A Historical Analysis of the Spread of Islam in Kerala: From the Prophet to the Advent of Colonialism

By Grace Mubashir, New Age Islam

2 June 2023

This study on the spread of Islam in Kerala examines the arrival and growth of Islam in Kerala and other reasons that drove it. The spread and growth of Islam in Kerala from the advent of Islam to the fourteenth century were not neatly chronological. Therefore, this study tries to mark the historical reasons and motivations that led to the growth of Kerala Islam at different stages of history.

Historical Reasons

 After the Prophet's era, Islam spread throughout the world mainly in two ways. One was through military raids by Muslim rulers. Following military campaigns, it is natural for the religion and culture of those who seized power to spread to the conquered territories. Although the ultimate goal of such rulers who invaded other peoples and societies was political gain, religion was also spread to other societies. In India, the arrival of Islam in northern India occurred in this manner. This spread of religion in such areas was often superficial. Islam had not immigrated into the minds of the people as a sentiment or an ideal.

The second method of spreading Islam was through the preaching activities of preachers. While the first method was somewhat violent and coercive, the second was purely peaceful. The spread of Islam in Kerala was achieved through the second method. This is different from the general Islamic growth trajectory in India. As mentioned earlier, this method of spreading Islam was a result of the preachers' rather pacifist and inclusive teaching style. Unlike North India, the earliest Muslims who reached Kerala's shores were traders and preachers. Their only aim was to introduce the religion of Islam to the local people. The Arabs who came for trade introduced their Hindu brethren to the religion they believed in and practiced and lived by the values upheld by that religion. This particular change is one of the historical reasons behind the peaceful spread of Islam in Kerala. The major historical forces that facilitated this growth have been mentioned below. 

1) Arab-Kerala Trade Relationship Was the Favourable Situation

 Kerala and Arabia have had trade relations since long ago. The friendly relationship established by the Arabs with the Kerala coast even before the advent of the religion of Islam has been very helpful for the propagation of Islam. A group that already had trade relations may have later spoken to the natives with whom they traded about their adopted religion. If not, the natives must have become familiar with the religion and way of life of the Arabs with whom they had trade relations through their association. In addition to this, the local rulers also allowed the Arab Muslims who came as traders to preach Islam.

As a result of the flourishing of sea trade, a new culture was also emerging on the Malabar Coast of Kerala. It was the emergence of a pluralistic, cosmopolitan society where people from different countries and different religions came together. In a sense, a unique situation arose between the Hindus of the Kerala society and the Muslim traders of the Arabian Peninsula to get to know each other, interact and engage in discussions, which laid the foundation for the later growth of Islam. Historians K. N. Panicker and others like Frederick Dale have observed this fact.

This pre-Islamic coexistence laid a solid foundation for later Islamic propagation. The unique atmosphere of peaceful coexistence was a very favourable factor for the growth of Islam in Kerala.

2) Peaceful Coexistence

Religious coexistence is a better-suited term to introduce the Kerala situation than religious harmony and religious tolerance. Because the terms religious tolerance and religious harmony refer to a tolerant attitude among people of different religions. But the term coexistence is a descent from the conceptual world of religious tolerance to the practical world. Thus, religious coexistence is the next stage and concrete form of religious tolerance. Religious coexistence is a situation experienced among different people coming down from the plane of ideas and attitudes to the plane of reality and practicality.

 Dr. MGS Narayanan introduces what is called 'interdependent sociality'. This interdependent sociality which was formed in the early period is what contributed to the growth of Islam later on. Peaceful coexistence was necessary for trade between the two groups to run smoothly. Early Muslim society needed ships for sea travel. Hindu carpenters used to build ships for Muslims. It was these Hindu carpenters who built the Muslim mosques of that time. That is why similarities in the construction of Hindu temples and Muslim mosques could be observed.

