Kattilveedu tharavadu in Kuttichira in Kozhikode district, an ancient Muslim family with more than 2,000 living members and 125 branches, has a history of four centuries, and the family saga chronicles involvement of its members in trade, freedom movement and fight for social change. On Sunday, the members of the family got together on the yard of their traditional house building to mark the 400th year of the family’s existence.
The roots of the family trace back to the time of British invasion in the 17th century. According to Abdul Gafoor, an elderly member of the family and the convener of the get-together, his forefathers were famous for their tact and skill in trade. “At the time when the British came to India, the members of the ‘tharavadu’ were trading spices like cardamom, pepper and dry ginger. Later on, they veered to copra business. Since the beginning itself, the members of the family were loyal associates of the Kozhikode Zamorin,” he said.
History has also recorded the revolutionary activities of Ahmed Koya, a nationalist who was born in the family.
His nephew, Ummer Koya, who faced opposition from the community members for doing laundry business, was one of the first to ask his fellow men to scrap foreign goods and cloths. “He found the laundry a symbol of cleansing communal and social maligns. Both Ahmed Koya and Ummer Koya were instrumental in liberating the Muslim community and the women in particular from ignorance,” said Gafoor. “Though the women in the family were confined to household chores until two generations back, many of them were able enough to take the entire family members along with them. Koyappathoor Muhammed Kutti, a businessman who lived around 150 years ago, after being impressed by the commitment of a woman in the family who took care of her ailing husband in tender age till his death, came forward to remarry her.”
“The women were also famous for their courage, generosity and compassion. Now, more than 60 of our girls have professional degrees such as engineering and medicine,” said Sainaba, daughter of the late Dr Koyasankoya, who was the first medical practitioner from the community in Malabar.
Noted Imams like Aboobacker Kunji Qasi, Mammukoya Qasi and the present Imam Imbichi Ahmed Qasi are some of the well-known personalities who found their life partners from the family. The women in the family are also said to have lived long. The elderly women of the family are in the 90s at present.
The family meet was inaugurated by Social welfare Minister M K Muneer. He congratulated the members of the family for their unity and social commitment.