Southern and central parts of Kerala (Travancore & Cochin kingdoms) seem to have never been under Muslim rule - something rare, if not unique, in history of mainland India
Last updated on 21 Mar. 2023
I would like to first say that I believe in Shirdi Sai Baba's teaching of "Sabka Maalik Ek" (The master of all is ONE). In other words, I believe in ONE GOD with various religions including Islam being various paths/ways to worship and merge in that ONE GOD. Specifically, I am not against Islam, and am actually supportive of it, so long as it does not interfere in the right of others (like me, a Hindu) to practise their faiths which are different from Islam (e.g. Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, Judaism). Shirdi Sai Baba used to say "Allah Maalik" (Allah/God is the master) very often; I revere the same Shirdi Sai Baba,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sai_Baba_of_Shirdi, and try to follow His teachings.
The intent of this post is to simply have a more truthful understanding of the past of my country, India, and Kerala state in particular.There seems to be a widespread notion in India that Mughals (Mughals were Muslims) ruled over whole of India (Indian sub-continent) for centuries. That is an inaccurate or rather, to be frank, wrong notion.
The map in https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mughal_Empire tells us that at the death of Babur in 1530, the Mughal empire was limited to North India and some bordering areas of Central India.
Further, even at the death of Akbar in 1605, the Mughal empire, as per the above map, had not got into the Deccan and other parts of Southern India and bordering regions of Western & Central India.
It is at the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 that the Mughal empire had extended deep into South India but not into southern and central parts of what is known as Kerala now. The map also shows some parts of Tamil Nadu that were not under Mughal empire then.
And after Aurangzeb's death, the Mughal empire started disintegrating with the Marathas eventually replacing them as rulers over most of India, who then got defeated by the British (last big battle in 1818 if I recall correctly), leading to British rule over most of India from then on.
Note that Muslim rule in significant parts of mainland India started with Delhi Sultanate, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delhi_Sultanate, which had 5 dynasties and ruled from 1206 to 1526. The Mughal empire, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mughal_Empire, replaced the Delhi Sultanate in 1526.
I recall that in my school education in Mumbai in the 1970s which was with syllabus prescribed by Maharashtra state education board, in Indian history of past few centuries, the emphasis naturally was on the great fight between Marathas (Shivaji being celebrated as a great king and founder of Maratha empire) and Mughals, along with earlier Delhi Sultanate and Mughal conquest of much of Indian sub-continent, and later British wars of conquest in India. I don't recall any coverage of Travancore and Cochin kingdoms of that period - though there may have been some mention in school history books but which I have forgotten now.
In particular, I don't think I was taught that southern and central parts of Kerala were never under Muslim rule, as compared to North, West, Central and East India excluding North-East India. I don't know whether outer North East states of India like Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram ever came under Muslim rule. Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura seem to have had some period of Muslim rule.
A major part of South India seems to have had lesser period of Muslim rule as compared to other parts of mainland India (excluding North-East India), with Vijayanagar empire being a major Hindu kingdom in South India during the centuries when Muslim kingdoms ruled significant parts of mainland India. Vijayanagar empire eventually got defeated by Muslim sultanates of South India.
In what is Kerala state today, only Northern Kerala (Malabar) seems to have come under Muslim rule ***once*** under Hyder Ali/Tipu Sultan (son of Hyder Ali) of Mysore kingdom from 1766 to 1792 (26 years), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysorean_invasion_of_Malabar. Kingdom of Cochin paid tribute to Hyder Ali/Tipu Sultan of Mysore kingdom but seems to not have come under its direct rule.
Kingdom of Travancore did not pay tribute to Mysore kingdom (instead it became a protectorate of the British, with Travancore paying for that protection in some way).
21 Mar. 2023 Update: Readers may want to read my later post: Some info. and some questions about chronology of Kerala kingdoms/ruling dynasties from 1000 AD to 2000 AD (2nd millennium AD), https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2023/01/some-info-and-some-questions-about.html , 14 Jan. 2023.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Kerala is a detailed history of Kerala. The only Muslim invasion and annexation it mentions is the above mentioned Hyder Ali invasion. [Tipu Sultan also invaded other parts of Kerala including Travancore kingdom but did not/could not occupy/annex it, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysorean_invasion_of_Malabar#Tipu_Sultan's_attacks_on_Travancore_(1789%E2%80%931790).]
