CASTES AND TRIBES OF SOUTHERN INDIA By EDGAR THURSTON, C.I.E., Superintendent, Madras Government Museum; Correspondant Étranger, Société d'Anthropologie de Paris; Socio Corrispondante, Societa, Romana di Anthropologia. Assisted by K. Rangachari, M.A., of the Madras Government Museum. Volume V--M to P Government Press, Madras 1909. CASTES AND TRIBES OF SOUTHERN INDIA. VOLUME V. MARAKKAYAR.--The Marakkayars are described, in the Madras Census Report, 1901, as "a Tamil-speaking Musalman tribe of mixed Hindu and Musalman origin, the people of which are usually traders. They seem to be distinct from the Labbais (q.v.) in several respects, but the statistics of the two have apparently been confused, as the numbers of the Marakkayars are smaller than they should be." Concerning the Marakkayars of the South Arcot district, Mr. Francis writes as follows. [1] "The Marakkayars are largely big traders with other countries such as Ceylon and the Straits Settlements, and own most of the native coasting craft. They are particularly numerous in Porto Novo. The word Marakkayar is usually derived from the Arabic markab, a boat. The story goes that, when the first immigrants of this class (who, like the Labbais, were driven from their own country by persecutions) landed on the Indian shore, they were naturally asked who they were, and whence they came. In answer they pointed to their boats, and pronounced the word markab, and they became in consequence known to the Hindus as Marakkayars, or the people of markab. The Musalmans of pure descent hold themselves to be socially superior to the Marakkaayars, and the Marakkayars consider themselves better than the Labbais. There is, of course, no religious bar to intermarriages between these different sub-divisions, but such unions are rare, and are usually only brought about by the offer of strong financial inducements to the socially superior party. Generally speaking, the pure-bred Musalmans differ from those of mixed descent by dressing themselves and their women in the strict Musalman fashion, and by speaking Hindustani at home among themselves. Some of the Marakkayars are now following their example in both these matters, but most of them affect the high hat of plaited coloured grass and the tartan (kambayam) waist-cloth. The Labbais also very generally wear these, and so are not always readily distinguishable from the Marakkayars, but some of them use the Hindu turban and waist-cloth, and let their womankind dress almost exactly like Hindu women. In the same way, some