The Moplah Rebellion Of 1921 – Free PDF Download

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The Malabar Rebellion of 1921

Mopilla/Moplah/Mappilas were the Muslim tenants (peasants) inhabiting the Malabar region where most of the landlords were Hindus.
An armed uprising against

In Malabar region ,the Jenmis, mainly the Namboodari Brahmins and Nair chieftains, were given hereditary land grants.
The Mappilas (Muslim tenants) had expressed their resentment against the oppression of the landlords , many times since 1836.
Lack of security of tenure
High rents
Renewal fees and other oppressive exactions.

The Mappila tenants were particularly encouraged by the demand of the local Congress body for a government legislation regulating tenant-landlord relations.
The Mappila movement merged with the ongoing Khilafat agitation.
The leaders of the Khilafat-Non-Cooperation Movement like Gandhi, Shaukat Ali and Maulana Azad addressed Mappila meetings.

After the arrest of national leaders, the leadership passed into the hands of local Mappila leaders.
Trigger – A police raid on a mosque in Tirurangadi as part of crackdown during Khilafat movement
August 1921 – the arrest of a respected priest leader, Ali Musaliar, sparked off large-scale riots.

Initially, the symbols of British authority – courts, police stations, treasuries and offices and unpopular landlords were the targets.
Many towns and areas ceased to have any govt authority for months

British declared martial law and repression began in earnest.
Once the British repression started, the character of the rebellion underwent a definite change.
Many Hindus were seen by the Mappilas to be helping the authorities.
The Moplah rebellion started as a fight against the British supported landlords but ended up as large-scale massacre and persecution of Hindus.
Forced Conversions, Rape of women, killings of children and many other horrific atrocities were committed by the rebels against local Hindus.
The communalisation of the rebellion completed the isolation of the Mappilas from the Khilafat-Non Cooperation Movement.
The British Government put down the rebellion with an iron fist, British and Gurkha regiments were sent to the area and Martial Law imposed.
By December 1921, most resistance had come to a stop