[[File:Bust of Kunhali Marakkar III at Visakha Museum.jpg|thumb|alt=A metallic bust of Kunjali Marakkar III|Bust of the third Kunjali Marakkar at [[Visakha Museum]], [[Andhra Pradesh]].]]
'''Kunjali Marakkar''' (alternatively spelled '''Kunhali Marakkar''') was the title inherited by the [[Admiral of the fleet]] of the [[Zamorin|King Samoothiri]] / Zamorin, the kingKing of [[Kingdom of Calicut|Kozhikode]] / Calicut, in present-day [[Kerala]], India. There were four Marakkars whose war tactics defended against the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] invasion from 1520 to 1600. The Kunjali Marakkars are credited with organizing the first naval defense of the Indian coast.<ref>{{cite web|title=Maritime Heritage - Join Indian Navy {{!}} Government of India|url=https://www.joinindiannavy.gov.in/en/about-us/maritime-heritage.html|website=www.joinindiannavy.gov.in|access-date=10 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Singh |first=Arun Kumar |title=Give Indian Navy its due |url=https://www.asianage.com/opinion/columnists/110217/give-indian-navy-its-due.html |access-date=6 March 2020 |work=[[The Asian Age]] |date=11 February 2017}}</ref>
[[File:Marakkar-Inscriptions.PNG|thumb|300px|right|Inscriptions on the Kunjali Marakkar Memorial at Kottakkal, Vatakara]]
