The legend of Cheraman Perumals is the medieval tradition associated with the Cheraman Perumals (Chera kings) of Kerala. ^[1] The sources of the legend include popular oral traditions and later literary compositions. ^[1] The time of origin of the legend is not known to scholars. ^[1] It seems the legend once had a common source well known to all Kerala people. ^[2]

The historic Cheraman Perumal dynasty, ^[3] also known as the Perumal dynasty of Kerala, ^[3] or Chera Perumals of Makotai, ^[4] (fl. c. 844 CE–1124 CE) were a ruling dynasty in present-day Kerala, South India. ^[5] Mahodayapuram, or Makotai, the seat of the Cheraman Perumals, is identified with present-day Kodungallur in central Kerala. ^{[6] [7] [8]} Initially, their influence appeared limited to the area between present-day Quilon and Quilandy, but later extended to up to Chandragiri river in north Kerala and to Nagercoil in the south.

The validity of the legend as a source of history once generated much debate among south Indian historians. The legend is now considered as "an expression of the historical consciousness rather than as a source of history". ^[9] The legend of the Cheraman Perumals exercised significant political influence in Kerala over the centuries. The legend was used by Kerala chiefdoms for the legitimation of their rule (most of the major chiefly houses in medieval Kerala traced its origin back to the legendary allocation by the Perumal). ^{[10] [11]}

Popular written versions of the legend are infamous for inconsistencies and contradictions (in names of the kings and dates). ^[1] Even the dates of their compositions are problematic. ^[12] The Cheraman Perumals mentioned in the legend can be identified with the Chera Perumal rulers of medieval Kerala (c. 8th - 12th century AD). ^[13]

The ghost of the [Cheraman] Perumal haunted the land [of Kerala] in many ways...Each of the large number of principalities that came into existence on the ruins of the Chera[/Perumal] kingdom claimed to be not only a splinter of the old kingdom but also deriving its authority from the donation of the last Cheraman Perumal...Many of these rulers also claimed to step into the shoes of the Perumal in claiming to be the overlord of Kerala. Thus the ruler of Venad or the Zamorin or the raja of Cochin staked this claim in various ways...

— Veluthat Kesavan (historian), History and Historiography in Constituting a Region: The Case of Kerala (2018)

Sources of the legend

Different written versions of the legend can be found in several literary sources. ^[1] Most versions contain interpolations and omissions in favour of some special interests and communities (religions and castes). ^[2]

Major themes

The Cheraman Perumals were the kings of Kerala/Chera kingdom. ^[1] The first Cheraman Perumal was "brought" from a country east of the Ghats to Kerala by Nambudiri Brahmins (four select Brahmin settlements were empowered to choose a khastriya king). ^[2] Sister of the first Cheraman Perumal was married to Brahmin and it was decided that the son/daughter would be a Kshatriya (and the successor to the throne). ^[12] The Brahmins arranged that each Perumal should rule for twelve years. ^{[15] [16]}

Cheraman Perumals

The Cheraman Perumals of the legend are generally associated with the establishment the Kollam Era (Malayalam Era), inauguration of the Onam Festival, introduction of the matrilineal system of inheritance in Kerala, settlement of different castes in Kerala, and foundation several temples, churches and mosques in Kerala. ^[1]

The following is a list of Cheraman Perumals found in the tradition. ^[17] According to K. V. Krishna Ayyar, the list ^[17] goes as follows:

Corrected by M. G. S. Narayanan (1972) from E. P. N. Kunjan Pillai (1963) ^{[22] [23]}, taking recent corrections (2014 and 2020) on Narayanan into account ^{[24] [25]}, the list is as follows:

The last Cheraman Perumal

Rayar, the overlord of the Cheraman Perumal (Kulasekharan) in a country east of the Ghats, invaded Kerala during the rule of the last Perumal.^{[ clarification needed]} To drive back the invading forces the Perumal summoned the militia of his chieftains (like Udaya Varman Kolathiri and Manichchan and Vikkiran of Eranad). The Cheraman Perumal was assured by the Eradis that they would take a fort established by the Rayar. ^[15] The battle lasted for three days and the Rayar eventually evacuated his fort (and it was seized by the Perumal's troops). ^[15]

The last Cheraman Perumal divided the Kerala or Chera kingdom among his chieftains (kingsfolk) and disappeared mysteriously. The Kerala people never more heard any tidings of him. ^{[1] [10] [11]} The Eradis, or the later kings of Calicut, who were left out in the cold during the allocation of the land, was granted the Cheraman Perumal's sword (with the permission to "die, and kill, and seize"). ^{[11] [15]}

The story of Thajuddin

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According to the Cheraman Juma Mosque the king converted to Islam after witnessing a strange event that Hindu astronomers had not predicted. ^{[43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49]} Modern writers claim that, Al-Tabari of the 9th century in his Firdousul Hikma^{[ volume & issue needed][ page needed]} and Ferishta in his Tarikh Ferishta ^{[ volume & issue needed][ page needed]} agree with this. ^{[50] [51]} Historical research has found this story to be fictitious. ^[52]

S. N. Sadasivan, in his book A Social History of India, argues that it was the king of Maldives, Kalimanja, who converted to Islam. Mali, which was known to seafarers then, might have been misunderstood as Malabar (Kerala) and this might have given rise to the tale of Tajuddeen in the Cochin Gazetteer. ^[48]

Notes

References