Who Were Kunjali Marakkars?

Known as the first-ever protectors of the sea, Kunjali Marakkars or Kunhali Marakkars are credited with organizing the first naval defence of the Indian coast.

Here Are A Few Things To Note About The Marakkars:

• When the hereditary chiefs of the navy of Zamorins, the royals of Calicut (Kozhikode) in 12th through 18th century, faced Vasco de Gama and his men as rivals in trade followed by grave battles leading to bloodshed, a rich Muslim marine merchant, Ismail Marakkar helped the Zamorin and gave his seamen to fight against the Portuguese in several battles between AD 1500 and AD 1600.
• Kunjali Marakkar I (1520 – 1531), Kunjali Marakkar II (1531 – 1571), Kunjali Marakkar III (1571 – 1595) and Kunjali Marakkar IV (1595 – 1600) had fought eighty years of relentless war against the Portuguese.
• They had no warships, cannons and technology to match the Portuguese; instead had brilliant war strategies, qualities to lead the pack and excelled at guerrilla warfare at sea.
• Some of the family members of Kunjali Marakkar who were engaged in trade had moved to the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu.
• At Madhavan Kurichi, a small village in Thoothukkudi, Tamil Nadu there is a Perumal temple with a painted image of a ship and the legendary Kunjali is worshipped here.
• According to historical records, the honorific title of ‘Kunjali’ was bestowed by the Zamorin on the Commandants of his Naval force in recognition of their prowess in maritime warfare.

However, a few historians take a different side to the story of Marakkars. According to their perspective, the records of history indicated that before 1524, the Marakkars closely associated with the Portuguese – helping them to tackle the tactics of the Zamorin and the major Arab merchants in Calicut.

Then, in 1524 certain events occurred that made the Marakkar turn against the Portuguese. This change was led by the decision of the Portuguese to do trade directly from the native Christians and Hindus. This meant that the Marakkars would no longer be the middle agents of the Portuguese, marking a major twist in the Kunjali Marakkar history.

Thus, the Marakkars reached out to the territory of the Calicut Zamorins. They associated with the Zamorins and Arab Merchants of Calicut to put an end to the Portuguese presence in Malabar Coast. That is how the Marakkars went onto become an integral part of Malabar’s history.

The Kunjali Marakkar Memorial Museum is located at Iringal near Vadakara in Koyilandi Taluk, Kozhikode. The house which belonged to the successors of Kunjali Marakkar, the naval chieftains of the Zamorins in Kozhikode, is a single storey building built in laterite stones and has been converted to a memorial by the state archeological department.

A museum has also established in the building behind the memorial, which gives an introduction to the history of the Kunjali Marakkars. The exhibits in the museum include the sword used by the legendary warrior, Kunjali Marakkar, and cannon balls and some other war relics belonging to the period of the Zamorins can be seen here.