Tamil Brahmin: Difference between revisions

What links here Related changes Page information Get shortened URL
Created by ImportMaster
Last edited January 21, 2026
VisualWikitext
m robot: import pages using Special:Import
 
expanded content
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Overview of the Tamil-speaking Brahmins in India}}
{{Short description|Ethnoreligious community of Hindu Brahmins}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
Line 7: Line 8:
| caption          = A Tamil Brahmin wedding ceremony
| caption          = A Tamil Brahmin wedding ceremony
| poptime          =  
| poptime          =  
| popplace        = [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Karnataka]], [[Telangana]], [[Kerala]], and [[Andhra Pradesh]]
| popplace        = [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Karnataka]], [[Kerala]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]]
| langs            = [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Sanskrit]]
| langs            = [[Brahmin Tamil]], [[Sanskrit]]
| rels            = [[Hinduism]]
| rels            = [[Hinduism]]
| related          = [[Panch-Dravida|Pancha-Dravida Brahmins]], [[Tamil people]]
| native_name      =
| native_name_lang = ta
}}
}}
'''Tamil Brahmins''' are an ethnoreligious community of [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-speaking [[Hindus|Hindu]] [[Brahmin]]s, predominantly living in [[Tamil Nadu]], though they number significantly in [[Telangana]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Kerala]], [[Karnataka]], in addition to other regions of [[India]] as well as [[Sri Lanka]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://noolahamfoundation.org/wiki/index.php?title=Team|title = Team - Noolaham Foundation}}</ref> They can be broadly divided into two denominations: [[Iyengar|Iyengars]], who are adherents of [[Sri Vaishnavism]], and [[Iyers]], who follow the [[Srauta]] and [[Smarta tradition|Smartha traditions]]. 


==Groups==
'''Tamil Brahmins''' are an ethnoreligious community of [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-speaking [[Brahmin]]s, predominantly living in [[Tamil Nadu]], though they number significantly in [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Karnataka]], [[Kerala]] and [[Telangana]] in addition to other regions of [[India]]. They can be broadly divided into two denominations: [[Iyengar]]s, who are adherents of [[Sri Vaishnavism]], and [[Iyers]], who follow the [[Srauta]] and [[Smarta tradition]]s.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bhattacharya |first=Jogendra Nath |url=https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Hindu_Castes_and_Sects/xlpLAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover&bsq=smarta |title=Hindu Castes and Sects: An Exposition of the Origin of the Hindu Caste System and the Bearing of the Sects Towards Each Other and Towards Other Religious Systems |date=1896 |publisher=Thacker, Spink |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Brahmins/Sri Vaishnavas/Iyengars (Ramanuja.org/Bhakti List Archives) |url=https://ramanuja.org/sri/BhaktiListArchives/Article?p=aug95/0007.html |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=ramanuja.org}}</ref>
Tamil Brahmins are divided into two major groups: Iyers, who follow the [[Smarta tradition|Smartha tradition]], and Iyengars, who adhere to the tradition of [[Vaishnavism]].  
 
Although they form a tiny minority within their society, the Ceylonese Tamil Brahmins have been an integral part of the [[Sri Lankan Tamil]] community since the foundation of the [[Jaffna Kingdom]] by potentially a family of Tamil Brahmins, namely the [[Aryacakravarti]] dynasty.<ref>{{cite book  | last = Pathmanathan  | first = Sivasubramaniam  | author-link = Sivasubramaniam Pathmanathan | title = The Kingdom of Jaffna: Origins and early affiliations  | publisher = Ceylon Institute of Tamil Studies | year=  1974 | location = [[Colombo]] | page = 27  }}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Their community was mainly strengthened by the more recent settlement of Tamil Brahmins from the Iyer caste in [[Sri Lanka]], mostly from the second half of the 18th century.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Team - Noolaham Foundation |url=http://noolahamfoundation.org/wiki/index.php?title=Team}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Sivapathasuntharam |first=A. |date=2016 |title=The Brahmins: A Study on the Traditional Elite in Jaffna with Reference to their Dialect |url=http://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/14326 |journal=Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka |language=en |publisher=[[University of Kelaniya]] |pages=102 |issn=2513-2954}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Muthiah |first=Subbiah |author-link=S. Muthiah |date=2016-10-22 |title=Madras Miscellany: The Aiyar from Jaffna |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Madras-Miscellany-The-Aiyar-from-Jaffna/article16078721.ece |access-date=2024-04-27 |work=[[The Hindu]] |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
 
==Denominations==
Tamil Brahmins are divided into two major denominations: Iyers, who follow the [[Smarta tradition]], and Iyengars, who adhere to the tradition of [[Sri Vaishnavism]].


