Mappila
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The Mappilas (historically called Moplahs in Malayalam :മാപ്പിള)
are a Muslim and Syrian Malabar Nasrani community
in Kerala and neighbouring states and territories of India. The
word mappila is derived from the old(Pure) Malayalam words Amma and pilla meaning Child of Mother
Muslim Mappilas
The Muslim Mappilas are the earliest known Indian Muslim community, having existed since the 8th century AD, when Arab merchants who had long been trading with the Chera kingdom converted them to Islam, based on the preachings of monotheism by Muhammad in Arabia.
Malabar Mappilas
Arab merchants propagated their faith along the Malabar Coast.In the 16th and 17th centuries they are known for their fight against Portuguese inquisition and conversion to Christianity of native people of malabar coast. 19th and early 20th centuries, Mappilas were known for active armed attacks against the British, including the 1921 Moplah rebellion. Later they turned their attention on the Caste Hindus. One Mohommed Haji was proclaimed the Caliph of the Moplah Khilafat and flags of Islamic Caliphate were flown. Ernad and Walluvanad were declared Khilafat kingdoms.
In recent years, many Kerala Muslims, along with other malayalee communities have found work in the Middle East (especially in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates ), sending remittances home to support families in Kerala. This makes Kerala one of the main contributors of foreign exchange to Indian economy.
Like Bearys of Tulunadu, most Mappila Muslims follow the Shafi'i school of Muslim Jurisprudence (in contrast to the Hanafi school followed by most South Asian Muslims). The Pakistan Movement (which drew its strongest support from Muslims in northern India) received a lukewarm reception amongst Muslims in Kerala though relatively few Mappilas migrated to Pakistan following partition.
According to the 2001 census, about one-quarter of Kerala's population (or 7,863,842 people) were Muslims. Furthermore, a substantial proportion of Mappilas have left Kerala to seek employment in the Middle East, and some have settled in other states within India. There are substantial numbers of Mappilas in nearby Kodagu (Coorg), Mangalore, bangalore, Coimbatore) etc . Keyi family of Tellicherry is one of the prominent mappila family in Kerala.
Social Divisions Among Malabar Mappilas
- Thangals – This is a small section which traces its ancestry through the progeny of the Prophet’s daughter Fatima. They are the same as the category known as Sayyads elsewhere. By virtue of their descent, they are held in the highest esteem by all Moplahs.
- Arabis or Arabs – This is also a small group who are descended from the union of Arab men and local malayali women but have retained their Arab lineage. They occupy a position of high status in Moplah society, next only to Thangals, by virtue of their Arab lineage. Almost all Arabis are in the coastal regions of Malabar and Mangalore.
- Malabaris - This is the main body of Moplahs. They share the typical mother-right custom with large sections of Hindus of Kerala. It is a well authenticated fact that the Moplahs belonging to the interior of South Malabar are mostly converts from among the low caste Hindus. Moplahs are densely spread in the villages as well as towns of the interior South Malabar. There are very few Moplahs in the interior of North Malabar. In the coastal area of Malabar there is a large number of converts from among the Hindu castes like Thiyyas, Mukkuvas and Nairs. There are further sub-divisions of varying social status among the Malabaris.
- Pusalars – This word literally means new people. They are late converts from among the Hindu caste of fishermen called Mukkuvas. Because of their relatively late conversion and their low occupation of fishing, which they still continue, they have a low status in Moplah society. They are spread all along the coastline. Numerically, they are the second largest section, after the Malabaris. They are also characterized by further sub-divisions of varying social status, as is the case with Malabaris.
- Ossans – They are barbers among the Moplahs. Their occupation is comparatively very low. Their womenfolk act as hired singers
on social occasions like weddings as are the
Nais of Bihar and Dafalis of Jharkhand. They are ranked the lowest among the five groups of Moplahs.
Link[1]
Culture of Malabar Mappilas
Oppana
It is a popular form of social entertainment among the Mappila community of Kerala, south India, prevalent all over, especially in the northern districts of Kannur, Calicut and Malappuram. It is generally presented by females, numbering about fifteen including musicians, a day before wedding. The bride dressed in all finery, covered with gold ornaments is the chief spectator who sits on a peetam, around which the singing and dancing take place. While they sing, they clap their hands rhythmically and move around the bride using simple steps. Two or three girls begin the songs and the rest join in chorus.
Mappila Paattukal
Mappila Paattukal or Mappila Songs are folklore Muslim devotional songs in the Malayalam language sung by Muslims (Mappilas) of Malabar. The first gramophone record in Malayalam language was a Mappila song. In 1925, Gul Mohammed, father of celebrity artist KG Sathar recorded his voice in gramophone. Even though millions of Mappila songs were released thereafter on records, only few of them are considered as authentic Mappila songs.
