1921; the so-called ‘Malabar Revolt’, an anti-imperialist freedom struggle

 

 

Research scholars:

Ajmal Anas


 



 

 

 

 

TERMINOLOGICAL STUDY

 

 

REVOLT

 

Ø  Take violent action against an  established  government or ruler; rebel

Ø  Short-term goal

Ø  Disagree with the rules or  laws

Ø  Anarchy and chaos 

Ø  Small scale

Ø  Shorter duration

Ø  Can be violent or peaceful (more violent)

 

 

REVOLUTION

 

Ø  A forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favor of a new system.

Ø  Long-term goal

Ø  To overthrow the current government for freedom

Ø  Usually well planned

Ø  Large scale

Ø  Over throw the current government or ruling party for freedom

Ø  Longer duration for years or decades (can be violent or peaceful)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HISTORICAL  INDEX ON MALABAR REVOLUTION

Malabar Muslims fought against Brittish in various places in Malabar such as Ernad, Valluvanad and Ponnani taluksThe rebellion extended over 2,000 square miles (5,200 km2) some 40% of the South Malabar region of the Madras Presidency. Approximately 10,000 people lost their lives, 2337 rebels killed, 1652 injured and 45,404 imprisoned.

After the revolution Mappilas able to rule for about six months independently. He established a parallel government in Malabar District of Madras Presidency in open defiance of the British Raj, which lasted for a short period of six months. The British government feared the continually vigorous struggles so British defeated Mappilas by massacre, harassment and bullying. They can’t able to cheat and they put in front of Malabar strugglers religious contradiction to crash together.  

The currency and the passports has distributed by Malabar Mapilas under leader Varian Kunnath haji and it was most systemized and popularly used one by the Malabars. The whole people under Varian kunnath lived on peace and  welfare situation and they  satisfied on his reign. He decelerated after he conquered that whole people under my rule was with justice and equality and Varian kunnath strongly builded his kingdom  with 75000 soldiers. They fought and defend  against British, with mere 1/3 British Indian army. The armies of Malabar Freedom struggle were more than armies of Indian National Army (43,000 under Subash Chandra Bose). Then it proves the advanced power of Malabar martyrs and their pre-concerned struggle.

Malabar strugglers established a republic nation in Malabar territories. The British army couldn’t able to invade through the boundary due to high security of Malabar strugglers Malabar strugglers were only one who stood powerfully and defended against the British, which Asia and Africa were under British.

 

MISUNDERSTANDING AS ‘REVOLT AND HINDU-MUSLIM CONFLICT 

The British government fabricated the Malabar revolution, or can be called as freedom struggle, as Malabar revolt against British government. British Historians have a great role in this to create their own history by eliminating the real history of the Malabar Freedom struggle lead by Varian Kunnath Kunjahmad Haji and Ali Musliar. The government had destroyed almost evidences of Malabar Revolution, especially the proves about Varian Kunnath Kunjahmad Haji.

 The British Newspapers were headed as Malabar Revolt and introduced it to the world as Malabar revolt. Spread the history through the social media and other all communication ways  in the should-be-changed name ‘Malabar Revolt. One of their goals where to establish that the ‘Malabar Revolution’ isn’t a freedom struggle but it was revolt which had not have any connection to the Independence of India.

In fact, British not only named as ‘Malabar Revolt’, but also spread this movement as an anit-Hinduism, and Hindu-Muslim conflict, which is unacceptable for both Malabar Hindus and Muslims. British want to break the harmony between the Muslims and Hindus which was a great wall for them to break to invade more lands and establish their power all over the India.

British government were even fearful to the Malabars as they had stand powerfully against them without any pinch of fear in the hearts. So, to be named as ‘Malabar revolt’ instead of ‘Malabar Revolution’ or ‘Freedom Struggle’ will loosen thier headache.

Not only the Muslims joined the struggle under the leadership of Varian kunnath kunjahmad Haji, but there were also non-Muslims in the struggle against British as a powerful support for the Malabar Muslim. All these clearly clarifies that this movement wasn’t an anti-Hindu movement, or Hindu-Muslim conflict, but it was anti-imperialist movement against British government.

 

THE REAL GOAL AND THE FALSE PROPAGANDA

The complete goal of Malabar freedom struggle was to end the colonial rule of British Government and to achieve the Independence for India. Though the non-cooperative activists rejected the Malabar struggle, Malabarians and the peasants decided to face the British government without losing any strength and confidence in the struggle. The struggle, which was successful in the first phase, Eranad and Valluvanad were liberated from The British rule and an alternative government was formed there by Mappilas. Varian Kunnath Kunjahmad Haji and Ali Musliar led this alternative government.

British government criticized the Malabar freedom struggle as anti-Hinduism as well as narrating it as a Hindu-Muslim conflict. This propaganda was just a myth created by British to eliminate the reality of anti-imperialist freedom struggle against British government.  All the leaders of the struggle never take such a racial approach and always had opposed the nefarious attempts at the communal division.

Even some of the Hindu leaders were supportive to this struggle, which proves that this movement is not a Hindu-Muslim conflict or anti-Hinduism. MP Narayna Menon who lived in contact with Mappilas and other ordinary tenants, were mocked by the authorities as ‘Mappila Menon’. Kattilashery Mohammed Musliar and Variam Kunnath Kunjahmad Haji were MP Narayan Menon’s close friends.

Includings of Hindus who lost thier lives in the ‘Vagon Tragedy’ in 1921 November 19 clarifies the fact of the struggle. Tami, who served one of the important  positions in the army of Varian Kunnath, was a Hindu. According to Sardar Chandroth, a great Patriot and a hero of the Indian Freedom struggler, there were more than five hundred Hindus in the army of Varian Kunnath Kunjahmad Haji.

After coming to the power, Varian Kunnath had declared that, “my aim was also to protect the Hindus as well as to punish those who prosecute them severely”. During the time of Varian Kunnath and his aides hiding from the British, they were provided the protection and the food by tribals and minorities. Varian Kunnath was an Amir for the Muslims, the king for the Hindus, and the colonel for the Khilafat volounteers. In addition, the anti-socials and exploiters were those who tried to mislead the struggle and led to the violence, and the imperialist government exaggerated such incidents and tried to turn the struggle into a communal movement

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References

1.      Mappila Muslims of  kerala, Roland  E Miller

2.      “Variam Kunnath and nuances of the Malabar Rebellion: Author Manu S Pillai interview”. 24 june 2020

3.      Anglo Mappila Yudham 1921, AK Kodoor

4.      Abdul kareem, KK  Muhammed(1992) Variamkunnath Kunjahmad Haji

5.      Sulthan Variam Kunnan, Ramees Muhammed.

6.       “Resurrecting a forgotten freedom fighter”. The Hindu, 8 October 2016. Retrieved  8 July 2020

7.     The Moplah Rebellion, 1921, Diwan C Gopalan

8.     Stephen Dale,’Islam and Social Conflict: The Mappilas of Malabar [1498-1922]

9.     Robert L Hardgrave Jr., ‘The MappilaRebellion, 1021: Peasant Revolt in Malabar.