Fath al-Mubin: Manifest Victory

A narrative in verse about the Portuguese invasion of Malabar, Fat'h al Mubin follows the way paved by the authors relative Sheikh Zainuddin in Tuhfat al Mujahidin. An eye witness account of the colonial rampage, the book is more a report than history; though it ends on a positive, optimistic note. With the destruction by the Mappila forces of the Chaliyam fort, the narrative ends, saying that resolution of a people always breaks open (Mubin) the doors of victory (Fat'h).

More than anything else, this book brings to our mind a symbiotic relationship between the two major religious communities here, i.e. Muslims and Nairs who fought alongside the Zamorin against Gama and his invading troops. Our analysis often misses the point that colonialism, which has spawned modernity and science and endless discourses like secularism and democracy, has ridden roughshod over the consciousness of tolerance and togetherness in many parts of the world.