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Ancient
Medieval
Modern
Chronology
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In August 1921, peasant discontent erupted in the Malabar district of Kerala. Here Mappila (Muslim) tenants rebelled. There grievances related to lack of any seurity of tenure, renewal fees, high rents and other oppressive landlord exactions. Existing anti-Hindu sentiments among the poor illiterate Mappilas who in any case were motivated by strong religious ideology. Forced conversions, attacks on and murder of Hindus increased as the sense of desperation mounted. What had been an anti-government and anti-landlord affair acquired strong communal overtones.
The communalization of the rebellion completed the isolation of the Mappilas. British repression did the rest and by December 921 all resistance had come to a stop. The toll was heavy indeed: 2,337 Mappilas had lost their lives. Unofficial estimates placed the number at above 10,000. A total of 45,404 rebels were captured or had surrendered. But the toll was in fact even higher, though in a very different ways.
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