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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|A Sri Lankan Tamil caste traditionally involved in toddy tapping found in Sri Lanka}}<br />
'''Nalavar''' ({{Lang-ta|நளவர்|translit=Naḷavar}}) is a [[Sri Lankan Tamil (native)|Tamil]] caste found in [[Sri Lanka]]. They were traditionally occupied in [[palm tree]] climbing and [[Toddy tapper|toddy tapping]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lEBuAAAAMAAJ|title=Tamils and Moors: caste and matriclan structure in eastern Sri Lanka|last=McGilvray|first=Dennis B.|date=1974|publisher=University of Chicago|pages=176|language=en}}</ref> <br />
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== Etymology ==<br />
According to a folk etymology is the name Nalavar a corrupted form of ''Naluvinavar'' (those who decamped), which they gained after withdrawing from a battle field.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ukHRAAAAMAAJ|title=South India and Ceylon|last=Pillay|first=Kolappa Pillay Kanakasabhapathi|date=1963|publisher=University of Madras|pages=161|language=en}}</ref> Another theory suggest the name is derived from ''Nalua'' meaning to climb, in reference to their traditional occupation.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_PSbAAAAMAAJ|title=The Laws and Customs of the Tamils of Jaffna|last=Tambiah|first=Henry Wijayakone|date=2001|publisher=Women's Education & Research Centre|isbn=9789559261162|pages=77|language=en}}</ref> <br />
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It has also been proposed that the name is derived from ''Naravar'' (from ''Naravu,'' ancient [[Tamil language|Tamil]] term for [[Palm toddy|toddy]]).<ref name=":03">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yI4cAAAAMAAJ|title=Early Settlements in Jaffna: An Archaeological Survey|last=Ph.D. Ragupathy|first=Ponnampalam|date=1987|publisher=Thillimalar Ragupathy|location=University of Jaffna|pages=210|language=en}}</ref><br />
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== History ==<br />
According to [[Yalpana Vaipava Malai]] were the Nalavars originally called ''Nambis'' who originally [[Vanniar (Chieftain)|Vanniar chieftains]] and served as [[bowmen]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R2luAAAAMAAJ|title=The Yalpana-vaipava-malai, Or, The History of the Kingdom of Jaffna|last=Pulavar|first=Mātakal Mayilvākan̲ap|date=1999|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=9788120613621|pages=34|language=en}}</ref> A former subdivision among them were known as ''Kottai Vayil Nalavar'' i.e. "Nalavars in service of the [[Fortification|fort]]".<ref name=":03" /><br />
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Under the [[Dutch Ceylon]] was the [[Thesavalamai]] law codified.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Df7QAAAAMAAJ|title=University of Ceylon Review|date=1952|publisher=University of Ceylon.|pages=34|language=en}}</ref> This law allowed landlords to have slaves, and the Nalavars were also employed as [[Farmer|agriculture labors]], and were classified along with the [[Koviar]] and [[Sri Lankan Pallar|Pallar]] under the term ''Adimai'' (slave).{{Sfn|Raghavan|1971|p=109}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wilson|first=A. Jeyaratnam|title=Sri Lankan Tamil Nationalism: Its Origins and Development in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries|date=2000|publisher=Hurst|isbn=978-1-85065-519-0|pages=21|language=en}}</ref><br />
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== Customs ==<br />
The badge and [[Livestock branding|cattle brand mark]] of the Nalavars is the [[bow and arrow]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Raghavan|first=M. D.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fb4LAAAAIAAJ|title=Tamil culture in Ceylon: a general introduction|date=1971|publisher=Kalai Nilayam|pages=179|language=en}}</ref> The Nalavar along with the [[Sri Lankan Pallar|Pallar]] worship ''Annamar'', their [[Kuladevata|caste deity]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Pfaffenberger|first=Bryan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=02RKAQAAMAAJ|title=Pilgrimage and Traditional Authority in Tamil Sri Lanka|date=1977|publisher=University of California, Berkeley|pages=136|language=en}}</ref><br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[Caste system in Sri Lanka]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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{{Sri Lankan Tamil people}}<br />
[[Category:Sri Lankan Tamil castes]]<br />
[[Category:Brewing and distilling castes]]</div>Ajay Kumar