Malappuram district


Malappuram, in the southern part of the former Malabar District, is a revenue district in the Indian state of Kerala, with a coastline of. It is the most populous district of Kerala, which is home to around 12.3% of the total population of the state. 44.2% of the district's population reside in the urban areas. The district was formed on 16 June 1969, spanning an area of about. It is the third-largest district of Kerala in terms of area. It is also the largest district of Kerala bounded by Western Ghats and Arabian Sea on the eastern and the western borders respectively.
The district was formed by incorporating the southern parts of erstwhile Kozhikode district and the northwestern parts of erstwhile Palakkad district in 1969. Ponnani, Perinthalmanna, Tirur, Eranad, Tirurangadi, Kondotty, and Nilambur are the seven subdistricts included in the district. The eastern part of the district is hilly and the western part is a coastal region. The district is further divided into 5 sub-micro regions. Four long rivers, a small river, and several tributaries flow through the district. The economy of the district basically depends upon emigrants. Malayalam is the most spoken language. Religions practiced in the district include Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. It is the first e-literate district and the first cyber literate district of India. Malappuram metropolitan area is the fourth-largest urban agglomeration of Kerala and the 25th largest of India with a population of 1.7 million.
The district has contributed many writers, and religious and political leaders. During the early medieval period, it was the headquarters of two of the four major kingdoms that ruled Kerala. Perumpadappu was the hometown of the Kingdom of Cochin, which is also known as Perumbadappu Swaroopam, and Nediyiruppu was the hometown of the Zamorin of Calicut, which is also known as Nediyiruppu Swaroopam.

Etymology

The term, Malappuram, which means "over the hill" in Malayalam, is derived from the geography of Malappuram, the administrative headquarters of the district.

History

Ancient period

The district has an eventful history since immemorial times. The Stone Age history is not well-revealed. However, the remains of some pre-historic symbols including Dolmens, Menhirs, and Rock-cut caves have been found from various parts of the district, like Nilambur, Manjeri, etc. Rock-cut caves have been found from the places like Puliyakkode, Thrikkulam, Oorakam, Melmuri, Ponmala, Vallikunnu, and Vengara. The port of Ponnani is believed to be a centre of trade with Ancient Rome and Arabia. During the Sangam period, the region was included in Kudanadu, a province of Ancient Tamilakam. It was ruled by the ancient Chera dynasty.

Early medieval period

After the decline of the ancient Chera Dynasty, several dynasties controlled the area, and by ninth century, the region came under the suzerainty of the Perumals of Mahodayapuram. A piece of inscriptional evidence found at Triprangode indicates that Goda Ravi of Chera Dynasty controlled the present-day district in the early 10th century. Descriptions about the rulers of Eranad region can be seen in Jewish copper plates of Bhaskara Ravi Varman and Viraraghava copper plates of Veera Raghava Chakravarthy. After the disintegration of Perumal kingdom, a number of city-states emerged in the region, including Valluvanad, Vettathunadu, Parappanad and Nediyiruppu . Kottakkal, formerly known as Sweta Durgam in Sanskrit, and Venkalikotta and Venkita Kotta in Malayalam, was a military base of the Kingdom of Valluvanadu in the medieval period. Nediyiruppu was the earlier capital of the Zamorins of Calicut. During and around the fall of Perumal Empire, the neighbouring Calicut and its environs were ruled over by Porlathiri. The Eradis of Nediyiruppu marched with their army to Panniyankara and often surrounded the headquarters of Porlathiri. The ultimate aim was to find access to the sea and thus to participate directly in the maritime trade. This war lasted for almost half a century. The battle ended in the victory of the Eradis. Porlathiri fled to Kolathunadu in search of political asylum. With the conquest of Polanad, the Eradis who ruled Eranad shifted their headquarters from Nediyiruppu to Calicut, and later began to known as the Zamorin of Calicut. In the early stage of his territorial development, Zamorin expanded his territories to Parappanad and Vettathunad by defeating their rulers. The port of Ponnani was a prominent centre of Islamic learning and Tirunavaya was a centre of Vedic learning in medieval Kerala.

