Abstract
This paper considers the patterns of changes among the Hajj pilgrims in Malabar Littoral during the colonial period. It looks into the institutionalised medical regulations of the British, like that of the quarantine, specifically in Malabar Littoral. The paper seeks to explore the other British policies such as Port restrictions, the Issue of medical certificates and how it created an imbalance of movement of pilgrims in Malabar coast. It also deals with the quarantine regulations in the ships as well as the ports in Malabar. The paper deals how the British tried to interfere in the religious front of the Muslim subjects, and the process of imposition of restrictions on the movement of the pilgrims on the Malabar shore in the form of institutionalised directives related to health. The period of study is from 1800 to 1947, during which the British introduced more regulations related to quarantine rules among the Hajj pilgrims. The major reason for introducing the quarantine regulations among the pilgrims was due to the larger response from the colonial metropolis regarding the spreading of various contagious diseases, It charts how British knowledge production changed over time, being affected by wider concerns that ranged from the threat of epidemic diseases, and political changes in the Hajj such as the shifts from Ottoman to Hashemite then to Saudi control. It explains how the colonial knowledge of Hajj pilgrims was consolidated; what are the ways in which information was gathered and collected.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2023 Special Focus—Religion in the Public Sphere: From the Ancient Years to the Post-Modern Era
KEYWORDS
Modernity, Maritime History, Malabar, Islam, Hajj, Pilgrims
