THE EMERGENCE OF A MEDIEVAL SOUTH INDIAN KINGDOM: CALICUT UNDER THE

ZAMORINS
Author(s): Haridas V.V.
Source: Proceedings of the Indian History Congress , 1998, Vol. 59 (1998), pp. 393-403
Published by: Indian History Congress

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 THE EMERGENCE OF A MEDIEVAL
SOUTH INDIAN KINGDOM: CALICUT
UNDER THE ZAMORINS
Haridas V.V.

The Zamorins were the rulers of the Kingdom of Calicut, a tiny

principality on the west coast in modern Kerala. Calicut became an
important trade centre on the western coast of India under the Zamorins.
The arrival of the Portuguese at Calicut in A.D. 1498 brought this
port town and its ruler into limelight. The arrival of the Portuguese at
Calicut has been hailed as the beginning of a new epoch in the history
of the world.

Before the emergence of the medieval principalities such as those

of the Zamorins of Calicut, the whole of present-day Kerala was under
the rule of the Ceras of Mahodayapuram (C.A.D. 800- A.D. 1124).
Though they cannot be described as wielding complete control over a
centralised kingdom of Kerala, they did enjoy some kind of
overlordship over the numerous chiefs in the region. The disintegration
of the Ceras power resulted in the emergence of the chiefs as
independent rulers. Among them Venadu, Calicut and Kolattunadu
were the more important ones who emerged on the scene soon after
the break-up of the Ceras of state.
This paper is an attempt to examine evidence relating to the
emergence of the Kingdom of the Zamorins of Calicut. This evidence,
scanty as it is, mainly derived from inscriptions and a later narrative
embodying historical traditions. The inscriptions like the Jewish copper
plates of Bhaskara Ravi, the Kollam Ramesvaram Temple inscription
of Ramavarma Kulasekhara, the Syrian copper plate of Vira Raghava
Cakravarti and the Muccunti Mosque inscription of Punturakkon are
important among the inscriptional sources. The historical tradition
recorded in a later work called Keralolpattix is another source for the
early history of the Zamorins.
William Logan was the first modern scholar to write about the
Zamorins of Calicut2. He says that the Zamorins' family had attained
the dignity of Utaiyavar latest by A.D. 8th century, which is the date
he assigns to the Jewish and Syrian copper plates3. He has accepted
the popular story regarding the origin of the different kingdoms in
Kerala as resulting from the partition of Kerala by Ceraman Perumal
and works out its date as A.D. 825. He holds that in the first succeeding
century the Zamorins had consolidated their hold on the country round

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394 IHC : Proceedings, 59th Session, 1998
Calicut4. According to him the influence of the Zamorins began to
-preponderate in Malabar by the end of A.D. 14th century. He also
takes note of reports about a tomb in Zaphar in Arabia believed to be
of a Malabar king which is believed to be dated in A.H. 212. Logan
could not obtain further information about this tomb despite his efforts
and states that the "facts are still to be verified."6

