Cheraman Perumal - Cheraman Legend

Cheraman Legend

A legend tells of the mysterious disappearance and conversion to Islam of the last Cheraman Perumal. It was after the Portuguese' arrival that middle eastern travellers like Sheikh Zainuddin spoke of the legend:

'On a moon-lit night the king while walking on the rooftop of his palace along with the queen saw the moon suddenly splitting into two halves. Later he came to know through the Arab traders that a prophet called Muhammad had wrought a miracle on that fateful night, and sundered the moon before a crowd of dazed spectators. Impressed by this new messenger of God in Arabia, the king set out for the holy land after dividing his kingdom and assigning various territories to local chieftains to ensure smooth governance. In Arabia he met Mohammed and embraced Islam in the presence of Abu Bakr Siddique, who later became the first caliph. Cheraman, who took a Muslim name, Tajuddin, died on his way back to India and was buried on the shore of the Arabian Sea at Salalah in the Sultanate of Oman'. It is said that he had earlier written letters to the local rulers of Malabar and sent it through his ministers along with Malik bin Dinar, a companion of Muhammad. In the letters he had asked them to "receive the bearers of the letters and treat them well and help them to construct mosques at Kodungallur and elsewhere". The rulers of Kerala honoured the letters and permitted Malik Bin Dinar and his fellow Arab traders to build mosques in Kerala. The mosque built in the early 7th century at Kodungallur, known as Cheraman Malik Masjid, still exists with its original structure and is said to be the oldest mosque in the sub-continent. It is named after both Cheraman Perumal and Malik bin Dinar." Another mosque built during this period was the Malik Dinar Mosque.

William Logan accepted the story as authentic but changed the date of conversion from 345 AD to 825 AD. The Perumal, however, could not have met Muhammad (570–632 AD) either in 825 AD or in 345 AD. The mosque at Kodungallur, purportedly built on the instruction of the last Perumal in 629 AD exhibits the style of middle Chola architecture and a team of historians who studied its foundation safely placed it in the 12th century. The mosque at Madayi, one of ten believed to have built at the instruction of the last Perumal, had a plaque attributing its foundation to Hegira 518 i.e., 1124 AD.

Some have arguedthat it is not Rama Varma Kulashekhara but Bhaskara Ravi Varma who is the protagonist of this legend. However, the life of Bhaskara Ravi Varma is well documented and there is no report of his having left his empire. Another school of thought believes that he converted to Buddhism or Jainism and there is yet another version according to which Perumal converted to Christianity, went on a pilgrimage to Mylapore, died there and is buried beside the tomb of St. Thomas, the Apostle. Prof. A. Sreedhara Menon concluded that the legend of Rama Varama Kulashekhara's conversion originated as a figment of imagination or as a case of mistaken identity and continued to be reproduced without critical examination.

Keralolpathi a book written in the 17th century Kerala, talks about a Cheraman Vadakkan Perumal of Tulunadu origin who established a dynasty who started practicing Matriarchy at Valarpattanam (Valapattanam Kannur). This Tulu Cheraman Perumal alias Kulasekhara was the brother of Tulunadu King Kaviraja Singhan (Kavi Alupendra 1110 to 1160 C.E.) of the Alupas Pandyan Kingdom of Tulunadu. Keralolpathi says that under the orders of Krishnaraya from Aryapura the brother of Tulu king Kaviraja singha invaded Kerala with a army of three hundred and fifty thousand strong Nair army under the leadership of Padamala Nair with the help of Arabs. The Kulasekhara dynasty (Second Cheras) of Tamils, was shifted to Venad following this Tulu invasion which happened at 1102 AD.Though this Tulu Cheraman Vadakkan Perumal according to Keralolpathi was the overlord of all Kerala and Tulunadu for a brief period he faced opposition from Kerala so he sought the help of Arabs. Cheraman Vadakkan Perumal established a Matriarchal dynasty at Kannur by marrying a women of Vellala community from north, i.e. Tulunadus Bunt (community)/Nairs whose descendents were the Kolathiri Kings. Karipathu Kovilakathu Udayavarman Kolathiri, a son of Cheraman Vadakkan Perumla Kulasekhara was crowned the first king of Kolathiri dynasty at Madayi Kotta.Thus after 1200 the Tamils under Rama Varma Kulashekhara Kulasekhara dynasty (Second Cheras) were forced to move to Venad by the Tulu invaders under Kulasekhara alias Cheraman Vadakkan Perumal of the Tulunadus Alupas Pandyan Kingdom in 1102 AD.Keralolpathy mentions the mixture of Tamil Vellalas who mixed with the Nairs, sub castes of Tulunadus Bunt (community) i.e. Nayara Menava Kuruba and Samantha.Keralolpathy mentions Sudra 944 Vellala-Nair Illams which supported this Tulu Cheraman Perumal.The Cheraman Vadakkan Perumal who suspected his General Padamala Nair ordered him to be executed after the false allegations of one of his queens. In his death bed the Padamala Nair advised Kulasekhara to seek the help of Arabs. However the Cheraman Perumal title belongs to the Tamils of Chera Dynasty and not to the invaders from Tulunadu as claimed by the Keralolpathi. Keralolpathi explains the presence of sub castes of Tulu Bunt (community) including Nayara Menava Kuruba and Samantha Kshatriya along with some Tulu Pandyan princes after the 12th century who practised Matriarchy unlike earlier Tamils. ‘’’Tajuddeen Cheraman Perumal (رضي الله عنه)’’’, Arabic تاج الدّين جيرمان برمال was the ruler of southern Indian kingdom of Perumal dynasty. He is the first swahaba (the disciple of Muhammed) to accept the Islamic thoughts and he paved path for the arrival and propagation of Islamic thoughts in Indian subcontinent. He wrote letter to his family members to provide enough land to construct the masjids in Kerala.