''Qissat Shakarwati Farmad'' (alternatively ''Qissat Shakruti Firmad'', literally ''"Tale of the Great Chera Ruler"'') is an

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...

manuscript of anonymous authorship, apparently written in

Malabar Coast The Malabar Coast is the southwestern coast of the 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 ...

, south India.O. Loth, ''Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office'' (London: Secretary of State of India, 1877), no. 1044.Y. Friedmann, "Qissat Shakarwati Farmad: A Tradition Concerning the Introduction of Islam to Malabar", ''Israel Oriental Studies'' 5 (1975), 239-241. It is argued that the ''qissat'' is the oldest, most detailed, and comprehensive recorded version of the famous Cheraman Perumal legend (of south India).Prange, Sebastian R. ''Monsoon Islam: Trade and Faith on the Medieval Malabar Coast.'' Cambridge University Press, 2018. 95-98. The Cheraman Perumal legend traces the introduction of Islam on the Malabar Coast. All muslim sources from 1500 CE tell the story of * A traditional Hindu spice trader from

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...

, titled the Cheraman PerumalY. Friedmann, "Qissat Shakarwati Farmad: A Tradition Concerning the Introduction of Islam to Malabar", ''Israel Oriental Studies'' 5 (1975), 239-241. * Avoided paying

Jizya Jizya ( ar, جِزْيَة / ) is a per capita yearly taxation historically levied in the form of financial charge on dhimmis, that is, permanent non-Muslim subjects of a state governed by Islamic law. The jizya tax has been understood in Isla ...

by accepting Islam from Muslim informants Y. Friedmann, "Qissat Shakarwati Farmad: A Tradition Concerning the Introduction of Islam to Malabar", ''Israel Oriental Studies'' 5 (1975), 239-241. * Divided his spice trade among his family and business alliances * Sailed for Jeddah with the intent of performing yearly worship at Syrian

Petra Petra ( ar, ٱلْبَتْرَاء, Al-Batrāʾ; grc, Πέτρα, "Rock", Nabataean: ), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō, is an historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to the mountain of Ja ...

Kaaba The Kaaba (, ), also spelled Ka'bah or Kabah, sometimes referred to as al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah ( ar, ٱلْكَعْبَة ٱلْمُشَرَّفَة, lit=Honored Ka'bah, links=no, translit=al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah), is a building at the c ...

preislamic holy shrine of the

Quraysh The Quraysh ( ar, قُرَيْشٌ) were a grouping of Arab clans that historically inhabited and controlled the city of Mecca and its Kaaba. The Islamic prophet Muhammad was born into the Hashim clan of the tribe. Despite this, many of the Q ...

pagans, which is muslim equivalent of the '' hajj'' * Unspecified story hints spice merchant may have died on his return trade journey from Syria to Malabar Coast. *Years later followers of the spice merchant threatened by muslim offensives across the Arabian trade routes, and

warnings permitted establishment of mosques in Kerala. The title Shakarwati Farmad is an Arabic version of the medieval Indian royal title "Chakravarti Cheraman Perumal". The Chera (Spice Merchant)king is also referred within the text as "al-Sultan Shakrawati". The qissat is currently preserved in

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the Briti ...

(India Office Records, MS. Islamic 2807d, fols. 81a-104a).

Versions of the legend

The later versions of the Cheraman Perumal legend are incorporated by * Zayn al-Din Makhdum in '' Tuhfat al-Mujahidin'' (16th century CE)⁸ and in * ''Ta'rikh-i Firishta'' ( Persian, 17th century CE). Varied versions of the legend can also be seen * A number of medieval

literary sources (such as '' Keralolpatti'') and * Portuguese chronicles. * A Telugu version of the legend is also mentioned by some scholars. As per scholar Y. Friedmann, the version famously narrated by Zayn al-Din Makhdum was directly derived from the ''qissat''. Unlike some of the other versions of the legend, large portions of the ''qissat'' takes place after the king's death on Arabian coast.

First mosques of Malabar according to the ''qissat''

According to the ''qissat'', the first mosque was built by Malik ibn Dinar in

Kodungallur Kodungallur (; also Cranganore, Portuguese: Cranganor; formerly known as Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of river Periyar on the Malabar Coast in ...

, while the rest of the mosques were founded by Malik ibn Habib.Prange, Sebastian R. ''Monsoon Islam: Trade and Faith on the Medieval Malabar Coast.'' Cambridge University Press, 2018. 98.

References

Islamic studies {{islam-studies-stub Islam in Kerala