Recently, a claim by a political leader sparked controversy when they declared the Moplah rebellion of 1921 as one of the first indications of the Taliban mindset in India. This event pulls historical threads to the forefront. The Moplahs or Mappilas Muslims, who were once direct competitors with Portuguese traders, formed the largest and fastest-growing community in Malabar by 1921.
Moplahs/Mappilas and their Background
The term Mappila refers to the Malayali-speaking Muslims who lived along the northern Kerala Malabar Coast. When Portuguese traders landed on the Malabar coast in the sixteenth century, they found Mappilas primarily engaged in mercantile activities. As Portuguese commercial power grew, Mappilas started to move inland, seeking fresh economic opportunities. This shift led to religious identity clashes with both the local Hindu population and the Portuguese.
The Mappila Riots
The fiery speeches of Muslim religious leaders and anti-British sentiments ignited the Mopillahs to launch a brutal rebellion. They committed numerous violent acts against both the British and Hindu landowners. Historians continue to debate whether this rebellion was a case of religious fanaticism, an uprising against British authority, or a peasant revolt against the landlords’ unfair practices. Issues arose because most landlords were Namboodiri Brahmins, while majority of the tenants were Mapillah Muslims. The conflict resulted in mass murders of over 10,000 Hindus, rapes, forced religious conversions, property damage and destruction of nearly 300 temples.
Triggers for the Rebellion
The uprising was influenced by the Non-Cooperation Movement initiated by the Congress in 1920 and the Khilafat agitation. These movements increased the anti-British sentiment among the Muslim Mapillahs. The new tenancy laws introduced by the British after Tipu Sultan’s death in 1799 also contributed to the unrest. These laws heavily favored the landlords and deprived peasants of all guaranteed rights to land, leading to further exploitation.
Support and Collapse of the Rebellion
Initially, Indian nationalist leaders like Mahatma Gandhi supported this movement. However, as the rebellion turned violent, they began distancing themselves from it. By the end of 1921, the British suppressed the rebellion with the help of a special battalion called the Malabar Special Force. The infamous Wagon Tragedy occurred when 67 Moplah prisoners suffocated to death while being transported from Tirur to Central Prison.
Major Pre-Independence Agrarian Revolts
India has witnessed several significant agrarian revolts before Independence. The Santhal Rebellion (1855-56) saw over 1,000 Santhals rise against the East India Company. Similarly, the Indigo Revolt (1859-60), Pabna Uprisings (1872-1875), Deccan Riots (1875), Pagri Sambhal Movement (1907), Peasant Movement in Oudha (1918-1922), Champaran Movement (1917-18), Peasant Agitation in Kheda (1918), Moplah Rebellion (1921), and Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) raised significant resistance against different forms of oppression, ultimately sowing the seeds for India’s struggle for independence.