Madurai :

The four streets from Thaikkal 1 to 4 start from the southern bank of Vaigai River near Albert Victor Bridge and ends in North Veli Street. According to residents, the area was a major Muslim settlement, nestled between River front and Old Nayak’s fort that ended with Veli streets, until the British came. According to historians the area could have come up during Nayak kings, since they were known to patronise all religions without discrimination.

M V Gurusamy, 72, a resident, said Thaikkal meant the settlement of Pattani Muslim (Urdu-speaking Muslim) community in the past. In many cities and towns in the state, there are areas which bear the name Thaikkal, including Trichy and Pudukottai. Over the period, the demographics changed and Muslims population became like any other community living on these streets. It is also a place where some of Muslim leaders were buried in the past. Sometime ago, there used to be grand celebrations during Ramzan but the practice faded away, residents said.

City-based history scholar R Venkataraman said that Muslim population in the state was only handful before the invasion of General Malik Kafur in 1310 AD. The religion started thriving during their brief rule. “There is every possibility that the piece of land could have been given by Nayak kings because they patronised all religions under them. A king considered himself a ruler of all and not just of a sect or community. If Nayaks and local rulers were against other religions, Islam and Christianity would not have taken roots here because people were afraid of kings and their anger those days”, he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai / by S. Lenin, TNN / February 15th, 2015