As for the Hindu carpenters, they needed a job. Muslims were willing to give them employment. The fact is that the peaceful atmosphere created by this friendly and interdependent co-existence paved the way for the silent growth of Islam. Through this peaceful coexistence, the natives were not suddenly converted to Islam but gradually converted to Islam. Here there was a social situation where people could see, get to know and touch Islam freely. 

 3) Cheraman Perumal's Islamisation and the Growth of Islam

There are some other reasons why Kerala's social environment is shaped like this. It is as old as the advent of Islam. The Islamization of a king mentioned in historical records who is believed to be the first convert to Islam from Kerala has created a favourable mindset towards Islam in the later society.

 An event that greatly influenced the growth of Islam in Kerala was the conversion to Islam by Cheraman Perumal, the King of Kodungallur and his journey to Makkah to meet the Prophet. This incident is mentioned in most of the history books dealing with the Islamic history of India. The earliest reference to this event is Tuhfatul Mujahideen by the 15th-century scholar Shaykh Zainuddin Makhdoom II. But there is a difference of opinion regarding the period during which Cheraman Perumal lived and when Islamization took place. A group of Arabs who disembarked at Kodungallur told the king about Prophet Muhammad, who had witnessed the Prophet's supernatural event, the splitting of the moon. They were going on a pilgrimage to Mount Adam in Ceylon. The story goes that Cheraman Perumal, who heard about the incident, embraced Islam and went to Mecca and died on the way. Many reports differ on the details of the story.

 According to historical scholars like MGS Narayan, Cheraman Perumal lived in the 12th century. In any case, there is no doubt that this incident has accelerated the spread of Islam in Kerala. According to the instructions of this ruler who accepted Islam for the first time, the locals provided all kinds of facilities to the first group that came to Kerala for Islamic preaching.

4) Tolerant Attitude of Hindu Rulers

 The tolerant attitude of the local Hindu kings towards Islam and Muslims was a very helpful trend for the spread of Islam in Kerala. Many English historians described Kozhikode Zamorin (Samuthiri) as a Moorish King, the King of Muslims. Although he was the ruler of the Hindus and all other religious sects of Kozhikode, he is marked in history by the special name of King of the Muslims because of the tolerant attitude he adopted towards the Muslims. The approach of Kozhikode Zamorin to other religions has had an impact on Hindu-Muslim co-existence and the spread of Islam in Kerala and in shaping Kerala's general attitude of religious tolerance. The Zamorin considered the Muslims as his loyal subjects. Muslims were appointed by the king to collect tolls and protect the port city of Kozhikode. Zamorin honoured such Muslims by giving them the title ‘Koyamar’ of Kozhikode. The ‘Koyas’ (the title given by the Zamorin to Muslim port customs officials) were allowed to stand next to the Zamorin during the ‘Mamangam’, a symbolic coronation ceremony of the Zamorin king that took place only once in twelve years. The Zamorin himself had taken the initiative to implement the Sharia of the Muslims among them. Muslims who did not attend Jumu'ah prayers on Friday were punished by Zamorin. Muslims who came from Arabia were treated with special hospitality. A rule was made to bring up a child of the Mukuvans (fishermen) living in the coastal region as a Muslim. At that time, when Hindus were forbidden to travel by sea, there was a need for those who could travel for business purposes. The solution for that was for the Hindus to become Muslims.

Kunjali Maraikars, who were honoured by independent India as India's first naval chief, are historical figures who fought a century-long anti-invasion struggle along with Zamorin. Kunjali Marakkars, who was the commander of the Zamorin navy, was a warrior who died a heroic death fighting the Portuguese. All these points to the historical tradition of indigenous and foreign Muslims living side by side throughout history after the advent of Islam. It is not possible to see Hindu-Muslim enmity in the history of Kerala until the Portuguese misled the Zamorin through intrigues against Kunjali IV and pitted them against the Kunjali Marakars. The seeds of hatred and suspicion planted by the Portuguese soon dried up and a harmonious atmosphere bloomed.

