Tamil Muslims are

Tamils The Tamils ( ), also known by their endonym Tamilar, are a Dravidian peoples, Dravidian ethnic group who natively speak the Tamil language and trace their ancestry mainly to the southern part of the Indian subcontinent. The Tamil language is o ...

who practise

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. The community is 10 million in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, primarily in the state of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

where 90% of the Muslim community identified themselves as Tamil Muslims. In Tamil Nadu, the majority of Tamil-speaking Muslims belong to the Rowthers Community while other Muslims live in coastal Tamil Nadu. There is a substantial diaspora, particularly in Southeast Asia, which has seen their presence as early as the 13th century. In the late 20th century, the diaspora expanded to Western Europe, Persian Gulf and North America.

Ethnic identity

Though numerically nominal, the community is not homogeneous. Its origin is shaped by centuries trade between the

Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region. Many South Asian and Southe ...

and the

Maritime Southeast Asia Maritime Southeast Asia comprises the Southeast Asian countries of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and East Timor. The terms Island Southeast Asia and Insular Southeast Asia are sometimes given the same meaning as ...

. By the 20th century, certain Tamil races began to be listed as

social class A social class or social stratum is a grouping of people into a set of Dominance hierarchy, hierarchical social categories, the most common being the working class and the Bourgeoisie, capitalist class. Membership of a social class can for exam ...

es in official gazettes of different clans as

Rowther The Rowther (anglicised as ''Irauttar'', ''Rawther, Ravuttar,'' ''Ravutta'', ''Ravuthar, Ravuthamar'') are a distinct Muslim community living largely in the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. While some of them are partially descende ...

Marakkar The Marakkars are of diverse origins with some tracing their ancestry to Arab traders with historical presence across the Indian Subcontinent and Indonesian Archipelago. Their contemporary populations are primarily concentrated in the Indian st ...

, and

Labbay Labbay (Tamil language, Tamil : லப்பய் , Urdu : ﻟﺐ ﺑﮯ also Labbai, Labba, Labbabeen, Lebbay, Lebbai), are a Tamil language, Tamil Islam in India, Muslim trading community in southern India found throughout the southern Indian ...

Rowther

The Rowther community is a large population of Muslim landowning community in the deltaic districts and Southern districts of Tamil Nadu. They were famous for their cavalry and horse trade. Politicians Quaid-e-Millath, Dewan Khan Bahadur Khalifulla Sahib (he was the first Muslim from

Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency or Madras Province, officially called the Presidency of Fort St. George until 1937, was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India and later the Dominion of India. At its greatest extent, the presidency i ...

go to London for studies),

Karim Ghani Karim Ghani () was a politician in South-East Asia of Indian origin. Before the Second World War Karim Ghani was a parliamentary secretary in Burma under Dr. Ba Maw, who was the first Burma Premier (1937–1939) and head of State of Burma from 19 ...

veteran freedom fighter and a close associate of

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Subhas Chandra Bose (23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945) was an Indian nationalist whose defiance of British authority in India made him a hero among many Indians, but his wartime alliances with Nazi Germany and Fascist Japan left a le ...

, First woman judge of Supreme court of India

Fathima Beevi M. Fathima Beevi (30 April 1927 – 23 November 2023) was an Indian judge who was a justice of the Supreme Court of India. Appointed to the apex Court in 1989, she became the first female judge to be a part of the Supreme Court of India, and th ...

, Poets like

Umaru Pulavar Umaru Pulavar (4 December 1642 – 28 July 1703) was a Tamil Muslim Rowther poet from Tamil Nadu, India. Umaru Pulavar was born in 1642 in the town of Ettayapuram in Thoothukudi district. He is celebrated as one of the greatest Islamic poets ...

Kunangudi Masthan Sahib Kunangudi Masthan Sahib (1792-1838) was a Tamil Qadiriyya Sufi poet and composer. His songs remain popular today, especially in the Gaana music of Chennai. Early life Masthan Sahib was Born at Kunangudi near Thondi in Ramanathapuram district, h ...