K.V. Krishna Ayyar, the first historian who wrote a whole

monograph on the Zamorins of Calicut, more or less accepted Logan's
date of the partition of Kerala by the Ceraman Perumal.7 According to
him "legends and traditions constitute the main, if not the sole, source
of our information for the origin and early history of the Zamorin."8
P.K.S. Raja also held the same view on the origin of the Zamorins.9
Logan, Krishna Ayyar and Raja have referred to the Jewish copper
plates of Bhaskara Ravi and the Syrian copper plate of Vira Raghava
as the source of information about the origin of the Zamorins. However
they were handicapped by the erroneous dates and faulty readings of
those inscriptions.10
Elamkulam P.N. Kunjan Pillai, who has contributed much to the
understanding of the ancient and medieval history of Kerala is,
however, silent on the history of the Zamorins. M.G.S. Narayanan's
work, Perumals of Kerala , is concerned with the Ceras of
Mahoday apuram; it does not deal directly with the history of Kerala
after the disintegration of the Ceras. 11 N.M. Nampoothiry's recent work
on the Zamorins attributes a much later date of A.D. 1405 for the
beginning of the Zamorins' rule.12 He uses Chinese accounts and the
archives of the Zamorins; but does not take the inscriptions into
account.13 A fresh attempt to examine study of the problem of the origin
of the Zamorin kingdom is, therefore, not out of place.
The Zamorins were known under the title Punturakkon ("the lord
of Punturai"), Kunnalakkon, translated to Sankrit as Sailabdhisvara
("the lord of the hill and the Ocean") and, of course, the Zamorin. The
dynastic title of the Samutiri-, Samuri,Samiri, Tamuri etc., which is
spelt in European language as Zamorin, is of obscure etymology,
different scholars offering different derivations depending on their
imagination (or the lack of it).14 The earliest reference to this name or
title is found in Ibn Battuta's account.15 Kunnalakkon is found in later
works while Punturakkon is found in very early records, dating from
the twelfth century onwards.16
A proper appreciation of the political condition of medieval Kerala
prior to the rise of the Zamorins might enable one to understand their
emergence in a proper perspective. The Ceras of Mahoday apuram ruled

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 Medieval India 395

Kerala from c. A.D. 800 to A.D. 1

congeries of nadus or districts rule
Valumavar 17. These nadus differed
common pattern of administrati
governorship : hereditary and nomi
Venadu, Eralanadu and Valluvanadu
governors of Ramvalanadu, Nanrul
to the latter.19 These nadus are mentioned in different Cera
inscriptions70 as well as in Keralolpatti2X as the political divisions
the Cera Kingdom.
The ancestors of the Zamorins can be demonstrated to have been
the chiefs of Eralanadu under the Ceras. The earliest reference to
Eralanadu occurs in the Jewish copper plates of Bhaskara Ravi (A.D.
1000). 22 This record registers the grant of 72 privileges to Joseph
Rabban of Ancuvannam , by the Cera ruler Bhaskara Ravi. The Chiefs
of Venadu, Venpalinadu, Eralanadu, Valluvanadu, Netumpuraiyurnadu
and "the commander of the Eastern forces" were present on the
occasion and were witnesses to the document23. The chief of Eralanadu
is described as Eralanadutaiya Manavepala Manaviyan24 This name
of the chief of Eralanadu appears in an undated inscription of about
A.D. 11th century, from Triccambaram, discovered by M.G.S.
Narayanan.25 Another undated stone inscription of about A.D. 11th
century from Pulpatta near Manjeri mentions the Arunurruvar of
Eralanadu26. On the basis of the strength of the army organisation of
the senior prince based on hundreds, it has been suggested that
Eralanadu was of about the same size as Ramavalanadu, Valluvanadu,
Kilmalainadu, Venadu, etc. during the Cera period.27 In fact one comes
across only one nadu in this period with a stronger force, namely
Kurumporaiyurnadu with a force of seven hundred, although mamy
lesser ones with five hundred, three hundred etc., are available.28
Therefore the chief of Eralanadu can be legitimately assumed to have
been one of the leading feudatories of the Cera Pcrumals.
The Kollam Ravesvaram temple inscription of Ramavarma
Kulasekhara, the last of the Cera Perumals, mentions as Manavikrama
alias Punturakkon , the chief of Eranadu. The record speaks of "the
feudatories starting with Punturakkon "29 which may be an indication
of his being the foremost of the feudatory chiefs. The inscription is
dated in the 13th year of Rama Kulasekhara (Kollam Era 278,
Corresponding to A.D. 1 1 02). The inscription mentions the Nalu Tali,30
the feudatories like Manavikrama, ruler of Eranadu, the Ayiram,31 the
Arunurruvar22 and the Arya Brahamans of the Ramesvaram temple.
They gathered at Kollam, the wartime capital of the Ceras, immediately

