Zamorin of Calicut
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| Zamorins of Calicut സാമൂതിരി-ഏറാടി |
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| Capital | Nediyiruppu Calicut Ponnani |
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| Language(s) | Malayalam, Sanskrit | |||
| Government | Feudal state | |||
| History | ||||
| - Established | 1102 | |||
| - Disestablished | 1799 | |||
Zamorin (Samoothiri; Malayalam: സാമൂതിരി, Portuguese: Samorim, Dutch: Samorijn) of Calicut is the royal title used by the Hindu Nair kings of the late medieval feudal kingdom of Calicut in Malabar. The Zamorins ruled between c. 12th and 18th century AD based at Calicut, the one of most important trading ports on the western coast of India. At the zenith in the 15th century, the kingdom covered almost all of Malabar and Cochin and the rulers of Quilon were their tributaries.
The Portuguese trader and navigator Vasco da Gama visited the Zamorin on May 18, 1498, opening the sailing route directly from Europe to India. But later in the history, the Zamorins turned out to be the worst rivals of the Portuguese on the Malabar coast.
It was after the disintegration of the Later Chera Kingdom in early 12th century, the Zamorins (originally Eradis of Nediyirippu Swarūpam) became completely independent. The relative absence of intra-family quarrels and splits was one of the factors in the dramatic success of the Zamorins. They were a close ally of the Muslim-Arabs, the primary spice traders on the Malabar Coast in the Middle Ages. The Kunhali Marakkars, the Muslim admirals, were the naval chiefs of the Zamorins. The Zamorins had their second capital at Ponnani and held most of the other important trading ports on the across Malabar Coast. The control over these ports provided the Zamorin a vast income of foreign money. They fought numerous battles with their local neighbors, prominently with Valluvanad and Cochin, for supremacy over the ports and the fertile banks of the Bharathappuzha. The wars with an alliance of Valluvanad and Cochin is related to the famous Mamankam festivals.
By 18th century all the petty states of Kerala had been absorbed or subordinated by the three big states of Calicut, Travancore and Cochin. In 1766 Kingdom of Mysore under the leadership of Hyder Ali defeated the Zamorin and annexed the Calicut. In the settlement negotiations with the Joint Commission after the Anglo-Mysore Wars, the Zamorin proved recalcitrant. To pressure him, a portion of his territories (Payyanad, Payyormala, Kizhakkampuram, Vadakkampuram and Pulavayi) was leased to the ruler of Kurumburanad as manager for the English East India Company. Finally, after prolonged negotiations, the hereditary territory of the Zamorin, together with the coin mint and the sea customs, was leased back to him. He was also temporarily given jurisdiction over the petty rulers and, as a mark of the Zamorin's exceptional position in Malabar, the revenue fixed for Beypore, Parappanad and Vettattunad was to be paid through him. As previously noted, these tax-payment and jurisdictional arrangements were terminated in 1799 and the Zamorin became a mere pensioned landlord.
The government at Calicut was an autocracy, limited by the power of the semi-independent vassal chiefs, perpetually in revolt, and by the priestly power of the Nambudiris. The Saamoothiri initiated the annual Revathi Pattathanam at the Tali Siva temple in Calicut. The present head of Zamorin family is His Highness P. K. S. Raja of Puthiya Kovilakam (Thiruvannur).[1]
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Etymology
The term Samoothiri (complete ശ്രീമദ്, സകലഗുണസമ്പന്നരാന, സകല ധർമ്മ പരിപാലകരാന, അഖണ്ഡിതലക്ഷ്മി പ്രസന്നരാന, മാഹാമെരുസമാനധീരരാന, മിത്രജനമനോരഞ്ജിതരാന രാജമാന്യ രാജശ്രീ കോഴിക്കോട് മാനവിക്രമസാമൂതിരി മഹാരാജാവ്) came into use only after the 15th century, first time in the writings of Abdul Razzak. Ibn Battuta visited the country in the 14th century and refers to the rulers as Kunnalakkonathiri or Punthureshan. However, then the Eradis assumed the title of Samudrāthiri ("one who has the sea for his border"). The title Samudrāthiri was shortened to Sāmoothiri over time in common usage.
