Norwich bulletin., 1921-09-13
IN THE DAYS NEWS
The Moplahs of Malabar.

"Balabar, scene of rioting, is an India of human frictions, but other wise an India of quiet backwaters, of luxuriant vegetation, of crocodiles, tigers, leopards and wild elephants - the East of traditions and dreams
 says a bulletin from the Washington, D. C., headquarters of the National
 Geographic Society of the region where
 British forces are trying to restore ! order.
 "The Moplahs of Malabar number about million. Most of them are | descendants of Arab traders who land | ed on the West Coast in the nineth i century, although some are descended i from converts ~of Hinduism and other l indigenous Mohammedan groups.
 "Malabar still has considerable com-
 merce but the large foreign trade has l departed for ports where steamships |
 can safely anchor and dock. Although | | Calicut gave it's name to calico, the l weaving of this cloth has almost died i out and piece goods are among the
 most important imports.
 'Malabar's paddy fields, backed by graceful cocoanut groves, which also fringe the coast, and its wealth of pepper, cardamons ginger tea, coffee and teak, suggest the Orient to those
 who do not know of the imports of | machinery, hardware, fabrics and kerosene which are changing a fairy
 land into a modern district. |, This small | region, shut in between the towering mountains and the blue sea, perfumed
 with spices and rich with food is the
 last place that one would look for re-
 bellion or organized revolt. But the
 Moplahs who sell their lives dearly
 and are the type which delight the | reader of adventure and harass the po-
 lice and soldiery, are once more rallied
 beneath the green flag which the fol-
 lowers of the Prophet once carried to Spain and to the gates of Vienna. Time and again they have revolted against
 the HinduS and so fierce is their fanaticism that native bayonets have been useless against them. In 1900,
 two years after the arrival of Vasco
 de Cana, on his famous voyage which established new trade route to the
 East Portuguese factory was des- troyed by the Moplahs, or Mopillas,
 and the inmates murdered. This led to a bombardment of Calicut by Por- : tuguese men war. (Calicut is not , to be confused with Calcutta.)
 ! For nearly century, the peace of Malabar has been periodically disturb
 ed by these fanatical Moslems Since
 1851, a detachment of British infantry has been stationed at Malappuram, and v attacks made against this group were 2 repulsed some days ago. In 1873 the f Moplahs started a serious outbreak at I Kolattur and twelve years later a small C group of these fanatics took up a r | strong position in a Hindu temple in 6 Trikkalur, from which they were n routed by the use of dynamite. In 1894 |. a gang of 35 Moplahs at Mannarakkat ? were dispersed by howitzer fire and Y in 1896, hundred men were shot ir
 Manjeri, village of 4,000 in Brand n taluk, which had been the scene of ar - earlier Moplah outrage in 1S49.
 "Malabar is a narrow coastal plair d 150 miles in length from north to south e fronting on the Arabian Sea on tn, q Europeward side of India, and backed Il by the Western Chats, 5000 to S,0ot 1t feet high and from 20 to 50 miles iron le the coast. The only break in tn,
 mountain wall is at. Palghat Gap. Il e- miles wide through which the railway Te enters the otherwise segrated region
 The railway line divides at Shoranur l. near the Ponnani River, one forl
 turning south to Cochin and the othe
 north to Mangalore, passing througl - Calicut the French settlement of Nah
 and Cannanore on it's way to the Soul
 Karara district.
 Just now, Malabar is being svep
 by the southwest monsoon which dis
 charges heavy rains along the coast
 and turns the short rivers that GU
 the seaward face of the Wester1
 Chats into rushing torrents.
 f Along the coast there is a narroy IT everglade region made up of back +b waters and lagoons, many of which ar ,d connected by canals which are a i'm ad portant feature in the communicable Of of the region. Here the flora is varie l and luvuriant but malaria is common ,s Game animals are numerous among tn ot foothills. The uplands are heavil
 wooded in most parts. They consis ". of precipitous peaks with dark gree r. ravines in which silver streams descen ro in numerous waterfalls, all uniting t cy form scenes ef unrivalled beauty. Mala 1v bar is the most beautiful, the riches
 and most fertile district of Madra r- Presidency.
 to 'tOne hundred and fifty miles off th he mainland, but included in the Mala n- bar political district are the 'hundre Int thousand islands, the Laccadives.
 "Malabar has never known famAn a. and floods are rare. Trade once dis ms tinguished the region and was carrie ty on with the Phoenieians, with th ly Jews under Solomon, the Seleuci by Syrians, the Petolemaic Egyptians, th he traders of imperial Rome, the Arab ss- and the Italians whose argosies Ter of resenting Venice, Florence and Geno m once anchored within the shifting mud ce, banks which provided calm roadsteaG za at CaHcut QIilandi and -Cachin- LatE