Late medieval period

Valluvakonathiri, the ruler of Valluvanad, was the strongest enemy the Zamorin had to face in the earlier stages of his imperial development. The immediate goal of Zamorin was to capture Tirunavaya on the bank of the river Bharathappuzha, which belonged to Valluvakonathiri. Tirunavaya, where the Mamankam festival was celebrated once in every twelve years under the presidency of the king of Valluvanad, was of great political significance. The Zamorin lined up on one side and the Valluvakonathiri and the ruler of Perumpadappu on other. When the Zamorin's army reached north and settled at Triprangode, Eralpad, the young king of the Zamorin, reached Ponnani by sea, crossed the Bharathappuzha and settled on the other side of Tirunavaya. It was not too long before Valluvakonathiri had to concede defeat. The ruler of Perumpadappu, who fled away to Mahodayapuram, later established the Kingdom of Cochin headquartered at Kochi. Inspired by the victory at Tirunavaya, the Zamorin continued his attacks. Soon Nilambur, Manjeri, Malappuram, and Venkatakotta came under his control. Hence by the end of 13th century, majority of the district came under the control of Nediyiruppu Swaroopam. However a small portion of the present Perinthalmanna subdistrict remained under the Kingdom of Valluvanad, including Angadipuram, which was the headquarters of the erstwhile Valluvanad.
The Thrikkavil Kovilakam in Ponnani served as a second home for Zamorin, and his navy headquarters. Malappuram was the military headquarters in earlier times. Zamorin earned a greater part of his revenue by taxing the spice trade through his ports. Smaller ports in kingdom included Parappanangadi, Tanur, and Ponnani. The headquarters of the Azhvanchery Thamprakkal, who were considered as the supreme religious head of Kerala Brahmins, was at Athavanad. The works like Kozhikode Granthavari, Mamakam Kilippattu written by Kadanchery Namboodiri in 17th-century CE, Kandaru Menon Patappattu, and Ramchcha Panicker Pattu contains pieces of information about the Mamankam festival held at the bank of Bharathappuzha in Tirunavaya. The modern Malayalam alphabet, and the Arabi-Malayalam script were developed in the district during the medieval period. The Sanskrit works like Kokila Sandeśa written by Uddanda Śāstrī, Bhramara Sandesham by Vasudevan, and Chathaka Sandesha have descriptions about Tirunavaya and Triprangode. Many medieval Malayalam works also help to trace the history of district.

Portuguese attempts of colonisation

Towards the end of the year 1507, the Portuguese Viceroy Francisco de Almeida was informed that a column of 13 Muslim ships had taken cargo - mainly spices - from Ponnani and was about to leave for the Red Sea. The Viceroy immediately decided to corner the fleet. The decision was perhaps made with a view to retrieve the Portuguese prestige lost on account of some incidents at Angediva and Dabul. Almeida himself commandeered the fleet of 12 vessels consisting of four naus, six caravels, and two gales. The fleet had about 6,000 European soldiers, led by a collection of noblemen such as Pero Barreti, Diogo Pires, Lourenco de Almeida, and Nuno da Cunha, son of Tristao da Cunha and a handful of Cochin soldiers. The defenses of the Ponnani Port were repaired and strengthened by the Zamorin after this event. The Zamorin appointed Kunjali Marakkar I, his loyal naval chief, in the port of Ponnani, to resist the Portuguese occupation. It seems that Kunjali Marakkar I, assisted by Kutti Ali and Pacchi Marakkar, subsequently constructed a naval base at Ponnani. Kutti Ali sent harassing raids from Ponnani to Cochin and reinforcement fleets to Kozhikode. The Zamorin later faced a protest in 1540 by Kutti Pocker, who is popularly known as Kunjali Marakkar II when the Zamorin signed a treaty with the Portuguese power in Ponnani. In 1552, the Zamorin received assistance in heavy guns landed at Ponnani, brought by certain Yoosuf, a Turk, who had sailed against the monsoon winds. In 1566 and again in 1568, Kutti Pocker and his men captured two Portuguese ships. Around a thousand soldiers from one of these ships were killed either by the sword or drowning. Kutti Pocker was later in killed off the coast of Mangalore while returning from a successful raid on the Portuguese fort there. A Portuguese fleet of 40 vessels under the command of Diogo de Meneses is known to have pillaged Ponnani, sometime before 1570 AD. In 1573, Parappanangadi town was burnt by the Portuguese. In 1578, peace negotiations between Zamorin and the Portuguese were strengthened. However, the Zamorin refused to agree to construct a Portuguese fort at Ponnani. It is also known that Gil Eanes Mascarenhas opened fire from his ships to the port and killed a large number of natives in 1582. Mascarenhas was later captured and executed by the forces of Kunjali Marakkar. The Zamorin sent against the Fort Chaliyam certain of his ministers in command over the Muslims of Ponnani, who were assisted by bodies of people from Chaliyam.
The Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen written by Zainuddin Makhdoom II in Ponnani during 16th-century CE is the first-ever book fully based on the history of Kerala, written by a Keralite. It is written in Arabic and contains pieces of information about the resistance put up by the navy of Kunjali Marakkar alongside the Zamorin of Calicut from 1498 to 1583 against Portuguese attempts to colonise Malabar coast. It was first printed and published in Lisbon. A copy of this edition has been preserved in the library of Al-Azhar University, Cairo.

