sign in sign up
<<
Home , Eranad, Faqir (clan), Islam in Kerala, Kalady, Kondotty, Mappila

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-9, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

De-Persianaization of : The Cultural Shifts after Hadhrami Migration in Malabar

Anas Edoli Research Scholar, Department of History Sree Sankaracharya University of , .

Abstract: Hadhrami migration to Malabar in the These reasons were enough to Hadhrami to seventeenth century was a land mark issue in the oppose the and their followers. history of and they influenced Hadhrami Sayyids started the campaign in early their socio-cultural life. They participated in the years of their migration against the views of religious affairs of Mappila Muslims as well as the Kondotty . Sheikh Jifri issued many anti colonial struggle against the British. It is Fatwas against them. In later years there emerged a worth mentioning that their role in De- constant dispute between Kondotty and Persianaization of Islam in Malabar. In 17 the sect which was commonly known as Ponnani- century there was strong influence of the Kondotty Kondotty Kaitharam. Ponnani sect was of the Sunni Thangal in Malabar who propagated many Shia followers. Therefore Hadhrami Sayyids supported (Persian Islam) ideologies. Hadhrami Sayyids the Ponnani sect. fought against this ideology using their nail and teeth. Sheikh Jifri of Hadhramaut wrote a book 2. Influence of Persian Islam in Malabar against the Kondotty faction and Persian Islam lashing out at their rituals. This paper will analyze Muhammed Sha and his elder son and the activities of Hadhrami Sayyids towards the De- their followers started to propagate the Persian Persianaization of Islam in Malabar. Islam in Malabar which was under Arabian influence for long years from days of its emergence 1. Introduction its emergence in early medieval period. Contradictory to the advance of Islam in north Hadhrami migration in Malabar paved , Islam in was completely under the way for many socio-cultural changes in eighteenth influence of who came here for the trade and nineteenth century. Though it was a gradual purposes. On this ground, Kerala Muslims imitate process there took place a sea change in Islamic more or less Arabian culture and their religious practices which were followed by the Mappila practices. On the other hand, Islam in north India Muslims before the advancement of Hadhramies. reached here through the influence of Persian At the time of Hadhrami migration Muhammed scholars. Due to this there was the influence of Sha Thangal of Kondotty was the main Islamic Persian Islam from the beginning onwards. propagator and preacher who disseminated Persian i ii Islam among the Mappila Muslims of Malabar In the case of Malabar, Shia influence who got many staunch supporters across Malabar touched the ground only after the settlement of and started to work from Kondotty in . Kondotty Thangal at Kondotty. gazteer mentions that “ in the eighteenth After a short while Kondotty Thangal got century a schism was created by the introduction of a laudable position in Malabar and many Muslims new forms worship by a foreign (Persian) from every walks of life started to visit the Muhammedan, who settled at Kondotti in Thangal. Against this background Shiekh Jifri who Taluk. His followers are called Shias by the was an ardent follower of Shafi school of orthodox party. But they themselves, when Jurisprudence migrated to Malabar and he strongly questioned, object to the use of the name and assert condemned Persian Islamiii from his early iv that they are as much Sunnis as the other party. childhood for several reasons. The most important This sect though still numerous, does not seem to Shia vi amongst them was that the attacks of Muslims be increasing in numbers”. They preached the towards the descendants of at Basra when succession of following the prophet they were forced to flee from there to different Muhammed. Shia Muslims thinks that Ali was the parts of the world. Secondly, they always opposed real successor of the Prophet but that Aboobacker tooth and nail the concept of Sunnism which snatched it from him with the support of the Hadhrami Sayyids followed. In the same manner majority. For this, Shia scholars cited a hadeeth they objected to all the schools of jurisprudences.v

