Legacy of the Marrakkar's

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Tucked in the beautiful town of Iringal is the Kunjali Marakkar Museum which celebrates the life of the great warrior. The house of Kunjali is a heritage one-storeyed house built on laterite stones & has wooden pillars. The important exhibits in the museum include the sword used by the legendary warrior Kunjali Marakkar, the cannonballs used in warfare on seas and some other war relics belonging to the period of the Zamorins. The museum also highlights the history of great Naval warriors of the bygone era from the family.

Kunjali Marakkar is not a person, it's a title given to the naval chief of the Zamorin Kings. There were 4 Marakkars who fought against the Portuguese for over a century during the 16th Century and were credited for organizing the first naval defense against foreign powers. Out of the 4, the most important were the 3rd & the 4th Kunjalis whose valor is remembered even today. They were brilliant navigators on the seas & were well versed in Guerrilla tactics at sea.

Zamorins from long ago had trade with Arabs & when the Portuguese came to the shores in 1498 with the arrival of Vasco Da Gama the scenario changed. Vasco Da Gama wanted to monopolize the trade of spices with the Zamorins & this resulted in an altercation with the Arabs. The Portuguese by the early 16th century started to influence trade deals on the sea by making it mandatory to carry a pass from them or face the ire of confiscation of the ships & goods which the Zamorins did not approve. To make matters worse the Portuguese sought the help of the Cochin Raja to destabilize the Zamorins & this led to a war between the two erstwhile kingdoms. The person who helped the Zamorins during this war was Ismail Marakar who was a rich merchant in Cochin. He offered his men & ships but they were all destroyed which led them to move to Ponanni. To counter the attacks of the Portuguese, the Zamorin king appointed Kutti Ahmed Ali as the naval admiral & presented him the title – Kunjali.

In 1528 the Zamorins signed a treaty to build a Fort at Chaliyam with the Portuguese. This was opposed by the Marakar as he could foresee the trouble it would cause to the Zamorins in years to come. His doubts became a reality when the Portuguese took control of the fort & made it a vantage point from where they could destroy any boats that did not follow their rule at sea. This enraged the Marakkar & resulted in a start of a long-standing battle at sea that lasted nearly 70 years. Kunjali Marakar III was brilliant in sea warfare where he used the Guerilla tactic of sneak attack on the Portuguese. He would use small boats which would come close to the big ships of the Portuguese in the dead of the night and undertake an attack that would destroy the Portuguese ships. In one such fight, the Marakar fell from his boat & injured his back. He finally succumbed at his house in the presence of his King.

The most important of all the Kujalis was Mohammed Marakar who gave the Portuguese nightmare & they had to get the Zamorins on their side to defeat his valor. The Portuguese made the Zamorin Raja believe that the Marakar was getting more powerful as his popularity was growing among the people. The Marakar actually helped Rani of Ullal & Sultan of Bijapur without informing the Zamorin in the fight against the Portuguese which made this doubt grow. By 1598 the tensions grew large between Portuguese, Zamorins & Marakkar. The Portuguese finally were able to convince the Zamorin Raja to turn against Marakkar & they hatched a plan to end the efforts of Kunjali. The Portuguese would attack the Marakar from the sea & the Zamorin’s Nair army would attack from land surrounding him from both sides. The effort paid off & the Chaliyam fort which Kunjali had managed to take from the Portuguese fell. At sea, the Marakkar fleet destroyed the Portuguese Naval fleet but the news of his people being held hostage inside the fort made him surrender. He made a pact that his surrender would be only to the Zamorin Raja & that he would not be handed over to the Portuguese. Based on this pact, he and his trusted help Chinali surrendered but the Portuguese took over & muscled them to their ship & went to sea. The Zamorin was furious about this betrayal & so were the people of Kozhikode. But without Marakkar the naval fleet was toothless & Kunjali was executed at Goa.

The valor of the Kunjalis is thus inscribed in the books of history & in their memory one can find a pillar in the museum erected by the Indian Navy which credits the Marakkar for the most shining moments in India's maritime past.


 #Kujhalimarakar I #Zamorins I #Portuguese

 

Location: Iringal, Kerala, India

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