Writer U.A. Khader shares a lighter moment with lyricist Poovachal Khader during a meeting to commemorate actor Prem Nazir in Kozhikode on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: S_RAMESHKURUP
Prem Nazir Samskarika Vedi’s award presented to lyricist Poovachal Khader
“The coincidental meeting of three Abdul Khaders” was how writer U.A. Khader described the 29th death anniversary commemoration meet of actor Prem Nazir in Kozhikode on Tuesday. The first being the actor whose real name was Abdul Khader, the second, the writer himself and the third Poovachal Khader, noted lyricist and poet who bagged the Prem Nazir Samskarika Vedi’s 10th anniversary award on Tuesday.
‘Memories still alive’
Prem Nazir, who holds many a record in Malayalam cinema, passed away in 1989 at the age of 62. “It is not for nothing that his memories are still alive in the minds of cinema viewers,” said the writer, adding that Prem Nazir had immortalised many of his characters. He cited the actor’s performance as Bhranthan Velayudhan in Iruttinte Athmavu as a classical one.
Film producer P.V. Gangadharan, who presented the award to Poovachal Khader, recalled how Prem Nazir supported him in his early days as a producer.
The Prem Nazir Samskarika Vedi has been presenting the award to many known and lesser known personalities in cinema over the last 10 years. Actors T.R. Omana, Shantha Devi and Sreelatha Namboothiri were some of the recipients of the award in previous years. Poovachal Khader, a relative of Prem Nazir, is also the president of Thiruvananthapuram-based Prem Nazir Foundation.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / by Staff Reporter / Kozhikode – January 17th, 2018
The date of inauguration of the exhibition hasn’t been decided yet, but most of the groundwork for the event has been completed.
For the first time in almost 12 years, the National Museum in Delhi is preparing to display the priceless jewellery collection of the Nizam of Hyderabad.
The date of inauguration of the exhibition hasn’t been decided yet, but most of the groundwork for the event has been completed. The National Museum exhibited the jewellery for the first time in 2001 and again e in 2007. There have also been two exhibitions of the jewellery at the Salarjung Museum in Hyderabad during the same period.
“In India, jewellery is an integral part of lifestyle. Among them, the Nizam’s collection of jewels is especially unique. It, therefore holds a significant position in the history of gemology and jewellery,” said Sanjib Kumar Singh , curator of the exhibition.
Soon after India’s independence and the annexation of erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad, the seventh and last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, created 54 trusts. The jewels, now in the custody of the Indian government, were part of the assets of these exclusive trusts. In March 1951, HEH the Nizam’s Jewellery Trust was created and it took over 103 items including state regalia; in February 1952, HEH the Nizam’s Supplemental Jewellery Trust took custody of 144 pieces of jewellery.
Negotiations began in 1972 between the Indian government and the family for the sale of the priceless heritage. In 1995, the Indian government finally acquired a part of the inventory for Rs. 217 crore. The actual value of this precious legacy is difficult to asses because it not only represents some of the finest jewels found in the Indian subcontinent, but also stands as a silent witness to the history of the Deccan region.
According to the government, the present collection comprises a total of 173 items acquired from the two trusts. The actual number of pieces, if pairs and groups of ornaments are split up, is 325 not, including 22 unset emeralds, and the 185-carat Jacob diamond, one of the world’s largest by size.
The collection includes turban ornaments, necklaces, earrings, armbands, bracelets, bells, buttons and cufflinks , anklets, watch chains and rings—all jewels once worn by the once fabulously wealthy Nizams of Hyderabad, their wives, children and grandchildren.
“This collection is a national treasure and comprises of jewels of fine beauty and rarity. I believe the jewels should be on permanent display as they belong to the people of India,” says art historian Deepthi Sasidharan, who has co-authored the book, Treasures of the Deccan–Jewels of the Nizams, published recently.
The exhibition is likely to feature around 33 showcases. The National Museum proposes to charge visitors Rs 50 for a 30-minute tour of the exhibition.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> India / by Vanita Srivastava, Hindustan Times, New Delhi / January 11th, 2019
Delhi Youth Welfare Association (DYWA) in collaboration with American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI), organized the DYWA Annual Award Celebration on 13thJanuary 2019 at Hindi Bhawan, Rouse Avenue, New Delhi.
96 students from 15 schools were felicitated with a shields, certificates and cash prizes. Five special awards were also given. Maulana Azad Education Foundation (best government organisation), Society for Promotion of Education (best non-government organization), Shehnaz (best student, class XII), Nikhat Urooj and Iffat Zareen (best students, Urdu Language/Literature in class XII) and Rabea Girls’ Public School (the school with highest number of individual awards in class X & XII).
