Vellalar

Vellalar
Classification	Feudal lords, Landlords, Scholars, Farmers
Religions	Saiva Siddhantam, Hinduism
Languages	Tamil
Subdivisions	Gounder ‡ — Kongu Nadu Mudaliar ‡ — Thondai Nadu Pillai ‡ — Pandya Nadu
Related groups	Kshatriyas, Velirs, Tamil people
‡ Shared by other groups

Vellalars (also, Velalars, Vellalas) were, originally, an elite caste of Tamil agricultural landlords in Tamil Nadu, Kerala states in India and in neighbouring Sri Lanka; they were the nobility, aristocracy of the ancient Tamil order (Chera/Chola/Pandya/Sangam era)^[1][2][3] and had close relations with the different royal dynasties.^[4][5][6] Literary, archeological sources trace the origin of the Vellalars to a group of royal house chieftains called Vel or Velir.^[7][8][9] According to old Hindu, Tamil texts, the Velirs were warriors from the Yadu Kshatriya clan (Chandravanshi lineage);^[10][11][12] they came to south from the city of Dvārakā in north India under the leadership of the Vedic sage Agastya.^[13][14][15] They have been described as Upper Shudras or Sat-shudras^[16][17][18] in the Brahmanical Varna system. The Vellalar community however never accepted this classification and they have challenged the Brahmins who described them as shudras.^[19][20][21] The actual Vellalar caste is made of different sub castes which do not intermarry; many of these sub castes have nothing to do with the original Vellalars.^[22] The Vellalar are found amongst the Tamil diaspora around the world; although they were originally associated with the landed gentry, today they are found in all walks of life.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Origin 3 History 3.1 Sangam literature 3.2 Warrior chieftains 4 Common titles 5 Major divisions 6 In Kerala and Sri Lanka 7 Cultural Evolution and Assimilation of other castes 8 See also 9 References 10 Bibliography

Etymology

There are different theories concerning the meaning of the word 'Vellalar':

• It derives from the word Vel meaning a spear or lance and alar meaning "people of Vel", an old and archaic Tamil weapon.

• Another theory is that the word Vellalar is from Velanmai meaning to cultivate.

• Another one postulates it is derived from Vellam or flood (in Tamil) and alar (ruler or controller), so Vellalar means "Lord of the floods". Sometimes they were also known as Karalar which means "Lord of the clouds" in Tamil.^[23][24] The Journal of Indian History, Vol VII, explains that Vellalars, the controllers of the flood, irrigated their fields when the rivers were in flood, and raised the rice-crop on damp rice-fields while the Karalar were controllers of the rain, who looked up to the sky for watering their fields and stored the rain water in tanks.^[25]

Origin

Agro-pastoral warriors

Supposedly cultivation in South Asia was spread by force, people would move out into virgin land, which was used by hunter gatherer or tribal people for slash and burn agriculture or for hunting and convert into prime agricultural land.^[26] This was an honorific title of select few people who would organize such raids and settlements like chiefs who were also called as Vel. Today everybody uses it but once it was restricted to village headman or founding chief's lineage.^[26]

The above hypothesis is clearly illustrated by the origin of the Vellalar caste: According to historical sources, scholars, Vellalars are the scions of the Velir chieftains^[27] who belonged to the Yadu Kshatriya clan.^[28] In Hindu texts, the Yadus are often described as an agro pastoral warrior clan.^[29]

Old sources tell about the migration of the Velir/Vellalar tribe from North to South India under the leadership of the Vedic sage Agastya: because of Gods congregation on Mount Meru, the earth started tilting, lowering Meru and raising the southern corner. Gods requested Agastya to remedy this situation. On his way, the Sage visited Dvārakā and led 18 Velir families to the south^[30] where they settle down, clearing the forest and cultivating the land.^[14]

The "Journal of Kerala Studies" puts forth the theory that etymological interpretations to connect Vellalar with Velir are unconvincing.^[31] It suggests that the word Vellalar comes from the root Vellam for flood, which gave rise to various rights of land; and it is because of the acquisition of land rights that the Vellalar got their name. However, the Vellalars are still considered to be the most likely descendants of the Velir, etymological interpretations notwithstanding.^[32]

The Vellalas who were land owners and tillers of the soil and held offices pertaining to land, were ranked as Sat-Sudra in the 1901 census; with the Government of Madras recognising that the 4-fold division did not describe the South Indian, or Dravidian, society adequately.^[33] It was pointed out that land-based communities quite distinct from the Vellala have claimed Vellala status and in course of time have gained acceptance and intermarried with older Vellalar families.^[34] In Post-Independent India too, it was noted that families regarded as pure Vellalar caste (Saiva Vellalars) were reluctant to question the bona fides of those pretending to be Vellalar, since the line between them was noted to be very thin indeed; with the former occasionally drawing partners for marriage from the ranks of the latter.^[35] In colonial India, the priests of the Senaikkudaiyans were noted to be the Vellalas, and occasionally the Brahmans.^[36]

History

The Vellalars have a long cultural history that goes back to over two millennia in southern India.