=== Iyer ===
=== Iyer ===
Iyers are ''[[Srauta]]-[[Smartha]]'' Brahmins, whose members follow the ''[[Advaita Vedanta|Advaita]]'' philosophy propounded by [[Adi Shankara]]. They are concentrated mainly along the [[Cauvery]] Delta [[districts]] of [[Nagapattinam district|Nagapattinam]], [[Thanjavur District|Thanjavur]], [[Tiruvarur district|Tiruvarur]] and [[Tiruchirapalli District|Tiruchirapalli]] where they form almost 10% of the total population. However the largest population reside in [[Nagercoil]], making up to 13% of the city's population.<ref name="hindu.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/Brahmins-seek-reservation-in-education-and-employment/article15305880.ece|title=Brahmins seek reservation in education and employment|date=19 September 2008|access-date=22 June 2019|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref><ref name="ghuryep393">[[#G. S. Ghurye|G. S. Ghurye]], Pg 393</ref><ref name="migrationp5">[[#Migration and Urbanization among Tamil Brahmans|Migration and Urbanization among Tamil Brahmans]], Pg 5</ref> They are also found in significant numbers in [[Chennai]],<ref name="migrationp15">[[#Migration and Urbanization among Tamil Brahmans|Migration and Urbanization among Tamil Brahmans]], Pg 15</ref> [[Coimbatore]], [[Madurai]], [[Thiruchirappalli]], [[Thanjavur]], [[Palakkad]], [[Alappuzha]], [[Kozhikode]], [[Ernakulam]], [[Kannur]], and [[Thiruvananthapuram]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dtnext.in/Lifestyle/Culture/2017/04/09210907/1030961/Approaching-societal-issues-through-the-eyes-of-Ambedkar.vpf|title=Approaching societal issues through the eyes of Ambedkar|date=2017-04-10|work=dtNext.in|access-date=2018-05-20|language=en-US}}</ref>
{{Main|Iyer}}
Iyers are ''[[Srauta|Shrauta]]-[[Smartha|Smarta]]'' Brahmins, whose members follow the ''[[Advaita Vedanta|Advaita]]'' philosophy propounded by [[Adi Shankara]]. They are concentrated mainly along the [[Cauvery]] Delta [[districts]] of [[Nagapattinam district|Nagapattinam]], [[Thanjavur District|Thanjavur]], [[Tiruvarur district|Tiruvarur]] and [[Tiruchirapalli District|Tiruchirapalli]] where they form almost 10% of the total population. However the largest population reside in [[Nagercoil]], making up to 13% of the city's population.<ref name="hindu.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/Brahmins-seek-reservation-in-education-and-employment/article15305880.ece|title=Brahmins seek reservation in education and employment|date=19 September 2008|access-date=22 June 2019|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref><ref name="ghuryep393">[[#G. S. Ghurye|G. S. Ghurye]], Pg 393</ref><ref name="migrationp5">[[#Migration and Urbanization among Tamil Brahmans|Migration and Urbanization among Tamil Brahmans]], Pg 5</ref> They are also found in significant numbers in [[Chennai]],<ref name="migrationp15">[[#Migration and Urbanization among Tamil Brahmans|Migration and Urbanization among Tamil Brahmans]], Pg 15</ref> [[Coimbatore]], [[Madurai]], [[Thiruchirappalli]], [[Thanjavur]], [[Palakkad]], [[Alappuzha]], [[Kozhikode]], [[Ernakulam]], [[Kannur]], and [[Thiruvananthapuram]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dtnext.in/Lifestyle/Culture/2017/04/09210907/1030961/Approaching-societal-issues-through-the-eyes-of-Ambedkar.vpf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180520193405/https://www.dtnext.in/Lifestyle/Culture/2017/04/09210907/1030961/Approaching-societal-issues-through-the-eyes-of-Ambedkar.vpf|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 May 2018|title=Approaching societal issues through the eyes of Ambedkar|date=2017-04-10|work=dtNext.in|access-date=2018-05-20|language=en-US}}</ref>


=== Iyengar ===
=== Iyengar ===
The Iyengars practise the [[Visishtadvaita]] philosophy propounded by [[Sri Ramanujacharya|Sri Ramanuja.]] They are divided into two denominations: Vadakalai (Northern art) and Tenkalai (Southern art), each with minor differences in religious rites and traditions. They adhere to the tradition of [[Sri Vaishnavism]].
{{Main|Iyengar}}
The Iyengars subscribe to the [[Visishtadvaita]] philosophy propounded by [[Sri Ramanujacharya|Ramanuja.]] They are divided into two denominations: Vadakalai (Northern art) and Tenkalai (Southern art), each with minor differences in religious rites and traditions. They adhere to the tradition of Sri Vaishnavism.<ref name="Dutta2007">{{cite journal |last=Dutta |first=Ranjeeta |date=September–October 2007 |title=Texts, Tradition and Community Identity: The Srivaisnavas of South India |journal=Social Scientist |volume=35 |issue=9/10 |pages=22–43 |jstor=27644238}} {{subscription required}}</ref> Temple priests of the Sri Vaishnavite tradition are called Bhattacharyar or Bhattar.


The Tamil Brahmins who serve as priests in temples in the Shaivite tradition and perform poojas are also sometimes offered a distinct designation. These priests are called "batter" in the southern regions of Tamil Nadu and "gurukkal" in the northern ones.
== Adi Saivas/Gurukkal ==
Brahmins who serve as priests in temples following the [[Shaiva Siddhanta]] tradition and perform [[Puja (Hinduism)|pujas]] are offered a distinct category classified outside the community by the Government of Tamil Nadu as '703.Adi Saivar' and '754.Saiva Sivachariyar' as distinct from the '713.Brahmanar' (Brahmin) in the list of forward castes. These priests are called "Bhattar" in the [[Pandya Nadu|Pandya]] region of Tamil Nadu, and "Ayyan" or "Gurukkal" in the shaivite tradition and in northern ones. In [[Kongu Nadu]], they are called Adi Saivas (among other spellings Adishaivas, Adi-Shaivas, etc.; from Sanskrit {{lang|sa-Latn|Ādiśaiva}}, {{lang|sa|आदिशैव}}), or the Sivacharyas. They follow the [[Agama (Hinduism)|Agamas]] and the [[Vedas]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rajagopal |first=Sharat Chandrika |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BO1OF_fZSDgC&q=gurukkal+agamas |title=Rethinking Hinduism: A Renewed Approach to the Study of "sect" and an Examination of Its Relationship to Caste : a Study in the Anthropology of Religion |date=1987 |publisher=University of Minnesota |pages=368 |language=en}}</ref>


