Chozhia Vellalar - Revision history

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	{{short description\|Caste from Southern India}}		{{short description\|Caste from Southern India}}
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	{{infobox caste		{{infobox caste

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	{{short description\|~~Hindu agrarian caste~~}}		{{short description\|Caste from Southern India}}
			{{pp\|small=yes}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=July 2019}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=July 2019}}
			{{infobox caste
			\| caste_name = Chozhia Vellalar / Sozhia Vellalar
			\| image =
			\| caption =
			\| languages = [[Tamil language\|Tamil]]
			\| region = Tanjore (''[[Chola Nadu]]'') in current-day [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Puducherry (union territory)\|Puducherry]]
			\| religions = [[Hinduism]], [[Christianity]]
			\| feudal_title = [[Pillai (surname)\|Pillai]], [[Chettiar]]
			\| related = [[Vellalar]], Indian [[Tamils]]
			}}

	~~{{Infobox Ethnic group~~		'''Chozhia Vellalar''' (also spelt as '''Sozhia''', '''Choliya''' or '''Sholiya Vellalar''') is a caste or a [[subcaste]] of Southern India, related to the [[Vellalar]] community.<ref>Gough, Kathleen (1981). Rural Society in Southeast India. Cambridge University Press. pp. 434, 440. ISBN 978-0521239125.</ref>
	~~\| group = Sozhiya~~ Vellalar
	~~\| image =~~
	~~\| popplace =~~ [[~~Chola Nadu~~]], ~~[[Tamil Nadu]]~~
	~~\| languages = [[Tamil language\|Tamil]]~~
	~~\| religions = [[Hinduism]]~~
	\| related = [[Vellalar]]
	}}

	~~'''Sozhiya Vellalar'''~~ (~~also known as '''Sozha Vellalar'''~~) ~~is a land-owning upper [[Caste system in India~~\|~~caste~~]] ~~from~~ the [[~~Indian people\|Indian~~]] ~~[[States and union territories of India\|~~state]] of [[Tamil Nadu]]~~. The Sozhiya Vellalar caste consists of 4 subcastes~~, namely Sozha Vellalar, Vetrilaikkarar, Kodikkalakarar and Keeraikarars. They are a sub-caste of the greater [[Vellalar]]<ref>{{Cite book\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OIAyDwAAQBAJ&q=Chozhia+Vellalar&pg=PT103\|title=Caste, Class and Power: Changing Patterns of Stratification in a Tanjore Village\|last=Béteille\|first=André\|date=2012-04-16\|publisher=Oxford University Press\|isbn=9780199088720\|language=en}}</ref> community.		They traditionally used [[Pillai (surname)\|Pillai]] as a title or surname,<ref name=":0" /> up to the political hegemony of [[Dravidianism]] in the state of [[Tamil Nadu]], where they essentially come from.

	==~~Origin~~==		==Distribution==
	Sozhiya Vellalars were the ~~chieftains and land-owning agriculturalists of~~ [[~~Chola dynasty~~]]~~. They use the title~~ [[~~Pillai~~ (~~surname~~)\|~~Pillai~~]]~~. The term ''Pillai'' literally means "child" in~~ [[~~Tamil language~~]]. [[~~Tamil inscriptions~~]] ~~of ancient Sangam era define the direct meaning of Pillai~~ as ~~"Child of King" (prince), denoting nobility. This is due to the fact that Sozhiya vellalars held important positions~~ in the ~~king's administration~~, ~~mainly for their skill with numbers, maintaining treasury~~ and ~~accounts. The term "Kanakku Pillai" (Kanakku meaning Mathematics, in other words, numbers) originates from the fact that Pillai caste people were the record keepers or treasurers for kings~~.		The Sozhiya Vellalars were present predominantly in the [[Cauvery]] [[Delta (river)\|delta]] districts of Tamil Nadu — [[Thanjavur district\|Thanjavur]], [[Mayiladuthurai district\|Mayuram]], [[Nagapattinam district\|Nagappattinam]] and [[Tiruvarur district\|Thiruvarur]] — as well in a lesser extent in the neighbouring [[Tiruchirappalli district\|Trichy]], [[Karur district\|Karur]] and [[Namakkal district\|Namakkal]].

