Marakkar Issue
A descendant of the Marakkar clan had petitioned the High Court to stay a Malayalam movie on the Kunjali Marakkar IV.
Marakkar Clan
According to some accounts, the Marakkars were people who migrated in from Tunisia to present day Kozhikode in Kerala. The term ‘Marakkar’ is reported to have originated from Arabic word ‘markaba’ meaning ‘people who migrated via ship’. The term could also have been derived from ‘marakkalam’ meaning ‘ship’, in reference to their settlement near the coast and use of ships. Another account describes them as descendants of affluent businessmen of Cochin Kingdom.
War against Portuguese
The Marakkar people served as naval chieftains under the Zamorin of Calicut in the 16th to 17th centuries. The Zamorins (locally, Samoothiri) were rulers of the Calicut Kingdom on the Malabar Coast. The Marakkar people fought the invasion of the Portuguese by guerrilla warfare. They used small and easily manoeuvrable ships to surround the bulkier Portuguese ships.
Kunjali Marakkar IV
The Zamorins had appointed 4 Marakkars in succession as chief admirals: Kuttyali Marakkar (Kunjali Marakkar I, appointed in 1507), Kutty Pokker (Kunjali Marakkar II), Pathu Marakkar (Kunjali Marakkar III) and Muhammad Ali Marakkar (Kunjali Marakkar IV, appointed in 1595). The current issue is about the portrayal of Kunjali Marakkar IV. He is said to have played an important role in improving the naval fleet, war technology and ammunition.
