Kodikaal Vellalar

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Kodikaal Vellalar is a subcaste of Vellalar from Indian state of Tamil Nadu. [1] [2] [3] They are predominantly Labourers, Agriculturalists, Workers and Coolies. [4] [1] [2]

Contents

Etymology

The earliest occurrence of the term Velaalar (வேளாளர்) in Sangam literature is in Paripadal where it is used in the sense of a landowner. [5] The word Vellalar (வெள்ளாளர் ) may come from the root Vellam for flood, which gave rise to various rights of land; and it is because of the acquisition of land rights that the Vellalar got their name. [6] The Vellalars who do "Kodikaal" (Betel leaves) Farming came to be known as Kodikaal Vellalar. They predominantly use title "Pillai" as a surname. [4] [7] [8] . Vellalar women are referred to as Vellatti in some places. [9]

"Kodikaal Vellalar (Kodikaal Pillaimar)

Surname - Pillai,Moopanar."

-Tamilar Varalaru by Devaneya Pavanar. [10] [3]

History

The Vellalars have a long cultural history that goes back to over two millennia in southern India, where once they were the labouring and land-owning community. [11] [12]

According to the anthropologist Kathleen Gough, "the Vellalars were the dominant Shudra labourer caste under the Chola kings, providing the devadasis, most of the temple servants, the lower ranks of the kingdom's manual workforce, and the upper layer of the peasantry". [12]

It can be known from Sekkhizhar that they used to protect the country after the kings and this Vellalar is said to be Karkathar of who stood as a hostage for the sake of Indra for the Pandyan who imprisoned Clouds, Cholan's Daughter Nagavalli who was married to Nagakanni is called "Kodikaal Vellalar" because he produced the betel vine in this land, and "Tuluvar" of Torathal who was brought from Tuluva country to Thondai country by Chola. [8] [10]

Distribution

Kodikaal Vellalars are mainly distributed in Pandya Nadu-(Lit:Madurai,Theni,Dindugul,Ramanathapuram,Thirunelveli,Virudhunagar,Tenkasi,Sivagangai,Thootukudi etc..,) [7]

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References

  1. 1 2 Gough, Kathleen (2008-01-03). Rural Society in Southeast India. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-0-521-04019-8.
  2. 1 2 Wink, André (2002). Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World: Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam 7Th-11th Centuries. BRILL. ISBN   978-0-391-04173-8.
  3. 1 2 ":: TVU ::". www.tamilvu.org. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  4. 1 2 Thurston, Edgar (1909). Castes And Tribes Of Southern India Vol.7 (t-z).
  5. ↑ Dev Nathan (1997). From Tribe to Caste. Indian Institute of Advanced Study. p. 233.
  6. ↑ Venkatasubramanian, T. K. (1993). Societas to Civitas: Evolution of Political Society in South India : Pre-Pallavan Tamil̤akam. Kalinga Publications. ISBN   978-81-85163-42-0.
  7. 1 2 "Vellala | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  8. 1 2 A page no.1069 from the book "Abidhana Chintamani" written by Singharavelu Mudaliar.
  9. ↑ https://ta.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E0%AE%B5%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%B3%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%BF.
  10. 1 2 தேவநேயன், ஞாநமுத்தன் (2000). தமிழர் வரலாறு (in Tamil). தமிழ்மண் பதிப்பகம்.
  11. ↑ André Wink (2002). Al-Hind: Early medieval India and the expansion of Islam, 7th-11th centuries. Brill Academic Publishers. p. 321. ISBN   90-04-09249-8. Not only were the Vellalas the landowning communities of South India,...
  12. 1 2 Gough, Kathleen (2008). Rural Society in Southeast India. Cambridge University Press. p. 29. ISBN   978-0-521-04019-8.
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