The myth of Cheraman Perumal's conversion

Recently, The President of India, Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam visited the Cheraman Juma Musjid in Kodungallur (ancient Muziris) in Kerala. This mosque, believed to have been built by Malik bin Dinar in 629 AD, is considered to be the oldest mosque in India. If this date is accurate, then this mosque was established much before the time of Adi Shankara (if we go by the dates ascribed by the Sringeri Peetam) and around the same time Huen Tsang was in India. This mosque has quite a history

As the tradition goes, a Chera king, Cheramanperumal of Kodungallure, left for Makkah, embraced Islam, and accepted the name Thajudeen. He married the sister of then King of Jeddah. On his return trip, accompanied by many Islamic religious leaders, led by Malik-ibn-Dinar (RA), he fell sick and passed away. But he had given introductory letters for the team to proceed to ‘Musiris’ (Kodungallur, the Chera capital. The visitors came to Musiris and handed over the latter to the reigning king, who treated the guests with all respect and extended facilities to establish their faith in the land. The king also organised help for the artisans to build the first Mosque at Kodungallur, by converting Arathali temple into a Juma-Masjid. It was build in 629 A.C., and the area around it had been ear-marked for the team’s settlement.[Cheraman Juma Masjid A Secular Heritage]

This story seems to be a myth propagated in the book Keralolpathi (The origin of Kerala) and repeated many times over. None of the reputed history books[1] mention this story, even the ones by eminent historians[3]. According to Sreedhara Menon[9]

The Cheraman legend is not corroborated by any contemporary record or evidence. None of the early or medieval travelers who visited Kerala has referred to it in their records. Thus Sulaiman, Al Biruni, Benjamin of Tuleda, Al Kazwini, Marco Polo, Friar Odoric, Friar Jordanus, Ibn Babuta, Abdur Razzak, Nicolo-Conti – none of these travelers speaks of the story of the Cheraman’s alleged conversion to Islam.

A mention of the Cheraman Perumal legend appeared in the 16th century book Tuhafat-ul Mujahidin by Shaik Zainuddin, but he too did not believe in its historical authenticity. But later cut and paste historians seem to have forgot to add his disclaimer.
Sreedhara Menon also authoritatively states that Kerala never had a king called Cheraman Perumal and quotes Dr. Herman Gundert, the German who composed the first Malayalam-English dictionary and the grandfather of Herman Hesse for this. But there seems to have been a Cheraman Perumal, whose history is overlaid by legend. According to Saiva tradition, he had an association with a Sundaramurti, the last of the three hymnists of Devaram. This Cheraman Perumal vanished in 825 A.D, about 200 years after Muhammed thus confirming that all that Mecca trip was a fanciful legend.[10]
Update (Jan 1, 2009): Maddy has detailed post about this episode

Footnotes:

[1] Picture of the old mosque and the renovated one
[2] India Archaeology Messages 2112, 2123

Sharada Thirtha

Often, Indian Hindus and Sikhs make demands to Pakistani authorities to give them permission to visit their holy places located in Pakistan. These visits allow the visitors to worship in those places and also see for themselves how temples and gurudwaras are maintained in the Islamic state.
One such holy place, the Sharada temple, according to Subhash Kak, is the most famous and sacred of all Kashmiri pilgrimage centers. It is located in Neelam valley in Pakistan occupied Kashmir near the Line Of Control. According to Al-Biruni Sharada was as important as Somnath, Multan and Thaneshvar.
The native script for Kashmiri is also called Sharada and was derived from Brahmi. The earliest records in Sharada have been dated to 800 A.D and was found all over northwest India. Also, Gurmukhi, the Punjabi script was based on Sharada script. None of the history books, even ones by eminent historians[3] do not mention this script or temple.
A mention of the Sharada temple is present in the second volume of Rajatarangini, translated by M.A.Stein.