5) Geographical Features That Facilitated the Spread of Islam

 Islam initially spread in Kerala along the coastal areas. Muslims were engaged in maritime trade. Until the European invasion, Muslim communities emerged concentrated in the coastal areas as people engaged in or involved in maritime trade in some capacity. The spread of Islam into the interior of Kerala came very late when sea trade suffered from colonial brutality. From the historical evidence that marks the Arab presence on the coasts of Kerala, it is understood that the Arab Muslims migrated here in the 9th century. Names of Muslim industrialists are engraved on a plaque found at Tarisapalli copper plaque. A document dated 782 AD has been recovered from Pantalayani (modern-day Kollam) validating this information.

There were also natural causes that helped the spread of Islam. The monsoon season in the Arabian Sea provided an opportunity for the Arabs to travel to Kerala and live along the Kerala coast for a while. In the early months of the year, the Arabs reached Kerala shores without any major accidents or rough seas due to the wind blowing from west to east. The Arabs who reached the Kerala coast after a two-month long sea journey stayed at the Kerala coast during June and July when there was heavy rain in the Arabian Sea and the Kerala coast. Arabs who made long trade journeys came and settled on Indian shores without their families. Arabs who lived in Kerala for such a short time were allowed to marry from here. They lived with their wives here for a short time and did not take their wives or children with them when they went back. This practice was widespread at a time when the Arabs had trade relations with the Kerala coast.

 6) Muslim Manners Attract Local People

 Dr. Vijaya Lakshmi writes that the way of life of the Arab Muslims who came to Kerala as traders attracted the local people. The Muslim community had all the facilities and amenities required for the life of a civilized society. Another factor that attracted the common people to the Muslims was the economic superiority of the Muslims. The acquisition of wealth by the Muslims through trade made the natives close to the Muslims. The Arabs who settled on the coasts of Kerala in the early days did not know any occupation other than trade. So, they had to rely on natives for all other jobs and services. This friendship opened up possibilities for closer relations between the indigenous people and the Arab Muslims.

7) Inequality and Casteism in Hindu Society

During the period when Malabar came under British control after the fall of Tipu Sultan in 1792, there was a situation where the upper caste Hindus humiliated and oppressed the lower classes in Kerala. It would be surprising if the social order of Islam, which offered equality and equal justice, did not bring relief to the lower classes who longed for liberation from the yoke of servitude and inequality of the natives who made them work hard and collected high taxes for their land and cultivation. This social situation has led many people belonging to the lower castes of Kerala to embrace Islam. Following the peasant riots in Malabar, many tenants converted to Islam. It was a special period in the history of the Malabar region when a large number of people embraced Islam.

Islamic Propagation in Kerala

 The differences of opinion among historians regarding the arrival of Muslims in Malabar and the spread of Islam in Kerala have yet to be settled. Historian MGS Narayanan came forward questioning the authenticity of Cheraman Juma Masjid, which is considered the first mosque in Kerala, and, instead, Ponnani Thotungal Masjid was marked as the first Muslim Mosque in Kerala. Tuhfatul Mujahideen, written by Sheikh Zainuddin Makhdoom II in the second half of the 16th century, is widely recognized as the first scholarly historical work in Kerala history. Decades before that, Zainuddin Makhdoom I's book "Tahril Ahlil Imani Alaa Jihadi Abaddati Zulban" (Open Call to Believers to Fight against Crusaders) was a call to fight against the imperialist terror that gripped Malabar. These two books are very important in the history of Malabar. These books provide graphic details of Islamic movements in Kerala in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Hakeem Syed Shamsullah Qadiri is a historian who lived in Hyderabad during the 19th century. The arrival of Islam in India has also been the subject of his special research. He studied the history of ancient Malabar, the trade journeys of the Arabs, and the advent of Islam. His "Malaibar" an Urdu history book on this subject was published in Aligarh in 1930. He argues that the Arabs had started coming to Malabar many centuries before Alexander the Great (356-324 BC). He also states that exports from Malabar first reached the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula.

