Moulvi Ali Mussaliar

MOULVI ALI MUSSALIAR

Date of Birth: 1853 and Date of Death: 17^th February, 1922

            Moulvi Ali Mussaliar, who led the Malabar Moplah Revolt, which had the history of about 120 years, with national spirit, was born in 1853 in Nellikkuttu village near Pandikkad in East Manjeri district of Kerala.  His father was Irikkunnan Pallattu Malayali Kunchi Mohiddin and his mother Amina.  Moulvi Mussaliar had his primary education in his native place and later, travelled to Mecca, where he received spiritual education.  After returning to his native place, he started his career as a teacher.  He closely observed the atrocities committed by the British Government officials and the native landlords on the Malabar Moplah farmers and decided to over throw the British.  While he started his attempts in 1916 in this regard, the winds of the Indian National Movement had reached the Malabar.  He joined the National Movement under the influence of the leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Moulana Mohammad Ali and others.  He appealed to the youth to choose the path of revolt against the British and started revolutionary groups with well trained youth.  The British were enraged to declare him a ‘Dangerous Person’ and decided to arrest him.  However, the people revolted against the British under the leadership of Moulvi Kunyi Khader, the Khilafat leader, to stop arrest of Ali.  The police could not control the people, even by opening fire.  As they failed to nab the mob, the police officials retreated from the place.  Moulvi utilised the situation and took up the administrative reins of the Tirungadi area with the help of his revolutionary groups.  Irked by these developments, the British officials decided to eliminate Moulvi.  Ali sensed the danger to his life and to his people.  Moulvi Ali Mussaliar discussed the matter with the national leaders like Keshav Menon, Mohammad Abdur Rehaman, U. Gopal Rao, Moulvi E. Moidu and others.  Since he wanted to cause no harm to the people, he declared his readiness for a dialogue with the British.  The British officials agreed for the talks but reached Tirungadi with heavy Police force.  They encircled the Jama Mazid in Tirungadi where Moulvi Ali was staying and opened fire.  Along with his 114 followers the Moulvi was surrounded by the police.  During the fight between the two sides, 22 people belonging to Moulvi group and 20 police personnel lost their lives.  Finally, Moulvi Mussaliar and his 32 followers surrendered.  The British Government did not even provide an opportunity to the Moulvi and his followers to appoint an advocate on their behalf of the special court, which tried them, sentenced 12 persons including the Moulvi, Ali to death, three to exile and 33 to life imprisonment.  However, Moulvi Mussaliar died on 17^th February, 1922 before the death sentence could be implemented.