Tamilians were very good at sea trade in the very even ancient times.Especially the contribution of people from Ramanathapuram district was commendable.A ship bell in Newzealand Museum exemplifies this fact.This bell found during 1836 at Vengeri in Newzealand contains the name of a Tamilian inscribed on it.This bell was founded by William Kolnso a Christian Pastor who had been sent from England to Newzealand for spiritual propagation along with his group."this bell belongs to the ship of Muhaideen Vakkas"is depicted in metal over the edge of the bell.This bell made completely out of bronze encloses 23 tamil letters.Based on these letters scholars consider that this bell belongs to 17th or 18th century.
Discovery of newzealand
This bell was founded earlier by Mauri ethnic tribes of Newzealand considering it as a vessel cooked potatoes with it.Seeing this the pastor exchanged the bell with a steel vessel.These information are available at the Newzealand Museum.but the fact that how the bell broke out from the ship and how long the tribes had been using it are unknown.Nevertheless the bell has been handed over to the Museum according to the pastor's will.Sea researchers from European continents discovered many new countries for commercial purposes.During 1769 James Cook of England , a sea researcher discovered Newzealand after the discovery of America and Australia.But before the British discovery of Newzealand Tamilians set up a footprint and also developed commercial pursuits in Newzealand.the ship bell found here serves as an example for the Tamilians' discovery of Newzealand.
This eminent bell is being claimed by 3 different regions of Tamilnadu.People of Vedalai and Maraikkayar Pattinam located near mandapam of Ramanathapuram district had been good ship traders as well as good commercial experts.O.M.S.M.Ummu Salma Beevi and her brother O.M.S.M.Syed Mohaideen say that the bell recovered in Newzealand belong to them.They say that Vakkas is the grandfather of their grandfather Sheikappa.They assert that Vakkas owned several ships and this bell could belong to one of the ships owned by him.Further the natives here have been naming their children as Vakkas for quite some time.Apparently the name Vakkas is not accustomed to any other parts of Tamilnadu.After Vakkas, his son muhaideen meerasa,his grandson sheikappa and his 5 sons had been living as ship traders is a well known fact for the people of this place.Similarly people of Kilakarai claim this bell as their own.According to this people King Habeeb Muhammed who ruled Kilakarai established a place called Maraikayarpattinam.It is proved from the document written by Mautharosupeetha,the then Madurai district collector to Abdul Khader Sahib Maraikkayar who is the brother of King Habeeb Muhammed.Initially it was called as Habeeb Muhammed Puram and later changed to Maraikkayar pattinam.Keelakkaraittes say that this bell belongs to one of the 40 ships of Keelakkarai Philanthropist Habeeb Maraikkayar.
Similarly Meer Muhammed Sabi and Jane De Mattudi of Pazhaverkadu near Chennai owned a ship previously.They named their ship as Muhaideen Bucks.This ship had been committed for commercial purposes from Pazhaverkadu and Nagapattinam harbours to far east countries like Australia and Newzealand.Therefore this bell probably belongs to that ship owned by Sabi and Mattudi,says eminent Archaeologist,Former head of Pudukkottai Museum and writer Raja Muhammed. Nevertheless this bell is claimed by 3 different regions of Ramanathapuram,it is adorning Tamilians' overseas trade as a crown for the progeny.Information about this bell is briefly available at http://www.maraicoir.blogspot.com/
Similarly Meer Muhammed Sabi and Jane De Mattudi of Pazhaverkadu near Chennai owned a ship previously.They named their ship as Muhaideen Bucks.This ship had been committed for commercial purposes from Pazhaverkadu and Nagapattinam harbours to far east countries like Australia and Newzealand.Therefore this bell probably belongs to that ship owned by Sabi and Mattudi,says eminent Archaeologist,Former head of Pudukkottai Museum and writer Raja Muhammed. Nevertheless this bell is claimed by 3 different regions of Ramanathapuram,it is adorning Tamilians' overseas trade as a crown for the progeny.Information about this bell is briefly available at http://www.maraicoir.blogspot.com/
