Administrative History
There is a view that the town was established by Mahishasura, a character from the Mahabharata, and that the name Mahisha Pattana gradually evolved into Malappattam. Another view holds that the place where the town was situated at the foothills was known as Malappattanam, which later evolved into Malappattam. In any case, there are no written historical records that conclusively establish the origin of the name.
Between AD 1000 and 1500, the region was ruled by the Mushika kings. Historical evidence indicates that when King Sreekandan, one of the Mushika rulers, established Sreekandapuram, the neighbouring area of Malappattam was under his control. The region was predominantly influenced by Brahminical traditions. The temple culture along the riverbanks and the palm-leaf manuscripts found in the area provide indications of this historical background.
There is also historical evidence of people who became victims of the social inequalities and caste-based discrimination that prevailed during the period of local chieftains. There are accounts of a man belonging to a lower caste, reportedly from the Malaya community, being beheaded and killed for marrying a woman from an upper-caste family. Places locally known as Malayane Kothiya Kari and Bharyaye Kothiya Kari (near the present high school premises), as well as Koovamparambu, are considered associated with these incidents.
Harijan Pollan of Kolanth is another figure remembered as a martyr of that period. According to local accounts, Pollan was killed by an upper-caste person after he happened to see the woman’s body when her garment got caught in a thorn while she was plucking a kottakkappazham during a journey.
Islam is believed to have established a presence in Malappattam during the 14th century. Arab traders who arrived in Kolathunadu for commercial purposes established settlements in Sreekandapuram and Peelikottu, which contributed to the spread of Islam in these areas. Chooliyad is regarded as the earliest centre of this community in the region.
Art and cultural traditions associated with temple culture continued to flourish in Malappattam. Theyyam, a ritualistic art form, is believed to have been practised in the region from around the sixth century. Various traditional practices based on beliefs, including Thachu Manthram, Kanneru, Kalam Paattu, Manthravadam, Kodamoori Paattu, and Aadivedanmar, continued to exist until recent times.
Modern History
The modern history of Malappattam began around the beginning of the twentieth century. Caste-based discrimination, including untouchability and restrictions on social interaction, was deeply entrenched in the region.
During the 1920s, the ideas and teachings of Sree Narayana Guru raised questions against these social inequalities. Swami Sivananda and Vesala Swami also visited Malappattam and conducted awareness activities, emphasising human values and social equality. Through activities such as Panthibhojanam (communal dining) and campaigns against caste discrimination, these efforts developed into one of the earliest organised movements for social transformation in the region.
In 1936, the seeds of the national movement were sown in Malappattam. Under the leadership of the farmers' movement, organised efforts were undertaken to bring people who had been subjected to oppressive conditions into the process of social transformation and to mobilise them to respond to imperial rule.
