Joseph Rabban | |
|---|---|
| Yusuf/Oueseph Rabban | |
 Jewish cooper plates of Cochin (c. 1000 AD) | |
| Occupation | Indian Ocean Merchant (aristocrat after c. 1000 AD) |
| Years active | c. 1000 AD |
Joseph Rabban (old Malayalam: [1] Issuppu Irappan, also Yusuf/Oueseph Rabban; fl. 1000 AD) was a prominent Jewish merchant and aristocrat in the entrepôt of Kodungallur (Muyirikode) on the Malabar Coast, India in early 11th century AD. [2]
According to the Jewish copper plates of Cochin (c. 1000 AD), a charter issued by the Chera king in c. 1000 AD, Rabban was granted with several exclusive commercial rights and aristocratic privileges. [2]
He was notably invested with the rights of merchant guild anjuman/hanjamana. [2] Anjuman was a major merchant guild operating in south India at the time (organized by Jewish, Christian, and Muslim merchants from Middle Eastern countries). [3] He was also exempted from all payments made by other settlers in the city of Muyirikode (Kodungallur) to the Chera king (at the same time extending to him all the rights of the other settlers). [2] These rights and privileges were given in perpetuity to all his descendants. [2]
Rabban's descendants continued to have prominence over other Jews of the Malabar coast for centuries. A conflict broke out between descendants, Joseph Azar, and his brother Aaron Azar, in the 1340s. [4] [5]
Cochin Jews are the oldest group of Jews in India, with roots that are claimed to date back to the time of King Solomon. The Cochin Jews settled in the Kingdom of Cochin in South India, now part of the present-day state of Kerala. As early as the 12th century, mention is made of the Jews in southern India by Benjamin of Tudela.
Kodungallur (IPA:[koɖuŋːɐlːuːr]; formerly also called as Cranganore (anglicised name), Portuguese: Cranganor; Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of river Periyar on the Malabar Coast in Thrissur district of Kerala, India. It is 36 kilometres (22 mi) north of Kochi (Cochin) by National Highway 66 and 38 km (24 mi) from Thrissur. Kodungallur, being a port city at the northern end of the Kerala lagoons, was a strategic entry point for the naval fleets to the extensive Kerala backwaters.
The history of the Jews in India dates back to antiquity. Judaism was one of the first foreign religions to arrive in the Indian subcontinent in recorded history. Rabbi Eliezer ben Jose of the 2nd-century CE mentions the Jewish people of India in his work Mishnat Rabbi Eliezer, saying that they are required to ask for rain in the summer months, during their regular rainy season, yet make use of the format found for winter in the Standing Prayer, and to cite it in the blessing, 'Hear our voice'. Desi Jews are a small religious minority who have lived in the region since ancient times. They were able to survive for centuries despite persecution by Portuguese colonizers and nonnative antisemitic inquisitions.
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Jewish copper plates of Cochin, also known as Cochin plates of Bhaskara Ravi-varman, is a royal charter issued by the Chera Perumal king of Kerala, south India to Joseph Rabban, a Jewish merchant magnate of Kodungallur. The charter shows the status and importance of the Jewish colony in Kodungallur (Cranganore) near Cochin on the Malabar Coast.
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Cheraman Perumal dynasty, also known as the Perumal dynasty of Kerala, or Chera Perumals of Makotai or Mahodayapuram, were a ruling dynasty in present-day Kerala, South India. Mahodayapuram, or Makotai, the seat of the Cheraman Perumals, is identified with present-day Kodungallur in central Kerala. Initially, their influence appeared limited to the area between present-day Quilon and Quilandy, but later extended to up to Chandragiri river in north Kerala and to Nagercoil in the south.
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Joseph Azar was the last in the line of Joseph Rabban
