The Moplah Uprisings, also known as the Moplah Rebellion of 1921, was the conclusion of a series of riots in Kerala by Mappila Muslims against the British and Hindu landowners in the 19th and early 20th century (Northern Kerala). It was an armed uprising. Variyamkunnath Kunjahammed Haji headed it. This article will explain to you about the Moplah Uprisings (1921) which will be helpful in Modern Indian History preparation for the UPSC Civil service exam.

Moplah Uprisings - Background

• Muslims came in Kerala as traders across the Arabian Sea in the 7th century AD, much before north India was overrun by Muslim forces from the west.
• The native kings granted them permission to trade and reside. Many of them married local women, and their offspring were known as Moplahs (which means son-in-law in Malayalam).
• Prior to Tipu Sultan's raid on Malabar, in the old Malabar land system, the Jenmi or landlord possessed the land that was leased to others for agriculture. There were three hierarchical levels of ownership, including the cultivator, and each received a portion of the harvest.
• Under this arrangement, the Moplahs were mostly land farmers, whereas the Jenmis were upper-caste Hindus.
• During Hyder Ali's 18th-century invasion of Malabar, many Hindu landlords moved to neighbouring territories to avoid persecution and forced conversions.
• The Moplah tenants were given ownership rights to the fields at this period.
• Following Tipu Sultan's demise in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799, Malabar came under British control as part of the Madras Presidency.
• The British sought to reclaim the Jenmis' ownership rights after they had abandoned the territory.
• Jenmis were now granted absolute ownership of the land, which was not previously the case.
• The peasants were now faced with excessive rents and a lack of tenure security.
• Beginning in 1836, this sparked a series of disturbances by the Moplahs.
• Between 1836 and 1896, they assassinated a large number of government authorities and Hindu landlords.

Moplah Uprisings

• Increased tax demand and field size, along with state harassment, culminated in significant peasant revolt among Malabar's Moplahs.
• Between 1836 and 1854, there were twenty-two rebellions. None of them, however, were successful.
• The second Moplah rebellion happened after the Moplahs were organised by the Congress and followers of Yasser Arafat during the Non-Cooperation Movement.
• However, Hindu-Muslim divisions separated the Congress and the Moplahs.
• The Khilafat Movement began in India in 1919 to advocate the restoration of the caliphate in Turkey. It was supported by the Indian National Congress (INC).
• The Malabar Khilafat gatherings instilled communal attitudes among the Moplahs, resulting in a movement oriented against both the British and the Hindu landlords of Malabar.
• There was widespread violence, with Hindus and British officials being persecuted on a systematic basis. A large number of houses and temples were destroyed.
• Ali Musaliyar and Variyankunnath Kunjahammed Haji were famous rebel commanders.
• From August 1921 through the end of the year, the insurgents controlled significant sections of Malabar.
• The British, who had established a special battalion, the Malabar Special Force, for the riot, had suppressed the insurrection by the end of the year.
• In November 1921, 67 Moplah convicts were slain while being carried from Tirur to the Central Prison in Podanur in a confined freight waggon.
• They were suffocated to death. The Wagon Tragedy is the name given to this occurrence.
• The Moplah rebellion is a contentious issue, with some claiming it was a nationalist movement against the British and others claiming it was a communally heated series of disturbances.
• Former INC President Sir C Shankaran Nair criticised Gandhi's backing for the Khilafat Movement as one of the reasons for the uprising's bloodshed.

Khilafat Movement

• The major goal of the Khilafat movement was to persuade the British government to reverse its stance toward Turkey and return the Khalifa to his old status.
• Turkey was defeated in World War I, and the harsh conditions of the Treaty of Sevres (1920) were viewed as a major affront by Muslims.
• Muslims in India were outraged by the British stance toward Turkey, and they created the Khilafat Movement, which was co-led by Khilafat leaders and the Congress.
• The major leaders of this movement included Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, M.A. Ansari, Saifuddin Kitchlew, and the Ali brothers.
• On June 9, 1920, the Khilafat Committee in Allahabad overwhelmingly endorsed Gandhiji's proposal of non-cooperation and urged him to head the struggle.
• The surrender of titles and honorary positions, resignation from government civil services, resignation from police and army services, and non-payment of taxes were the four steps of non-cooperation.
• Following that, the Khilafat Movement joined with Mahatma Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement, which he founded in 1920.

