Gounder

Last updated

Gounder is a title used by various communities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. [1] It may refer to various unrelated communities such as Vettuva Gounder, [2] [3] Kongu Vellalar, Thuluva Vellalar, [3] Urali Gounders, [4] Kurumba, Vanniyars, Vokkaligas. [5] [2]

Contents

Etymology

There are a number of derivations for the title. One theory derives it from the Tamil word Kaamindan, meaning "noble protector of the country", later modified as Kavundan or Gounder. [6]

According to S. N. Sadasivan, some of these Vellalars branched off from the Vokkaligas and both might have a common origin from the Kurumba. [7]

History

During the British Raj era, some Gounders migrated to Malayan rubber plantations as Kanganis to manage the coolies. [8]

Related Research Articles

Pillai or Pillay, meaning "Child of King" (Prince) or "Child", is a surname found among the Malayalam and Tamil-speaking people of India and Sri Lanka.

The Nagarathar is a Tamil caste found native in Tamil Nadu, India. They are a Tamil mercantile community who are traditionally involved in commerce, banking and money lending.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gobichettipalayam</span> Town in Tamil Nadu, India

Gobichettipalayam is a town and municipality in Erode district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Gobichettipalayam taluk. It is situated at the center of the South Indian Peninsula at 213 metres (699 ft) above sea level, surrounded by Western Ghats. It is located 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the district headquarters Erode, 44 kilometres (27 mi) from Tiruppur and 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Coimbatore. Agriculture and textile industries contribute majorly to the economy of the town.

Kaarkaathaar is a subcaste of Vellalar Hindu caste in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Mudaliar is a Tamil title and surname. As title, it was historically given to high-ranking officers, administrators and their descendants during the Chola empire rule. The surname is most prevalent among Tamils from Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Descendants of Tamil colonial migrants also bears variants of the name in countries such as South Africa, and elsewhere in the Tamil diaspora.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vokkaliga</span> Group of castes in Karnataka

Vokkaliga is a community of closely related castes, from the Indian states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Vellalar is a group of castes in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and northeastern parts of Sri Lanka. The Vellalar are members of several endogamous castes such as the numerically strong Arunattu Vellalar, Chozhia Vellalar, Karkarthar Vellalar, Kongu Vellalar, Thuluva Vellalar and Sri Lankan Vellalar.

Kongu Vellalar is a community found in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu, India.

The Pallar, who prefer to be called Mallar, are an agricultural community from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Pallars traditionally inhabited the fertile wetland area referred to as Marutham in the literary devices of the Sangam landscape. Today, they are the dominant Dalit community of southern Tamil Nadu and have developed a reputation for being assertive about their rights. Due to the demand of the pallar community to classify them under a more dignified generic name Devendrakula Velalar, recently they together with six other related castes have been given the name Devendrakula Velalar; however their original caste name remains valid and they are still part of the Scheduled Caste list.

Sri Lankan Vellalar is a caste in Sri Lanka, predominantly found in the Jaffna peninsula and adjacent Vanni region, who comprise about half of the Sri Lankan Tamil population. They were traditionally involved in agriculture, but also included merchants, landowners and temple patrons. They also form part of the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora.

Thuluva Vellalar / Agamudayar, also known as Agamudaya Mudaliars and Arcot Mudaliars, is a caste found in northern Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh and southern Karnataka. They were originally significant landowners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthiyur Assembly constituency</span> State Legislative Assembly Constituency in Tamil Nadu

Anthiyur is a legislative assembly, that includes the town, Anthiyur and other neighbouring local bodies. Its State Assembly Constituency number is 105. It is a part of the Tiruppur Lok Sabha constituency. The constituency is in existence since 1962 election. Anthiyur was a part of Gobichettipalayam Lok Sabha constituency until 2009 election. It is one of the 234 State Legislative Assembly Constituencies in Tamil Nadu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karur Assembly constituency</span> One of the 234 State Legislative Assembly Constituencies in Tamil Nadu, in India

