Mappila Literature

In the history of the development of languages, the role of missionaries are very important. Missionary activity without language which is the means of communication is impossible. Where ever the the early Arabs who were the messengers of Islam went, a compound language formed which was a mixture of Arabic and the native language. Arabi-Malayalam is a language in Arabic script formed in Kerala. Even though its main aim was  religious study, it became the main means of communication among the common Muslims of Kerala because of its popularity. They used it in their day to day life. Their letters were in Malayalam written in Arabic script. A vast majority of Muslim women also knew how to read and write Arabi-Malayalam. Along with the development of this compound language, new kinds of literary styles also nourished. it was the interest shown by this language to receive and assimilate words from any language that enriched it. Even when Malayalam was an incomplete written language called "Varamozhi" Arabi-Malayalam was rich in vocabulary. it was because it assimilated words from not only Malayalam and Arabic but also Persian, Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada and Thulu. It has words even from English. The historian P A Syed Mohammed claims that even before the earliest text in Malayalam  "Ramacharitham" was written, Arabi-Malayalam was present, taking clues from Arabi-Malyalam poems with Chenthamil(early Tamil) influence. The people who handled this language were Muslims of Kerala, especially Muslims of the Malabar region who were called Mappilas and so the language was called mappila language and Mappila literature.

There are many extremely valuable books in the Arabi-Malayalam prose tradition. Quran has been translated into Arabi-Malayalam. Many other important texts have been translated from Arabic to Arabi-malayalam. Not only religious books but also books on subjects such as history, medicine and law were written. There are many brilliant works in creative writing in Arabi-Malayalam. The earliest novels in Malayalam are Pulleli kunju(1882), Kundalatha(1884), Indhulekha(1889), the Arabi -Malayalam translation of the Persian novel Chardarvesh is older than all of them. Alif laila va Laila which are the Arabian tales was translated by Kariyan kunjumoosa. There are many books of which authors remain anonymous.

Many newspapers and magazines were in circulation in Arabi-Malayalam. Syed Sanavullah Makthi Thangal is notable in this field. A century ago, he ran a newspaper called "Thuhfathul Akhyar". Till now its acknowledged that "hidayathul Ikhwan" by Syed Abdulla Koya Thangal who died in 1908 is the first ever Arabi-Malyalam magazine. Many scholars have written Arabi-Malayalam dictionaries, it shows the development of the language. Muhammad Koya Thangal wrote a trilingual dictionary. Arabic, Malayalam and Sanskrit.

Social reformists such as Sanavulla Makthi Thangal, Chalilakathu Kunju muhammad haji, Vakkam Abdul khader moulavi, Kulangara Veetil Moythu Musliyar and Seythalikkutty Master tried to improve the Arabi-Malayalam script to nurture Mappila literature along with the developing language. Makthi Thangal's Mouleemul Ikhvan (1910) was written improved script. Vakkom Abdul Khader Moulavi gave modern form to the symbols. Mappila language before and after these improvements are very different. Following is an excerpt from the Arabi-Malyalam Quran translation by Mayinkutty Elaya in 1867. He translated 7th verse from chapter 39  as follows:

“വൊരു കുറ്റം ചെയ്തെ തടി ചുമക്കുയില്ല ബേറെ വൊരു തടിന്റെ കുറ്റത്തിനെ. പിന്നെ നിങ്ങളെ റബ്ബിനെക്കൊള്ലെയായിരിക്കും നിങ്ങള്ക്കുള്ലെ മടങ്ങും താനം. നിങ്ങൾ അമൽ ചെയ്യുന്നോല് ആയിരുന്നിരിന്നു. അങ്ങനത്തെ യാവുന്നു കൊണ്ട് നിങ്ങളോട് അവൻ ബിശയം അരവിക്കുന്നത് മൂലം. നിചയം തന്നെ അല്ലാവുയാകുന്നത് അറിയുന്നോനായിരിക്കും ഖല്ബുകളിന്റെയകതുള്ള യാവുന്നുകൊണ്ട് ഒക്കെയും.”

In 1961 K Ummar Moulavi translated the same as follows:

“യാതൊരു കുറ്റക്കാരനും വേറൊരാളുടെ കുറ്റം വഹിക്കുകയില്ല. പിന്നെ നിങ്ങളുടെ നാഥന്റെയടുക്കലെക്കാണ് നിങ്ങളുടെ മടക്കം. അപ്പോൾ നിങ്ങൾ പ്രവര്തതിച്ചു കൊണ്ടിരുന്നതിനെ പറ്റി അവൻ നിങ്ങളോട് പറയും. നിശ്ചയമായും അവൻ ഹൃദയങ്ങളിലുള്ളതിനെപറ്റി അറിയുന്നവനാണ്.”

It would be felt as the language of Arab-Malayalam in the early works were not pure. All the ancient texts  has the same defect. There is an opinion that Ramacharitham is not even a Malayalam text. The language then was a mixed language. Naturally, Arabi-Malyalam also has that influence. The limitation in the script was a major reason. Change happens in the language after change in the script. Even though many people wrote very interestedly, gradually Arabi-Malyalam faced decline. The improvement in public education changed the condition of Arabi-malayalam as the main medium. Malayalam started to be used as the day to day language. Even though a number of poems were written in Arabi-Malalyalam after that also.