Book Review: Mappila Muslims of Kerala: A Study in Islamic Trends by Ronald E.Miller

This book is one of the first historical narratives of Mappila community. Miller tries to trace the cultural and political hhistory of much neglected socity and he ends it in 1970s. This would be a wonderful reading to those who would like know Mappilas and their cultural legacies. Mappilas are those Muslims who are living in the coastal area of south west India. When we discuss Muslims, we usually talks about the Indian Muslims. The unknown Muslims’, Mappila, populated more than some of Arab countries. In general history Mappila got a space in ‘Malabar and Its Folks’ a book edited by TKG Panikkar in 1921. Mappila must discover them and they must critically know their own history and attitude and relationship with society around them. The traditional Islamic tenets must read in terms of contemporary situation. Mappila exploration into self discovery is a journey has just begun. The Mappilas have suddenly emerged as a new force to be contended within Indian Islam, and they emerge with their hazy image carrying the burden of past caricatures. Some place they seem a progressive society, but they can only go with the orthodoxy believes. In Kerala we may separate the idea of ‘Mappila’ and Islam in Kerala.

 The sea has been the permanent and decisive factor in the history of Kerala. Such religion as Judaism, Christianity and Islam come to Kerala by sea. The recorded history of trade between west Asia and Malabar may be traced back as Phoenician times. In the course of time malayalees developed their own culture, in the process extensively absorbing Aryan elements from the north, as well as Arab and European elements from the west. Their influences affected most noticeably the language and religion of the malayalees. 

The Kerala political history prior to the coming of the Portuguese is a mass legends and dreams and the ‘authentic’ Keralolpathi is very unrealistic. The chief characteristics of early period appear to be: dynastic struggle among the traditional Chera rulers, shifting hegemonies of external powers, and the advent of Nambutiri Brahmins, Christians and Muslims into Kerala social life. The Brahmins were able to gain effective control over the religions and social system of Hindus, while the coming of Christian and Muslims eventually resulted in the changed in the changed religious status of the 40% of the indigenous populations. Kerala political divisions surface more clearly after the abdication and possible conversion of one the ninth century rulers, Cheruman Perumal. Interreligious living in Kerala is not only a possibility but it is an everyday fact of life. The relative success of that effect has symbolic value both for the nation and the world. The idea of family has been broadly interpreted traditionally. The older system of joint families and joint owned properties the tarawad system, found especially in the Brahmin and Nayar communities, but also followed by some Muslims, reflects this tradition. The traditional expression of malayalee art, music, and architecture reflected the variegated nature of the people’s background. They were representational, and emphosized rather than briodged the cultural barriers. Kathakali could not be appreciated by the vast majority of Muslims.

The neighbourly proximity of Hindus and Muslims implies that the latter will be unaffected by what happens to the former. But the current Hindu context also presents some specific implications for Mappilas. First the latter are living amidst an active and enthusiastic polytheism. They are not surrounded by shirk which is visibly doomed, but which is rather burgeoning in some of its manifestations.

The name, Mappila, is a title of respect. The partial form of ‘pillai’ frequently found in nayars. ‘Mappila’ is an honorific for Christian in middle Kerala and Muslims in north Kerala. In earlier days, Christians were named as Nasrani Mappila and Muslims as Jonaka Mappila. It’s a combination of two terms maha (great) and pilla (son). In those days foreigners were considered as great ones, noble ones and gladly received and held in highest respect by the indigenous inhabitants. 

Mappila is a term to denote the newly wed bridegroom (son-in-law) husband or husband to be. It was applied to as a descriptive honorific to foreigners who married into indigenous families. Another interpretation of the emerging term of Mappila is with the reference of the nature of the matrilineal inheritance. According to this, Mappila is a term of combination of ma (mother) and pilla (son) as such it designed the offerings of foreign husband and indigenous wives. Both to emphasise that indigenous relationship and to correspond with the usage appropriate to the matriarchal system current among the Nayars it would not be unnatural to apply this designation. Mahfil, the Arabic term means the gathering place or meeting place. Malabar was a meeting place of Arab traders, so the people who emerged wit the relation of Arabs got the term mahfil which is corrupted into Mappila. Another interpretation of the term is, Mappila has been derived from muflih, maflih (base is falah) which means ‘to till’. The noun form is agriculturalist. The interior Mappilas were agriculturalist, so they got the term, Mappila. Another interpretation is, it derived from the term ‘muabbar’ (base: abara) which means ‘one from over the water’, mabar, mubar was the early name applied by fishermen of the Tamil Nadu area. In earlier Censes Mappilas were listed as a separate caste, but from 1931 census, they are not recorded as a separate class, but who are henceforth listed in the general category of Muslims.

