Tahrid was written by Sheikh Zainuddin I, the grandfather of Sheikh Zainuddin, author of Tuhfat al Mujahiddin, arguably the first written history about Kerala. Written in the context of the Portuguese invasion of Malabar, Tahrid is a poetic outburst of rancour at the event of colonialism couched in eschatological references and expressing the tone and concern of a pamphleteer. The event of colonialism lies at the background of the book.