The Zamorins used these titles and no records indicate the actual personnel name of the king. There is one more title namely Virarayan. This title seems to be acquired when Zamorins annexed Valluvanad to Zamorins territory. The title Virarayan is a form derived from Rayeran, a name of Valluvanad seen even in 9th century AD, in Panniyur inscriptions of Cheras.
Capitals
The Eradis with their original base at Nediyiruppu (near present Kondotty) and were land-locked and sought an outlet to the Arabian Sea. The Eradis subsequently moved their capital to the port of Calicut, then also called Thrivikramapuram. According to K. V. Krishna Ayyar, a historian, the city of Calicut was founded on a marshy tract along the Malabar coast in 11th century AD. During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Calicut was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices.[2] The name Kozhikode is thought to be derived from Koyil (Palace) and Kota (Fort) meaning 'Fortified Palace'. Others have called the city by different names. The Arabs called it Kalikooth, Tamils called the city Kallikkottai, for the Chinese it was Kalifo. The word Kozhikode (Calicut) is also thought to have derived from the famous fine variety of hand-woven cotton cloth called Calico that was exported from the port of Calicut. Other seats of the Zamorins were Ponnani, Trichur and Cranganore.
Succession Line
There were five Places of Dignity (Sthanams) existed in Calicut, each with its own separate property enjoyed in succession by the senior members of the the three Royal Branches (Kovilakams) of the family. The Zamorin's family, being Eradis are connected to several other Eradi clans who are resident in Nilambur, Ponnani and nearby localities in Malappuram district. The first Place of Dignity was the Zamorin himself. The second in line successor to the throne (Crown Prince) is known as the Eralppad (the Eranad Ilamkur Nambiyathiri Thirumulpad) and he resides in Eranad (northern parts of present day Malappuram district) itself. The third was the Eranad Moonnamkur Nambiyathiri Thirumulpad (the Munalpad), the fourth known as the Itattoornad Nambiyathiri Thirumulpad and the fifth the Nediyiruppu Mootta Eradi Thirumulpad (the Naturalpad). The three Royal Branches were Kizhakke (Eastern), Pandiyara (Western), and Putiya (New). The senior female member of the whole Zamorin family, the Valiya Tamburatti, also enjoyed a Places of Dignity with separate property known as the Ambati Royal Branch.
Dominions
Apart from their territories in Cannanore, Valluvanad, Palghat and Polanad the Kingdom of Calicut included the following territories as tributary states in the during the late 15th century: Kottayam, Kurumburanad, Tanore, Chalium, Beypore, Parappanad, Tirunavaya, Kakkad, Talappally/Punnattur, Chittur, Edappally, Patinhattedam, Cranganore, Kollengod, Cochin and all of its vassal states, Paravur, Purakkad, Vadakkumkur, Tekkumkur, Kayamkulam and Quilon.
The Kingdom of Calicut included the following territories during the late 18th century: Payyanad (Vadakkampuram, Calicut and Kizhakkampuram), Eralnad, Cheranad, Venkattakkotta, Malapuram, Kappul, Mannarakkad, Karimpuzha, Nedunganad and Ponnani. The Zamorin claimed to be (with more or less influence) the paramount sovereign over Payyormala, Pulavayi, Beypore, Parappanad, Vettattunad, Talapalli, Chavakkad and Kavalappara. Calicut had also taken possession of (the more full and immediate) sovereignty over Kollangodu, Kotuvayur and Managara.
History
Before the Portuguese arrival
According to legends, it was two Eradi brothers known as Manikkan and Vikraman (lieutenants in the army of the Later Cheras) who established a local ruling family at Nediyiruppu, near present-day Kondotty.[3][4] The local legend goes that during the legendary partition of Later Chera Kingdom, the king didn't give any land to his most trusted Nair lieutenant, the Eradi. Due to his feeling of guilt, the king gave his personal sword ("odaval") and his favourite prayer conch (which was broken) to his lieutenant and told him to "occupy as much as land he can, with all his might". So, the lieutenant conquered his neighboring Nair states and created a powerful kingdom for himself. As a token of his respect to the Chera king, the Zamorins adopted the logo of two crossed swords, with a broken conch in the middle and a lighted lamp above it.
