REPORT ON THE INDIAN PEARL FISHERIES IN THE GULF 



OF MANNAR. 



HISTORICAL SURYEY OF THE PEARL FISHERIES OFF THE 



MADURA COAST. * 



The well-known lack of the historical faculty among the peoples of India prior 

 to the advent of Muhamma danism involves us in all but utter ignorance of the exact 

 localities, course, and conduct of the pearl fisheries of the Gulf of Mannar, as well on 

 the Ceylon as on the Indian side, until the date when European control began. 



Anterior to the Portuguese seizure of the fisheries in 1524,f the glimpses we catch 

 are hazy and unsatisfactory — glimpses recorded on their return home by sailors and 

 travelling merchants belonging to other countries. Greeks, Egyptians, Barbarv 

 Moors, Arabs, Venetians and Genoese have all referred incidentally to these fisherie's 

 as among the notable sights seen during their journeyings, whereas Tamil and Singha- 

 lese writers had uo thoughts save for the glory and exploits of their kings and the 

 advancement and excellence of their religious systems. The latter refer to pearls 

 solely to utilise the idea of their beauty and the mystery of their origin for the pur- 

 poses of their exuberant and florid imagery and in the exaggerated descriptions of the 

 riches of their kings and temples. 



YVben the pearl fisheries of the Gulf of Mannar were first exploited we have no 

 hint ; even two thousand years ago they were celebrated throughout the known world 

 from China to the Mediterranean. In Rome, in the days of Pliny, pearls from the 

 Gulf of Mannar were valued at a high price and Pliny refers to this fishery as the 

 most productive of pearls of all parts of the world, while more than six centuries before 

 (550 —510 B.C.), Wijaya, the Aryan Conqueror of Ceylon, is said to have included rich 

 offerings of pearls among the presents to his father-in-law, the Pandyan King of 

 Madura. X 



The earliest definite reference to a particular locality in the Gulf of Mannar 

 where a fishery was carried on, occurs in the " Periplus of the Erythraean Sea ", 

 written about the end of the first century A. D. by an Alexandrian Greek. In a 

 description of the ports on the Indian Coast, he writes — 



" Fpon leaving § Ela-bakara or the Ruddy Mountain, the country which succeeds 

 "is under the Government of Pandian ; it is called Paralia (Puralij and lies almost 

 " directly north and south ; it reaches to Kolkhi in the vicinity of the pearl fishery. 

 ''• But the first port after leaving the Ruddy Mountain is Balita and next to that is 

 " Komar which has a port and a harbour .... From Komar the district extends 

 ' : to Kolkhi and the pearl fishery which is conducted by slaves or criminals condemned 

 " to the service, and the whole southern point of the continent is part of Pandyan's 

 ' : dominion. The first place that succeeds after leaving Kolkhi is the Bay Argulus 

 " connected with a district inland (of the same name). Here and here only the pearls 

 " obtained in the fishery at the island of Epidorus || are perforated and prepared for the 

 " market and from the same island are procured the fine muslins sprinkled with 

 11 pearls." 



* The term " Mad ora Coast " is employed in these pages, unless it be specified otherwise, in its wider and more 

 ancient sense ; it signifies here the sea hoard of the ancient Kingdom of Madura, and therefore includes the share of the 

 modern district of Tinneveily as well as that of the Madura district. 



t Gaspar Correa, " Lendas da India ' ', Tolume II. 



* Vide the " Mahawansa." 



« Vaikkarai in theOoehin district. 

 Most probably this is the island of Mannar, formerly the head-quarters of the Ceylon Pearl fishery. 