This was the 28th edition of annual awards.
Various educationists, social activists and political leaders such as Arfa Khanum (Senior Journalist, The Wire), Dr. A.S. Nakadar (Founder Trustee and Former President AFMI), Dr. Aslam Abdullah (Editor, Muslim Observer and Director Islamic Society of Nevada) attended the convention as guests.
Siraj Hussain, former vice chancellor, Jamia Hamdard University, was the chief guest at the event. He shared a few tips on how to become civil servants. “Befriend as many books as you can. And choose best universities to pursue higher education,” he said.
Dr. Nakadar encouraged students to identify their latent talents. “Stop comparing yourself with others. It will make you better person and best among the people,” he said.
Arfa Khanum shared her journey from a small town in Uttar Pradesh to charting a successful career in journalism. “Being in Delhi is a privileged which many of you may have overlooked. You must make use the resources available to you to the optimum. You are the future of India and you would decide what this nation wants,” she said.
Aslam Abdullah underlined the perils of patriarchy. “We ought to treat at par with men. That is a perquisite for us to bring about any change,” he said.
DYWA is a well-known organization of old Delhi and has been working in the field of education for the last 28 years and AFMI (American Federation of Muslims of Indian origin) is a philanthropic charity formed by American Muslims of Indian Origin in the year 1989.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Education> India News> Indian Muslim> Lead Story / by TCN News / January 15th, 2019
Workers giving final touches to the restoration work on Hakims’ tombs.— Photos: Mohd Azharuddin
The restoration work on Hakims’ tombs being done by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is nearing completion and is expected to be thrown open for visitors soon.
Hyderabad:
A search for Hakims’ tombs in Google will take you to a monument in Pakistan! However, the little less known fact is that there are two such tombs in the heart of Hyderabad, located within the seven tombs complex.
The restoration work on Hakims’ tombs being done by Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is nearing completion and is expected to be thrown open for visitors soon, said Ganesh Reddy, Manager Operations for AKTC.
Nizamuddin Ahmed Gilani and Abdul Gaffar Gilani were the two favourite Hakims (Doctors) of Sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah. The twin tombs were built in 1651. The Commander’s tomb, which is also next to the Hakims’ tombs, will also be opened on the same day.
Architectural marvels
All the tombs, mosques, baolis (step wells) and other monuments in the seven tombs complex are the architectural marvels of Qutb Shahi dynasty, which was established in the 16th century. The Qutb Shahi rulers, whose dynasty survived till 1687, were great builders, whose structures include Charminar, Golconda Fort and several other monuments in Hyderabad, historians here aver.
The Qutb Shahi Heritage Park served as a necropolis to the dynasty. Monarchs and other prominent nobles were buried here during the 169-year rule of Qutb Shahis. The tombs complex has 80 monuments, which include 40 mausoleums, 23 mosques, seven baolis, a hamam, pavilions, tanks, wells, garden structures and enclosure walls.
Twin tombs
It is a twin tomb structure with both the structures identical and on the same platform. The square tomb covers an area of 10.35 m x 10.35 m and follows an open pavilion plan with three arched openings on each side. Internally, these have an arcaded octagonal grave chamber roofed with a bulbous dome raised on a 16-sided drum. Dome internal ceiling is decorated with merlon bands and flower bands.
Externally, all the facades are identical and have extensive stucco decorative in the form of medallions, floral bands and panels. Each facade has merlon shaped parapet wall over the stone brackets and chajja. The dome is extensively decorated with ribs and leaf pattern band at the base. The German Consulate based in Chennai has sponsored for the conservation of Hakims’ tombs, said Yoshowant Purohit, AKTC Project Manager.
Integration of Deccan Park
The Deccan Park is seen as the ideal entrance zone to the grand complex there by creating a suitable entry point to the heritage zones wrapped by ecological and formal landscape. The infrastructure development works such as amphitheatre and parking facility were also on track.
Restoration works
In January 2013, a MoU was signed between the Department of Archaeology and Museums, now Department of Heritage Telangana, the Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority, Aga Khan Foundation and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture to undertake conservation works on all monuments with a holistic landscape development of the 106-acre Qutb Shahi Heritage Park.
The Tata Trusts also pledged its support to conserve 10 major monuments. The Ministry of Tourism (Govt of India) has announced its support for the development of the landscape.
On World Heritage Day, April 18, 2018, the first phase of conservation and landscape restoration works were completed. Prominent structures conserved in Phase-1, include the mausoleum of Sultan Quli Qutb Shah, Jamshed Quli Qutb Shah, Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah. Other structures such as Idgah, Hamam, three baolis, mosques, grave platforms, chaukhandis were also developed.