 The aforementioned southern coastal area is the city of Lufar in Yemen. After arriving here, the ships departing from Malabar would take the goods through Yemen and Hijaz to Syria, Egypt, Rome, etc. Tadmur in Syria was then a large town and centre of commerce. (The goods were mainly taken there). It was on the eastern side of the city of Himsw (Holms). It was known as a glorious Arab kingdom until it was destroyed by the Roman Emperor Orleans in 272 AD. Egypt's main commercial centre was Alexandria on the northernmost Mediterranean coast. Their trade goods reached Rome and other European countries through the Mediterranean Sea.

 In short, we need to understand this ingrained trade and commerce relationship that has existed for millennia. This is evident in ancient history books and the Bible. Shamsullah Qadiri writes: From the Old Testament books of the Bible, it is clear that the Israelites (both Arab and non-Arabs, residents of the vast areas of historical Levante) had trade relations with Malabar during the time of Prophets David and Solomon. It is recorded in the books of Kings and Chronicles that Solomon sent two ships to Ophir and Tarshish during his reign. Their purpose was to import gold, silver, sandalwood, ivory, peacocks, and monkeys from those countries.

 The Bible tells the story of Prophet Yusuf as well: As they were about to eat, they met a traveling party of Ishmaelites (Arabs) coming from Gilead. They were on their way to Egypt, carrying spices, spices, and frankincense on camels. They were on their way from Lufar to Alexandria by land via Palestine with the merchandise. It is well-known in history that spices were the specialty of Malabar. In the Kerala Muslim Directory, the historian PA Said Muhammad Sahib has also described these trade relations in detail.

 Pepper in these trades was well known to the Arabs of the Jahili period (the age of ignorance before the Prophet). They named Kerala Biladul Fulful (Land of Turmeric). The fame of black gold can be understood from the poetry of the famous Arabic poet Imrul Qais. He likens the deer droppings found in his girlfriend's uninhabited spaceship yard to pepper.

Roland. E. Miller writes: “Kerala occupies a very important place in the trade map of the ancient world. Muziris (Kodungallur), a port on the Kerala coast, was one of the largest commercial centres in the world. Only Kollam, 110 miles to the south on the same coast, challenged it in India itself. Muziris was the meeting place of East and West. Chinese and East Indian traders from the east, Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Persians, East Africans and others from the west came here to exchange goods and buy the special products of India.”

 Those who make a detailed study of the commercial world of the Arabs will be amazed: 'There are many examples in the Qur'an, the ancient Vedas and the history of the world that they did not control the world's trade. The trade of the Arabs was to collect goods from countries like China, Sri Lanka, and India, then cross the Arabian Sea by ship and store them in huge warehouses in Yemen, from there they would take 2500-3000 camels to Syria and take the goods from there to Kerala. Goods that reached Rome were taken from there to neighbouring countries (other European countries).

 Not only in undivided India but the world's leading ports, not only the aforementioned Muziris and Kollam, there were other important ports along the Kerala coast. Chaliyam, Pantalayani (Koilandi), Thalassery, Kappad, etc. are the foremost among them. See Miller's words: “Before the rise of Kozhikode, Pantalayani Kollam was the main port between Muziris and the Konkan coast. Travellers have often spoken of this port as ". Pantalayani is today's Koilandi, 13 miles north of Kozhikode.

 Jews and their relatives who used to come to Malabar for trade used to go to Malabar for migration. They came here and settled in two cities named Chaliam and Shinkali (Kodungallur).

 Ibn Battuta also affirmed the superiority of Chaliyam: “Then I went to Chaliyam. It is one of the most beautiful cities. It is the land of garment manufacturing. They have become famous in the name of that day itself. I spent a long time there.

