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 Who is a 'Malabari'

Sometimes a same word may carry a differing  meaning at different places.  Take the Malay word 'terbit' for instance, generally meant for the 'rising of the sun ( or moon)' or 'to publish' . In Kelantan the word, pronounced 'tubik', it  carries a more general meaning..' to come out'..' to think'.. etc. The word Malayalam word 'Malayakaaran' in Malaysia would refer to a Malay but used  in India, it  would even encompass an Indian regularly visiting Malaysia or Singapore.

The word 'Malabari' in Malaysia has undergone a similar evolution. This has resulted in confusion among those who adhere to the original meaning and those whose use it in the local context. It would seem that the word 'Malabari' in Malaysia is used synonymous to 'Mappila' in Kerala. It would be wise to first, look at the origin of the word 'Malabari'. Malabari would be a person originating from Malabar. What then is Malabar?

The Origin

  The term Malabar and Ma'bar was first noted to be used by an Arab geographer named Yaqut (1179-1229). The term Malabar is an ancient name for for the entire Malayalam speaking territory stretching form Mount Deli to Cape Comorin. Sometimes by extension the Malabar coast would refer to the whole west coast of the Indian Peninsular. The term probably originated from the word 'mali' and 'bar'. 'Mali' is the first syllable in Malayalam  used by the Arabs to refer to Quilon and and 'bar' a Persian word to mean 'hill'.  The term Ma'bar  sometimes used interchangebly with Malabar is misleading  as it  actually refers to East Coast of India. (Miller 1976)

The Evolution

The current state of Kerala after the time of Chola dynasty, was for many centuries was divided and  under the rule of  many kings and chieftains. In the late 18th century Tippu Sultan from Mysore conquered the northern part of the state. This, as elsewhere, brought the British forces in  and the area was ceded to the British in the Treaty of Seringapattanam. Thus the term Malabar came into being for the area directly under the British rule- earlier from Bombay , then from Madras Presidency. 67% of the Muslims in Kerala comes from this region.

The southern part of the state Cochin and Tranvancore had their own kings but the British had effective political control through their agents ( similar to the Johor and the northern states in Malaysia under British rule). Later after Indian Independence(1947). Cochin and Travancore united in 1949 and later on November 1st 1956 the whole Malayalam speaking region was again united under the name Kerala. The area earlier called Malabar was divide into the districts of Kozhicode, Cannanore and Palghat ( later Malappuram was carved out in 1969).The term Malabar thus became obsolete. And as a result, the term Malabari itself is almost unheard of in Kerala nowadays.

In Malaysia

 The early wave of people  who migrated to Malaysia from Kerala were mostly  Muslims.  Most of them were involved in trade while some others was  involved in construction. There was also a large muslim population believed to have migrated, during the agrarian unrest in Kerala in 1921, the mappila rebellion. This may be the reason why the term Malabari is  used in reference to the Muslims in Malaysia . Those who settled down here held on to the term Malabari htough it was becoming in Kerala. Over the generation the term Malabari came to mean the Muslim who can trace their origin back to Kerala. Persatuan Malabari Malaysia for example, goes without saying , is an association of malayalee muslims in Malaysia

The issues on how the term Malabari was previously used in Kerala is a history, by knowing it we understand how the term came about and why there are conflicting meanings attached to it. It is a term now, evolved in Malaysia- to mean Muslims with roots from the ancient area of Malabar, the 'malayalam speaking hilly coastal area', ie. Kerala . Thus the term 'malabari' in Malaysia is how we choose to be known, here and  now.  The term Malabari  is thus now truely Malaysian....

 

 

http://www.tamilnation.org/books/Diaspora/ambalavanar.htm

 

 

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