Keyi family
Encyclopedia
The Keyi family are nobles among the Mappilas of Malabar (in Kerala, south India) known for their immense wealth and landed properties which they acquired through brisk trade they carried out in Kerala even before the advent of English East India Company
. They Keyi family has its roots in Thalassery
of Kannur district
.
His predecessors Aluppy and Moosa were addressed by Gujaratis who had trade relations with Thalassery as Kakka which is also Gujarati word meaning Karanavar, applied to both among elderly or respected person among both Hindus and Muslims. The title Kakka became associated with their successors up to Kunhipacki and from Kunhipacki onwards they were known by the appellation, Keyi.
The term Keyi is of Persian origin meaning owner. In those days crew of the ships called their masters as Keyis. Since the Keyis were also owning ships they also came to be adored with this title. The Keyis were very generous, honest and truthful. Owing to the immense wealth of the family a kind of aristocracy is attached to them. Even today, the Keyis enjoy a high and elevated position in the community.
and spices in Chovva
, which was then a rural village about 4 km south east of Kannur. Aluppikakka was so shrewd a businessman that the merchants whom he had sold the spices to were exporting them to foreign countries from Thalassery and earning huge profits decided to migrate to Thalassery with a view to have commerce with distant places.
Aluppikakka purchased a small strip of land in Thalassery from the Kottayam
Raja
near the foreshore, built a thatched warehouse and started the business. Within a short time his business developed and he brought his two sisters and children. This group form the basis of Keyi family – a family to be remembered, hereafter a name to figure brilliantly in the history of Malabar. Since the family come from Chovva they were called 'Chovvakkaran' and their name begins with the initial 'C'. The small warehouse was replaced with a big one, which came to be called Kakka’s Pandikasala, and he began exporting spices to foreign countries.
Thalassery was ruled by Dutch and Aluppikaka got extensive help from them in his business but the worst he had to face was from the Vaniambalath, a powerful Muslim family. They were jealously watching the growing wealth of Aluppikaka. Aluppi was very diplomatic and he tried to win over their favor through a marital alliance –- but his decision to marry a lady of their family was disapproved by their Karanavar. So he took a bride from Achorath family. The refusal to grant consent for Aluppikakka’s marriage with a lady of their house was taken as an insult by Aluppikaka and he gave an injunction to his family members not to have marital relation with them in future.
All the Keyi's family branches except one particular family honored their Karanavar’s decision. The hatred went to such an extent that they prevented Aluppikakka from going for prayer in the mosque under their jurisdiction and also forbade the Kazi
from doing any religious services to him. Aluppikakka never yielded before them. He built a separate mosque known as Thazhathupalli, and arranged a separate Kazi for his family. Thereafter Keyis were having separate Kadhis to perform religious functions. When Aluppikakka’s family expanded he built a beautiful house, known as Orkatteri, known for its exquisite splendor and architectural beauty.
When he died he was buried in his own mosque.
who took refuge in Thalassery Sri Ramaswamy temple along with several Brahmin families and Hindu families were taken in Pathemars and small ships to Travancore
. Travancore Maharaja gave them asylum.
The act of Moosakaka held him in high esteem. After the Tipu’s invasion the trade decreased and
the business which Moosakaka started with the help of his uncle failed. He left Thalassery to
Venad
to seek the help of Maharaja. The king greeted him very honestly and gave him financial help. With the king’s help he again started business. His business flourished and he
returned with gifts and asked the Maharaja to take back the money he had given him. The king declined happily and gave him all facilities to trade in his kingdom. He also gave him teakwood for the construction of a mosque in Thalassery where he understood his intention. In Aleppy,
for the smooth transporting of his merchandise Moosakaka constructed a canal, which is known as "Moosakaka canal" and the places where he lived came to be known as "Moosakaka Valap".
With immense wealth he returned to Thalassery constructed a big warehouse designed similar to warehouses in Bombay. The front portion of this warehouse was ornamented with glass.
It eventually came to be called Kannadi Pandikasala, which exists even today.
With the fall of Tipu Sultan
, Malabar came under the suzerainty of British but the Keyis dominance in trade increased considerably. With British help, Moosakaka established trade relations with London
, Paris
and Amsterdam
. He was also a contractor to the company for supplying essential commodities.
