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[[File:Marakkar-Navy.JPG|thumb|upright|The Kunjali Marakkar Memorial erected by the Indian navy at Kottakkal, Vatakara]]
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Prof. Sreedhara Menon mentions a tradition that the Marakkar were merchants of Kochi who migrated to Kozhikode took service with the Samoothiri whilst the Portuguese arrived at Kochi; eventually they became the admirals of the Kozhikode fleet. By 1524, the Kozikode fleet under Kutti Ali's command, used light and fast moving boats to inflict heavy damage on the Portuguese fleet. In retaliation, the Portuguese governor, Henrique de Menezes attacked Pantalayani Kollam in 1525 and destroyed a part of the Marakkar fleet. The hostilities continued with Kutti Ali attacking the Portuguese ships and in 152, the new Portuguese governor, Lolo Vaz de Sampayo captured Kutti Ali off Barkur.
The Samoothiri reorganised his fleet under the commands of Pachachi Marakkar (a relative of Kutti Ali), Ali Ibrahim (a merchant of Cairo) and Kunjali II (the son of Kutti Ali). They attacked Portuguese possessions not just in the Malabar coast, but also in Ceylon and the Coramandel coast, effectively blocking Portuguese trade. Governor de Sampayo was sacked and replaced by Nuno da Cunha in October 1529. He signed a treaty with the Raja of Vettat and built a fort at Chaliyam from whence the Portuguese could strike at the Zamorin's forces at will. The fort was described as "pistol held at the Zamorin's throat" by Prof. Menon.
In 1531, Kutti Ali Marakkar was killed and Kunjali II took his place. Kunjali II wrecked havoc on Portuguese shipping and even compelled the Portuguese forces to give up the siege of Edapalli in 1536. Kunjali II attempted to get help from the Ottomans but after their defeat off the coast of Gujarat, they withdrew from the scene. The fighting was affecting the revenues of Samoothiri, who in 1540 entered a formal treaty with the Portuguese. The Portuguese got monopoly of trade at Kozhikode and the Samoothiri got freedom of action in his campaign without any interference against other Malabar rulers.
However in 1550,the treaty broke down when the Portuguese joined with their ally, the Raja of Kochi in his war against Vadakkumkur. In the battle of Vaduthala, the Raja of Vadakkumkur, a personal friend of the Samoothiri, was killed, bringing Kozhikode into the conflict. In response to the Samoothiri's invasion of Kochi, their Portuguese allies bombarded several costal towns including Panthalayani Kollam. The 1555 the hostilities ended. Tensions flared up again in 1564 and the Kolathiri and the Samoothiri besieged Fort Angelo in Kannur and destroyed their ships.
Following the defeat of a key Portuguese ally, the empire of Vijayanagar, in the battle of Talikotta in 1565, the Samoothiri started large scale operations against the Portuguese and allied with Adil Khan of Bijapur and Nizam Shah of Ahmadnagar in 1570 against the Portuguese. In 1571, the Samoothiri forced the Portuguese to vacate Chaliyam fort and slighted it, destroying it completely.
Owing to their role in the capture of Chaliyam, the Kunjalis became even more powerful. Kunjali III built a fortress (Marakkar Kotta) at Kottakkal (Putupattanam) with the Samoothiri's permission. He was given all the powers and privileges of the Nair Lords of the realm.
In 1578, the Portuguese started peace talks with the Samoothiri and obtained permission from him to settle in Ponnani and Kozhikode in 1584 and 1588, respectively. This was resented by Kunjali III who crushed the Portuguese fleets in 1586 and 1589. In 1591 the Portuguese patched up their quarrel with the Marakkars.
In 1595, Kunjali IV became the patriarch of the Marakkars. He openly challenged the Samoothiri by assuming the title of "the Lord of the Indian seas". He cut off the tail of one of the elephants belonging to the Samoothiri and assaulted a Nair noble and his wife who had been sent to get the explanation for this deed.
In 1598, the Samoothiri and the Portuguese signed an agreement to crush the power of the Marakkars. But their joint attack on Marakkar kotta was repulsed with heavy losses due to lack of co-ordination between the allies. Then the Samoothiri and the Portuguese agreed that Kozhikode would command the land attack and the Portuguese the naval attack. In 1600, the Kozhikode army besieged Marakkar kotta and was supported by a Portuguese fleet under Andre Furtado. Kunjali IV surrendered to the Samoothiri on a solemn promise of pardon, but he had Kunjali IV handed over to the Portuguese. Kunjali IV and his men were executed at Goa and his body parts were gibbeted at Bardes, Panjim and Kannur. <ref> A survey of Kerala history by Prof. Sreedhara Menon, pp 226-230, 1996, S. Viswanathn Printers and Publishers</ref>
==Marakkar Kotta==
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