Karur is a state assembly constituency in Karur district in Tamil Nadu. Its State Assembly Constituency number is 135. It comes under Karur Lok Sabha constituency. It is one of the 234 State Legislative Assembly Constituencies in Tamil Nadu, in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sangagiri Assembly constituency</span> State Legislative Assembly Constituency in Tamil Nadu

Sangagiri or 'Sankari' is a state assembly constituency in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, India. Its State Assembly Constituency number is 87. It comprises Sangagiri taluk and a portion of Omalur taluk. It is a part of the wider Namakkal constituency for national elections to the Parliament of India. Elections and winners in the constituency are listed below. The constituency is in existence since 1957 election. It is one of the 234 State Legislative Assembly Constituencies in Tamil Nadu, in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perundurai Assembly constituency</span> State Legislative Assembly Constituency in Tamil Nadu

Perundurai is a state assembly constituency in Erode district in Tamil Nadu. Its State Assembly Constituency number is 103. It covers Perundurai and some parts of Erode City. It is included in Tiruppur Lok Sabha constituency. The constituency is in existence since 1957 election. It is one of the 234 State Legislative Assembly Constituencies in Tamil Nadu, in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kunchitiga</span> Indian ethnic group

The Kunchitigas are a community of people from Karnataka, India. They are mostly concentrated in the Tumkur, Bangalore, Mysore, Ramanagara, Shivamogga and Chitradurga districts. They are also found in Tamil Nadu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiruppur North Assembly constituency</span> One of the 234 State Legislative Assembly Constituencies in Tamil Nadu, in India

Tiruppur North or 'Tiruppur (North)' is a state assembly constituency in Tiruppur district in Tamil Nadu, India newly formed after constituency delimitations 2008. Its State Assembly Constituency number is 113. It is included in the Tiruppur parliamentary constituency. Tiruppur North will be one of 17 assembly constituencies to have VVPAT facility with EVMs in 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election. It is one of the 234 State Legislative Assembly Constituencies in Tamil Nadu, in India.

Kongu Vellala Goundergal Peravai is a caste organization in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It exists for the Kongu Vellalar Gounder or Vellala Gounder community.

The Udayar is a title used by multiple caste in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.

Thondaimandala Vellalar is a high-ranking subcaste of the Vellalar caste in the state of Tamil Nadu, India who tend, to adopt the title of Mudaliar and they were traditional "landlords and officials of the state class" described by the anthropologist Kathleen Gough. They are a closely knit community and follow the Vegetarian diet. Thondaimandalam Mudaliars / Vellalars are progressive and prosperous in the society and they are remarkably advanced in the matter of education

References

  1. "Gounder consolidation could pose headache to major parties". The Times of India . 21 May 2009. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012.
  2. 1 2 List of subcastes (PDF) (Report). Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  3. 1 2 Haswell, M. R. (2013), "Dusi (North Arcot District)", Econ Dev Village India Ils 59, Routledge, pp. 32–39, doi:10.4324/9781315888736, ISBN   978-1-315-88873-6
  4. Evans, Harold (12 October 2004). They made America : From the steam engine to the search engine. Little, Brown. ISBN   0-316-27766-5. OCLC   999370982.
  5. Chennakrishnaiah, Shilpa (2011). Analysis of Y-chromosome Diversity in Lingayat and Vokkaliga Populations of Southern India (Thesis). Florida International University. doi: 10.25148/etd.fi11072506 .
  6. Madhvan, Karthik (2 August 2008). "Steeped in history". Frontline. Chennai, India: The Hindu Group. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  7. Sadasivan, S. N (2000). A social history of India. New Delhi, India: APH Pub. Corp. p. 254. ISBN   9788176481700. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2021. In all probability the Tamil Kavandans or Goundans might have branched of from them and both might be descendants of Kurumbas of yore.
  8. Basu, Raj Sekhar (2011). Nandanar's Children: The Paraiyans' Tryst with Destiny, Tamil Nadu 1850 - 1956. SAGE. p. 137. ISBN   978-81-321-0679-1.