Socio-cultural Processes and Livelihood Patterns at Tirurangadi - CDS

included families such as kizhakkiniyakath, Eramakkakath, Karthamakkakath, Puthiya
nalakath, Naduvil Puthiyakath, Vatakke Cholakkakath, Thekke cholakkakath, Avaran
marakkarakath, Vettikkuththintakath and so on. Among them kizhakkiniyakath or the
Naha family, which still survive as the political and social leaders of Parappanangadi,
were among the largest landlords of the area, having lands in the entire coastal area and
even in the interior. Some of them also were called Marakkar, which indicated their status
as sailors, and probably was a title which they inherited. These families were among the
early settlers of the area, and probably was a settlement of the sailors and merchants
which later developed into landlords, while retaining their trading concerns. The growth
of Parappanangadi as a settlement was probably around the growth of these akams. The
akams of Parappanangadi appears to be comparable to the akams of Kuttichira in Calicut,
which are equally very old.
The coastal trade in the West Coast of Malappuram District was based on the two nodal
centers, Calicut and Beypore in the north and Ponnani in the south. The rise of Calicut
was clearly in the background of the rapidly growing Arab trade, and the patronage given
to it by the samuthiris. The rise of Ponnani was probably as linkage to the Tirunavaya, the
center of the Mamankam festival. Ponnani was also the place where Samuthiri resided
occasionally. The coming of the Mukhdoom family, who were the spiritual leaders of the
Muslims, and the establishment of old mosque and Darga in the area, was also
significant. The growth of Ponnani as a religious center with trading connections and
Calicut as trading center meant that the Malappuram coast, including the Tirurangadi
region was coming under the influence of the twin nodal points, spiritual and
commercial.
The establishment of close linkages in the area is indicated by the development of land
routes. The movement of Samuthiri's armies to Tirunavaya might indicate an already
existing land route, or the establishment of one. Old people in the area remember a land