Yajamanar , Mudhalali, Nachiyar | |
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Regions with significant populations | |
Tamil Nadu: Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Ambasamudram, Korkai, Srivaikuntam | |
Languages | |
Tamil | |
Religion | |
Shaivism | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Tamil people |
Nankudi Vellalar (Nangudi Vellalar or Sivakalai Pillaimar), is a Tamil sub caste found in Tamil Nadu, India. These group of people are considered to be believers and followers of Shaivism (Religion that preaches Lord Shiva as the Supreme God). They come under the Suryakula Kshatriya Clan as per the ancient Indian Varna System. [1] They also claim descent from the Velir hereditary of IrungovelPandyas [2] The hereditary headman of the caste was always invested with the title Irungovel. Their origination is from Melaselvanur in Ramanathapuram District. These group of people actually belong to Maravar Caste ( Mukulatoor / Thevar) as they also follow the Kilai System just as Maravar, the rituals performed in the Marriage and Funeral ceremony of Nankudi Vellalars are almost the same as Maravars and there are a lot more similarities as well. The exactly sub caste that they come under is Kondaiyankottai Maravar, these group of people started using ‘Pillai’ as their title in recent years, but in earlier times they used ‘Thevar’ as their title. As per the documentations and proofs submitted by Dr. Chidambaram Naynar Pillai in 1920 to the High Court of Judicature at Madras, Madras Presidency, British India, it is considered that the Nankudi Vellalars are the direct descendants from lineage of 201st Pandya King “Poitidia Irungovel Pandya Thevar”, who ruled the Pandiya Kingdom with Korkai as its capital in 1600s . As they immigrated to Sivagalai they were highly involved in agriculture activities. Their original stronghold seems to have been southern districts of Tamil Nadu, viz. Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Korkai, Ambasamudram, etc. Some of them migrated to Srivaikuntam during the course of time and came to be known as Kottai Vellalar or "Kottai Pillaimar"as they built and lived in forts.
H.R Pate (1917), the former district collector of Tirunelveli describes them as great Rulers, Administrators, Agriculturists, Merchants and Traders and as a remarkably prosperous and an energetic community.
Nankudi Vellalar is derived from the words Nar(good), Kudi (community) and Vellalar (farmers), so they were essentially a good community of farmers.[ citation needed ]
The caste is made of a number of matrilineal exogamous clans called Kilais or branches descending from the female line. [3] [4]
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.
Nadar is a Tamil caste of India. Nadars are predominant in the districts of Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Virudhunagar.
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 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.
Pandya Nadu or Pandi Nadu is a geographical region comprising the southern part of the present day state of Tamil Nadu. The region is bounded on its West by the Venad/Ay Nadu, Northeast by the Chola Nadu and Northwest by the Kongu Nadu. It comprises the present-day districts of Madurai, Theni, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari, parts of Pudukkottai and Dindigul.
Thoothukudi District is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The district was formed by bifurcation of Tirunelveli district on 20 October 1986. Thoothukudi is the district headquarters and largest city of the district. The district is known for fishing as well as pearl cultivation, with an abundance of pearls being found in the seas offshore. Thoothukudi district has many historical sites such as Adichanallur and the ancient trade port of Korkai.
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.
The Pallar, who prefer to be called Mallar, are an agricultural community from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. 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.
Maravar are a Tamil community in the state of Tamil Nadu. These people are one of the three branches of the Mukkulathor confederacy. Members of the Maravar community often use the honorific title Thevar. They are classified as an Other Backward Class or a Denotified Tribe in Tamil Nadu, depending on the district.
Agamudayar are a Tamil community found in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In Southern parts of Tamil Nadu, they are considered as one of the three castes which make up the Thevar or Mukkulathor community. According to the anthropologist Zoe E Headley, the three communities are the "numerically dominant rural backward castes of the southern districts of Tamil Nadu". Agamudayars are listed in the national commission of backward caste lists for Tamil Nadu as "Agamudayar”. Agamudayar was derived from maravar community. Mukkulathore is DNC community.
Karaiyar is a Sri Lankan Tamil caste found mainly on the northern and eastern coastal areas of Sri Lanka, and globally among the Tamil diaspora.
The Mukkulathor people, who are also collectively known as Thevar, are a community or group of communities native to the central and southern districts of Tamil Nadu, India. They comprise the Agamudayar, Kallar and Maravar communities that share a common myth of origin and claim to have once been members of various ancient South Indian dynasties.
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.
The Sivakasi riots of 1899 were a series of communal disturbances which occurred during 6 June 1899 in Sivakasi, present-day Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, India.
Irunkōvēl, also known as Irungkōvēl, Irukkuvēl, and Ilangōvēlir, was a title of the Irunkōvēl line of Velir kings. The Irunkovel line of kings ruled over Konadu identified with the Kodumbalur and surrounding areas in ancient Tamilakkam. They trace their lineage to the clan of Krishna; one of the inscriptions at Kodumbalur belonging to one of the kings in the Irunkovel line, namely Tennavan Irunkōvēl alias Maravan Bhutiyar. They belong to Kallar family, K. A. Nilakanta Sastri mentions in his study.
Sivagalai is a village in the Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu, India. Before the Separation of Tuticorin from Tirunelveli, Sivagalai came under Tirunelveli District. It is surrounded by small hamlets like Nainarpuram, Paramboo, Pottal, Parakiramapandi, Monkottapuran and Aavarangadu. The district capital Tuticorin is 30 km from the village and Srivaikundam and Eral is 10 km and 6 km from the village respectively. It was Ruled by Nankudi Vellalars until the proper establishment of Land Prohibition Act 1953. There was totally 18 villages that comes the control of Irungovel of Sivagalai.
Nadar climbers, or Pannayeri Nadars, are a sub-caste of today's Nadar community. They were regarded as the largest Nadar sub-caste. Their traditional occupation was climbing trees and gathering the sap of coconuts to make palm wine. Due to new economic opportunities, the majority of Nadar climbers have given up their traditional occupation.
Kollankondan was a territory (Zamin) in the former Tirunelveli province of Madurai Nayak Dynasty ruled by Polygar. Post Independence of India it split into as 2 villages Ayan Kollan Kondan and Zamin Kollan Kondan Kollankondan Pommumma Samy in Thoothukudi district God in Thoothukudi district ayyanar and come under Virudhunagar District in the southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu in India.
Isai Velalar is a community found in India in Tamil Nadu. They are traditionally involved as performers of classical dance and music in Hindu temples and courts of the patrons. The term "Isai Velalar" is a recent community identity, people of minstrel occupation from various castes such as, Melakkarar, Nayanakkarar and Nattuvanar come under this term.
The 1995 Kodiyankulam violence occurred on August 31, 1995 when a force of 600 policemen attacked the all-Dalit village of Kodiyankulam in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, India and destroyed property and took away cash and jewellery worth several lakhs of rupees. The police raid was on the instruction of the dominant caste officials. The raid was reportedly held to destroy the material prosperity of the Dalits.
Citations
Bibliography
● The history of Nankudi Vellalar was described in a tamil book named நற்குடி வேளாளர் வரலாறு (நூல்)