Mukkulathor
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Mukkulathor, Mukulathar or Mukulathor is a name for a group of three related social groups or castes of Tamil Nadu state of India. The related castes are Kallar, Maravar and Agamudaiyar.
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[edit] Origins
[edit] Maravar
Maravar are one of the earliest social groups to be mentioned by the Sangam Tamil literature, thus indicating an age old association with Tamil lands of at least 2,000 years. They are mentioned by the authors as part of the landscape beyond settled life in cities in the ancient Tamilakam.
[edit] Nativist roots
Other historians postulate that Maravar is derived from Tamil language term Marutham for kind of place (called as Thinnai) they originally lived in (See Ancient Tamil country). The name of the city Madurai is also postulated to be derived from Maruthai and honorific title of local Pandya kings.
[edit] Kallar
The name kallar is given to a group of warrier clan who were often used kings to capture food sources of enemy Kings. The food sources included goats,cow etc. The objective was to ensure a psycholological blow to the enemy king. In Madurai there is a god named as kallalagar(Lord vishnu).
The caste is widely distributed in southern districts of Tamilnadu."Piramallai Kallar"is the sub caste of the main Kallar caste.They mainly lived in the districts of Theni at the time of British raj. They were deeply humiliated by the British Colonialist by confining all male members of the community to stand all night within a circle drawn on the ground. Muthuramalinga Thevar ayya was the one who fought against this. Todate they maintain ancient indigenous rituals that were mentioned in early Tamil literature. In the medieval period most were employed as soldiers or as security guards.
[edit] Agammudaiyar
Also known as Agam Padaiyar (defending soldiers) indicating a specialization as soldiers. Although their name is attested later in literature they and the culture is indigenous to the area and are ancient in origins.
Some believe these castes formed as part of military formation of Kallap Padai or hustlers, Marap Padai or soldiers and Agap Padai or defenders, although no evidence has been put forward towards this theory.
[edit] Legends of the British Era
Marudu brothers Periya Marudhu and Chinna Manrudhu are the sons of Udayar Servai alias Mookiah palaniappan servai and Anandayer alias Ponnathal. They are native of Kongulu street of Ramnad. The Marudu brothers with 12,000 armed men surrounded Sivaganga and plundered the Nawab's territories. The Nawab on the 10th of March 1789 appealed to the Madras Council for aid. On 29th April 1789, the British forces attacked Kollangudi. It was defeated by a large body of Marudu's troops. He was in close association with Veera Pandiya Kattabomman of Panchalankurichi. Kattabomman held frequent consultations with Marudhus.
Pooli Thevar is another legend in Thirunelveli district of Southern Tamilnadu who fought the British during the 1800's and is noted as one of the early king who fought and defeated the British on several wars before he was defeted by British forces in collaboration with the Trivancore forces.
Queen Velu Nachiyar from Ramandhapuram disctict of Southern Tamilnadu is another noted personality who fought with the British during early British Era.
[edit] Descendents of the Very First Modern Humans
Dr Spencer Wells and Dr Pitchappan have found an ancient DNA marker in the blood of Piramalai Kallar that links them to the very first modern humans who migrated out of Africa about 60,000 years ago and travelling through the southern coastline of Asia had eventually reached Australia. From this it is clear that the Piramalai Kallar can be said to be the longest living human tribe in India.
[edit] Current status
Although great many of the members are still agriculturalists many have also progressed up the social ladder as doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, politicians and civil servants.
Members of these castes are also found in the Tamil diaspora across the world,the word AGAM-PADAIYAR,or AGAP-PADAI, has a similarity with the surname AGAMPADI,in Srilanka which is used amongst one of the sub castes in the Sinhalese Salagama caste "Hewapanne"(Warriors)the name "AGAMPADI",(AGAMPU)+(ADI=TO HIT) or "AGAMPODI is used in front of their surnames, (e.g.),Agampadi Thabrew, Agampodi De Zoysa,Agampadi Jayathileke,Agampadi Abeysekara, etc...they are very proud of the military tradition of their ancestors,according to a legend, their ancestors were mercenary soldiers,from South India,who were brought to protect Royal Palaces,& to fight wars, they were highly trained in Martial Arts,Sword Fighting, etc...they were supposed to have fought valiantly against the Portuguese,there were apparently,several military camps in the southern part of Srilanka,& some of these soldiers married local Salagama women & got assimilated in to the Salagama caste. Some of them have embrassed Christianity. There was a familiar priest in Tirunelveli - Rev Issac Abraham who was given a status of Sainthood by the local people for his exemplary living and generousity. He and his wife were buried near the church at Pannaivilai. His descendants and relatives were also serving as pastors such as Rev Jeevanandam, Rev M D Joshva in the Church of South India. One of his family person is working as a professor at Birmingham University. His name is Rev Dr Joshva Raja. They come originally from Seevaleperi.the commonly used titles & surnames of this community,are Thevar,Nattaar,Padaiyachee,Thalaivar etc..Women use the title Nachiyaar,& its a general practice in Southern Tamil Nadu to address a Thevar woman as "Nachchiyaar.
[edit] Popular personalities of the community
- Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar - Indian freedom fighter and known for his relationship with Subhash Chandra Bose.
- Late actor Sivaji Ganesan
- Justice RathnaVel Pandian Supreme court Judge and Chairman of Vth pay commission
- Central Minister T.R.Baloo
- Central Minister Pazhani Manickam
- Former minister S. Thirunavukkarasar
- Former minister T. Kiruttinan
- Thevar leader Dr. N. Sethuraman of Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam
- Pon Paramaguru - I.P.S
- Malaichamy I.A.S - He served as State Election commission officer in India.
- comedy actor senthil
- director Kathir,kguytretrsw54euiuyr6u
- director Balaji Sakthivel
- Lyrist Vairamuthu
- Actor S.S.Rajendran
- Late actor R. Muthuraman and his son, actor and politician Karthik Muthuraman
- Actor Prabhu Ganesan, son of Sivaji Ganesan
- Director Bharathiraja and his son Actor and director Manoj Bharathiraja
[edit] Reference
↑ *Untouchability and Inter-caste relations in Rural India: The case of Southern Tamil Villages by A. Ramaiah Journal of Religious Culture, No 70 (2004)
