THE MOSLEM AND OTHER NATIVES OF MALABAR.
We are informed by the Moslem historians that their faith spread wide
and took deep root in the southern parts of Western India, principally
in consequence of the extensive immigration of Arabs. It may be observed
that the same cause which provided the Hindoos with serfs, supplied the
stranger with proselytes: a Rajah would often, when in want of money,
dispose of his outcastes to the Faithful, who, in such cases, seldom
failed to make converts of their purchasers.
The Moplahs, or Mapillahs,[115]—the Moslem inhabitants of Malabar—are a
mixed breed, sprung from the promiscuous intercourse that took place
between the first Arab settlers and the women of the country. Even to
the present day they display in mind and body no small traces of their
mongrel origin. They are a light coloured and good looking[116] race of
men, with the high features, the proud expression, and the wiry forms
of the descendants of Ishmael: their delicate hands and feet, and their
long bushy beards,[117] show that not a little Hindoo blood flows in
their veins. They shave the hair, trim the mostachios according to the
Sunnat,[118] and, instead of a turban, wear a small silk or cloth cap
of peculiar shape upon their heads. The chest and shoulders are left
exposed, and a white or dyed piece of linen, resembling in cut and
colour the “lung” or bathing cloth of Central Asia, is tied round the
loins. The garment, if we may so call it, worn by the males, does not
reach below the calves of the legs, whereas the fair sex prolongs it to
the ankles. Unlike the Hindoo inhabitants of Malabar, the upper portion
of the female figure is modestly concealed by a shift buttoned round the
neck, with large sleeves, and the opening in front: according to the
custom of the Faithful a veil is always thrown over the head.
The only peculiarity in the Moplah lady’s costume is the horrible
ornamenting of the ear. At an early age the lobe is pierced, and a bit
of lead, or a piece of Shola wood[119] is inserted in order to enlarge
the orifice. After a time the lobe becomes about the size of a crown
piece, and a circle of gold, silver, or palm-leaf, dyed red, white, or
yellow, is inserted into it—the distended skin of the lobe containing
and surrounding the ring. There is something peculiarly revolting to a
stranger’s eye in the appearance of the two long strips of flesh instead
of ears, which hang down on each side of the head in old age, when
ornaments are no longer worn.
The countenance of the Moplah, especially when it assumes the expression
with which he usually regards infidels and heretics, is strongly
indicative of his ferocious and fanatic disposition. His deep undying
hatred for the Kafir[120] is nurtured and strengthened by the priests and
religious instructors. Like the hierarchy of the Moslem world in general,
they have only to hold out a promise of Paradise to their disciples as a
reward, and the most flagrant crimes will be committed. In Malabar they
lie under the suspicion of having often suggested and countenanced many a
frightful deed of violence. The Moplah is an obstinate ruffian. Cases are
quoted of a culprit spitting in the face of a judge when the warrant of
execution was being read out to him. Sometimes half a dozen desperadoes
will arm themselves, seize upon a substantial house, and send a message
of defiance to the collector of the district. Their favourite weapon
on such occasions is the long knife that usually hangs from the waist:
when entering battle they generally carry two, one in the hand, and the
other between the teeth. They invariably prepare themselves for combat
by a powerful dose of hemp or opium, fight to the last with frenzied
obstinacy, despise the most dreadful wounds, and continue to exert
themselves when a European would be quite disabled—a peculiarity which
they probably inherit from their Arab[121] ancestors. Like the Malay when
he runs a-muck, these men never think of asking for, or giving quarter,
they make up their minds to become martyrs, and only try to attain high
rank in that glorious body by slaying as many infidels as they can. At
times they have been eminently successful. On one occasion we heard of
a rencontre in which about a dozen desperate robbers, dropping from the
window of a house into the centre of a square, inopportunely formed by a
company of seapoys, used their knives with such effect upon the helpless
red-coats’ backs, that they ran away with all possible precipitation. The
result of a few such accidents is, that the native soldier cannot always
be trusted to act against them, for, with the usual Hindoo superstition
and love of the marvellous, he considers their bravery something
preternatural, and connected with certain fiendish influences.
