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

Muslim maritime traders of this region, one fourth belonged to the Parava Christians. Vaipar was the
parava port which was a Christian centre. The Paravas were also traders competing with the Muslims of
the region and had the support of the Company and their vessels also plied to other ports in Coromandel
and Malabar. From the ports of Kilakkarai, Kayalpattanam and Kulasekarapattanam and Vaipar
merchandise were sent to other ports like Nagapattanam, Adimpattanam. Muthupet, Madras, Cuddalore,
and ~ondicheny'~~.
At the fag end of nineteenth century the sea traffic fromKayalpattanam was minimum
and Kulasekarapattanam continued to be a busy port. The commodities of export from these
ports were mats, oilcake, ch~lle, drylish, yarn, tobacco, condiments, ghee, animals, teakwood.
porcel~ne, medic~nal herbs, cotton, sandalwood, palm, sugar, textiles etc., Areca, Coconut,
jute, wheat, blackgram, metals, coconut oil, liquors, palm and coconut trunks, bull~ons, spices.
yarn and cane were imported from ceylon into these ports. Food grains, areca, coconut.
dlyfah, timber, palm sugar, animats, spices, tobacco, cotton and chank were the commodities in interportal
trade'09.
There were only a few prosperous manhme trad~ng famikes at the close of the nineteenth century
at Kayalpattanam area. The families of Ahamed Hussain Marakkayar and Mohideen Meera Marakkayar
were the leading n~aritime traders in Kayalpattanam during this period. They had extensive business
connections in Ceylon and were running a cargo company at Colombo by name " Colombo Cargo Boat
Company ". They were having more than fifty hais for cleaniig cargoes at both h e coasla Their cargo
company had connections with British Steam Navigation Company. They owned salt pans at
Kayalpattanam and exported the salt to Colombo and other ports. Thcy were having boiil bullding yard
at Kayalpattnam and manufactured and sold boats to the English Company. Cholukar MaraWtayar
family and Maniya Marakkayar family were the other important ship owning families at Kayalpattanam.
All the above maritime traders had palacial buildings near the sea shore at Kayalpattanam, the remnants
of which can be seen even to this day. The small traders who survived the economic storm, had to
depend on the facilities afforded by the above shipowning families lor their overseas trading and interportal
actidties.