Variyankunnath Kunjahammad Haji sometimes called Variyamkunnan (1875–1877 – 20 January 1922) was a prominent leader during the war in Malabar against the British,K. Madhavan Nair. Malabar Kalapam. pp. 162, 244; FB Evans, Letter to Madras, 20 December 1921; K. K. Abdul Kareem. Variyamkunnath Kunjahammad Haji. 1992, p. 6. during the Malabar rebellion, and the founder of a parallel government. He was an Indian freedom fighter,Dictionary of Martyrs: India's Freedom Struggle (1857–1947) Vol. 5 (PDF). Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. opposer of the Jenmi system, and an ordinary member of the Khilafat movement.
According to R. H. Hitchcock, who took part in the fight against the rebellion, "Khilafat to him (Variyankunnath Kunjahammad Haji) was a Turkish matter, not Indian." Variyankunnath Kunjahammad Haji was just a member of the Khilafat Movement. He established a parallel government in the Malabar District of Madras Presidency in open defiance of the British Raj, which lasted for a short period of six months. With his long-term mentor, Ali Musliyar, Kunjahammed Haji seized large areas of the then Eranad and Valluvanad taluks, now part of Kerala state in India, from British control. He said he was fighting for the independence of India.
In Dictionary of Martyrs: India's Freedom Struggle (1857–1947) His name is listed in the fifth volume of The Dictionary of Martyrs, India's Freedom Struggle from 1857 to 1947.Dictionary of Martyrs: India's Freedom Struggle (1857–1947) Vol. 5 (PDF).
However, under the Modi government, the Indian Council of Historical Research considered removing the names of Haji and 386 others from the Dictionary of Martyrs of India's Freedom Struggle for being associated with the Khilafat Movement. However, it has not been removed since.
Message to Friends of Freedom for India
On 7 December 1921 two American newspapers, Detroit Free Press and The Baltimore Sun, reported the message received by the Friends of Freedom for India from Variyankunnath Kunjahammad Haji in a cablegram. In these two American newspaper reports the message was preceded by the following sentence: "Charges that the Moplahs of Malabar have put to death many Hindus and forcibly converted others to Mohammedanism were denied and characterized as part of a British plot to discredit the Moplah movement of India's independence in a cablegram from Variamkunnath Kunhamed Haji ..." The report which contains the message of Variyankunnath Kunjahammad Haji follows as: "A few cases of conversion of our Hindu brethren have been reported to me." the message said. "But after proper investigation we discovered the real plot. The vandals that were guilty of this crime were members of the British reserve police and British intelligence department, and they joined our forces as patriots to do such filthy work only to discredit our soldiers. There are Christians, Hindus and Moplahs amongst these British agents and spies. They have decidedly been put to death.
"We are at war with England. We are fighting for the independence of India, and we are doing exactly what the Americans did to free America from British domination. So anyone giving aid and comfort to the enemy will be se verely dealt with, irrespective of social position or religious affiliation.
"Let the great people of the great land of Washington postpone judgment until they have a chance to know the full truth about the present war in Malabar."
Early life Haji was born in a Muslim family in Nellikkuth, which is five miles far from Manjeri.K. K. Abdul Kareem. Variyamkunnath Kunjahammad Haji. p. 14. He was the second child of his parents, Chakkiparamban Moideenkutty Haji and Kunjaisha Hajjumma. Moideenkutty Haji was a merchant, farmer, and local leader. He was imprisoned in Andaman for taking part in the 1894 Mannarkkad Rebellion.
He pursued his basic religious education from village Madrasa, later upgraded as 'Ezhuthukalari' where Malayalam language was also part of curriculam. He studied many Arabic texts from Mammad Kutty Musliyar. After his father was deported to Andaman, Haji was brought up in his mother's family. His grandfather was also a local leader, he appointed a teacher named Balakrishnan Ezhuthachan, from whom he learnt Malayalam and basic English along with other grandchildren of his grandfather. He was also trained in martial arts along with his primary education.
Haji could also be seen as the one who was very passionate of traditional mappila art forms, he used to conduct Kolkkali, Daffumutt, and Katha Prasangam. It is also said that he was a good singer too. The acceptance he acquired through performing arts soon made him popular in community. The deportation of his father and other rebels and the seizure of their lands and properties followed, triggered his anger and hostility towards British.
Marriages Haji returned from Mecca in 1905 and married Ruqiyya, the daughter of Unni Muhammed. After her death in 1908, he married Sainaba, the sister of one of his friends. In 1920 Haji married his cousin Malu Hajjumma (Paravetti Fathima), the daughter of his uncle Koyammu Haji. They were brought up in the same home and this was the third marriage for both of them. Malu had an important role in Haji's life.
Activism before rebellion Manjeri armed struggle In 1896, many kudiyans (tenants) became landless in Chembrassery in one day from the land that was under the people of the Manjeri kovilakam through eviction. Hundreds of those who objected this eviction took control of assets associated with the Manjeri kovilakam. These people fought against the British that came to help the kovilakam. Variamkunnath Kunjahammad Haji played a leadership role in this fight. It was the first battle that he participated. Then he was 20 years old. 94 people got killed on the objectors' side. The British force left mistaking all the objectors were killed. But some did not die. Variamkunnath Kunnahammad Haji was one of those who did not get killed.Based on (A. K. Kodoor. Anglo Mappila Yudham 1921. pp. 170–171; K. K. Abdul Kareem. Variyamkunnath Kunjahammad Haji. p. 18; Dr. K. T. Jaleel. Malabar Kalabam Oru Punarwayana. p. 80).