Sangam literature

In Sangam literature, the chiefs of the vellala tribes were called the Velir.^[37][38][39] The Velir or the Vellalar tribes are described as a landed gentry who irrigated the wet lands and the Karalar were the landed gentry in the dry lands.^[39][40] Numerous poems in the ancient Sangam literature extol these chieftains' charity and truthfulness. Among the most prominent were those known as the 'seven patrons' (kadaiyezhu vallal); Vel-Pari, Malayaman Thirumudi Kaari, Ori, Adigaman, Began, Nalli and Ay Kandiran.^[23]

They had close associations and held high positions of office with the three main Tamil dynasties, Chera, Chola and Pandya.^[37] Some of them even had marital relations; Ilamcetcenni, the king known for his fleet of warships, married a Velir princess, and his son Karikala Chola also married a Velir princess from Nangur.^[41]

Warrior chieftains

The Vellalars not only held absolute control over the feudal society but also demonstrated great military prowess.^[23] To quote a few:

• Ma-Vel-Evvi the famous chief known for his valour and bravery was a Vellala from Millalikurram in Pandimandalam. He was the law around the southern bank of the Kaveri basin. His territory included one of the most fertile fields of the Cauvery basin.^[23]

• Vel-Pari was known as the great patron of poets. This chief was a relative of Ma-Vel-Evvi and after the demise of the latter he took over the territory around the mountains of Parambu. Poet Kapilar, his life long companion described him as the lord of three hundred villages in ancient Tamilakkam who could only be won over by the sound of a lute.^[23]

Common titles

Common titles are Mudaliar and Pillai. When southern parts of Tamilnadu came into the control of Telugu Nayak kings, most Vellalars were employed by them as accountants, hence they assumed the title Kanakku Pillai, in Kerala they use the title Karnam Pillai.

Major divisions

Major subdivisions are

There are numerous other subcastes which claim Vellalar roots and identity. Some subdivisions might intermarry yet other will not.

In Kerala and Sri Lanka

In Kerala, there is a significant population of Tamil and Malayalam speaking Vellalar population. They are believed to have migrated to work in courts of the Travancore kingdom as accountants.

The Vellalars of Jaffna have been chronicled clearly in the Yalpana Vaipava Malai and other historical texts of Jaffna kingdom. These Vellalar chiefs claim descent from traditional minor-kings and chiefs of Tamil Nadu. They have been commanders of Chola and Pandya armies as well as respected ministers and administrators. From the 13th century when migration of Vellalar chiefs to Jaffna took place, Tamil Nadu has seen a decline in the traditional power of Vellalars except in Kongu Nadu (see Kongu Vellalar).^[42]

In Sri Lanka, they are currently estimated to form 20 to 30% of the population in the Northern Province and Jaffna.

See the Ponnambalam-Coomaraswamy Family for the Ponnambalam-Coomaraswamy family centric rise of a Vellala elite in 19th century Sri Lanka.

Cultural Evolution and Assimilation of other castes

Most subcastes of Vellalar in general are believed to be the first of the group of Tamils to be Sanskritized.

"Kallar, Maravar, ganathor Agamudaiyar mella mella velaalar anargal"

is a popular Tamil proverb prevalent in India and Sri Lanka about the origin of Vellalars. That is Vellalar are a fusion of upwardly mobile members from castes such as Kallar, Maravar and Agamudayar according to the principles of Sanskritisation.^[43]

See also

• List of Vellalars

References

Bibliography

• Kanakasabhai Pillai, Visvanatha (1904). The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago. Delhi: Asian Educationnal Services. p. 240. ISBN 81-206-0150-5. 
• Nath Sen, Sailendra (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. Delhi: New Age International. p. 668. ISBN 81-224-1198-3. 
• Viswanatha, S. V. (1928). Racial Synthesis in Hindu Culture. London: Routledge. p. 248. ISBN 0-415-24499-4. 
• van de Velde, Pieter (1994). Pivot Politics. Amsterdam: Het Spinhuis. p. 295. ISBN 90-5589-007-3. 
• S. S. Shashi, Padma (1994). Encyclopaedia of Indian Tribes. Delhi: Anmol Publications. p. 3008. ISBN 81-7041-836-4.