Thangal
Encyclopedia
Thangals are the various Muslim
communities of Yemeni
origin found scattered and isolated in the state of Kerala
, India
. They migrated to Kerala
during the 17th century to expand their business,and propagated Islam
as they are muslims, and do not belong to the Mappila
Muslim
community of Kerala. In Malayalam, thangal is an honorific
Muslim
title almost equivalent to the Arabic term Sayyid
which is given to males believed as descendants of Islamic Prophet Muhammad
through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali
and Husayn ibn Ali
, who were the sons of his daughter Fatima Zahra and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib. It has two basic divisions called ba-hassan and ba-alawi. Jamallulaily, Al-Jifri, Al-Bafakhy ,Al-Saqaf, Bukhari are considered as important Sayyid families (Khabeelas). Thangals residing in Panakkad, Malappuram district are often regarded as the most powerful and influential Thangals of Kerala. The Thangal of Panakkad is the supreme leader of the E. K. Sunni
faction of Muslims of Kerala and the hence plays an important role in local politics.
families, who migrated from the historic city of Tarim
, in Hadramawt Province
, Yemen
, during the 17th century in order to propagate Islam
on the Malabar Coast
. Sayyids selected coastal areas like Kannur
, Koyilandy
, Kappad
, Mampuram, Ponani and Kochi to settle. The Royal family of Cannanore (Arrakkal) had Thangal origins.
Bukhari Sayyid family migrated from Bukhara
in Uzbekistan
and now these families are living throughout India
. The Delhi imam is one of the famous personality coming from the bukhari family. Bukhari family have played an important role in spreading the 'Sufism' throughout India. A town, Nizamuddin near New Delhi is known by the name of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah who comes from this family.
sayyids are widely spread in various regions of India such as Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka Lakshadweep etc,. In Kerala sayyid
family members are located mainly in Thrissur
district (Chavakkad Bukhara, Padoor, Mathilakam), Malappuram
district, Calicut district, Kannur
district and Kasargod district
s of Kerala. Also, Panakkad Thangal is the president of Kerala state unit of Indian Union Muslim League
.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
communities of Yemeni
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
origin found scattered and isolated in the state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They migrated to Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
during the 17th century to expand their business,and propagated Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
as they are muslims, and do not belong to the Mappila
Mappila
Mappila 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...
Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community of Kerala. In Malayalam, thangal is an honorific
Honorific
An honorific is a word or expression with connotations conveying esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term is used not quite correctly to refer to an honorary title...
Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
title almost equivalent to the Arabic term Sayyid
Sayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
which is given to males believed as descendants of Islamic Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali
Hasan ibn Ali
Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib is an important figure in Islam, the son of Fatimah the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and of the fourth Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib. Hasan is a member of the Ahl al-Bayt and Ahl al-Kisa...
and Husayn ibn Ali
Husayn ibn Ali
Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
, who were the sons of his daughter Fatima Zahra and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib. It has two basic divisions called ba-hassan and ba-alawi. Jamallulaily, Al-Jifri, Al-Bafakhy ,Al-Saqaf, Bukhari are considered as important Sayyid families (Khabeelas). Thangals residing in Panakkad, Malappuram district are often regarded as the most powerful and influential Thangals of Kerala. The Thangal of Panakkad is the supreme leader of the E. K. Sunni
E. K. Sunni
E. K. Sunni is one of the powerful traditional Sunni factions of Muslims in Kerala, South India under the Chelari Samastha. They belong to Sunni-Shafi school of law. It is largest Muslim faction in Kerala in terms of number of followers and was named after the cleric E.K...
faction of Muslims of Kerala and the hence plays an important role in local politics.
Origins
Thangals are supposed to be descended from SayyidSayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
families, who migrated from the historic city of Tarim
Tarim
Tarim may refer to:*The Tarim Basin, China**The Tarim Mummies, a series of mummies which have been excavated at Niya, an oasis in the Tarim Basin.*The Tarim River, China*Tarim, Yemen...
, in Hadramawt Province
Hadhramaut Governorate
Hadhramaut or Hadramawt is a governorate of Yemen. Lying within the large historical region of Hadhramaut, it is the country's largest governorate.-Overview:...
, Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, during the 17th century in order to propagate Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
on the Malabar Coast
Malabar Coast
The Malabar Coast is a long and narrow coastline on the south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing mountain...
. Sayyids selected coastal areas like Kannur
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
, Koyilandy
Koyilandy
Koyilandy is a city and a municipality in Kozhikode district in North Malabar region of the Indian state of Kerala. This town is between Calicut and Badagara and is on NH 17. It can be identified with Tyndis in Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. The freedom fighter K...
, Kappad
Kappad
Kappad, or Kappakadavu locally, is famous as the beach near Kozhikode , India, where the Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama landed on May 20, 1498. His voyage established the sea route from Europe to India...
, Mampuram, Ponani and Kochi to settle. The Royal family of Cannanore (Arrakkal) had Thangal origins.
Bukhari Sayyid family migrated from Bukhara
Bukhara
Bukhara , from the Soghdian βuxārak , is the capital of the Bukhara Province of Uzbekistan. The nation's fifth-largest city, it has a population of 263,400 . The region around Bukhara has been inhabited for at least five millennia, and the city has existed for half that time...
in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
and now these families are living throughout India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The Delhi imam is one of the famous personality coming from the bukhari family. Bukhari family have played an important role in spreading the 'Sufism' throughout India. A town, Nizamuddin near New Delhi is known by the name of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah who comes from this family.
sayyids are widely spread in various regions of India such as Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka Lakshadweep etc,. In Kerala sayyid
Sayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
family members are located mainly in Thrissur
Thrissur
This article is about the city in India. For the district, see Thrissur district. For the urban agglomeration area of Thrissur see Thrissur Metropolitan Area...
district (Chavakkad Bukhara, Padoor, Mathilakam), Malappuram
Malappuram
Malappuram is a municipality in the South Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 33.61 km2. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Malappuram district. As per the 2011 census Malappuram urban agglomeration is the fourth largest UA in kerala with a total population of...
district, Calicut district, Kannur
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
district and Kasargod district
Politics
Panakkad Thangals are considered as the supreme leader of the E. K. SunniE. K. Sunni
E. K. Sunni is one of the powerful traditional Sunni factions of Muslims in Kerala, South India under the Chelari Samastha. They belong to Sunni-Shafi school of law. It is largest Muslim faction in Kerala in terms of number of followers and was named after the cleric E.K...
s of Kerala. Also, Panakkad Thangal is the president of Kerala state unit of Indian Union Muslim League
Indian Union Muslim League
Indian Union Muslim League is a state political party in the state of Kerala, India. The chief support base of the party falls inside northern and central Kerala...
.