ZAMORIN OF CALICUT

 At the close of the thirteenth century politically India was in a turmoil and the country was divided into several states. There though belonging largely to the same religion had many differences and petty rivalries were rampant. Of these the Mughals, Deccan Sultanate, Vijayanagar and Zamorin were the major rulers in India, but there were other smaller Rajas of Kannore, Cochin, etc. Calicut pursued a policy of encouraging trade with foreign countries. In fact, it was this uniform policy that was followed by successive Zamorins which was responsible for the affluence of the port of Calicut than its advantageous natural location. It was to such a part that Vasco da Gama came with his ships and was granted the permission to trade.

But this meant the interruption of the long-established trade connections of Arabs. They remonstrated by unsuccessfully with the Zamorin into new alliance and left the port thus bringing about its commercial starvation. When Vasco da Gama was asked to pay the usual customs levy he showed his barbarism, unparalleled in Indian naval history. The zamorin took note of it. So far, the dealings of Zamorin with the Arabs had been straight forward and specific. He therefore did not require more than a small naval force powerful enough to deal with them. The Zamorin in the circumstances did not fully realize the grave danger of the coming of the Portuguese and was unprepared for the following events.

Meanwhile, the second expedition of the Portuguese under Cabral was granted to set up a trading establishment by the Zamorin for there was friction between the Arabs and the Portuguese. Cabral tactlessly seized an Arab ship and there was a fight between the Arabs and the Portuguese. Cabral asked for Zamorins help but did not get any. Upon this, Cabral bombarded his citadel for two days before pulling into cochin. The Raja of Cochin, a traditional enemy of the Zamorin gave Cabral all the facilities to establish themselves. Meanwhile, the Zamorin to avenge Cabral’s act fitted out a fleet of some 80 ships to meet him off Cochin. But Cabral escaped unnoticed and called at Cannore where again he received a warm welcome. He finally returned to Portugal. His return marked the beginning of a war of compensation for over a century at the Indian seas.

Cabral was followed by Javda Noua in 1501. He attained and looted a Calicut merchant man. His fleet took the role of raiders, preying on lone Calicut ships plying off the West Coast. The Zamorin therefore sent an armada of 180 vessels to destroy the enemy. Unfortunately the Zamorins fleet was not equipped as high seas fleet and hence could not give chase to the enemy who succeeded in getting away. The Portuguese however were determined to claim the supremacy of the Indian seas. They persisted in their effort and sent armada after armada. The next expedition under da Gama was a formidable one. He gained the goodwill of the authorities on the East Coast of Africa and thus safeguarded his lines of communication to Lisbon. Even on his way to India, he started committing acts of piracy. The policy was evidently to usurp the Indian trade by a show of strength and unfair means as they had no hopes of capturing the age-old trade by peaceful competitive enterprise.

On reaching the Indian waters he established bases at Cochin and Cannore with full assent of the Rajas of respective ports. From these bases, he instituted a systematic blockade and Calicut was subjected to commercial starvation. The unprecedented events led the Zamorin to reinforce and reequip his fleet. Two flotillas were fitted out in 1503 under the Command of Arabs and Admiral and being light had an edge over the Portuguese ships in speed. The Portuguese ships on the other hand, had a definite advantage in fire power. In addition, the Calicut fleet had the endurance at sea when compared to the enemy which could sail long distances and get well away from the shore.

The Zamorins fleet sailed out to meet the threat of the Portuguese fleet. Amber’s and Karim’s fleet were not acting as one which was another error. Eventually the fast moving Calicut ships out maneuvered the Portuguese fleet. In the event, da Gama had to disengage and sail away to Europe.

A few lessons may be learned from this battle. The Calicut navy failed to concentrate their forces until too late and lacked fire power. They also failed to give chase to their enemy and thus nullified the fruits of victory. It came to be known that the Zamorin’s fleet was unsuited to operate in areas far removed from its base. This weakness was spotted quickly by the Portuguese and they exploited this defect later on.