The Commander’s tomb.
Under Phase-2, conservation works are being carried out on tombs of Muhammad Qutb Shah, Hakims, Commander, Premamati, and Taramati, Hayat Bakshi Begum and great mosque, while Phase-3 will focus on the entrance zone and few other structures.
Footfall
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture will also carry conservation works on Paigah Tombs and Ashoor Khana based in the old city. Footfall at Heritage Park has increased since the opening of Phase-1. The Telangana government’s extensive focus on introducing the history of Telangana and Hyderabad in school curriculum is also attracting students of all ages to the site.
source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> Hyderabad / by Mohd. Azharuddin / January 02nd, 2019
The emergence of artistic and cultural heritage of a country is a process that extends over centuries. Yet, sometimes, it can just take just a few days for it to vanish irrevocably. Care must be taken to preserve our heritage
Indian civilisation is one of the foremost in the world in terms of cultural wealth and the great works it produced. The indigenous people of India played a major role in the creation of the civilisation. However, people of diverse cultures from outside the peninsula have also doubtlessly contributed to the creation of this tremendous cultural wealth. One among such people are the Turks who led an amiable coexistence alongside the Indian people for decades.
In the first half of the 11th century, a great Turkish Sultanate was founded in northern India and subsequently Turkish influence extended further south. The foundation of this state had a notable impact on the history and culture of India. As a result of this impact, Delhi flourished to the point of competing with Baghdad, Cairo and Istanbul — the leading commercial and cultural centers of the world at that time.
Here onwards, the Turkish-Islamic influence began to shape all cultural areas from architecture and literature to arts and cuisine. Concrete examples of this impact can still be seen today. The centuries-long co-existence of both Indian and Turkish culture led to the exchange of words between the Turkish and Indian languages despite their vast structural differences. Some Turkish words were directly adopted as they were, while some words were transcribed according to their Indian pronunciations.
The most prominent aspect of the Turkish influence in India, however, is reflected in architectural works, with its myriad examples. One such example is the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque that was constructed by Qutab Ud-Din-Aibak, the founder of the Delhi Sultanate. It was the construction of this mosque that laid the foundation of the Indo-Islamic architecture in India. The famous ‘Qutb Minar’ minaret, which was constructed by Qutab Ud-Din-Aibak in 1500, is a 72.6 meter tall tower built of red sandstones, based on the Mamluk architectural style.
Following the Qutb Minar, many castles, palaces, tombs, granaries, bathhouses, ponds, mosques and even cities were built throughout India during the Mughal period. Akbar Shah’s rule was particularly marked by the mixed use of Persian style and Indian/Buddhist style architectural design, thus giving rise to a new and unique type of architecture. Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, the Fatehpur Sikri Fortress, which was declared the capital of the Mughal Empire by Akbar Shah, and Akbar’s own tomb in Agra are some of the chief examples of this style. And, of course, let us not forget the exceptionally beautiful Taj Mahal.
Although the Indian state is seemingly responsible for the preservation of all these great works, there are examples reflecting the importance of personal initiatives. Esra Birgen Jah, the former princess of Hyderabad, is one such example. Born as the daughter of a family from the Ottoman Dynasty, and the first wife of Barkat Jah, the Nizam of Hyderabad, Esra Birgen Jah successfully restored the Chowmahalla Palace to its former glory after lengthy efforts.
A great many people from diverse disciplines such as architect, textile specialists, conservationists and historians took part in the restoration efforts. The palace, which was turned into a museum housing historical artifacts, costumes and documents, was presented with a UNESCO award.
Whether their origins date back to Turkish or other cultures, all historical monuments in India should be recognised as ‘cultural heritage,’ and provided with the protection they deserve. For this reason, the great works in India, which have seen the rise and fall of the civilisations of the past, witnessed countless major events and developments in the history of humankind, and stood as a testament to ‘history’ itself, needs to be restored and conversed so that the human history can be preserved and passed down to the next generations.
Today, the Turkish heritage on the Indian peninsula is considered India’s own property. Their preservation should be viewed as a key factor that will help reinforce Turkish-Indian relations and friendship, and Turkey should provide the necessary support to the Indian Government in this regard.
The emergence of the artistic and cultural heritage of a country is a process that extends over the course of centuries yet sometimes, it can take just a few days for this cultural heritage to vanish irrevocably. Be it Indian or Turkish, all nations should take good care of the historical works within their domains and consider them as the common heritage of humankind.
