Islam in Kerala and the Malabar Coast
This domain tests the Malabar Coast's Islam: Arab trade, local conversion, and the community's institutions and literature.
Origins
- Arab and Persian traders in ports such as Muziris/Kodungallur, Calicut and Quilon.
- Malik ibn Dinar and the Kodungallur mosque; the Cheraman Juma Masjid tradition, whose dating is debated.
- Peaceful integration with local rulers, including the Zamorin of Calicut; matrilineal and local customs among Mappilas.
Institutions and texts
- Arabi-Malayalam literature; Ponnani as a scholarly centre under the Makhdums.
- Zainuddin Makhdum II's Tuhfat al-Mujahidin (16th century) as a source on Portuguese violence and local resistance.
- Kunjali Marakkars as the Zamorin's naval commanders.
Worked example
Question: How would you use the Tuhfat as a historical source? Reasoning: identify the author, his position and purpose - defence of Muslim communities against Portuguese aggression - then cross-check with Portuguese and other sources. A good answer treats it as evidence of both events and attitudes.
Traps
- Treating the Cheraman mosque date as undisputed.
- Confusing Mappila with other Malabar groups.
- Describing 1921 only as a rebellion without noting its agrarian and Khilafat context.