Socio-cultural Processes and Livelihood Patterns at Tirurangadi - CDS

we saw earlier, the area was politically under the Samuthiri and economically subject to
the dominance of Calicut. However, the dominance of Calicut was declining by the
beginning of eighteenth century, through a process that has been discussed by historians
such as Ashin Dasgupta. (Dasgupta, 1967). Marts such as Parappanangadi were
becoming powerful, and along with other centers such as Chiliasm and Tanner,
apparently formed a trade network along the coast. Kadalundi River became a busy zone
both for movement of the people and transport of commodities. This process seems to
have encouraged further migrations, including Muslims and also Tamil Chettiars and
Saliyas There are several stories of Chettiars coming and settling in the area, primarily as
cloth merchants. There is a Chettiarmad near the University and Chettippadi in
Parappanangadi. We do not know much about the first, and Chettippadi was built by
chettiars who came and settled as cloth traders. Close to the market at Chettippadi there
are two weaver’s streets, the Pazhaya theru and the Puthen theru, which are occupied by
the descendants of migrant Saliya settlers. There is a field in Pandimuttam in Nannambra,
which was apparently owned by a Chettiar. These migrations and settlements show that
the area was steadily growing into a commercial centre, a process in which Muslims
played the major role, but others were gradually following suit.
The Thangals of Mamburam
It is in this context that we have to understand the changed that were taking place on the
eve of the British conquest. One significant event, though little noticed at the time was
the migration of the family of Sayyid Sheikh Jifri from Hadramaut in Yemen. The family
was apparently, one of the Sayyid families that made their way to Calicut and Quilandy
from Yemen. The family called Ba Alawi, first landed in Calicut, and after a short stay
there, moved to Mamburam on the banks of Kadalundi River, and not far away from the
market center of Tirurangadi during the first half of eighteenth century. Mamburam