In the centre of the quadrangle is the temple raised on a basement of 24 feet square and 5 feet 3 inches high. The entrance to this inner temple is from the west side and is approached by stairs five and a half feet wide with flanking side walls. The interior of the inner temple is a square of 12 feet and 3 inches and it has no decoration of any kind. The only conspicous object inside is a large slab which measures about 6 by 7 feet with a thickness of about half a foot. This slab is believed to cover a kunda, or spring, in which goddess Sharada appeared to the sage Shandilya. This kund is the object of the special veneration of the pilgrims.[Sharadha Tirtha]

Recently someone traveled to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and sent a detailed report on the journey as well as the state of the temple.

Anyway, we arrived in Sharda to be told that the Sharda temple was inside Pak army barracks and permission had to be obtained to see it. Apparently, the Pak army moved there a long time ago, taking over the temple complex and the surrounding area for their barracks.The upside of this was that the remains of the temple were being maintained and protected by Pak army. Anyway, we got permission to see the temple but were not allowed to take photographs due to some law. (I think it was more to do with the current political climate etc). Anyway, we talked to the commanding officer and he gave us permission for photography.[Pictures of Sharda Peeth (has 22 pictures) via IndiaArchaeology]

Looking at the pictures, you can see for yourself how well the Pakistani Army has maintained the temple. Well, atleast they did not blow it up like what the Taliban did to the Bamiyan Buddhas.
Footnotes:
[1] After looking around I could not find who built the temple or what era it was built. If you have any information/links, please let me know.

Buddha in Kalinga

The only time Kalinga gets mentioned in ancient history is during the episode where emperor Asoka had a change of heart following the bloody war. The standard line in history books is that Asoka became a Buddhist after the war and then embarked on a mission to globalize Buddhism.
In fact Asoka was associated with Buddhism much before the Kalinga war, according to Dipavamsa. In an early edict Asoka wrote, “I have been a lay Buddhist for more than two and half years, but for a year I did not exert myself well”. Also it is not clear why Asoka had a change of heart after the Kalinga war for he was involved with many wars. It is possible that there was no more territory to conquer and he used the opportunity to craft a pacifist policy which made it easier to manage people [8].
Another fact that does not get mentioned in history books is the association of Buddha with Kalinga. Huen Tsang, during his travels in in 6th century AD saw ten stupas which mentioned Buddha’s travel to Kalinga and now those stupas have been discovered in an archaeological excavation.

The discovery includes 10 Ashoka stupas, a fort which housed the royal headquarters of the Kalinga State and remains of the Ashoka period dating back to the third Century B.C, say Dr. Rout and authorities of the institute.
Excavations have already been carried out at four of the stupas located at Tarapur, Deuli and Kayama in Jajpur, according to Debaraj Pradhan, director of the excavation project and secretary of the institute. Work will be taken up at the other stupas soon. The first discovery of an Ashoka stupa was made at nearby Langudi Hill.
`In the course of the excavation that started in December 2004, we unearthed square stupas made of latrine blocks, burnt bricks, railing pillars and cross-bars, Besides, pottery and terracotta remains of the Ashoka period have been discovered in these hills,” Mr. Pradhan said.
The discovery of several inscriptions at Radhanagar village and other corroborative evidence clearly proved that the place was Toshali, royal headquarters of Kalinga during the time of Ashoka. Although scholars tried to identify Toshali with Sisupalgarh near Bhubaneswar, no inscriptional evidence was found so far, Mr. Pradhan said.
Mr. Pradhan said the research and excavation might also lead to the discovery of the exact venue of the Kalinga war. Till now it was said the war was fought on the banks of the Daya on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. But the current excavation and survey gave indications that the war might have been fought at Yudha Meruda, which comes under the Korei block near Dharmasala.[Stupas, inscription indicate Lord Buddha’s visit to Kalinga]