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396 IHC : Proceedings , 59th Session , 1998
after the recovery of the city from Pandya-Cola invaders in A.D. 11 02,
to witness the Perumal's Prayascitta for having offended the Aryas33.
Earlier historians had taken the year of the record as marking the end
of the Cera rule34. But it is pointed out that the last Cera ruler
Ramavarma Kulasekhara continued his reign at least upto A.D. 1 122. 35
A medieval Manipravalam poem states that "no one can take on
Nedirippu head on, as it was on the ruler of that territory that the last
of the Ceramans, Ramavarma, conferred [the gift of land] with
liberations of water on the sword".36 This shows clearly that the last
Cera ruler (Ceraman) was named Ramavarma.
The importance of Eranadu for Mahodyapuram continued in the
immediate post-Cera period. This is brought out by the Syrian Christian
copper plate of Vira Ragliava37 dated in A.D. 1225, it records the grant
of certain privileges and monopolies to the merchant chief Iravi
Korttan in the town. The record closes with the statement that "it was
issued with the knowledge of Venadu, Odanadu, Eranadu and
Valluvanadu."38 It is obvious that these were the most significant nadus
in the post-Cera period, particularly when a charter of trade was drawn
up.

An undated stone inscription found in the Muccunti mosque at

Kutticcira in Calicut town is an important early document of the
Zamorins.39 The inscription records a grant of Punturakkon to the
Muccunti Mosque. Punturakkon ordered that the daily expenses of
one nali of rice should be granted to Mucciyan's mosque.40 It seems
that, lands were assigned to the mosque for that purpose. The name of
the Zamorin is not mentioned in the inscription; it gives only his
title, Punturakkon.
The Muccunti inscription belongs to the category of Sthanu Ravi's
grant to Tarisappalli , the Christian church (The Syrian copper plates),
Bhaskara Ravi's grant to the Jews of Ancuvannam (The Jewish copper
plates)41, and Vira Raghava's grant to the merchant chief iravi Korttan
of Manikkiramam (The Syrian Christian copper plate). All these grants
were made to the trading communities, whose help the rulers may have
sought in return. The Muccunti inscription is bilingual. Vatteluttu and
Arabic scripts are useid to write the texts in the languages of old
Malayalam and Arabic. The Arabic portion contains Muslim names,
passages of prayer and signatures. The grant of Punturakkon to the
Muccunti mosque shows that he patronized the Arab Muslims, who
were traders.

These pieces of epigraphical evidence clarify the following

points42.

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 Medieval India 397

1 . Eralanadu, which later came

the nadu units under the Cera
was among the more important o
towards the end of the Cera rule.

2. The chiefs of this nadu sported titles or names such as Manavepala

Manaviyatan, Manavikraman, etc. even during the time of the Cera
Kingdom.
3. Punturakkon, a title which was used famously by the Zamorins of
Calicut, was a title the chiefs of Eralanadu used even under the
Ceras.

4. The nadu continued to be important in the period after the Cera

kingdom.
5. The nadu played considerable role when trade privileges were
granted to foreign merchants, especially those from West Asia.
Against the background of these points, the story of the origin of
the Kingdom of Calicut as contrained in the narrative of Keralolpatti
which embodies as the historical tradition of the land may be
summarised.

