Abdul Rahman Bafakhy Thangal (1905–1973) was an Indian community leader and politician from

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

. Until his death in the early 1973, Bafakhy Thangal remained the most prominent

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

political leader in Kerala. He is generally credited with transforming the perception of the

Indian Union Muslim League Indian Union Muslim League (abbreviated as the IUML or Muslim League) is a political party primarily based in Kerala. It is recognised as a List of political parties in India, State Party in Kerala by the Election Commission of India. After the ...

inside Kerala. Bafakhy Thangal belonged to a

sayyid ''Sayyid'' is an honorific title of Hasanid and Husaynid lineage, recognized as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and Ali's sons Hasan ibn Ali, Hasan and Husayn ibn Ali, Husayn. The title may also refer ...

family of jurists (the "Ba Faqih") in north Kerala. The

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

i-origin family was settled in Kerala in the early 18th century. The Bafakhy Thangals were also a prominent business family in the city of

Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature. It is the nineteenth large ...

by being international rice traders. Bafakhy Thangal was born to Abdul Qadir Bafakhy Thangal and Fathima Mulla Beevi on 19 February 1905 at

Koyilandy Koyilandy (;A Survey of Kerala History, A. Shreedhara Menon)is a major town Nagar Palika, municipality and a Tehsil, taluk in Kozhikode district, Kerala on the Malabar Coast. The historical town is located right in the middle of the coast of Koz ...

. After studies at

Ponnani Ponnani () is a Nagar Palika (Municipality), municipality in Ponnani Taluk, Malappuram District, in the state of Kerala, India. It serves as the administrative center of the Taluk and Block Panchayat of the same name. It is situated at the est ...

, he moved to the lucrative export business at

Calicut Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature. It is the nineteenth large ...

, became a prominent businessman, and eventually established the Bafaqi & Co. at

Yangon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...

, Myanmar. Bafakhy Thangal entered active politics in 1936 as a campaigner against an

All-India Muslim League The All-India Muslim League (AIML) was a political party founded in 1906 in Dhaka, British India with the goal of securing Muslims, Muslim interests in South Asia. Although initially espousing a united India with interfaith unity, the Muslim L ...

candidate from Kozhikode-Kurumbranad Constituency. He subsequently joined the

League League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football * ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...

(1938), and rapidly rose to become the President of the Malabar Muslim League. He also helped to persuade

Panakkad Pukkoya Thangal Sayyid Ahmad al-Shihabuddin Ba Alawi, or P. M. S. A. Pukkoya Thangal, of the Pukkoya family of Panakkad, South Malabar, was an Indian sayyid (thangal) community leader and Indian Union Muslim League politician from Kerala. He was born in 1913 ...

, a

community leader from South Malabar, to join the

. When Kerala State was formed in 1956, he was chosen as the President of the Kerala State Muslim League. Bafakhy Thangal also served as the leader of the

Samastha Kerala Jamiyyat al-Ulama Samastha may refer to: *Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama (EK faction) Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama of EK Sunnis also known as Samastha, and EK Samastha, is a Sunni-Shafi'i Muslim scholarly body in Kerala. The body administers Shafi ...

. He is remembered for his organisation of the sector of madarasa education (institutions where children receive basic

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

ic education) in Kerala. Bafakhy Thangal is generally credited for * Transforming the perception

inside Kerala. * Representing all the differences within the large Kerala Muslim community. * Forming an alliance with the PSP in the 1957 assembly elections. * Joining the

Liberation Struggle Wars of national liberation, also called wars of independence or wars of liberation, are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) ...

against the Communist government. * Successfully negotiating with the

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

(1959–60) and the

Left Left may refer to: Music * ''Left'' (Hope of the States album), 2006 * ''Left'' (Monkey House album), 2016 * ''Left'' (Helmet album), 2023 * "Left", a song by Nickelback from the album ''Curb'', 1996 Direction * Left (direction), the relativ ...

(1967 and 1969) leadership for the

Muslim League Muslim League may refer to: Political parties British India *All-India Muslim League, led the demand for the partition of India resulting in the creation of Pakistan ** Punjab Muslim League, a branch of the organization above **Unionist Muslim L ...

. * Founder of Bafakhy Yatheemkhanain

Valavannur Valavannur is a Grama Panchayat in the Malappuram District of the Indian state of Kerala The town is located south-west of Malappuram. Places * Valavannur Juma Masjid * Cheravannur North Juma Masjid * Kadungathukundu Mahallu Juma Masjid ...

1979 Bafakhy Thangal died in 1973 while on a pilgrimage to the holy city of

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

, and was interred in Mecca.

Family

Bafaki Tangal married five times: * Tanur Puthan Veetil Khadeeja Beevi * Koilandy Shareefa Amina Beevi * Koilandy Puthiya Maliykkal Muthu Beevi * Chaliyam Khadeeja Beevi * Puthiyangadi Shareefa Beevi

References

External links

Sayyid Muhammedali Shihab Thangal on Sayyid Abdurrahiman Bafaqi Thangal

A. K. Antony on Sayyid Abdurrahiman Bafaqi Thangal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tangal, Abdurrahiman Bafaki 1905 births 1973 deaths Indian Union Muslim League politicians People from Kozhikode district