, Fourth Nakkeerar

Gulam Kadir Navalar Kulāmkātir̲u Nāvalar (1833–1908) was a Tamil poet. He was proficient in Tamil, Arabic and English. He wrote a wide range of literature, including poems, prose literature, three literary translations, two grammar books, and two other texts. ...

, Dawood Shah all are from Rowther Community. Rowthers constitute large part of the multi-ethnic Tamil Muslim community. Ravuttars have also been found as Tamil

polygar Palaiyakkarars, or Poligar, Palegara (as the British referred to them) in Andhra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were the holders of a small kingdom as a feudatory to a greater sovereign. Under this system, ''palayam'' was given for valuable military ...

zamindar A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous feudal lord of a ''zamindari'' (feudal estate). The term itself came into use during the Mughal Empire, when Persian was the official language; ''zamindar'' is the ...

s and chieftains from the 16th to 18th centuries. Traditionally, they were known as

Maravar Maravar (also known as Maravan and Marava) are a Tamil community in the state of Tamil Nadu. These people are one of the three branches of the Mukkulathor confederacy. Members of the Maravar community often use the honorific title '' Thevar''. ...

s, but after the arrival of Islam, they transformed into horseback warriors, hence adopting the Tamil name Rowther. The traditional homelands of the Rowthers were in the interior of South

Tamilakam Tamilakam () also known as ancient Tamil country as was the geographical region inhabited by the ancient Tamil people, covering the southernmost region of the Indian subcontinent. Tamilakam covered today's Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, La ...

Marakkayar

The

sect has been a maritime trading community in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. One notable sea-faring merchant, as recorded in the ''Chronicles of Thondaiman'', was Periya Thambi Nainar Marakkayar who is widely believed to be the first rupee millionaire. His son Seethakaathi, an altruist.

B. S. Abdur Rahman Buhari Syed Abdur Rahman (15 October 1927 – 7 January 2015) was an Indian entrepreneur, philanthropist and educationist. He had a range of business interests in the UAE and India (in Tamil Nadu) including maritime shipping, real estate, insu ...

was the first rupee billionaire Marakkayar. The 11th president of India

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam ( ; 15 October 193127 July 2015) was an Indian aerospace scientist and statesman who served as the president of India from 2002 to 2007. Born and raised in a Muslim family in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, Kala ...

was also born in Marakkayar fisherman family.

Labbay

Similar to the Jewish

Levite Levites ( ; ) or Levi are Jewish males who claim patrilineal descent from the Tribe of Levi. The Tribe of Levi descended from Levi, the third son of Jacob and Leah. The surname ''Halevi'', which consists of the Hebrew definite article "" ''Ha-' ...

, the Labbay sect mainly engages in religious scholarship and avoids entrepreneurial activities.

Economy

In Tamil Nadu, the Tamil Muslim community is widely recognized for its diverse economic contributions, excelling in roles as rentiers, entrepreneurs, gemstone jewelers, and money changers. Notably, their economic activities have positioned them with GDP per capita incomes that surpass the state average. This socio-economic profile underscores the community's significant role in shaping the economic landscape of Tamil Nadu.

Culture

Legends and rituals

As a mark of modesty, women used to traditionally wear white ''thuppatti'' which is draped over their body on top of the ''saree'', only revealing their face. However, due to cultural exchange and evolving trends, nowadays, most women wear an ''

Abaya The abaya (colloquially and more commonly, ', especially in Literary Arabic: '; plural ', '), sometimes also called an aba, is a simple, loose over-garment, essentially a robe-like dress, worn by some women in the Muslim world including m ...

'', which is usually black in color, paired with a

headscarf A headscarf is a scarf covering most or all of the top of a person's, usually women's, hair and head, leaving the face uncovered. A headscarf is formed of a triangular cloth or a square cloth folded into a triangle, with which the head is cov ...

, as Purdah. Many visit

Dargah A Sufi shrine or dargah ( ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargāh'' दरगाह درگاہ, ''dôrgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint or dervi ...

s and

Masjid A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were simple p ...

s on major life milestones like births, marriages and deaths and recite

mawlid The Mawlid () is an annual festival commemorating the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad on the traditional date of 12 Rabi' al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar. A day central to the traditions of some Sunnis, Mawlid is al ...