Hearing that the Perumal had partitioned his Kingdom and was about
to set sail for Mecca the two Eradis (Maniccan and Vikkiran) the
former /latter called Punturakkon visited him. The Perumal told them
that he had given away the kingdom to his followers and was left
only with a small tract of land. When the Eradis agreed to be
content with this gift Ceraman Perumal gave them the remaining
tract of land, the Kadi (Qadi) along the other Muhammadans, the
right of navigation to Mecca and his sword with the injunction "to
die, kill and annex". He blessed them to rule as Nediyirippu
(Nidivirippin) Svarupam ,43
This episode is very interesting in many ways. It is given as part
of the story of the partition of Kerala by the last of the Perumals and
his departure to Mecca after conversion to Islam. There are many
suggestions in other documents supposed to be of greater authenticity,
which go to prove the historicity of the story of the PerumaPs partition
of the land and his departure for Mecca.44 In that context, this particular
reference to the gift to Punturakkon , with the privilege of West Asian
trade, acquires great significance. It may be remembered that
Punturakkon was the name or title of the chief of Eranadu in the Kollam
Ramesvaram temple inscription, it is also the name or title of the donor
of the grant to the Muccunti Mosque. This story, therefore, sheds light
into the dark passage through which the feudatory chiefs to Eranadu
emerged independent rulers of Calicut as the Zamorins.

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398 IHC : Proceedings, 59th Session, 1998
The chiefs of Eralanadu or Eranadu belonged to the house of
Nadiyirippu (Nediyirippu Svarupam). Nediyirippu is today a village
in the Ernad Taluk of Malappuram district. The territory of Eranadu
lay around this village. However, it was landlocked and did not contain
too many agrarian settlements in the period of the Ceras or immediately
thereafter. Nor were there other kinds of resources under its control.
As such, there was hardly any scope for expansion and growth for
independent Eranadu. Such an opportunity offered itself to Eranadu
when it conquered, early in its career as an independent principality,
the territory of Polanadu immediately to its north.45 This brought the
emerging port town of Calicut under the control of the rulers of
Eranadu. [Calicut is the Europeanised spelling of Kolikkodu, which
is spelt in Arabic as Qaliqut.] Its timing is equally significant. When
Mahodayapuram or Kodungallur, which used to be the capital of the
Ceras, lost its importance and patronage following the disintegration
of the Cera Kingdom, here was Calicut which played host to the traders
from West Asia.46 What the inscription from the Muccunti Mosque
suggests is exactly this new role of Calicut.
In fact, the narrative of Keralolpatti has two more stories whicli
go to show the importance of Calicut as a centre of trade. One of them
is related to a trader (Cetti) from the east coast who has been trading
with Mecca.

One day the Cetti's ship was about to sink as it was overloaded with
gold. He brought the ship close to shore at Calicut. He got permission
from the ruler of Calicut to keep his excess gold in the palace. He
gave presents to the Zamorin, the ruler of Calicut, and then sailed
for his own country. After a time he returned to Calicut. He counted
the gold and found it intact. Then he divided it into two halves and
presented one half to the Zamorin. But the Zamorin said, "You may
take away the whole of your treasure". Convinced of the honesty of
the Zamorin, he decided to stay at Calicut. He obtained permission
from the king to trade at Calicut. After that the market was built and
Calicut became the most famous city.47
In another, the character is a West Asian merchant.
He possesed a ship full of gold. He visited various kingdoms in search
of a place ruled by an honest king in order to settle there. He presented
a box full of gold, thinly covered with pickle, to each of the kings he
visited. Every one took the gold. He tried it on Punturakkon , the
ruler of Calicut, also. The king, finding that the box contained gold
instead of pickle, revealed the truth. The merchant was very happy
to find an honest ruler at last and settled down at Calicut. That is
how Calicut Koya came.48
This Calicut Koya came to be known as the Shah Bandar the chief