== Notable people ==
== Notable people ==
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦--->
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Bharatpedia ♦♦♦--->
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
* [[Agastya|Sage Agastya]], revered Indian sage of [[Hinduism]], Tamil Siddhar in the [[Shaivism]] tradition, and author of [[Agattiyam]], an early grammar of the Tamil language<ref name="zvelebil_companion_agathiar">[[#Companion Studies to the History of Tamil Literature|Companion Studies to the History of Tamil Literature]], Appendix III, The Case of Akattiyam; Sanskrit and Tamil; Kankam, Pg 235&ndash;260</ref>
* [[Agastya|Sage Agastya]], Indian sage revered in [[Hinduism]], Tamil Siddhar in the [[Shaivism]] tradition, and author of [[Agattiyam]], an early grammar of the Tamil language<ref name="zvelebil_companion_agathiar">[[#Companion Studies to the History of Tamil Literature|Companion Studies to the History of Tamil Literature]], Appendix III, The Case of Akattiyam; Sanskrit and Tamil; Kankam, Pg 235&ndash;260</ref>
* [[Viswanathan Anand]], Indian Chess Grandmaster
* [[Rukmini Devi Arundale]], Indian classical [[Bharatanatyam]] dancer, theosophist, choreographer and an [[animal welfare]] activist<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-03-08|title=Know the Only Indian in Today's Google Doodle? She Could Have Been India's First Female President!|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/90623/rukmini-devi-arundale-bharatnatyam-kalakshetra-president/|access-date=2022-01-16|website=The Better India|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Rukmini Devi Arundale]], Classical Bharata Natyam dancer, theosophist, choreographer and an activist for animal welfare.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-03-08|title=Know the Only Indian in Today's Google Doodle? She Could Have Been India's First Female President!|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/90623/rukmini-devi-arundale-bharatnatyam-kalakshetra-president/|access-date=2022-01-16|website=The Better India|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Ravichandran Ashwin]], Indian cricketer
* [[Indra Nooyi]], Former CEO of PepsiCo
* [[K. Balachander]], Indian filmmaker and playwright
* [[Maadhu Balaji]], Indian actor
* [[Subramania Bharati]], [[Indian independence movement|Indian independence]] activist and poet<ref>{{cite book|title=Indian Literature: An Introduction|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mivv3p-msd8C&pg=PA125|work=University of Delhi|publisher=Pearson Education India|year=2005|isbn=9788131705209|pages=125–126}}</ref>
* [[Subramania Bharati]], [[Indian independence movement|Indian independence]] activist and poet<ref>{{cite book|title=Indian Literature: An Introduction|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mivv3p-msd8C&pg=PA125|work=University of Delhi|publisher=Pearson Education India|year=2005|isbn=9788131705209|pages=125–126}}</ref>
* [[Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar]], Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/who-is/who-is-subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar-nobel-prize-winner-physics-4897568/|title=Who was S Chandrasekhar?|date=19 October 2017|website=The Indian Express|language=en|access-date=2019-01-13}}</ref>
* [[Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar]], Nobel Prize-winning Indian astrophysicist<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/who-is/who-is-subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar-nobel-prize-winner-physics-4897568/|title=Who was S Chandrasekhar?|date=19 October 2017|website=The Indian Express|language=en|access-date=2019-01-13}}</ref>
* [[Seetha Doraiswamy]], Carnatic multi-instrumentalist
* [[J. Sai Deepak]], Supreme Court lawyer most famous for his representations in the case on the entry of women to Sabarimala Temple{{cn|date=May 2025}}
* [[Gemini Ganesan]], Indian actor
* [[Muthuswami Dikshitar]] (1776–1835), poet, singer, veena player, prolific composer of [[Indian classical music]], and the youngest member of the [[Trinity of Carnatic music]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-11-24|title=Muthuswami Deekshitar Day at Ganabharathi on Nov. 25|url=https://starofmysore.com/muthuswami-deekshitar-day-ganabharathi-nov-25/|access-date=2022-01-22|website=Star of Mysore|language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Shyamala Gopalan]], biomedical scientist, Mother of U.S. Vice President [[Kamala Harris]]<ref>{{Cite news|title=What Kamala Harris Isn't Saying About Her Mother's Background - WSJ|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=20 August 2020|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-kamala-harris-isnt-saying-about-her-mothers-background-11597944590|access-date=21 January 2021|quote=Ms. Harris’s mother also figures in another tale told less often: of India’s small and successful Tamil Brahmin diaspora|last1=Dhume|first1=Sadanand}}</ref>
* [[Shyamala Gopalan]], American-Indian biomedical scientist, mother of U.S. Vice President [[Kamala Harris]]<ref>{{Cite news|title=What Kamala Harris Isn't Saying About Her Mother's Background - WSJ|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=20 August 2020|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-kamala-harris-isnt-saying-about-her-mothers-background-11597944590|access-date=21 January 2021|quote=Ms. Harris’s mother also figures in another tale told less often: of India’s small and successful Tamil Brahmin diaspora|last1=Dhume|first1=Sadanand}}</ref>
