Irula people

2021-06-22T08:34:59Z

213.162.80.12:

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}

{{Infobox ethnic group
| group = Irula
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image = எலி பிடிக்கும் இருளர் படம் 4.JPG
| caption = Irula rat catchers, Tamil Nadu
| total = 213,641
| total_year = 2011 census
| popplace = {{flag|India}}
| total_ref = <ref name="census">{{cite web|title=A-11 Individual Scheduled Tribe Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/ST.html|website=censusindia.gov.in|publisher=Government of India|access-date=28 October 2017}}</ref>
| region1 = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| pop1 = 189,621
| region2 = [[Kerala]]
| pop2 = 23,721
| region3 = [[Karnataka]]
| pop3 = 10,259
| languages = [[Irula language|Irula]]
| religions = [[Hinduism]]
| related = [[Soliga tribe|Soliga]], [[Tamil people|Tamil]], [[Yerukala people|Yerukala]]
}}
'''Irula''', also known as '''Iruliga'',''''' are a [[Dravidian people|Dravidian]] ethnic group inhabiting the Indian states of [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Kerala]] and [[Karnataka]].<ref>Perialwar, R. (1979), Phonology of Irula with Vocabulary, Annamalai University</ref> A [[scheduled tribe]], their population in this region is estimated at around 200,000 people.<ref name="worldbank_rat">[http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/OPPORTUNITIES/GRANTS/DEVMARKETPLACE/0,,contentMDK:20214659~menuPK:214469~pagePK:180691~piPK:174492~theSitePK:205098,00.html World Bank grant to improve standard of living for rat-catchers]</ref><ref name="ashanet_irula_project">[http://www.ashanet.org/projects/tamilnadu/irulas/Irulas.html Irula Project Proposal and site report]</ref> People of Irula ethnicity are called ''Irular'', and speak [[Irula language|Irula]], which belongs to the [[Dravidian languages|Dravidian]] family.<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/president-gives-nod-to-add-puducherrys-irular-community-in-the-scheduled-tribes-list/articleshow/56150919.cms President gives nod to add Puducherry's Irular community in the Scheduled Tribes list]</ref>

== Etymology ==
''Irular'' means "dark people" in Tamil and Malayalam, from the root word ''irul'', meaning "darkness." Thurston speculated that it either referred to the darkness of the jungles which they inhabited or their dark skin complexion.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Thurston|first=Edgar|url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Castes_and_Tribes_of_Southern_India/Irulas|title=Castes and Tribes of Southern India|year=1909}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=H.V. Nanjundayya|url=http://archive.org/details/dli.csl.4002|title=The Mysore tribes and castes|last2=L.K. Anathakrishna|date=1930|publisher=Mysore, Mysore University}}</ref>

== Distribution ==
The tribe numbers around 215,000 spread across three states: 189,621 in Tamil Nadu, 23,721 in Kerala and 10,259 in Karnataka. Those in Karnataka are named Iruligas. The Irulas are mainly concentrated in northern Tamil Nadu: in a wedge extending from [[Krishnagiri district|Krishnagiri]] and [[Dharmapuri district|Dharmapuri]] districts in the west to [[Ariyalur district|Ariyalur]] and [[Cuddalore district|Cuddalore]] districts in the south and [[Tiruvallur district]] in the north. Small populations live in [[Coimbatore district|Coimbatore]] and [[Nilgiris district|Nilgiris]] districts and were classified by Thurston as a different population. In Kerala, the Irulas are in [[Palakkad district]], while in Karnataka they are concentrated in [[Ramanagara district|Ramanagara]] and [[Bangalore Urban district|Bangalore]] districts.<ref name="census"/>