. Rowther weddings have retained several Rajput traditions across generations like grooms going on a

horseback Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the u ...

procession. Surnames (identifying caste or tribe like Bohra, Bukhari, Chishti, Khan, Syed, Sahib, Shah, etc.) were positively discouraged by the community to avoid sectarianism in line with Dravidian reform movement of the 20th century.

Art

Music involves distinctively the Turkish

daf Daf (), also known as dâyere and riq, is an Iranian frame drum musical instrument, also used in popular and classical music in Persian-influenced South and Central Asia, such as in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, many ...

and other

percussion instrument A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

Cuisine

Cuisine is a tell-tale syncretic mixture of Tamil and other Asian recipes.

Biriyani Biryani () is a mixed rice dish originating in South Asia, made with rice, meat (chicken, goat, lamb, beef) or seafood (prawns or fish), and spices. To cater to vegetarians, the meat or seafood can be substituted with vegetables or pane ...

, especially the ones made out of

mutton Lamb and mutton, collectively sheep meat (or sheepmeat) is one of the most common meats around the world, taken from the domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries'', and generally divided into lamb, from sheep in their first year, hogget, from sheep in thei ...

, is the favorite in special occasions, particularly during wedding banquets and during Eid festivities. It is made either out of

Basmati Basmati () is a variety of long, slender-grained aromatic rice which originates from the Indian subcontinent, mainly in the regions of Nepal, Punjab, Haryana, Sindh and many other states and provinces of India and Pakistan.''Raitha'', Brinjal Chutney,

Chicken 65 Chicken 65 is a spicy, deep-fried chicken dish originating from Hotel Buhari, Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cit ...

, with desserts usually being either Bread Halwa (which is a molten variant of the Hyderabadi ''Double ka Meetha'' and the North Indian and Pakistani ''Shahi Tukda'') or Rava Kesari, along with ''Sweet Beeda''. ''

Phirni Phirni or Phirin is a dessert made with ground rice or rice flour cooked in milk. It is eaten chilled and traditionally served in clay bowls called ''shikoras''. It is flavored with aromatic spices such as cardamom, saffron, and rose water, and g ...

'' and '''Inippu Soru while rarer, are also served as desserts in some weddings. Ghee rice, served usually with a '' Dalcha'' or any other meat-based

gravy Gravy is a sauce made from the juices of meats and vegetables that run naturally during cooking and often thickened with thickeners for added texture. The gravy may be further coloured and flavoured with gravy salt (a mix of salt and caramel food ...

is also a sought-after dish, usually prepared during

Jummah Friday prayer, or congregational prayer (), is the meeting together of Muslims for communal prayer and service at midday every Friday. In Islam, the day itself is called ''Yawm al-Jum'ah'' (shortened to ''Jum'ah''), which translated from Arabic me ...

or during other special occasions. In Deltaic Regions, for wedding ceremonies, a dish by the name of '''Anju Kari Soru''' (roughly translates to 'Five Gravy Rice') is served. This spread includes Ghee rice, ''Dalcha'', a Chicken-based gravy (aanam''' in Tamil), a Mutton-based gravy, a stir-fry made out of Mutton Liver, and a jam and banana combo mixed along with the rice as dessert. However, due to the rise of popularity in Biryani, this has increasingly become a rare spread. During the month of Ramadan, the ' Nonbu Kanji' is a staple for breaking the fast in

Iftar ''Iftar'' () is the Fasting in Islam, fast-breaking Supper, evening meal of Muslims in Ramadan at the time of ' (call to prayer) of the Maghrib prayer. Iftar is the second meal of the day; during Ramadan, the daily fast begins immediately a ...

, served for free in almost every masjid in the state. Other snacks and delicacies that are popular during this month are ''

Vadai Vada, vadai, wada, bara, or bora is a category of savoury fried snacks native to India. Vadas can be described variously as fritters, cutlets, or dumplings. Vadas are sometimes stuffed with vegetables and traditionally served with chutneys and ...

Samosa A samosa () () (Hindi: समोसा) ( Persian: سمبوسه) is a fried South Asian and West Asian snack. It is a pastry with a savory filling that mostly consists of vegetables like spiced potatoes, onions, and peas, but can also include ...

