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

When the English appeared in Indian waters in the seventeenth century, they found the
coromandel ships were better than their ships. The Engllsh ships were bullt of oak tree,
fastened with iron nails,the corrosion of which consumed the very metal which is supposed to
unite the planks. Hence the English turned to the South Indian technology and began to build
crafts with teak wood engaging local craftsmen. In 1821, timber was declared as state monopoly
~ lsmall d boat builders were not able to get teak wood for boat building2".
The archival records of the English shed some light on the ship building activities of the Muslims
of Coromandel. Periathambi Marakkayar the seventeenth century commercial magnate of Coromandei
owed many -Is of various descriptions Md he bullt those wsek In his ship bulkbg yard at W.
The English East India Company utilissd the yard of the Marakkayar to repairthelr
Many other
~nerchants of Kikkkami also built ships of their om for their maritime activities engaging local carpenters,
among whom there were many Muslims. As trial run they freighted passengers in their vessels to
~ecca~'~. The Muslim merchants in Nagapattanam and Nagore also built ships of considerable burthen
up to 500 tons, in the port itself, not only for their use but also for the merchants of western coast. The
English also purchased such wssels from the local Marakkayar merchants and the company also utikd
their technical
The Marakkayars of Kayalpattanam built ships for their activities and they also
.old vessels to the English East India n om pan^^^^. Similarly the maritime Muslim communities engaged
m seafaling and fishing activities throughout the stretch of the Coromandel coast built ships and boats of
their own with the available local skills. It is interesting to note that at present the Marakkayars and
Labbais who are engaged in fishing in Thanjawr, Ramanathapuram, and Thirunelvell coasts buiki their
boats of their own. There are also a number of Muslim carpenters engaged in these works216. They
buiM such wssels in the traditional way as handed down from generation to generation217.
The coastal Muslim communities supplied skilled crew members required for shipping in large
numbers because of their mastey in techniques in sea tradition and knowledge of oceanography. These
traditions are getting lost under the impact of modern technologies and the last vestiges of a dieing past
can be traced only in remote locations and minor ports where counhy crafts still survive. The memoy of
the glorious past of the Mwlim maritime communities has vanished still the vediges can be traced among
the Marakkayar and Labbai fishermen in Coastal villages. They have good knowledge about wind,