	==~~Distribution and migration~~==		==History==
	~~The~~ Sozhiya ~~Vellalars were present predominantly~~ in the ~~delta districts~~ of Tamil Nadu - ~~Trichy~~, ~~Thanjavur, Karur, Namakkal, Mannargudi, Nagappattinam~~. ~~Nowadays they are present in almost all~~ the ~~districts~~ of ~~Tamil Nadu~~.{{~~Citation needed~~\|~~date~~=~~December 2018~~}}		Their name, ''Sozhiya'' or ''Chozhia'', reflects this geographical particularity, as a population concentrated in the heart of the ancient [[Chola kingdom]] or ''[[Chola Nadu]]'', which corresponds to the Tanjore region.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book \|title=People of India: Tamil Nadu \|date=1997 \|publisher=Affiliated East-West Press \|isbn=978-81-85938-88-2 \|editor-last=Singh \|editor-first=K. S. \|edition=1. publ \|series=People of India / Anthropological Survey India. K. S. Singh \|volume=XL \|location=Madras \|editor-last2=Thirumalai \|editor-first2=R. \|editor-last3=Manoharan \|editor-first3=S.}}</ref> They are among the few communities to hold this title, along with notably the Chozhia [[Chettiar\|Chettiars]] and Chozhia [[Iyer\|Iyers]].<ref name=":0" /> The title of these communities is more indicative of their very ancient ties with the Tanjore region, rather than proof of direct kinship with the Chola dynasty.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book \|last=Béteille \|first=André \|title=Caste, Class, and Power : Changing Patterns of Stratification in a Tanjore Village \|publisher=[[University of California Press]] \|year=1965 \|isbn=9780520020535 \|location=Berkeley \|oclc=411150}}</ref> They have historically formed a large population in this area.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":1" />

	~~Though~~ the ~~distribution~~ of the ~~community is found in~~ most ~~of the districts~~, ~~they migrated to~~ the ~~other parts~~ of ~~Tamil Nadu~~ from ~~Trichy~~ and ~~Thanjavur areas towards the middle~~ and ~~second half~~ of the ~~19th century. As they moved~~ in, ~~they always followed~~ the ~~river bed areas for settlement. Thus~~, ~~the said~~ community ~~when came~~ to ~~Salem District they initially settled at Palamedu~~. ~~When~~ their ~~life at Palamedu became difficult due to Theechati Kolliyars~~ (~~Dacoits with fire~~) ~~they moved out. Of these~~ the ~~persons who moved to Pandamangalam area were farmers~~ and the ~~traders moved into Proper Salem~~. ~~They settled as trader dealing in betel leaves and thus earning the~~ name ~~Vatrilaikarar.~~{{~~Citation needed~~\|~~date~~=~~December 2018~~}}		In the work named ''[[Castes and Tribes of Southern India]]'', published in 1909, colonial anthropologist [[Edgar Thurston]] notes that the most eminent ''pandaram'', ''thambiran'' and ''oduvar'' – who significantly make up the ecclesiastical body or administrative and managerial bodies of [[Shaivism\|Shaivite]] monasteries ([[adheenam]]) and temples – are notably drawn from the Chozhia Vellalar community.<ref name=":1">{{cite wikisource\|first=\|last=\|year=\|plaintitle=Castes and Tribes of Southern India\|wslink=Castes and Tribes of Southern India\|wspage=\|chapter=Vellāla\|page=\|publisher=\|scan=}}</ref> He also makes the paradoxical observation that in his times, the Chozhia Vellalars are also sometimes perceived as being of dubious ancestry or legitimacy, as it is also to their community that some ''[[parvenu]]'' individuals seeking to improve their social status try to affiliate themselves.<ref name=":1" />

			In their studies of the social setting in rural southeastern India (especially Tanjore) in the second half of the twentieth century, anthropologists [[Kathleen Gough]] and [[André Beteille\|André Béteille]] report that the general social perception of the Chozhia Vellalars was that of an upper caste.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite book \|last=Gough \|first=Kathleen \|title=Rural change in southeast India : 1950s to 1980s \|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] \|year=1989 \|isbn=9780195622768 \|location=New Delhi \|oclc=20179784}}</ref> Although, depending on the locality, they were not a dominant caste.<ref name=":3" /> The socio-economic conditions of the community were diverse, although there was a predominance of people engaged in agriculture, with both landowners and tenant farmers.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":3" />