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 Medieval India 399

of the port and was to play a mojo

of Calicut. The faith that traders had in the ruler of Calicut49 and its
people is well-known. In fact, it was this close rapport between the
Arab traders on the one hand* and the ruler and people of Calicut on
the other which the Portuguese had seen here. On account of that,
they failed to get any monopoly and later tried their luck in Cochin,
Cannanore and ultimately Goa.
The process of the growth of Calicut to prosperity on account of
this trade is suggested by other forms of evidence. Ibn Battuta, who
had visited many countries in Asia and Africa in the first half of A.D.
1 4th century, gives evidence of the flourishing trade of Calicut during
that period.50 According to him the large vessels from Calicut came to
Aden, the port of Yemen51. He says, "thence we travelled to the city of
Qaliqut (Calicut) which is one of the chief ports in Mulaybar (Malabar)
and one of the largest harbours in the world. It is visited by men from
China, Sumatra, Ceylon the Maldives, Yemen and Fars and in it gather
merchants from all quarters".52
Unnuneelisandesam , a Sandesa Kavya in Malayalam of A.D. 14th
century refers to Calicut as a busy centre of commerce. Calicut is
equated with Quilon in terms of its importance as a town.53
Kokilcisandesa , a Sanskrit work assigned io A.D. 1 5th century, contains
a reference to the overseas trade as the cause for the prosperity of
Calicut:

The ocean knows that his daughter, the Goddess of Prosperity, resides
in this town [Caliciu]. Therefore he appears to embrace it with the
waves. Those waves carry with them gifts of several ships laden
with loads of jewels brought from different islands.54
Thus, the landlocked principality of Eranadu expanded to become
the kingdom of Zamorins. The city of Calicut, and the possibilities of
trade which it offered, had a major role to play in the process. The
capture of Calicut had other implications as well. This brought the
temple of Tali under the control of the Zamorins.55 This control, and
the annual scholarly meet there patronised by the Zamorins, provided
them enough legitimacy. Again, their expansionist activities towards
the south, which brought important temples such as Tirunavaya,
Trikkava and Guruvayur under their control, had similar effects.

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1 The period of Keralolpatti in its present form is taken as A.D. 17th of 18th
by the scholars. About the historical validity of Keralollapatti scholar
expressed divergent views. William Logan and Padmanabha Menon rejec
historical validity, whereas Nagam Aiya and Krishna Ayyar accepted it as a his

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400 IHC: Proceedings, 59th Session, 1998
source. M.G.S. Narayanan accepted it as a source for constructing the history of
Kerala with some reservations.

For details, see,

William Logan, Malabar , Vol.1, Madras, 1887, Reprint 1951, p. 95, pp. 221-45.
K.P. Padmanabha Menon .History of Kerala, Vol.1, Ernakulam, 1924, p. 37.
K.V. Krishna Ayyar, The Zamorins of Calicut, Calicut, 1938, pp. 313-14.
Nagam Aiy a, Travancore State Manual , Trivandrum,1906, Vol.1, p. 210.
M.G.S. Narayanan, Perumals of Kerala, Calicut, 1996, pp. 18-20 , Notes, pp. XIV-
XV

M R. Raghava Varier, ed., Keralolpatti Granthavari (The Kolattunad Traditions),

Calicut University, 1984, Introduction, pp. i-XV.
2. Logan, op. cit., pp. 163-198, pp. 225-349.
3 Ibid., p. 236, See Below, Notes, 10.
4. Ibid . p. 278.
5. Ibid, p. 292.
6. Ibid., p. 196-97.
7. According to Krishna Ayyar the partition must have taken place sometime before
A.D. 827. He says that by A.D. 826-27 begins the rule of the first Zamorin. Krishna
Ayyar, op. cit., p. 77, p. 336.
8. Ibid.. p. 53.
9. "The origin and early history of the Zamorins are enveloped in mystery" P.K.S.
Raja, Medieval Kerala, 1 953, Calicut, 1966, p. 19.
10. The date of the inscriptions as stated by Logan (op. cit., p. 226) are,
a) The Jewish copper plates, c. A.D. 700 and
b) The Syrian copper plate of Vira Raghava; A.D. The presently accpted date of
these inscriptions are
a) The Jewish copper plates: A.D. 774 1000 and
b) The Syrian copper plates: A.D. 1225
1 1 . M.G.S. Narayanan, Perumals of Kerala, Calicut, 1996:this is the printed version of
his Ph.D. dissertation submitted to the University of Kerala in 1972.
12. N.M. Nampoothiry, Saamuutiri Caritrathile Kaanappur annal, Sukapuram, 1987,
p. 64.
13. Ibid., pp. 68-69, p. 72, Notes , pp. 343-45.
14. See, Krishna Ayyar, op. cit., p. 14; Narayanan, Peumals

N.M. Nampoothiry, op. cit., Reference, pp. vi-vii,

15. Ibn Battuta says that "The Sultan of Calicut is an in
H.A.R.Gibb,Ed., Ibn Battuta - Travels in Asia and A
New Delhi, 1986, p.234.

