On the origins and history of the Rowther Muslims
Ravuttar, Rowther, Ravuther
Most people from Palghat would recognize this community
name, for a number of them are settled in various parts of the district. As a
child, I would hear stories of them being remnants of Hyder’s and Tipu’s
cavalry forces. If you recall these forces were camped around Coimbatore,
Pollachi, Dindigul and thereabouts during their many forays into Malabar.
Growing up in Koduvayur, I came across many Rowthers, mainly traders in and
around Palghat. The Palghat community spoke a kind of Tamil signifying that
they once belonged to Tamil regions and were not connected with the Malayali
Moplah communities. OV Vijayan frequently mentioned them in his books, and even
had a few characters in his famous Khasakinte Ithihasam (legends of Khasak).
That reminds me, it is time for a reread of that great book, I have forgotten
most of it.
Recently a student asked me details on the Rowther’s, and since it had been in my plans to cover them sometime, I got hold of a few interesting articles and papers, and was soon engaged in pursuit of the origins and development of this interesting community. It was a tricky subject for I could glean that the narrative was over time getting tailored by vested interests, tending towards irrelevant Turkic origins. Anyway, let us see how it all came about though one thing is amply clear, that the term Ravuttan came from the Tamil ‘irauttar’ meaning horseman or cavalry trooper and that they once belonged to the Tamil regions. As times progressed, the uniqueness of the community seems to have suffered and Thurston even defines it as a title used by the Labbais, the Marakkayars and Jonagan Muslims of the Coromandel (The reasoning is that during the 19th century many Tamil Muslims believed that any kind of martial ancestry gave them a superior status compared to a lowly trader or sailor).
As far as Tamil Muslims are concerned, the conversions and
adaptions to Islam followed either out of trade or out of invasions. In the
case of the Kayalars (Tarakanar - broker) and the matrilineal Marakkayars, the
communities arouse out of intermingling with Arab traders at various sea ports such
as Kayalpatanam and Kalakkadu. These Shafei School followers (though there are
instances of Hanafi Marakkars) are better known to us, since a number of
Marakkars graced Malabar history in later times. The low density Pattanis are
Urdu speaking North Indian (also known as Dekhani – from Deccan) origin
Muslims, while the Rowthers descended from Tamil Hindu communities which
converted to Islam and later served as cavalrymen in the Nawab’s army. Many of
the Pattanis went on to own land away from ports and classified themselves as
Zamindars, living near their Sufi shrines or dargas.
Fanselow brings in an interesting dimension when he explains
the origins of the Rowthers and the Tarakanars, he says they are people without
a history, in that they lack any conventional, collective, standardized account
of their origins, and possess only some vague and ambiguous legends purporting
to be statements of their origin. But one thing was always clear, that they
were once Hindus and they were Tamils who converted at some point in history,
not from one caste, but from a wider spectrum of castes including Brahmins. Why
they converted is also not clear, if it was caste reasons or due to saintly
influences. Strange, but not so strange considering the above, is the fact that
many of them preferred to support the DMK or AIDMK, rather than the Muslim
league! The Marakkars and the Pattanis on the other hand always preferred to
consider themselves non-Indian.
The Rowthers however insisted that they were just like any
other Muslim and not influenced by caste claims such as foreign or first
Muslims etc. in order to create separations or hierarchies. They started out as
a client community, under the Pattanis and the Marakkayars descendants of the
Nawab’s soldiers during the 18th century. Once the Nawab’s rule was
replaced by the British, the Rowthers started to adopt new professions and
moved to new regions. As the Madras presidency started reclassification, the
Rowthers and Tarakanars were placed in the Labbai Tamil speaking category,
while the others remained in an Urdu speaking category. From a strict point of
view the Rowthers belong to the Hanafi sect, though they generally take no
objections to marrying the Shafi sect Tarakanars. The Rowthers incidentally are
called Appa Kootam while the Tarakanars are termed the Wapa Kootam, from the
way their fathers are called. In a social level, the Rowthers stood between the
Trakanar on the low end and the Pattani on the high end and both communities
still carried some of their old Hindu beliefs and traditions.