* [[Kamal Haasan]], Indian actor
* [[K. S. Krishnan]], Indian physicist, co-discoverer of the [[Raman scattering]] for which C. V. Raman was awarded the 1930 Nobel Prize<ref>{{Cite news|last=Srinivasan|first=Mahadeva|date=2012-06-05|title=Not for him the second fiddle|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/not-for-him-the-second-fiddle/article3491088.ece|access-date=2022-01-11|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* [[Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer]], Indian lawyer and member of the [[Constituent Assembly of India]] responsible for framing the [[Constitution of India]]<ref>{{cite book|title=India through the ages|url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada|last=Gopal|first=Madan|year= 1990| page= [https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/191 191]|editor=K.S. Gautam|publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India}}</ref>
* [[Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer]], Indian lawyer and member of the [[Constituent Assembly of India]] responsible for framing the [[Constitution of India]]<ref>{{cite book|title=India through the ages|url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada|last=Gopal|first=Madan|year= 1990| page= [https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/191 191]|editor=K.S. Gautam|publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India}}</ref>
* [[Alladi Ramakrishnan]], Indian physicist and founder of the [[Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai|Institute of Mathematical Sciences]] (Matscience) in [[Chennai]]<ref>{{cite news|last=Staff Reporter|title=Alladi Ramakrishnan, 85, Scientist, Passes Away|url=http://www.indiajournal.com/pages/event.php?id=3846|accessdate=18 August 2010|newspaper=India Journal|date=13 Jul 2008}}{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* [[Ramanuja]] (c. 1077–1157 CE), Indian Hindu philosopher, preacher and a social reformer<ref name="Sydnor2012p20">{{cite book|author=Jon Paul Sydnor|title=Rāmānuja and Schleiermacher: Toward a Constructive Comparative Theology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ae4FBAAAQBAJ|year=2012|publisher=Casemate|isbn=978-0227680247|pages=20–22 with footnote 32}}</ref>
* [[Nirmala Sitharaman]] - Current Finance Minister of India, Bharatiya Janata party.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/a-power-couple-whom-ap-looks-up-to/articleshow/38766320.cms}}</ref>
* [[U. V. Swaminatha Iyer]], Indian researcher and Tamil scholar<ref>{{cite web | url = https://frontline.thehindu.com/static/html/fl2205/stories/20050311001909700.htm | title = The patriarch of Tamil | last = Viswanathan | first = S. | date = 26 February – 11 March 2005 | website = | publisher = Frontline, Vol. 22, Issue 5 | access-date = 7 July 2021 | quote = }}</ref>
* [[Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer]], Indian Carnatic vocalist
* [[S. Jaishankar]], [[Foreign Minister of India]] {{cn|date=May 2025}}
* [[Shreyas Iyer]], Indian cricketer
* [[Kachiyapper]] (8th century), Indian poet and [[Vedanta|Vedantist]] and the author of [[Kanda Puranam]]<ref>{{cite book|last= Pillai |first=M. S. Purnalingam |title=A Primer of Tamil Literature|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JwkrAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA107|year=1904|publisher=Ananda Press|page=107}}</ref>
* [[Venkatesh Iyer]], Indian cricketer
* [[K. S. Krishnan]], Indian physicist, co-discoverer of the [[Raman scattering]]<ref>{{Cite news|last=Srinivasan|first=Mahadeva|date=2012-06-05|title=Not for him the second fiddle|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/not-for-him-the-second-fiddle/article3491088.ece|access-date=2022-01-11|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* [[U. V. Swaminatha Iyer]], Tamil scholar and researcher<ref>{{cite web | url = https://frontline.thehindu.com/static/html/fl2205/stories/20050311001909700.htm | title = The patriarch of Tamil | last = Viswanathan | first = S. | date = 26 February – 11 March 2005 | website = | publisher = Frontline, Vol. 22, Issue 5 | access-date = 7 July 2021 | quote = }}</ref>
* [[Krishnan Raman]] (c. 11th century CE), Senapathi (Commander-in-chief) of the [[Imperial Chola Army|Imperial Chola army]] of [[Rajendra Chola I]].<ref name=" brahmarayar">{{cite book | first= K.A| last=K.A. Nilakanta Sastri| author-link=K.A. Nilakanta Sastri| orig-year= 1935| year= 2000| title= The CōĻas|pages=188–189 |publisher= University of Madras | location= Madras}}</ref>
* [[J. Jayalalithaa]], politician (Former [[List of chief ministers of Tamil Nadu|Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu]]), Indian actress
* [[Ramya Krishnan]], Indian actress
* [[Kasthuri (actress)|Kasthuri]], Indian actress
* [[S. Srinivasan]], Indian aeronautical engineer
* [[Janani Iyer]], Indian actress
* [[Trisha Krishnan]], Indian actress
* [[Padma Lakshmi]], Indian American author, activist, model, and television host
* [[R. Madhavan]], Indian actor
* [[Hema Malini]], Indian actress
* [[Crazy Mohan]], Indian actor
* [[Venniradai Moorthy]], Indian actor
* [[T. S. B. K. Moulee]], Indian actor
* [[Iravatham Mahadevan]], Indian [[epigraphist]] and civil servant<ref name="mahadevan_interview">{{cite web|title=Straight from the Heart&nbsp;– Iravatham Mahadevan: Interview with Iravatham Mahadevan|url=http://www.varalaaru.com/Default.asp?articleid=740|publisher=Varalaaru.com}}</ref>
