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

Literature is the mirror of the society of it's creation. It narrates the higher ideas of
the people who inherit it. It promotes arts and culture. All the leading religions of the world
have contributed to enrich the Tamil literature, on this the contribution of the Mullmr la by no
means small.
lslamic Tamil literatures are literay works in Tamil on the Islamic themes.ln lslamic
Tamil literature, Arabic and Persian words are freely used to express the lslammic ideologies.
Many a Iiteray masterpieces have adorned the Islamic literature since of yore.
Epics and minor epics many in number were produced right from the thirteenth and
fourteenth centuries, by Muslim poets in Tamil and as well as in Arabic Tamil. Many of
the Tamil Muslim poets were Sufi mystics. All the grammatical and literary forms of
Tamil were experimented in these works. Some new literary forms were also innovated
and introduced into Tamil literature, like, Padaippor,Munajath. Machala which have no
parallel in other non Muslim forms of literay works. Minor classical literay forms like Armppadai.
Anthathi, Pillaitarnil, Kalarnpakarn, Sathakam etc., were also produced on Islamic themes.
The life of Prophet, progress of Islam etc.,are Arabian in conception yet they are Tamilaked
in these literay works to make the Tamils to identify themselves closely with them. Holy
Quran and books on Islamic jurisprudance were translated into Tamil. Altogether more than
2000 literay works have been identified which emerged during the period of our study. The
mystic poems of Mastan Sahib, Peer Appa, Habeeb Arasar and other Sufi poets have accelerated
the fusion and culturisation of the Muslims and Hindus.
The Muslim philanthropists encouraged and patronised poets to produce fine literary
works, in Tamil as we find in these works. Right from sixteenth century, Kilakkaral,
Kayalpattanarn, and Nagore, were important lslamic Tamil literay centres. The KilaWcarai
maritime magnate Periathambi Marakkayar's philanthropy was a boon to lslamic literature. It
is said that he was responsible for the production of many literay works including the celebrated
Seerapuranam of UrnaruPulavar. (But it is strange that his name is not at all mentioned In the
poems of Seerapuranam, instead the name of one Mohamed Kasim Marakkayar is portrayed
as the donor patron of the poet Umaru It is possible that the work commence with the
patronage of Seethakathi, might have continued by Mohamed Kasim Marakkayar and he
may be close friend or relative of the farmer). Many more marltlme trading Marclkkayan were
instrumental for the production of a number of lslamic Tamil literay works. Thus the Muslim
Tamils loved and patronised Tamil language and their ccntribution to the progress and richness
of Tamil literature has honoured place in the linguistic history of the Tamll society.