Self-imposed exile Knowing he has not been killed in the Manjeri armed struggle, Inspector Anakayam Chekkutty tried to charge him in the case. But he was saved by some help.
Around 1899, Inspector Chekkutty decided to arrest Variamkunnath Kunjahammad Haji anyway to exile. So some decided to send Haji to Mecca in the name of Hajj to solve the problem. Some forced him to flee to evade arrest. So he exiled himself for the first time.A. K. Kodoor. Anglo Mappila Yudham 1921. p. 171. And he spent five years in Mecca.A. K. Kodoor, Anglo Mappila Yudham 1921. pp. 171–172.
He went to Bombay and learned Urdu, Hindi and English and conducted business there. Next year he went to Mecca and performed Hajj. In 1905 he returned to Malabar.A. K. Kodoor. Anglo Mappila Yudham 1921. pp. 171–173.
He made few more trips to Mecca later. He came to Malabar after his last trip to Mecca, in 1914.Based on (A. K. Kodoor. Anglo Mappila Yudham 1921. p. 173; Jafar K. M. Irattupetta. Variyamkunnath Kunjahammad Haji. Kerala Muslim Heritage. p. 2; K. K. Abdul Kareem. Variyamkunnath Kunjahammad Haji. p. 19; Dr. K. T. Jaleel. Malabar Kalabam Oru Punarwayana. p. 81).
Other background events Malabar Kudiyan Sangham M. P. Narayana Menon formed Malabar Kudiyan Sangham in 1920. M. P. Narayana Menon merged 'Kudiyan Sankadanivarana Sangham', a body he had formed to redress the grievances of kudiyans and whose activities were joined with those of the Congress,Prof. M. P. S. Menon. Malabar Samaram, M. P. Narayanamenonum Sahapravarthakarum. pp. 34, 38–39. into the newly formed Malabar Kudiyan Sangham. Many branches were formed in different taluks. Because of these kudiyan movements, Mappilas and lower caste people became attracted to the Congress.Based on (Prof. M. P. S. Menon. Malabar samaram, M. P. Narayanamenonum Sahapravarthakarum. pp. 38–40; A. K. Kodoor. Anglo Mappila Yudham 1921. p. 87).
Congress conference at Manjeri The fifth Malabar District Political conference was held at Manjeri 28–29 April 1920. The Manjeri Congress conference held 28–29 April 1920 was a huge victory for Mappilas, lower caste people and peasants. In this conference a motion supporting, non-violent non-cooperation in case the British government decides Khilafat questionSalahudheen, O. P. "POLITICAL FERMENT IN MALABAR ON THE EVE OF THE MAPPILA REBELLION." Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, vol. 67, 2006, pp. 478–87. JSTOR, . Accessed 17 Jan. 2023. "The influence of the Khilafat question among the poor Mappilas can be well perceived from the presence of large number of Mappilas in the Manjeri conference and the domination of the Khilafat question over other issues." p. 479. contrary to the Muslims' request and faith, was passed with a huge majority. Annie Basant had said though the British is wrong in the matter of Khilafat, non-cooperation is not right. The second motion supporting the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms which Annie Basant presented got defeated through voting with a huge majority. Annie Basant walked out of the conference. Later, she resigned from the Congress. The third one was the most revolutionary. The third motion was for the relief of peasants and reform in law related to land. That too was passed with a great majority. It was the first day people saw the voice of the poor peasants get a victory in a Congress conference.Based on (K. Madhavan Nair. Malabar Kalapam. p. 59; Prof. M. P. S. Menon. Malabar Samaram. M. P. Narayanamenonum Sahapravarthakarum. p. 47; A. K. Kodoor. Anglo Mappila Yudham 1921. p. 91).
Discontent of Jenmis and chiefs With the Manjeri Congress Conference, Jenmis and chiefs almost lost interest in freedom. What seen next was Nilambur Thamburam and the like who organised the Manjeri Congress Conference turning against the Khilafat-Non-cooperation movement. M. P. Narayana Menon says Jenmis and prominent Congress leaders in Malabar expressed concern about this organised activity of Mappilas.Based on (Prof. M. P. S. Menon. Malabar Samaram, M. P. Narayanamenonum Sahapravarthakarum. pp. 48, 53, 61; A. K. Kodoor. Anglo Mappila Yudham 1921. pp. 91, 96).
Spread of Congress With the Manjeri Congress Conference, Congress got established in Eranad. This conference helped the activities of the Congress to spread to the rural areas of Malabar.
Congress and Khilafat Movement Gandhiji was invited to the Delhi Khilafat Conference in April 1919. In that conference, Gandhi declared the full support of the Congress to the Khilafat Movement.Based on (The Khilafat Movement, Gail Minault, pp. 69, 92; A. K. Kodoor. Anglo Mappila Yudham 1921. pp. 96–97).
Non-cooperation movement The non-cooperation movement spread like a wildfire in Malabar with the coming of Mahatma Gandhi and Moulana Shoukathali as part of the Khilafat-Congress non-cooperation movement in Kozhikode. On 20 August 1920 both of them got a huge reception at the Kozhikode beach.
Ali Musliyar and protest