Teaching retarded theories

The other day President Bush made a telephone call to the astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery and praised them for being risk takers for the sake of exploration. As President of United States, he leads a nation which is at the forefront of scientific research in almost every field.
But when there is a conflict between science and his religious beliefs, like medieval era Popes, he chooses religion and all logic goes out of the window. Recently when he was asked about teaching “intelligent design” in schools, he said he supported it. The theory is called “intelligent design” since it is dumb. It promotes the idea that an intelligent being is behind the creation of humanity, the intelligent one being God as mentioned in the Bible.
As the editorial in Washington Post notes

Of course the president is right that, in the context of a philosophical debate, it would be appropriate to discuss both sides of an issue before arriving at a conclusion. In the context of a religious discussion, it would also be very interesting to ponder whether the human race exists on Earth for a purpose or merely by accident. But the proponents of intelligent design are not content with participating in a philosophical or religious debate. They want their theory to be accepted as science and to be taught in ninth-grade biology classes, alongside the theory of evolution. For that, there is no basis whatsoever: The nature of the “evidence” for the theory of evolution is so overwhelming, and so powerful, that it informs all of modern biology. To pretend that the existence of evolution is somehow still an open question, or that it is one of several equally valid theories, is to misunderstand the intellectual and scientific history of the past century.[But Is It Intelligent?]

Since evolution is not banned, children in United States will get an education better than the one in Pakistani madrassa. If you question him further on this matter, President Bush being the intellectual giant he is, will start sounding like a broken record player. Recently after baseball player Rafael Palmeiro was suspended after he tested positive for steroid use, President Bush said, he believes Palmeiro’s testimony that he does not use steroids. As Kevin Drum says, “It’s like listening to a small child. He doesn’t want to believe it, so it isn’t true.”
But if alternate theories about the origin of humanity is being taught, they should also teach that there is a possibility that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe.
Related Links: Religion on the rise

Just a phone call

Whenever any terrorist activity happens and a Pakistani connection is discovered, Musharraf plays the good-cop, producing all the sound bites the western world wants to hear. Occasionally a terrorist pops out of the hat and for this magic trick he gets rewarded with money, F-16s, and invitations to Camp David. Now people in United States seem to be fed up with his delaying tactics.
When Porter Goss was asked when Osama bin Laden would be found, his answer was not the ritualistic one.

`That is a question that goes far deeper than you know,” Goss began. “We have some weak links” that make it impossible for now to get bin Laden, he explained, pointing to “the very difficult question of dealing with sanctuaries in sovereign states.”
Sounds like you know where he is, the interviewer pressed. “I have an excellent idea of where he is,” Goss responded. The CIA boss was delivering a clear message to the “weak link” — Pakistan and its military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf.[Pakistani forces tied to Taliban are hiding bin Laden, CIA thinks]

Lee Hamilton, vice chairman of the 9/11 commission told that Pakistan has not been helpful and other diplomats agree with him. So President Bush made a call to Musharraf and spoke for twenty five minutes on various issues after getting complaints from Indians and Afghanis.

Bush’s phone call was evidently made in this context. A 25-minute phone call would obviously involve lot more than just pleasantries and praise. Soon after the call Musharraf announced that Pakistan would expel all foreigners from madrassas in Pakistan. [Bush calls Mush on terror links]

Earlier either Musharraf used to get invited here or some diplomat would go to Islamabad to get things done. Now all it takes is a phone call.

Stability of China

When Pol Pot, who practiced a version of Maoism adapted for Cambodians, became the Prime Minister, he had a grand vision for his country. In his land there would be no private property. He introduced the idea of communal farms, communal property and communal education. Some people dissented and they were sent on the fast path to Communist hell. In his world there would be no rich nor poor and everyone would be equal and pigs would be flying as cows jumped over the moon.
About 1.6 million people, or about one-fifth of the population paid with their lives in this Communist experiment.
Now Communists have learned their lesson. It has been accepted that in Communist Paradise, there will be inequality. The Communist Party in India is worth about 4000 crore. In China too the gap between the rich and poor are increasing. According to an editorial in People’s Daily, written by some rich Communists for the poor Communists, this fact has to be accepted.