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 693

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-9, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in that was delivered in the last speech of prophetvii was one amongst them. In later years the Hadhrami that “Oh people! Reflect on the and Sayyids themselves started to practice the uruk for comprehend its verses. Look into its clear verses the medicinal purposes. Nowadays, the system of and do not follow its ambiguous parts, for by Allah, uruk is very common in Malabar. Majority of none shall be able to explain to you its warnings people who used to go to the religious scholars to and its mysteries, nor shall anyone clarify its get their blessing and uruk on which they chanted interpretation, other than the one that I have some dikr (praising of gods). Besides this there grasped his hand, brought up beside myself, the were many other practices which was imbibed from one about whom I inform you that whomever I am Persian Islam, and these practices still exist in his master (mawla), then Ali is his master and he is Malabar. However Hadhrami Sayyids tried to fight Ali ibn abi Talib, my brother, the executor of your against soe practices which is very similar to the will (wasiyyath), whose appointment as your shia culture using their nail and teeth. As a result guardian and leader has been sent down to me from there emerged constant fight between two sects in Allah, the mighty and majestic”.viii Monique the name of Ponnani Kondotti Kai issue. Bernads gives different meaning for the word ‘mawla’. He argues that the word ‘mawla’ refers to 3.Ponnani-Kondotty Conflict his succession, he writes “ when mawla is glossed (Kaitharkkam) by halif, it is in fact a shortened form of mawla bil halif. One of the types of relationships between After the death of Sha, his non- agnates is wala bi halif (a tie by oath by sons and grandsons started to propagate Persian alliance) this term is recorded as one of the types of Islam in Malabar in a systematic manner which ix wala without explanation”. attracted many Muslims to the view of ‘sha’ of Kondotty. This became the bone of contention The Kondotty Thangal tried to spread this between Ponaani and Kondotty sect. C.A. Innes ideology to the common people, but this was not writes “in they are divided into two happen apparently, however it was done very divisions, preferring allegiance to the Valiya systematically and strategically by them, because Jarathingal Tangal of Ponnani and Kondotty Tngal they were aware of Sunni influence of Malabar and respectively. The followers of the latter are said by understood that it could not change the belief at a those of the former to be Shias, but they themselves stretch. At the first instance of Persian Islam in claim to be Sunnis. The difference between the two Malabar many Sunni scholars strongly opposed parties sometimes become acute and lead to their views and ideology. Many books were being disturbances”.xii In the same manner William written by the regional scholars. In the same Logan also says that the advance of Muhammed manner they tried to spread the concept of sha caused for the separation of Muslims into two Imamates of Shia. They believe that their ten groups.xiiiMany scholars started to criticize each imamas are the path finder to them and it is very other. When Tipu invaded Malabar elite people essential to follow them in all aspects of their life. took the issue to his court. As Tipu was pro Persian The tenth one will come only in the time of to islamist he gave the verdict in favor of the doomsday. Kondotty sect. The invasion of Tipu was a golden opportunity to the Kondotty sect. When Tipu However there are many apparent established a fort at Farookabad, he invited all influences of Persian Islam in Malabar. Mainly the scholars to his court. However he gave due celebration of nercha in the memory of a respected importance to the Kondotty Faqirxiv and gave the person or a scholar which would be amalgamated x title of Inamdar to the Kondotty Thangal and with regional art forms. It had become very allotted many lands for the need of propagation and popular and got common attention only after the to build at Kondotty. coming of Kondotty Thangal. Though it was Persian culture Mappila Muslims started to Veneration was continued even after the celebrate the nercha with due importance. One can coming of British in Malabar. The British respected see the beginnings of many nerchas in the second Kondotty and recognized their Inamdar title half of eighteenth and the beginning of nineteenth and extended all help which they wanted. Kondotty century. The Mamburam and Veiyankode nerchas xi Faqirs also supported British activities in Malabar are best examples for it. this caused very strong opposition from the ulema of Malabar. Conrad Wood writes, “in the period of System of uruk (amulet) tying also 1836- 1919 the Kondotty Tangals were generally introduced by the . Even though the successful in ensuring that none of their adherents Hadhrami Sayyids tried to wash out the Persian were implicated in the periodic Mopilah Outbreaks culture they could not remove many practices in the suppression of which the Kondotty faction which were deep rooted in the society. Uruk system xv indeed sometimes participated”. Therefore british