16. Kollam Ramesvaram inscription of Ramavarma Kulasekhara (A.D. 1102) and

Muccunti Mosque inscription of Punturakkon (A.D. 13th century). See, Narayanan,
Permulas

App. V.A., pp. 95-96. 17. These are the titles used in the
Utaiyavar literally means owner of the district whereas
governor of the districts. See, Narayanan, Perumals

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 Medieval India 401

17. Ibid.

18. Ibid., p. 105.

19. Ibid., p. 104.
20. Ibid., pp. 94-104.
2 1 . Hermann Gundert, Keralolpatti irj Keralolpathiyum Mattum , Kottayam, 1 992, p. 1 89
Keralolapatti speaks of 17 nadus as the division of Ceraman nadu namely,
Tulunadu, Kolattunadu, Polanadu, Kurumbranadu, Puravalinadu, Eranadu,
Parappanadu, Valluvanadu, Ravananadu, Vettattunadu, Onanadu Tirumanasserinadu,
Muringanadu and Venadu.
22. Epigraphia Indica, Vol. Ill New Delhi, 1 894-95, reprint 1 979, No. 11 , ed. E.Hultzsch,
pp. 66-69.
Narayanan, Cultural Symbiosis

23. Narayanan, Cultural Symbiosis..., App. III. A., p. 8

24. Ibid., App III., p. 80, 1. 23.
25. Narayanan, Perumals...., p. 96. This is an unpubl
text is quoted in Ibid, Notes, p. LXII. "Tiruccemmar
manav (epala mana) viyatan ippa ...."
26. Ibid., p. 97. This is also an unpublished inscription
vattam nirayakuti arunurruvaram (mun) nurruvarunkontu celutikka katava

pulporrai urun Koyilum eralana (ttu arunur) ruvarum i

(rum) avirotattal ceyta Karumamavatu". Ibid., p. LXIII.
The organisation of Nurruvar (The Hundred) seems to
the Nadu Utaiyavar. It varied in strength from nadu to
from inscription range from three hundred to seven hun
(The Three Hundred), Arunurrùvar (The Five Hundr
Hundred) and Elunurruvar (The Sevan Hundred). Ibid.,
27. Ibid., p.97.
28. Ibid., p. 124.
29. The text of Kollam Ramesvaram inscription is found
Series, Vol. V. No. 13, pp. 40-46. Elamkulam P.N. Kunja
reading of the inscription in his work Keralabhasay
Kottayam, 1953, Reprint 1963, pp. 94-95. A re-reading of
stone was made by M.G.S. Narayanan. This revised and
made use of in this paper, is quoted in parts in Naray
XLV

"Nankutaiyaum ayiram arunurruvarum eranatue valkai (mana) Vikkira manavina

(puntura) kkon mutalayulla camantarum."
30. Nalu Tali was a Brahmin council of the Perumal of Mohodayapuram. It was
constituted by representatives of the four chief temples of Mahodayapuram.
Narayanan, Perumals

3 1 . Aiyram [The Thousand] was a body attached to

form of the hundred organisation {Nurruvar) of t
32. See above, Note , 26.
33. Narayanan, Perumals

34. Elamkulam P.N. Kunjan Pillai, Kerala Caritratti

1953, Reprint 1963, pp. 125-28. Cila Keralacaritr

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402 IHC: Proceedings , 59th Session, 1998
reprint 1963. p. 1 1 , p. 154.

