Socio-cultural Processes and Livelihood Patterns at Tirurangadi - CDS

open. Sayyid Fasl’s son Sayyid Hyder Begh invalidated Khan Bahadur Muthukkoya, who
claimed the properties and made Sayyid Jifri Pookkoya Thangal the new Mukhtiar
holder. Muthukkoya refused to vacate, and this resulted in a civil suit between Pookkoya
Thangal and Muthukkoya. The anti-British stance of Mamburam Thangals also
underwent a change with the pro-British position of Muthukkoya and his son Attakkoya
Thangal, who were given the title ‘Khan Bahadur’ by the British Government. The
position of the other major Sayyid families was hardly different. Thus the spiritual
leadership of the Sayyid families, to the extent that it existed, disappeared during the later
half of 19th Century, precisely during the time when repressive measures on the Mappilas
were mounting.
Social changes during the beginning of 20 th century
The end of 19 th century also witnessed the emergence of other significant tendencies. One
was the establishment of the first printing press in the area, named Amirul Islam Litho
press at Tirurangadi. The idea of a press came from a worker who had some experience
in a press at Calicut, and finally the press was established by Chalilakath Kunhahammed
Haji, who was one among the new generation of Muslims who had ‘modern’ education.
The press, which was renamed C.H.Mohammed and sons, exists even now. The press
heralded another tendency. The traditional literature of the Mappila Muslims were
copied and printed and this literature was in a mixed language called Arabi Malayalam,
which was in fact a mixture of Arabic and the oral language of Mappila Muslims that
contained Malayalam and Tamil words and expressions. By the beginning of 20 th
century, writings in Malayalam also began to be printed, like the works of Canaille Marti
Thangal. A literate culture gradually began to emerge among the Mappilas, in which
Tirurangadi played a central role.