Arakkal
A historic Muslim ruling house and former sultanate centered on Kannur in North Kerala.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
The Arakkal kingdom was a Muslim ruling house based in Kannur, historically known as Cannanore, on the Malabar Coast of present-day Kerala, India. It was the only Muslim royal dynasty in Kerala and governed a compact but strategically important domain comprising Kannur town and, at different times, the southern Lakshadweep islands, including Agatti, Kavaratti, Androth, Kalpeni and Minicoy. The house’s rulers were known as Ali Rajas when male and Arakkal Beevis when female. Unlike most Muslim dynasties, the family followed Marumakkathayam, Kerala’s matrilineal inheritance system: authority passed through the female line, commonly from a ruler to the son of the ruler’s sister. Consequently, women could inherit and exercise sovereignty in their own right. The dynasty’s origins are uncertain and are preserved through several overlapping traditions rather than a single securely established foundation date. One account connects the family to the conversion of a relative of the Chera ruler traditionally called Cheraman Perumal by the missionary Malik bin Dinar. Another traces the first Muslim chieftain to Arayankulangara Nair, a minister of the Kolathiri rulers who is said to have converted to Islam. A third tradition describes a Kolathiri princess rescued by a Muslim man and subsequently granted a fief after entering a customary Kerala marital alliance. Historians generally place the emergence of the Arakkal rulers as a distinct political power in the sixteenth or seventeenth century. The family’s influence rested on its position within Indian Ocean commerce. Kannur was a major port connected to Arab, Persian, South Asian and European trading networks, while the Lakshadweep islands offered maritime reach and commercial leverage. The Arakkal rulers operated naval forces and were associated with the import of horses from West Asia, a trade with military and political importance in the region. Their control or claims over island territories gave the house a maritime character, and European powers recognized Kannur as a significant coastal power. The Arakkal rulers interacted, allied and fought with the Portuguese, Dutch, French, British and the rulers of Mysore. In the eighteenth century, the dynasty aligned itself with Hyder Ali, the de facto ruler of Mysore, seeking to strengthen its position against neighboring powers, including the Chirakkal branch of the Kolathiri polity and European interests. Members of the family also sought diplomatic support from the Ottoman Empire during conflicts involving the British East India Company and Portugal. These alliances increased the house’s regional importance but ultimately exposed it to expanding Mysorean and British power. Following the Anglo-Mysore conflicts and the treaties associated with Srirangapatam, the Arakkal rulers’ sovereignty was progressively reduced. An agreement in 1796 preserved their possession of Kannur and the Laccadive islands in a limited form but removed their claim to independent sovereignty. British authorities continued to recognize the Bibi ceremonially for part of the nineteenth century, including entitlement to a seven-gun salute, while exercising increasing administrative control. The British assumed administration of the islands temporarily in the mid-nineteenth century and again later on a permanent basis. In 1905, the ruling Ali Raja surrendered remaining rights to the Laccadive islands in return for the remission of arrears, an annual pension for the family head and recognition of the title Sultan. By the early twentieth century, the family had lost most of its territorial and institutional power. Its authority in Kannur and the Cannanore Cantonment had declined by 1909, and symbols of sovereignty, including the sceptre and sword, were reportedly lost by 1911. The last ruler identified in the historical record was Ali Raja Mariumma Beevi Thangal; after her rule, the family fragmented as a political institution. The Arakkal Palace, now called Arakkalkettu, remains associated with the dynasty. Its durbar hall was converted into the Arakkal Museum, preserving objects connected with the family and the history of the region. The palace is owned by the Arakkal Trust, with participation from members of the royal family.
