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

polygais reorganised the admlnistratlon and restored law and order. But the Nayaks were
fighting themselves, inviting the Deccani Muslim powers, Marathas and the Europeans into the
politics of the Coromandul rugion. The Europsan powarr. tho Portugese, Dutch, French,
Danes and the English were claiming supremacy over the Indian ocean and crossed swords in
their attempt to get their claim established. In due course of time these European trading
companies interferred in the internal affairs of the native territories and the native mlers fell
prey to their ambition and activities which ultimately resulted in their extinction.
The Nayakdoms of Ginjee, the northern most part of Coromandel region, asserted
independence by 1614. The Nayaks of Madurai and Mysoreans encroached it's territories.
The Sultana of Bijapur and Golkandaa ralded Glnjee alternately. Golkonda annexed it's territories
including the port of Pulicat and Madras. The Bijapureans took over the remaining parts
including the port of Devanampattanarn, PortoNovo and Pondichery. The Engllsh, Dutch and
the French established their factories in this territory with the consent of the Nayaks and
Muslim mlers. The Marathas captured Ginjee in 1678, and it fell to the Mughuls in 1698 and
later became a part of the Arcot subedari. At the dawn of eighteenth centuy the crescent flag
began to flutter from the portals of Carnatic. The Nawabi of Camatic was born with it's
headquarters at Arcot (Darun-nur-Mohamedpur) under the head off Zulphikarkhan, the
commander of Aurangazeb. At the disintegration of the Mughal empire after Aurangazeb, like
other provinces, Arcot also emerged as an independent power in the second Quarter of eighteenth
centuy. Anwamddin became the chief of carnatic5
The Nayakdom of Madurai was founded in 1529. It was divided into many palayams
under the charge of a Polygar (Palayakhrar), Madurai Nayakdom was included the present
districts of Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Timchirappalli, Coimbatore , Salem and a
portion of ~ravancore~. The long coastline of the Madurai Nayakdom was the scene of intense
trading activities by the European companies. The Portuguese and the Dutch were expanding
their trade in the coastal region, gradually the control of the affairs of the coast slipped into the
hands of these foreign powers and the Nayaks had no interest in overseas trade. But the
export and import trade contrlbuted much for the economic development of the region7. The
invasions from Mysore and Bijapur was a challenge to Madurai. Madurai's interference in the
politics of Thanjawr Nayakdom, invited a new powerful power, the Marathas, In to the southern
politics, kter resulted in the establishment of It's mle at Thanjavur. The feudal poiigars grew
independent and the Nayak could not command authority over them. The disintegrating
Madurai Nayakdom was taken over by the Chanda Sahib in 1736 and the glorious Nayakdom
eclipsed from the political arena8.
The nrle of Sethupathis was inagurated in Ramanathapuram in 1604 by the Madurai Nayak.
The Sethupathis drifted from their allegiance to their sowrign and asserted independence in 1702.