A legacy of communal harmony: When Kerala Muslims honour Hindu royals who fought to protect masjid

The Mishkal Mosque, a four-storeyed structure located in Kuttichira, boasts a history spanning over 650 years (Image: X)

Amid ongoing tensions in the country over historical sites and tombs linked to medieval Muslim rulers, the Muslim community of Kuttichira in Kerala continues to uphold a tradition of communal harmony, reflecting the true spirit of Ramzan.

On the 22nd day of Ramzan, representatives of the Muslim community will visit the descendants of the Zamorins, the former Hindu rulers of Malabar, to express gratitude for protecting the historic Mishkal Mosque from a Portuguese attack in 1510, according to a report by Times of India.

The Mishkal Mosque, a four-storeyed structure located in Kuttichira, boasts a history spanning over 650 years. It is named after Nakhooda Mishkal, an Arab trader who constructed it.

Made of timber, the Mishkal mosque was initially five storeyed. But it was damaged in arson during an attack by the Portuguese in 1510, according to the information available on Kerala Tourism website.

Though it still bears traces of the assault, the mosque stands today as the prime example of communal harmony, for it was the Zamorin, a Hindu king, who avenged his Muslim subjects by repairing the mosque, the website states.

When Afonso de Albuquerque's Portuguese forces tried to burn down the Mishkal Mosque in 1510, the Zamorin reportedly responded by sending a 500-member force, mainly Nair warriors. They joined local Muslims in defending the mosque, during which some of the warriors even lost their lives.

On Sunday, representatives from several Kuttichira organisations, including the Qazi family descendants, the mosque committee, and the Qazi Foundation, will visit the Thiruvanoor home of the present titular Zamorin, KC Unni Anujan Raja, according to the TOI report. Led by Safeer Saqafi, the acting qazi of Kozhikode and qazi of Mishkal Mosque, the delegation will also offer him a memento.

“The visit is a reaffirmation of our social bonds of togetherness and harmony. We have been following it for the past decade to ensure the history of camaraderie does not get drowned in present-day controversies,” MV Ramsi Ismail, a descendant of Qazi family and general secretary of Qazi Foundation was quoted as saying by TOI.