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Periathambl is a title of the family of Sheik AUul Quadir Marakkayar of Kllakkarai. Between 1682-1715, we find in the Dutch records atleast three Periathambis. The first reference to the old periathambi occurs in 1682 in Dutch and English records and he is mentioned as " Pedda Thambe Marcar ", When Kikvan Sethupathi had pushed down the Madurai Nayaks from the fishey coasts, he appointed thir Peliathambi Marakkayar to collect taxes from the coastal communities newly brought under his control. This Perlathambi, Syed Abdul Quadir Marakkayar, is identified as the father of the celebrated. Seethakkathi alias Syed AMul Quadir, the patron of poets and literary figure and philanthropist in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. So. SeethaWcathi is to be identified as the second Periathambi of Dutch records. Arasaratanam calls him as the commercial magnate of seventeenth centuy. Sanjay Subramaniam calls him as the " Prince of ports ". This Periathambi also enjoyed the confidence of the Sethupathi and he was appointed to high offices in the state. He was the chief architect in flouting the Dutch manopoiy in the Coromandel Coast. The Dutch termed him to be the evil genius behind the anti Dutch policy of the Sethupathi. The Dutch dreaded him and had compelled the Sethupathi to remove him, his sons, his brothers, and his relatives from aU state positions. The Sethupathi incorporated this Muslim community leader, Periathambi - Seethakkathi, in the state policies and designated him "Vijaya Raghunatha Periathambi ", Vljaya Raghunatha, bang the name of Sethupath. According to Dutch records, he is said to have controlled everything in Kilakkara~ region and was the second most powerful man in the Ramnad State after the Sethupathi. Thomas Van Rhees, Governor of Ceylon (1692-7) points out in hi memoir that the market price of textiles was raised or lowered according to the pleasure of Periathambi who had the entire management of the business in the Coromandel and as well as Ceylonese coasts. The Sethupathi in collaboration with Perlathambi sent his ships to Persian gulf and Bengal. The trade of Seethakkathi is extrolled by poets in Islamic Tam11 literatures. He is called as " Valkl" @reat Philonthoropist) in these literary works. Ha is said to be the founder builder of the great Jumma Masjid in Kilakkarai, one of the Dravidian architectural marvel. BY 1698 the Dutch realised that they caJd not cany their bade without the help of Pe~thambi W y a r and concluded a friendship treaty with him, Then the Marakkayar became the intermediay to the Dutch He also permitted the Dutch to build a factory at Kilakkarai.
The English records from 1686 mention Periathambi Marakkayar. He was owning a ship building yard and repaired the ships of the East India Company which traded in the region He supplied rice and pepper to the English. The English had requested the Marakkayar's help to trade in his region, most probably via Pamban canal. Since the Dutch records of 1709, mention one young Periathambi, we have to conclude that (Seethakkathi) Periathambi might have died by this time or relieved himself from active trade. After the year 1715, the name of the family of Syed Abdul Quadir do not find prominent place in Dutch records. But the successon of his family continued to play a dominant role in the marinme trade of this regioin. had vast business and big factories, at Kilakkarai and Bengal. They were proud of the Royal patronage enjoyed by their forefathers. In 1862 one of the descendants of Seethakkathi styled himself as Syed Mohamad S/0 Melapandagasalai Maha Shri Shri Ravikula Muthu Vijaya Raghunatha Sultan Abdul Kadir Marakkayar of Kilakkarai3'. Adam Labbal, Naina Labbai are some other powerful maritime traders of Kilakkarai who were having trade contacts with the Dutch. Another contemporary of Vallal Seethakkathi was Abdul Kasim Marakkayar, a trader of repute, He was the patron of poet Umaru the author of Seerapuranam, the extrolled histoy of Prophet Mohamed. It is generally believed that Seethakkathi-Penathambi Marakkayar was a patron of poet Umaru and was instrumental to write Seerapuranam. But his name does not find place in the text of Seerapuranam. Since poet Uma~ was the contemporary of Seethhthi,who was also patronised by him like many other poets, it is probable that Abdul Kasim Marakkayar might have continued the work initiated by Seethakkathi,since his name is mentioned in twentytwo stanzas in Seem~u,uranam~~. The vessels of Muslim merchants of the region were in a brisk trade from Madras Roads. at the end of the seventeenth century. We find many muslrm names of ships and their captains in the list of vessels that plied to and from Pegu. Ache, Kedah. Malacca and in coastal trade Elephant trade was an important one from Kedah. Many names of the Coromandel Muslim traders. Particularly from PortoNovo and Nagapattanam find place in this list". It is evident that by the close of the seventeenth century, the Corornandel Muslims had their settlements in Perak, Pegu. Malacca, Kedah, Ache and Ceylon.