	==~~Sri Lanka~~==		== Present status ==
	~~{{Main\|Sri Lankan Vellalar}}~~
	~~The Vellalars of Sri Lanka have been chronicled~~ in the ''[[~~Yalpana Vaipava Malai~~]]'~~' and other historical texts of the~~ [[~~Jaffna kingdom~~]]. ~~They form half~~ of the [[~~Sri Lankan Tamils\|Sri Lankan Tamil~~]] ~~population~~ and ~~are~~ the ~~major~~ [[~~Husbandman~~\|~~husbandmen~~]]~~, involved in tillage and cattle cultivation~~.<ref>{{Cite ~~journal~~\|last=~~Fernando~~\|first=A. ~~Denis N~~.\|date=~~1987~~\|title=~~PENINSULAR JAFFNA FROM ANCIENT TO MEDIEVAL TIMES: Its Significant Historical and Settlement Aspects~~\|~~journal~~=~~Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka~~\|~~volume~~=32\|~~page~~=84\|~~jstor~~=~~23731055~~}}</ref>~~Local Sri Lankan literature, such as the ''Kailiyai Malai'', an account on~~ [[~~Kalinga Magha~~]]~~, narrates the migration of Vellala Nattar chiefs from the~~ [[~~Coromandel Coast~~]] ~~to Sri Lanka.The Kings of Jaffna married among the Vellalas.~~		Before 1975 in the state of Tamil Nadu they were classified as [[Forward caste]], but due to their economical situation, as well as [[Caste politics\|caste-based regional politics]], they were reclassified as [[Other Backward Class]] under India's [[Reservation in India\|Reservation]] system.<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://bcmbcmw.tn.gov.in/bclist.htm\|title=List of Backward Classes approved by Government of Tamil Nadu }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last=Racine \|first=Jean-Luc \|title=Rise of the plebeians? the changing face of Indian legislative assemblies \|date=2009 \|publisher=[[Routledge]] \|isbn=978-0-415-46092-7 \|editor-last=Jaffrelot \|editor-first=Christophe \|series=Exploring the political in South Asia \|location=New Delhi \|pages=445-450 \|chapter=(9) Caste and Beyond in Tamil Politics \|oclc=473822352 \|editor-last2=Kumar \|editor-first2=Sanjay}}</ref> Till 2015, they were still classified as Forward caste in the [[Union Territory of Puducherry\|Union Territory of Pondicherry]].<ref>{{Cite book \|last=Singh \|first=K. S. \|title=People of India : Pondicherry \|last2=Ramadass \|first2=M. \|last3=Naidu \|first3=Thalapaneni Subramanyam \|last4=Xaviour \|first4=D. \|publisher=Affiliated East-West Press \|year=1994 \|isbn=9788185938257 \|series=People of India / Anthropological Survey India. K. S. Singh \|volume=XXXVI \|location=Madras}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last= \|first= \|date=2015-02-13 \|title=Include 2 More Castes in OBC List \|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2015/Feb/13/include-2-more-castes-in-obc-list-716791.html \|access-date=2024-09-27 \|website=[[The New Indian Express]] \|language=en}}</ref>

			==See also==
			{{Portal\|Tamils\|India\|Hinduism}}
			*[[List of Vellalar sub castes]]
			*[[List of Vellalars]]

	== References ==		== References ==
	{{reflist}}		{{reflist}}
	~~==See also==~~
	*[[List of Vellalar sub castes]]

	[[Category:Vellalar]]		[[Category:Vellalar clans]]
	[[Category:Social groups of Tamil Nadu]]		[[Category:Social groups of Tamil Nadu]]
			[[Category:Indian castes]]
			[[Category:South Indian communities]]
			[[Category:Other Backward Classes]]


	{{india-ethno-stub}}		{{india-ethno-stub}}

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← Older revision		Revision as of 22:02, 11 October 2021
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	{{short description\|A Hindu agrarian caste}}		{{short description\|Hindu agrarian caste}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=July 2019}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=July 2019}}

