If we leave out ancient temples and mosques, then Hajur Kacheri is probably one of the oldest surviving buildings in Malappuram district. Located at Chemmad in Tirurangadi town, it was built by the British in the early 20th century. It is widely believed that the construction was carried out using laterite stones taken from the old Mysore fort located nearby.
Tirurangadi has a very rich history. Known to Arab traders as Tiruwarankad, this town was a major inland trading hub during the reign of the Zamorin (Samoothiri in Malayalam) of Calicut. Spices, timber and agricultural produce from the hills of the Western Ghats were brought here, sold to merchants and then transported to the coastal ports of Ponnani and Calicut. Arab merchants frequently visited its markets, settled in the region and intermarried with the local population. Cheranad, which also included present-day Tirurangadi and Tirur, was under the direct rule of the Zamorin.
The peace and tranquillity of this trading hub were shattered when Hyder Ali marched into Malabar with his battle-hardened army of 12,000 soldiers in 1766. The Zamorin's swords and shields were no match for Hyder Ali's massive field artillery. He soon captured Calicut and also established the first permanent military garrison at Tirurangadi. When Hyder Ali moved to Coimbatore, the local population took up arms and started revolting. Hearing the news, Hyder Ali quickly returned and crushed the revolts.
The next major event took place in 1782 – the First Battle of Tirurangadi. In this battle, British forces under the command of Colonel Humberstone joined hands with native Nair rebels to push the Mysore army out of Calicut. Hyder Ali sent a massive army under Makhdoom Ali's command to hold on to his possessions in Malabar. However, Makhdoom Ali was killed on the battlefield, and his army was destroyed.
After hearing about the defeat, Hyder Ali sent his son, Tipu Sultan, to Malabar with a massive army. Tipu pushed the British forces towards the coast at Ponnani. However, following the death of his father, he had to return to secure the throne. As Tipu withdrew with the core of the Mysore army, Company troops, heavily supported by local forces of the Zamorin, moved forward. The Company captured Palakkad Fort in 1783. Ravi Varma of the Padinjare Kovilakam, along with his Nair warriors, also liberated many parts of Calicut.
Then came the Treaty of Mangalore in 1784. The British advantage in Malabar was more than offset by reverses in other parts of southern India, including Mangalore. Under the Treaty of Mangalore, both sides agreed to return to their pre-war territories. This meant the British withdrew their troops from Palakkad and Calicut and handed the region back to Tipu. This was a major setback for Ravi Varma.
Tipu appointed Arshad Beg Khan as the governor of Malabar. However, they were unable to crush the rebellions completely. Knowing very well that he would not be able to defeat Tipu in open combat, Ravi Varma abandoned the plains and moved to the hills. He continued his rebellion from the dense jungles of Kalladikode, near Palakkad. Tipu Sultan sent a massive force of 6,000 soldiers under the command of the French General Monsieur Lally to hunt down Ravi Varma. However, they were unable to capture him and suffered heavy losses due to the hit-and-run guerrilla tactics adopted by Ravi Varma's army.
During this period, Tipu launched some of his most aggressive policies in Malabar. These included demolishing old Calicut, constructing a new capital at Feroke, building Gun Roads and enforcing massive socioeconomic and religious changes. These policies altered the social equation of the Malabar region forever.
Tipu also ordered the construction of a permanent Mysorean stone fort at Tirurangadi. He stationed a massive, highly disciplined garrison of Mysorean infantry and field artillery there. Under Tipu's rule, the town's famous markets were subjected to severe restrictions, and trade became a state monopoly. Local merchants were forbidden from trading cash crops such as pepper, timber and betel nut with private European agents. Instead, all agricultural produce had to be routed through Tirurangadi's state officials at fixed prices, maximising revenue for the Mysorean treasury in Seringapatam.
To ensure that his heavy artillery and cavalry could move swiftly from Mysore to the coast without being ambushed by local rebels, Tipu integrated Tirurangadi into his massive infrastructure project. Wide, cleared highways, historically known as Gun Roads, were built through forests. These connected Tirurangadi directly to the coastal ports of Ponnani and Calicut and, through mountain passes, to Mysore.