The Zamorins were probably the Nair rulers of Eralnadu province of the Later Chera Kingdom and were known as the Eradis. It is known that Eradis, along with other governors, helped the Later Cheras during an attack by Western Gangas on the kingdom. This event is even now celebrated as a historical event in Chittur taluk where the fight took place. Around the break up the Later Chera Kingdom in 12th century AD, several of its chieftains and governorates became independent. Although there is no solid basis for the partition legend surrounding the end of Later Cheras, it is a possibility that following his mysterious disappearance, the land was partitioned and that the governors of different nadus (fiefdoms) gained independence, proclaiming it as their gift from the last sovereign.
There is some ambiguity regarding the exact course of events that led to the establishment of Eradi's rule over Calicut, their later capital. According to A. Sreedhara Menon, a prominent historian, after the Later Cheras, Calicut and its suburbs formed part of a kingdom called Polanadu ruled by Porlatiris. The Eradis of Nediyiruppu were land-locked and sought an outlet to the Arabian Sea to initiate trade and commerce with the distant lands. To accomplish this, the Eradis marched with their Nairs towards Panniyankara and besieged the Porlatiri in his headquarters, resulting in a 48-year long war. The Eradis emerged victorious in their conquest of Polanadu and shifted there headquarters from Nediyiruppu to Calicut. Eradis built a fort at a place called Velapuram to safeguard their new interests. The fort most likely lent its name to Koyil Kotta (the precursor to Kozhikode). The stories about the origin of the Kadathanadu dynasty (Badagara) is associated with wars of the Zamorin with Polanadu. When the Zamorin attacked Polanadu, he exiled a Polarthiri royal princess from his territory and she was welcomed in Cannanore, the Samoothiri's rivals, and after the marriage with Cannanore prince with this princess the Kadathanadu dynasty originated. The name Kadathanadu refers to as the passing way between Cannanore and Calicut.[5]
However, M.G.S. Narayanan, another famous historian, in his book, Calicut: The City of Truth states that the Eradi was in fact a favourite of the last Later Chera king as the Eradi was at the forefront of the battles with the Chola-Pandya forces to the south of his kingdom and led the army to victory. The king therefore granted him, as a mark of favor, a small tract of land on the sea-coast in addition to his hereditary possessions (Eralnadu province). This patch of wasteland is called chullikkad. The Eradis subsequently moved their capital to the coastal marshy lands and established the city of Calicut, then also called Thrivikramapuram. [6]
However, the events coincided with a flood of the Periyar in about 1341 AD that led to silting of the famous harbour of Muziris. The near destruction of Muziris led to the rise in prosperity of Quilon, Cochin and Calicut. The Eradi assumed the title of Samudrāthiri ("one who has the sea for his border") during this time and continued to rule from Calicut. The title Samudrāthiri was shortened to Sāmoothiri over time in common usage. Access to the sea helped the Eradi chief develop the city into one of the major trading centers of the Eastern world abounding in a wide variety of goods like black pepper, textiles, lac, ginger, cinnamon, myrobalans[disambiguation needed 
], and zedoary. Vessels of various sizes from around the world, like Chinese junks, arrived on the shores of Calicut.