Islam in India in all probably began in Kerala and the Mappilas are the descendants of the first Indian Muslims. The arrival of Muhammad bin Qasim who is the first Muslims reached in the northern part of India came only in 711. In earlier days Muzirin port was very important which connects the east and west traders. It is in the context of, this great traffic of people, goods, and ideas that we find the origin of the Mappilas. Arabs had a leading role in the commerce in Arabian Sea. As Indian and maritime activities decreased after the forth century, Arabs took the position and filled the vacuum encaging in a steadily growing inter costal trade. Arabs settled in Sumatra and Ceylon by the first century AD and they had a virtual monopoly on all the commercial activities. Malabar was their halting point and local Hindus accepted Arabs with a non-aggression policy. The Arabs were mostly businessmen from Yemen and Hadramouth. 

Arabs were the progenitors of the Mappilas and Islam reached within after years of the proclamation of the prophet of his mission. There is a great historical gap till the 14^th century. There is no Mappila manuscript presently known that predate the 14^th century. The earliest attempt to note down the life Mappila was from Zainudheen Maqdoom (1498-1581) of Ponnani. His book Tuffathul Majaahideen (An offering to Jihad warriors against Portuguese) is a reliable source to the lives of Mappilas. 

There is a story of Cheramal Perumal connected with Mappilas. He was a Chera king. It’s believed that he converted to Islam after seeing the miracle of parting the moon into two by the prophet. He raided to Arabia after distributing his suzerainty to the adjacent rajas and he accepted the name ‘Tajudheen’ (Star of the religion) and died in Mecca in 624. Historians opine that ‘there is a good reason for believing that this account of the introduction of Muhammedanism into Malabar is reliable and to the other extreme which maintain that ‘it is a pious invention of the Mohammedans. Sri Sankara, the great proponents of Advaita Philosopy had been influenced by the Muslims of that time. His monotheistic philosophy was a product of this influence. Sankara’s philosophy is wrapped in legend and direct testimony of any kond is completely lacking to establish a connecting him and Islam. There is no doubt of his influence on Hindus. It is therefore possible to surmise that on Hindu leader, influenced by Sankara and involved with Muslims, and perhaps at the end of his political career, may have ended his search for ultimate unity with the acceptance of the Islamic revelation of God’s unity. 

Islam reached in Malabar as a steady, peaceful and calm movement which is contrasted the arrival of Islam in north India. It was a mutual economic interest between the Arab traders and the Zamorin, so the Arab kept a very religious tolerance. The main reasons fro spreading of Islam in Malabar Coast are immigration, intermarriage, missionary activities, the support of Zamorin and personal advantage. Though there are some Sufis associated with Mappila history, like al-Jilani and al-RIfa, the excessive Sufi missionary is not evident in south India, but a minor element. The relationship of Arabs and Zamorin were very much strong. Zamorin could get the custom duty from the Arab traders and for Arab the land was famous for spices especially for pepper and ginger. It was a very honestly flourished relationship. A traveller opined that ‘loaded goods could be left on the street for any length of time without guard and without threat of theft’. Calicut became a new meeting point, and the fame of the city went everywhere through the Arabs. Zamorin did not oppose the conversion but he supported it. He understood the presence of Muslims was an added advantage to his navy so ordered to the fishermen community to convert. By converting they could find out a job in Zamorin’s army. By the influence of Arab, others also converted to Islam for personal advantages.