JBP More contends that even during the time of the Hindu
rulers in Tamilakam, the horsemen were known as Ravuta or Ravats and the term
is seen in Tamil literature as early as the eighth century. It is also
interesting to note that the earliest conversions in Madurai were carried out by
Sufi saints and before the arrival of the Delhi Sultans. The terms used after
the arrival of the Turkic sultans are as we know, Tulukan or Tulukar and until
the 16rth century, there were just three categories, Tulukar, Ravuttar and
Sonagar (Chongar or Yonaka). Note here that the Sonagars originally encompassed
the Arab origin Labbais and Marakkayar communities and later on were associated
only with the Marakkayars.
BA Beeran’s thesis however provides differing origins – he
states (Citing Kamal’s book Muslimgalum Tamilagamum) “The Tamil speaking Muslims of central and south central areas of Tamil
Nadu are understood as Rowthers. The ancestors of the Muslims of Rowther group
were attached to horses. The wide utility of horses was not known to the people
of Tamil country up to the medieval period. When the later Cholas and Pandyas
understood the importance of horses of Arabia and their usage, they contacted
Arab horse traders for the supply of horses. Accordingly, the traders brought
horses in large number to the ports of Malabar, Konkan and Coromandel coasts.
From there they were brought to interior parts of Chola and Pandya kingdoms.
Along with horses, the Arabs arrived in Tamil Nadu as traders, agents,
trainers, breeders and soldiers and settled down in the Tamil Kingdoms. They
were also known as Kudirai chettigal. Some of them married Tamil women and
converted Tamil population into Islam. In course of time, the descendants of
the Arabs, offspring of the Arabs and the converts constituted a Muslim
community which was named after their profession. Thus emerged the group called
Rowthers among the Muslims of Tamil Nadu”. This as you may note contradicts
the inferences of all other researchers.
He adds - Considering the territorial origin, the Rowthers
are classified into a number of denominations which are named after their
profession and areas from where they migrated to different parts of Tamil Nadu
and settled down. Parimala Jamath, Puliyankudiyar, Eruthukarar, Vaigaikarayars,
Nallampillayar, Musuriyar, Jambaikkars and Palakkad Muslims are the major
denominations. The Parimala faction for example, migrated from Nagalapuram, Kovilpatti
and Ettayapuram of Tirunelveli district to different pockets of Tamil Nadu are
collectively named as Parimala Jamath (perfume trading). Puliyankudiyar were
the migrants from Puliyankudi, a town in Tirunelveli district. Their origin was
Karupatti a town located near Cholavandan, on the banks of river Vaigai. Being
the migrants from banks of Vaigai they are styled as Vaigaikarayars. Those
belonging to Eruthukarar group are seen in Tenkasi, Rajapalayam and Cumbum. The
earlier generations of them were cattle breeders and traders through which they
obtained the name Eruthukarar, a Tamil word meaning people dealing with Bulls.
Members of this group living in Cumbum are understood as Rajapalayattar as they
migrated from Rajapalayam. The Nallampillayar group is inhabited in Dindigul
and Theni districts. Their ancestors belonged to Nallampillai village, located
near Attur of Dindigul district. It was founded by Chinnakattiranayakan,
Poligar of Kannivadi. In course of time a batch moved towards west and inhabited
at Uthamapalayam, Cumbum and Gudalur, towns in Cumbum valley. They were
basically agriculturalists.
The Muslim migrants from Musuri, a town of Karur district
are called as Musuriyar. Their major settlements are eight in number located at
Velvarkottai, Ilangakuruchi, Pillathu, Sittuvarpatti, Rajakkapatti,
Puttanatham, Natham and Kovilur of Dindigul district. They have engaged in
trade, professions and small scale industries. The Muslims who trace their
origin from Ilayankudi and nearby areas to it in Sivagangai district claim
themselves as Ilayankudiyars and they are found in Paramakudi, Chennai,
Thiruchirappalli, Madurai, Poona and few towns of Karnataka and Kerala. They
engaged in trade in leather, rice, grains and groceries in Burma and Malaysia before
the Second World War. The Muslims hailed from Jambai, village located near
Bavani town of Erode district are understood as Jambaikkarars. They are now
inhabited at Erode, Avinasi, Mettuppalayam, Edappadi, Kothagiri and Conoor,
they are engaged in leather, iron and jewelry business from 1970’s through
which they have attained upper middle income status.