The Zamorins became the most powerful king in Kerala during the Middle Ages and harboured greater ambitions to extend their rule over the whole of Kerala. This motivated them to enter into battles with neighbouring kingdoms with great success. The Zamorins easily annexed all the petty principalities south of Calicut, and in the famous Thirunavaya Wars they defeated an alliance of the kingdoms of Perumpadappu (Cochin as they came to be known later) and Walluvanadu. In this wars the Zamorin captured Vanneri and Thirunavaya. Vanneri was, in fact, the capital of Perumpadappu. The Perumpadappu subsequently shifted their capital to Thiruvanchikulam (Mahodayapuram). The Zamorin was also successful in capturing Thirunavaya and he styled himself as Rakshapurusha ("Protector of the People"). The grudges held by the defeated princes of Walluvanadu was the foundation of the bloody Mamankam festivals. The Zamorins continued to pursue his expansionist aims into surrounding dominions. They conquered large parts of the Perumpadappu and Walluvanadu and made a number of tiny principalities their vassals. Finally, the former Perumpadappu rulers, now ruling with Cochin as their capital, accepted the over lordship of the Zamorin and became a feudatory. The Calicut army moved further southwards, and made southern Kerala under their control. Now, the kingdom covered almost all of Malabar and Cochin and the rulers of Quilon were made tributaries. Cannanore was Zamorin's local rival in the north. Calicut and Cannanore fought numerous battles before the arrival of the Portuguese. Later, this rivalry paved the way for an anti-Zamorin alliance between the Portuguese and Cannanore.[5]
Soon afterwards, Deva Raya II (1424-1446 CE) of Vijayanagara Empire conquered the entire present day Kerala state. He defeated (1443) the Quilon as well as the Calicut. Fernão Nunes says that the Zamorin and even the kings of Burma ruling at Pegu and Tenasserim paid tribute to the king of Vijayanagara Empire. Later, Calicut and Quilon rebelled against their Vijayanagara overlords, but Deva Raya II quelled the rebellion. As the Vijayanagara power diminished in the next fifty years, Zamorin again rose to prominence on Malabar coast.
Relations with with Portuguese
The landing of Vasco da Gama in Calicut in 1498 with two ships has often been considered as the beginning of a new phase during which the control of the Indian Ocean passed into the hands of the Europeans. The strong colony of Arab merchants settled in Caicut was hostile, but the Zamorin welcomed the Portuguese and allowed them to take pepper, drugs etc., on board. In Portugal, the goods brought by Gama from India were computed at sixty times the cost of the entire expedition. Calicut soon allied with the other Indian states on the western coast against the Portuguese and participated in a number of naval battles against them. In one battle in 1551, Peri Rais, who was assisted the by the Zamorin of Calicut, attacked the Portuguese forts at Muscat and Ormuz. In 1570, Ali Adil Shah, the sultan of Bijapur, entered with an agreement with the Sultan of Ahmednagar. Zamorin of Calicut was also drawn into the alliance.
Relation with the Dutch and English
A Dutch fleet arrived in Calicut in November 1604 and marked the beginning of the Dutch presence on the Indian coast and concluded a treaty with Calicut on Nov 11, 1604. It provided for a mutual alliance between the two to expel the Portuguese from Malabar. In return the Dutch were given facilities for trade at Calicut, including spacious storehouses. But, later Calicut occupied Dutch Cranganore temporarily. So, the Dutch moved to Cochin for an mutual alliance. The Dutch could not however stay for long in Malabar. Their force weakened after constant wars with Travancore were forced to surrender to the English that marched from Calicut to Cochin on Oct 20, 1795.
The English reached Calicut in 1615 under Captain William Keeling and concluded a treaty of trade under which, among others, the English were to assist Calicut in expelling the Portuguese from Cochin and Cranganore, a term that the British never fulfilled. In 1664, Zamorin gave the English permission to build a "factory" (trading depot) in Calicut but did not extend any other favours as he was by now growing suspicious of all European foreign traders. Soon, the English assisted Calicut waged war against Cochin, who were supported by the Dutch. The prolonged conflicts lasted till the intervention of Travancore, and the Calicut agreed a peace deal.[5]
Mysore occupation
In 1766, Mysore forces under Hyder Ali marched to Malabar and easily conquered the Malabar up to Cochin. As the Mysore edged closer to the outer reaches of the city of Calicut, the Zamorin sent most of his relatives to safe haven in Ponnani and to avoid the humiliation of surrender committed self- immolation by setting fire to his palace at Mananchira.[7]
After the death of the king, some members of the Zamorin family rebelled against the occupiers. The Crown Prince Krishna Varma with his nephew Ravi Varma lead anti-Mysore activities based in southern Malabar. Anti-Mysore activities were secretly supported by the English East India Company.[8] Though Mysore conferred on the Zamorin prince a jagir (vast area of tax-free land), after taking charge he continued the revolt. Mysore soon sent an army under the command of M. Lally and Mir Asrali Khan and crushed the uprising. Later, Ravi Varma joined the infamous Pychy Rebellion of Cotiote Rajah. He died in combact, while his Krishna Varma committed suicide upon capture by the Company.