In short, the Arabs were the monopolists of world trade. They spent months and years in the various places they reached because there were no facilities for fast travel like today. Naturally, they became their own in Malabar as well. This hegemony in the field of trade and commerce was a precious blessing given to them by Allah. When the Qur'an began to be revealed, even before the Hijra, Allah reminded them of this and exhorted the Quraysh to worship Him alone in gratitude.

 Quran scholars have unanimously recorded in their commentary on this Surah that they used to make trade trips to Yemen in the winter and to Syria in the summer. It can be seen that some commentators have clearly stated that this was to bring spices and spices from India.

 Roland Miller paints a clearer picture of the Arab presence and its social picture in Malabar and Kerala at that time: "It was only natural that the Kerala coast became the first and most important refuge of the Arabs. It wasn't just the nearest resting place. Black gold was also the source of pepper and other valuable products. The local Hindus welcomed the Arabs as warmly as they welcomed traders and sailors from other lands. The Arabs, on the other hand, followed a policy of non-aggression. Thus, during the time of the Prophet, there were Arabs who came and went between Arabia and Kerala. Some of them settled in major port cities and intermarried with the natives. Hijaz (think Mecca and Medina here) Oman,

 It can be seen in many historical documents that Arabs were constantly coming to Malabar. Alumkulam Kunjan Pillai records that Egyptian/Greek ships frequented Muziris. Another remarkable thing is that not only Arabs came here but Keralites went there. Those who stay here for months, mingle with the people, come in contact with others through gifts and offerings, live an honest life and even engage in marriage, will surely become a member of the community. When they go back to Arabia and so on, they will take many people with them as friends, helpers, relatives, servants, associates or life partners. It is a pleasant fact.

Now we can get a fairly clear understanding of the history of Kerala before the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Hindu friends who firmly believed in Sanatana Dharma, and devout followers of Judaism and Christianity who have come as guests from the Middle East all populated the serene and beautiful atmosphere of Kerala. The old Arab traders were coming there with a new religion. The local Hindus also welcomed them warmly. Don't forget Muller's words quoted above that the non-aggression policy was that of the Arabs.

 It should also be understood that this is not a mere assumption and calculation, but an assessment of historians. PA Syed Mohammad Sahib has spoken extensively about this in the Kerala Muslim Directory. His interpretation is that Islam is not the only religion, but the propagation itself started during the time of the Prophet. Miller's words are striking: “These Arabs were the 'Fathers of the Mapppilas'. As pre-Islamic traders, they facilitated the arrival of Islam by providing a friendly atmosphere and as Muslims spread that faith. Although there is no conclusive evidence, in the light of these circumstances it can be assumed that Islam came to Kerala from early times following the path of Judaism and Christianity.” Thus, the view of the Quraish that Islam came within a few years of the Prophet announcing his mission is based on circumstantial evidence and deserves strong consideration.

 PA Syed Muhammad also cites historical records that Arabian conversions had a universal influence on the social life patterns of Malabar centuries ago. He records: "A famous historical scholar named Ali Al-Tabari, who lived in Baghdad in the 9th century, has recorded that Islam had spread along the coast of Kerala during the time of the Prophet and even before that, Kerala had trade relations with the Arabs."

 There are different opinions about the history of the emergence of Islam in Kerala. Cheraman Perumal had a dream or saw the split moon, then he went to Makkah with Arab traders, the arrival of Malik Dinar and his group, they built mosques at various places, Perumal died in Shihar or Mukalla (Oman) on his way back. Arabs came to Kerala with letters after his death, and they started institutional preaching of Islam in Kerala.

