Cheraman Juma Masjid
Also called: Cheraman Juma Mosque · Topic: India, a Home to Many: Diasporas and Refuge · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 5 "India, a Home to Many"
Meaning
The Cheraman Juma Masjid is a mosque at Kodungallur (Methala) in Kerala. It is regarded as India's oldest mosque, and tradition dates it to c. 629 CE. Arab merchants, who came to the west coast as peaceful traders from the 7th century, helped build it. Its old form follows the Kerala temple style of building, with sloping roofs and wooden features. It is a symbol of early, peaceful contact between Arabia and India.
Example
The Arab traders who settled near Kodungallur married local women. Their descendants became part of Kerala's Mappila Muslim community, and this mosque is linked to the start of that community.
Don't confuse with
- Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, Delhi: it was built by the Delhi Sultans after a military conquest in the late 12th century. The Cheraman Juma Masjid is much older and came from trade, not conquest.