16/08/2023
Ullal : History in brief
The Mapillas (Moors) of Malaibar:
Marakkars : The lions of Arabian Sea
Abbakka Rani was the queen of Chowta Dynasty centered in Ullal known for her resistance against the Portuguese, while the Kunhali Marakkars were naval commanders from the Malabar region of Kerala who also resisted Portuguese colonial expansion.
In 1568, the viceroy sailed from Goa with 3,000 soldiers and landed on Ullal beach. That night, the Portuguese lit torches and began revelling under the clear starry sky even as the rest of the force was unloading supplies. Around 10 pm, about 500 of the Rani’s soldiers attacked them. The attack was beaten off with the loss of a number of Portuguese. On the morning of January 5, 1568, the viceroy led the attack on Ullal. The city fell and was torched. Among the victors was Antonio de Pereira who commanded over 500 men. He was the viceroy’s brother-in-law.
Finding the land at Ullal unsuitable for a fort, the Portuguese built Sao Sebastiao on land given to them by the Bangher Raja, across the River Netravathi. Antonio de Pereira was appointed captain of the fort. Two years later, Goa came under attack by an alliance of Deccan Sultanates and Calicut’s samuthri. The Rani of Ullal seized the opportunity when she heard that the samuthri’s admiral Kunjali Marakkar (Kutty Pokker Ali) was nearby. She urged him to attack the fort offering to meet all his expenses. Pietro della Valle, who visited Mangalore in 1623, describes the fort as the worst built he had seen in India. He quotes its captain as saying it was more appropriate to term it “the House of a Gentleman than a Fort.” Marrakar’s men began scaling its walls at night. Awakened by the noise, some Antonio de Pereira’s servants threw a chest out of the window, knocking down the ladder. The chest happened to be full of silver. Kunjali Marakkar’s men happily collected it and returned to the ship. That’s the story according to Moraes who quotes Pe Francisco de Souza’s Oriente Conquistado.
Moors refer to Muslims. There were no Muslim rulers around Mangalore at that time, and the siege by Muslims could only have been by Kunjali Marakkar’s predominantly Muslim force. Portuguese names are long and the full name of the captain may have been Antonio Pereira de Macedo. If so, he died in Marrakar’s assault of the fort in 1570, 450 years ago.
Marakkars also helped Abbakka Rani (the people of Ullal) with the trade dealings and helped with rations (as Portuguese sanctioned Abbakka on trade dealings with other kings)
Participation of local Muslims against whom the Portuguese were always on the defensive. The History goes beyond. When she was defeated by Portuguese, she took shelter in Alekala. The people of Alekala defended her. Again after defeating Portuguese, she gifted enormously to the people of Alekala, The expansion of Alekala (401) Masjid was at that time was with her help.
Just a glimpse of Ullal's relationship ship with marakkars.
My mother used to play radio cassettes, playing bravery of Marakkars during my young age at home.
Al fathiha on Martyrs.
