Arakkal Muslim Dynasty was the only Muslim Dynasty in the history of Malabar. There are records to show that Cheraman Perumal's nephew ( his sister, Sri Devi's son ) embraced Islam through Malik bin Dinar at Dharmapattanam and was named Muhammad Ali. He was the first Adiraja of Arakkal Muslim royal dynasty of Kannoor.
Other less accepted traditions says that Muhammad Ali was Cheraman Perumal himself named so after professing Islam. Another tradition narrates that Ali Raja was a Nayar minister to the Kolattiri Raja but embraced Islam and married a Muslim lady. He retained his services to the Raja and achieved independent status in the 14th century. However the Arakkal dynasty minted and circulated silver coins in the years Hijrah 122 and 163. This shows the said dynasty was in existence very much earlier than Hijrah 122 and that Islam started spreading its influence in Malabar in the 7th century itself.
During the time of the Portuguese, The Arakkal Dynasty was the only territory owned by the Muslims but their opposition was was made ineffectual by their position next to the Portuguese Fort. One of the Rajas , Poker Ali Koya was killed by the Portuguese in 1545
The Dutch maintained a good working relation with the Arakkal Dynasty, but these arrangements were nominal purposive and temporary.
HyderAli invaded Kerala in 1765 after a call for help from the Arakkal dynasty who suffered an attack from the Nayars.They became the ally of the Mysore ruler and replaced the Kolattiri Rajas as the chief power of the north Malabar. Later Their family became attached to Tippu's son by marriage.
The British captured Kanoor and the Bibi surrendered her own and Tippu's forces. She was forced to sign a treaty with the British against Tippu. Tippu withdrew his troops from Malabar in 1792.