Key dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1342–1347 | Ibn Batuta at Calicut |
| 1402–1410 | Ma Huan at Calicut |
| 1498 May 27 | Vasco Da Gama along with three ships and 170 men, lands at Kappakadavu, a beach town situated about 16 km from Kozhikode, and is welcomed by the then Saamoothiri, Manivikraman Raja. |
| 1500 December | Saamoothiri expels Portuguese forces from Kozhikode. |
| 1500 December 24 | Portuguese (led by Pedro Álvares Cabral) take refuge at port of Kochi, where the Kochi Raja placates them with spices for trade. |
| 1501 January | Portuguese conclude a treaty with Tirumulpad, the King of Kochi, allowing them to open a factory there. |
| 1502 August | Vasco Da Gama returns to India to try to control the Saamoothiri. He bombards Kozhikode and burns a Calicut ship, the Meri, full of Muslim pilgrims from Mecca [1]. |
| 1503 | Portuguese crown the new Raja of Kochi, effectively making him a vassal of the King of Portugal. Vasco returns to Portugal. |
| 1503 March | Saamoothiri attacks Kingdom of Kochi to foil the growing Portuguese influence. |
| 1503 | First Portuguese Viceroy Dom Francisco de Almeida arrives in Kochi to find it destroyed, manages to obtain permission to build a fort. Thus the first European fort is built in India by 1505 called Fort Manuel (after King Manuel I of Portugal). |
| 1504 September 1 | Portuguese bombard and destroy the town of Kodungallur in retaliation. |
| 1505 March | Portuguese destroy several boats belonging to the Saamoothiri, with severe loss of life.[9] |
| 1505 November | Murder of the Portuguese factor António de Sá and his men in Kollam. |
| 1506 | Saamoothiri approach Raja of Kolathiri and convinces him of Portuguese imperial ambition. Kolathiri already displeased with Portuguese for harming Muslims at Cannanore thereby breaking an important treaty. The Saamoothiri lay siege to the St.Angelos fort at Kannur. Portuguese break the blockade. Raja of Kolathiri forced accede. |
| 1506 | Saamoothiri's naval forces join the Turkish and Arab forces to attack the Portuguese navy led by Dom Lourenço de Almeida, son of the Portuguese Viceroy. Portuguese repel attack. |
| 1507 November 14 | Portuguese under Almeida attacked Ponnani. |
| 1508 March | Sultan of Cairo's navy along with Sultan of Gujarat's forces defeat Portuguese at Battle of Chaul, killing Dom Lourenço de Almeida. |
| 1509 February | Portuguese counter-attack and defeat the Saamoothiri's forces and the Egyptian/Turkish Navy at the Battle of Diu. Turks and Egyptians withdraw temporarily from India leaving the seas to the Portuguese until 1538. |
| 1513 | Saamoothiri and Portuguese sign a treaty giving Portuguese right to build a fort at Kozhikode. |
| 1520? | Assassination attempt on Saamoothiri by the Portuguese. |
| 1524 | King of Portugal sends Vasco Da Gama again to India to subdue the Saamoothiri. |
| 1525 February 26 | Portuguese navy led by new Viceroy Menezes raids Ponnani, but the Saamoothiri defeats them with assistance from Tinayancheri and Kurumliyapatri. |
| 1530 | Chaliyam fort built by Portuguese with the consent of the Raja of Tanur(Vettattnad) and Raja of Chaliyam. Chaliyam fort was 'like a pistol held at the Zamorin's throat' as it was a strategic site, only 10 km south of Kozhikkode. |
| 1540 | Saamoothiri enters into an agreement with the Portuguese. Treaty allows Portuguese trade monopoly at Kozhikode port. |
| 1550 | Portuguese attack Ponnani. |
| 1569–1570 | War between the Portuguese and Saamoothiri's forces at Chaliyam fort. |
| 1571 September 15 | Saamoothiri defeats Portuguese. Chaliyam fort completely destroyed by Saamoothiri. |
| 1573 | Pattu Marakkar (Kunjali III) obtains permission from Saamoothiri to build a fortress and dockyard at Puthupattanam. This fort later came to be called the Marakkar Kotta (Marakkar Fort). |
| 1584 | Saamoothiri shifts policy towards the Portuguese because of his estrangement with Kunjali Marakkar who begins to defy the Saamoothiri. Sanction the Portuguese to build a factory at Ponnani |
