CONCLUSION As the Study Is an Attempt to Understand the Changes That Occurred in the Malabar During the Period of the Eighteenth
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CONCLUSION As the study is an attempt to understand the changes that occurred in the Malabar during the period of the eighteenth century, it is essential to sum up the conclusions pertaining to it are relevant in this context. The mainstream historical writings looked at the historical incidents in the eighteenth century as ‘authentic evidences of pre-modern feudal anarchism’ that had emerged in the Malabar society during aforementioned century. Another group of scholars viewed it as, ‘necessary changes that had aroused out of the frequent interactions between the Malabar society and the mercantile companies of the Europe’ with an objective shift of the static society of Malabar to a developed one. Dilip M. Menon, in his study, has tried to explain the influence of the open political conflicts in the formation of political institutions in Malabar in the eighteenth century. He has made reference that; a new social condition has emerged, and that has opened up a suitable venue for anyone to put in experiments in the application of power in Malabar during the eighteenth century.918 Without making any explanation to the nature and the functioning of the experiments, he has made a general classification to it namely, the ‘households’, which are the byproducts of political rivalry during the period of the chaotic eighteenth century. In contrary to the above, Abhilash Malayil has made an endeavour to make a different approach to this matter and has made an attempt to study has to how the ‘political fovours were problematized in the political chaos of Malabar’ in the eighteenth century. In that study, he has made an attempt to answer the question as to “what was the status or the trend of the native politics during the transitional period of the Company’s ascendancy in Malabar in the eighteenth century? He has assessed different political arrangement of Malabar in the eighteenth century and based on this, he has opined that all of them had common features that are collectively called as ‘adhocism’. According to Abhilash, the term ‘adhocism’ would mean an act of involvement in the creation or implementation of certain programmes towards the 918 Dilip M. Menon, Houses by the Sea State Formation Experiments in Malabar, 1760-1800, Economic and Political Weekly, July 17, 1999, pp.1995-2003. 282 progress by overriding, redefining or rejecting the existing norms and rules of the society.919 The evolutionary process of the conveyances of land in Malabar during the eighteenth century indicates that land was transformed into a marketable commodity during that period. In this context, it is relevant to discuss the meaning of the terms commodity, marketable, asset, saleable etc. In economics, the term commodity is defined as tangible goods that can be bought and sold or exchanged for the products of similar value. It is a reasonably interchangeable goods or materials that are bought and sold freely as an article of commerce. They are traded in bulk on a spot market.920 They include agricultural products, fuels metals and so on. While the term marketable means, a thing that is fit to be offered for sale in a market. Thus, the word marketable commodity means, a tangible as well as reasonably interchangeable goods or materials that is fit to be offered for sale; bought and sold freely as an article of commerce in bulk on a spot market. The word saleable means, a thing which is suitable for sale or worth enough to be sold. So also, the term asset means a valuable or useful thing owned by a person, which is regarded as having a value. The documents which are relating to the land transactions of Malabar in the eighteenth century indicate that, the land was transformed into an asset. Thus, the land in the eighteenth century can be considered as a saleable asset i.e. a thing that is worth enough to or suitable for sale as a valuable thing. However, the increasing number of janmam transactions as well as the transactions on annu perum artam basis, many references of vilaola karanams etc. indicated that land is a thing in demand that can be reasonably bought and sold as an article in Malabar during the period of the eighteenth century. If we analyse those transactions in such a way, we can find the complete alienation of rights pertain to land from one person to another as per current value of the land; here, we can see the basic features of a marketable commodity in land transactions of Malabar in the eighteenth century. 919Abhilash Malayail,‘Raashtriyakooru Pathinettaamnuttandavasaanam: Kadathanaattilninnulla Nireeshanangal’, in P.J. Sajeev (ed.), Kerala Padanangal ,Vol. VII, Issue 1, January 2016, Government Arts and Science College Research Journal, Kozhikode, p.18. 