Like his illustrious uncle he also constructed a beautiful mosque in Thalassery in the 'Karimbin-odam' (Sugarcane
plantation) formerly belonged to the Dutch, occupied
by the British and later purchased by Moosakaka. Odam means 'garden' in Dutch language. Since it was constructed in Odam the mosque came to be called Odathil Palli
, meaning 'mosque in Odam'. The mosque had copper plate roofing and golden dome in the minor and share the scenic features as the ones noted in the Brahmonical tradition
. There was
opposition in laying the dome - a privilege enjoyed by the temples so Zamorin gave speed permission to lay the domes and the minaret
. It highlights the communal harmony that prevailed in those days and the policy of enlightened toleration followed by the Kerala rulers. All the Muslims can offer prayers but in the Kabaristan
(graveyard adjacent to the mosque) only the dead bodies of the Keyis, their wives and children are buried.
Moosakaka became mediator in the war between British and the Arakkal family, the only Muslim ruling dynasty in Kerala. The Raja
accepted the rule of British and the Company asked the Raja to pay 1,000,000 rupees
as war indemnity. The Raja failed to pay the money and Moosakaka paid the money for Raja and later recovered from the revenues which were hypothecated to him. In appreciation the Raja gave consent for marriage of a beebi (lady) of his family with Ussenkutty, a nephew of Moosakaka.
The title Elaya was conferred on the consort as per custom guest like the Elaya Koyil Thampuran confers on the consort in Travancore. This nobleman died in 1806 and was buried in his own mosque, the Odathilpalli, and a mausoleum
is erected on his grave.
are ten branches of Keyis. Cheriya Makki Keyi was least interested in his forefathers' business so it began to decline.
- Branch. C.O.T Kunhipackey Keyi was the first Director of Public Instruction (DPI) of Kerala state. C.P. Mamookeyi of Pawkath branch was the first Muslim to head the Thalassery Municipality as chairman.
-
- Mayankutty Elayavu of Valiapura branch was a great philosopher and poet and well versed in philosophy. Tafsir
, the first Malayalam translation of the Quran was done by him. He constructed a 'Keyi Rubat' at holy Mecca
for the welfare of Hajji
s from Kerala. It served as a shelter for pilgrims for a very long time until its demolition by the Saudi Government.
-
- A.P. Umerkutty of Keloth branch wrote a book on Keyis in Malayalam titled Malayalathile Keyimar which throws a flood of light on the historical background of Keyis. The Arabian dish
- Alsa
and the Mughal
dish Biriyani was popularised by Keyis in Kerala. The ritual arts like Arabanamuttu and Daffmuttu was also patronized by them.
-
players during British period. C.V. Mayankutty Keyi of Valiapurayil was a famous wrestler. P.V. Kunhi Moosa of Puthiya Valap was a famous horticulturist and tennis player.
Ad. C.O.T. Ummer, Dr. C.O.T. Mustaffa, Dr. C.O. Ummerkutty, C.K.P. Mammad keyi, C.K.P. Abdurahiman keyi, C.P. Aluppi keyi, C.K.P. Raiz are some of the prominent members of the keyi thavazhies a trading family which has a proud historical background of Malabar in the last centuries.
When India attained independence, road transport increased and with the emergence of Cochin and Mangalore ports, minor ports were abandoned. This led to the closure of Tellicherry port an ancient seaport on the Malabar coast. consequently native and foreign trading companies who were concentrating on spices exports began to depend upon modern seaports. The Keyis as a trading house also disappeared from the area. Though they have no glory as in the past, the majority of buildings in Thalassery belong to the Keyis. Some of the buildings and houses they erected in the past are in good preservation as venerable landmarks of a glorious past.
C.C.O.MOOSA KEYI also one of the most famous person was in the Cheriya Orkatteri family.
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. They Keyi family has its roots in Thalassery
Thalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
of Kannur district
Kannur district
Kannur District is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala, India. The town of Kannur is the district headquarters, and gives the district its name. The old name Cannanore is the anglicised form of the Malayalam name Kannur. Kannur District is bounded by Kasaragod District to the north and...
.
