A Study on the Perception of Ulamas in the Struggle Against Portuguese in Malabar
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IJARED 3(2), 127-137 © The Author(s) 2015 [email protected] www.emeacollege.ac.in ISSN:2348-3342 Many Voices of Dissent? A Study on the Perception of Ulamas in the Struggle against Portuguese in Malabar. Jahfar Odakkal Department of History and West Asian Studies, EMEA College of Arts and Science, Kondotti, Kerala Abstract: Tuhfathul Mujahideen,authored by Sheikh Zainuddin Maqdum, a renowned Islamic scholar of 16th century Kerala, can be considered as a classic text in the genre of resistance literature against colonialism. Along with other works of the same period such asTahriz and Fathul Mubin it represented the jihadic outlook of the contemporary ulamas.Apart from these,Tuhfa is the first historical work of Kerala authored by a Keralite. The present study attempts to place Tuhfa as one of the pioneering work which heralded a long tradition of Anti-Colonial literature in Kerala. It also tries to evaluate the methods of struggle as propounded by the text and it's historical relevance.It is also intended to read the text both in the perspectives of the local Mappila community of Malabar and also in the broader perspective of wider Islamic world of the contemporary times. Key words: Tuhfathul Mujahidin, Resistance Literature, anti Colonial Literature, Tahriz, Fathul Mubin The colonial aggrandisements of Malabar region1 led to the natural origin of anti-colonial literary works. During the Portuguese interruptions in the Indian Ocean World in the sixteenth century, there were several counter attacks from the Asian communities. Historians are widely acknowledged the importance of such resistances, but they have not seriously analysed the ideas and motivations of the people on the basis of their own sources, despite the presence of numerous valuable materials2. Those works aimed at inspiring and educating the people to build up native resistance movement in fighting out the colonial forces and their penetration into the land. From sixteenth century International Journal for Advanced Research in Emerging Disciplines (IJARED) Malabar, three Arabic texts against the Portuguese have been translated into European languages a) The most renowned Tuhfat al Mujahidin to Badi Akhbar al Burtugaliyyin by Ahmed Zayan al Din bin Muhammad al Gazhali al-Malaybari(1853?) translated to Portuguese partly by David Lopez and into English byMJ Rowlandson and S Muhammad Husayn Nainar. It was also translated into Latin,aFrench, German, Spanish and Czech and into many Indian languages. b) Fath al Mubin by Qadi Muhammad bin Abd al Aziz (1617?) c) TahridbAhl al Iman of Zain al Shin Abu Yahya bin Ali(1522). All the three texts have different different Literary specifications and historical significances as respective translators have elaborated. While schoolers of the pre modern Indian Ocean World use the Tuhfat widely, the other two texts have generally skipped their attention3. Sheikh Zainuddin Maqdum’s Tuhfathul Mujahideen(1583) is viewed as a classic text in this genre. This work has won wider recognition as it contained trustworthy documents. The aim of the author in this work was to educate and elaborate the necessity of people’s resistance against the Portuguese colonial power in defence of ideology, livelihood as well as territorial integrity. This work also shed light on the other aspect of the medieval Kerala scenario. The literary work finds its origin in the attempt to steer the general public to anti-imperialistic resistance based on the Quranic verses. The advent of Vasco da Gama in1498 laid the foundation of 128 International Journal for Advanced Research in Emerging Disciplines (IJARED) colonial occupation in Kerala effecting the fundamental changes in all the spheres of the society. Basically the aim of the Portuguese was to cut down the monopoly of the Arab overseas trade. The age long trade relation of Kerala with Arabia and Egypt came into a halt. The Portuguese monopoly replaced the medieval peaceful trade and coexistence. The peace and tranquility of Zamorin’s territory was vanished. No doubt that the entry of the Portuguese on the Malabar Coast, particularly in Calicut opened up a new chapter of persicution and harsh treatment towards native Muslims and the Arabs to monopolize trade which already were in the hands of the Muslims. Calicut was inhabited by the foreign and native Moors,the richest that there were in all India4 The Portuguese were most fanatical against the Muslims of the Kerala coast. According to Zainuddin the position of the Muslims in Kerala was far better prior to the advent of Portuguese. He states that the Muslims were well treated by the respective Hindu rulers. He is very much concerned about the laws of the Muslim dominance in the foreign trade between the Middle-East and India. With the loss of the trade he complains that the war spirit and religious belief of the local Muslims had gone to the lowest ebb. So he calls the