Battle of Pookkottur
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (December 2019) |
Battle of Pookkottur | |||||||
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Part of Malabar rebellion | |||||||
Masjid built for the memorial of the Battle | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Mappila rebels | British Army | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Vadakke veettil Muhammad † |
Cuthbert Buxton Lancaster Captain P McEnroy † | ||||||
The Battle of Pookkottur was a battle that the
Background
The
Battle
On the morning of August 21, rebels reached Pookkottur. The rebels' plan was to let the British lorries continue until they reached Pilakkal and then ambush them from all sides.
However, Parancheri Kunjarammutty. who was not present in the final meeting of the rebels did not know of this plan. He was concealed behind a heap of soil and opened fire at the first lorry while only two or three lorries had arrived.
Hearing the gunshots, the British reversed the lorries and threw smoke bombs. Due to the smoke, the rebels were unable to aim properly. Despite this, they inflicted numerous casualties. Under cover of smoke, the British fired their machine guns.
When the smoke dissipated, about ten soldiers walked towards Pilakkal under the guise of a surrender, which lured the rebels to come forward to capture them. The soldiers retreated and opened fire with machine guns, killing numerous rebels.
Kunjarammutty, who at first opened fire with other rebels, charged the army with swords once they ran out of ammunition. Mammad was killed. The battle lasted for almost 3 hours. 400 on the rebel side and 4 on the British side were officially listed as casualties. However, eyewitness A. Muhammed in his book Swathandrasmaranakal, said that he had seen two lorries going to Westhill, Kozhikode carrying many dead bodies and injured soldiers.
After the battle, the army was on the way to Malappuram with Lancaster with four soldiers in a lorry in front. At Kummalippadi, Mappila rebel Mankara Thodiyil Kunjahmmed climbed a tree and threw a grenade into the lorry, killing Lancaster and several soldiers.
Aftermath
References
- ISBN 978-81-87156-01-7.
- ISBN 978-93-85485-22-0.
- ISBN 978-81-226-1265-3(Malayalam)
- ^ Namboodirippad, Mozhikunnath Brahmadhathan, Khilafat Smaranakal, Calicut, 1965 (Malayalam)
- ^ a b Tottenham GRF (ed), The Mappila Rebellion 1921-22, Govt Press Madras 1922 P 71
- ^ a b Karim KK Muhammed Abdul, Variam Kunnath Kunjahammed Haji, Kalima Books, Kozhikkode 1992 (Malayalam)