Regions with significant populations | |
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Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Puducherry, Kerala, Karnataka | |
Languages | |
Tamil | |
Religion | |
Hinduism and Christianity | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Tamil People |
Vellalars are a landowning high ranking caste in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and parts of Sri Lanka. [1] [2]
The Vellalar community adopts various titles, including Pillai, Mudaliar, and Gounder. These titles are used by different subcastes of the Vellalar, influenced by regional, social, and cultural factors. [3]
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran , popularly known by his initials M.G.R., was an Indian actor, politician and philanthropist who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987. He was the founder and first general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. On 19 March 1988, Ramachandran was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour. Ramachandran is regarded as one of the most influential politicians of post-independence India. Apart from politics, as a film personality he won the National Film Award, two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and two Filmfare Award South.
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.
Mudaliar is a Tamil title and surname. As title, it was historically given to high-ranking officers, administrators and their descendants during the rule of Imperial Cholas. The surname is most prevalent among Tamils from Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Descendants of Tamil migrants also bears variants of the name in countries such as South Africa, and elsewhere in the Tamil diaspora.
Kongu Vellalar is a community found in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu, India.
Sir Ponnambala Thiaga Rajan was the First Minister of Madras Presidency from 4 April 1936, to 24 August 1936. He was also the last President of the Justice Party. P. T. Rajan was born in an aristocratic Thondaimandala Vellalar family in Uthamapalayam. He attended The Leys School, Cambridge and later, Jesus College, Oxford. He graduated in history and law, and practiced as an advocate for some time before joining the Justice Party.
Minjur Bhakthavatsalam was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as the chief minister of Madras State from 2 October 1963 to 6 March 1967. He was the last Congress chief minister of Tamil Nadu and the last to have taken part in the Indian independence movement.
Thuluva Vellalar, also known as Agamudaya Mudaliar or Arcot Mudaliars, is a caste found in northern Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh and southern Karnataka. They were an elite and dominant land-owning community.
Pulavar K. Govindan (1916-1991) was a writer, historian, rationalist and politician. He was an elected Member of the Legislative Assembly of Madras State and later, the state of Tamil Nadu. He served as the Deputy Speaker of the Madras Legislative Assembly from 1967 to 1968 and Speaker for two terms from 1969 to 1971 and 1973 to 1977. He has written extensively on Tamil literature and his works were nationalized by the Tamil Nadu State Government in 2007.
Anthiyur is a legislative assembly, that includes the town of Anthiyur and other neighbouring local bodies. Its State Assembly Constituency number is 105. It is a part of 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.
Bhavani is a state assembly constituency in Erode district in Tamil Nadu. Its State Assembly Constituency number is 104. It is one of the 234 State Legislative Assembly Constituencies in Tamil Nadu, in India.
Pillai is a Tamil surname traditionally associated with the Vellalar community, a dominant agrarian and land-owning group in Tamil Nadu and northern Sri Lanka. The term Pillai is believed to have originated as an honorific title meaning "child" or "son," connoting nobility and respect. Over time, it became a hereditary surname commonly associated with upper-caste Tamils, especially those involved in land administration and temple management.
T. M. Kaliyannan Gounder was an Indian politician who served as a member of the Provisional Parliament of India and as a member of the Legislative Assembly MLA, Member of the Legislative Council MLC of Tamil Nadu. He was the last surviving member of the first parliament of India and was one of the few surviving members of the first assembly of Tamil Nadu State. He played a crucial role in the development of Gandhi Ashram at Tiruchengode and in nurturing Gandhian values among the people of Tamil Nadu.
Kovai Chezhiyan was an Indian senior leader of the Dravidian movement in the Kongu Nadu region and film producer who worked in the 1950s up to late 1990s. He was also the vice-chairman of the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission when M. G. Ramachandran was the Chief Minister. He had produced films with famous stars including Ramachandran, N. T. Rama Rao, Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan, Sivakumar, R. Muthuraman, J. Jayalalithaa, Vijayakanth, Rajesh Khanna, Mammotty, etc. Chezhiyan, originally from Tamil Nadu, also produced Telugu and Hindi films also and was the first president of Tamil Film Producers Council. He was earlier the Honorary Secretary of the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce. He was involved in politics and closely associated with Periyar, Anna, Kalaignar, and Ramachandran.
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.
T. G. Venkatraman was an Indian politician who was a member of the D.M.K. Party.
Kondaikatti Velaalar or Thondaimandala Mudaliar is a Tamil caste in south India. Historically, they were a caste of non-cultivating land-holders and some of them were administrators under various south Indian dynasties. Their original homeland was Thondaimandalam and from there they spread to other areas in south India and northeastern parts of Sri Lanka. Since they historically used the Mudaliar title, they are sometimes referred to as Thondaimandala Mudaliar. However, Kathleen Gough considers them to be a separate subcaste of the Thondaimandala Mudali, as does Susan Neild.