Wherever this common heritage may be located in the world, it should be preserved to the utmost from ethnic and religious conflicts, exploitation, negligence and, of course, the destructive forces of time. This will awaken interest in different cultures among nations and render peace. In this way, the Indian and Turkish people, already linked by a historically strong bond of brotherhood, can usher in a new era that will recapture and consolidate the spirit of fraternity.
(The writer is a Turkish author)
source: http://www.dailypioneer.com / The Pioneer / Home> Columnists> OpEd / by Harun Yahya / April 02nd, 2018
Before I set out on a journey to Turkey, I decided to visit the Turkish Martyrs Graveyard Memorial in Ballari, built in memory of Turkish Prisoners of War (PoW) of the First World War.
Turkish Memorial
The memorial is actually a spiral column built over a rectangular platform. Indian and Turkish flags flutter on both sides. The cylindrical spiral structure in white is surrounded by fountains, multi-coloured floral plants with Ashoka trees and rose plants on the border. The memorial is located close to the airport.
There are two marble-dressed graves on its left side. A memorial plaque on one of them refers to General Agha Pasha Abdussalam, the prince from the Ottoman ruling family of Turkey, buried there. The second one refers to Turk Askeri.
The epitaph on the memorial (it also has a Turkish translation) reads: “Here lie the Turkish martyrs brought to India in the year 1918 as prisoners of war during World War I from the Suez Canal front where they had fought. God bless them all.”
Turkey is a nation straddling eastern Europe and western Asia. Suez Canal is a sea-level waterway in Egypt connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez. And Ballari is in South India. These contradictions increased my curiosity to unearth the links.
A tale of tragedy and futility of war silently unfolded when I began digging deep into history. I realised that the memorial traces its roots to the brutal first world war.
Tale of tragedy
After about a century since the war ended, the memorial in Ballari stands tall silently reminding the greed of rich belligerents trying to get richer by inflicting large-scale violence, brutality and futility.
Austria and Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, over the assassination of a leader, triggering the first world war. A web of entangling alliances and the manoeuvrings of diplomats and generals dragged ambivalent nations into an unnecessary war.
The war pitted the Central Powers—led by Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey—against the Allies—led by France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Japan and the United States. The Allies won the war which claimed maximum lives in the history.
The Allies captured soldiers of rival forces, while soldiers of the Allies were taken captive by the Central Powers. About 1.5 lakh soldiers from Turkey were taken captive by the British forces. Turkey had detained 34,000 British soldiers.
The two sides had a common problem, lack of prisons to keep captive soldiers. And they were unwilling to keep rival soldiers in their motherland.
About 8,000 soldiers from Turkey, Germany and Austria, in British captivity, were placed in British colonies, in Egypt, India, Burma (now Myanmar).
Sumerpur in Rajasthan; Ahmednagar, Belagavi and Ballari in Bombay province; Kata Pahar in Bengal and Burma were chosen for the detention of prisoners.
Soldiers from Austria and Germany were interned at Ahmednagar, Christian citizens and women at Belagavi, and Turkey soldiers at Sumerpur, Ballari and Burma.
The British establishment shipped the prisoners from the port city of Basra in Iraq to Karachi and later sent them to Kolkata by train. One team was sent to Burma, while the second one to Sumerpur, Ahmednagar, Belagavi and Ballari.
The entire exercise was ironical and a large number of soldiers died on the way to Karachi from Basra. Hundreds of them were injured while being shipped. All these met with gory and gruesome deaths due to hunger, starvation and a lack of treatment.
Conflicting theories
Historians consider their journey as a procession of deaths. Many of them, who had survived starvation before reaching India, lost their battles against changing weather conditions and food.
Hundreds of them fell prey to infectious diseases as prisoners from different nations were housed collectively. In the Egyptian camps, a contagious eye spread relatively quickly blinding prisoners.
As many as 137 soldiers were kept at Allipuram Jail in Ballari. There are conflicting theories on how they died. One theory says a trigger-happy British officer massacred them en masse. The second theory quotes plague as the cause for the deaths.
Locals claim that there used to be hundreds of graves of Turkish soldiers in the area until the 1980s. A major part of the remains was erased during the expansion of the Bellari Aerodrome.
Commemorating sacrifice
The Turkish Embassy in Delhi negotiated with the Indian government for a memorial to commemorate the sacrifice made by the soldiers for the nation ten thousand miles away from their motherland. As a result, the Turkish Martyrs Graveyard came up in 1980.
Since then, the Indian and the Turkish flags are hoisted twice a year – on August 15 and January 26.
Details of Turkey soldiers in Ballari come from the lone report of Red Cross Society. A high-level committee at the Geneva convention in 1971 decided to send the Society teams for reports on charges of brutalities meted out to soldiers at camps.
