Impact of “Tuhfat al-Mujahidin” on the Conflict between Portuguese Colonizers and Local Indian Traders of Malabar Coast: A Study

Abstract

Tuhfat al- Mujahidin (Gift to the warriors of Faith) is an excellent book, a rare gem, originally written in the sixteenth century in Arabic, now available in English Written by Zainuddin Makhdum-ii. It is a book in which contains 4 main sections excluding intoduction, with the final section divided into14 chapters. When the principalities in South India- particularly those ruled by Muslims- failed to resist the Portuguese colonizers, the general population rose to defend their freedom. They rose in arms against the invaders when their governments had succumbed. It was in this context that the author wrote a treatise on the virtues of defending one's fatherland. This leads him to discuss the postulates of honour, freedom, patriotism and bravery. The doctrine of holy war is only introduced as a subsidiary theme to support the claim which is primarily nationalist and cultural. This book can go a long way towards a better understanding of the ongoing conflict in the world, which some have hastened to call “religious” or “fundamentalist”: in fact the conflict is nationalist, humanist and cultural. The contemporary Muslim resistance is rooted in a history of brutal colonization of Muslims lands by the Europeans, a process that not only destroyed the golden age of Muslim civilization but also left the Muslims of former colonies poor and backward. While terrorism can never be justified, it can be better understood by a careful reading of history. It is also important to note that various other forms of Muslim resistance get more intense when foreign powers threaten to occupy, once again, the Muslim lands. Tuhfat al-Mujahidin is one of the oldest records of the impact on the minds of Muslims when they are threatened by Portuguese occupation and exploitation in the 16th century. The paper will explore the role of the book “Tuhfat al- Mujahidin” to free South-west Indian people of Malabar Coast from the exploitation and atrocities of Portuguese and their colonialism as well as it’s contribution to Arabic literature.