But the editorial said widening inequality is an inevitable phase of growth. “This is a golden period of development,” it said. “And it is also a period when conflict is becoming pronounced. The incessant deepening of reform must inevitably involve the adjustment of interests. “It is unavoidable that different people and different groups enjoy the fruits of reform and development to differing degrees.”[China warns protests won’t be tolerated]

In China, the Communist party controls the land allocation since ordinary people cannot be trusted with important decisions. The powerful and corrupt party leaders sell land to builders and pocket the money. It was such an abuse of power that resulted in violence that resulted in the death of six villagers in Shengyou village.

The battle of Shengyou village has come to highlight one of China’s sharpest social issues – the Communist Party’s complete control of land allocation. More than 66 million Chinese farmers have lost their land in the past 10 years. It is a land grab which has fattened the wallets of government officials and left tens of thousands of people homeless.
In recent years, however, more and more farmers have become aware of their rights, and have begun to resist – leading to rising social unrest. Some estimates suggest more than three million people were involved in demonstrations last year, and the government in Beijing is getting increasingly concerned. [China faces growing land disputes]

The Communist way of addressing unrest is to apply more force and limit freedom of expression and even theatre companies and artistes are not spared. The unrests by villagers, retirees, and ethnic minorities has now caused the ruling class to issue a stern warning to the population. In an unprecedented step an editorial appeared in the front page of People’s Daily with the threats of severe consequences.

The Chinese government has warned citizens that they must obey the law and that any threats to social stability will not be tolerated, a sign that top leaders are growing increasingly worried about unrest in the countryside. “Protecting stability comes before all else,” the editorial cautioned. “Any behavior that wrecks stability and challenges the law will directly damage the people’s fundamental interests.”[China warns protests won’t be tolerated]

There is widespread inequality, there is unrest among the population and the govt. is becoming more authoritarian. When Communists in India are offended, they just kick people out of the party. But that’s not how China is going to deal with its problems. Now with United States making friendly gestures to India and going bellicose on China, and with the nuke word entering the conversation, the external relations do not seem to be faring well either.
Right now with China being the 800 pound economic gorilla in the world, internal and external matters of China cannot be dismissed as regional issues. The stability of China should be of concern to every globalized country.

Confused economics

Tom Friedman has this theory in his book Lexus and Olive Tree that two countries which have McDonalds will not go to war with each other, the idea being that in a globalized economy countries are interdependent and cannot sacrifice prosperity over war. But you try to apply this to Pakistan and you get confused on the direction they want to move.
Yesterday there was news of Pakistan deciding to import sugar from India due to economic pressure. Even as recent as last week, there was a ban on import of sugar from India as it would hurt sugarcane growers and mills. Low rainfall caused the sugar prices to rise and imports from UAE and Thailand were not able to meet the demand. Now it is expected that Pakistan will buy three to four lakh tonnes of sugar from India.
But then all is not so sweet regarding trade between the two countries. In the same breath Pakistan announced that films made or developed in India is in list of banned items even though there is an economic need for importing movies.

According to the Import Policy Order 2005, the banned items include any “cinematograph film wholly or partly exposed or developed in any Pakistani or Indian language, with or without a sound track and depicting Pakistani or Indian way of living either silent or dubbed, or in which leading roles have been played by Pakistani or Indian actors or actresses”.[Pakistan bans import of films made in India]

This means Pakistanis will have to rely on movie pirates to see Meera kissing Ashmit Patel in Nazar. This is so sad since the movie was made by Mahesh Bhatt, a Pakistani lover and Bollywood apologist.
Now both the countries have Prime Ministers who are economists who understand the value of trade. But the wall of hatred erected by Pakistan is so strong that even free market forces are unable to pierce it.
Footnotes:

The list of banned items also include a whole range of military weapons, which means the Pakistani Army can no longer buy machine guns, sub-machine guns and automatic rifles from India to kill Indians.
Siddharth Varadarajan notes that US bombed Yugoslavia and India and Pakistan went to war over Kargil, even though they all had McDonalds.