A team visited Ballari, Egypt and Myanmar as part of the decision. The team members visited Ballari on March 17, 1971, and submitted a report regarding the medical facility, food, physical and mental health of the prisoners. The most common complaint from the prisoners was that they hardly heard anything from their family members.
Due to isolation, the futility of war and uncertain future, most of them became mentally ill. They had converted a hall meant for prayer to play games. They also used the hall as a coffee house, played Dice Chess Dominoes, consumed Turkish coffee without milk and demanded books in the Turkish language for reading.
In the end, the report expresses confidence that the Turkey soldiers would surely say that the British establishment took proper care of them in India once they reached their hometowns. However, it is not known even today if they returned to their hometown.
The ordeal of soldiers from England and India in Turkey prisons was no different. There are memorials all over the world commemorating sacrifices made by foreign soldiers. Most of these soldiers laid down their lives for the British imperialism.
These memorials never reveal why wars were fought; why soldiers were killed; why they were shipped and interned in different continents; what happened to their families after their deaths. These memorials also mirror inhuman acts of war.
(Translated by Jagadish Angadi)
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Spectrum> Spectrum Top Stories / by Rahamat Tarikere / December 19th, 2019
Dr Naser A Anjum, a DBT-RLF researcher (Scientist-D) in the Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University edited “The Brassicaceae – Agri-Horticultural and Environmental Perspectives” in collaboration with Prof Om Parkash Dhankher (University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA), Prof Juan F Jimenez (Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, San Luis Potosí, Mexico), Dr Sarvajeet S Gill (MD University, Rohtak) and Dr Narendra Tuteja (ICGEB, New Delhi). The Frontiers Media, Lausanne, Switzerland has published the book.
The book covers Agri-Horticultural and Environmental role of members of Brassicaceae, an angiosperm family that includes model plants such as Arabidopsis, Alyssum, and Brassica, developing model generic systems like Boechera, Brassica, and Cardamine and several cultivated plant species including radish, rocket, watercress, wasabi, horseradish, vegetable and oil crops.
According to Dr Anjum, the book is available at https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/3959 for free consultation and download.
source: http://www.amu.ac.in / Aligarh Muslim University / Home> AMU News / Public Relations Office, Aligarh Muslim University / December 26th, 2018
The British unleashed ruthless violence over Mappilas to quell the rebellion in south Malabar taluks
A mass grave in Adhikarathodi, Melmuri, where 11 bodies had been buried after the massacre. (Photo courtesy: Sameel)
Ninety-seven years ago on this day, the British army massacred 246 people in a small village in the Malappuram district of Kerala as part of a crackdown against the Mappila rebels.
The Mappila Rebellion was part of the non-violent Khilafat Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi and the Ali Brothers in 1921-22. The Mappila Muslims, who reside in the south Malabar region, had taken the movement seriously and engaged in combat with the well-equipped British army.
Ali Musliyar (Courtesy: Wikimedia)
The Mappila warriors, under the leadership of cleric Ali Musliyar and Variyam Kunnath Kunjahammed Haji (V K Haji), captured the taluks of Eranadu and Valluvanadu from the British and established their own rule.
After a short period, the British suppressed the rebellion savagely by letting loose the Gurkha Regiment, Dorset Regiment etc. According to official data, more than 2,300 people were killed and over 45,000 rebels were imprisoned in different jails across the country (the numbers are five-fold higher in unofficial records).
The rebellion had a huge impact on the region as well as the country. Mahatma Gandhi distanced himself from the rebels stating that the rebellion was just “an outburst of fanatics”. Several works, both critical and in support of the rebellion, have been published, but most of them are silent about the British crackdown on the rebels.
Two bodies were buried in this grave. (Courtesy: Sameel)
Unmarked graves
This bloodbath, which was largely forgotten, came to light after a three-year-long research by a journalist. Illikkal Sameel, who is with a Malayalam media organisation, spent four years documenting the history behind unmarked graves in a village located 3 km from the Malappuram district headquarters. In a detailed report published in Madhyamam Weekly, a Malayalam magazine, Sameel has illustrated the brutality of the British towards the Mappila, mostly innocents, including the old and the sick, to terrorise the rebels who had driven the mighty English force away from the region for months.
Cover page of Madhyamam Weekly.
In an ironic twist, Sameel, who resides in a nearby village, got to know about this forgotten historical episode four years ago from a friend, K Ashraf, who is pursuing his PhD from Johannesburg University, South Africa. Ashraf informed Sameel about the undocumented graves dating back to 1921 present in the area.
Initially, Sameel could find only five graves at Adhikarathodi in Melmuri village but nobody had any details about those buried there. After tracing the descendants of those buried, Sameel obtained information of 40 people from nine graves. All the graves had more than one body buried and among them one had upto 11 bodies.
