Arakkal Museum is a place of historical importance located in the western part of Kannur. There is no one who is unaware of the importance of Arakkal Museum. It is a three-kilometer drive from Kannur town to reach there. After a beautiful journey along the road adjoining the Arabian sea, we arrive at the historic Arakkal museum. And it’s a place that must visited to understand the history behind the Arakkal Ali raja family. The museum is based within the former residence of the royal Muslim family. The museum brings you to architecture, heirlooms and artefacts from a different era. This museum is spread over two floors, ground and first in a heritage Kerala style building. We can see so many artefacts and royal heirlooms in the rooms which still had the antique furniture which was used in the good royal days.

Inside the museum we can find the old telephones, sword sand daggers and even an old telescope. Not only for the foreigners who have come to the Malayalam shore in search of pepper and other spices. The king of Ali and Arakkal beevi who showered praises all remain as memories of a golden age. The place that witnessed so many campaigns, conquests and host of heroes. The manner in which the Arakkal family was followed that the eldest member of the family, whether male or female, became its head and ruler. Male rulers were called Ali Rajah, female rulers were known as Arakkal Beevis. Arakkal kingdom was a Muslim kingdom and the king was called Ali raja. On the royal days Kannur town, Lakshadweep and malidweep was under the Arakkal administration.

The royal family is to be exact a branch of kolathiri. Kolathiri was one of the four most powerful kingdoms on the Malabar during the Bari and the Kolathiri Raja. The kingdom was under the full surveillance of chirakkal dynasty. Later on, it gradually became more powerful which came to be entitled as the Arakkal kingdom fully fledged with naval and cavalry forces. There are many intellectual discourses among the history of Arakkal kingdom in Malabar. The Arakkal kingdom is the one and only Muslim independent maritime state in Kerala which existed before the invasion of British colonialism. The historic evidence like coins, jewels, flags represent the precious introduction of the kingdom, emerging actually from Kolathunadu an old political dynasty in India ruled by the kolathiri. One of the central marquees of the introduction of kingdom belongs to the advent of Islam in Malabar on the prophetic era.

The wonderful story behind that the origin of Arakkal dynasty is the last emperor of kodugallur noticed from the Arabian merchants about a prophet in madina, he wished to meet this unknown prophet and ordered for a voyage to the prescribed destination. He gathered all of his successors and levied the rule of the kingdom upon them. He came to Arashakulangara near Valapattanam and accommodated there his sister Sridevi and son mabali. On the way returning from mecca, he died and his son mabili crowned the kingdom. Gradually he comeback to Islam and adopted the name Muhammed Ali. He was the first one to establish the kingdom. And also, another epic history is the last cheraman Perumal in chera dynasty invited a Mappila and a woman from aryapuram to Kannur and entitled the Mappila as ali raja an esteemed degree of the kingdom. He gradually became the founder of Arakkal kingdom.

                                                        The royal Muslim empire Arakkal was the one and only family which entitled for the Malabar Muslims harmony. This kingdom originated from a single person; the family’s reign expanded through Kerala coasts. The family however has played a key role in the reformative proceedings of Malabar Muslims incorporate with current zamorins, Dutch, Portuguese, French and British colonialism. The Arakkal family is the domain in most of the Malabar arts and cultures which were expanded to Lakshadweep and Maldives.