The Muslim mapilla community in Kerala has history going back to 7th century. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mappila (intro section) states: "As per local tradition, Islam reached Malabar Coast, of which the Kerala state is a part of, as early as the 7th century AD.[4 - Miller, Roland. E., "Mappila" in "The Encyclopedia of Islam". Volume VI. E. J. Brill, Leiden. 1987 [1]. pp. 458-56.]".
Kerala had trade with Arabs even prior to Islam. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mappila#Origin_of_Islam_in_Kerala states:
It is generally agreed among scholars that Middle Eastern merchants frequented the Malabar Coast, which was the link between the West and ports of East Asia, even before Islam had been established in Arabia.[21][22] The western coast of India was the chief centre of Middle Eastern trading activities right from at least 4th century AD and by about 7th century AD, and several West Asian merchants had taken permanent residence in some port cities of the Malabar Coast. A number of foreign accounts have mentioned about the presence of considerable Muslim population in the coastal towns. Arab writers such as Masudi of Baghdad (934–955 AD), Idrisi (1154 AD), Abul-Fida (1213 AD) and al-Dimishqi (1325 AD) mentions the Muslim communities in Kerala.[8] Some historians assume that the Mappilas can be considered as the first native, settled Islamic community in South Asia.[23][24]
[Wiki Refs]
8. P. P., Razak Abdul "Colonialism and community formation in Malabar: a study of muslims of Malabar" Unpublished PhD thesis (2013) Department of History, University of Calicut [4]
...
21. Shail Mayaram; M. S. S. Pandian; Ajay Skaria (2005). Muslims, Dalits, and the Fabrications of History. Permanent Black and Ravi Dayal Publisher. pp. 39–. ISBN 978-81-7824-115-9. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
22. West, Barbara A. (19 May 2010). Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania. Infobase Publishing. p. 506. ISBN 978-1-4381-1913-7.
23. Uri M. Kupferschmidt (1987). The Supreme Muslim Council: Islam Under the British Mandate for Palestine. Brill. pp. 458–459. ISBN 978-90-04-07929-8. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
24. A. Rā Kulakarṇī (1996). Mediaeval Deccan History: Commemoration Volume in Honour of Purshottam Mahadeo Joshi. Popular Prakashan. pp. 54–55. ISBN 978-81-7154-579-7. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
--- end wiki extract ---
So there seems to have been sizeable Muslim community in Malabar part of Kerala even before Hyder Ali invaded it and annexed it to his kingdom. But the Muslim Mapilla community did not rule Malabar prior to Hyder Ali annexation. It was ruled by a Hindu Zamorin.
To conclude, I think we can say that southern and central parts of Kerala which correspond to pre-Independence kingdoms of Cochin and Travancore, were never under Muslim rule, and which is something rare, if not unique, in history of mainland India. However Cochin paid tribute to Hyder Ali/Tipu Sultan led Mysore kingdom which would have been for a short period of around 26 years from 1766 to 1792.
This aspect of Indian history may not have been given much exposure in India as a whole as Kerala accounts for only 1.2% of land area of India, https://archive.india.gov.in/knowindia/state_uts.php?id=39.
However, for Hindus like me whose family background is Kerala Iyer background (Tamil Iyers who migrated to Kerala centuries ago), this is a vital aspect! [My own family ancestors seem to have lived mainly, if not wholly, in southern and central parts of Kerala.] Perhaps this vital aspect of Kerala history explains why Hindu traditions of our families/caste were given so much importance in our families (including in my boyhood in Bombay in 1960s & 1970s), and which is how we have been able to preserve Hindu traditions of our families/caste quite well!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Kerala is a detailed history of Kerala. The only Muslim invasion and annexation it mentions is the above mentioned Hyder Ali invasion. [Tipu Sultan also invaded other parts of Kerala including Travancore kingdom but did not/could not occupy/annex it, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysorean_invasion_of_Malabar#Tipu_Sultan's_attacks_on_Travancore_(1789%E2%80%931790).]