“Malabar struggle is a well-researched topic from Kerala’s freedom movement and several scholars are still trying to explore more aspects. But I could find no trace of this particular massacre in any of those works,” Sameel said.
“In a casual conversation, a researcher in Malabar history mentioned Dorset Regiment and their involvement in suppressing the rebellion. I dug further to get details of the regiment and their expeditions, that was also futile,” Sameel explains.
From an octogenarian physician Dr Thorappa Muhammed, Sameel got to know that the number of people killed in the massacre was more than he could count. Muhammed told him that the number would go above 200 and challenged him to look at official British documents for more information.
Connecting the dots
“Most of the documents are not publicly available now, so I started flipping through the contemporary chronicles of officials. Among them, I went through a book of the Personal Assistant of Kozhikode Collector Mr Gopalan Nair’s ‘The Moplah Rebellion 1921’, which was published in 1924. In that book, he has just mentioned that the Dorset Regiment met some rebels near Melmuri and it led to the killing of 246 people on October 25, 1921,” said Sameel.
A book by the then police inspector of Malappuram, R H Hitchcock, describes every moment of his life as a British officer in Malappuram.
“The book is no more in print, hence, I got a photocopy of the book from one of my friends and a professor at Malappuram Government College, Dr Jameel Ahmed,” said Sameel.
Another historian, Dr M Gangadharan, has cited British officials G R F Tottenham and C T Atkinson in his work on the Malabar struggle. Sameel found Tottenham’s book to be the most valuable as the author had added all the official communications, notes, commission reports etc., that were available during the rebellion.
“I stitched all these details together with the verbal accounts of various residents and stories of survivors to write this report. It was a painful effort,” said Sameel.
Earlier efforts
In the early 2000s, an article published in ‘Souvenir’ as part of the Pookkottur War anniversary had made some efforts to cover the massacre.
Some young enthusiasts and writers had also made videos regarding this massacre and related artefacts still available in the area. The information for these efforts led Sameel to more graves.
Two feet deep grave. (Courtesy: Sameel)
‘Girls were murdered’
“Dr Thorappa Muhammed had mentioned graves dug by Muslim women as men were unavailable to conduct the funerals,” elaborates Sameel. “I found two such graves in the latest expedition. Unlike the usual six-feet deep Muslim graves, these were only two feet in depth,” he said.
“As per some official documents and the accounts of descendants of the dead, a significant amount of the people killed in the massacre were innocent. Family members told me about men, including aged and sick, being forcefully dragged out of their home and shot. Two girls who were trying to protect their fathers were also shot by the army,” Sameel added.
Punished for links?
Apart from a telegram communication of the officials mentioning the short-engagement between Dorset and rebels in Melmuri after the Mappilas were attacked, there is no other evidence to lead us to the motive behind the massacre.
“A large gang reported last night four miles north-west of Malappuram. Operations are undertaken against them by Dorsets, Artillery and armoured cars. Enemy met in jungle west of Melmuri opposing our troops there and in the houses, refusing to come out when ordered to surrender and offering continued opposition resulting in 246 rebel casualties,” reads the telegram.
Sameel assumes the British unleashed violence in that particular place due to the presence of a big chunk of Ali Musliyar’s students and giving shelter to V K Haji when he was in underground.
He rules out any connections to the alleged Mappila brutality, including forceful conversion of non-Muslims. “In my research, I could not find any credible information about the forceful conversion. Rather, there are mentions of participation of lower caste people in the rebellion,” Sameel claims.
“If such forceful conversions had happened, where are the later generations of those people. But till now nobody came forward claiming as the descendants of ‘those people’,” says Sameel.
“The story of forceful conversion was to demonise Mappila warriors and justify the British brutality. Even the leaders in the freedom movement believed this story and ignored the ruthless suppression of the rebellion,” he added.
In his article, Sameel gives an account of assistance from Thiyya family, lower caste Hindus, to extinguish the fire set on homes of Muslim neighbours by the army.
The course of rebellion changes
The entire course of the rebellion changed after the massacre as more rebels surrendered. Also, the popular support to the rebellion had also diminished. The British created an impression among the people that none, despite being active or inactive in the rebellion, would be spared.
“This was the British strategy to terrorise the rebels as well as sympathisers of rebels to give a strong message: ‘either support British or die’,” Sameel added.
The British officials themselves accepted that all they killed were not rebels, but they cheered the increase in the number of submissions as a result of the army act.
