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Home > Monuments of Kerala > Kottakal Kunjalimarakkar's House Kottakal Kunjalimarakkar's HouseThe house stated to be the residence of Kottakal Kunjalimarakkar, one of the heroes of Kerala history, is an ordinary single storied building (new) built in laterite stones and with thatched roof. It is situated in a garden land measuring 19 cents. The old house must have been destroyed by the Portuguese in the 16th century. The wood works of the existing house are very strong and substantial. They would suggest that they formed part of same old house built previously. Considering the historical importance, this house is declared as a protected monument in 1976, by the department of Archaeology. Background in brief: The history and achievements of Kunjali Marakkar constitute on of the most remarkable and brilliant chapters in the annals of Malabar. There is historical evidence that Kunjali III who had won laurels by his almost complete destruction of the Portutuese base on the Malabar coast was allowed to construct fortresses and dockyards at Pudupattanam by the Zamorin of Calicut. The Fort called 'Marakkar Kotta' and it is from this name now the place has come to be popularly called 'Kottakkal'. His successor Kunjali Marakkar IV was defeated in 1600 A.D. by the combined forces of the Zamorin and the Portuguese because he fell out with Zamorin and finally was taken to Portugal and executed. Marakkar MemorialHeralding maritime heritage - An article by P. Kunhabdulla
M.K. Narayanan, the National Defence Advisor, submitting the pillar to the Nation, erected in memory of Kunhali Marakkar. Visiting of a naval chief to a remote village to pay his tribute to their ‘forefather’ is definitely a matter of fact sufficient enough to invoke one’s curiosity. The Southern Naval Commandant, Flag officer, Commandant in Chief, Vice admiral of Indian Navy Bengara paid his visit to Kottakkal on 17th May 2006 along with the National Defence Advisor M.K. Narayanan. Narayanan submitted the pillar to the Nation erected by Indian Navy in memory of Kunjali Marakkar, in front of his house. They saluted the pillar to show their respect to the gallant admirals who fought for nearly a century and achieved much for the cause of this country. Bengar’s predecessors also paid visits to this site on previous occasions to show their respect. And his successors also expected to reach here, because this place is gaining more importance in the Naval Circles of India as they recognised that this was the dwelling place of their forefather, Kunjali Marakkar who was the Naval Chief of an Indian ruler – the Zamorin who had his headquarter at Kozhikode. Kottakkal is a coastal village in Payyoli Panchayat of Kozhikode district. The rural village christined as Kottakkal after the construction of a Kotta (fort) by the Kunjali Marakkar III, the third descendant in the chain of hereditary admirals of the Zamorin. The peculiar geological features of this place might have influenced him to select this spot to construct the fort. The peninsularshape that protrudes to the sea on one side and the river Kottappuzha on the other side made it a strategic point for him to execute his hit-and-run tactic against his enemy – the Portuguese. The small ships anchored in the river mouth could suddenly jump into the sea and give an unexpected blow to the passing enemy and could withdraw before receiving a counter attack. In addition to that the proximity of both Iringal Para, a massive quarry with a high altitude and Velliankallu amidst the sea, serve as surveillance centres for the early detection of the movement of the enemy.
The ancestral home of Kunhali Maraikkar, after and before renovation. The appointment of members of a certain Muslim family as admirals of a Hindu ruler had direct connection with the epoch making event – the landing of Vasco de Gama, the first European navigator, on the Malabar coast and subsequent attempts for colonisation by this European power. At the time of the arrival of Vasco de Gama in 1948, Kozhikode was one of the major trade emporiums in Asian coast. Commercial navigators from distant countries visited this spot for trade and commerce even before the beginning of Christian era. The natural resources of this region – the spices, hand woven clothes were exchanged for gold and other valuable articles from distant countries. Security of property and life in the kingdom of Zamorin was the main reason behind the flourishing of the trade. The Arab traveller Ibn Batuta (1342-47) testifies this fact in his accounts. The loyalty, sincerity, integrity and tolerence showed by the ruler was appreciated by all these traders. But the advent of Portuguese practically nullified all traditions and practices of maritime trade of Malabar Coast. It was strange to notice that the ship brought Vasco de Gama to Indian coast was heavily equipped with powerful cannons and other artilleries. For him the might was right. He proclaimed that he had monopoly over the Asiatic waters on the basis of the bull of pope Calixtus III, the spiritual leader of Christian world. He began to control other navigating vessels by forcefully collecting cess, looting the goods, massacring the crew and the passengers and set them on fire in the mid sea. Quoting the accounts of Shaikh Sainuddin, the contemporary chroniclerand the author of Thuhfath-ul Mujahidin , historians states that there is no comparison in the history of mankind for the act of cruelty by the Portuguese to the Muslims and other subjects of this land.
