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala. ... 1500 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , For the district with the same name, see Kozhikode District. ... 1500 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... “Cochin” redirects here. ... 1501 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1503 (MDIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Year 1503 (MDIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Zamorin, a title of the kings of Kozhikode (Calicut) The Samoothiri Raja (anglicized as Zamorin) were the erstwhile rulers of Kozhikode (Calicut). ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... Perumpadapu Swaroopam (also know as Madarajyam, Gosree Rajyam, Kuru Swaroopam) was the name of the Kingdom of Kochi. ... Year 1503 (MDIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... 1505 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1505 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , For the district with the same name, see Kollam District. ... 1506 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mooshaka kingdom, present Kasaragod, Kannur and other nearby places of north Kerala state in India, had come to be known as Kolathunad and the rulers known as Kolathiris. ... For the district with the name Kannur, see Kannur District. ... A view of Arabian Sea from St. ... 1506 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Languages Arabic and other minority languages Religions Islam, Christianity, Druzism and Judaism Arab woman from Ramallah wearing traditional dress in 1915. ... 1507 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , Ponnani is a coastal town and a municipality in Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala. ... 1508 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Chaul is a former city of Portuguese India, now in ruins. ... 1509 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The naval Battle of Diu was a critical sea battle that took place on 2-3 February 1509 near the port town of Diu, India , between Portugal and a joint fleet of Mamlûk Burji Sultanate of Egypt, Ottoman Empire, the Zamorin of Calicut and the Sultan of Gujarat, with... 1513 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , For the district with the same name, see Kozhikode District. ... Events March 1, 1524/5 - Giovanni da Verrazano lands near Cape Fear (approx. ... For other uses, see Vasco da Gama (disambiguation). ... Events January 21 - The Swiss Anabaptist Movement was born when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptized each other in the home of Manzs mother on Neustadt-Gasse, Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union. ... June 25 - Augsburg confession presented to Charles V of Holy Roman Empire. ... Chaliyar River is the fourth longest river in Kerala at 169 km in length. ... Year 1540 was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Events February 7 - Julius III becomes Pope. ... Events January 11 - First recorded lottery in England. ... Events January 23 - The assassination of regent James Stewart, Earl of Moray throws Scotland into civil war February 25 - Pope Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England with the bull Regnans in Excelsis May 20 - Abraham Ortelius issues the first modern atlas. ... Battle of Talikota or Tellikota (January 26, 1565) fought between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Deccan sultanates resulted in a rout for Vijayanagara and ended the last great Hindu kingdom in South India. ... // Events March 1 - the city of Rio de Janeiro is founded. ... Events January 11 - Austrian nobility is granted Freedom of religion. ... Year 1573 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... 1584 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... 1586 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... 1588 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... Events Rebellion of the Catholic League against King Henry III of France, in revenge for his murder of Duke Henry of Guise. ... Year 1591 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Events January 30 - William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is performed for the first time. ... Events January 7 - Boris Godunov seizes the throne of Russia following the death of his brother-in-law, Tsar Feodor I. April 13 - Edict of Nantes - Henry IV of France grants French Huguenots equal rights with Catholics. ... 1600 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Goa (disambiguation). ...

Alternative version

An alternative version of the Marakkar history has been proposed by Dr. K.J. John Ochanthuruth Ph.d, Head - Department of History, University of Calicut, Kerala. In an article dated March 1, 2005 published in The Hindu newspaper Dr. Ochanthuruth wrote, "the traditional view of Kunhalis as patriots supporting feudal lords like the Zamorin needs to be corrected." He views the Marakkars as wanting an Islamic Principality in India. According to him, Shayk Zaynuddin, an Arab scholar of Ponnani, in his Tuhfat-ul Mujahidin, states that the Marikkars had turned against the Portuguese only by 1524.

