The First Malabar Muslim Dynasty

Arakkal Muslim Dynasty was the only Muslim Dynasty in the history of Malabar. There are records to show that Cheraman Perumal's nephew ( his sister, Sri Devi's son ) embraced Islam through Malik bin Dinar at Dharmapattanam and was named Muhammad Ali. He was the first Adiraja of Arakkal Muslim royal dynasty of Kannoor. 

Other less accepted  traditions  says that  Muhammad Ali was  Cheraman Perumal himself named so after professing Islam. Another tradition  narrates that Ali Raja was a Nayar minister to the Kolattiri Raja but embraced Islam and married a Muslim lady. He retained his services to the Raja and achieved independent status in the 14th century. However the  Arakkal dynasty minted and circulated silver coins in the years Hijrah 122 and 163. This shows the said dynasty was in existence very much earlier than Hijrah 122 and that Islam started spreading its influence in Malabar in the 7th century itself. 

During the time of the Portuguese, The Arakkal Dynasty was the only territory owned by the Muslims but their  opposition was was made ineffectual  by their position next to the Portuguese Fort. One of the Rajas , Poker Ali Koya was killed by the Portuguese in 1545

The Dutch maintained a good working relation with the Arakkal Dynasty, but these arrangements were nominal purposive and temporary.

The British captured Kanoor and the Bibi surrendered her own and Tippu's forces. She  was forced to sign a treaty with the British against Tippu. Tippu withdrew his troops from Malabar in 1792.

How a Muslim became Arakkal Raja
20-3-2006