The Muslim migrants from Pothanur, Kuniyamutthur and fort
area of Coimbatore and Pollachi are concentrated at Pudunagakaram,
Tattamangalam and Kolinjamparai, towns of Palakkad districts of Kerala. . They are
the Palakkad Muslims. Speaking Tamil they have flourished in rice, iron and
real-estate business and maintained matrimonial links with the families of the
places from where they migrated.
The Ravuttans of Madura and Trichinopoly believe that they
were persuaded to change their religion by Nathadvali whose tomb exists at
Trichinopoly and bears the date of his death 417 A.D. Among the Ravuttans there
are also the Nagasurakkarar and the Vettilaikodikarar who yielded a place of
honor at social functions to the members of the other sub-divisions. "Rabithu"
in Arabic, ' Ravuth" in Telugu "Raw in Tamil, "Rahootha" in
Sanskrit - all terms are titles connected with horse traders, cavalry soldiers,
horse riding or training and this title was applied to all those who were
connected with these activities; later it came to be retained by a section of
Tamil speaking Muslims only.
Mohammed Raja’s research concludes the following - The well-known
legend of the Siva Saint Manikkavasalgar of the eighth century A.D. is
connected with the purchase of horses for the Pandya king. In that the Lord
Siva who appeared in disguise as a horseman to protect Manickavasagar and he is
called by the name Rawther ‘Lord Muruga is praised as Rawther by saint Arunagiri.
Thus the term Rawthar was also being used as a title of respect and honor.
Though the present day Rawther Muslims are without horses and activities
connected with it, the title Rawther stayed among them and was faithfully
followed to this day. There are many place names like Rawthamatham
(Kallakurichi) Rawthanpatti (Kulithalai) Rawthan Vayal (Pudukkottai Dt)
Rawthanpalayam (Thiruneiveli). These places might have been their early
settlements or their stronghold. They remember their ancient trade and heroic valor
in their marriage ceremonies and the bridegroom is conducted in procession on a
horse.
Qadir Khan deals with the subject differently, showing that
there had been much intermingling and misunderstanding during his times. He
states ‘To this day, in the midst of whole areas peopled by Ravuttans, it is
not uncommon to find single families of priests, preserving their original
purity and enjoying the universal respect of the people around them. Like the Dakhnis
these converted classes are as a rule Hanafites. Though Musalmans, they have
naturally retained many of their original customs. The Ravuttans, as the
derivation of the name from the Marathi Rava, ‘King’ and the Sanskrit ‘duta’
messenger signifies, were originally a class of cavaliers or horse-soldiers
whose occupation was to look after and train horses. They seem to have been
once largely employed in Tippu Sultan’s cavalry. They are mostly scattered in
the Tamil districts, their centers being Melur and Palni in Madura, Pettai in
Tinnevelly, and Pallapatti in Coimibatore. A great many of them live in the
Vellore and North Arcot Districts, where however they have come under Dakhni
influence to such an extent in dress, manners and even in language, that they
form a separate class by themselves and are called 'Sahebmars'. The Sahebmars
pretend to an Arabian descent like that of the Mappillai or the Marakkayars,
but as Dr. Thurston puts it “their high nasal index and short stature indicate
the lasting influence of short broad-nosed ancestors. The different sections of
Ravuttans were converted at various times by missionaries who are venerated as
saints and whose tombs exist to the present day. The most famous of these are
the Nathad Vali (969-1039 A. p.) of Trichinoply, Syed Ibrahim Shahid (born
about 1162 a. d.) of Srvadi, Sha-ul-Hamid (1532 to 1600 a. D.) of Nagore. The
Ravuthans are a pushing and frugal not to say a parsimonious class. They have
no dynastic longings or recollections like other Musalmans. They conduct the
important trade in leather and do a great deal of the commerce of the country.
