Moplah Uprising

Also known as the Malabar Rebellion or Mapilla Rebellion

Moplah Uprising
1921-22
Chronological list of Wars and Campaigns
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Location: Malabar
Combatants:
British Army	Moplahs
Result: Uprising quelled
Medals: India General Service Medal (1909) Clasp:Malabar 1921-22
Links:
Category: Moplah Uprising

Summary

The Moplahs (Mappilas) are a Muslim community in Malabar which traditionally worked land held under tenancy from Hindu landlords. When Tipu Sultan took control of Malabar at the end of the 18th century the Hindu landlords were dispossessed and a new system of land revenue was introduced. However following the 4th Mysore War British rule restored the landlords with absolute property rights which allowed the Moplahs to be evicted. The injustice arising from this led to civil unrest beginning in 1836. So-called Moplah Outrages continued in the next decades. By 1920 the matter had become an ideological and religious cause with the Moplahs calling for an Islamic state. They organised the Khilafat Conference and gained the support of the Indian National Congress. In 1921 there were serious outbreaks of violence and Hindus were murdered. In August demonstrators prevented the arrest of one of the Moplah leaders and this was followed by the siege of Tirurangadi police station when police fired on the crowd. A general uprising followed during which government offices were attacked and the British were unable to control the violence. Martial law was declared and the British army called in. In November 67 Moplahs suffocated in a railway wagon whilst being transported to prison. The rebellion was effectively suppressed by the end of 1921. By February 1922 the leaders had been caught and executed.

Government forces

General Sir John Burnett-Stuart commanding the Madras Military District

• 2nd Btn Dorsetshire Regiment
• Malabar Special Police
• 3rd Btn 70th Burma Rifles
• 2nd Btn 8th Gurkhas
• A company of sappers
• Half the 20th Draught Mule Corps

External Links

• Malabar Rebellion Wikipedia
  
• Wagon Tragedy Wikipedia
  
• Moplah Rebellion and the Malabar Special Police Google Books
  
• The campaign medal Murali's blog
  
• Dorset Regiment in Malabar Keep Military Museum
  
• "The Indian Army and the Malabar Rebellion, 1921-22" by Dr Nick Lloyd BCMH [British Commission for Military History] Summer Conference 2012 – Indian Armies, now an archived webpage.

Historical books online

• The Mapilla Rebellion 1921-1922 Printed by the Superintendent Government Press Madras 1922 Archive.org
• Chapter 5, "The Moplah Rebellion 1921", page 83 Imperial Policing by Major-General Sir Charles W Gwynn 1939 Archive.org, Public Library of India Collection. Also available as a different file Archive.org (pdf).