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 694

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-9, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in also helped them by avoiding the land revenue as book Kanzul Baraheen that the Kondotty Thangals reported in Malabar Manual “just before the joint were the addicts of Hashish and drugs and commission was dissolved, the company madea propagated that the nudity helps to reach to Allah grant exempting the lands of the Kundotti Tangal very easily.xix Again he “criticizes both the Qazis (a high priest of one section of ) from (Qazi of Kondotty Taqiyya) for neglecting the book payment of the revenue as had been the custum in of God and the tradition of prophet Muhemmed Tipu’s time on condition thatour Tangal and his and blames them for following the heretic Sheikh people would prove loyal to Honourable Company- and leading the people astray. He cautioned them a promise which they have ever since very with great prediction if they did not repent for their faithfully fulfilled”.xvi But the Scholars of Ponaani wrongs”.xx However the Qadi of Taqiya, Abdul opposed the Kondotty Thangal using by all means. Asees Musliyar at Kondotty defended all the This opposition caused the flowerers to the Thangal criticism against the Kondotty Thangal. He argued to lessen. that the scholars has no right to intervene in the life of Sufi because ,their life is beyond the The key issue in the case of Kondottty Sharia. But Jifri was not ready to succumb, Thangal was the sijida of murids in front of the he claimed that all those who is acting against the Sheik. This was strongly condemned by the Sunni Islamic Sharia is not a real Muslim. Again he scholars and argued that the sijida in front of a quoted the Adkiya of Zaindheen that all the sufi creature is prohibited by Allah and all those who should follow the sharia rules only through the bow their head in front of creatures is out of Islam. following the sharia can bag both haqiqa and tariqa The scholars like Umar Kazhi wrote a poetry (two stages in the sufi orders).xxi against the sijida. In the same manner Bava Musliyar wrote book against the sijida by analyzing Even though the followers of Kondotty all aspects of it and proved that the sijida practice turned down the claims of Sunni people that they in front of creature is not part of Islam. Kondotty practiced the worship of Shia Muslims in certain faction also gave befitting replies. Faqir wrote a days. Hadhrami Sayyids considered them as the letter to Maqdhoom Bava Musliyar. In this letter he descendants of Bora family who migrated to claimed that the sijida are in two types, sijida Calicut from . On some occasions they sharaee and sijida lavi. The first one is allowed called the followers of Kondotty Thangal as only in front of the God but the latter is permissible Rawafil. On the other hand Ishthiyaq Sha of in Islam.xvii Husain K. writes “in safar 1301/ Kondotty wrote a long letter to the Muslims of December 188, Puli Thodikayil Ali Musliyar, the Kerala about their tariqa which was followed by Qazi of Takiyya issued a Fatwa Justifying the them and their dedication to the Islam. Moreover prostration. He explained there are two types of he refuted all the criticism of Hadhrami Sayyids as prostration, the first being sijida- al Haqiqi or a story they cooked up to under estimate his sijida al- shar that which is performed by placing Murids. At the end of this letter he claimed that he seven parts of the body on the floor and the second is the authority of the Qadhiri Silsila in Malabar.xxii being sijida majazi that which is the bowing one’s head and body. The former is allowed only to God After the hectic intervention of Hadhrami and the latter which is also called sijidathu Sayyids, there created a clear division in the Thahiyyat (prostration of greeting) is recommended society. The Kondotty faction was not allowed to to Sufis and holy persons. To support his verdict enter in the mosques of the Sunnis and it was Ali Musliyar quoted statements from different law prohibited to bury in the Sunni after their books. For eg, it had been stated in Jamul Sageer death too. It was considered as taboo to eat the that the prostration is of two types. The prostration meat which is slaughtered by the Kondoty faction. of worship and that of greeting. The latter is The marital relation would be broken by joining performed as a mark of respect to those other than either the bride or groom to the Kondotty faction God.”xviii .These conditions were put forth with the loyal support of Hadhrami Sayyids. In the same 4. Hadhrami Sayyids’ Interventions in manner Hadhrami Sayyids refused to make the the Issue Kondotty faction imams in any mosque and taking part in celebration in their homes. They even The beginning of Kai issue was really just refused eating food which was prepared by them after the visit of Sayyid Jifri to the Kanqah of and withdrew from eating along with them. Muhammed Sha and strongly condemned the Tariqath of the Kondotty Thangals. He advised the The war of words lasted till the death of Muslims that the Kondotty Thangals were against Sayyid Jifri in the dawn of nineteenth century. the practices of prayer and and they tried their There was tranquility after his death but it was best to demolish Islam in Malabar. He wrote in his resumed in 1835 when a marriage issue took place