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MARITIME ACTIVITIES ECONOMY AND SOC
Page 3 and 4:
During my field work. I interviewed
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J RAJA MOHAMAD CURATOR GOVERNMENT M
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Key to Abbrevlmtlonm ARE ARP BOR FS
Page 9 and 10:
Chapter - I INTRODUCTION A study of
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However the Muslims were no match t
Page 14 and 15:
Secondary Sources Castes and Tribes
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Chapter two outlines the geographic
Page 18 and 19:
at Tranquebar. Their trading activi
Page 20 and 21:
At the beginning of nineteenth cent
Page 22 and 23:
There were Muslim weavers in large
Page 24 and 25:
The Tamil speaking Muslims of Corom
Page 26 and 27:
and they have been pooled together
Page 28 and 29:
Chapter I1 THE COROMANDEL COAST The
Page 30 and 31:
community of the present day Tamil
Page 33 and 34:
Most of the Coromandel ports were l
Page 35 and 36:
trading communltles and their settl
Page 37 and 38:
acquired the knowledge about the oc
Page 39 and 40:
Kenneth Hall. op. dt. p - 167. A.R.
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polygais reorganised the admlnistra
Page 43 and 44:
In 1736 the rulers of Tamil country
Page 45 and 46:
SethupathkofRamaMthapaoam. Lwas~fra
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Chapter IV THE MUSLIMS OF COROMANDE
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M~~llnlppattu, Ncd~~nnlvndnl,Prr~~m
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wife but also a pbce for board and
Page 53 and 54:
Yonakar street or Yon street even t
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to be the merchant guild of the Mus
Page 57 and 58:
which is considered to be a subcast
Page 59 and 60:
Muslims of Tamil Nadu as Lovai. It
Page 61 and 62:
inscription and said the term marak
Page 63 and 64:
No doubt this is to enhance their e
Page 65 and 66:
The Portuguese used this plural hon
Page 67 and 68:
CHOUAS The Wrds of the Dutch, Engli
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W. Roboltson Smlth, Mp and manisge
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80. Qusdir Hussain Khan, op.clt., p
Page 73 and 74:
Chapter - V EUROPEANS ON THE COROMA
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to be friendly with Portuguese. Rul
Page 77 and 78:
the Muslims had established firmly
Page 79 and 80: assistance of the Dutch. In return
Page 81 and 82: In 1537 the three captains of the Z
Page 83 and 84: V. I1 . THE DUTCH The Hollanders -
Page 85 and 86: An impressive fort was built at Nag
Page 87 and 88: Ekojl the Maratha general was insta
Page 89 and 90: However the Dutch web caught hold o
Page 91 and 92: ejected a similar offer made to Col
Page 93 and 94: The Dutch took the Coromandel texti
Page 95 and 96: The Portuguese never extended such
Page 97 and 98: to the English and Pondichery to Fr
Page 99 and 100: The french settlements were a heave
Page 101 and 102: A record of Fort St. George of 28 J
Page 103 and 104: The settlement of Madras ( Fort. St
Page 105 and 106: The Myrore wars of subsequent times
Page 107 and 108: Under the English administration th
Page 109 and 110: for local representatives. Most of
Page 111 and 112: and confident merchants as share ho
Page 113 and 114: Choudy alleges that the English Eas
Page 115 and 116: C Sivarathnam, Tamils m Ceylon , (
Page 117 and 118: S Arasaratnam. Conlpan~eb and Comme
Page 119 and 120: 130. B.Krishnamoorthy op cit ; Ch~e
Page 121 and 122: 191, ibid 192 lbld p 192. 193. S. A
Page 123 and 124: in the m t h centuxy A.D.. the Atab
Page 125 and 126: The religious ties and associations
Page 127 and 128: found it extremely difficult to com
Page 129: His ships sailed to Pulicat, PortoN
Page 133 and 134: MARITIME TRADE At the beginning of
Page 135 and 136: Similarly the Cholia Muslim were we
Page 137 and 138: Some of the Muslim traders were so
Page 139 and 140: When the amount due to the merchant
Page 141 and 142: S i Moharned, and lbmhim ~agudha~'.