Some of them earn a livelihood in making mats and in betel cultivation in both
of which they are especially skillful’.
One thing I noted as I perused different accounts is the
fact that while one expert stated that a community followed the Hanafi sect,
the other would mention that they were actually Shafei. What this demonstrates
is that there was some amount of intermingling over time and when they migrated
to farther lands, the practices followed seems to have changed. One example is
the case of marakkayars. While the studies in the Tamil ports showed that they
were Shafeii, the studies of Mathur in Kerala mentions them as Hanafi’s.
Similar is the case of Rowthers in Kerala, they belong to both sects and
arrived at first in Palghat and Muvattupuzha, but spread all over now. The
Palghat Rowthers are usually Shafei and seen in Pudunagaram, Kozhinampara,
Koduvayur, Pudukode and Melrkode, and were traditionally weavers. It may also
be noted that the Shafi Muslims in Travancore were termed as Methans.
Many Rowthers of Travancore adopted the Pillai surname and
placed themselves above the Mappila. Interestingly a Rowther could walk through
a Brahmin Agraharam, whereas a Tiyya or Ezhava was not allowed to! And they did
not eat food cooked by an Ezhava or Tiyya! The old and established Rawther families
even identified with a particular vamsam name which traces their Hindu origins.
They celebrated the child’s first haircut, and the circumcision ceremony was
according to Mattis, called Khatna ceremony (done in the old days by the barber
– Ossan), rather than Sunnath. And like the Pattanis who were usually the
moneylenders, some Rowthers also partook in this trade, accepting interest.
As far as migration to Kerala is concerned it is said that
Pandyan persecution or post Nawab constraints led them to migrate, and they
did, to Palghat, Trichur, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Quilon areas. Typical
professions they adopted earlier were as butchers, frozen fish and meat vendors
and petty vendors. Some of the Shafi Rowthers continued cloth weaving while
others managed and indulged in Beedi manufacture. In Tamilnadu however, they
excelled in trading dried lentils, betelnuts as well as beedi leaves and cloth.
Known to have no qualms about travel, they were always shrewd businessmen.
As we saw earlier, the Kayalars had more slang in their
Tamil and were Wappas while the Rowthers and Labbais were the Appas. For the
Rowther, mother was amma, while it was Umma for the marakkar and brother was
kaka for the Marakkar, while it was annan for the Rawther. Sister was raata for
Marakkar while it was akka for Rowther. Grandfather was Appa for the Marakkar
while it was tatta for Rowther.
And that brings us to the story of another demigod, the
Muttal ravuttan, very much a part of the Draupadi cult of Tamilnadu, especially
Gingee where the Ravuttan signifies a Muslim horseman, Draupadi’s guardian, and
as Wendy Doniger puts it, ‘a folk memory of the historical figure of the Muslim
warrior on horseback, whether he be the sufi warrior leading his band of
followers or the leader of an imperial army of conquest’. At the Chinna Salem
temple, the offerings to Muttal Ravuttan include marijuana, opium, cigars and
Kollu (muthira – horse gram) for his symbolic white flying horse. The Muttal Ravuttan
himself is known by many names, such as Muttal Rajputan (from Nepal), Muttal
raja, Muttal Rajaputtiran etc. As the story goes, Muttal Ravuttan was born in Gingee. One night he had a dream in which
Draupadi-amman told him that she would give him whatever he desired if he would
sacrifice a pregnant woman to her. Muttal Ravuttan had a pregnant younger
sister named Pal Varicai (Row of Teeth). He readied her for sacrifice, but
Draupadi stopped him, thinking: "She is a woman like me." She praised
Muttal Ravuttan's dedication, however, and told him that she would still grant
him a boon. Whatever he thought of would be done; but he must give up his
religion and come serve at her residence (i.e., her temple): "Serving at