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 695

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-9, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in in Malabar. The issue was that one woman took a Mappilas. They influenced the local people using sijida in front of the Kondotty faqir. The Ponnani their lineage and other things to invite the people to faction claimed that the marriage ties with her their ideology as they had done wherever they husband was broken by her sijida to the Faqir.xxiii migrated. Anne K.Bang writes “for large Howerer Kondotti faction argued that the proportion of the educated elite, the books read separation will not happen by the sijida. Any way were the same as in Hadramawt, the sufi oriantaion the scholars from Arabian countries also intervened was that of Hadhrami Alawis, the Alawi moulid in this issue and issued fatwa in favour of Ponnani ritual was that of Hadramawt- and so forth.”xxv faction. This was a setback to the Kondotty faction. As Hadhramies were the followers of In 1843, Ahemmed Musliyar Padur Shafi School of jurisprudence, they propagated proclaimed in his speech at Edvanna in shafi ideology in all the localities where they Malappuram that the sijida and the Muharram migrated. On this ground one can see that the celebration just like shiate is prohibited in islam. spread of Shafi school in Malay Archilago, This caused much hues and cry in the society, Indonesia, East Africa, etc. Anne K.Bang writes, meanwhile Kondotty faction challenged to prove it “what we know about the Zanzibari Shafi Ulema by evidence. Against this background Ponnani derives from the retrospective accounts begin faction agreed to prove it in a public space with the where the tarjamas of Hadhrami Alawis end; presence of scholars from both factions. But focusing on Zanzibar, they depict a tight woven Kondotty faction evaded from this program. network of shafi scholars, some of whom were part However months later, again Kondotty faction of the Alawi tradition, others who looked challenged the Ponnani factions. So Shujaee moidu elsewhere for their orientation.”xxvi Shafi School of Musliyar from Ponnani faction and Ahemmed law was the main feature of Hadramaut that is why Kutti Musliyar from Kondotty sect participated. In they attempted to introduce Shafi School at the first this challenge Ahmmed Musliyar was gagged with stage as Peter G. Riddel writes “an important the questions of Moidu Musliyar. This event was feature of Islam in Hadhramaut was the caused the flow of hundreds of people from preponderance of the shafi school of law. Indeed so Kondooty to Ponnani faction. complete was its dominance that alternative schools of law were largely absent”.xxvii Few years later there was an issue pertaining to establishment of new Jumath mosque However in the case of Malabar Shafi at Kondotty because Sunni scholars were reluctant School of jurisprudence was already exist through to participate in the Juma of Kondotty faction. the Maqdhoom family of Ponnani who propagated Nevertheless this caused an argument within the the Shafi School. It is worth mentioning that Sunni sect itself. Some scholars supported to Zainudheen Maqdhoom wrote a book in Shafi establish a new mosque while some others strongly school of Jurisprudence which became world opposed it. This problem was solved after famous which is using till this date across the assumption of office of Qazi by Payakath globe. But the advance of Hadhrami gave only a Ahammed Musliyar who tried to make a revival to this school. Hadhrami Sayyids gave reconciliation between the two group by his sincere fatwa and arbitration using the Shafi school of law. interventions but the conflict between the faction still remained. By introducing Shafi School of law Hadhrami Sayyids challenged the Kondotty Faqirs On the otherhand there was relentless in all its aspects. The Shafi school responded effort from the part of Hadhrami Sayyids to against sijida and their celebration of muharram in propagate Shafi school of jurisprudence and its the shiatexxviii style. It is promulgated by the practices. It could gain its aim through their system Hadhrami Sayyids that a person can follow any of Darsxxiv and other Islamic educational system. silsila of tariqa while the following the one of the By the twentieth century there was a strong four school of jurisprudence is very necessary to all influence of Shafi School of jurisprudence in Muslims. But Kondooty Faqirs were denied this Malabar. fact by saying that they are the followers of the Qadiri Tariqath.

Erection of numerous masjid at every 5.De-Personalization and Propagation corner of the Malabar was the major changes after of Shafi School of Jurisprudence the Hadhrami migration. xxixIn those masjids Hadhrami sayyids initiated to start the palli dars in By the advance of Hadhramies in Malabar Yemeni model. In the nineteenth and twentieth there was a socio cultural revival in the life of century palli dars system was an important way of

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 696

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-9, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

