NAIR disarmament was the main target of all the outside powers who wanted to set their foot firm on this land.Portuguese started the process but could not succeed because of its strained relationship with the Zamorin.Besides, on different occasions Nair intervention during the atrocious advances of the PORTUGUESE against the MUSLIMS OF KERALA ,could save many number of lives and properties including THE MISHKAL MASJID IN KOZa HIKODE.When the Portuguese army raged a bloody and violent war against the ware housings,MASJIDS and UN ARMED MUSLEEM MEN AND WOMEN ON THE 22ND DAY OF THE RAMZAN FASTING DAYS WHICH WAS CONSIDERED THE HOLIEST ONE,THE NAIR BRIGADE WITH THEIR SUICIDE SQUAD REPELLED THE ATTACK AND SAVED THE LIVES AND THE ANCIENT MASJID. DURING THE INQUSITION PERIOD MANY NAIR WARRIORS WERE CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY AND SOME OF THEM LIKE ONE ANTONY RODRIGUES ROSE TO THE HIGH ECHELON OF THE PORTUGUGUESE ARMY.HE WAS LATER GIVEN KNIGHTWOOD BY THE THE KING OF PORTUGESE.But another strategic move by the colonialists were the conversion of the slave community to christianity and using them in ARMY and encourage harrasments of the upper caste members in public.IN QUILON A NAMBOODIRIR WAS FORCED TO DO A BARBER’S JOB AT GUN POINT TO SHAVE LOWER CASTE PEOPLE IN PUBLIC.THIS CAUSED A RAGE AGAINST THE PORTUGUESE AND ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THE NAIR CHIEFTAINS AND A PRINCE OF COCHIN ROYAL FAMILY TO GO TO SRILANKA TO INVITE THE DUTCH TO ATTACK THE PORTUGESE. DUTCH ELIMINATED THE PORTUGESE FROM KERALA.FORT COCHIN WAS DESCRIBED BY MANY EUROPEAN TRAVELLERS AS A BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED CITY OF THE EAST AND LOOKED BETTER THAN LISBON.WELL DESIGNED ROADS AND DRAINAGES,PUBLIC PLACES,BEAUTIFUL CHURCH BUILDINGS,PARKS AND SYSTEMATICALLY LOCATED FACTORIES AND WEAR HOUSES MADE IT A MODERN CITY OF THAT TIME. THE DUTCH ERASED IT TO THE GROUND AND DIDNOT WANT ANY SIGN OF THE PORTUGAL HERE,LIKE A CULTURAL REVELUTION THEY DESTROYED EVERYTHING THAT INDICATED A PORTUGAL CULTURE.UNFORTUNATELY PORTUGAL ITSELF LOST ITS FREEDOM AND SPAIN ANNEXED IT AND RULED IT FOR SOME DECADES. THE DUTCH NEVER BELIEVED THE NAIR FORCE AND STARTED THE DISARMMENT STRATEGY.BECAUSE AFTER SETTLING THE PALACE COUP AMONG TWO DIFFERENT ‘TAVAZHIES’,THEY NEVER HAD GIVEN IMMENSE PRESSURE TO THE KING.THEIR MAIN CONSENT WAS TO DO THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE SPICES TRADE AND ACCUMULATE MAXIMUM WEALTH OUT OF IT.THEIR ARMS AND WEAPONARY WAS ADVANCED AND SUPERIOR BUT IN RESOURCES THEY WERE FAR BEHIND THE PORTUGESE.PORTUGESE WAS IN POWER IN GOA AND HAD A SUBSTANTIAL MILITARY BASE THERE. THE ZAMORIN ALWAYS WANTED TO BE THE EMPOROR OF ALL THE KINGDOMS AND PRINCIPALITIES OF KERALA FROM ITS INCEPTION IN POWER AFTER THE DECLINE OF THE CHERA DYNASTY.ACTUALLY TWO NAIR MILITARY GENERALS OF “ERANADU’ NAMELY “MAANU” and “VIKRAMA” FOUNDED THE KOZHIKODE Zamorin DYNASTY. THAT IS THE REASON FOR SHARING THE CROWN BETWEEN THESE TWO “THAVAHIS” AND USE THE TITLE OF THE KING AS “MANA VIKRAMA” EVEN TODAY. THE DREAM OF BECOMING THE EMPORER WAS SO POWERFUL AND THEY THOUGHT AN ALLIANCE WITH THE PORTUGESE MIGHT FULLFILL THEIR WISH .IT COULDNOT WORK AND THEY GOT A LOT OF LESSONS FROM THE 150YEARS OF THEIR AFFAIR WITH THE PORTUGESE. WHEN THE DUTCH CAME ZAMORIN STARTED TO CHERISH THEIR DREAM OF BECOMING KERALA EMPORER AGAIN..BY THAT TIME THE PRESIDENTSHIP OF “MAAMANKAM”WAS FORCIFULLY TAKEN FROM THE “VALLUVAKKONAATHIRI”WHO WAS THE TRADITIONAL HEAD OF THIS GRAND FAIR OF MARTIAL DISPLAY OF ALL THE ROYAL KINGDOMS OF KERALA.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 12:03:28 +0000