maritime activities economy and social customs of the muslims of ...

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.