“In the interval before they (Dorset Regiment) came into action, there had been several encounters with the rebels and on October 25th the Dorsets had killed 246 Mapillas in the Melmuri area. Not all of these probably were active rebels, and the encounter seems to have had a considerable moral effect, for shortly afterwards petitions began to be received from ‘amsams’ in the neighbourhood of Malappuram offering submission,” Under Secretary reported to superiors. (Tottenham, 39).
In the correspondence of F B Evans, I US, Special Civil Officer, he wrote that Malappuram Kazi with thousands of men and women pleaded for amnesty after the massacre. In continuation, he regrets about the bloodbath, saying, “I think this may be put down as the effect of the Melmuri show on the 25th when no doubt a certain number of comparatively innocent people were unavoidably killed.”
Complete cover-up
British and upper caste historians deliberately neglected this episode for their benefits, alleges Sameel.
British officials tried to cover up this brutality to suppress the rebellion as part of maintaining themselves from further reactions from Muslims from other parts of India and to avert the global scrutiny of the war crime.
Sameel demands an open apology and reparation from the British government for their brutality on innocent people.
“The massacres the British army unleashed as part of a crackdown on the rebellion in Malabar, including the one in Melmuri, was one of the deadliest violence in India when one looks at its intensity. There were families without men, as all men were killed or taken to prisons. Those families need both an apology as well as compensation. The Indian government should pressurise the UK for this,” Sameel said.
For generations to come
After publication of the article, Sameel received several calls from different corners detailing other similar massacres. He is planning to write a book with more descriptions and related events.
There is also a plan to produce a documentary on this. Malayalam filmmaker and director of hit movie ‘Sudani from Nigeria’, Zakaria Muhammed, has agreed to produce the documentary under the banner of his production house – Cross Border Camera.
Sameel hopes the history books will feature this episode in the coming days. “The episode of the massacre was known among the victims’ families, till the last generation. The present generation is not aware of this. I hope my work will instil curiosity among them,” Sameel added.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Specials / by Ajmal V / DH News Service, Bengaluru / October 25th, 2018
Nellikkunattu Desam (Evanad Taluk – Malabar District) KERALA :
The Malabar rebellion (also known as the “Moplah War”, Mappila Lahala in Malayalam) was an armed uprising in 1921 against British authority and landlords in the Malabar region of Southern India by Mappila Muslims and the culmination of a series of Mappila revolts that recurred throughout the 19th century and early 20th century. The 1921 rebellion began as a reaction against a heavy-handed crackdown on the Khilafat Movement by the British authorities in the Eranad and Valluvanad taluks of Malabar. In the initial stages, a number of minor clashes took place between Khilafat volunteers and the police, but the violence soon spread across the region.
An estimated 10,000 people lost their lives, although official figures put the numbers at 2337 rebels killed, 1652 injured and 45,404 imprisoned. Unofficial estimates put the number imprisoned at almost 50,000 of whom 20,000 were deported, mainly to the penal colony in the Andaman Islands, while around 10,000 went missing.
Contemporary British administrators and modern historians differ markedly in their assessment of the incident, debating whether the revolts were triggered off by religious fanaticism or agrarian grievances. At the time, the Indian National Congress repudiated the movement and it remained isolated from the wider nationalist movement. However, contemporary Indian evaluations now view the rebellion as a national upheaval against British authority and the most important event concerning the political movement in Malabar during the period.
Early life and career in Mecca
Ali Musliyar was born in Nellikkunattu desom, Eranad taluk, Malabar district to Kunhimoitin Molla and Kotakkal Amina. Kotakkal Amina was a member of the famous Maqdoom family of Ponnani, known for their religions scholarship. Musliyar’s grandfather, Musa, was one of several “Malappuram Martyrs”. Ali Musliyar began his education studying the Qur’an, tajwid and the Malayalam language with Kakkadammal Kunnukammu Molla. He was sent to Ponnani Darse for further studies in religion and philosophy, under the tutelage of Sheikh Zainuddin Maqdum I (Akhir), which he successfully completed after 10 years.
He then went to Haram, Makkah (Mecca) for further education. After spending seven years in Mecca, he went on to serve as the Chief Qasi in Kavaratti, Laccadive Islands.
Musliyar in Malabar
In 1894, after learning of the slaying of his brother and several other family members, Musliyar returned to Malabar. He discovered that many of his relations and fellow students were lost during an 1896 riot. In 1907 he was appointed as the Chief Musliyar of the mosque at Tirurangadi, Eranad taluk.
The revolt of 1921–22 began following the police arrest of a number of Tenancy Association – Caliphate Movement – Indian National Congress leaders in August, 1921. Rumours that the British troops had destroyed the Mampuram Mosque led to large scale rioting throughout South Malabar against both wealthy Hindu landlords and the British.