The staircase captured from a Portuguese Ship on the event of one of Marakkar’s victory over Portuguese. Madonna can be seen engraved on it. It is kept in the Kottakkal juma masjid and used as a platform during the ‘juma’ prayer. The attitude of the Portuguese provoked the Arab traders and their continuous confrontation with the Portuguese for the monopoly of Indian trade adversely affected the interests of both theirs, who had been trading with Malabar coast from the pre-Islamic period onwards, as well as the Zamorin. The major revenue to his treasury was the cess collected from the foreign trade. While the king decided to adopt remedial measures put an end to the aggressive activities of the Portuguese, Mohammed, a marine merchant of Cochin and his brother Ibrahim descendents of Arab merchants who came to India in the seventh century. AD, came down to Kozhikode and offered their services to the Zamorin. The Zamorin accepted their services wholeheartedly because he had no alternative to constitute a naval force of his own since superstition forbade his Nair soldiers from sea voyage. He conferred on Muhammad the title of Kunju Ali – the beloved. They constituted a Naval Force by recruiting a band of brave sturdy seamen and waged war against the Portuguese. The Zamorin recognised and admired their courage and loyalty and bestowed on the head of the family the title of Marakkar and offered all privileges what his Nair chieftains enjoyed. In his book India and Indian Ocean, Sardar K.M. Panikkar states that “during the hundred years of war with the Portuguese this family produced a succession of four remarkable sea captains whose prowess, makes the name ‘Malabar Pirates’ stand still in history. In initiation, courage, navigational skill and persistence, they bear comparison with the great figures of Naval warfare, undoubtedly the manners of the period they were ruthless, cared little for the right of others but compared to the Portuguese opponents they were humane and civilized. They were never responsible for the kind of atrocities that Gama and his successors committed.”
Cannon bullets excavated from nearby plot. The power of Kunjali reached its zenith during the period of Kunjali Marakkar III, the builder of the fort at Kottakkal with the permission of his master , the Zamorin. His power was so great that he enjoyed all privileges and prerogatives enjoyed by the Nair chiefs of Zamorin. In 1995 Kunjali IV became the Chief as his successor. He strengthened the fortification erecting towers heavily armed with cannon and deep trenches were laid. Under him the Marakkar became an irresistible political force and a grave menace to Portuguese ambitions on Malabar coast. But being intoxicated with power he threw off his allegiance to the Zamorin and assumed the titles as ‘King of Moors’ and ‘Lord of the Indian Seas’. He even showed discourtesy to his lord, the Zamorin, by cutting off the tail of one of his elephants and ill-treating a Nair noble who was sent for him for obtaining an explanation of his conduct. The estrangement between the Zamorins and Kunjali gave the Portuguese their long awaited opportunity. An agreement was duly entered in between the Portuguese and the Zamorin to arrest the power of Kunjali. In pursuance of the agreement a joint expedition was sent against Marakkar Kotta in the year 1598. But lack of coordination between the military forces or the Zamorin marched from the landside and the navel force of the Portuguese approached from the seaside enabled Marakkar to outlive the attack. But the luck does not smile on him during the massive attack organised against him in the year 1600 March. Zamorin himself came to Kottakkal to lead a large army of 6000 men and besieged the fort. Portuguese fleet under the leadership of Andre Furtado helped Zamorins forces to press Kunjali according to the plan they prepared. Loosing his hope to withstand the attack Kunjali surrendered to Zamorin on promise of Pardon. But in an act of treachery the Portuguese took procession of Kunjali IV and his men and took them to Goa and executed them in cold blood. Kunjali’s body was quartered and exhibited on the banks of Bardes and Panjim. His head was salted and sent to Kannur to struck on a pole and displayed there as a warning to the local Muslims.