* [[Iravatham Mahadevan]], Indian [[epigraphist]] and civil servant<ref name="mahadevan_interview">{{cite web|title=Straight from the Heart&nbsp;– Iravatham Mahadevan: Interview with Iravatham Mahadevan|url=http://www.varalaaru.com/Default.asp?articleid=740|publisher=Varalaaru.com}}</ref>
* [[Shankar Mahadevan]], Indian Singer and Composer
* [[Parithimar Kalaignar]] (1870–1903), [[pure Tamil]] proponent and the first person to campaign for the recognition of Tamil as a [[classical language]].<ref name="tamil_nadu_endowments_department">{{Cite web|url=http://www.tntdpc.com/government/tdc.pdf |title=TAMIL DEVELOPMENT – CULTURE AND RELIGIOUS ENDOWMENTS DEPARTMENT, POLICY NOTE 2006 – 2007, Demand No. 46 |access-date=9 September 2008 |publisher=Tamil Nadu Government |year=2006–2007 |author=M. Karunanidhi |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720083730/http://www.tntdpc.com/government/tdc.pdf |archive-date=20 July 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Suryanarayanan biography |url=https://thefederal.com/features/did-tamil-reformist-shun-his-sanskrit-name-or-just-pick-a-nom-de-plume/}}</ref>
* [[Nachinarkiniyar]], medieval Tamil scholar and commentator of the [[Tolkāppiyam]], [[Pattuppāṭṭu]], [[Kaliththokai]], [[Kuṟuntokai]] and [[Civaka Cintamani]]<ref>{{cite book | title=The Tamil Plutarch, containing a summary account of the lives of poets and poetesses of Southern India and Ceylon | last=Chitty| first=Simon Casie| year=1859| publisher=Ripley & Strong| location=Jaffna|page=57}}</ref>
* [[Nambi Narayanan]], Indian aerospace engineer
* [[Paridhiyaar]], medieval Tamil scholar and [[Tirukkural|Kural]] commentator<ref name="MVAravindan_Commentators">{{cite book |author= M. V. Aravindan |title= உரையாசிரியர்கள் [Commentators] |year= 2018 |publisher=Manivasagar Padhippagam | location= Chennai |pages= 348–360}}</ref>
* [[Paridhiyaar]], medieval Tamil scholar and [[Tirukkural|Kural]] commentator<ref name="MVAravindan_Commentators">{{cite book |author= M. V. Aravindan |title= உரையாசிரியர்கள் [Commentators] |year= 2018 |publisher=Manivasagar Padhippagam | location= Chennai |pages= 348–360}}</ref>
* [[Parimelalhagar]], medieval Tamil scholar and Kural commentator<ref>{{cite book |author= Ki. Vaa. Jagannathan |title= திருக்குறள், ஆராய்ச்சிப் பதிப்பு [Tirukkural, Aaraicchi Pathippu] |year= 1963 |edition=3 |publisher=Ramakrishna Mission Vidhyalayam | location= Coimbatore}}</ref>
* [[Parimelalhagar]], medieval Tamil scholar and Kural commentator<ref>{{cite book |author= Ki. Vaa. Jagannathan |title= திருக்குறள், ஆராய்ச்சிப் பதிப்பு [Tirukkural, Aaraicchi Pathippu] |year= 1963 |edition=3 |publisher=Ramakrishna Mission Vidhyalayam | location= Coimbatore}}</ref>
*[[Sundar Pichai]], CEO of [[Alphabet Inc.]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-26|title=Opinion: Tamil Brahmin emigration was driven by opportunity, not socialism or identity politics|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/opinion-tamil-brahmin-emigration-was-driven-opportunity-not-socialism-or-identity-politics|access-date=2021-10-03|website=The News Minute|language=en}}</ref>
* [[V. S. Ramachandran]], [[Indian-American]] [[neuroscientist]] specializing in [[behavioral neurology]] and known for inventing the [[mirror box]].<ref name="Colapinto">{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/05/11/brain-games|title=Brain Games: The Marco Polo of neuroscience |last= Colapinto |first=John |author-link= John Colapinto |magazine=The New Yorker |quote=In 1991, he became interested in the work of Tim Pons, a neuroscientist at the National Institute of Mental Health, who had been investigating the ability of neurons in the sensory cortex to adapt to change. |date=4 May 2009 |access-date=25 January 2022 }}</ref>
* [[C. Rajagopalachari]], statesman, politician, Indian independence activist, last [[Governor-General of India]], Former Chief Minister of [[Madras State]]
* [[C. V. Raman]], [[Nobel Prize]]-winning Indian physicist<ref>{{Cite web|title=CV Raman Birth Anniversary 2020: Interesting Facts About The Nobel Laureate|url=https://www.ndtv.com/education/cv-raman-birth-anniversary-2020-interesting-facts-about-nobel-laureate|access-date=2021-06-23|website=NDTV.com|language=en}}</ref>
*[[Venki Ramakrishnan]], Nobel Prize-winning structural biologist<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-5099742,prtpage-1.cms|title=Common root: Tamil Nadu gets its third laureate|date=8 October 2009|newspaper=Times of India|agency=TNN}}</ref>
* [[C. V. Raman]], [[Nobel Prize]]-winning physicist<ref>{{Cite web|title=CV Raman Birth Anniversary 2020: Interesting Facts About The Nobel Laureate|url=https://www.ndtv.com/education/cv-raman-birth-anniversary-2020-interesting-facts-about-nobel-laureate|access-date=2021-06-23|website=NDTV.com|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Srinivasa Ramanujan]], Indian [[mathematician]]<ref name="Kanigel1991">{{Cite book |last=Kanigel |first=Robert |title=The Man Who Knew Infinity: a Life of the Genius Ramanujan |location=New York |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons |year=1991 |isbn=978-0-684-19259-8|pages=11–12}}</ref>