Colonial period

When William Keeling, a sea captain of English East India Company arrived at the Kingdom of Calicut in 1615, he was allowed to start warehouses in the port of Ponnani, through a treaty signed with the then Zamorin of Calicut. By the middle of the seventeenth century, the Dutch had attained monopoly over trade in many ports of Kerala. However, some factories in Ponnani came under the trade monopoly of English. During 18th century, the de facto Mysore kingdom rulers Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan marched into Zamorin's kingdom. With headquarters at Manjeri, their army was spread all over the district. In 1792, Tipu Sultan was defeated by English East India Company through Third Anglo-Mysore War, and the Treaty of Seringapatam was agreed. As per this treaty, most of the Malabar region, including present-day Malappuram district, was integrated into the English East India Company. Hence, the colonial era of the district came into existence. In 1793, the district became a part of the newly formed Malabar Province. The district was a part of South Malabar region during the British rule. Subsequently, the British authority made an arrangement to collect revenue through Zamorin. However, a revolt under the leadership of Manjeri Athan Gurukkal took place against this. It was the first rebellion conducted by Mappilas against the British.
On 20 May 1800, the East India Company separated Malabar from Bombay Presidency and annexed it with the Madras Presidency. The British had established a Barracks called Haig Barracks in the city of Malappuram, which has now been turned into Malappuram Collectorate. The district was the venue for many of the Mappila revolts between 1792 and 1921. The Malabar district political conference of Indian National Congress held at Manjeri on 28 April 1920, fueled Indian independence movement and national movement in British Malabar. That conference declared that the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms were not able to satisfy the needs of India. It also argued for a land reform to seek solutions for the problems caused by tenancy that existed in Malabar. However, the decision widened the drift between extremists and moderates within the Congress. The conference resulted in dissatisfaction of landlords with the Indian National Congress. It caused the leadership of the Malabar district Congress Committee to come under the control of the extremists who stood for labourers and the middle class. Malappuram has been part of movements such as Khilafat Movement and Malabar rebellion following the Manjeri conference. The cities/towns of Malappuram, Manjeri, Perinthalmanna, and Tirurangadi were the main strongholds of the rebels. The Wagon tragedy is still a saddening memory of Malabar rebellion, where 64 prisoners died on 20 November 1921. The prisoners had been taken into custody following the Mappila Rebellion in various parts of the district. Their deaths through apparent negligence generated sympathy for Indian independence movement.

Post-colonial period

Malabar remained as a part of the state of Madras for a few years after the declaration of Indian independence. Later in 1956, Malabar merged with the erstwhile state of Travancore-Cochin following the linguistic reorganisation of states. The newly merged Malabar was divided into Kannur, Kozhikode and Palakkad in 1957. Large-scale changes in the territorial jurisdiction of the region took place between 1957 and 1969. On 1 January 1957, the Tirur subdistrict was formed by adjoining major portions of the Eranad and Ponnani subdistricts. Another portion of the Ponnani subdistrict was carved out to form Chavakkad subdistrict, and the remainder is the present-day Ponnani. Perinthalmanna was formed by carving out some portions from the erstwhile Valluvanad subdistrict. Of these, Eranad and Tirur subdistricts remained in Kozhikode district, while Perinthalmanna and Ponnani subdistricts continued in Palakkad. The new district of Malappuram was formed with four subdistricts, four towns, fourteen developmental blocks, and 100 Gram panchayats. The district was formed in order to vanish backwardness of the region at that time. Later, three more subdistricts- Tirurangadi, Nilambur, and Kondotty- were formed from Tirur and Eranad. In the early years of Communist rule in Kerala, Malappuram experienced land reform under Land Reform Ordinance. In the 1970s, Persian Gulf oil reserves were opened to commercial extraction and thousands of unskilled workers migrated to the gulf. They sent money home, supporting rural economy, and by late 20th century the region attained First World health standards and near-universal literacy.

Geography

Bounded by Kozhikode district to the northwest, Wayanad district to the northeast, Nilgiris district to the east, Palakkad district to the southeast, Thrissur district to the southwest, and Arabian Sea to the west, Malappuram possesses a total geographical area of 3,554 km2, which is the third in the state in terms of area. The district possesses 9.15% of the total area of the state. The district is located at 75°E - 77°E longitude and 10°N - 12°N latitude on the geographical map. Similar to other parts of Kerala, Malappuram also has a coastal area bounded by Arabian Sea on the west, a midland at the centre, and a hilly area, bounded by Western Ghats on the east.