History
Kunhipacki Keyi – the fourth lineal descendant who became the head of this affluent family in 1809 was the first to be addressed with this honorific title.His predecessors Aluppy and Moosa were addressed by Gujaratis who had trade relations with Thalassery as Kakka which is also Gujarati word meaning Karanavar, applied to both among elderly or respected person among both Hindus and Muslims. The title Kakka became associated with their successors up to Kunhipacki and from Kunhipacki onwards they were known by the appellation, Keyi.
The term Keyi is of Persian origin meaning owner. In those days crew of the ships called their masters as Keyis. Since the Keyis were also owning ships they also came to be adored with this title. The Keyis were very generous, honest and truthful. Owing to the immense wealth of the family a kind of aristocracy is attached to them. Even today, the Keyis enjoy a high and elevated position in the community.
Aluppikakka Keyi
The history of Keyis can be traced back to 17th century - about 1680 AD when Aluppikakka who is regarded as the founder of the family, the first among the Keralites who found a prominent place in foreign trade, a dealer in copraCopra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
and spices in Chovva
Chovva
Chovva is a place near Kannur, in Kannur District, Kerala, a state in South India. Chovva mainly consists of two areas - Thazhechovva and Melechovva. The National Highway 17 runs through both Thazhechovva and Melechovva....
, which was then a rural village about 4 km south east of Kannur. Aluppikakka was so shrewd a businessman that the merchants whom he had sold the spices to were exporting them to foreign countries from Thalassery and earning huge profits decided to migrate to Thalassery with a view to have commerce with distant places.
Aluppikakka purchased a small strip of land in Thalassery from the Kottayam
Kottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
Raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
near the foreshore, built a thatched warehouse and started the business. Within a short time his business developed and he brought his two sisters and children. This group form the basis of Keyi family – a family to be remembered, hereafter a name to figure brilliantly in the history of Malabar. Since the family come from Chovva they were called 'Chovvakkaran' and their name begins with the initial 'C'. The small warehouse was replaced with a big one, which came to be called Kakka’s Pandikasala, and he began exporting spices to foreign countries.
Thalassery was ruled by Dutch and Aluppikaka got extensive help from them in his business but the worst he had to face was from the Vaniambalath, a powerful Muslim family. They were jealously watching the growing wealth of Aluppikaka. Aluppi was very diplomatic and he tried to win over their favor through a marital alliance –- but his decision to marry a lady of their family was disapproved by their Karanavar. So he took a bride from Achorath family. The refusal to grant consent for Aluppikakka’s marriage with a lady of their house was taken as an insult by Aluppikaka and he gave an injunction to his family members not to have marital relation with them in future.
All the Keyi's family branches except one particular family honored their Karanavar’s decision. The hatred went to such an extent that they prevented Aluppikakka from going for prayer in the mosque under their jurisdiction and also forbade the Kazi
Qadi
Qadi is a judge ruling in accordance with Islamic religious law appointed by the ruler of a Muslim country. Because Islam makes no distinction between religious and secular domains, qadis traditionally have jurisdiction over all legal matters involving Muslims...
from doing any religious services to him. Aluppikakka never yielded before them. He built a separate mosque known as Thazhathupalli, and arranged a separate Kazi for his family. Thereafter Keyis were having separate Kadhis to perform religious functions. When Aluppikakka’s family expanded he built a beautiful house, known as Orkatteri, known for its exquisite splendor and architectural beauty.
When he died he was buried in his own mosque.
Moosakakka
Though Aluppikakka laid the foundation of Keyi family it was his nephew Moosakakka, responsible for strengthening and fortifying and increasing the wealth of his predecessor. When Mysorian interlude began it evaded alarm among the Hindu families because they had to face forcible conversion. Moosakakka, a friend of British, came to the rescue of the Rajas and the Brahmins. Chirakkal RajaChirakkal Raja
Chirakkal Raja is the title of the senior most king of the Chirakkal branch of the Palli division of the Kolathiri dynasty of the erstwhile feudal state of Kolathunadu in North Malabar, Kerala state, South India. Chirakkal Rajas and Kolathiris traces their ancestry back to the Mushika dynasty of...
who took refuge in Thalassery Sri Ramaswamy temple along with several Brahmin families and Hindu families were taken in Pathemars and small ships to Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
. Travancore Maharaja gave them asylum.