| 1591 | Saamoothiri allow the Portuguese to build a factory at Kozhikode. He lays the foundation of church granting them necessary ground and building materials. |
| 1598 | Saamoothiri joins Portuguese to fight his ex-Naval Commander, Kunjali Marakkar III. Kunjali surrenders to Saamoothiri who hands over the commander to the Portuguese calling him a traitor. The Portuguese kill Kunjali at Goa in 1600. |
| 1604 | Dutch East India Company concludes a treaty with the Saamoothiri to permit trade at Kozhikode and Ponnani. |
| 1661 | Saamoothiri joins a coalition led by the Dutch to defeat the Portuguese and the Raja of Kochi. |
| 1743 | Saamoothiri continues war with Valluvanad. |
| 1757 | Saamoothiri defeats Walluvanad state. |
| 1760 | Hyder Ali, ruler of the state of Mysore intervenes to help the Walluvanad Raja and defeats the Saamoothiri, who signs a treaty with Hyder Ali. |
| 1766 | Hyder Ali marches upon Kozhikode. Saamoothiri commits suicide, setting fire to his palace, on April 27. |
| 1766–1793 | Twenty seven years long resistance against the Mysorean forces and later against the British East India Company, by the Zamorin princes led by Ravi Varma of Padinjare Kovilakam. |
| 1797 | Surrender of the whole of Malabar to the company's government. |
| 1806 | Agreement between the then Zamorin and the company, entitling the former with the right of Malikhana for an indefinite period. |
| 1877 | Zamorin's college founded by P K Kuttiettan alias Sir Manavikrama Zamorin Maharaja Bahadur, KCSI. |
See also
References
- ^ "Valayanadukavu temple calicut kerala temples valayanad temple govindapuram calicut temples". Sreevalayanaddevi.org. http://www.sreevalayanaddevi.org/history.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
- ^ "Lectures 26-27". Purdue University. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/history/lecture26/lec26.html. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
- ^ "officialwebsite of". Kerala.gov.in. http://www.kerala.gov.in/history&culture/intrusion.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
- ^ Divakaran, Kattakada (2005). Kerala Sanchaaram. Trivandrum: Z Library.
- ^ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedReferenceA; see Help:Cite errors/Cite error references no text - ^ To corroborate his assertion that Eradi was in fact a favourite of the last Later Chera, M.G.S. cites a stone inscription discovered at Kollam in southern Kerala. It refers to "Nalu Taliyum, Ayiram, Arunurruvarum, Eranadu Vazhkai Manavikiraman, mutalayulla Samathararum" - "The four Councillors, The Thousand, The Six Hundred, along with Mana Vikrama-the Governor of Eralnadu and other Feudatories." M.G.S. indicates that Calicut lay in fact beyond and not within the kingdom of Polanadu and there was no need of any kind of military movements for Calicut.
- ^ Malabar Manual by Logan
- ^ "Tipu Sultan — Villain Or Hero?". Voiceofdharma.com. http://voiceofdharma.com/books/tipu/. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
- ^ Robert Swell. "A forgotten empire: Vijayanagar". http://www.nalanda.nitc.ac.in/resources/english/etext-project/history/vijayanagar/book1.chapter10.html., Book 1, Chapter 10.
- ^ Schwartz, Stuart.Implicit Understandings, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 665pp, 1994, 302. ISBN 0521458803
- Hamilton, Alex. A new Account of the East Indies, Pinkerton's Voyages and Travels, viii. 374
- Hart, Henry H. The Sea Road to the Indies. New York:MacMillan Company, 1950.
- Danvers, Frederick Charles. The Portuguese in India. New York:Octagon Books, 1966.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zamorin of Calicut |
- Official Website of the Zamorin Royal Family
- Zamorin at Columbia University
- History of Calicut at Calicut Press Club
- Tali Temple, Calicut
- []
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