Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.335

c8.335

The festival was conducted under the auspices of the supreme power in Malabar. For a long period Perumāls were in power in Malabar and so Māmāṅkam was conducted under the control of the Perumāls. The last of the line of Perumāls handed over the right to the then mighty chief, the King of Valluvanāḍ and for several years Māmāṅkam was conducted under his auspices. The foreign traders who came to Malabar, the Mohammadans and the Portuguese, persuaded Sāmūtiri (zamorin) to take control of this festival and with the help of the foreigners Sāmūtiri wrested from the King of Valluvanāḍ the right of conducting the Māmāṅkam. After some time the King of Valluvanāḍ made an attempt to get back the right from Sāmūtiri. This enraged Sāmūtiri and there ensued a fight between them resulting in much shedding of blood. An agreement was reached that after twelve years each would relinquish the right in favour of the other. So after twelve years Sāmūtiri was compelled to relinquish the right but by resorting to many sly tactics he retained the right. The strength of Sāmūtiri increased and he became a great power in Malabar. He was bold enough to send away the Portuguese from the coast and Sāmūtiri maintained his position till the advent of Tippu Sultan to Malabar in the year 1788 A.D. Every twelve years Sāmūtiri had to show his might to retain the right of the Māmāṅkam and those days of exhibiting strength were ghastly.