Topography

On the basis of topography, geology, soils, climate, and natural vegetation, the district is divided into 5 sub-micro regions:
Malappuram coast lies all along the coastal tract of Malappuram. It makes its boundaries with Kozhikode coast in the north, Malappuram undulating plain in the east, the Thrissur coast in the south, and the Lakshadweep Sea in the west. The region is drained by the major rivers like Chaliyar, Kadalundi, Ponnani, etc. canals and backwaters. The maximum height of this region is located at the Kalpakanchery village in the Tirur subdistrict. The Malappuram undulating plain lies parallel to the coast. It makes it boundaries with Nadapuram-Mavur undulating plains in the north, Chaliyar river basin and Perinthalmanna undulating uplands in the east, Pattambi undulating plain in the south and Malappuram coast in the west. The Gemini hill in Kannamangalam is the highest point and the Vazhayur in the northern part is the lowest. Chaliyar river basin entirely lies in the Eranad subdistrict. It makes its boundaries by Nilambur forested hills in its north and east, Perinthalmanna undulating uplands in the south and Malappuram undulating plain in its east. Nilambur forested hills make its boundaries with Kozhikode forested hills and Wayanad forested hills in the north, Tamil Nadu in the east, Mannarkad-Palakkad forested hills in the south and the Chaliyar river basin in the west. It is a part of the Western Ghats. Many peaks with over 1000 m height can be seen here. The lowest point is located in Mampad. Perinthalmanna undulating uplands make its boundaries with Chaliyar river basin in the north, Mannarkad-Palakkad forested hills in the east, Palakkad Gap in the south and Malappuram undulating plain in the west. The maximum height of the region is 610 metres at the Vadakkangara. Eranad and Perinthalmanna subdistricts are located in the midland. The vast Nilambur Taluk covers the whole of the jungle area where the population is less, but the land area is more.

Coastline

Malappuram ranks fifth in the length of coastlines among districts of Kerala having a coastline of 70 km. Ponnani, Tanur, Parappanangadi, and Kootayi, which lies in the southwest part of district, are the major fishing centres of district. Ponnani was one of the major ports in history. The sea coast of the district is filled with marine wealth. Apart from being a favourite destination of the Arab traders 2000 years ago, Ponnani was also a captivating destination for many Muslim spiritual leaders, who were instrumental in introducing Islam here. The port city is also known as The Little Mecca of Malabar. During the months of February/April, thousands of migratory birds arrive here. Located close to Ponnani is Biyyam Kayal, a placid, green-fringed waterway with a water sports facility. The Conolly Canal meets with Arabian sea at Puthuponnani. The coastal town of Tanur was the capital of the Kingdom of Vettathunad in the early medieval period, and is known for Keraladeshpuram Temple. Parappanangadi was included in the Parappanad kingdom in the early medieval period.

Rivers

Major rivers flowing through the district are Chaliyar, Kadalundi River, Bharathappuzha, and Tirur River. Chaliyar has a total length of about 168 km. and a drainage area of. It passes through Nilambur, Mampad, Edavanna, Areekode, and Vazhakkad in district. Karimpuzha, the largest tributary of Chaliyar, and Thuthapuzha, one of the largest tributaries of Bharathappuzha, also flow through district. Kadalundi River passes through Melattur, Pandikkad, Malappuram, Panakkad, Parappur, Kooriyad, and Tirurangadi. It has a length of 130 km, with a catchment area of and a total runoff of 2189 million cubic feet. Bharathappuzha has a total length of 209 km. It flows through Thootha, Elamkulam, Pulamanthole, and joins the main river at Pallippuram. Then it again reaches the district at Thiruvegappura after flowing through some neighbouring districts. Tirur River is 48 km long. It joins with Bharathappuzha near to the Ponnani coast. Besides these large rivers, the district also has a small river called Purapparamba River, which is just 8 km long. It is connected to major rivers via Conolly Canal.

Climate

The temperature of the district is almost steady throughout the year. It has a tropical climate. It gets significant rainfall in most of the months, with a short dry season. According to Köppen and Geiger, this climate is classified as Am. The average annual temperature in Malappuram is 27.3 °C. In a year, the average rainfall is. Summer usually runs from March until May; the monsoon begins in June and ends in September. Malappuram receives both southwest and northeast monsoons. Winter is from December to February.