Islamic knowledge accumulation. In this palli dars Hadhrami Sayyids announced the negative aspects ii Randathani, Hussain, Mappila Malabar (mal.), Islamic of the Kondotty faqir and the anti shriath factors of Publishing Burro, Calicut, 2005, p. 133 Kondotty faction. Moreover all the students in this iii Shia belief is its main ideolgy iv mosques were molded in the Shafi Dale, Stephen, “The Hadhrami Diaspora in South- jurispudent ideology and send for Islamic Western India: The role of the Sayyids of the Malabar propagation at village areas of Malabar. Coast”, in Ulrike Freitag and William G. Clarence-Smith (eds.), Hadhrami Traders, Scholars and Statesmen in the , 1750s-1960s, Brill, Leiden, 1997, p. 176 6. Conclusion v There are four school of jurisprudence in islam vi Kareem C.K., Malappuram District Gazetteer, One can understand that the role of Government Press, , 1986, p. 199. Muhammed Sha of Kondotty and his followers vii It is commonly known as Hajjathul wida were helped in jetting access in Malabar but the viii Imam Bukhari, Saheehul Bukhari, vol 5 p. 280 advance of Hadhramies created a big impediments ix Monique Bernads, Patronate and Patronage in Early and Classical Islam, Brill, Lieden, 2005,p.24 in front of them. Hadhramies were major x opponents of the Kondooty faction in terms of their Gangadaran M. , Mappila Padanangal (mal.), Islamic perspectives. Moreover Hadhramies Vachanam Books, Calicut, 2007, p. 146 ’ xi Ibid. p. 147 opposition towards the Shia community was not xii Innes C.A., Malabar Gazetteer, Kerala Gazetteers only in Malabar but was very obvious across the Department, Thiruvanathapuram, 1997, p. 188 globe. This enmity was started from the beginning xiii Krishnan T.V., Malabar Manual (trans.), of tenth century onwards as the Shia community Mathrubhoomi Books, Calicut, 2014, p. 154 were the major reasons for the migration of xiv Kondotty Thangal family commonly known as Hadhramies. Kondotty Faqir xv Wood, Conrad, Rebellion and its Genesis, After long years of fight between the South Books, New , 1987,p.50 xvi Shiaism and Sunnism there took place big change , Malabar Manual, Government PreSS, in the culture of Malabar through the Hadhrami Madras, p. 494. xvii Ibid. p. 51 Sayyids who propagated shafi school and its laws. xviii Husain K., Mappila Muslim Society of 19th Century, This change influenced many Muslims to the Shafi Unpublishe P.h.D. Thesis, Calicut University, 2013, school of jurisprudence meanwhile Kondotty p.236. faction lost its followers in a large amount. But still xix Sayyid Jifri, Kanzul Baraheen, Manuscript, Jifri there are some followers in the suburban areas of House, p. 463 Kondotty. However there conduct a big nerchas in xx Husain K., Mappila Muslim Society of 19th Century, every year and belive that the participation in the Unpublishe P.h.D. Thesis, Calicut University, 2013, p.236. nercha itself cause to recuperate many ailments. xxi This practices still remain though the followers are Sheik Zainudheen, Hidaythul Adkiya ila Tarikul Awliya (), Publishers, , 1993, p. 36 very limited. On the other hand shafi school got a xxii Letter written by Ishthiyaq sha to the Muslims of mass support around ninety percents of Malabar Malabar, Manuscript, 1860. Muslims and to oppose the practices of Kondotty xxiii By offering sijida she was considered as out of Islam. sect. By becoming one of the person out of isalm the marriage tie will broken. In the case of Malabar,the conflict xxiv It is just like seminary to give the Islamic knowledge. between Kondotty and Ponnani faction was a xxv Bang, K. Anne, Sufis and Scholars of the Sea: Family severe issue in the history of Malabar history. Only Networks in East Africa, 1860-1925, Routledge, Newyork, 2003, p. 153 the religious issue became the matter for discussion xxvi around for two centuries. It even created obstacles Ibid. p. 93 xxvii Religigious Links Between in fighting against the British in nineteenth and Peter G. Riddel, ‘ Hadhramaut and the Malay-Indonesian World. C. 1850 twentieth century. When one faction fought against to C. 1950’, in Ulrike Freitag and William G. Clarence- the British the other faction supported the British. Smith (eds.), op.cit, p. 219. However this conflict was terminated only after the xxviii It is celebration of muharram with extreme over interventions of British in Malabar and its happiness and perform many acrobatics using the exploitation of common people. On this occasion, weapons and etc. xxix many leaders were created other than the religious Husain Randathani, op.cit., p. 122 leaders. People stood behind these leaders to fight against the British in 1921 and later.

i Persian Islam is the

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 697