The act of Moosakaka held him in high esteem. After the Tipu’s invasion the trade decreased and
the business which Moosakaka started with the help of his uncle failed. He left Thalassery to
Venad
Venad
Venad Swarupam was one of the three prominent late medieval Hindu feudal kingdoms on Malabar Coast, south India, along with Kingdom of Calicut and Kingdom of Cannanore. In the early 14th century, Venad ruler Ravi Varma Kulasekhara had established a short-lived supremacy over southern India...
to seek the help of Maharaja. The king greeted him very honestly and gave him financial help. With the king’s help he again started business. His business flourished and he
returned with gifts and asked the Maharaja to take back the money he had given him. The king declined happily and gave him all facilities to trade in his kingdom. He also gave him teakwood for the construction of a mosque in Thalassery where he understood his intention. In Aleppy,
for the smooth transporting of his merchandise Moosakaka constructed a canal, which is known as "Moosakaka canal" and the places where he lived came to be known as "Moosakaka Valap".
With immense wealth he returned to Thalassery constructed a big warehouse designed similar to warehouses in Bombay. The front portion of this warehouse was ornamented with glass.
It eventually came to be called Kannadi Pandikasala, which exists even today.
With the fall of Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
, Malabar came under the suzerainty of British but the Keyis dominance in trade increased considerably. With British help, Moosakaka established trade relations with London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. He was also a contractor to the company for supplying essential commodities.
Like his illustrious uncle he also constructed a beautiful mosque in Thalassery in the 'Karimbin-odam' (Sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
plantation) formerly belonged to the Dutch, occupied
by the British and later purchased by Moosakaka. Odam means 'garden' in Dutch language. Since it was constructed in Odam the mosque came to be called Odathil Palli
Odathil Palli
Odathil Palli is a 200 year old mosque in Thalassery, a city in the state of Kerala, South India. The mosque was built around 1806.-History:...
, meaning 'mosque in Odam'. The mosque had copper plate roofing and golden dome in the minor and share the scenic features as the ones noted in the Brahmonical tradition
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
. There was
opposition in laying the dome - a privilege enjoyed by the temples so Zamorin gave speed permission to lay the domes and the minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
. It highlights the communal harmony that prevailed in those days and the policy of enlightened toleration followed by the Kerala rulers. All the Muslims can offer prayers but in the Kabaristan
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
(graveyard adjacent to the mosque) only the dead bodies of the Keyis, their wives and children are buried.
Moosakaka became mediator in the war between British and the Arakkal family, the only Muslim ruling dynasty in Kerala. The Raja
Ali Raja
The Ali Raja was the title of the Muslim raja of Cannanore from the 16th to early 19th Century. The king's palace, which he purchased from the Dutch in 1663, was named Arakkal Palace after the ruling dynasty.-Origins:...
accepted the rule of British and the Company asked the Raja to pay 1,000,000 rupees
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
as war indemnity. The Raja failed to pay the money and Moosakaka paid the money for Raja and later recovered from the revenues which were hypothecated to him. In appreciation the Raja gave consent for marriage of a beebi (lady) of his family with Ussenkutty, a nephew of Moosakaka.
The title Elaya was conferred on the consort as per custom guest like the Elaya Koyil Thampuran confers on the consort in Travancore. This nobleman died in 1806 and was buried in his own mosque, the Odathilpalli, and a mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
is erected on his grave.
Kunhahmed Keyi
Moosakaka did not live to see the domes of the Odathil Palli erected so the ceremony was done in 1861 by Kunhamed Keyi of Keloth branch of Keyis. A strange practice of mass entertainment was done by emptying sugar bags in a well to give sweetened water to the large number of coreligionists assembled to witness the function.Keyi descendants
Moosakakka was followed by Valia Makki Kakka and then by Kunhipakki. Keyi has already been referred to Aluppy Kakka and Moosakakka lived in pomp and splendour but none of the descendants had the grandeur of their predecessors. Cheriya Makki was the last of the Keyis to head the whole family. After his period Keyi family was divided subdivided and now altogether thereare ten branches of Keyis. Cheriya Makki Keyi was least interested in his forefathers' business so it began to decline.