== Genetics ==
[[File:எலி பிடிக்கும் இருளர் படம் 3.JPG|thumb|Irula farmers in [[Tamil Nadu]]]]
A study by Yelmen et al (2019) found that the Irula were the closest likely proxy for the indigenous 'AASI', or Ancient Ancestral South Indian, one of the presumed founder and autochthonous original Indian populations. They showed a closer fit when modelled than alternatives that have been suggested such as the [[Onge]] or East Asians.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Yelmen|first=Burack|last2=Mondal|first2=Mayukh|last3=Marnetto|first3=David|last4=Pathak|first4=Ajay|last5=Montinaro|first5=Francesco|last6=Romero|first6=Irene|last7=Kivisild|first7=Toomas|last8=Metspalu|first8=Mait|last9=Pagani|first9=Luca|date=2019-04-05|title=Demographic Histories and Opposite Selective Pressures in Modern South Asian Populations|url=https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/36/8/1628/5364274}}</ref> The DNA analysis (2018) of a male skeleton classified as 'I4411' which is taken from a site of [[Indus Valley Civilisation]] in [[Rakhigarhi]] village shows affinity with Irula tribe.<ref>4500-year-old DNA from Rakhigarhi reveals evidence that will unsettle Hindutva nationalists [https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20180910-rakhigarhi-dna-study-findings-indus-valley-civilisation-1327247-2018-08-31]</ref>

== Language ==

The Irula speak the [[Irula language]], a [[Dravidian languages|Dravidian language]] that is closely related to [[Tamil language|Tamil]].<ref>Keystone Foundation (2006) "''People of the [[Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve]]''" retrieved 3/26/2007(NBR)[http://keystone-foundation.net/web/nbr/ "''People of the [[Nilgiri mountains|Nilgiri]] Biosphere Reserve''"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929230456/http://keystone-foundation.net/web/nbr/ |date=29 September 2007 }}</ref>

== Economy ==
[[File:எலி பிடிக்கும் இருளர் சமூகத்தினர் படம் 2.JPG|thumb|170px|Irula man and woman tilling the soil.]]
Traditionally, the main occupation of the Irulas has been [[snake]], rat catching and [[honey]] collection. They also work as labourers ([[coolie]]s) in the fields of the [[landlords]] during the sowing and harvesting seasons or in the rice mills. Fishing and cattle farm is also a major occupation.

Rats destroy a quarter of the grain grown on [[Tamil Nadu]]-area farms annually. To combat this pest, Irula men use a traditional earthen pot [[fumigation]] method. Smoke is blown through their mouths, which leads to severe respiratory and heart problems.<ref name="worldbank_rat"/>

In January 2017, Masi Sadaiyan and Vadivel Gopal from the Irula tribe of [[Tamil Nadu]] were brought in, along with two translators, to work with detection dogs to track down and capture invasive [[Burmese pythons]] in [[Key Largo]], Florida.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2017/01/26/florida-is-deploying-snake-hunters-from-india-to-catch-invasive-pythons/ Snake hunters from India are the latest weapons in Florida’s war on pythons]</ref> The Irula men and their translators were paid $70,000 by the State of [[Florida]], and captured 14 pythons in less than two weeks.<ref>[https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/one-florida-agency-put-out-a-want-ad-for-python-killers/ar-AAogQhZ?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp One Florida agency put out a want ad for python killers]</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Irula language]]
* [[Tondaimandalam|Tondai Nadu]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Irula people}}
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Irulas|volume=14| page=853 |short=x}}
* {{cite web | title=fwc news: Irula tribesmen and detector dogs help UF/IFAS and FWC remove pythons in Florida | website=Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission | date=23 January 2017 | url=http://myfwc.com/news/news-releases/2017/january/23/python-projects/ | access-date=23 September 2018}}
*{{cite web | title=One Florida agency put out a want ad for python killers | website=msn.com | date=15 March 2017 | url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/one-florida-agency-put-out-a-want-ad-for-python-killers/ar-AAogQhZ?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315085139/http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/one-florida-agency-put-out-a-want-ad-for-python-killers/ar-AAogQhZ?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp | archive-date=15 March 2017 | url-status=dead}}
*[http://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/jportal_derivate_00036471/wp_2007_031.pdf "Building a better Rat Trap: Technological Innovation, Human Capital and the Irular" - Economic Research Paper about the Irula]
* [http://kerala.gov.in/docs/publication/2014/kc/march/34.pdf "Irular: The Seekers of light" - Article by G. S. Unnikrishnan Nair in ''Kerala Calling'' March 2014]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

[[Category:Tamil society]]
[[Category:Social groups of India]]
[[Category:Social groups of Kerala]]
[[Category:Social groups of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Social groups of Puducherry]]
[[Category:Scheduled Tribes of Kerala]]
[[Category:Scheduled Tribes of Tamil Nadu]]

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Irula people