Although the British army troops were quick to take the upper hand in many towns, a number of rebels initiated guerilla operations, forcing the British to deploy additional military units and introduce “aggressive” patrolling. The revolt came to an end in February 1922. Ali Musliyar was among a dozen leaders who were tried and sentenced to death. He was subsequently hanged at the Coimbatore Prison on 17 February 1922.
The Punjabi festival of Lohri commemorates Dullah Bhatti for his act of defiance against the Mughal emperor.
Wikimedia Commons
Lohri in Delhi has bonfires, popcorn, peanuts, pine nuts, gur or jaggery and til and sundry sesame sweets. Around the bonfire, people gather to sing a popular Punjabi folk song , Sundar munderiye, about a certain Dullah Bhatti who helped to rescue poor Punjabi women from the rather cruel zamindar, landlord.
In the big city, cut off from folk legends, most of the people who sing that song are unaware of who Dullah Bhatti was. Bhatti, though, is a historical figure, a contemporary of Mughal emperor Akbar who lived in Pind Bhattian, a town about 50 kilometres west of Lahore.
Rai Abdullah Khan Bhatti – to use Dullah’s full name and title – lived in tumultuous times. Akbar was just beginning to consolidate the Mughal state, setting in process a new order that would ensure that his dynasty would rule Delhi for the next three centuries to come. The Mughal state proceeded to implement a system of land revenue devised by Akbar’s brilliant Rajput finance minister, Todar Mal, called the Zabt system. The Zabt revenue system made Mughal officers responsible for both the assessment and collection of revenue.
Punjab in chaos
What was victory from Delhi, though, often meant chaos and destruction on the ground, as old ways of life were overturned. The Zabt system underpinned the Mughal state but proved to be the end of the road for local power centres in the Punjab, as all authority was concentrated in the Mughal administration. One of those local power centres was Dullah Bhatti’s family, a Rajput landowning clan made powerless by the financial scheme of Mughal finance minister, Todar Mal. As a result, the Bhattis rebelled against Akbar – and lost. Both Dullah’s father and grandfather were executed – at the time, Dullah’s mother was pregnant with him.
Legend now has it that Akbar’s son Jahangir and Dullah were born on the same day. To make Jahangir brave, Akbar was advised to have his son breastfed by a Rajput wet nurse who – in an incredibly filmy twist – happened to be Dullah Bhatti’s mother, in one version of the legend. A more prosaic explanation for this myth is that the Mughals initiated a policy of reconciliation with the Bhattis. By providing Dullah and his mother with royal patronage, the Mughal state hoped to assuage their hurt, win them over and – most importantly – prevent future rebellions.
Things, however, didn’t go according to plan. Bhatti grew up to swear revenge on the Chughtais, Mughals who had executed his father and grandfather. So fierce was this local resistance that, says historian Ishwar Dayal Gaur, Akbar had to shift his capital to Lahore from Delhi for two decades to try and get things under control. Gaur also adds that Akbar exempted the Bari Doab or Majha (the region between the rivers Beas and Ravi) from taxes and also made peace with the Sikh guru, Arjan Dev by visiting him in Goindwal – Bhatti’s revolt was so effective that the Mughals couldn’t afford to make any new enemies.
Dullah Bhatti becomes legend
Ultimately, though, Akbar prevailed, the Mughals capturing and beheading Dullah publicly in the main bazar area of Lahore. Till the last, though, Bhatti remained defiant and his final words as recorded by sufi poet Shah Hussain were, “No honourable son of Punjab will ever sell the soil of Punjab”. His grave still exists in Lahore, although interestingly, there is no official recognition of the spot. Pakistan – a country which is dominated by Punjabis – still takes much of its national mythos from the Mughal state, making its recognition of Dullah Bhatti’s revolt against Akbar a rather delicate matter.
Nevertheless, Dullah’s revolt passed into popular Punjabi legend and his feats as a Robin Hood are still celebrated today in the popular song Sundar munderiye, which talks of how he protected Punjabi girls from being abducted by the Mughal zamindar. The custom of giving money and sweets to children, who go from door to door singing the song, is said to honour Bhatti’s acts of generosity, of looting the tributes and taxes sent to the emperor and redistributing them among the poor.
In 2015, Bhatti’s tale was even made into a Punjabi pop number, although the video of the song, interestingly, portrayed him as a Sikh battling the Mughals, rather than the Muslim Rajput Bhatti historically was. Given that our histories rarely talk of the complex nature of Mughal India, and reduce most situations to a mirror of the communal conflicts of the modern age, this, perhaps, is an expected error.
source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> Festival Celebrations / by Shoaib Daniyal / January 13th, 2016