Page 143 and 144: The decline of opportunities in shi
Page 145 and 146: Even in the kt decatk of the nbwtem
Page 147 and 148: Malabar and Bengal ports. This fami
Page 149 and 150: He had business connection in Singa
Page 151 and 152: At Kulasekarapuram , Hassankhan Sir
Page 153 and 154: and there were no Marakkayar trader
Page 155 and 156: Thus it will be seen tha there was
Page 157 and 158: Korkai of Sangam period gave way to
Page 159 and 160: The Dutch took over the pearl fishe
Page 161 and 162: was fished in the coastal belt of T
Page 163 and 164: At KikWcarai a certain wnMbution of
Page 165 and 166: A considerable population of Muslim
Page 167 and 168: withstand the strong mansoon winds
Page 169 and 170: weather, sea and its bottom topogra
Page 171 and 172: On thei anival at Commandel the Dut
Page 173 and 174: in defence and tradeZz5. This is an
Page 175 and 176: and others they could not get inter
Page 177: There was lack of creativity and in
Page 180 and 181:
References Pratandha Thjrnttu, Dr.
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Chief of PortoNovo to the chief of
Page 184 and 185:
Somerset Playne, op.cit. p.4686; Pa
Page 186 and 187:
TNA Judicial Consultation, Vol 242
Page 188 and 189:
TNA Madurai District Record, Vo1.47
Page 190 and 191:
Sarada Raju. op. cit pp.200 - 201.
Page 192 and 193:
The Arabic word lslam cannotes subm
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the Shariath by Ulamas and Alims le
Page 196 and 197:
equal status. Ranking as in caste s
Page 198 and 199:
Tho elaborate rituals and ceremonie
Page 200 and 201:
On arrival at the bride's residence
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at present. In many families among
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and hw described about each and eve
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tho idontlty of the Muvllms and to
Page 208 and 209:
Puberty ceremony is generally celeb
Page 210 and 211:
Lunch and dinner is mostly rice Non
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where we find references to the orn
Page 214 and 215:
The purdha system is widely in prac
Page 216 and 217:
The girls were married at a very ea
Page 218 and 219:
The Muslims attach much importance
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and also to the poor in Mecca and ~
Page 222 and 223:
The Mira) or Mihura) night is consi
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The worship that takes place in the
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Such festivals were celebrated with
Page 229 and 230:
(Though this is a good study to int
Page 231 and 232:
Dargah worship is much familiar amo
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indigenous languages can understand
Page 235 and 236:
Kinship term Marakkayar Labbai Rowt
Page 237 and 238:
Muslims have enriched the voccabula
Page 239 and 240:
Edward William Lane, Arabian Societ
Page 241 and 242:
Particular collected in Interviews
Page 243 and 244:
Chapter Vlll CONCLUSION The Period
Page 245 and 246:
The Coromandel Muslims did not atta
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think that the Coromandel Muslim so
Page 249 and 250:
&@ cqhnwm~ch nw&m g m ~ 6 m @ mCw@
Page 251 and 252:
Imam Maulavl Mauzln Mdadun Nabi Nar
Page 253 and 254:
BIBLIOGRAPHY Intensive field studie
Page 255 and 256:
Kambaramayanarn Kandar Alankaram Ka
Page 257 and 258:
Report of Customs Committee, Madras
Page 259 and 260:
Magbul Ahamed. S.. lndo Arab Relati
Page 261 and 262:
WUkr. Col.. Historical sketches of
Page 263 and 264:
Sarlri . B.S., " P o w in South Irl
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