The Muslim mapilla community in Kerala has history going back to 7th century. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mappila (intro section) states: "As per local tradition, Islam reached Malabar Coast, of which the Kerala state is a part of, as early as the 7th century AD.[4 - Miller, Roland. E., "Mappila" in "The Encyclopedia of Islam". Volume VI. E. J. Brill, Leiden. 1987 [1]. pp. 458-56.]".
Kerala had trade with Arabs even prior to Islam. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mappila#Origin_of_Islam_in_Kerala states:
It is generally agreed among scholars that Middle Eastern merchants frequented the Malabar Coast, which was the link between the West and ports of East Asia, even before Islam had been established in Arabia.[21][22] The western coast of India was the chief centre of Middle Eastern trading activities right from at least 4th century AD and by about 7th century AD, and several West Asian merchants had taken permanent residence in some port cities of the Malabar Coast. A number of foreign accounts have mentioned about the presence of considerable Muslim population in the coastal towns. Arab writers such as Masudi of Baghdad (934–955 AD), Idrisi (1154 AD), Abul-Fida (1213 AD) and al-Dimishqi (1325 AD) mentions the Muslim communities in Kerala.[8] Some historians assume that the Mappilas can be considered as the first native, settled Islamic community in South Asia.[23][24]
[Wiki Refs]
8. P. P., Razak Abdul "Colonialism and community formation in Malabar: a study of muslims of Malabar" Unpublished PhD thesis (2013) Department of History, University of Calicut [4]
...
21. Shail Mayaram; M. S. S. Pandian; Ajay Skaria (2005). Muslims, Dalits, and the Fabrications of History. Permanent Black and Ravi Dayal Publisher. pp. 39–. ISBN 978-81-7824-115-9. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
22. West, Barbara A. (19 May 2010). Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania. Infobase Publishing. p. 506. ISBN 978-1-4381-1913-7.
23. Uri M. Kupferschmidt (1987). The Supreme Muslim Council: Islam Under the British Mandate for Palestine. Brill. pp. 458–459. ISBN 978-90-04-07929-8. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
24. A. Rā Kulakarṇī (1996). Mediaeval Deccan History: Commemoration Volume in Honour of Purshottam Mahadeo Joshi. Popular Prakashan. pp. 54–55. ISBN 978-81-7154-579-7. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
--- end wiki extract ---
So there seems to have been sizeable Muslim community in Malabar part of Kerala even before Hyder Ali invaded it and annexed it to his kingdom. But the Muslim Mapilla community did not rule Malabar prior to Hyder Ali annexation. It was ruled by a Hindu Zamorin.
To conclude, I think we can say that southern and central parts of Kerala which correspond to pre-Independence kingdoms of Cochin and Travancore, were never under Muslim rule, and which is something rare, if not unique, in history of mainland India. However Cochin paid tribute to Hyder Ali/Tipu Sultan led Mysore kingdom which would have been for a short period of around 26 years from 1766 to 1792.
This aspect of Indian history may not have been given much exposure in India as a whole as Kerala accounts for only 1.2% of land area of India, https://archive.india.gov.in/knowindia/state_uts.php?id=39.
However, for Hindus like me whose family background is Kerala Iyer background (Tamil Iyers who migrated to Kerala centuries ago), this is a vital aspect! [My own family ancestors seem to have lived mainly, if not wholly, in southern and central parts of Kerala.] Perhaps this vital aspect of Kerala history explains why Hindu traditions of our families/caste were given so much importance in our families (including in my boyhood in Bombay in 1960s & 1970s), and which is how we have been able to preserve Hindu traditions of our families/caste quite well!
Most of Tamil Nadu had much more period(s) of Muslim rule than the limited Hyder Ali/Tipu Sultan 26 year rule in North Kerala (Malabar).
21 Mar. 2023 Update: For more about Tamil Nadu history, see my later post: History Timeline of Tamil Nadu Rulers (>≈75% terr.) / Major Powers (>≈50% terr.) from 1000 AD to 2000 AD (2nd millennium AD), https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/12/tamil-nadu-ruler-75-terr-major-power-50.html , 9 Dec. 2022.
It should also be mentioned that in past centuries before Muslim rulers first raided Tamil Nadu, Kerala (& Tamil Nadu) seems to have had periods of Jain/Buddhist rule. [Malik Kafur, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malik_Kafur%27s_invasion_of_the_Pandya_kingdom, seems to have been the first such raider in 1310-11.]
