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

and there were no Marakkayar traders in Nagapattanaln region . In Adira~npatla~~al~~, War Mohklcu~~
Marahyar was in salt trade. In Thirunelveli coast Mohamed Aliar, Muthuvava Mohamed, Mohamed
Mohideen, Mohamed AMul Kadar Marakkayar and Ai~orilcd I Idmn Marekkdyor wore icoding zdll
There is no strong evidance that in the first half of the nineteenth centuy Muslims were engaged
In tannery industry. There was prevailing notion among the people that it was infralding for a person to
haw anything to do uith hides and shns. Mattison Mines is right in pointing out that the prejudice against
the dealers in hides and skin seems to su~w
among the Muslims even now in certain areaslZ4. Tanning
was the domain of the caste ~huckler'~~. Europeans entered in to this trade during nineteenth centuy
and they introduced new methods in tanning in Madras presidency'26. Towards the end of nineteenth
century, we find the names of some Muslims as owners of tanneries, This might be due to the lucrative
and monopolistic nature of the business. Lnbbais and Deccanis were mostly in this industy But
MaraWtayars were engaged in the shipment of raw and tanned skins. Mohamed Meeran Rawthar
established tanneries in Tiruchirappalli in 1883 and he was an exporter of hides to England and other
European countries. Bangi Hayat Basha established an export oriented tanney in 1874 at ~adras'~'
76% of the hides from Madras Presidency were exported to ~ngland"~
The professional expertise of the Coromandel Muslims in shipping and connected actiLities made
the English to seek their help on many occasions. Since the muslims boatmen were weil tra~ned in
salvaging ships, the English company entrusted such works to them. Labbai Mohamed Thambi and h~s
team was engaged by the English East lndia Company to salvage ships that wrecked off the shore of
Manaar. Idis large dhoney was suitable for this purpose and was in operation to solvage the properties
that may be saved. The divers in the team were Ahamed Labbai, and Uduman Labbai who were experts
in salvaging wrecked ships. The English paid 1/5 of the value of the valuables that were retrieved from
the wreckagelz9. During the earlier days of the ascendency of the English East lndia Company they
appointed OI$.
Muslim crw in their ships. Later, important positions of crewship were denied to natives
However the Company appointed native pilots at Kikkkarai and Parnban to handle their vessels. Of the
thirteen pilots appointed by the English at Pamban, eleven were Muslims. These polots were men of
Proven ability and technical knowledge and held licence to pilot vesselsof any kind I3O . The English East
India Company preferred the ships built by the native Muslims. They purchased the ships of tonnage
capacity of 100 tons to 500 tons built by the Muslims of ~agapattanam'~'. Though the vessels owned
by the company were manned by Muslim pilots they were paid less than the ~uropeans'~~.