‘Muslims Chennai’s early settlers’

CHENNAI: Muslims were one of the earliest inhabitants of Chennai and they made it their home as early as the 13th century AD. Making a presentation on Muslims and mosques of Madras, as p

CHENNAI: Muslims were one of the earliest inhabitants of Chennai and they made it their home as early as the 13th century AD.

Making a presentation on Muslims and mosques of Madras, as part of the Madras Week celebrations organised by Prince of Arcot, Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali at Amir Mahal, documentary film maker S Anvar said the Venetian merchant traveller Marco Polo had recorded in his travelogue that 13th century Mylapore had a lot of Muslims and they considered St Thomas, an apostle of Christ as a saint.

Duarte Barbosa, a Portugese Chronicler said during early 16th century that Muslims were looking after the tomb of St Thomas in Myla­pore now Santhome. There is also a view that the city itself got its name Mad­ras from ‘Madrasa patnam.’ Sai­dapet, a prominent neighbo­urhood of Chennai’s original name was Saidabad. Ar­cot Nawab Saadathulla Khan built a mosque here in the early 18th century and nam­ed the locality as Saidabad.

Interestingly, the first mosque of Madras was built by a Hindu merchant Kasi Viranna who had links with the Golconda sultans on Moore Street in 1670s. When the English came to India they did not understand the diversity of the country. “People here were not divided on religious lines and it is evident from many sources. For instance, Muslim rulers had Hindus as top officials and Vijayanagara emperors had Muslims in prominent positions.”

Prince of Arcot Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali said secularism was the soul of the country where all religions enjoyed equal status.

Tracing the secular legacy of the nation, the Nawab reminded how his ancestors, who ruled south India for long, had donated land for temples and churches.

“All these are testimonials for good communal harmony,’’ he added.