Flora and fauna

The district contains a diverse wildlife and a number of small hills, forests, rivers, and streams flowing to the west, backwaters and paddy, areca nut, cashew nut, pepper, ginger, pulses, coconut, banana, tapioca, and rubber plantations. Conolly's plot, the world's oldest teak plantation, is located at Nilambur in the district. Nilambur is also known for Teak Museum. Bamboo trees are widely seen near to the Nilambur Teak Plantations. A bioresource natural park is associated with the Teak Museum. Tirur Vettila, a type of Betel found in Tirur, has obtained GI tag.
Out of the 3,554 km2 area of district, constitutes forest area. It may be denser or less dense. The northeast part of district has a vast forest area of. In this, is reserved forests and the rest is vested forests. Of these, 80% is deciduous whereas the rest is evergreen. The forest area is mainly concentrated in Nilambur subdistrict, which shares its boundary with the hilly district of Wayanad, Western Ghats, and the hilly areas of Tamil Nadu. Trees like teak, rosewood, and mahogany are seen in Nilambur forest area. Bamboo hills are widely seen in the forest. Karimpuzha wildlife sanctuary is the one and only wildlife sanctuary in the district and is also the largest wildlife sanctuary in Kerala. The New Amarambalam Reserved Forest, which is a part of Karimpuzha wildlife sanctuary, has a variety of fauna. A variety of animals including elephants, deer, tigers, blue monkeys, bears, boars, rabbits, birds, and reptiles are found in forests. Forest products like honey, medicinal herbs, and spices are also collected from here. Forests are protected by two divisions- Nilambur north and Nilambur south. About 50 Acre of Mangroves forest is found in Vallikkunnu, located in coastal area of the district. A major part of Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary lies in district. The Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu community reserve is the first community reserve in Kerala. It has now been declared as an eco-tourism centre. Tirunavaya is known for its lotus fields.

Administration

Political divisions

Malappuram revenue district has two divisions- Tirur and Perinthalmanna. For sake of rural administration, 94 Gram Panchayats are combined in 15 Block Panchayats, which together form the Malappuram District Panchayat. Besides this in order to perform urban administration better, 12 municipal towns are there. For the representation of Malappuram in Kerala Legislative Assembly, there are 16 assembly constituencies in district. These are included in 3 Lok Sabha constituencies. Malappuram has the highest number of assembly constituencies in state. Of these, Eranad, Nilambur and Wandoor assembly constituencies together form a part of Wayanad, whereas Tirurangadi, Tanur, Tirur, Kottakkal, Thavanur and Ponnani are included in Ponnani. The remaining seven assembly constituencies together form Malappuram.
The district is further divided into 138 villages which together form 7 subdistricts.

Subdistricts

, Tirur, and Tirurangadi subdistricts lie in the coastal region. Perinthalmanna, Eranad, and Kondotty lie in midland whereas the Nilambur subdistrict shares its boundary with Western Ghats. Nilambur is the largest subdistrict of Kerala in terms of area and Tirur is the largest of Kerala in terms of population.

State legislature

Parliament

Law and Order

The judicial headquarters of the district is in Manjeri. 24 courts function under Manjeri judicial district including Manjeri, Malappuram, Tirur, Perinthalmanna, Parappanangadi, Ponnani, and Nilambur. The headquarters of Malabar Special Police, a Paramilitary unit under Kerala Police, is located in Malappuram. The Malappuram Police Unit is subdivided into 3 Sub Divisions and 34 Police Stations. The District Police Office, District Special Branch, District Crime Records Bureau, District 'C' Branch, Narcotic Cell, District Police Control Room, Cyber Cell, Women Cell, and Telecommunication Unit are located in Malappuram. The coastal police station is located in Ponnani whereas the District Armed Reserve Camp is situated in Padinhattummuri. Traffic Units of Malappuram police unit are centered at Malappuram, Manjeri, Kondotty, Perinthalmanna, and Tirur.

Economy

of the district in the fiscal year 2018-19 is estimated as ₹ 698.37 billion, and the growth in GDVA, compared to that in the previous year was 11.30%. Net District Value Added of the district in 2018-19 was ₹ 631.90 billion and the annual growth rate of NDVA was 11.59%. Per capita GDVA is estimated to be ₹ 154,463 in the fiscal year. The growth rate of GDVA was 18.12% in 2017–18, 9.49% in 2016–17, 7.86% in 2015–16, 8.83% in 2014–15, 14.08% in 2013–14, and 9.70% in 2012–13. It shows a zigzag trend. The economy of Malappuram largely depends upon emigrants. Malappuram has the highest number of emigrants in state. According to 2016 economic review report published by Government of Kerala, every 54 per 100 households in the district are emigrant households. Most of them work in Middle East. They are major contributors to the district economy. The headquarters of KGB is situated in Malappuram.