The extraordinary feature of the Portuguese effort lay in the resolute manner in which the fleet in the East was continually replaced or reinforced. Before Calicut could rise from the damages of the battle of Cochin, two squadrons under the Albuquerque brothers were on their way. Meanwhile, the traditional feud between Calicut and Cochin aggravated by the Portuguese intervention, precipitated a war between the two Rajas. In this campaign a large fleet of Zamorin took part in support of the land operations against the territories of the Rajas. The Albuquerque squadron had by then taken position off the shores of Cochin. They reduced the effectiveness of the naval gun support which the Calicut fleet gave to its advancing army. In 1504, a truce was concluded between the Zamorin and the brothers. But as soon as they went back to Portugal, the Zamorin attacked the Raja with his army and navy. But the Cochin base was defended by the shore artillery and few Portuguese vessels that had been left behind.

The Calicut Cochin war dragged as far as about five months. Lisbon, hearing of these difficulties in India promptly dispatched a large fleet in 1504 under Lopa Toares as reinforcement. Hardly had he aimed he evolved a clear plan. The Zamorin expected an attack on Calicut knowing this part would be well defended. Toares launched a surprise attack on Cranganore, the other naval part of Zamorin. The squadron under Manmali was completely taken by surprise and destroyed wholly. This incident shook the Zamorin’s confidence. He had already lost few of his ships in the Cochin battle, and now in this surprise attack. Realizing that his ships were no match to the Portuguese fire power, he looked for an ally outside India. He found the Sultan of Egypt an old associate more than eager to join hands in the common cause of meeting the Portuguese threat. It must be remembered that the old sea routes from Europe to India by passed Egyptian ports. After the discovery of the new trade routes by da Gama, Egypt’s commercial prosperity had been on a decline. The sultan promptly dispatched in 1507 a sizable naval force, equipped with weapons matching those of the Portuguese under an able Admiral Mir Hussain.

Mir Hussain had a well-conceived plan. He set himself the task of reaching and making Diu his base. Then the Calicut fleet would meet him at a particular pre-determined position and in combination would attack the Portuguese fleet. They came upon the enemy fleet at Chaul. They exchanged fire for nearly two days but the battle ended without decision. The Portuguese flagship was badly his and her captain killed. The Portuguese however, redoubled their efforts, formed a fleet and attacked Dabul in November 1508. They lingered on until the arrival of a favorable tide and attacked Diu and fired for a prolonged period. The Indo Egyptian fleet fought a violent battle and stemmed the abundance of the enemy. But during the battle the Governor of the Sultan defected to the enemy’s side and this played an important role in the course of the battle. He cut off the shores supply maintenance and transportation of military material to the Indo Egyptian fleet and the battle ended indecisively Mir Hussain retuned in disquiet over the affairs of defection to Egypt.

K. M. Pannikar ably sums up the effect of the two sea battles of 1503 and 1509. Thus, without a decisive battle the supremacy of the sea passed over to the Portuguese. It showed them the weakness of Indian navies and afforded them the chance for building up a naval empire. It left them free to pursue an oceanic policy of their own, defined and laid the foundations of European mastery of the European has for over 400 years.

But despite these battles the Calicut fleet not only managed to survive but continued to dispute the naval supremacy of the Portuguese for some 80 years. If not in high seas, then at least within the territorial waters. Again in Jan 1510 a formidable Portuguese fleet attacked Calicut softened the beaches by heavy bombardments and landed their troops. The day was one when the Zamorins army was preoccupied in the matters away from the port. Although initially there was negotiable resistance, the local citizens rose to the challenge and inflicted heavy casualties. The enemy retreated in haste and just managed to evacuate in their ships to Cochin. This incident brought home to the Portuguese even more forcibly the dire necessity to find a base for their operations at a safer distance from Calicut. They selected Goa and after an initial setback annexed it in 1510 which they held till 1961.

The Zamorins ability in the constant attempt at disputing Portugal naval power in the Indian waters during eight long decades is primarily attributed to the efforts of hereditary Admirals the Marakkars. He enforced on them the title of Kunjalis. One of the causes of the decline of the Zamorin power was also the drastic policy of the Zamorins which tended to be uncertain. Because of the peculiar law of succession followed by the Royal House of Calicut, the Zamorins were very old when they came to the throne. Frequency of deaths and successors brought to Calicut throne Zamorin’s who were weak and wavering and ready to compromise.