	{{Infobox Ethnic group		{{Infobox Ethnic group
	\|group = ~~Chozhia~~ Vellalar		\| group = Sozhiya Vellalar
	\|image =		\| image =
	\|popplace = [[Chola Nadu]], [[Tamil Nadu]]		\| popplace = [[Chola Nadu]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
	\|languages = [[Tamil language\|Tamil]]		\| languages = [[Tamil language\|Tamil]]
	\|religions = [[Hinduism]]		\| religions = [[Hinduism]]
	\|related = [[Vellalar]]		\| related = [[Vellalar]]
	}}		}}

	'''~~Chozhia~~ Vellalar''' (also ~~spelt~~ as '''~~Sozhia~~ Vellalar''') is a [[Caste system in India\|caste]] from the [[Indian people\|Indian]] [[States and union territories of India\|state]] of [[Tamil Nadu]]. The ~~Chozhia Vellalars along-with Keerakarars~~, ~~Kodikalarars~~ and ~~Vatrilaikarars is~~ a sub-caste of the greater [[Vellalar~~\|Vellalars~~]].<ref>{{Cite book\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OIAyDwAAQBAJ&~~pg=PT103&dq~~=Chozhia+Vellalar&hl=~~en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjY1M62o7vfAhXCpY8KHS_NAIwQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=Chozhia%20Vellalar&f=false~~\|title=Caste, Class and Power: Changing Patterns of Stratification in a Tanjore Village\|last=Béteille\|first=André\|date=2012-04-16\|publisher=Oxford University Press\|isbn=9780199088720\|language=en}}</ref>		'''Sozhiya Vellalar''' (also known as '''Sozha Vellalar''') is a land-owning upper [[Caste system in India\|caste]] from the [[Indian people\|Indian]] [[States and union territories of India\|state]] of [[Tamil Nadu]]. The Sozhiya Vellalar caste consists of 4 subcastes, namely Sozha Vellalar, Vetrilaikkarar, Kodikkalakarar and Keeraikarars. They are a sub-caste of the greater [[Vellalar]]<ref>{{Cite book\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OIAyDwAAQBAJ&q=Chozhia+Vellalar&pg=PT103\|title=Caste, Class and Power: Changing Patterns of Stratification in a Tanjore Village\|last=Béteille\|first=André\|date=2012-04-16\|publisher=Oxford University Press\|isbn=9780199088720\|language=en}}</ref> community.

	==Origin==		==Origin==
	~~Chozia~~ Vellalars were the agriculturalists of [[Chola dynasty]] ~~became~~ the ~~Chozia Vellalars~~, if to ~~Pandiya they were called as Pandiya Vellalars~~, ~~those who settled~~ in ~~6 different nations are called Arunattu Vellalars~~.~~{{Citation needed\|date=December 2018}}~~		Sozhiya Vellalars were the chieftains and land-owning agriculturalists of [[Chola dynasty]]. They use the title [[Pillai (surname)\|Pillai]]. The term ''Pillai'' literally means "child" in [[Tamil language]]. [[Tamil inscriptions]] of ancient Sangam era define the direct meaning of Pillai as "Child of King" (prince), denoting nobility. This is due to the fact that Sozhiya vellalars held important positions in the king's administration, mainly for their skill with numbers, maintaining treasury and accounts. The term "Kanakku Pillai" (Kanakku meaning Mathematics, in other words, numbers) originates from the fact that Pillai caste people were the record keepers or treasurers for kings.

	==Distribution and migration==		==Distribution and migration==
	The ~~Chozhia~~ Vellalars were present predominantly in the ~~eastern~~ districts of Tamil Nadu. Nowadays they are present in almost all the districts of Tamil Nadu.{{Citation needed\|date=December 2018}}		The Sozhiya Vellalars were present predominantly in the delta districts of Tamil Nadu - Trichy, Thanjavur, Karur, Namakkal, Mannargudi, Nagappattinam. Nowadays they are present in almost all the districts of Tamil Nadu.{{Citation needed\|date=December 2018}}

