Moplah Rebellion of 1921

A Muslim tenant uprising had taken place between British rulers and local Hindu landlords. Bloodshed indiscriminately marked the uprising that erupted on August 20, 1921, which lasted for several months. In order to gain support from the high-caste Hindus, the British appointed high-ranking Hindus into positions of authority; this culminated in protests directed against Hindus. There are some historical accounts that claim the uprising resulted in the deaths of around 10,000 people, including 2,339 rebels. 

Background :

The Arabian Sea route brought Muslims to Kerala in the 7th century AD as traders. The Muslim traders married local women and settled in Kerala. These Muslim traders’ descendants became known as Moplahs. At the turn of the 18th century, Hyder Ali invaded Malabar. The objective was to avoid persecution and forced conversion. Many Hindu landlords fled Malabar during this invasion and settled in other parts of Kerala. Moplah tenants earned ownership rights to the land as a result of this incident. Following the death of Tipu Sultan, the British took control of Malabar. The area was incorporated into the Madras Presidency. The Jenmis sought to gain ownership rights from moplah peasants under such conditions. This led to a series of riots between 1836 and 1896. Moplah peasants were exploited by government officials and Hindu landlords. Moplah’s political mobilisation was sparked by the Khilafat and non-cooperation movements. The oppressive system of administration afforded them the opportunity to use religious idioms and express their suffering. 

Immediate Causes of the Moplah Rebellion of 1921:

• For British officials in the Madras Presidency, the violence periodically perpetrated by the Moplahs during the 19th century was a major source of fascination. During the configuration of the violence, it became known as the Moplah “outbreak” or “outrage”.

• The Moplah tenants suffered a number of disadvantages under the Malabar tenure system. Moplahs were held in total insecurity of tenure, and they could be evicted without prior notice.
• Both economically and religiously, the Jenmis and the Moplahs were antagonistic toward one another. Moplah tenants have been oppressed by Hindu landlords since 1835. Accordingly, the Jenmi raids were the primary reason for the Moplah agitation.
• Exactions of a very high order were practised by the Jenmis. The Moplahs often faced discrimination from Hindu tenants.
• Fee renewal, which was set at an exorbitant rate by the Jenmis, caused immediate Moplah agitation. These charges were simply unconscionable.

Final Effects of the Moplah Rebellion of 1921

• Among the first nationalist revolts against the British was the Moplah Rebellion. An alternative form of administration was intended to be formed by the Mappilas Rebellion based on a religious ideology and conception. Khilafat may well have stifled the Malabar nationalist movement after they pledged to form a government.
• Several schools of thought disagree on whether the Moplah uprising was a nationalist uprising against the British or a series of riots that fostered communal harmony.
• An ex-president of the INC, Sir C. Shankaran Nair, criticised Gandhi for his support for Khilafat and thought it may have contributed to the uprising.
• During the rebellion, other parts of the country were targeted for counter-campaigns against “fanaticism” among Muslims. 
• The after-rebellion The Muslim reform movement in Malabar was sparked by the moplah rebellion.

Prominent Leader of the Moplah Rebellion of 1921:

• Variankunnath Kunjahammad Haji: Variankunnath Kunjahammed Haji became one of the most influential Khilafat leaders in Malabar in 1921. In his historic work, Malabar Kalaapam (Malabar Rebellion), Congress secretary and president K. Madhavan Nair describes him as “belonging to a family with outbreak traditions.” In Nilambur, Haji ran a parallel Khilafat government based on the Khilafat system, governing independently with a separate passport, currency, and taxation system. 

• Ali Musliyar: Among the leaders of the Malabar Rebellion was Ali Musliyar. The Muslim scholar Musliyar served for many years as Imam of Tirurangadi Masjid until he was executed during the Malabar Rebellion at Coimbatore Prison for leading the revolt. He was educated at Masjid al-Haram. He spoke extensively for the Khilafat Movement. 

• Some other leaders were Sithi Koya Thangal, M. P. Narayana Menon, Chembrasery Thangal, K. Moideen Kutty Haji, Kappad Krishnan Nair, Konnara Thangal, Pandiyatt Narayanan Nambeesan, and Mozhikunnath Brahmadathan Nambudiripad.

Conclusion:

The Moplah rebellion was sparked by the Khilafat-Non-Cooperation movement. It served as a vehicle for mobilising the Mappilla community, but it had certain conditions under which it was effective. In the same way that not all peasants rose up against the government and landlords, not all Mappillas joined the rebellion. In fact, the rebellion took place predominantly in the Malabar district, where the Khilafat-Non-cooperation movement was least developed in Ernad taluk. As opposed to serving as the end product of mobilisation, the rebellion itself was the driving force behind it. The law required every mappilla in the affected regions to declare allegiance either to the British Raj or to the Khilafat. More people were drawn into the conflict as violence escalated between the two rival polities, making the conflict polarising. As a result of the massive force of official violence, the resistance of the Mappillas was ineffective. By the end of six months, the rebellion had been crushed.