Zamorin

The Samoothiri (Anglicised as Zamorin; Malayalam: sāmūtiri, sāmūri, [saːmuː(d̪i)ɾi,], Arabic: sāmuri, Portuguese: Samorim, Dutch: Samorijn, Chinese: Shamitihsi) was the title of the erstwhile ruler and monarch of the Calicut kingdom in the South Malabar region of India. Originating from the former feudal kingdom of Nediyiruppu Swaroopam, the Samoothiris and their vassal kings from Nilambur Kovilakam established Calicut as one of the most important trading ports on the southwest coast of India. The Samoothiris belonged to the Eradi subcaste of the Samantan community of colonial Kerala, and were originally the ruling chiefs of Eranad. The final Zamorin of Calicut committed suicide by setting fire to his palace and burning himself alive inside it, upon learning that Hyder Ali had captured the neighboring country of Chirakkal in Kannur.