	Though the distribution of the community is found in most of the districts, they migrated to the other parts of Tamil Nadu from Trichy and Thanjavur areas towards the middle and second half of the 19th century. As they moved in, they always followed the river bed areas for settlement. Thus, the said community when came to Salem District they initially settled at Palamedu. When their life at Palamedu became difficult due to Theechati Kolliyars (Dacoits with fire) they moved out. Of these the persons who moved to Pandamangalam area were farmers and the traders moved into Proper Salem. They settled as trader dealing in betel leaves and thus earning the name Vatrilaikarar.{{Citation needed\|date=December 2018}}		Though the distribution of the community is found in most of the districts, they migrated to the other parts of Tamil Nadu from Trichy and Thanjavur areas towards the middle and second half of the 19th century. As they moved in, they always followed the river bed areas for settlement. Thus, the said community when came to Salem District they initially settled at Palamedu. When their life at Palamedu became difficult due to Theechati Kolliyars (Dacoits with fire) they moved out. Of these the persons who moved to Pandamangalam area were farmers and the traders moved into Proper Salem. They settled as trader dealing in betel leaves and thus earning the name Vatrilaikarar.{{Citation needed\|date=December 2018}}

			==Sri Lanka==
			{{Main\|Sri Lankan Vellalar}}
			The Vellalars of Sri Lanka have been chronicled in the ''[[Yalpana Vaipava Malai]]'' and other historical texts of the [[Jaffna kingdom]]. They form half of the [[Sri Lankan Tamils\|Sri Lankan Tamil]] population and are the major [[Husbandman\|husbandmen]], involved in tillage and cattle cultivation.<ref>{{Cite journal\|last=Fernando\|first=A. Denis N.\|date=1987\|title=PENINSULAR JAFFNA FROM ANCIENT TO MEDIEVAL TIMES: Its Significant Historical and Settlement Aspects\|journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka\|volume=32\|page=84\|jstor=23731055}}</ref>Local Sri Lankan literature, such as the ''Kailiyai Malai'', an account on [[Kalinga Magha]], narrates the migration of Vellala Nattar chiefs from the [[Coromandel Coast]] to Sri Lanka.The Kings of Jaffna married among the Vellalas.

	== References ==		== References ==

>Sharkslayer87: Restored revision 981324091 by Mr.Sarcastic (talk): Misleading edit

2021-04-17T16:12:04Z

Restored revision 981324091 by Mr.Sarcastic (talk): Misleading edit

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{{short description|A Hindu agrarian caste}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Infobox Ethnic group
|group = Chozhia Vellalar
|image =
|popplace = [[Chola Nadu]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
|languages = [[Tamil language|Tamil]]
|religions = [[Hinduism]]
|related = [[Vellalar]]
}}

'''Chozhia Vellalar''' (also spelt as '''Sozhia Vellalar''') is a [[Caste system in India|caste]] from the [[Indian people|Indian]] [[States and union territories of India|state]] of [[Tamil Nadu]]. The Chozhia Vellalars along-with Keerakarars, Kodikalarars and Vatrilaikarars is a sub-caste of the greater [[Vellalar|Vellalars]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OIAyDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT103&dq=Chozhia+Vellalar&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjY1M62o7vfAhXCpY8KHS_NAIwQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=Chozhia%20Vellalar&f=false|title=Caste, Class and Power: Changing Patterns of Stratification in a Tanjore Village|last=Béteille|first=André|date=2012-04-16|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199088720|language=en}}</ref>

==Origin==
Chozia Vellalars were the agriculturalists of [[Chola dynasty]] became the Chozia Vellalars, if to Pandiya they were called as Pandiya Vellalars, those who settled in 6 different nations are called Arunattu Vellalars.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

==Distribution and migration==
The Chozhia Vellalars were present predominantly in the eastern districts of Tamil Nadu. Nowadays they are present in almost all the districts of Tamil Nadu.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

Though the distribution of the community is found in most of the districts, they migrated to the other parts of Tamil Nadu from Trichy and Thanjavur areas towards the middle and second half of the 19th century. As they moved in, they always followed the river bed areas for settlement. Thus, the said community when came to Salem District they initially settled at Palamedu. When their life at Palamedu became difficult due to Theechati Kolliyars (Dacoits with fire) they moved out. Of these the persons who moved to Pandamangalam area were farmers and the traders moved into Proper Salem. They settled as trader dealing in betel leaves and thus earning the name Vatrilaikarar.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}
==See also==
*[[List of Vellalar sub castes]]

[[Category:Vellalar]]
[[Category:Social groups of Tamil Nadu]]

{{india-ethno-stub}}