my feet, you can live with me." Muttal Ravuttan thus gave up his religion
and came to serve Draupadi. Henceforth it was agreed that she would receive
pure offerings of milk, flowers, vegetables, and fruits. And he would receive
live sacrifices (uyirinankal paliyitutal; i.e., blood sacrifices) such as
cocks, goats, and even humans. And
Muttal Ravuttan, after he has apparently been tested by Draupadi in the dream
that nearly brings him to sacrifice his pregnant younger sister, is told not to
perform this rite before he "converts" to Draupadi's service as the
guardian who accepts animal "and human" offerings. He thus gives up
his mantravadi ways and his Muslim religion, but at the same time retains such
traits, turning his "meat-eating'' religion and his magical gifts to the advantage
of the "purer" Hindu deity whose grace now extends, in return, to
include Muslims. There are many more versions, such as the Mutalakkani
story where Muttal Ravuttan was the
Muslim field general of a Hindu king named Muttala Maharaja of the North Indian
kingdom of Muttalappuram who came over to serve the Pandavas when the king
married his daughter Muttalakkanni to Dharma. Muttal Ravuttan did this because
he had always been devoted to Muttalakkanni, and wanted to serve her until his
death. So he also served the Pandavas as the guardian of the northern gate of
their palace. Those interested in these myths and legends may refer to the
two part work by Alf Hiletbeitel.
When they arrived in Kerala is not quite clear, but loose
figures of different waves over 900 years are floated, some of them could have
been the descendants of the Muslim soldiers who faithfully followed their
Pandyan masters to Poonjar(1152 C.E) and Pandalam. Then again it is said that
Raja Kesavadas invited them when Alappuzha port was formed, and during the
later years (1799 - 1805), some Rowthers had to flee the religious persecution
in the Polygar areas to settle down in the eastern parts of Kerala. Conversely,
some Meenakshipuram Muslims also belong to the Ravuttar descendants of converts
who served in the army of the Nawab of Arcot defending the area against
neighboring Travancore in the early 18th century. There is also a strong belief
that Ayyappan was a Vellalla and the close relationship enjoyed by the Rowthers
and Velallas in the eastern districts of Kerala point to the possibility of
Vavar being a Rowther Muslim. Their marriage symbol is a Thali (in the old days
tied by the grooms sister), and are a patrilocal community
So that was a little journey into the past of the Rowther, a
community which Fanselow stated had no history. Conjuncture put them as
converted Hindus of Tamil Nadu, who originally served as cavalry to many kings.
Over time, they migrated to various parts of S India, and Kerala as well. Today
many of them are all well integrated into the vibrant Kerala Muslim community, dispersed
into many occupations, and very well educated.
References
The disinvention of caste among Tamil Muslims – Frank S.
Fanselow (Caste Today - CJ Fuller)
A handbook of Kerala Vol 2– T Madhava Menon
Social stratification among the Muslims of Kerala - PRG
Mathur (Frontiers of embedded Muslim communities in India – Ed Vinod K Jairath)
The Political evolution of Muslims in Tamilnadu and Madras
1930-1947 - J.B.P More
Muslim merchants – Mattison Mines
The cult of Draupadi - Parts 1 & 2 – Alf Hiletbeitel
Muslims of Tamil Nadu and hajj pilgrimage to Makkah (Thesis)
– Basheer Ahmad Beeran
Muslims of Tamil Nadu 712 to 1947 A D a study - Jan, S F Naseem
Muslim politics in Tamilnadu 1906_1947 (Thesis) - Nazeer
Ahamed, M
Maritime activities economy and social customs of the Muslims
of Coromandel Coast 1750-1900 (Thesis) - Mohamad, J Raja
South Indian Mussalmans – Qadir Hussain Khan
Islamisation and Muslim Ethnicity in South India - Mattison
Mines (Man, New Series, Vol. 10, No. 3 (Sep., 1975), pp. 404-419)
Islam in Tamilnadu: Varia TORSTEN TSCHACHER (In German)
People of India – Kerala – Vol XXVII, Ed KS Singh, (Rowthers
D Tyagi)
31 comments:
Thanks Alauddin.
