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Zamorin

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Zamorin is the anglicised version of Samoothirippadu or Samoothiri, a title of the rulers of the erstwhile Hindu state of Kozhikode (previously known as Calicut), located in the present day state of Kerala, India, between the 14th and 18th century AD.

Manavikraman Raja, the Samoothiri of Kozhikode is famous for being the ruler that received the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama on May 18, 1498.

Contents

Origins

The Samoothiri were previously known as the Eradis (rulers of Eranad).[link]. Eranad was a small state next to Polanad state, of which Kozhikode was the capital. It is said that during the 14th century, the Samoothiris killed Porlathiri the ruler of Polanad by treachery, and usurped that state. All of this may have been precipitated by the great flood of the Periyar river in about 1341AD. This flood resulted in the silting of the harbour of Kodungallur (anglicised as Cranganore), a town known to be frequented by Arab and Roman and Chinese traders (Refer Indian Ancient Maritime History). The silting led to the rise in prosperity of other ports like Kochi (also known as Cochin), and Kozhikode.

Battles with neighbours

After acquiring the Polanad state, the Samoothiri turned his attention to other states (nadus) around him. He next annexed the state of Nedunganad. Between 1353-1361 AD, the Samoothiri Raja fought a series of small battles with smaller states called the Thirunavaya War.

The two larger states were Walluvanad and Perumpadappu (also known as Perumpadapu Swaroopam). Walluvanad was the prime producer of rice and agricultural products in Malabar region. As a result of the feud, the Perumpadappu Rajas were forced to move their capital from Thirunavaya to Thiruvanchikkulam, when the Samoothiri captured Thirunavaya. After Thirunavaya was captured, the Samoothiri proclaimed himself as the Rakshapurusha (Malayalam for chief protector) and announced that from then on, he had the sole right of conducting the Mamankam festival - a major Hindu festival of the Bhagvati deity held at Thirunavaya.

The Raja then turned to the prospering port state of Kochi. The Perumpadappu Rajas, or rulers of Kochi were forced again to shift their capital from Thiruvanchikkulam to Kochi during 1405 A.D.

The Samoothiri Raja's army then landed via the sea at Ponnani where they built a fort during 1498. Samoothiri continued to battle the Walluvanad Raja without much success. The Kochi Rajas eventually succumbed to the Samoothiri around 1500, and becames his vassals. During December, 1500 the Samoothiri expelled the Portuguese from Kozhikode due to their demand for a monopoly, and they moved to a trading post at the city of Kochi.

Mamankam Festival

The land of ancient Mamankom, Thirunavaya is 7 km south of Tirur. Situated on the banks of Bharathapuzha, it is a place of historical importance. In olden days, Mamankam was a grand assembly of the rulers. Held once in 12 years, in which one among them was selected as the emperor of Kerala. It was an enormous trade fair also. The Mamankam festival was celebrated for 28 days with great pomp and pageantry where traders from outside came in ships and barges to Thirunavaya through Ponnani port. Thus the economic importance of Mamankam was high and hence the right to conduct and control it was important. 
At the end of the rule of Perumals, the right of Mamankam was with Vellattiri, the ruler of Valluvanad. Later the Zamorin of Kozhikode, took this right by force and this resulted in dispute and bloodshed between these two Rajas. Valluvanad Raja used to send Chaver warriors to flight until death, to recapture the right from the Zamorin, who would stand poised at Nilapadu thara in Thriunavaya, surrounded by a large contingent of soldiers, in every 12th year. The last of such Mamankam, was believed to be held in 1755, when Zamorin had a hair-breath escape from a chaver aged 16. 


The Mamankam is conducted on the banks of Bharathapuzha the second-longest river in Kerala, close to a holy town called Thirunava.



Portuguese connection

Although the Samoothiri received the Portuguese warmly, relations between the two soured soon.  This may have begun because the Portuguese at the outset demanded a trade monopoly to be granted to them, and the Arabs (who had centuries of dealings) to be expelled from Kozhikode.


Vasco da Gama, who was a swordsman by trade had been sent by King Manuel I of Portugal with a fleet of four ships to find the fabled land of India.  However, Vasco's fleet was equipped by Captain Bartolomeu Dias, who had previously sailed to the tip of South Africa in 1488, but had to turn back from going onwards to India due to a mutiny on his ship.  Diaz, who was used to dealing with African tribes that inhabited the West coast of Africa at that time, equipped the fleet with goods like glass beads, copper bowls, tin bells, tin rings, striped cotton cloth, olive oil, and sugar that had proved useful to him in trade with the tribes.  Vasco was not equipped to deal with a sophisticated culture like India at that time, which was used to providing luxury material like cotton calico cloth, spices, pepper to the West.


Hence, Vasco could not offer the Samoothiri any substantial gift (which was customary for new traders to offer the ruler), and not having anything worthwhile to trade, he could not purchase the fabulous spices and other luxury goods that were offered to him.  This may have led to his frustration with the Samoothiri, which was also reciprocated.


However soon afterwards, the Portuguese turned against the Samoothiri.  The Samoothiri joined a coalition led by the Muslim Sultan of Gujarat, Mahmud Begara in the Battle of Diu in 1509 to try and defeat the Portuguese.  A struggle by the Raja's navy led by his famous admiral, Kunjali Marakkar ensued and lasted several years. Finally the Raja had to allow the first European post in his realm to be established at Chaliyam during 1530.


The subsequent Rajas collaborated with the Dutch East India Company to defeat the Portuguese/Kochi coalition during 1661, ensuring the rise of the Dutch in Kerala.  The Rajas finally succumbed to the rising power of the state of Mysore, led by Hyder Ali in 1766.



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