Many arguments have no authentic or historical support. It is against existing and available documents that the Companions of Malik Dinar/Malik bin Dinar and his group came here during the time of the Prophet. The biographies of the early Hijri centuries have been recorded in several multi-volume books. A Companion of that name has not been found in at least one of them. The earliest traceable Malik ibn Dinar is a Tabieh saint (One who saw a Companion in his lifetime) who died in Baswara after 127 AH. Some have said in reply that there was more than one Malik bin Dinar and one of them was a Companion. However, even one of the thousands of Sahabahs introduced through various historical (Asma'urrijal/Tabaqat) texts has not been proven to be so, so that argument is not tenable and is quite childish. Recall the opinion of a section of historical scholars that Malik ibn Dinar and his group came to Kerala for religious preaching activities after the first century of Hijra. But, there are many pieces of evidence to understand that the Holy Prophet of Islam (PBUH) had reached Kerala through trade activities. These historical disputes in anyway dwarf the social and cultural impact Muslims exerted in Kerala society.

In the period up to 1498, the Muslims entered Kerala through trade and seafaring, and the rulers, the Hindu kings, granted them all religious and social rights. In 1498, the peaceful life of the Kerala Muslim community was disrupted by the arrival of the Portuguese under the leadership of Vasco da Gama. The Portuguese tried to usurp through fraud and violence the upper hand that the Muslims had gained in the field of trade through honesty and loyalty. They tried both to monopolize the trade and to impose their religion on the Keralites. The Zamorin, who maintained trade relations with the Arabs, resisted the tactics of the Portuguese. Kerala Muslims gave strong support to Zamorin in this regard. Scholars with foresight and world experience led the struggles of the Muslims against the Portuguese. Scholars like Zainuddin Makhdoom I, Zainuddin Makhdoom II and Qadi Muhammad made strong appeals through writings and speeches. The first historical book written about the period when the Hindu community and the Muslim community stood together against foreign invaders is that of Sheikh Zainuddin Makhdoom II. Accepting his call, the Kunhali Marakars I, who were traders in Kochi, took the leadership of the navy against the Portuguese. Even when the Dutch came to Malabar after the Portuguese and then the French, it had a detrimental effect on the Muslim trading community on the Kerala coast. This caused a large number of people to migrate from the coastal areas to the eastern hinterlands. They left trade and chose agriculture for their livelihood.

The Muslims who came inland from the coastal region had to face casteism there. All the landowners were upper-caste Janmis (feudal lords). The natives saw the maple farmers who came to the interior as inferior. Mappila tenants, who were free-spirited, started protesting because their faith did not allow torture and harm to the tenants to be God's judgment. Protests turned into riots

This status continued till the rule of Malabar came under the hands of King Hyder Ali of Mysore. Hyder Ali stipulated that the lower castes should no longer suffer from slavery. After that many reforms were implemented during the reign of Tipu Sultan for the protection of peasants and common people. It was during the reign of the Mysore Sultans that farmers first got some authority over the land they cultivated. Tipu Sultan played a role in bringing about positive changes in society by regulating customs, and making reforms in marriage customs and dress. At that time the Nair nobles and the British had the power to take up to one-fifth of the property of a dying Muslim as death tax. The reactions against these many injustices and oppressions are known in Kerala history as the Malabar Rebellion.

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References

Muhammad Hamidullah, The Emergence of Islam, Lectures on the Development of Islamic World-View, Intellectual Tradition and Poltiy, Islamic Research Institute, Islamabad.

Mappila Muslim Culture: How a Historic Muslim Community in India Has Blended Tradition and Modernity by Roland E. Miller

Mappila Muslims of Kerala: A Study in Islamic Trends by Roland E. Miller

Origin and Early History of the Muslims of Keralam, 700 A.D.-1600 A.D. by J. B. Prashant More

Perumāḷs of Kerala: Brahmin Oligarchy and Ritual Monarchy: Political and Social Conditions of Kerala Under the Cēra Perumāḷs of Makōtai (c. AD 800-AD 1124) by M. G. S. Narayanan

Calicut: The City of Truth Revisited M. G. S. Narayanan

Tuḥfat Al-mujāhidīn: A Historical Epic of the Sixteenth Century by Zayn al-Dīn ibn ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz Malībārī

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A regular columnist for NewAgeIslam.com, Mubashir V.P is a PhD scholar in Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia and freelance journalist.

 

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