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

The Tamil Muslims pznehated in large numbers into Kedah from Nagapattanam and PortoNovo
In Perak, one Siddhi Labbai was a popular royal merchant (Soudagar Raja) who was a Tamil Muslim
and the entire trade of Perak was in his hands". He had factories at Perak. Siddhi Labbai had contact
with the powerful Labbai and Marayakkayar Maritime traders in Nagapattanam, Cuddalore and
PortoNovo. A large part of tin of Perak found it's way into these ports in the vessels of Tamil Muslims
or was freighted in English vessels for the Tamil Muslims36.
The Tamil Muslims settled in Johore were trad~ng in tin. They stocked large quantities of tin in
their factories for shipment. The Danish vessels fromTranquebar freighted their vessels for the Cholia
Muslims to Johore.There was considerable English private trade In johore. Some of the English private
merchants had partnership with Cholia Muslim shippers. The Dutch liberally issued passes to Cholia
Muslim to trade in the prts of this county3'. Ache had a strong life line in Coromandel trade There
was regular tmffic from PortoNovo and Nagapattanam to Ache. The English freighted in their ships the
goods of Tamil Muslims, from PortoNovo and Cuddalore to Ache38 Thus PortonNovo withstood the
European competition and successfully conducted the Asian trade against such competitions
The Muslims of Madura and Ramnad coasts continued their trade with Ceylon because of the
affinal ties there, in spite of the hostilities by the Dutch. At times they had to resort to clandestine
methods and smuggling. In this they had the blessings of the Kandyan king and the Sethupathi. As
already seen Periathambi Marakkayar family was the prime activist in this regard. The Dutch were
unable to control such activities of the Marakkayars. When the Dutch vigorously tried to eliminate the
Coromandel Muslims from the trading activities in Ceylonese Coast, the trade balance of the Dutch was
affected. There was shortage of food and cloth in Ceylon. The poor peasant could neither purchase
food or cloth at cheaper rate nor sell his agricultural products at a higher price since both ends were
enchroached by the Dutch monopolistic plicy. Thus the commercial economy of Ceylon was closely
tbed wlth that of Coromandel in whlch the Muslims played a vital roleJ9. At the close of seventeenth
century, the Dutch adamantly reduced the passes to the Marakkayars of Nagapattanam to Malacca,
Maccassar, Bantam, Johore and Ache ports. Permission was denied to trade with Ceylon. Trade to
these ports was the main source of overseas trade to the Coromandel Muslim. The maritime Muslim
traders had to move to Nagore, W a n d PortoNovo for the continuances of their trade. They ako
utirked the goodwill of the Danes in Tranquebar. Thus by the end of the seventeenth century the
maritime trade of the Coromandel Muslims met with serious set backs and their economic condition
began to uumble.