920www.bussinessdictionary.com 283 The European companies put into practice many methods to hold on the land of Malabar in eighteenth century. The land conveyances of the colonial records have exposed that the European Companies such as VOC, E. E. I. C., and the French East India Company have attempted to put their hold directly, on the land transactions of Malabar during the early decades of the eighteenth century. They have used different ways to put its hold on the land transactions of Malabar during the eighteenth century. The E. E. I. C. held land under its control of the Europeans to start cultivation in the lands under the direct control of the Company, letting of grounds in Malabar in the long term, acquiring the temple lands as part of the clearance of the debt of the concerned ruler of the locality, confiscation of the estates of the merchants in Malabar as the surety for the Company’s money advance, obtaining of the land in Malabar as reward for its timely help to the native rulers in their struggle against their opponents and so on. The VOC had mainly concentrated in the system of letting of lands of different category for a long period. The French East India Company was mainly concentrated in the Mahe region. Thus, during the eighteenth century, the VOC and the E. E. I. C. were two important land holders of European origin who concentrated in southern and northern regions of Malabar during the period of the eighteenth century. The entry of such European commercial enterprises as the land holders of Malabar in the eighteenth century is a new trend in the land relations of the region. The statement of Mr. Brown, the British official in Malabar that he has purchased a janmam land on money payment as per the customs of the region, has possessed all the rights on it and no one has any right to question him in this matter, indicates the existence of absolute private property right on land, which has sold on the payment of money to anybody, even if, the buyer is a foreigner. The statements of Murdoch Brown are indication of the British notions of absolute ownership on the land as well as of the private property, which was implemented by the British in Malabar in later years. Moreover, the eighteenth century has witnessed the attempt of the British official to intervene in the land transactions, especially the transactions of janmam lands of Malabar. The involvement of Brown is an example to the successful attempt of a foreigner to obtain land on janmam holdings on money payment. Moreover, we 284 can see the entry of the Europeans as the kanakkars of Malabar during the eighteenth century. Malabar witnessed number of external interventions during the period of the eighteenth century like Siddis of Janjira, Angrias, Nayakas of Bednure, and rulers of Vodayar-Kudaku etc. The rivalry between the Kolatiri and Ali Raja reached its climax when in January, 1731 A.D.; the Siddis of Janjira invaded the domain of Kolatiri in support of Ali Raja.921 Prince Kunji Homo’s letter to the Chief factor at Tellichery in 1731 A.D. reveals the perilous situation faced by the prince, one of the remaining elements of old Kolatunadu swarupam, pertaining to their attack. In which, the invasion of the Nayakas had resulted in a more striking impact on the history of Malabar, especially of the North Malabar. The invasion of Somasekhara Nayaka came up to the island of Dharmadam and it caused many disturbances in the power relations of Kolatunadu in eighteenth century. In this context, the stand of Kottayam Raja was striking as he entered into agreement with the E. E. I. C. for war assistance as well as for financial support.922 The invasion of the Canarese also created confusion among other native as well as foreign powers of Malabar in eighteenth century. The invitation of some members of Kolatiri family against Prince Regent, entry of Bednur Nayakas and signing of a treaty and subsequent alteration of the status of region lay in between River Valarpattanam and River Nileswaram as the tributary of Bednur in 1732 are the examples to afore mentioned facts.923 Again, the formation of an alliance between the Prince Regent and Canarese and joined attack on Kannur in 1733924; the formation of a confederacy of native and foreign authorities like the Prince Regent, Raja of Kottayam and the E. E. I. C. against the Canarese925 and the entry of the VOC in this confederacy926 and the retreat of the Canarese etc. provided supportive evidences to the shifting alliances which were created by the Canarese invasion in Malabar in eighteenth century. Moreover, the Canarese implementation of the policy of economic ban on Malabar was another important aspect and by which they decided to stop the supply of rice to 921 A. P.