Beevi, who would have been the 37th ruler at Arackal, is the sister of former king Hamsa Ali Raja.Kannur: Adi Raja Sainaba Beevi, 93, member of the sole Muslim royal family in Kerala, passed away early Tuesday morning at Thalassery. The burial will take place at the Odathil mosque at Thalassery at 4 pm on Tuesday.
Beevi, who would have been the 37th ruler at Arackal, is the sister of former king Hamsa Ali Raja. She ascended the erstwhile throne in October 2006 after the demise of Sultana Adi Raja Ayesha Muthubeevi. She was married to C O Moidu of the Keeyee family, who is no more. Sons: Shamsheer, Sadiq and Rafi.
The Arackal dynasty
History has it that one of two unmarried thampurattis (princesses) of the Chiraykal royal family was suddenly caught in the waters as they were having a bath in the river and a Muslim youth saved her on hearing her cry and provided her with his own clothes.
The Kolathiri king honoured the youth who saved his niece with gifts and a job. But the thampuratti declared that she has got ex-communicated. She said her marriage had taken place when the youth held her hand and lifted her out of the river, and that the ritual of giving a 'pudava' or wedding dress was also over when he gifted her his clothes. She argued that she had virtually got married to a man from another community and hence stood ex-communicated.
The Kolathiri then married her off to the Muslim youth, and provided them with a palace and plenty of wealth. That is the Arackal palace. The thampuratti came to be known as Arackal Beevi. Her husband Ali Raja Ali is the first Muslim king of Kerala.
Gender was no factor in the transfer of power in the palace right from the beginning. Power is handed over to the eldest in the dynasty, man or woman. The man ascending the throne is called Ali Raja and the woman Arackal Beevi.
The Arackal kingdom became wealthy through sea trade. They held control over territory including Minicoy and Lakshadweep, and developed disputes with the British over the islands. Later the islands were left to the British and the colonial power in return honoured the Arackal dynasty with the title of Sultan. An annual pension called Malikhan was also provided. The government still continues it.
Arackal kingdom has a significant role in Malabar history. In 1940, Khan Bahadur Sultan Abdurahman Haji of the dynasty was elected to the Madras Legislative Assembly. He was also the vice-president of Madras State Muslim League, and a member of the legislative panel on Malabar migration.
The erstwhile royals still controls several mosques.
Read: Latest Kerala News | ADGP in frantic bid to corner Gavaskar with caste slur