Tirurangadi remained firmly under Mysorean control until the Second Battle of Tirurangadi in December 1790. The Company defeated the Mysore forces in this battle. Under the 1792 Treaty of Seringapatam, the British took control of the town and demolished the Mysore fort to ensure that it could never be used against them.
As for the rebels, during the Third Anglo-Mysore War in 1790, the British joined forces with Ravi Varma. He helped Colonel Hartley of the 75th Highland Regiment crush Tipu's generals at the historic Second Battle of Tirurangadi in 1792. Mysore's forces, under Hussain Ali Khan and Martab Khan, reportedly consisted of around 9,000 troops, along with local Mappila militias.
However, Tipu's defeat in the war did not help Ravi Varma. The Company did not restore Calicut's pre-Mysore independence. Following a series of historical events, Malabar eventually came under direct British administration. Things did not go well for another famous prince, Pazhassi Raja, either. Although he had helped the British against Tipu, the Company had agreed to recognise his independence after the war. This eventually resulted in the bloody Cotiote Wars, and Pazhassi Raja was killed in battle in 1805.
The British administered the region from Calicut, with Ponnani serving as another important administrative centre. Tirurangadi became a taluk station and the headquarters of Cheranad Taluk, with government offices functioning from temporary premises.
In 1906, the British built Hajur Kacheri. The building housed a police station, regional courts, a jail block, a treasury and revenue offices.
An interesting fact is that Malabar was initially part of the Bombay Presidency. It was transferred to the Madras Presidency only on May 20, 1800. The native judicial court established by the British in Tirurangadi in 1793 was therefore governed by Bombay regulations.
Tirurangadi once again rose to prominence as the epicentre of the 1921 Malabar Rebellion (Moplah Revolt). On August 20, 1921, British forces raided the local Mamburam Mosque. Rumours spread about its desecration, and rebels led by religious leaders such as Ali Musliyar launched a ferocious assault on the British establishment. They captured the complex and killed W.J.D. Rowley, whose grave can still be found on the premises.
The building later became the administrative headquarters of the Khilafat government. However, this did not last long. By late August 1921, the British had returned in massive numbers, supported by Gurkha troops. They laid siege to the town, cornered the rebels at the local mosque and eventually forced Ali Musliyar to surrender.
Following this, Hajur Kacheri was heavily fortified, and the Malabar Special Police (MSP) routinely patrolled the streets. On the administrative front, the British dissolved the old Cheranad Taluk and merged Tirurangadi into Eranad Taluk. After independence, the Hajur Kacheri complex housed the Tirurangadi Taluk Office, the local Sub-Registrar's Office and other revenue offices. In the 1990s, Tirurangadi once again became a taluk.
In October 2023, the administrative offices were moved out, and the building was converted into a museum – the Malappuram District Heritage Museum. Hopefully, this historic building will remain a museum for the foreseeable future.
My Visit
I was on my way to visit a relative and was looking for a place that I could include in my trip. Hajur Kacheri came up as an option, and it was not far from the newly built NH 66. We could easily take an exit at Kakkad Junction. This heritage building is less than four kilometres from there.
In case anyone has difficulty finding it, just ask for the Tirurangadi Police Station. The museum is right next to it.
There is ample space for car parking inside the museum premises. Apart from the employees, there was hardly anyone around. In fact, we did not encounter a single visitor from the moment we entered until we left.
There is a separate ticket for photography. Inside this brightly painted, well-ventilated building, the walls are decorated with pictures depicting various artefacts, historical events, rivers and important places in Malappuram district. We can also see a couple of old jail cells.
In addition to these, the central courtyard houses an artistic stone installation that represents the historical region we now call Malappuram in the best possible way.
Two exhibits that came as a surprise were Tirur Vettila (Tirur Betel Leaf) and Edayur Chilli. Both received Geographical Indication (GI) tags, in 2019 and 2021 respectively.
Outside, there are graves of two British officers. At another corner stands an old well, which has now been renovated. According to the museum officials, the well dates back to the British Raj.
Overall, it was an interesting stop, particularly for anyone interested in the history of Malabar. It is also an easy detour from NH 66 and does not require much time to explore.
Sajeev