The stamp released by Indian Postal Service on the eve of the 400th year of Kunjali Marakkar’s martyredom. This incident caused for an abrupt end to the saga of naval admirals who exhibited bravery and valour and to their resistance against the emerging European force. In consequence the power the Zamorin began to decline as a punishment for his reckless act and the importance of Kozhikode began to decrease. After the defeat of Kunjali the same joint forces razed the fort to the ground. However a thatched structure remained there, surviving the destruction and it is believed that it is the ancestral home where Kunjali lived. It came under the patronage of the government only in the year 1976. The structure, at the verge of dilaptation, and the adjoining 19 cents of land took over the government from four heirs and entrusted it to the Department of Archaeology . It is told that he didn’t have any direct successor since he had no children. The relatives who were in procession of this structure were not able to undertake the yearly thatching after the introduction of Land Reforms Act. As a consequence of this social reform, the rents they received either by the form of money or coconut leafing for thatching from the tenants abruptly stopped. So unable to withstand the torture of heavy rains portions of this large house began to collapse during the course of time and present portion remained here to accept our tributes. Coming into the possession of the government a compound wall and an outhouse were built and a watchman was appointed. After that the renovation work was undertaken in the year 1998. The thatched roof was exchanged for a tiled one and the granite compound wall to a laterate one to match the Dravidian style architecture of the structure and electric lights were installed. The then minister for Culture T.K. Ramakrishnan commissioned the work on September 10th in the same year. Another forty cents of land was added to the plot by acquiring the adjoining land, using the fund of Payyoli Grama Panchayat in the year 2000. A boat jetty and a felicitation centre were built on the river bank about 160 metres away from the structure and a connection road was laid as part of the execution of Kunjali Marakkar Tourism Project, utilising Block Panchayat fund. The dedication of Abdul Samad Samadani MP took shape as an additional building just behind the existing structure. He sanctioned an amount of rupees 7.5 lakh from the MP’s development fund for the building and its functioning as a library, to make it alive. Now a portion of this building is fabricated into a museum to exhibit the belongings connected with the historical event. Cannon bullets, swords, shield etc. received from the surrounding area while taking ditches in different purposes are on display. Conseptualising it as a pivotal point a mega tourism project was envisaged during the tenure of the last ministry by spending an estimated amount of rupees two crores. A site near the monument, where the massive Iringal quarry had existed, which served as a surveillance centre for Kunhali was acquired and a building was constructed there to function as an information centre. The main concept was a heritage village on this wide area of 22 acres of land and operation of cruise services from here to nearly centres of tourist interest like Kappad beach and Velliyankallyu through the sea, sandbanks and Peruvannamoozhi through river, constructing a boat jetty on the side facing the river. But it could not be materialised due to the inadequacy of fund. Meanwhile, the Indian Navy, who named a ship after him came forward and announced a project to convert the monument as a museum of National importance. The then Southern Naval Commandant Admiral Ram Das paid a visit to here to proclaim this decision. But it remains in its verbal form till today. Even though steps have been taken by different agencies to make it a destination of great significance, as an expression of our gratitude towards this first generation freedom fighter, it didn’t take definite shape. For creating awareness about our rich maritime heritage, our ascendancy among the sea faring nations, our achievement before the advent of Europeans and the role performed by the brave Kunhali Marakkar, the monument needs more consideration. The peculiarity of the landscape of this area due to the proximity of an estuary and the intervention of a river that differentiates the solitary Kottakkadappuram and the enchanting sandbanks from this legendery land are positive factors converting it to a tourist village.
A sketch of Marakkar Fort found in a Portuguese document. Kottakal Kunjalimarakkar's House Location: Village - Payyoli, Taluk - Quilandi, District - Kozhikode, Location - About 1.5kms from Iringal in Kozhikode - Vadakara (N.H. Road).
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