Contributions to society
Even from the beginning of 19th century Keyi began to play a dominant role in all fields and produced leading figures in every walk of life. The justice party and the Kerala Muslim Majlis had its origin in Thalassery. The founder president of Majlis the predecessor of Muslim League C.P. Mamookeyi hails from Puthiyapura branch of Keyis. The first among them to receive the title Khan Bahadur from the British was C.P. Mohammad (Mammad) Keyi of Keloth- Branch. C.O.T Kunhipackey Keyi was the first Director of Public Instruction (DPI) of Kerala state. C.P. Mamookeyi of Pawkath branch was the first Muslim to head the Thalassery Municipality as chairman.
-
- Mayankutty Elayavu of Valiapura branch was a great philosopher and poet and well versed in philosophy. Tafsir
Tafsir
Tafseer is the Arabic word for exegesis or commentary, usually of the Qur'an. Ta'wīl is a subset of tafsir and refers to esoteric or mystical interpretation. An author of tafsir is a mufassir .- Etymology :...
, the first Malayalam translation of the Quran was done by him. He constructed a 'Keyi Rubat' at holy Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
for the welfare of Hajji
Hajji
Hajji or El-Hajj, is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca, and is often used to refer to an elder, since it can take time to accumulate the wealth to fund the travel. The title is placed before a person's name...
s from Kerala. It served as a shelter for pilgrims for a very long time until its demolition by the Saudi Government.
-
- A.P. Umerkutty of Keloth branch wrote a book on Keyis in Malayalam titled Malayalathile Keyimar which throws a flood of light on the historical background of Keyis. The Arabian dish
- Alsa
Harees
Harees or harissa is a Middle Eastern dish of boiled, cracked, or coarsely-ground wheat and meat or chicken. Its consistency varies between a porridge and a dumpling.-Preparation:...
and the Mughal
Mughlai cuisine
Mughlai cuisine is a style of cookery developed in the Indian Subcontinent by the imperial kitchens of the Mughal Empire. It represents the cooking style used in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Pakistan and in parts of Dhaka in Bangladesh and Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh...
dish Biriyani was popularised by Keyis in Kerala. The ritual arts like Arabanamuttu and Daffmuttu was also patronized by them.
-
Modern-day Keyis
C.K.P. Cheriya Mammoo Keyi whose name is memorable as a kingmaker in Kerala politics. C.P. Pocker Sahib and Kunhipackey Keyi were famous cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
players during British period. C.V. Mayankutty Keyi of Valiapurayil was a famous wrestler. P.V. Kunhi Moosa of Puthiya Valap was a famous horticulturist and tennis player.
Ad. C.O.T. Ummer, Dr. C.O.T. Mustaffa, Dr. C.O. Ummerkutty, C.K.P. Mammad keyi, C.K.P. Abdurahiman keyi, C.P. Aluppi keyi, C.K.P. Raiz are some of the prominent members of the keyi thavazhies a trading family which has a proud historical background of Malabar in the last centuries.
When India attained independence, road transport increased and with the emergence of Cochin and Mangalore ports, minor ports were abandoned. This led to the closure of Tellicherry port an ancient seaport on the Malabar coast. consequently native and foreign trading companies who were concentrating on spices exports began to depend upon modern seaports. The Keyis as a trading house also disappeared from the area. Though they have no glory as in the past, the majority of buildings in Thalassery belong to the Keyis. Some of the buildings and houses they erected in the past are in good preservation as venerable landmarks of a glorious past.
See also
- Arakkal Raja
- Odathil PalliOdathil PalliOdathil Palli is a 200 year old mosque in Thalassery, a city in the state of Kerala, South India. The mosque was built around 1806.-History:...
- East India CompanyBritish East India CompanyThe East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
- MappilaMappilaMappila or Moplah refers to a Muslim community of Kerala, primarily in the northern region called Malabar, which arose in Malabar as a result of the pre and post Islamic Arab contacts. Significant numbers of the community are also present in the southern districts of Karnataka and western parts of...
- ThalasseryThalasseryThalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
C.C.O.MOOSA KEYI also one of the most famous person was in the Cheriya Orkatteri family.