In former days, the Moplas played a conspicuous part among the pirates
who infested the Malabar coast. Marco Polo mentions that there issued
annually “a body of upwards of one hundred vessels,[122] who captured
other ships and plundered the merchants.” He alludes to their forming
what they called a ladder on the sea, by stationing themselves in
squadrons of twenty, about five miles from each other, so as to command
as great an extent of water as possible. But in the old Venetian’s
day, the corsairs appear to have been by no means so sanguinary as
they afterwards became. He expressly states, that when the pirates
took a ship, they did no injury to the crew, but merely said to them,
“Go and collect another cargo, that we may have a chance of getting it
too.” In later times, Tavernier describes them as blood-thirsty in the
extreme. “The Malavares are violent Mahometans and very cruel to the
Christians.[123] I saw a barefoot Carmelite friar, who had been taken by
the pirates, and so tortured, in order to obtain his ransom,[124] that
his right arm and one leg were shorter by one half than the other.” He
alludes to their audacity in attacking large armed vessels with squadrons
composed of ten or fifteen barques, each carrying from two hundred to two
hundred and fifty men, and describes their practice of boarding suddenly
and setting fire to the ship with pots of artificial fire. The style of
defence usually adopted was to prepare for them by closing the scuttles,
and swamping the deck with water, to hinder the fire-pots from doing
execution.
The Moplahs being now deprived of their old occupation, have addicted
themselves, in some places, to gang-robbery and smuggling. The principal
contraband articles are tobacco and salt, both of which are government
monopolies.[125] To strengthen their bands, they will associate to
themselves small bodies of Nairs and villains of the lowest Hindoo
castes, who shrink from no species of cruelty and outrage. But, generally
speaking, especially in the quieter districts of Malabar, the Moplahs and
the Nairs are on terms of deadly enmity. The idolaters, who have been
taught to hate the Faithful by many a deed of blood, would always act
willingly against them, provided that our rulers would ensure subsistence
to their families, according to the ancient custom of the country.[126]
Both are equally bigoted, violent, and fond of the knife. In few parts of
the world there are more deadly feuds than in this province; and whenever
a Nair is killed by a Moplah, or _vice versâ_, the relations will steep
a cloth in the dead man’s blood, and vow never to lose sight of it till
they have taken revenge upon the murderer.
Near the coast, the Moplahs are a thriving race of traders, crafty,
industrious, and somewhat refined by the influence of wealth. Those of
the interior cultivate rice and garden lands. Some few of the latter
traffic, but as they do not possess the opportunities of commerce
enjoyed by their maritime brethren, their habitations and warehouses
are not so comfortable, substantial, and spacious. Both of them have a
widely diffused bad name. Among the people of Southern India generally,
the word Moplah is synonymous with thief and rascal. All are equally
celebrated for parsimony, a Hindoo, as well as an Arab, quality, and for
rigid observance of their religious rites and ceremonies. The desire of
gaining proselytes is one of their ruling passions; consequently Islam is
steadily extending itself. The zeal of its followers is well supported by
their means, and the willingness with which they admit new converts, even
of the lowest and most despised classes, to perfect social equality with
themselves, offers irresistible attractions to many wretched outcastes of
Hinduism. They transgress the more laudable ordinances of their faith,
and yet cling fondly to its worse spirit. They will indulge to excess in
the forbidden pleasures of distilled waters and intoxicating drugs, in
immorality and depravity; at the same time they never hesitate to protect
a criminal of their own creed, and, to save him, would gladly perjure
themselves, in the belief that, under such circumstances, false oaths and
testimony are not only justifiable, but meritorious in a religious point
of view.[127]
The faith professed by the Moplahs is the Shafei form of Islam. All
their priests and teachers are of the same persuasion; and such is their
besotted bigotry, that they would as willingly persecute a Hanafi[128]
Moslem as the Sunni of most Mussulman countries would martyr a heretic or
schismatic. No Sheah dare own his tenets in Malabar. We doubt whether the
mighty hand of British law would avail to save from destruction any one
who had the audacity to curse Omar or Usman at Calicut. They carefully
cultivate the classical and religious branches of study, such as Sarf
o Nahv, grammar, and syntax; Mantik, or logic; Hadis, the traditions
of the Prophet; and Karaat, or the chaunting of the Koran. They seldom
know Persian; but as they begin the Arabic language almost as soon as
they can speak, and often enjoy the advantage of Arab instructors, their
critical knowledge of it is extensive, and their pronunciation good.
The vernacular dialect of the Moplah is the Malayalim, into which, for
the benefit of the unlearned, many sacred books have been translated.
The higher classes are instructed by private tutors, and appear to be
unusually well educated. The priest has charge of the lower orders, and
little can be said in praise of the schoolmaster or the scholar.
