Ali Raja
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Arakkal Ali Raja was a Muslim Raja (King) of Arakkal Palace. The palace is located three km from Kannur, Kerala, India. The palace is located in what is now called Kannur City. The Arakkal family was the only Muslim royal family of Kerala that controlled parts of the coast and Lakshadweep.
The Kannur Fort was owned for some time by the Arakkal family. The Dutch captured the fort from Portuguese in 1663, and they sold the fort to the Arakkal Ali Raja.
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[edit] Origins
Their is a consensus among scholars that the Arakkal family had Nair origins.[1][2][3] Around 17th century, one of the Padanair (General) of Kolathiri, Arayankulangara Nair, converted to Islam due to the influence of the Arab merchants of Kannur. His wife was a daughter of Kolathiri, later they known as Arrakkal. Around this time, a lot of Muslim merchant families became financially influential in Malabar region. When the Arakkal family took control of Lakshadweep, they almost achieved royal status. Later on, they received support from Mysore.[citation needed]
Myth alternatively proposes that centuries ago, Kolathu Nadu (presently Kannur district) was ruled by Chirakkal Raja. While bathing in the Chirakkal kulam (pond), his daughter started drowning. Her friends cried and shouted, but they were unable to rescue her. At the same time a Muslim boy was walking nearby and heard the shouting, so he went to see what was happening. He saw a girl drowning in the pond. He knew it was the princess, but he hesitated to save her because in that time untouchability was practiced in Kerala (meaning that if a lower-class person touched an upper-class person it was considered a sin possibly punishable by death).
The boy decided to jump into the pond anyway and he saved her. Since the girl was naked, the boy gave her his mundu (a long cloth used to cover the lower part of the body).
When the news reached the Chirakkal Raja, he called his daughter and the Muslim boy to him. The boy was afraid that he would lose his life.[citation needed]
Custom in that day said that if a man gives a "pudava" (a long cloth used for covering body) to an unmarried woman, they are considered to be married. The scholars of the court told the Raja that since his daughter was touched by a Muslim, she was no longer allowed to enter the palace. However, the boy had given her his "pudava" so she was married to him as well.
As per the custom the king had no other choice but give his daughter to the Muslim boy. The Raja was unhappy to give his daughter to a poor family, so he made the boy ruler of part of the country.
The area given to the boy was known as Arakkal and his family was called the Arakkal family. The ruler's daughter was known as Arakkal Beevi.
Many people believe that the place where the Chirakkal kulam was still exists today as the locality called Chirakkalkulam. It is located between Thayatheru and Kannur City.[citation needed]
[edit] Ali Rajas and Arakkal Beevis
The Arakkal family followed a matriarchal system of descent. The eldest member of the family, male or female, was its head and ruler. While male rulers were called Ali Rajah, female rulers were known as Arakkal Beevis.
Sultana Aysha Aliraja was the ruler till her death on the morning of September 27, 2006.
[edit] History
Muslims of Kerala have always believed that their origins in Kerala go back to 7th century AD when the religion originated in Arabia. The numbers increased in the 9th century. In the 8th century there were many centers for religious conversion in the state. Cheraman Perumal's pilgrimage to Mecca was a major influence in this regard. The history of Muslims in Kerala is closely intertwined with the history of Muslims in nearby Laccadives (Lakshadweep) islands. Kerala's only Muslim kingdom was Kannur's Arakkal family. Historians disagree as to the time period of Arakkal rulers. Some claim that ancient coins date the Arakkal rulers to the 8th century. Kerala historian A. Sridhara Menon seem to believe that the Arakkal kings came to power in 16th or 17th century and issued their coins at the earliest in the 18th century. One of the rulers that presided over the kingdom was Junumma Beevi who ruled for 49 years. By 1909 Arakkal rulers lost Kannur and the Cannanore Cantonment. By 1911 there was further decline with loss of chenkol and udaval (Sword). During those years they allied and clashed with the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the English. The British played the biggest part in removing all vestiges of titles and power from the Arakkal rulers. One of the last kings Arakkal Abdu Rahiman Ali Raja (1881 -1946) was active in helping his subjects. The last ruler was Ali Raja Mariumma Beevi Thangal. After her rule, the family broke up.