I will attempt to answer you to the extent of my knowledge, and I am sure there are plenty of anthropologists and experts out there who can do better, so feel free to find and ask them too.
I have lived in Turkey for many years and the only term I have heard for father is ‘baba’. Ata is more relevant as a usage depicting forefathers. We have also noted that the Rowthers belong to the appa kootam, which shows they called their fathers appa, at some time or the other. But it is also clear that they used Atta as a term for father, no doubt about it, the question is how it came about. Definitely nothing to do with Turkish, for even the Moghul families used the term ‘baba’. Atta incidentally means father or old man in early Gothic and Hittite tribes.
Thuston’s analysis is quoted by Qadir Husain Khan in his 1910 book - A great many of them live in the Vellore and North Arcot Districts, where however they have come under Dakhni influence to such an extent in dress, manners and even in language, that they form a separate class by themselves and are called 'Sahebmars', The Sahebmars pretend to an Arabian descent like that of the Mappillas or the Marakkayars, but as Dr. Thurston puts it “ their high nasal index and short stature indicate the lasting influence of short broad-nosed ancestors”. This is the base for a Dravidian face structure and differs from the Pathani and some Arab Muslims which is long and thin nosed.
It is accepted that Rowthers at some point in the distant past were involved in horse related activities, be they Hindu or Muslim. Note here that Hindu Maravar (ivuli maravar is the chief) is another example of those employed in the cavalry (as used by Marthanda Varma for example). How the conversion came about is unknown, but most concur that different sections of Rowthers were converted at various times by Islamic missionaries who are venerated as saints and whose tombs still exist.
In the old days, while Ezhavas and Tiyyas were not allowed to enter the agraharam (settlement of Tamil Brahmins), Christians and Muslims could approach the outer veranda of Tamil Brahmin houses. Madhava Menon in his study made this specific comment as related to Rowthers.
One thing you must understand is that quite a bit of all this is always relative conjecture and not absolute fact. Add the aspect that there was a lot of Labbai-Marakkayar-Rowther-Pathani intermingling over years and the results were mixed customs, traditions and differing stories of origin.
Maddy sir,
Good topic , that too about a community whose numeric strength is very thin,
Incidentally my friend salim mohamed rawther from erumeli near sabarimala,who shed some past of rawthers
As you said , they were very well connected with pandya dyanasty of panthalam as their fighters for intruding into chera kingdom like poonjar pandya dyansty , so we can assume that they were very expert in war fare as intruding into chera kindom and occupies it need utmost expertise as chera,s expert suicidal armies who can,t be beaten.
later as went by , they turned to trades,became good traders and business men
They might have some mugul or Turk connection,. Of course no Malabar mapiila connection
Great Effort Maddy Sir ! Thank you for the research ! Since I belong to Rawther family, I always search out to find the origin ......This Blog is so informative.
Sir, I enjoyed reading your article and it shed a lot of light. I have in fact created a blog on Rawthers. I would like to get in touch with you. Can you please mail me to borhancikgu@gmail.com. Thank you.
i call my dad atta!, some fact are wrong here, my grandfather told my aunty "we are from royal family and use to rule"
Efforts of Maddy and Alavudeen are commendable. I am a Rawther myself, and the history of the Rawther community has always been a topic of fascination for me.Alas, materials to refer are little to nothing, and even our elders seem to be largely ignorant of the exact origins of the community.
This blog has helped me a lot in my research. Keep up the good work. Jazak Allah Khair.
