Mudaliar

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Mudaliar
Regions with significant populations
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Sri Lanka
Languages
Tamil

Mudaliar (alternatively spelled: Muthaliar, Mudali, Muthali, Moodley or Mudliar) is a Tamil title and surname. [1] As title, it was historically given to high-ranking military officers and their descendants during the Chola empire rule. [2] [3] 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. [4]

Contents

The title was primarily used by the communities like the Thuluva Vellalar, Sengunthar, Kondaikatti Vellalar. [5] [6] [7] [8] Other communities adopted it as means to present themselves as superior to the social status which they actually held. [5]

Etymology

The title is derived from the Tamil word muthal or "muthar" meaning first with the suffix yaar denoting people. [9] The title is used in the same sense as simply meaning headman. [10]

Thuluva Vellala

Thuluva Vellala (Thondaimandala Tuluva Vellalar),  also known as Agamudaya Mudaliars  and Arcot Mudaliars, is a caste found in northern Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh. They were originally significant landowners. An early Tamil tradition states that a king known as Ādonda Chakravarthi, a feudatory of Karikala Chola brought a large number of agriculturists (now known as the Tuluva Vellalas) from the Tulu areas in order to reclaim forest lands for cultivation in Thondaimandalam during late 2nd century CE. [11] Tuluva Vellalars are progressive and prosperous [12] in the society. They are considerably advanced in the matter of education [13] and the community was eagerly involved in business, Government and Non- governmental institutions.

Senguntha Kaikola Mudaliar

Senguntha Kaikola Mudaliar is a caste commonly found in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and the neighboring country Sri Lanka. In Andhra Pradesh, they are called as Kaikala or Karikala Bhaktulu, who consider the Chola emperor Karikala Chola as their hero. [14] They were traditional weavers by occupation and warriors by ancient heritage. [15] They were part of the Chola army as Kaikola regiment and were dominant during the rule of Imperial Cholas, holding commander and minister positions in the court. [16] In the olden days in India, the Sengunthars were warriors and were given the title Mudaliar for their bravery. [17] In early thirteenth century, after the fall of Chola empire large number of Kaikolars migrated to Kongu Nadu from Tondaimandalam and started doing weaving as their full time profession as they sworn to be soldiers only for Chola emperors. [18] At present, most of the textile businesses in Tamil Nadu are owned by Senguntha Mudaliars.

Kondaikatti Vellala

Kondaikatti Vellalar or Thondaimandala Mudaliar [lower-alpha 1] is a Tamil [lower-alpha 2] 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 particularly Chola dynasty. [lower-alpha 3] [lower-alpha 4] [lower-alpha 5] Their original homeland was Thondaimandalam and from there they spread to other areas in south India and northeastern parts of Sri Lanka. [lower-alpha 6] [23] Since they historically used the Mudaliar title, they are sometimes referred to as Thondaimandala Mudaliar. [19]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Some of the important endogamous sub-divisions among the Vellalas are: Aranbukatti, Arunattu, Cholapuram Chetti, Choliya, Dakshinattan, Kaniyalan, Karaikatta or Pandya, Kodikkal, Kongu, Kottai, Malaikanda, Nainan, Mangudi, Pandaram or Gurukal, Panjukara Chetti, Ponneri Mudali, Pundamalli Mudali, Sittak kattu Chetti, Tondamandalam Mudali or Kondaikatti, Tuluva, Uttunattu, and Yelur. The Tondaimandalam, Ponneri and Pundamalli Vellalas use the title Mudaliar; [19]
  2. ↑ Most of the Dubashes in the late eighteenth-century Madras were Telugu brahmans or Telugu perikavārs, Tamil kannakapillais, Tamil yādhavas, or Tamil Kondaikatti vellalas. [20]
  3. ↑ Among Tamil castes, both Karkattar Vellalas (Arunachalam, 1975) and Kondaikatti Vellalas (Barnett, 1970) have much the same profile as the KP: both are non-cultivating land-holders, with a history of service to ruling dynasties. Both are of high status, laying great stress on ritual purity. [21]
  4. ↑ Like the Kondaikatti Velalar described by Barnett(1970), they have allied themselves with south Indian dynasties as administrators, and have built up a position in the religious sphere in being employers of Brahmans and builders of temples for "high" gods like Siva, Ganesh and Vishnu. [22]
  5. ↑ The original stronghold of the Kondaikatti Vellalas was Tondaimandalam. Later they spread from there throughout Tamil Nadu. Some of them were employed in the king's court and others as military leaders during expansionist times. [23]
  6. ↑ The original home of the Kondaikatti Vellalar is Tondaimandalam and subsequently they are found throughout Tamil nadu. [24]