Duff Muttu
Duff Muttu(also called Dubh Muttu) is an art form prevalent among Mappilas. The Duff is a music instrument made of wood and ox skin. It is also called Thappitta. Participants play this and dance.
Kuthu Ratheeb
It is a religious ritual performed by some sections of the Mappilas. Weapons are used in this ritual. Sometimes it spills over and actual injury is inflicted. Common acts in Kuthu Ratheeb include piercing the tongue, the ear and stomach with iron rods. Byths are hymns that are sung during Kuthu Ratheeb. There are more than twenty Byths and each are different.
Mappilas of Tirunelveli
Indian Muslims who followed Shafi'i from the coastal state of Kerala – which borders Tamil Nadu – were forced by Portuguese brutal attacks on their villages in the 16th century to flee into the rural interior. They began migrating to the villages near Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. Many of the present-day Tirulnelveli Muslims claim to be descended from the Kerala mapillais, follow Malabari religious teachers and social culture.
Mappilas of Kadayanallur
Kadayanallur is one of many traditional Muslim weaving villages in Tirulnelveli, a district in the state of Tamilnadu. Practically every household in Kadayanallur once worked a handloom, and the occupation was passed down from generation to generation. But in the 19th century, the weaving industry in South India was twice transformed because of the industrial revolution in Britain. In the early 19th century, India’s hand-spinning industry was destroyed by the import of machine-spun yarn from Britain and the establishment of local spinning mills. With a plentiful supply of cheap yarn, however, the handloom sector flourished until about 1860, when the East India Company imposed a handloom tax to suppress competition to the British textile industry. Many of the traditional weavers (nesavali) found themselves without income and were forced to migrate to places like Penang, Singapore. By one estimate, there are about 20,000 Kadayanallur Muslims in Penang itself today. Today, Kadayanallur itself is transformed into a township. A few households do still work in handloom, but most households depend on income from jobs in the Middle East.
The name Kadayanallur comes from "Kadayaleeswara", the name of the presiding deity of Kadayaleeswarar Kovil, a Hindu temple located in Kadayanallur.
Christian Mappilas
The Rulers gave the Syrian Christians various rights and privileges written on copper plates. In Kollavarsham 149 (AD1051) the Chera king Vallabhan kotha had given a Chepped to the Chengannoor Church conferring the title Mappila to all the Syrian Chrstians. The Syrian churches existing at that time were known as Mother Churches. After this Chepped was given, members of those churches were given the title ‘Mappila’ or children of Mother Churches and they suffixed Mappila with their names as a title of honour.
Orgin of Christian Mappila
In Kollavarsham 149 (AD1051) the Chera king Vallabhan kotha of Mampally Sasanam had given a Chepped to the Chengannoor Church conferring the title Mappila to all the Syrian Chrstians. The Syrian churches existing at that time were known as Mother Churches. After this Chepped was given, members of those churches were given the title ‘Mappila’ or children of Mother Churches and they suffixed Mappila with their names as a title of honour. The word Mappillah means Son in Law in ancient Tamil and Malayalam. It is not a herditary title but it denotes all the foreigners who came to Malabar coast and married native Dravidian girls and became residents of Malabar coast. Most of the sailors came from Western countries like Arabia as well as Syria, Iraq and Turkey. The prefix before the Mapillahs denote the country of origin including Arabi Mapilla, Yonaka Mapilla (Greeks and Turks) Nasrani Mapilla (Persian,Palestinian, and Syrian immigrants)
Many of the Syrian Malabar Nasrani were converted to Islam during Tippu's invasion in Malabar.
During the attack by Tippu the Kozhikode Zamuthiri (Zamorin), Manorama Thampuratti accompanied by many Syrian Christians came for shelter under Travencore State ruled by Karthikathirunal. Such Christians were settled in places like Ennakadu, Cheppadu, Kannankode, Mavelikara, etc where there were already Christians. During the time of Ramayan Delava a census of such Christians were taken. In order to identify them, their houses were named after the tree closest to their houses. Thus names like Plamood, Mammootil, Pulimootil, Alumootil etc were given which exist till today. The earlier Christians in those places had "Thalackal", "Oor", "kode"etc added to their house name; examples are Poovathoor, Thalakode, Kizhakethalackal etc. They were Christians settled down there from St. Thomas time. These Syrian Christians still use the Mappila name. The Mammen Mappila of Malayala Manorama is from one of those families.
Citation
- The Cochin State Manual by Mr. C. Achutha Menon, Government of Kerala, 1995
- The Christian Churches in Kerala by Mr. K.U.John, November1995
External Citation
See also
- Culture
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