* [[Srinivasa Ramanujan]], Indian [[mathematician]]<ref name="Kanigel1991">{{Cite book |last=Kanigel |first=Robert |title=The Man Who Knew Infinity: a Life of the Genius Ramanujan |location=New York |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons |year=1991 |isbn=978-0-684-19259-8|pages=11–12}}</ref>
* [[Cho Ramaswamy]], Indian actor
* [[Alladi Ramakrishnan]], Indian physicist and founder of the [[Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai|Institute of Mathematical Sciences]] (Matscience) in [[Chennai]]<ref>{{cite news|last=Staff Reporter|title=Alladi Ramakrishnan, 85, Scientist, Passes Away|url=http://www.indiajournal.com/pages/event.php?id=3846|accessdate=18 August 2010|newspaper=India Journal|date=13 Jul 2008}}{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* [[C. S. Seshadri]], mathematician.<ref>{{Cite web|title=From Proofs to Transcendence, via Theorems and Rāgas – Bhāvanā|url=https://bhavana.org.in/proofs-transcendence-cs-seshadri/|access-date=2020-07-30|language=en-US|quote=We are a Shree Vaishnavite Brahmin family}}</ref>
* [[Vivek Ramaswamy]], American politician and candidate [[2024 Republican Party presidential primaries]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Celarier |first=Michelle |date=August 5, 2022 |title='He's Making Up a World He Wants to Attack': How Vivek Ramaswamy Became a Right-Wing Culture Warrior |work=[[The Information (website)|The Information]] |url=https://www.theinformation.com/articles/the-making-of-a-conservative-culture-warrior |quote=The Ramaswamy family belongs to India's elite Brahmin caste, a fact he mentions several times in his book. 'Kings were below us,' he wrote}}</ref>
* [[Krishnamachari Srikkanth]], Indian cricketer
* [[Sivananda Saraswati]], Indian [[yoga]] guru, Hindu spiritual teacher, and proponent of [[Vedanta]]<ref>{{cite web |title=His Holiness Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati Maharaj |publisher=[[Divine Life Society]] |url=https://www.dlshq.org/saints/his-holiness-sri-swami-sivananda-saraswati-maharaj/ |access-date=16 January 2022}}</ref>
* [[Padma Subrahmanyam]], Classical Bharata Natyam dancer
* [[C. S. Seshadri]], Indian mathematician<ref>{{Cite web|title=From Proofs to Transcendence, via Theorems and Rāgas – Bhāvanā|url=https://bhavana.org.in/proofs-transcendence-cs-seshadri/|access-date=2020-07-30|language=en-US|quote=We are a Shree Vaishnavite Brahmin family}}</ref>
* [[Subramanian Swamy]], Indian politician, economist and statistician
* [[T.N.Seshan]], Chief Election Commissioner{{cn|date=May 2025}}
* [[Nirmala Sitharaman]], [[Finance Minister of India]] (2019-present), former Defence Minister of India{{cn|date=May 2025}}
* [[Tolkappiyar]], earliest known author and grammarian in Tamil language<ref>{{citation|author=Kamil Zvelebil|title=The Smile of Murugan: On Tamil Literature of South India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=degUAAAAIAAJ|year=1973|publisher=BRILL|isbn=90-04-03591-5|page=136}}</ref>
* [[Tolkappiyar]], earliest known author and grammarian in Tamil language<ref>{{citation|author=Kamil Zvelebil|title=The Smile of Murugan: On Tamil Literature of South India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=degUAAAAIAAJ|year=1973|publisher=BRILL|isbn=90-04-03591-5|page=136}}</ref>
* [[Vaali (poet)|Vaali]], Indian poet and Lyricist
* [[S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan]], Indian mathematician and [[Abel Prize]] laureate<ref>{{Cite web|title=Srinivasa Varadhan|url=http://www.abelprisen.no/binfil/download.php?tid=56998|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105070617/http://www.abelprisen.no/binfil/download.php?tid=56998|archive-date=5 November 2016|access-date=25 March 2018|work=Abel Prisen|quote=" I came from a Brahmin community, viewed by the government as privileged, and there was reverse discrimination"}}</ref>
* [[S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan]], mathematician and [[Abel Prize]] laureate<ref>{{Cite web|title=Srinivasa Varadhan|url=http://www.abelprisen.no/binfil/download.php?tid=56998|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105070617/http://www.abelprisen.no/binfil/download.php?tid=56998|archive-date=5 November 2016|access-date=25 March 2018|work=Abel Prisen|quote=" I came from a Brahmin community, viewed by the government as privileged, and there was reverse discrimination"}}</ref>
* [[Ramaswamy Venkataraman]], Indian lawyer, independence activist and politician, who served as the eighth president of India<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-04-12 |title=How Brahmins became invisible in Tamil Nadu’s politics |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections/tamil-nadu/news/how-brahmins-became-invisible-in-tamil-nadus-politics/articleshow/68842141.cms |access-date=2024-07-03 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257 |quote=Though many Brahmins like R Venkataraman, Mani Shankar Aiyar, and Subramanian Swamy shot into prominence in politics in later years, they chose to operate from Delhi.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Rajesh Ramachandran |date=2004-04-02 |title=Take 2 for Tambrams |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/take-2-for-tambrams/articleshow/595669.cms |access-date=2024-07-03 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
* [[Vyjayanthimala]], Indian actress
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Bharatpedia ♦♦♦--->
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦--->
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->


