Kunjali Marakkar was the title inherited by the Admiral of the fleet of the Zamorin / Zamorin, the King of Calicut, in present-day Kerala, India. There were four Marakkars whose war tactics defended against the Portuguese invasion from 1520 to 1600. The Kunjali Marakkars are credited with organizing the first naval defense of the Indian coast.
Origins of Marakkar
The Marakkars originate from a branch of Arab merchants within the seafaring community who settled in Kochi. They were involved in trade and engaged in collaboration with the Portuguese. The 16th century writer Zainuddin Makhdoom II who wrote the
Tuhfat-ul-Mujahideen stated in 1524 that the Marakkars had turned against the Portuguese when the latter disrupted the former's trade networks by purchasing spices and commodities directly from local people in Kochi.
Kunjali Marakkar I
Kutty Ahmed Ali was an Admiral of
Zamorin he played a significant role in resisting the Portuguese expansion. In 1524
Zamorin Kingdom helped the Ceylonese king in his campaign to expel the Portuguese from Ceylon and reduced the
Colombo Fort with the help of Zamorin navy under the command of Ahmed Ali.
In 1525 Portuguese established a fortress in Calicut a fleet of
Zamorin ships under the command of Kutty Ahmed Ali bombarded the fort.
later that year entered the port of
Cochin setting fire to number of Portuguese vessels and returned safely to
Calicut.
In 1529
Zamorin navy defeated Portuguese navy in the battle of chetwai river.
Against the Portuguese Empire
The Kunjali IV had rescued a Chinese boy, called Chinali, who was said to have been enslaved on a Portuguese ship.
The Kunjali was very fond of him, and he became one of his most feared lieutenants, a Muslim and enemy of the Portuguese.
The Portuguese were terrorized by the Kunjali and his Chinese right-hand man. Eventually, after the Portuguese allied with Calicut's Zamorin, under André Furtado de Mendonça when Kunjali Marrikar openly challenged the Zamorin by cutting off the tail of the Zamorin's elephant and assaulting a Nair noble and his wife who had been sent to get an explanation of the deed. The allies attacked the Kunjali and Chinali's forces, the first battle ended in disaster for the allies due to lack of communication. The second battle was well co-ordinated with the Portuguese attacking Marakkar kotta from the sea and the Zamorin from the land. Marakkar surrendered to the Zamorin after receiving a solemn promise of pardon but the Zamorin handed them over to the Portuguese.
Diogo do Couto, a Portuguese historian, questioned the Kunjali and Chinali when they were captured.
Marakkar Kotta
Such a practice also prevailed in Calicut, registering the goods, Pyrard called the system "most admirable". Malabar pirates had four harbours under the ambit of the Samoothiri, there they built their galleys. These harbours were Moutingue (Muttungal), Badara (Vadakara), Chombaye (Chambal), and Cangelotte (Kaniyaram Kottu). They were fortified only on the seas-side under the patronage of Samoothiri, who granted these ports to Marakkar family who fortified them. These ports were two leagues from each other. Portuguese made multiple attempts to conquer these fortified ports, without effect or to their own loss, mainly at Badara.
Legacy
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There is a temple dedicated to "Kunjali Maraikkayar" at Madhavan Kurichi village in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu. Known as perumal temple, it is situated near to Manapad which was a Portuguese stronghold in the 16th century. Villagers worship Maraikkayar as a deity and observe annual festivals. Stories of Maraikkayar are part of their Villu Paatu songs.
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At Iringal, a village about 35 km 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, cannonballs and knives. This is maintained by the State Archeology Dept.
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The Kunjali Marakkar Centre for West Asian Studies at Calicut University is named in honour of Kunjali Marakkar.
Popular culture
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In 1967, S. S. Rajan made the Malayalam film Kunjali Marakkar starring Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair in the title role. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam.
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, a film made by director Priyadarshan starring Mohanlal won the 50th Kerala State Film Awards and 67th National Film Awards.
["DECLARATION – 50th KERALA STATE FILM AWARDS FOR MALAYALAM FILMS & WRITINGS ON CINEMA 2019"(PDF)]
The film is said to be historically inaccurate.
See also
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Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen
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Mayimama Marakkar
Further reading
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India's naval traditions: the role of Kunhali Marakkars – K. K. N. Kurup, Northern Book Centre, 1997
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Hermann Gundert Keralappalama (History of Malabar from A.D. 1498 – 1531) in Malayalam, first published 1868, Kottayam: Vidyarthi Mithram, 1964
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Mathew, K.S. Portuguese Trade with India in the sixteenth century
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Queyroz Fr. The Temporal and Spiritual Conquest of Ceylaö,