He also questions claims that Marikkars were Mappila Muslims (Mappilas are children of Arabs married to Malabar women), and contends there is no evidence to support the belief that Marikkars lived in Pantalayani - Kollam, then in Tikkodi and then in Kottakkal, which was their last headquarters. "Available evidence suggests Marikkars were of Tamil origin and many of them were Parathava converts from Coramandel," Dr. Ochanthuruth claims. Languages Tamil Religions Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism Related ethnic groups Dravidian people Brahui people Kannadigas Malayalis Tamils Telugus Tuluvas Gonds The Tamil people are a multi-ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ... Conversion of paravas by Francis Xavier, in a 19th-century colored lithograph Parava or Paravas, also known as Bharathar, Paravar is one of the oldest Tamil castes. ...

There is also another local tradition that claims that they were merchants of Cairo, who had settled in Kozhikode in the 12th century A.D. (A survey of Kerala History by Prof A. Sreedhara Menon).

In Sri Lanka although Marakkala is the modern colloquial term for Muslims, Marakkalage is an ancestral family name borne by several Karava families to date. The Karavas were the traditional martial and naval community of Sri Lanka and the preservation of that naval tradition in such mediaeval names is of interest. Sri lankan and Portuguese history mentions that Karavas were Naval commanders in the armies of the Nayaks of Tanjore(Queyroz, 638). Although Marakkala is the modern colloquial term for Muslims, Marakkalage is another uniquely Karava ancestral name and is used by several traditional Karava familes of Sri lanka todate. ... Karave also Karava or Kurukula are a fishing related caste or social group found in the south western coastal areas of Sri Lanka. ... Karavas harbor with Acheropiitos Greek Orthodox Monastery Karavas (Greek: Καραβάς; Turkish: Alsancak) is the sister village of Lapithos in the Kyrenia District of Cyprus. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ...

Tributes

Indian Stamp on Marakkars

• Cochin University of Science and Technology in Cochin, Kerala, India, has got its new Marine Engineering department named after Kunjali II as 'Kunjali Marakkar School Of Marine Engineering'.
• The Indian Navy shore-based naval air training centre at Colaba, Mumbai is named Naval Maritime Academy INS Kunjali II in honour of the second Marakkar.
• The Indian Department of Post issued a Rupee 3 colour stamp commemorating the maritime heritage of Kunjali Marakkar on 17 December 2000 on the 400th anniversary of the end of the Marakkars. The stamp design shows the war-paroe, a small craft used by the Kunjalis, which, manned by just 30-40 men each, could be rowed through lagoons and narrow waters. Several of these crafts were deployed at strategic points and they would emerge from small creeks and inconspicuous estuaries, attack the Portuguese ships at will, inflict heavy damage and casualties by setting fire to their sails and get back into the safety of shallow waters. In these guerilla raids, the Marakkars had shown remarkable prowess.
• At Payyoli village near Kottakkal, Kerala, about 40km north of Kozhikode a small museum has been built in a hut that used to belong to the Marakkar family, with collection of ancient swords, canon balls and knives. This is maintained by the State Archeology Dept.[1].
• There is a place called Marakkarkandy in Kannur City, in Kannur district.

Image File history File links Marakkar_Stamp_2000. ... Image File history File links Marakkar_Stamp_2000. ... The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Kottakkal is 12 km south-west of Malappuram District in Kerala. ... , Kerala ( ; Malayalam: കേരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... , For the district with the same name, see Kozhikode District. ... Marakkarkandy is a small coastal village in Kannur District of Kerala state, south India. ... Arakkal Ali Raja was a Muslim Raja (King in Malayalam language) of Arakkal Palace. ... For the district with the name Kannur, see Kannur District. ...

Additional reading

• Gundert, Herman Keralappalama (History of Malabar from A.D. 1498 - 1531) in Malayalam, first published 1868, Kottayam:Vidyarthi Mithram, 1964
• Mathew, K.S. Portuguese Trade with India in the sixteenth century
• Queyroz Fr. The Temporal and Spiritual Conquest of Ceylaö,