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

There was lack of creativity and innovations in thought even among the elite Muslims
in relation to modernity and developmental aspects of the society as a whole. They have
neither accepted the new age or mentally alert to the need of the time. The Coromandel
maritime Muslims failed to pick up the modern navigational technologies. They used only the
sails for the~r interportal, coastal and overseas trades. This was the condition till 1900. But
steamers were introduced by the English in Indian waters and the first stream vessel arrived in
South Indian coast in 1826 itself. From 1850 the traffic of English steam vessels became
regular in Coromandel and called the ports of Nagapattanam, Pamban and Tuticorinz3'. The
old sails were no match to the steam vessels, Thus the Muslims neglected the modern
technology, and ultimately lost the fruits of it. The Coromandel Mudims were lacking in
warfare techniques failed to counter the attacks of the Europeans either in land or sea.
Whenever they met with attacks simply they evaded them.
The educational backwardness of the Coromandel Muslims was also responsible for
their economic stagnation. In eighteenth-nineteenth centuries the Muslims lagged far behind
the English education. The progress of their education was very slow owing to their strict
adherence to the faith. They totally obstained from Hindu Schools where they had no chance
of studying the teachings of Islam. When the fellow religionist were crowding in schools and
colleges the Muslim sat apart and held back by conservatism. The Muslims were borne of
spirit of exclusiveness. They thought that conversion to Christianity was due to the English
education in the missionary institutions. They were prepared to forego the advantages of
English Education rather than risk the. faith of their children. They opposed the opening of
schools for modern education in their settlements. For achieving higher social status many
Muslims of middle income groups were interested in religious education and preferred theology1
oriented institution like Madarasa. These Madarasas were outmoded educational institutions
where education imparted was mainly theocratic in nature and did not evince any interest in
the teaching of science and technology, The Coromandel Muslims became religiously
obscurantists and intellectually sterile. Religious leaders wielded much influence on the Muslims
of older generation. The attachment of Muslims in Public services was negligible.