, Sharbath''-based beverages, and a jelly-like dessert made out of ''Agar-Agar'' ('China Grass', called '''Kadal Paasi''' in Tamil) and milk. Desserts include the , a semolina ('rava' in Tamil) ghee cake with soft center and hard crust at the top, is popular in the deltaic households. ''Watlappam'', is another dessert, a pudding, popular in Marakkayer households. ''

Dodol ''Dodol'' is a sweet toffee-like sugar palm-based confection commonly found in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Originating from the culinary traditions of Indonesia, it is also popular in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippi ...

'' is another halwa-based dessert, originally persumed to have come from Southeast Asia. Along with Bread Halwa, ''Rava Kesari'', ''Phirni,'' ''Inippu Soru'', and ''

Payasam Kheer, khir or payasam is a pudding or porridge popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice. It can be additionally flavoured with dried fruits, nuts, cardamom and saffron. Instead of rice, it ...

'' made out of

Vermicelli Vermicelli (, ; , literally "little worms"), is a traditional type of pasta round in section similar to spaghetti. In Anglosphere, English-speaking regions it is usually thinner than spaghetti, while in Italy it is thicker. It is typically made ...

. Other delicacies include, ''

Idiyappam Idiyappam, also known as indiappa, noolappam, noolputtu, santhagai, or ottu shavige, is a Sevai, string hopper dish originating from southern India. It consists of rice flour pressed into noodles, laid into a flat Disk (mathematics), disc-like ...

'' and ''

Parotta Parotta or porotta (Malayalam: പൊറോട്ട, Tamil: பரோட்டா) is a layered Indian flatbread made from refined flour, eggs and oil. It is commonly seen in South India, especially in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, as w ...

'', both of which are usually served with gravies (usually meat-based), usually had for either breakfast or for dinner.

, a popular fried starter, usually had with Biryani, is widely believed to have been invented by Buhari Hotel (Anna Salai, Chennai 600 002), whose founder was from Tirunelveli. Mini

s, stuffed with minced (kheema) meat are also popular snack items. ''

Murtabak Murtabak, or Mutabbaq (, ), is a Yemeni stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread commonly found in the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia, notably in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and South ...

'' is a meat-based stuffed parotta dish, originally speculated to have been brought from Yemen, and which eventually spread to South East Asian countries. During Eid, breakfast usually includes ''

Idli Idli, iddena, iddali or idly (; plural: idlis) is a type of savoury rice cake, originating from South India, popular as a breakfast food in Southern India and in Sri Lanka. The cakes are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented de-h ...

'' or ''Idiyappam'' with a mutton gravy, and ''payasam''.

Literature

Culture and literature are heavily influenced by the

Qadiri The Qadiriyya () or the Qadiri order () is a Sunni Sufi order (''Tariqa'') founded by Abdul Qadir Gilani (1077–1166, also transliterated ''Jilani''), who was a Hanbali scholar from Gilan, Iran. The order, with its many sub-orders, is wides ...

flavour of

Sufism Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

. Their domain range from mystical to medical, from fictional to political, from philosophical to legal and spiritual. The earliest literary works in the community could be traced to ''Palsanthmalai'', a work of eight stanzas written in the 13th century. In 1572, Seyku Issaku, better known as Vanna Parimala Pulavar, published ''Aayira Masala Venru Vazhankum Adisaya Puranam'' detailing the Islamic principles and beliefs in a

FAQ A frequently asked questions (FAQ) list is often used in articles, websites, email lists, and online forums where common questions tend to recur, for example through posts or queries by new users related to common knowledge gaps. The purpose of a ...

format. In 1592, Aali Pulavar wrote the ''Mikurasu Malai''. The epic '' Seera Puranam'' by

is dated to the 17th century and still considered as the crowning achievement in canonical literature. Other significant works of 17th century include ''Thiruneri Neetham'' by Sufi master Pir Mohammad, ''Kanakabhisheka Malai'' by Seyku Nainar (alias Kanakavirayar), ''Tirumana Katchi'' by Sekathi Nainar and the Iraqi war ballad ''Sackoon Pataippor''. Nevertheless, an independent identity evolved only in the last quarter of the 20th century triggered by the rise of Dravidian politics as well as the introduction of new mass communications and

lithographic Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German ...

