Mains- GS-1- History of the world & India
A movie is made on the life of Variyamkunnath Kunjahammed Haji to mark 100 years of Malabar rebellion.
About
1. Haji is a rebel leader from the Malabar region (Kerala) who fought against the British.
2. He was born into a rich affluent family in 1870 and grew up listening to stories of torture and injustice meted out by British to local people.
3. His father was deported to Andaman and Nicobar Islands for participation in a rebellion against the British.
4. These factors led Haji to fight against the British.
Contribution to Freedom movement
1. He made music-based art forms such as Daffumutt and poems like ‘Malappuram Padappattu’ to rally the locals against the British.
2. He participated in the Khilafat movement and decided to take arms against the British with the help of some sepoys.
3. Haji was aware of importance of Hindu-Muslim Unity in the movement and ensured that people of other faiths were given adequate security.
4. He declared some part of the territory in Malabar district as an independent state and ran a parallel Khilafat regime in 1921.
5. This regime consisted of its own separate passport, currency, system of taxation and his army consisted of Hindu men.
Malabar Rebellion
1. This movement is also called the Moplah Rebellion.
2. Mopalah’s were the tenants in the lands of Hindu landlords. These landlords and the British resorted to enhanced rents and eviction of mopalah’s from the land.
3. This led to a rebellion and after the merger of Khilafat movement, this movement was given a communal color and led to widespread casualties of Hindus and Muslims.
4. Haji played a prominent role in the Moplah rebellion.
Source: Indian Express