==See also==
==See also==
{{Portal|Hinduism|India
}}
{{Div col}}
{{Div col}}
*[[Caste system in India]]
*[[Caste system in India]]
Line 97: Line 80:
==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
*{{cite journal|last=Witzel|first=Michael|title=Toward a History of the Brahmins|journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society|volume=113|year=1993|pages=264–268|jstor=603031|issn=0003-0279}}
*{{cite journal|last=Witzel|first=Michael|title=Toward a History of the Brahmins|journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society|volume=113|year=1993|issue=2 |pages=264–268|doi=10.2307/603031 |jstor=603031|issn=0003-0279}}


{{Prone to spam|date=November 2021}}
{{Prone to spam|date=November 2021}}


[[Category:Brahmin communities]]
[[Category:Tamil Brahmins| ]]
[[Category:Tamil Brahmins]]
[[Category:Brahmin communities of India]]
[[Category:Brahmin communities across India]]
[[Category:Social groups of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Social groups of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Vegetarian communities]]

Latest revision as of 23:09, 21 January 2026

Tamil Brahmin
A Tamil Brahmin wedding ceremony
Regions with significant populations
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh
Languages
Brahmin Tamil, Sanskrit
Religion
Hinduism

Tamil Brahmins are an ethnoreligious community of Tamil-speaking Brahmins, predominantly living in Tamil Nadu, though they number significantly in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana in addition to other regions of India. They can be broadly divided into two denominations: Iyengars, who are adherents of Sri Vaishnavism, and Iyers, who follow the Srauta and Smarta traditions.[1][2]

Although they form a tiny minority within their society, the Ceylonese Tamil Brahmins have been an integral part of the Sri Lankan Tamil community since the foundation of the Jaffna Kingdom by potentially a family of Tamil Brahmins, namely the Aryacakravarti dynasty.[3][4] Their community was mainly strengthened by the more recent settlement of Tamil Brahmins from the Iyer caste in Sri Lanka, mostly from the second half of the 18th century.[5][4][6]

Denominations[edit | edit source]

Tamil Brahmins are divided into two major denominations: Iyers, who follow the Smarta tradition, and Iyengars, who adhere to the tradition of Sri Vaishnavism.

Iyer[edit | edit source]

Main article: Iyer

Iyers are Shrauta-Smarta Brahmins, whose members follow the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankara. They are concentrated mainly along the Cauvery Delta districts of Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Tiruchirapalli where they form almost 10% of the total population. However the largest population reside in Nagercoil, making up to 13% of the city's population.[7][8][9] They are also found in significant numbers in Chennai,[10] Coimbatore, Madurai, Thiruchirappalli, Thanjavur, Palakkad, Alappuzha, Kozhikode, Ernakulam, Kannur, and Thiruvananthapuram.[11]

Iyengar[edit | edit source]

Main article: Iyengar

The Iyengars subscribe to the Visishtadvaita philosophy propounded by Ramanuja. They are divided into two denominations: Vadakalai (Northern art) and Tenkalai (Southern art), each with minor differences in religious rites and traditions. They adhere to the tradition of Sri Vaishnavism.[12] Temple priests of the Sri Vaishnavite tradition are called Bhattacharyar or Bhattar.

Adi Saivas/Gurukkal[edit | edit source]

Brahmins who serve as priests in temples following the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition and perform pujas are offered a distinct category classified outside the community by the Government of Tamil Nadu as '703.Adi Saivar' and '754.Saiva Sivachariyar' as distinct from the '713.Brahmanar' (Brahmin) in the list of forward castes. These priests are called "Bhattar" in the Pandya region of Tamil Nadu, and "Ayyan" or "Gurukkal" in the shaivite tradition and in northern ones. In Kongu Nadu, they are called Adi Saivas (among other spellings Adishaivas, Adi-Shaivas, etc.; from Sanskrit Ādiśaiva, आदिशैव), or the Sivacharyas. They follow the Agamas and the Vedas.[13]