I am from Muvattupuzha working abroad. My forefathers said to have migrated from Madhurai to Kerala a few centuries back. Most of the accounts by Maddy are right at my knowledge. My family was called 'Kothalakkoottar' (believed to be named after the place'Kothala' in Kottayam district) inside the rawther community after coming Muvattupuzha around 200 years back. Anther group came here is 'Chenadanmar' from Chennattu near Erattupetta. Native muslims called the community as 'Athakkootam (not appakoottam)', annans or thulukkars (turks), I believe the clan is well mixed with tamil people maravars and thevar community, so it is multi-ethnic. Anthropological studies may prove the fact. (Even it is not relevant or necessary in the new world but just a curiose about the bloodline) .. Thank you Maddy - Salih Rawther
Sir it is very realistic penetration into the root of rowther ancestry and amazing analysis.inshaallah more vital information will be got
Sir can you give your contact number
9596487296
In Tamil Muslims of Rawther creed, they follow the same cultural traits as Hanafi, Atha/Ammakoottam. They have spread across in three centuries, from South Travancore Erattupetta, Kanjiramattom, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Trivandrum, then to South Tamil Nadu regions, Eruthurkadai, Samiyarmadom, Thuckalay, Manavalakurichy, Kottar -Nagercoil, Kanyakumari, Tenkasi, Pottalpudur, Dindugal, Salem, Nagoor, Nagapattanam, like a continuous community cross-linked by inter-marriages, and family lineages. They can trace upto 5 generations directly.
The male circumcision ceremony is called "Maarkkam", may be the Tamil translation of Sunna, in Arabic which means way, in the Ways of the Prophet. It is done by Muslim barbers, called Ossans, like mentioned here. These barbers later ran haircutting saloons as Muslim Barber shops, in these muslim community regions. They are in the decline now.
They also celebrate female menarche in rural communities, a hangover of customs practiced more in Hindustic India, and not in Islamic tenets.
All these regions have Sufi saints resting places as sacred Dargahs, showing their sufi traditions as well, with annual rituals like Chandana Kudom Urs festivals attended by hundreds, again a shirk, ( a practice not be favored or to be followed by true Islamic teachings )
What about Sahib?
I am from kanyakumari, tamil politician seeman and parisalan inspired me to know about my orgin.
I call my father Atta he called his father ampa he used to say we are hanafi people living besides us are shafi and vappaa koottam.
Recently i asked him about the orgin. He said our native is pudukkottai we migrated here before 300 years.
I asked the reason of migration he said our fore father worked under a king as a accountant while the king desired on a girl belongs to our family so our family members killed her and migrated to kerala then converted to islam we concealed calling our fareed Atta by fear and we called our father Ampa instead Atta.
After hearing my mind didn't accept the story because they embraced islam in kerala where most of them are shafi and vappa koottam then how we became hanafi and attakoottam.
Then i asked my periya atta he said we are ravuthers. I read history in wikipedia it said Ravuthers are Turkish descendants they call Atta mean father in Turkish language, Call Anam for gravy, their skin will be white in color. Exactly these suited us.
12th century Malik kapoor invaded madurai and win the war. After some of them settled in madurai to create mabar sultanate. In his malik's troops there were Pattans, Muslim Rajput and Turks. After 45 years vijanagara empire vanished the sultanate and killed many muslim so muslims around scattered every where and migrated.
In this i found the reason for migration And my orgin. I know I am not pattan. So I might be Turkish or muslim Rajput.
In Rajput there are clans one of them is Rathore related with Ravuther pronunciation.
Rathores are the decendants of sioji grandson of Raja jayachand who fought and failed with Muhammed Gori.
For political reasons and Sufi saint qadiri chistis invitation they embraced islam. by seeing sultans and marriage relations with them they started calling father Atta and becoming hanafi sect.
Rathore are high caste Ruling Royals of Rajputs.
Misr means City, pattan is its Dtavidian form. Mysore has a long history in India than Turks, Both of them are Schythians
Dear Author, I belong to a Muslim community called musriyar from velvarkottai dindigul district , may I know about your source about musriyar community
Hi Maddy, I belong to the Tamil Muslim community musuriyar , basically from the velvarkottai village. My grand parents are still living there. May I know the source of this musuriyar rowther community. I want to research this further. Please give me the reference.
Hi Ewan I have a similar story about my forefathers, I belong to Rowther - Musuriyar community...400 years ago settled in a village called velvarkottai...