Muslims of the land to wake up and wage relentless war against the Portuguese. The gradual growth of the Portuguese hegemony in the every field of Kerala society is clearly depicted in the Tuhfathul Mujahideen. Tuhfathul Mujahideen can be considered to be one among the early manifestations of resistance movement against the European colonization endeavors in India. Sheikh Zainuddin hailed from the renowned Maqdum family from the Ponnani in Malabar in northern Kerala. This family traced descend to migrants from Yemen who played a leading role in the spread of Islam in southern India. Sheikh Zainuddin rose to become a leading Islamic 129 International Journal for Advanced Research in Emerging Disciplines (IJARED) scholar. He spent ten years studying in Mecca where he also joined in Qadri order. Then he returned to Malabar almost four decades teaching at central mosque in Ponnani, then a major centre for Islamic studies in southern India. As a prolific writer and eminent scholar of the time, Maqdum’s work were not only published from Kerala but also from other parts of the world such as Egypt, Singapore, and Malaysia etc. Interestingly Tuhfathul Mujahideen which is considered to be his magnum opus was published in Arabic from Lisbon and later on translated into the languages of Portuguese, Latin, French, German, Spanish, English, Persian, Czech and to Indian languages such as Urdu, Gujarathi, Tamil, Malayalam etc. The first English translation of Tuhfathul Mujahideen was by Major Rowlands of Fort St. George in the year 1898 from London. Amerson, James Brigs, Rocks, SMH Nainar were the other English translators of the work. David Lopez prepared the Portuguese translation of the work. Tuhfathul Mujahideen consist of five sections including introductory part. The first chapter discuss in detail about the Islamic concept of Jihad followed by a look into the history of Muslim community in Malabar. It then describes the customs of the Hindu population of Malabar at the time. The final part narrates the history of the Portuguese in Malabar and the rise of naval force led by the Kunhali Marakkars, from the arrival of the former towards the end of fifteenth century till the battle of Chaliyam in 1571. In the introductory part of this work the author frames the reason which led him compile this narratives, mainly to urge the Muslims to fight against the foreign intruders who had occupied the territories. The first chapter discuss the merits of holy war (jihad) 130 International Journal for Advanced Research in Emerging Disciplines (IJARED) providing with the verses of the Quran and the sayings of the prophet. The author exhorts the whole section of Muslim community including women and children to wage a holy war against the non-believers. He observes that the fight is against the foreign occupation and atrocities committed by the Portuguese with the help of Muslim friendly Zamorin who is a no- believer. The author criticise Muslim sultans of the period for not taking interest in the affairs of the Muslims of the Malabar. The second chapter of the work deals with the growth of Islam in Kerala. He writes of how the Hindu ruler of Malabar impressed with a group of Muslim pilgrims on their way to Ceylon, converted to Islam and accompanied them back to Arabia. There, shortly before he died, he instructed them to return to Malabar. They did, as they were told and the king’s governors welcomed them allowing them to settle along the cost and establish mosques. Gradually, he write, the Muslim community began expanding through the missionary efforts Sufis and traders. He observes that the relation between the Hindus and Muslims were traditionally cordial. Muslims played a vital role in the region’s economy. Hindu rulers were very tolerant and even played salaries for the Qasis and Islamic Mudaris in mosques. The third chapter is about the tolerant attitude of the Hindu rulers in Malabar. He then discusses in the prevailing the Hindu custom s, caste system, pollution, marriage system, order of succession, polyandry, dress, warfare etc of the people of the Malabar. In fact this provides the vivid picture of the socio cultural condition of the Malabar in the 16th century. His observations about the Hindus of Malabar are remarkable for their sense of balance and sympathy. He notes with disapproval the deeply routed caste prejudices among the Malabar Hindus. 131 International Journal for Advanced Research in Emerging Disciplines (IJARED) The fourth and final part of the book discusses the growth of Portuguese dominations in Malabar, in the broader background of the Kerala from1498 to 1583. This part of the book pure factual history. Sheik Zainuddin describes the reign of terror unleashed on Malabar Muslim by the Portuguese who were fired with a hatred of Islam and Muslims. He records the indiscriminate killing of Muslim, rapes of Muslim women, forcible conversions of Muslims to Christianity, destroying the mosques and building churches in the places and setting on fire Muslim shops and homes5.