35. Narayanan, Perumals...., p. 33.

36. "Arun nerittu nillar ariya neduvirippoteto, vanmelallo Nireki pantotukkattakhila
gunanidhe Ceraman Ramavarma" quoted in Elamkulam P.N. Kunjan Pillai,
Samskarathinte Nazhikakkallukal, Kottyam, 1958, new edition, 1996, pp. 78.
37. Epigraphia Indica, Vol. IV New Delhi, 1 897, reprint 1 979, No. 4 1 , ed. V. Venkayya,
pp. 290-97.
38. Ibid., p.295, 1.20.
"Venadum Odunadum ariyakkuduttom Eranadum Valluvanadum ariyakkuduttom"
39. The Muccunti mosque inscription is deciphered and published by M.G.S.
Narayanan. For the details and text See, Narayanan, Cultural Symbiosis...., pp.3 8-
42, App. V.A., pp. 95-96.
40. Ibid., App V.A, pp. 95-96.
41. Ibid., p. 42.
42. Raghava Varier and Rajan Gurukkal speak of an inscription from Pukkottur referring
to a Manavijayan and another from Indianur referring to Kunrilkoil. M.R. Raghava
Varier and Rajan Gurukkal, Keralacaritram, Sukapuram 1991, p. 140. I have not
been able to lay my hands on these records.
43. Hermann Gundert, Op. cit, pp. 190-91.
44. Narayanan, Perumals ...., p. 33, pp. 65-70. Elamkulam, Samskarathinte
Nazhikakallukal, pp. 68-78.
45 . The tradition preserved in the Keralolpatti gives details of the conquest of Polanadu
by the Zamorin.
The Zamorin, staying at Panniankara, fought for about 48 years against Polanadu,
But was not successful. Then he propitiated the Bhagavati and succeeded in getting
the followers and even the consort of Porlatiri, the ruler of Polanadu, and won over
them to his side. Knowing this treachery Porlatiri fled form his fort. Thus the
Zamorin succeeded in conquering Polanadu. Then he built a fort at Velapuram in
Calicut.

Cf. Hermann Gundert, Op. cit, pp. 193-98 Muccunti mosque inscription of A.D.
13th century shows that Punturakkon began to grant land in Calicut. The 14th
century traveller Ibn Battuta says that the ruler of Calicut is the Samari. [H. A.R.Gibb,
ed. & tr. Ibn Battuta

the Zamorin occurred prior to A.D. 13th century ar atlea

46. A few Kufic (Arabic) signatures and Arab Mulsim na
Copper plates (A.D. 849) of the Cera ruler Sthanu R
Sympiosis.. ..,p.33] After the disintegration of the Cera K
the traders including the Arabs lost their patronage at M
may be tried their fortunes in other parts of Kerala. O
Quilon in the South. The rise of Calicut in this period
alternative in the north.

47. Hermann Gundert, Op. cit., pp. 198-99.

48. Ibid., pp, 199-200.
49. Ibn Battuta, who visited India in the first half of A.D. 14th century, says that in all
the lands of Malabar except in Calicut, it is the custom that whenever a ship is
wrecked, all that is taken from it belongs to the treasury. At Calicut, however, it is

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 Medieval India 403

retained by its owners and for that rea

attracts large number of merchants.
50. Ibn Battuta says that he had seen no
Calicut in India and Zaytun in China.
51. Ibid., p. 1 10.
52. Ibid., p.234.
53. Elamkulam P.N. Kunjan Pillai, ed., U
1970, 1:124, p. 98.
54. N.P. Unni, ed., Kokila Sandesa ofVd
55. The tradition preserved in Keralolpatt
the construction of the Calicut town w
Parappunadu for the construction wor
Mangat Accan (the minister of Zamorin
(the men who were the uralars or tem
these new men were appointed instead
Hermann Gundert, Op.cit., p. 199.

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