Hello Mubeen,
Thanks for your comment. The Ravuttars of Madurai were historically classified into various groups - They are grouped into a number of sub-divisions which are endogamous in character and usually territorial in origin. Instances of these are the Puliyankudiyar, the men of Puliyankudi in Tinnevelly ; the Elaiyankudiyar, the men of Elaiyankudi in Ramnad zamindari; the Musiriyar, the men of Musiri in Trichinopoly ; the Vaigakaraiyar, the men of the Vaigai banks; and the Eruttukarar, buUock-men, those who used to trade with pack-bullocks. Source - MADRAS DISTRICT GAZETTEERS, MADURA.VOLUME I,1906, W Francis ICS
Besides these territorial sub-divisions, there are also occupational sub-divisions such as Vettilaikodikarar (betel-leaf sellers) Attars (scenters) Nagasurakkarar (musicians) etc. ( South Indian Musalmans - Qadir Hussain Khan 1910)
Hi Maddy , There is another group of Rowther community called Konthalam in my village velvarkottai and also in theni district.Do you have any idea about that.
Hi Maddy , There is another group of Rowther community called Konthalam in my village velvarkottai and also in theni district.Do you have any idea about that.
SOrry Mubeen, I cant find anything relating to that in my research collection
Thanks maddy ! I am also tamil speaking rawuthar community from palakkad town ,i call my father atha , so many movies they use our slang , i always think that why i different from mappilas
I don't know about the sub division of Ravuttar.
By my search i found that ravuthers has Turkish father and Rajput (Rother Cast) Mothers in ancestry.
They came to tamilnadu with malik kapoor and settled near madurai after Vijayanager ravuthers scattered all around tamil nadu for protection
Ashwa please ping me in Whatsapp 9656196785
Sir I am from velvar kottai which is mentioned in the article. It is very proud of our ancestors as cavalry Masha allah. Very realistic amazing analysis All the best wishes
Hi maddy, one of my friend from told me there is some marginalized ravuthar communities in palakkad. some of them follow shafi school and many people are traditionally weavers. i never saw any rawthers in travancore or southern tamil nadu engaged in weaving or following shafi school. we have multiple communities in our area. old generation rawthers are mostly inland traders. we have lebbais and ossans and some another communities sharing same jamath and leaving together. all those communities are following hanafi school and using same words to call parents.
mappilas calling all tamil muslims rawthers in palakkad. many ravuthar muslims from palakkad looks different from travancore ravuthers. even many lebbai families from tavancore region tells themselves as rawthers. there are many families in travancore settled in travancore during 3 different period. first and most respected families are migrated during AD 1350. escaped to pandalam and thekkamkore with their pandyan kings. some of them settled in Pathanamthitta town. they give there land name kulashekara petta and masjid name also have kulashekara on it. they loved there last king kulashekara pandian (kulashekara palayam in tamil nadul still famous as rawther palayam - used to be center of horse trade during kulashekara's rule)
second wave of migration happpened during AD 1750. local kings brought rawther warriors to kerala for their war.
third wave happened after independence.
during british rule, many tamil muslims started claiming to be decedants of early mighty warriors. susan bayly mentioned this on her book.
i would like to know how much current day rawthers of palakkad connected to mighty cavalry of pandian kingdom.
mappila muslims of malabar seems to have no respect for rawthers. mean while we have higly respected rawther families in Pathanamthitta, changanaserry, kanjirapalli etc.
I came to know there were four communities (Rawthar/Maraikar/Kaylar/Dakhni) are descents from modern day saudi arabia. The four communities traded with horses to cholo kings and maraikayuar were ship builders and kaylar were spice traders and dakhni were cooking specialist came to south india during egyptian rule at that time there were no saudi arabia the entire area was under egypt occupied area and since egypt occuppied that areas these families couldnt return and they started working as cavalry solders and traders and biriyani specialist now in ambur and nawabs married them and they speak half tamil and arabic. Kaylars settled in kayalpattinam and srilanka. Maraikayars settled in malapuram and lakshweep, rawther s settled in dindugal madurai coimbatore areas. This is what i found
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