The Mappilas as a Muslim community originated shortly after the beginning of Islam itself as part of the ongoing process of peaceful communication and economic relationship between Arabia and Kerala, that Islam found a receptive soil in the circumstances of exciting Arab, colonies and the religious toleration go the natives dn that the growth of Islam may have received an added encouragement through the conversation of a malayalee ruler. The direct relations of Mappilas with the Arabian Islam is as significant as its isolation from indo- Persian Islam,. Not only the political hegemony and traditions of the latter, but also its emotional tenor, theological developments, and cultural heritage passed the Mappilas by. The original relationship with Arabia, on the other hand, continued and grew and that intercourse has gone into modern times. Culturally the, malayalees were as far removed from the Arabs as the lush tropical scenery of Kerala it removed from the austere landscape of Arabia. But once wedded, the offspring of that union,. Tjhe Mappila, have remained loyal to both parents. The Arab affinity has affected and continues to affect the language, religion, and culture of the Mappilas more profoundly than those of any other Indian Muslims. In the span of time from their origin to the advent of the western powers the Mappilas took on an identifiable form as Mappilas in contradictions to the appearance of temporary expatriate Arab residences. 

They increased in the coastal areas. The increase was partly due to conversion, but of continuing importance was the process of Arab settlement and intermarriage. The developing culture of the Mappilas naturally included elements of both Kerala and Arabia. Social distinction between Hindus and Muslims remained. But within the embrace of Hindu receptivity and neighbourliness the Mappilas lived in apparent peace and co-operation for eight centuries. They continued to thrive until the Portuguese came to India. The arrival of Portuguese dismantled every thing and it caused a great imbalance in Malabar. 

There were three stages in the history of Malabar after Britain came for commerce purpose. Britain shifted their object from a purely commercial intention to territorial aggrandizement, the rise and flourish of strong Mysorian kings, Hyder Ali and Tipu sultan and thirdly the rise of Britain and a dominant power. The Mysore kings had a great time in Malabar. Apart from geographical proximity, they had other reasons also to attack Malabar. It was politically very weak and the Europeans were only in a certain pockets. Zamorin was very weak that time. Malabar was very wealth at that time, Malabar’s proximity to the sea and value of its port facilities for the land attracted the Mysore rulers in 1766 with 12000 men. Ali Raja and Mappilas went for helping him. Around 8000 Mappilas jointed in the army. The coming of Mysore kings was a psychological boast to Mappilas to forget all the atrocities done by Portuguese to Mappilas. But still Tipu could not do anything to give a solace to poor farmers. General sense of Mappila triumph was mixed with some discontent over the rule of Mysorean bribing to the executive of administration is a common sight. Ruthless destruction resulting from the scorched earth policy carried on by the conqueror done a lot to the peasants. Mappilas under Kurikkal of Manjeri rebelled in 1786 and 1788 against Tipu. They had their problems with the Muslims rulers. 

Later Bibi of Arakkal dynasty supported Britain against Tipu. Tipu sultan is traditionally pictured as a religious begot, but in recent years efforts have been made to rehabilitate that image. It is pointed out that he followed a more religious policy in Malabar than he did elsewhere, emulating his father. Reports are noted that Tipu gave gifts to temples at Guruvayur and Kollenkode. It is said that ‘he forced conversion only on those recalcitrant Hindus on whose allegiance he could not rely. The major results of Mysorian rule could be summarized. One of these was regard for Hindus as the natural enemies of the Muslims. This feeling, characteristic elsewhere in Indian but not a mark of Kerala Islam was now imported and became a strong element in Mappila psychology. The other was acceptance of the use of force in religious matters. The climate created by the Portuguese had fanned to life this principle, but tipu turned it into a fire that is going out only in contemporary time. The loss of confidence and friendship with Hindus was the most serous loss in Mappila history. The new attitude was to continue for the next one and one half centuries , producing a serous of incidents that would finally culminate in the Mappila rebellion of 1921.  The second major implication of the Mysorian period was the effect that it had on Mappila attitude toward land rights.

It has been noted that the Mappilas were prevented from becoming land owners by the system of land tenure that uniquely prevailed in Malabar. The events of the Mysorian era resulted in a temporary release from the shackles of that feudalistic system for the Mappilas. The release was later to be revoked by the action of the British regime. But the Mappila had tasted a new freedom and hope, whose effect lingered on in the coming years. Not only was the ownership of the land vested in the hands of a few jenmis, but also their control over its use was maintained by customary law heavily weighted ion their favour. The land tenure system worked, and some jemis maintained good relationship with their tenants, but the built in injustices and the possibilities for severely oppressive actions, frequently exercised, made the system a continually festering sore in Malabar society. It was inevitable that some day it would be entirely overthrown.