Pledging allegiance

King Fahd, the dictator of Saudi Arabia died and here is what is happening

Members of the royal family have pledged allegiance to Abdullah. An official ceremony confirming him as king is due to be held on Wednesday.
King Fahd’s funeral is scheduled for Tuesday, while on Wednesday Saudi citizens will be able to pledge their loyalty to their new ruler at a palace in the capital, Riyadh[ King Fahd of Saudi Arabia dies]

And this is the crowd to which President Bush is preaching democracy! But then why make fun of Saudis when this is happening in our democratic India. Here is an editorial from when Sonia Gandhi “saved” the Congress Party from a crisis

There were legitimate fears that the collective wrath of the rank and file of the party might once again fall on senior leaders of the party at the AICC session resulting in torn clothes and broken bones. Also, to leave the AICC session without the last remaining mascot of the party might have emboldened closet rebels. Factions within the party would have vied with each other for the guardianship of the grand old party in absence of the glue that perilously binds them together. Instead, the AICC has hailed the saviour and pledged eternal allegiance to the first family and the totemic symbol of the Congress. The Congress banners on the streets leading to the AICC venue said it all: You love India, and we love you too.[Resigned to rule]

Locked out of GMail

Srijith got his GMail account locked down citing unusual usage. After leaving a comment at his blog, I went to check my GMail and found that I was locked out as well. I had left my GMail browser window open the whole day and when I checked, the page was refreshing every second, instead of whatever default they have. It was when I clicked on one of the unread mails that the screen changed to a locked out message. Unlike Srijith, I had a greasemonkey script running which adds the delete button to GMail.
After disabling greasemonkey, I sent a mail to the address mentioned on the lockdown page and my GMail account was active in an hour. Due to this incident, Srijith has ditched GMail. I am still going to use it, for all the unimportant mails.
Update: Rajat Paharia too got locked out and here is why it happened. So even though Srijith did not have greasemonkey installed, the fact that he was retrieving 150 messages caused GMail to believe so.

Man bites dog: DYFI opposes CPI(M)

When I was doing Engineering in Kerala, there were about eight or nine engineering colleges. It was a competitive atmosphere and only students with good rank would get admission. The losers would pay money and get admission in one of the zillion private engineering colleges in Karnataka. Since lot of Mallu money was flowing to other states realization dawned on some enterprising Mallus that they could mint money if they opened private Engineering Colleges in Kerala.
Now every street corner has an Engineering College. Even Kerala State Road Transport Corporation has one. The qualification for admission is that you should not have a tail.
The wealthy Communists first opposed the establishment of private colleges. When that failed they decided to oppose the fee structure and in a spirited display of violence, SFI and DYFI activists threw stones at the police and destroyed KSRTC buses. In the final toll, 141 police officers were injured and 112 vehicles were damaged.
But now some Communists have gone ahead and started an Engineering College and this has caused the DYFI to agitate against CPI(M).

Interestingly, the People’s Arts and Science College, which is the first self-financing college under the CPM, is functioning in the building of the Azhikodan Memorial Library.
The issue is snowballing into a major crisis in the CPM, which has been in the forefront of agitation against self-financing institutions in the State. While the party workers were getting brutally beaten up in the agitation against self-financing institutions, the CPM leaders themselves were starting self-financing colleges, said the DYFI leaders here. [CPM’s self-financing college evokes protest from cadres]

As a demonstration of how democracy works in Communist parties, the mother ship warned the monkey brigade of dire consequences if DYFI continued with its protests against CPI(M). (No more public property for you to destroy, young man).
But then this is not the first time we have seen hypocrisy from the Communists. Isn’t it?