Notable people[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Bhattacharya, Jogendra Nath (1896). Hindu Castes and Sects: An Exposition of the Origin of the Hindu Caste System and the Bearing of the Sects Towards Each Other and Towards Other Religious Systems. Thacker, Spink.
  2. ↑ "Brahmins/Sri Vaishnavas/Iyengars (Ramanuja.org/Bhakti List Archives)". ramanuja.org. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  3. ↑ Pathmanathan, Sivasubramaniam (1974). The Kingdom of Jaffna: Origins and early affiliations. Colombo: Ceylon Institute of Tamil Studies. p. 27.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sivapathasuntharam, A. (2016). "The Brahmins: A Study on the Traditional Elite in Jaffna with Reference to their Dialect". Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka. University of Kelaniya: 102. ISSN 2513-2954.
  5. ↑ "Team - Noolaham Foundation".
  6. ↑ Muthiah, Subbiah (22 October 2016). "Madras Miscellany: The Aiyar from Jaffna". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  7. ↑ "Brahmins seek reservation in education and employment". The Hindu. 19 September 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  8. ↑ G. S. Ghurye, Pg 393
  9. ↑ Migration and Urbanization among Tamil Brahmans, Pg 5
  10. ↑ Migration and Urbanization among Tamil Brahmans, Pg 15
  11. ↑ "Approaching societal issues through the eyes of Ambedkar". dtNext.in. 10 April 2017. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  12. ↑ Dutta, Ranjeeta (September–October 2007). "Texts, Tradition and Community Identity: The Srivaisnavas of South India". Social Scientist. 35 (9/10): 22–43. JSTOR 27644238. (subscription required)
  13. ↑ Rajagopal, Sharat Chandrika (1987). Rethinking Hinduism: A Renewed Approach to the Study of "sect" and an Examination of Its Relationship to Caste : a Study in the Anthropology of Religion. University of Minnesota. p. 368.
  14. ↑ Companion Studies to the History of Tamil Literature, Appendix III, The Case of Akattiyam; Sanskrit and Tamil; Kankam, Pg 235–260
  15. ↑ "Know the Only Indian in Today's Google Doodle? She Could Have Been India's First Female President!". The Better India. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  16. ↑ Indian Literature: An Introduction. Pearson Education India. 2005. pp. 125–126. ISBN 9788131705209. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  17. ↑ "Who was S Chandrasekhar?". The Indian Express. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  18. ↑ "Muthuswami Deekshitar Day at Ganabharathi on Nov. 25". Star of Mysore. 24 November 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  19. ↑ Dhume, Sadanand (20 August 2020). "What Kamala Harris Isn't Saying About Her Mother's Background - WSJ". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 21 January 2021. Ms. Harris's mother also figures in another tale told less often: of India's small and successful Tamil Brahmin diaspora
  20. ↑ Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 191.
  21. ↑ Jon Paul Sydnor (2012). Rāmānuja and Schleiermacher: Toward a Constructive Comparative Theology. Casemate. pp. 20–22 with footnote 32. ISBN 978-0227680247.
  22. ↑ Viswanathan, S. (26 February – 11 March 2005). "The patriarch of Tamil". Frontline, Vol. 22, Issue 5. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  23. ↑ Pillai, M. S. Purnalingam (1904). A Primer of Tamil Literature. Ananda Press. p. 107.
  24. ↑ Srinivasan, Mahadeva (5 June 2012). "Not for him the second fiddle". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  25. ↑ K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, K.A (2000) [1935]. The CōĻas. Madras: University of Madras. pp. 188–189.
  26. ↑ "Straight from the Heart – Iravatham Mahadevan: Interview with Iravatham Mahadevan". Varalaaru.com.
  27. ↑ M. Karunanidhi (2006–2007). "TAMIL DEVELOPMENT – CULTURE AND RELIGIOUS ENDOWMENTS DEPARTMENT, POLICY NOTE 2006 – 2007, Demand No. 46" (PDF). Tamil Nadu Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
  28. ↑ "Suryanarayanan biography".
  29. ↑ M. V. Aravindan (2018). உரையாசிரியர்கள் [Commentators]. Chennai: Manivasagar Padhippagam. pp. 348–360.
  30. ↑ Ki. Vaa. Jagannathan (1963). திருக்குறள், ஆராய்ச்சிப் பதிப்பு [Tirukkural, Aaraicchi Pathippu] (3 ed.). Coimbatore: Ramakrishna Mission Vidhyalayam.
  31. ↑ Colapinto, John (4 May 2009). "Brain Games: The Marco Polo of neuroscience". The New Yorker. Retrieved 25 January 2022. In 1991, he became interested in the work of Tim Pons, a neuroscientist at the National Institute of Mental Health, who had been investigating the ability of neurons in the sensory cortex to adapt to change.
  32. ↑ "CV Raman Birth Anniversary 2020: Interesting Facts About The Nobel Laureate". NDTV.com. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  33. ↑ Kanigel, Robert (1991). The Man Who Knew Infinity: a Life of the Genius Ramanujan. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 11–12. ISBN 978-0-684-19259-8.
  34. ↑ Staff Reporter (13 July 2008). "Alladi Ramakrishnan, 85, Scientist, Passes Away". India Journal. Retrieved 18 August 2010.[permanent dead link]
  35. ↑ Celarier, Michelle (5 August 2022). "'He's Making Up a World He Wants to Attack': How Vivek Ramaswamy Became a Right-Wing Culture Warrior". The Information. The Ramaswamy family belongs to India's elite Brahmin caste, a fact he mentions several times in his book. 'Kings were below us,' he wrote
  36. ↑ "His Holiness Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati Maharaj". Divine Life Society. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  37. ↑ "From Proofs to Transcendence, via Theorems and Rāgas – Bhāvanā". Retrieved 30 July 2020. We are a Shree Vaishnavite Brahmin family
  38. ↑ Kamil Zvelebil (1973), The Smile of Murugan: On Tamil Literature of South India, BRILL, p. 136, ISBN 90-04-03591-5
  39. ↑ "Srinivasa Varadhan". Abel Prisen. Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2018. I came from a Brahmin community, viewed by the government as privileged, and there was reverse discrimination
  40. ↑ "How Brahmins became invisible in Tamil Nadu's politics". The Times of India. 12 April 2019. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 3 July 2024. Though many Brahmins like R Venkataraman, Mani Shankar Aiyar, and Subramanian Swamy shot into prominence in politics in later years, they chose to operate from Delhi.
  41. ↑ Rajesh Ramachandran (2 April 2004). "Take 2 for Tambrams". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tamil_Brahmin&oldid=458244"
Discover more