technologies. The world's first Tamil Islamic Literature Conference was held in Trichy in 1973. In the early 2000s, the Department of Tamil Islamic Literature was set up in the University of Madras. Modern notable writers include Mu. Metha and Inkulab, Pavalar Inqulab,

Role in politics

Pre-independence

P. Khalifulla Sahib, Kalifulla Shahib served as the minister for public works in the Cabinet of Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu in 1937. He was sympathetic to the cause of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy and his Self-Respect Movement. He spoke against the introduction of compulsory Hindi classes in the Madras legislature and participated in the anti-Hindi agitations. He was a lawyer by profession and was known by the honorifics ''Khan Bahadur''. He became the ''Dewan'' of Pudukottai after withdrawal from political work. Mohammad Usman of Madras, Mohammad Usman was the most prominent among the early political leaders of the community. In 1930, Jamal Mohamed College, Jamal Mohammad Rowther became the president of the Madras Presidency Muslim League. Yakub Hasan Sait served as a minister in the Rajaji administration.

, veteran freedom fighter and a close associate of Subash Chandra Bose, who hailed from Ilayangudi, served as Information Minister in Netaji ministry during the 1930s.

Post-independence

Since the late 20th century, politicians like M. Muhammad Ismail, Muhammad Ismail Rowther (founder of Indian Union Muslim League) and Dawood Shah advocated Tamil to be made an official language of India due to its antiquity in parliamentary debates The community was united in a single political party under ''Quaid-e-Millath'' presidency for 27 years keeping rabble-rousers away until his death in 1972. His support was invaluable for ruling parties in the state, as well as in the Centre. He was instrumental in framing and obtaining the minority status and privileges for minorities in India thus safeguarding the Constitution of India. His newspaper ''Urimaikkural'' was a very popular daily. S. M. Abdul Majid Sahib is an Indian politician and former member of Legistative Assembly. He served as the local Administration Minister in the Kamaraj ministry 1962 and 1963. S. M. Muhammed Sheriff was the first elected IUML MP from Tamil Nadu. He produced clear documentary evidence that Kachchatheevu belonged to India. During The Emergency (India), the Emergency, he was the advisor to the Governor. M. M. Ismail became Chief Justice in 1979 and was sworn in as Acting Governor of Tamil Nadu in 1980. As ''Kamban Kazhagam'' president, he organized literary festivals, that focused on classical Tamil literature. Justice S. A. Kader who was the Judge of Madras High Court during 1983–89 became the President of Tamil Nadu State Government Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on retirement. In the early 1990s, the Indian National League split from the IUML. The non-denominational social reform movements (called Ghair Muqallid) began to take the front stage (to fight superstition creep) spearheaded by P. Jainulabdeen further weakening the IUML and causing unrest among community elders who preferred status quo. Nevertheless, the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazagham was constituted in 1995. This non-profit organization quickly became popular and assertive among the working class youth.

21st century

In 2009, the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, the political arm of TMMK was formed. The TMMK itself split to form the break-away organisation Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath soon. In 2011, MMK won 2 of 3 contested Assembly seats ''viz.'' Ambur (A. Aslam Basha) and Ramanathapuram (M. H. Jawahirullah). Broadly speaking, the community tends to support laissez faire and free trade; and have been unimpressed by Communism as a public policy though fringe groups often called for affirmative action in the last quarter of the 20th century. New generation of leaders like Daud Sharifa Khanum have been active in pioneering social reforms like independent mosques for women.Taking on patriarchy
/ref> MLAs and MPs such as A. Anwar Rhazza, J. M. Aaroon Rashid, Abdul Rahman, Jinna, Khaleelur Rahman, S. N. M. Ubayadullah, Hassan Ali and T. P. M. Mohideen Khan are found across all major Dravidian political parties like Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, DMK, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, DMDK and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, AIADMK, as well as national parties like the Indian National Congress, INC.

Demographics

Notable Tamil Muslims

References

External links

* {{Indian Muslim Muslim communities of India Tamil society Social groups of Tamil Nadu Islam in Tamil Nadu