History
The Arakkal kingdom developed around Kannur on the Malabar Coast, in a region shaped by maritime commerce, Islamic contact and the political authority of the Kolathiri rulers. The precise origin of the dynasty is disputed. Family traditions associate its beginnings with the conversion of a Chera royal relative by Malik bin Dinar, with a converted Kolathiri minister, or with a Kolathiri princess who entered the Muslim community after being rescued from drowning. These narratives cannot be treated as a single verified foundation account, and historians differ over whether the dynasty became established in the sixteenth or seventeenth century. The Arakkal house was distinctive in both religious and constitutional terms. It was a Muslim ruling family, but succession followed Marumakkathayam, the matrilineal system common among several Kerala communities. The senior member of the family, whether male or female, served as its head. Male rulers used the title Ali Raja or Adi Raja, while female rulers were called Arakkal Beevi. This arrangement enabled women to inherit the throne and explains the succession of ruling Beevis alongside male Ali Rajas. The family’s political base was Kannur, a port connected to the wider Indian Ocean economy. Its influence extended to the southern Laccadive islands, which the house held through arrangements associated with the Kolathiri rulers. The islands and the port gave the dynasty a maritime orientation. Arakkal naval power supported commerce and military operations, while links with West Asian horse traders contributed to the political strength of the house. European observers and colonial powers treated Kannur as an important coastal center because of its trade, naval position and connections across the Arabian Sea. The Arakkal rulers’ regional ambitions brought them into contact with the Portuguese, Dutch, French and British, as well as with the Mysore Sultanate. The house supported Hyder Ali’s expansion into Kerala, viewing Mysore as a counterweight to rival local powers and European interference. Members of the dynasty participated in military and diplomatic activity connected with Mysore and the Maldives. In 1777, Ali Raja Kunhi Amsa II wrote to the Ottoman authorities seeking support against the British East India Company, and in 1780 Arakkal Bibi Junumabe II reportedly made a further appeal concerning Portuguese and British pressure. These appeals illustrate the dynasty’s effort to frame local struggles as part of a wider Muslim and Indian Ocean political network. The relationship with Britain became decisive. After the Anglo-Mysore conflicts and the settlement associated with Srirangapatam, the Arakkal rulers retained possession of Kannur and the islands in a restricted form but lost their claim to independent sovereignty. A 1796 agreement established this reduced position. British officials continued to acknowledge the Bibi in ceremonial lists during the nineteenth century, but effective authority narrowed. The British government took over administration of the islands on more than one occasion and ultimately retained it permanently. In 1905, the Ali Raja accepted the surrender of all remaining rights over the Laccadive islands, including Minicoy, in exchange for financial and titular concessions. The dynasty’s political decline continued in the twentieth century. By 1909 it had lost Kannur and the Cannanore Cantonment, and by 1911 important royal insignia, including the sceptre and sword, were no longer in its possession. Abdu Rahiman Ali Raja, who lived from 1881 to 1946, is remembered as one of the later rulers who remained active in assisting his subjects. The last ruler was Ali Raja Mariumma Beevi Thangal. After her tenure, the family ceased to function as a territorial monarchy and became primarily a hereditary and cultural institution. The Arakkal Palace, purchased from the Dutch in 1663 and later known as Arakkalkettu, is the principal surviving architectural symbol of the house. Its durbar hall was transformed into the Arakkal Museum, which opened in July 2005 after preservation work supported by the Government of Kerala. The complex is associated with the Arakkal Trust and members of the family. The museum and palace preserve the dynasty’s historical memory, while the family’s continuing ceremonial identity is represented by its current head, identified as Hameed Hussain Koyamma Ali Raja from December 2021.
- 2021
New family head recognized
[1]Hameed Hussain Koyamma Ali Raja became head of the Arakkal royal family on 2 December.
- 2005
Arakkal Museum opens
[1]The durbar hall at Arakkalkettu opened as a museum dedicated to the dynasty and its material heritage.
- 1905
Remaining island rights ceded
[1]The Ali Raja surrendered the family’s remaining rights to the Laccadive islands in return for remission of overdue tribute, an annual pension and the title Sultan.
- 1875
Permanent British administration begins
[1]The British again assumed administration of the islands, ultimately making the transfer permanent.
- 1854
British administration of the islands
[1]The British government assumed administration of the Laccadive islands during the nineteenth-century decline of Arakkal authority.
- 1796
Sovereignty curtailed by agreement
[1]An agreement preserved the family’s possession of Kannur and the Laccadive islands in limited form while removing its claim to independent sovereignty.
- 1780
Diplomatic appeal during the Anglo-Mysore conflict
[1]Arakkal Bibi Junumabe II appealed for support against Portuguese and British encroachment during the Second Anglo-Mysore War.
- 1777
Appeal to the Ottoman authorities
[1]Ali Raja Kunhi Amsa II sent a letter to the Ottoman authorities seeking assistance against hostile forces, including the British East India Company.
- 1663
Palace acquired from the Dutch
[1]The palace later known as Arakkal Palace was purchased from the Dutch and became associated with the ruling house.
- 1591
Abubakar I succeeds Ali
[1]Adi Raja Abubakar I begins the next recorded reign in the Arakkal succession.
Products and positioning
Historic Muslim royal house and maritime polity of the Malabar Coast, remembered for its matrilineal succession, links to Kannur and Lakshadweep, Indian Ocean trade, and interactions with Mysore and European colonial powers.
Brand decisions
1905
Cede remaining rights to the Laccadive islandsStrategyBackground
The family faced accumulated tribute obligations and had already lost effective control over the islands to British administration.
Action taken
The Ali Raja agreed to surrender all rights, whether as sovereign or tenant, to the Laccadive islands, including Minicoy.
Aftermath
The family received remission of overdue tribute, an annual pension for its head and the title Sultan, but its territorial role was effectively ended.
1796
Accept a restricted settlement with the BritishStrategyBackground
Military and diplomatic pressure after the Anglo-Mysore conflicts weakened the Arakkal position and made continued independent sovereignty difficult to sustain.
Action taken
The ruling family accepted an agreement that maintained possession of Kannur and the Laccadive islands in a limited capacity but abandoned its claim to sovereign independence.
Aftermath
The settlement preserved the family’s local status temporarily while enabling the British to expand their administrative and political control.
Sources1 sources
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