As an aside, I also want to say that Puttaparthi (earlier part of Anantapur district, now part of Sri Sathya Sai district), where I have lived since 2002, is near to Penukonda, a noted city in history of past centuries. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penukonda, "This region was controlled at different points in history by the Hoysalas, Chalukyas, Vijayanagar, Nawabs, Maratha chieftain Murari Rao, Tipu Sultan, Nizam and eventually came under British rule after it was ceded to the British by the Nizam of Hyderabad. It was a melting pot of different religions but the town and fort were established by early Hoysala kings, who were practitioners of Jainism."
I think Puttaparthi would be having a similar history to Penukonda region as Penukonda seems to have been the most important town/city in this area in the past many centuries, before Anantapur city, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anantapur, emerged (probably under British rule) as a more important city. Therefore the region where I live now seems to have a history of rule of many different dynasties of different religions - Jain, Hindu, Muslim and then secular (British followed by Independent India). This, I think, is similar to history of many parts of Maharashtra - a melting pot of religions & cultures over centuries. Note that I was based in Mumbai and outlying areas (Dombivli), which are in Maharashtra, for most of the first 4 decades of my life (excluding software developer/consultant foreign assignment stints mainly in USA & Europe of totally around 3 years) before I moved to Puttaparthi in 2002.
It should also be mentioned that in past centuries before Muslim rulers first raided Tamil Nadu, Kerala (& Tamil Nadu) seems to have had periods of Jain/Buddhist rule. [Malik Kafur, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malik_Kafur%27s_invasion_of_the_Pandya_kingdom, seems to have been the first such raider in 1310-11.]
As an aside, I also want to say that Puttaparthi (earlier part of Anantapur district, now part of Sri Sathya Sai district), where I have lived since 2002, is near to Penukonda, a noted city in history of past centuries. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penukonda, "This region was controlled at different points in history by the Hoysalas, Chalukyas, Vijayanagar, Nawabs, Maratha chieftain Murari Rao, Tipu Sultan, Nizam and eventually came under British rule after it was ceded to the British by the Nizam of Hyderabad. It was a melting pot of different religions but the town and fort were established by early Hoysala kings, who were practitioners of Jainism."
I think Puttaparthi would be having a similar history to Penukonda region as Penukonda seems to have been the most important town/city in this area in the past many centuries, before Anantapur city, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anantapur, emerged (probably under British rule) as a more important city. Therefore the region where I live now seems to have a history of rule of many different dynasties of different religions - Jain, Hindu, Muslim and then secular (British followed by Independent India). This, I think, is similar to history of many parts of Maharashtra - a melting pot of religions & cultures over centuries. Note that I was based in Mumbai and outlying areas (Dombivli), which are in Maharashtra, for most of the first 4 decades of my life (excluding software developer/consultant foreign assignment stints mainly in USA & Europe of totally around 3 years) before I moved to Puttaparthi in 2002.
21 Mar. 2023 Update: For more info., readers may want to read the following later posts of mine:
- History Timeline of (kingdom/empire) rulers of Penukonda area (and so Puttaparthi for most part) from 1121 CE (Western Chalukya dynasty days) based on Wikipedia, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/09/chronological-list-of-rulers-of.html , 12 Sept. 2022.
- Seuna Yadavas most probably ruled Shirdi area: as vassal of Rashtrakuta dynastry from c.860 CE, as vassal of Western Chalukyas from c.1000 CE & as independent rulers from c.1187 to 1317 CE, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/12/seuna-yadavas-most-probably-ruled.html , 20 Dec. 2022
- Dynasty/kingdom level rulers of Shirdi area from 1317 to 2000 CE (AD), https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/12/dynastykingdom-level-rulers-of-shirdi.html , 21 Dec. 2022
- History Timeline of Shirdi area rulers from 1000 to 2000 CE (AD), https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/12/charts-about-shirdi-area-ruler-history.html , 23 Dec. 2022
- Comparison of History Timeline Bar Charts of Shirdi and Puttaparthi Dynasty/Kingdom rulers from 1000 AD to 2000 AD, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/12/comparison-of-single-stacked-bar-charts.html , 24 Dec. 2022
[I thank wikipedia and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extract(s) from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
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