Conclusion

The Malabar rebellion took place in Kerala, India, from August 20, 1921 through 1922. The Malabar insurrection of 1921 (also known as, Moplah riots, and Mappila revolt ) began as a rebellion against British colonial power in Kerala's Malabar area. The mass movement was also directed at the existing feudal system, which was dominated by elite Hindus. The British placed upper caste Hindus in positions of leadership in order to secure their support, which caused the protest to turn against the Hindus.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Which of the following was a key factor behind the Moplah Uprisings of 1921?

A) Economic distress and oppressive land reforms
B) Religious unity among all communities
C) Support for the Indian National Congress
D) The rise of non-violent movements

2. Who was the prominent leader of the Moplah Uprisings in 1921?

A) Mahatma Gandhi
B) Ali Musaliyar
C) Jawaharlal Nehru
D) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

3. Which of the following movements influenced the Moplah Uprisings?

A) Quit India Movement
B) Khilafat Movement
C) Non-Cooperation Movement
D) Civil Disobedience Movement

4. The suppression of the Moplah Uprisings led to:

A) Peaceful coexistence between communities
B) Reconciliation between Hindus and Muslims
C) Brutal retaliation by the British
D) Strengthening of the Khilafat Movement

5. What was the Wagon Tragedy during the Moplah Uprisings?

A) A peaceful protest by the Moplahs
B) A military operation by the British against the Moplahs
C) The suffocation of 67 Moplah prisoners in a closed railway wagon
D) A mass migration of Moplahs to neighboring regions

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Analyze the causes and consequences of the Moplah Uprisings of 1921 in Kerala.

Answer: The Moplah Uprisings of 1921 were caused by a combination of economic, social, and political factors. The economic distress faced by Moplah peasants, exacerbated by oppressive land reforms, and the influence of the Khilafat Movement led to the widespread rebellion. The peasants, mostly Muslims, were burdened by high rents and insecure land tenure, while the Hindu landlords and the British authorities were seen as oppressive. The immediate consequence of the uprising was the brutal suppression by the British, leading to numerous deaths and imprisonment. Long-term consequences included deepened communal divisions between Hindus and Muslims in the region, with the rebellion being viewed by some as a nationalist movement, while others saw it as a communal conflict. The uprising also marked a shift in the Indian freedom struggle, highlighting the complexities of peasant uprisings and religious movements in India.

Q2: How did the British respond to the Moplah Uprisings, and what were the implications of their actions?

Answer: The British response to the Moplah Uprisings was swift and brutal. The British deployed military forces, including the Malabar Special Force, to suppress the rebellion. The insurgents were met with extreme force, including the infamous Wagon Tragedy, in which 67 Moplah prisoners were suffocated in a closed railway wagon. This heavy-handed suppression not only crushed the rebellion but also deepened the communal rift between Hindus and Muslims in the region. The British crackdown solidified their control over Malabar, but it also exposed the harshness of colonial rule and led to a rise in nationalist sentiment across India, ultimately contributing to the broader independence movement.

Q3: Examine the role of the Khilafat Movement in shaping the Moplah Uprisings of 1921.

Answer: The Khilafat Movement played a pivotal role in shaping the Moplah Uprisings of 1921. The movement, which aimed to restore the Ottoman Caliphate after World War I, had widespread support among Indian Muslims, especially in Malabar. The Khilafat leaders, including Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and the Ali brothers, mobilized the Muslim community to resist British rule and support the Ottoman cause. The Moplah Uprisings were influenced by the Khilafat Movement, as it provided both a religious and political justification for the rebellion. The Khilafat rhetoric fueled the Moplahs’ resistance against British colonialism and Hindu landlords, combining religious fervor with nationalist sentiments. However, the movement's communal aspects, particularly the violence against Hindus, complicated the legacy of the rebellion.

Previous Year Questions on Moplah Uprisings

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2020:

Question: The Moplah Uprisings of 1921 in Malabar were primarily directed against:

A) British colonial rule
B) Hindu landlords
C) Both British colonial rule and Hindu landlords
D) The Indian National Congress

Answer: (C)

Explanation: The Moplah Uprisings were directed against both British colonial rule and Hindu landlords, as the Moplah peasants were suffering from economic exploitation and social discrimination under both these groups.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2019 (GS Paper 1):

Question: Discuss the social and political impact of the Moplah Uprisings on the Indian freedom struggle.

Answer: The Moplah Uprisings of 1921 had significant social and political impacts on the Indian freedom struggle. Socially, the uprising deepened the communal divide between Hindus and Muslims, especially in Malabar. Politically, the suppression of the revolt by the British strengthened nationalist sentiments and highlighted the harshness of colonial rule. It also exposed the complexities of the peasant uprisings intertwined with religious movements, influencing later freedom struggles and fostering a more unified resistance against British colonialism.