As regards testaments and the law of inheritance, the Moplahs have
generally adhered to the Koran; in some families, however, the succession
is by nephews, as amongst the Nairs.[129] This custom is palpably of
Pagan origin, like many of the heterogeneous practices grafted by the
Mussulmans of India upon the purer faith of their forefathers. Of course
they excuse it by tradition. When Cherooman Rajah, they say, became a
convert to Islam, and was summoned by Allah in a vision to Mecca, he
asked his wife’s permission to take his only son with him. She refused.
The ruler’s sister then offered to send her child under his charge.
The Rajah adopted the youth, and upon his return from the Holy City he
instituted the custom of murroo-muka-tayum, in order to commemorate the
introduction of Islam into the land of the Infidel.
* * * * *
The Mokawars, Mokurs, or as we call them, the Mucwars, are an amphibious
race of beings, half fishermen, half labourers:[130] generally speaking
Moslems, sometimes Hindoos. Very slight is the line of demarcation drawn
between them, and they display little or no fanaticism. It is common for
one or two individuals in a family to become Poothoo Islam, or converts
to the faith of Mohammed, and yet to eat, sleep, and associate with the
other members of the household as before.[131]
In appearance these fishermen are an uncommonly ill-favoured race; dark,
with ugly features, and forms which a developist would pronounce to
be little removed from the original orang-outang. Their characters, in
some points, show to advantage, when contrasted with those of their
superiors—the Nairs and Moplahs. They are said to be industrious,
peaceful, and as honest as can be expected. A Mucwa village is usually
built close to the sea; the material of its domiciles consisting of
wattle or matting, roofed over with thatch; the whole burned to blackness
by the joint influence of sun, rain, wind, and spray.
* * * * *
Servitude amongst the Moslems partook more of the nature of social
fraternity, and was dissimilar in very essential points, to that of
the Hindoos. The slaves were always domestic, never prædial: instead
of inhabiting miserable huts built in the centre of the paddy fields,
they lived in the houses of their proprietors. They were efficiently
protected by law, for in case of ill-treatment, duly proved before the
Kazee, the complainant was either manumitted or sold to some other
master, and so far from being considered impure outcastes, they often
rose to confidential stations in the family. This is the case generally
throughout the Moslem world.
* * * * *
The native Christians do not constitute a large or influential portion
of the community in this part of India, although the Nestorians in very
early times settled and planted their faith on the western coast of the
peninsula. About the towns of Cannanore and Tellichery, there are a few
fishermen and palanquin bearers, called Kolakar and Pandee, said to have
migrated from the Travancore country. The other “Nussuranee (Nazarene)
Moplahs,” as the Christians are styled by the Heathen, are almost all
Catholics, either the descendants of the Portuguese, or converted by
them to Romanism. They reside principally in the large towns upon the
coast: unlike their brethren in Canara, they imitate the European
costume, and occupy themselves either with trade, or in the government
courts and cutcherries. They are notorious for dishonesty and habitual
intoxication.[132]
* * * * *
Amongst the many social usages and customs peculiar to the natives of
Malabar, the two following deserve some mention. There is a kind of
general meeting, called Chengathee koree, or the “Society of friends,”
established for the purposes of discussing particular subjects, and for
inquiring into the conduct of individuals. It is supported by the monthly
subscriptions of the members, and all must in regular turn—the order
being settled by lots—give an entertainment of rice, flesh, and fruit to
the whole party. As the entertainer is entitled to the amount of money
in deposit for the month, and the feast does not cost half that sum,
each member is anxious to draw the ticket with his name upon it as soon
as possible. In some places these convivial meetings are heterogeneously
composed of Nairs, Moplahs, and Tiyars; when such is the case, the master
of the house provides those of the other faith with raw food, which they
cook and serve up for and by themselves.
The way in which “dinner parties” are given show some talent in the
combination of hospitality with economy. A feast is prepared, and all
the guests are expected to present a small sum of money, and a certain
number of cocoa-nuts, plantains, betel-nuts or pepper-vine leaves to the
master of the house. An account of each offering is regularly kept, and
a return of the invitation is considered _de rigueur_. Should any member
of society betray an unwillingness to make the expected requital, or to
neglect the gifts with which he ought to come provided, they despatch a
little potful of arrack, and the bone of a fowl, desiring the recusant
in derision to make merry upon such small cheer. The taunt is, generally
speaking, severe enough to ensure compliance with the established usages
of society.