Janu German: Did Muslims protect the Jewish people?

I hail from Kerala, India and we have a huge history associated with 3 Abrahmic religions quite different from other parts of India

Kerala is known as Cradle of many religions, including Judaism, Islam and Christianity as all these religions came to Indian Subcontinent through Kerala. Our intense relations with West Asia for last 3000 years due to spice trade, has helped all the Abrahmic faith to reach Keralan shores much before they went elsewhere

The first faith from West Asia to reach Kerala was Judaism which may started in small numbers before Christ… But the major movement of Jews to Kerala started soon after burning of 2nd temple of Jerusalem, several Jews fled and took refugee in Kerala in 72 AD

Fleeing Jews spotting Kerala, thanks to Monsoons which would bring all ships from west to Kerala shores

The visiting Jewish refugees were granted asylum by the King of Kodungalloor, the royal representative of Chera Empire on behalf of the Emperor with rights to live in the Empire

As Jews got settled in and around Kodungalloor (Muziris port) near Kochi, they became a prominent merchant community and started becoming a major trading community of the empire. In 379 AD, the Chera Emperor Bhaskara Ravi Varman issues a copper plate grant (an imperial charter), elevating Jews as equal to Chera Princes with 72 Imperial privileges that include right to tax residents and conduct mercantile trade without any hindrances and right to form Anjuvannam (Trade guild) and live in the Chera land forever as long as Sun and Moon exist on the face of earth. With this imperial charter, Jews rose to an imperial position and became one of the most important community of Keralan society

Replica of the original Copper Plate, gifted by Indian PM to Israel PM as a testimony of Kerala’s history with Jews who were given permanent residency to live in our land forever, which is also a famous Jewish relic well preserved in the historic Kochi Synagogue.

This explains why there is a strong Jewish cultural influence in overall Kerala culture, including our cuisine

Christianity also came to Kerala shores in and around similar time frame of Jews. As per many beliefs, it reached in 52 AD with arrival of St.Thomas to spread the word of Christ.

The earlier Christians were extensions of Jewish community and both looked similar and lived similar, though they had their own reasons to differ rapidly due to their belief values

The third to reach Kerala shores was Islam, which came in 629 AD during the lifetime of Prophet Mohammed PBUH. However unlike first two, who came as refugees and became big in society, Islam’s entry into Kerala was bit more unique as the first convert was none other than the Chera Emperor himself (as per legends) who went to Mecca and met Prophet. And thereby it was under royal patronage, Islam came to Kerala with several grants and privileges from later Chera emperors and other Kings. In addition, Arabs were into trade with Kerala even before Islam, so there was a strong inter-connection between Keralan society and Arabs, which made Islam to became a social faith much faster than Christianity and Judaism

It should be noted, all these 3 Abrahmic faith were primarily an upper caste faith and never worked among lower castes of the society then. But Judaism had more uniqueness. It never went to influence local upper castes in big numbers. The concept of god chosen community and racial purity factors limited the expansion of Jewish faith in the society. Further they practiced endogamy which was terribly a restrictive factor. On the contrary, Islam spread faster when Arabs married many of upper caste particularly Nairs, thereby forming Mappilla community. The marital relationships with Nairs, made Mappillas, an extension of Nair community and thereby all the royal privileges associated with it. Apart from traders like their forefather Arabs, they were also into administration, military and every other sphere of social life. Whereas Jews remained as trading community primarily.

However the relationship was very peaceful. Jews had more problems with rising Christian community than Muslim as in their perspective, Christianity was a sub-sect of Jews, while Christians never accepted that. However there was no such major social issue between Jews and Muslims in Kerala.

In initial period there were conflicts between Arabs and Jews in Kerala primarily over mercantile rights. Jews believed they had absolute mercantile rights based on the copper plate grants, while Arabs believed they had equal rights as they pay customs duties and obtained royal permissions to trade. This was complicated with arrival of Portuguese in 16th century who saw Jews as similar community in Iberian peninsula. As Portuguese didn’t accept Jews, it resulted in massive attacks over Jews of Muziris port by Portuguese, aided by some Arab merchants (to get Kadalaz/permits to pass thro’ Portuguese blockade). This was first major conflict between Jews and Muslims in Kerala shores, when Portuguese army bombared the traditional Jew settlements in Paravur (Kodungalloor) and Arab traders set their warehouses into fires.

Portuguese-Arab attacks over Jewish settlements of Kodungalloor

This incident led to Jews fleeing Kodungalloor and Paravur (Muziris region which they call Anjuvannam), though it was their promised land under the Copper plate grant of Chera Emperor. These fleeing Jews were rehabilitated by Kochi King in Mattancherry and Thrissur. This news of benevolent settlement of local Jews by Kochi King also reached many Iberian Jews who were fleeing to Egypt and other Arabian lands when Portuguese were conducting widespread genocide against Jews of Iberia. A section of them reached Kochi, thus they became Paradeshi Jews aka White Jews.