During the time of the Samuthiries the Muslims of Malabar played a major role in the local army and navy as well as ambassadors to Arabia and China. They also forged alliances with Moslil rulers of Gujarat and Bijapur. Even before this period they had settlements in Perumathura, Thakkala, Thengapattanam, Poovar and Thiruvankottu in southern Travancore. Muslims from Pandi Desham migrated meantime for trade to Erattupetta, Kanjirappalli, Mundakayam, Peruvanthanam and Vandiperiyar in Kottayam district of Kerala. In the 17th century trade links were established with places like Kayamkulam and Aleppy in the west.
It was during the time of Samuthiris that the title of Marakkar was created. During the reign of the four Marakkars played significant role in trade. During the time the second Marakkar Muslims spread from port areas to hillsides of Valapattanam, Thikkodi, Pandalayani, Kakkad, Kozhikode and Ponnani. From there many migrated to Palakkad. Muslim influence reached it's peak at the time of Kunjali Marakkar (4th). After Kunjali Marakkar and Samuthiri parted company, Muslim influence declined.
During the Dutch period, a prominent Muslim trader named Moosakoi spearheaded the development of trade centers in Chenganacherri, Pandalam, Kayamkulam, and Alappuza.
During the time of Hyderali and Tippu Sultan there was a revival amongst Muslims of Malabar. The Arakkal king signed a treaty with Hyderali. Samathuri followed up with his own treaty with Hyder.
[edit] Arakkal Museum
The recently opened Arakkal Museum is a place of interest for tourists. A part of the Arakkalkettu (Arakkal Palace) has been converted to a museum and it houses artifacts from the times of the Arakkal dynasty.
The durbar hall section of the palace has been converted into a museum by the Government of Kerala. It was opened in July 2005 after a Rs. 9,000,000 renovation.
Although renovated by the government, the Arakkalkettu is still owned by the Arakkal Family Trust and does not fall under the control of the country's archaeology department, the Archaeological Survey of India. The government had taken a keen interest in preserving the heritage of the Arakkal Family, which had played a prominent role in the history of Malabar. A nominal entry fee is charged by the Arakkal Family Trust from visitors to the museum.
[edit] Predecessors
[edit] Rulers from Arakkal dyanasty
Ali Raja Ali (1545 - 1591)
Ali Raja Abubakar I (1591 - 1607)
Ali Raja Abubakar II (1607 - 1610)
Ali Raja Muhammad Ali I (1610 - 1647)
Ali Raja Muhammad Ali II (1647 - 1655)
Ali Raja Kamal (1655 - 1656)
Ali Raja Muhammad Ali III (1656 - 1691)
Ali Raja Ali II (1691 - 1704)
Ali Raja Kunhi Amsa I (1704 - 1720)
Ali Raja Muhammad Ali IV (1720 - 1728)
Ali Raja Bibi Harrabichi Kadavube (1728 - 1732)
Ali Raja Bibi Junumabe I (1732 - 1745)
Ali Raja Kunhi Amsa II (1745 - 1777)
Ali Raja Bibi Junumabe II (1777 - 1819)
Ali Raja Bibi Mariambe (1819 - 1838)
Ali Raja Bibi Hayashabe (1838 - 1852)
Ali Raja Abdul Rahman I (1852 - 1870)
Ali Raja Musa Ali (1870 - 1899)
Ali Raja Muhammad Ali V (1899 - 1907)
Ali Raja Bibi Imbichi (1907 - 1911)
Ali Raja Ahmad Ali (1911 - 1921)
Ali Raja Bibi Ayesha (1921 - 1931)
Ali Raja Abdul Rahman II (1931 - 1946)
Ali Raja Bibi Arakkal Mariumma (1946 - 1947) Aliraja Abidhusen Gani
[edit] See also
- Arakkal Museum
- Arakkal family
- Chirakkal Raja
- Keyi family
- Kannur
- Kannur Fort - (St. Angelo Fort)
- [www.kanodar.com]