Economic minerals

is widely seen in midland areas of the district. Angadipuram Laterite is recognised as a National Geo-heritage Monument. Archean Gneiss is the most seen geological formation of district. Quartz magnetite, which is seen in Porur is one of the economically important minerals found in the district. Quartz gneisses are seen in Nilambur, Edavanna, and Pandikkad. Garneliforus Quartz is seen in Manjeri and Kondotty areas. Charnokite rocks are common in some areas of Nilambur and Edavanna. Dykes consisting of plagioclase, feldspar, and pyroxene in typical laterite texture are there in Manjeri. Deposits of good quality iron ore have reported from Eranad region. Deposits of lime shells are found in coastal areas including Ponnani and Kadalundinagaram. The coastal sands of Ponnani and Veliyankode contain a high amount of heavy minerals like ilmenite and monazite. Kaolinite is seen in Perinthalmanna and Ponnani subdistricts. Deposits of Ball clay have been found from Thekkummuri village. Parts of Nilambur subdistrict are included in the hidden Wayanad goldfields. Explorations done in the valleys of Chaliyar in Nilambur has shown reserves of the order of 2.5 million cubic meters of placers with 0.1 gram per cubic meter of gold. Bauxite was discovered from some parts of the district like Kottakkal, Parappil, Oorakam, and Melmuri.

Industries

Malappuram is one of the industrially backward districts in state due to the lack of infrastructure. There is no industry functioning under Central Sector here. According to the 2011 census, there are 10,629 industrial units registered under SSI/MMSE, and 396 units among these are promoted by Scheduled castes, 83 by Scheduled tribes, and the remaining units by general category. About 1,000 people are aided annually under a self-employment program. There are KINFRA food-processing and IT industrial estates in Kakkancherry, Inkel SME Park at Panakkad for Small and Medium Industries and a rubber plant and industrial estate in Payyanad. MALCOSPIN is one of the oldest industrial establishments in the district under state government. Wood-related industries are common in Kottakkal, Edavanna, Vaniyambalam, Karulai, Nilambur and Mampad. Sawmills, furniture manufacturers and timber trade are the most important businesses in district. Employees' State Insurance has its branch office at Malappuram. KELTRON Electro Ceramics in Kuttippuram, KELTRON tool room in Kuttippuram, Edarikode Textiles in Edarikode, KSRTC body workshop in Edappal, MALCOTEX in Kuttippuram, and KELTEX in Athavanad are the other major industrial centres under public sector. The Kerala State Detergents and Chemicals Ltd. and the Kerala State Wood Industries Ltd. are headquartered at Kuttippuram and Nilambur respectively.

Agriculture

, palms and paddy are mainly found in Malappuram coast. Cashew, coconut, and tapioca are seen in Malappuram undulating plain. Rubber, cashew, pepper, and coconut are the important vegetation found in the Chaliyar river basin. Nilambur forested hills contain the cultivation of a wide variety of species. Teak is mostly seen in this region. Perinthalmanna undulating uplands contain the cultivation of species coconut, palm trees, pepper, rubber, and cashew. The Kadalundi River drains this region. Besides these casual crops, species like mango, jackfruit, banana, etc. are also seen in district. According to the statistics of 2016–17, gross cropped area in district is 237,860 hectares, and net cropped area is 173,178 hectares. The cropping intensity of the district is 137 hectares. The most produced uncountable crop in 2016-17 was tapioca, followed by banana, and rubber. 878 million coconuts and 19 million jackfruits were produced in 2016–17. However, the land use was maximum for the cultivation of coconut, followed by rubber, and areca nut. An agricultural research station functions at Anakkayam. KCAET at Thavanur is the only agricultural engineering institute in the state.

Transportation

Roads

Malappuram is well connected by roads. There are four KSRTC stations in district. 2 National highways pass through district- NH 66 and NH 966. NH 66 reaches the district through Ramanattukara and connects the cities/towns including Tirurangadi, Kakkad, Kottakkal, Valanchery, Kuttippuram, and Ponnani and goes out from district through Chavakkad. Major cities/towns those are connected through NH 966 include Kondotty, Malappuram, and Perinthalmanna. The State Highways passing through district are SH 23, SH 28, SH 34, SH 39, SH 53, Hill Highway, SH 60, SH 62, SH 65, SH 69, SH 70, SH 71, SH 72, and SH 73. The length of road maintained by Kerala PWD in district is 2,680 km. Out of this, 2,305 km constitute district roads. The remaining 375 km consists of State Highways.

Railways

, which was opened in 1861, is the oldest railway station in Kerala. Beypore-Tirur railway line, which was constructed in the colonial period, is the first railway line in the state. Total length of railway line that passes through the district is 142 km. Malappuram City is served by Angadipuram railway station, Parappanangadi Railway Station, and Tirur Railway Station both. A major part of the renowned Nilambur–Shoranur line lies in district. Other railway stations in district are:
is the nearest railway station to Malappuram city
The Ministry of Railways has included the railway line connecting Kozhikode-Malappuram-Angadipuram in its Vision 2020 as a socially desirable railway line. Multiple surveys have been done on the line already. Indian Railway computerized reservation counter is available at Friends Janasevana Kendram, Down Hill. Reservation for any train can be done from here. The Nilambur–Nanjangud line, which connects Nilambur with the Wayanad district, the Nilgiris district, and the Mysore district is under construction.

