Early history

The Mukkuvars historically were inhabitants of the Neithal (coastal) lands of Malabar coast in Chera kingdom. As suggested by their name, they were involved in diving to sunk the enemy ships during the Chera dynasty.^{[13][12][14][15]} They were maritime inhabitants of the Malabar Coast, who were involved in naval activities, boatbuilding, fishing, among other maritime activities.^{[16][circular reference]}

Mukkuvars were brought into the Vizhinjam region by the Chera and Venad Kings to attack Raja Raja Cholan's navy ships during the 10th century, when the Cholas conquered Vizhinjam and Kollam. Thus the Mukkuvars from present-day Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kannur districts migrated to the Venad region (present-day Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, and Kanyakumari districts) and few settled over there.^[15][17] Mukkuvars were hired as mercenaries in Sri Lanka from 12th century and few settled there from then.^[18] According to the legend of the Mukkuvar from Kerala, they emigrated to and from Sri Lanka. The Mattakallappu Manmiyam text and other local palm-leaf manuscripts in Sri Lanka attribute the emigration of the Sri Lankan Mukkuvar from South India under the rule of Kalinga Magha in 12th century AD, who delegates the power to local petty kings whose successors are identified as belonging to Kukankulam.^[19]

Medieval history

In the 8th century mercantile Arabs made appearances in Kerala, where they, among others, married natives such as those from the Mukkuvar community and formed social groups such as the Mappilas.^[20] The Mukkuvars were, in addition to fishing and seafaring, involved in warfare. Later rulers such as the Zamorin of Calicut promoted Mukkuvars in conversion to Islam in order to man their navies.^[21] Up to 1000 AD were the Mukkuvars recruited to the naval fleets of the Chera dynasty.^[22][23] South Indian communities were often invited to Sri Lanka as mercenaries. The Sinhala text known as Dambadeni Asna refers to Mukkuvar warriors serving in the army of Parakramabahu II of Dambadeniya. As mentioned in Mattakallappu Manmiyam, they too served in the 13th century in the army of the invader Kalinga Magha, who seized control of northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.^[24] The Mukkuvars from Kerala whose descendants are the Sri Lankan Mukkuvars were made chieftains (Vanniar) in the Batticaloa region under Kalinga Magha, where they also formed matrilineal landlords known as Podiyar and exhibited significant political domination. The Mukkuvars, in alliance with the Arabs, encamped at the Puttalam region where, in a campaign initiated by Parakramabahu VI of Kotte, they battled and were chased away by Karaiyar mercenaries, mentioned in the Mukkara Hatana (which means ‘Mukkuvar war’).^[25] Mukkuvar women intermarried with their allied Arabs, whose descendants reside in the Sri Lankan Moor ethnicity.^[26]