Related Research Articles

Pillai or Pillay, meaning "Child of King" (Prince), is a surname found among the Tamil and Malayalam-speaking people of India and Sri Lanka. Traditionally used by various Vellalar subcastes, upper caste Nairs, and some Brahmins, often bestowed by ruling royal families of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is also used by many Tamil-speaking castes, including Rowther, Isai Vellalar, Karaiyar, Agamudayar, etc and less commonly found among Malayalam-speaking communities like Nazrani Mappila and Marars of travancore.

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

Koviyar is a Tamil caste found in Sri Lanka. They are traditional agriculturalists and temple workers but also included merchants, landowners and temple patrons. Kattavarayan as caste deity is observed by the Koviar. They are reputed as a ritually dominant caste and the "cousin" caste of the more numerical dominant caste, Sri Lankan Vellalar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sengunthar</span> Hindu caste of weavers

Sengunthar, also known as the Kaikolar and Senguntha Mudaliar is a caste commonly found in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and the neighboring country Sri Lanka. In Andhra Pradesh, they are known as Kaikala or Karikala Bhaktulu, who consider the early Chola emperor Karikala Chola as their hero. They were traditional weavers by occupation and warriors by ancient heritage. They were part of the Chola army as Kaikola regiment and were dominant during the rule of Imperial Cholas, holding commander and minister positions in the court. Ottakoothar, 12th century court poet and minister of Cholas under Vikrama Chola, Kulothunga Chola II, Raja Raja Chola II reign belong to this community. In the olden days in India, the Sengunthars were warriors and were given the title Mudaliar for their bravery. In early thirteenth century, after the fall of Chola empire large number of Kaikolars migrated to Kongu Nadu from Tondaimandalam and started doing weaving as their full time profession as they sworn to be soldiers only for Chola emperors. At present, most of the textile businesses in Tamil Nadu are owned by Senguntha Mudaliars. Majority of Sengunthars are sub-divided into numerous clans based on a patrilineal lineage known as Koottam or Gotra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Velir</span> Royal house of Yadu dynasty

The Velir were a royal house of minor dynastic kings and aristocratic chieftains in Tamilakam in the early historic period of South India. They had close relations with Chera, Chola and Pandya rulers through ruling and coronation rights. Medieval inscriptions and Sangam literature claim that they belong to the Yadu dynasty. Velir may refer to master of land.

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.

Vellala or Vellalar may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanni chieftaincies</span>

The Vanni chieftaincies or Vanni tribes was a region between Anuradhapura and Jaffna, but also extending to along the eastern coast to Panama and Yala, during the Transitional and Kandyan periods of Sri Lanka. The heavily forested land was a collection of chieftaincies of principalities that were a collective buffer zone between the Jaffna Kingdom, in the north of Sri Lanka, and the Sinhalese kingdoms in the south. Traditionally the forest regions were ruled by Vedda rulers. Later on, the emergence of these chieftaincies was a direct result of the breakdown of central authority and the collapse of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa in the 13th century, as well as the establishment of the Jaffna Kingdom in the Jaffna Peninsula. Control of this area was taken over by dispossessed Sinhalese nobles and chiefs of the South Indian military of Māgha of Kalinga (1215–1236), whose 1215 invasion of Polonnaruwa led to the kingdom's downfall. Sinhalese chieftaincies would lay on the northern border of the Sinhalese kingdom while the Tamil chieftaincies would border the Jaffna Kingdom and the remoter areas of the eastern coast, north western coast outside of the control of either kingdom.

Thuluva Vellalar, 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.

Dr. M. R. Guruswami Mudaliar (1880–1958) was an Indian medical practitioner in Madras during the first half of the twentieth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tondaimandalam</span> Historical region in India

Tondaimandalam, also known as Tondai Nadu, is a historical region located in the northernmost part of Tamil Nadu and southernmost part of Andhra Pradesh. The region comprises the districts which formed a part of the legendary kingdom of Athondai Chakravarti. The boundaries of Tondaimandalam are ambiguous – between the river basins of Penna River and Ponnaiyar River. During the reign of Rajaraja I, this region was called as Jayankonda Cholamandalam.