Airport

Malappuram is served by Karipur International Airport. The airport started operation in April 1988. It has two terminals, one for domestic flights and second for international flights. Domestic flight services are available to major cities including Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Goa, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Mangalore and Coimbatore while International flight services connects Malappuram with Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Muscat, Salalah and Kuwait. There are direct buses to the airport for transportation. Other than buses, Taxis, Auto Rickshaws available for transportation.

Demography

Population

In the 2011 census, the district had a population of 4,112,920, which is roughly equal to the population of Croatia. As of census 2011, 12.31% of the total population of Kerala resides in Malappuram. It is the most populous district of Kerala and also the 50th most populous of India's 640 districts, with a population density of. Its population-growth rate from 2001 to 2011 was 13.39 percent. Malappuram has a sex ratio of 1098 women to 1000 men, and its literacy rate is 93.57 percent, which is almost equal to the average literacy rate of the state. Out of the total Malappuram population for 2011 census, 44.18 percent lives in urban regions of district. The Malappuram metropolitan area has a population of 1.7 million. According to a report published by The Economist in January 2020, Malappuram is the fastest growing metropolitan area of the world. In 2011, Children under 0-6 formed 13.96 percent of Malappuram District compared to 15.21 percent of 2001. Child Sex Ratio as per census 2011 was 965 compared to 960 of census 2001. According to the census 2011, only 0.02% of the total population of the district is houseless.

Religions

The religions practised in district include Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and other minor religions. Malappuram is one of the two districts in South India, where the Muslims form a majority, the other being Lakshadweep district.

Languages

The principal language used in the district is Malayalam. The Mappila dialect of Malayalam is common in the district. Minority Dravidian languages are Allar and Aranadan,. Tamil is also been spoke by a very small fraction of the people. According to the census 2011, the percents of the mother tongue of the total population is as follows:
Modern medicine, Ayurveda, and Homeopathy are available in the district. A general hospital, 3 district hospitals, and 6 Taluk hospitals are functioning under the Government of Kerala for Allopathy. The Government Medical College, Manjeri, established in 2013, is the apex medical college in district. Besides these, a network of local health centers function under the public sector. It includes 66 Primary Health Centres, 20 All-time functioning primary health centers, 20 Community health centers, and 2 TBC's. 5 Major public health centers, 77 mini public health centers, and 565 sub-centers are there. 3 Leprosy control units, 2 Filaria control units, etc. also function under the public sector. The total bed strength of government hospitals is 1500. Many private hospitals with super-specialty units are also there in the district under Allopathy. The Govt Ayurveda Research Institute for Mental Disease at Pottippara near Kottakkal is the only Ayurvedic mental hospital in Kerala. It is also the first of its type under public sector in the country. Kottakkal is also home to the Arya Vaidya Sala, the renowned Ayurvedic health center. Under the government sector, a district Ayurvedic hospital functions in Edarikode. Government Ayurvedic hospitals also function in Manjeri, Velimukku, Perinthalmanna, Malappuram, Vengara, Thozhanur, Thiruvali, and Chelembra. Homeopathic hospitals under public sector function at Malappuram, Manjeri, Wandoor, and Kuttippuram. Many hospitals function under the private sector.

Education

The district has the highest number of schools in Kerala as per the school statistics of 2019–20. There are 898 Lower primary schools, 363 Upper primary schools, 355 High schools, 248 Higher secondary schools, and 27 Vocational Higher secondary schools in the district. Hence there are 1620 schools in the district. Besides these, there are 120 CBSE schools and 3 ICSE schools in the district. 554 government schools, 810 Aided schools, and 1 unaided school, recognized by the Government of Kerala have been digitalized. In the academic year 2019–20, the total number of students studying in the schools recognized by Government of Kerala is 739,966 - 407,690 in the aided schools, 245,445 in the government schools, and 86,831 in the recognized unaided schools.
The district also plays a significant role in the higher education sector of Kerala. The district is home to two of the main universities in the state- the University of Calicut centered at Thenhipalam which was established in 1968 as the first university in Malabar region and the second university in Kerala, and the Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University centered at Tirur which was established in the year 2012. AMU Malappuram Campus, one of the three off-campus centres of Aligarh Muslim University is situated in Cherukara, which was established by the AMU in 2010. An off-campus of the English and Foreign Languages University functions at Panakkad. Eranad knowledge city, the first planned knowledge city in the state, is being developed headquartered at Manjeri.