Construction of Kochi Synagogue in 1550s under patronage of Kochi Maharaja, which is the oldest active synagogue among commonwealth countries

Both the Jews were welcomed by Kochi King and they were given the original rights of Chera Princes (72 privileges) as per copper plate grant. Though Portuguese were also living next door at Fort Kochi, the sanctuary provided by Kochi King at Mattancherry to Jews made that small island into a peaceful oasis. The local Muslims also supported the incoming Jews in a big way, thus they lived together. In this period, the interaction between Jews and Muslims were all time high and Jews used to dress much similar to how Muslims would dress in that region, to avoid them look like Jews in front of Portuguese. As a result, the Jews were also addressed as Judhamappilla (Jewish Moplah) as they look same as Muslim Mappilla community of the region.

A photo of a Kochi Jewish family in 1940s. Their dressing is exactly similar to Muslim community of Kerala of that time

Malabari Jewish ladies who dress exactly same as Muslim ladies of that era to avoid looking different

In this period, the key enmity was between Jews and newly rising Catholic community where poisoned with Portuguese prejudices against Jews. Latin traditions always teaches Jews as enemies of Christianity as it was Jews who murdered Jesus Christ. As a result, the newly formed Catholic groups in Kochi Kingdom were opposed to Jews and they were keen to convert Jews into Catholicism. One such ideology of this period was capturing Jewish synagogues and converting to Church, so as to convert the people of that synagogues into catholicism. This was happening in and around Kodungalloor side as well as some parts of Ernakulam where Catholics were increasing.

As Jewish community were smaller, they never had that kind of power to resist this move. In this period, it was Mappillas who came to assistance of Jews to protect their synagogues and Jewish society. This is one reason why you see lot of Muslim families in and around many traditional Jewish Synagogues of Kochi and Thrissur region. This also helped cementing an extraordinary bond between Muslim and Jewish community of Kerala.

One interesting factor was both Judaism and Islam in Kerala wasn’t a polytheizing faith as they carried lot of upper caste ideals and values which prohibited taking more people from lower strata of society. And unlike Christians who had followed same Judeo concepts, thus easy for them to get Jews married into their community and convert, Islam doesn’t accept such marriages even though they all have same prophets and beliefs. This factor was a key element for both Jews and Muslims to remain in friendly relationship stronger as they never saw each other as threat.

The relationship was slightly strained during invasion of Tipu Sultan into Kerala, as Mysore forces destroyed some of traditional Synagogues and gave such premises to converted Muslims (mostly from lower castes). This lead many Jews of Mala region (Thrissur) to move to Mattancherry which remained as a safe sanctuary during Mysore invasion period as it was protected by both Dutch and French forces, allies of Mysore.

However in Mattancherry, the Jews continued their close relationship with Muslims who formed a huge number in that island. This relationship is well evident and still visible while taking a stroll in Fort Kochi/Mattancherry belt. During this period, Jews prospered, thus became major bankers and money lenders while Muslims controlled the trade who used to take money from these Jews, thus aiding in their trade.

The famous historic Jew Town street of Mattancherry in Kochi, a living street of Jewish memories, mostly well preserved by Muslim traders

This relationship remained stronger untill larger number of Cochini Jews felt to Israel in 50s and 60s as part of Aliyah. However, their many of their Muslim friends in Mattancherry never realized originally that these Jews left to Israel forever. So they kept on preserving their homes and many facilities as if they are going to return back. And it became a part of local culture of Fort Kochi with hundreds of Jewish homes and bldgs still kept in same fashion by their Muslim neighbours and friends.

Infact majority of original Jewish structures were protected by local Muslims including their synagogues and cemeteries and take intense pride that they preserved it for their long lost friends whom were supposed to return back. Since 2000s, Kerala government decided to take most of these Jewish structures under the state as part of preservation and with rise of Muziris Heritage project, a good percentage of them were taken from custodian/trusteeship of these Muslim families by the state.

A stroll in the famous Jew Town in Kochi will show how many Jewish shops are run in their original name with photos of their original owners and Jewish symbols by Muslim families today. Even the last Paradeshi Jew of Kochi who refused to migrate to Israel, Mrs Sarah was protected and cared by her Muslim friends untill her death and her property is still managed as a memorial by them only.

Sarah Aunty popularly known as Last White Jew of Kochi, protected by her close friend- Thaha Ibrahim who was her neighbour and Thoufeeq who was her adopted son. The bonding between her and her Muslim neighbours became a subject of popular documentary- Sarah Thoufeeq Thaha and screened in Israel by India Government to showcase as a testimony of bonding between Muslim and Jewish communities in India

Faith is personal contract between oneself and god. It need not be mixed with geopolitics which is root cause of all evils. For its entire period, Jews and Muslims lived in harmony in Kerala. The existence of the royal temple of Kochi at Dutch Palace, the Synagogue on its right and Illyakovilakom Mosque on the left side testifies that co-existence in harmony is the god lives among heart, rather any promised land filled with hate and bloodshed.