Pattanavar is a Tamil caste found in Tamil Nadu, India.

Sri Lankan Paraiyar is a Tamil caste found in northern and eastern Sri Lanka. They are traditional parai-drummers who were also involved in weaving and scavenging.

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

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.

Kodikaal Vellalar is a subcaste of Vellalar from Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They are predominantly wealthy Landlords, Agriculturalists, Warriors and Village Administrators.

References

  1. ↑ Barnett, Marguerite Ross (2015). The Politics of Cultural Nationalism in South India. Princeton University Press. p. 236. ISBN   9781400867189.
  2. ↑ Silva, Chandra Richard De (2009). Portuguese Encounters with Sri Lanka and the Maldives: Translated Texts from the Age of Discoveries. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 225. ISBN   9780754601869.
  3. ↑ Vidyodaya Journal of Arts, Science, and Letters: Vidyodaya Vidyā Kalā Bhāsāśāstrīya Sangrahaya. Vidyodaya Campus, University of Sri Lanka. 1970. p. 117.
  4. ↑ Younger, Paul (2010). New Homelands: Hindu Communities in Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad, South Africa, Fiji, and East Africa. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 135. ISBN   978-0-19-539164-0.
  5. 1 2 Ramaswamy, Vijaya (2017). Historical Dictionary of the Tamils. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 229. ISBN   978-1-53810-686-0.
  6. ↑ Pandian, Jacob (1987). Caste, Nationalism and Ethnicity: An Interpretation of Tamil Cultural History and Social Order. Popular Prakashan. p. 109, 114. ISBN   978-0-86132-136-0.
  7. ↑ "Mudaliar title usage" (PDF).
  8. ↑ M, S, A, Vijaya, Kanthimathi, Ramesh (2 August 2008). "Genetic study of scheduled caste populations of Tamil Nadu". Journal of Genetics. 87 (2): 171–4. doi:10.1007/s12041-008-0026-2. PMID   18776647. S2CID   32841661 – via Indian Academy of Sciences.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ Barnett, Marguerite Ross (2015). The Politics of Cultural Nationalism in South India. Princeton University Press. p. 236. ISBN   9781400867189.
  10. ↑ Katz, Nathan (2000). Who Are the Jews of India?. University of California Press. pp. 47–48. ISBN   978-0-52021-323-4.
  11. ↑ Krishnaswamy Ranaganathan Hanumanthan. Untouchability: A Historical Study Upto 1500 A.D. : with Special Reference to Tamil Nadu. Koodal Publishers. p. 101.
  12. ↑ Tañcai Tamil̲p Palkalaik Kal̲akam, Tañcai Tamiḻp Palkalaik Kaḻakam (1994). Glimpses of Tamil Civilization. Articles from the University Quarterly, Tamil Civilization. Tamil University. p. 142. Tuluva Vellala is a prosperous and progressive caste in Tamil Nadu and they migrated from Tulu Nadu to Tamil Nadu in ancient times.
  13. ↑ "3". Census Book of India 1961 (in Tamil). Vol. 9 North Arcot District. Madras: The Director of stationery and Printing, Madras. 1961. p. 31.
  14. ↑ "National Commission for Backward Classes". www.ncbc.nic.in. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  15. ↑ Mines 1984, p. 11.
  16. ↑ Martial races of undivided India by Vidya Prakash Tyagi 2009 Page 278 https://www.google.com/books?id=vRwS6FmS2g0C
  17. ↑ David, Kenneth (1977). The New Wind: Changing Identities in South Asia (World Anthropology). De Gruyter Mouton; Reprint 2011 edition (1 December 1977). p. 188. ISBN   9027979596.
  18. ↑ Ramaswamy, Vijaya (2017). Migrations in Medieval and Early Colonial India. Routledge. pp. 172–174. ISBN   9781351558259.
  19. 1 2 Indian Council of Agricultural Research, p. 120.
  20. ↑ Irschick (1994), p. 34.
  21. ↑ Chanana & Krishna Raj (1989), p. 92.
  22. ↑ Mariola Offredi (1992), p. 284.
  23. 1 2 Pillay & Pillay (1977), pp. 23–24.
  24. ↑ Venkatasubramanian (1993), p. 105.

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