Arunthathiyar are one of the most marginalized social groups or castes from Tamil Nadu and [[Sri LankakopkopkopkopkopAlong with Pallar and Parayar, they form the largest Dalit group. The Indian census of 2001 reported the Arunthathiyar population to be 15,00,000 (pdf)
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At some point in history, a class of people who were soldiers and military commanders were forced into submission of menial labor due to political and social change. This resulted in this community’s devolution to the low caste status it has today. This is well reflected in the number of freedom fighters that this community produced in the pre Indian independence era. While there are several similar castes across India, this seems to be the only community that has its origins in the warrior class. The most notable are Chamars, Jhatia, Mathigas, Chandala and those of North India. At present the Arunthathiyar fall into the class of Dalits in the Indian communal structure. The place of residence of arunthathiyar (sakkiliar) is said to be "palayam" which litterally means the place of army who did the kavalgars job. The below article explains the supreme bravery and the systematic suppression metted out to this community.
http://princelystatesofindia.com/Polegars/polegars.html
With the migration of many rural workers to urban areas, the landscape of urban cities has changed. The Arunthathiyar have taken a prominent role into labor supply of the construction industry in the rapidly ever changing urban cities of south India.
Sakkili is a term used by certain Flame Warriors from Sri Lanka, partisan to the Sinhalese nationalistic cause in the current civil war to describe all Sri Lankan Tamils and has been noted by sociologists.
Due to the negative connotation associated with this word the community has changed it name to Arunthathiyar using Sanskritisation myths of origin from a daughter of a mythical Brahmin sage named Arundati.
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