Culture

Mappila dance forms like Oppana, Kolkali, Duffmuttu, and Aravana muttu are popular in the district. Moyinkutty Vaidyar, the most renowned Mappila paattu poet was born at Kondotty in the district. He is the only Mahakavi of Mappila songs. The currently adopted Malayalam alphabet was first accepted by Thunchath Ezhuthachan, who was born in Tirur and is known as the father of modern Malayalam language. Besides Moyinkutty Vaidyar and Thunchath Ezhuthachan, it is also the birthplace of many renowned writers of Malayalam including Edasseri Govindan Nair, K. P. Ramanunni, Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, Nandanar, Poonthanam Nambudiri, Pulikkottil Hyder, Uroob, and Vallathol Narayana Menon. The district has also given its own deposits to Kathakali, the classical art form of Kerala, and Ayurveda. Kottakkal Chandrasekharan, Kottakkal Sivaraman, and Kottakkal Madhu were famous Kathakali artists hailed from Kottakkal Natya Sangam established by Vaidyaratnam P. S. Warrier in Kottakkal.
During the medieval period, the district was a centre of Vedic as well as Islamic studies. The ancient Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics, though mainly centred in Thrissur, also had scholars coming from Malappuram. The Parameshvara, the Nilakantha Somayaji, the Jyeṣṭhadeva, the Achyutha Pisharadi, and the Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, who were the main members of the Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics hailed from the Tirur region. The Arabi Malayalam script, otherwise known as the Ponnani script, took its birth during the late medieval period. The script was widely used in the district in the late 19th and early 20th century CE.

Cuisine

The cuisine of Malappuram contains a blend of traditional Kerala food items with some of the Arab food items. One of the main elements of this cuisine is Pathiri, a pancake made of rice flour. Variants of Pathiri include Neypathiri, Poricha Pathiri, Meen Pathiri, and Irachi Pathiri. Spices like Black pepper, Cardamom, and Clove are widely used in the cuisine of Malappuram. The main item used in the festivals is the Malabar style of Biryani. Sadhya can also be seen in marriage and festival occasions. Ponnani region of the district has a wide variety of indigenous dishes. Snacks such as Arikadukka, Chattipathiri, Muttamala, Pazham Nirachathu, and Unnakkaya have their own style in Ponnani. Besides these, the other common food items of Kerala can also seen in the cuisine of Malappuram.

Sports

Malappuram is known for its love towards Football and is also known as The Mecca of Kerala Football. The district has contributed many professional footballers. Malappuram District Sports Complex & Football Academy is situated at Payyanad in Manjeri. Kottappadi Football Stadium is a historical football stadium. Other major stadiums include the Rajiv Gandhi Municipal Stadium at Tirur, and the Perinthalmanna Cricket Stadium at Perinthalmanna. A synthetic track is there along with the Tirur Municipal Stadium. The Malabar Premier League was initiated in 2015 to strengthen the football in Malappuram. The Calicut University Synthetic Track at Thenhipalam is the apex synthetic track of the district. It is associated with the C. H. Mohammed Koya Stadium at Thenhipalam. The other major stadiums of district are at Areekode, Kottakkal, and Ponnani. A football hub to internationalize the eight major football stadiums of district is proposed. The district has also contributed professional sportsmen in the fields of the cricket and the athletics. The construction works of two new stadium complexes are being processed in Tanur and Nilambur.

Places of Interest

According to the statistics of 2017–18, Malappuram ranks sixth in Kerala on the number of foreign tourist arrival and eighth in the number of domestic tourist arrival.

Demand of bifurcation

For a few years, the demand of bifurcating the district into two districts by carving out a new one called Tirur district, centered at Tirur is being strengthened. They argue that it is imperative from the development perspective to split the district, with double the population and size of the Alappuzha district, into two. No other district in Kerala has seven subdistricts, 94 Village Panchayats, and 12 municipalities together. As for its extent, if one travels from Perumbadappu which borders Thrissur district to Vazhikkadavu bordering Tamil Nadu, normally it takes more than three hours to cover that distance of 115 km. They also point out that the problems in the health and educational sectors that require solutions are not trivial. The issue was raised again by the IUML MLA KNA Khader in 2019. The demand is to bifurcate the existing Malappuram district into two districts by carving out a new one called Tirur district from it. KC campaigns for a new district centred at Edappal. Some people including Veteran Congress leader Aryadan Muhammad, and IUML district secretary UA Latheef oppose the bifurcation of Malappuram.
However, the demand was rejected by the two successive governments who ruled Kerala in 2013 and in 2019. But the studies regarding the bifurcation of the district are still in the consideration of the Government of Kerala.