Bharatpedia

Karkarthar

Karkathar (also known as Karkathar Vellalar) is a Hindu caste in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a sub-caste of the greater Vellalar community of India.

Karkathar
Regions with significant populations
Tamil Nadu
Languages
Tamil
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Vellalar, Tamil people

EtymologyEdit

Karkathar (Kar- rain, Kathar- protector) means protector of rain in Tamil .[1]

HistoryEdit

According to tradition, the Karkathar migrated from the Gangetic plains and over time spread over the entire macro region of present day Tamil Nadu. According to satakams, the Pandya country was settled by these people after they had resided in the Chola country. According to historian Burton Stein, this theory is purely mythical.[2]

Historian Usha R. Vijailakshmi observes that Verse 34 of the Karmandala Satakam connects the origin of the Gangas to the origin of the Karakatha Vellalas of Southern Karnataka, as follows: "Gangeya Murthaka pala was born to Lord Shiva and he had two wives; the first wife had 54 sons & the second wife had 52 sons. Out of these Bhupalar, (one who practiced Agriculture) gave birth to 35 Vellala leaders, Dhanapalar, who was into trade, gave birth to 35 Vellala leaders Gopalar, (one who herded cattle) and one Agamurthi gave birth to 1 Vellala leader".[3] The terms Bhupālar, Dhanapālar, & Gopālar[4] refer to the 3 subdivisions of Vaishyas: Bhu[disambiguation needed]-Vaishya, Dhana-Vaishya & Go-vaishya[5][6][7][8][9][10] respectively. According to Simon Casie Chitty, the Karkatha Vellalas of Sri Lanka are classified as Bhu-Vaishyas.[11]

According to anthropologist Nicholas B. Dirks, the Pudukottai region was sparsely populated until the early Chola period. But with the beginning of the Chola era, there is strong evidence of increasing agrarian settlement, the growth of villages, institutions, the construction and expansion of temples.[12] According to the Tekkattur manuscript, the Karkathar were initially divided into Kanāttars and Kōnāttars, each of which had many exogamous sub-divisions. Kōnādu or the land of the king (Chola country) mostly consisted of the regions north of the river Vellar except for the western part of the state where it included certain regions south of the river as well. Kanādu, literally meaning the land of the forests was included in the Pandya country. The manuscript goes on to describe the decline in the position of the Karkathar after the initial golden age due to the fighting between the two branches over various issues such as land, rights to the water of the river Vellar, temples etc. and the subsequent settlement and dominance of the Maravars in the region who were initially imported from Ramnad by both branches. The copper plate inscriptions held by every Maravar community in the region indicates that the Kōnāttu vellalar were victorious in the end.[13]

According to historian Arokiaswami, the Irukkuvels of Kodumbalur who were the main allies of the Cholas from an early period were all Vellalars. According to Dirks, the local sources like palm leaf manuscripts, copper plate inscriptions and many of the origin stories also indicate that there was a relationship between the Irukkuvel family of chieftains and the Karkathar vellalar community and he says, that the Irukkuvel titles such as Vēlār as in Madurantaka Irukkuvēlār, Śembiyan Irukkuvēlār, etc. proves that the Irukkuvels were indeed Vellalar.[14][15] Stein disputes Arokiaswami's claim that the Irukkuvels were Vellalar.[14]

VarnaEdit

The Varna status of the Vellalars is a contested and complex topic, they have been classified as high ranking Shudras by various historians. However the traditional chaturvarna (four varnas) system was inapplicable to South India where there existed only 3 classes: Brahmin, Non-Brahmin and Dalit. All non-Brahmins were classified as Shudras irrespective of their status and function.[16]

DistributionEdit

Areas of Karkathar population have included:

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Citations

  1. ↑ Rajannan, Busnagi (1992). Salem Cyclopedia: A Cultural and Historical Dictionary of Salem District, Tamil Nadu. India: Institute of Kongu Studies (Salem, India). p. 340. ISBN 978-8-19002-880-6. Rulers of the clouds
  2. ↑ Stein (1980), p. 320
  3. ↑ Vijailakshmi, Usha R. (2010). KARMANDALA SATAKAM: POLITICO-SOCIO-CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF MEDIEVAL TAMIL LITERATURE ON THE VELLALA COMMUNITY OF SOUTH KARNATAKA. India: Indian History Congress. p. 430.:"The work connects the origin of the Gangas to the origin of the Karkatha Vellalas of Karnataka. Gangeya Murthaka pala was born to Lord Shiva and he had two wives; the first wife had 54 sons & the second wife had 52 sons. Out of these Bhupalar, (one who practiced Agriculture) gave birth to 35 Vellala leaders, Dhanapalar, who was into trade, gave birth to 35 Vellala leaders Gopalar, (one who herded cattle) and one Agamurthi gave birth to 1 Vellala leader."
  4. ↑ Vijailakshmi, Usha R. (2010). KARMANDALA SATAKAM: POLITICO-SOCIO-CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF MEDIEVAL TAMIL LITERATURE ON THE VELLALA COMMUNITY OF SOUTH KARNATAKA. India: Indian History Congress. p. 430. The work connects the origin of the Gangas to the origin of the Karkatha Vellalas of Karnataka. Gangeya Murthaka pala was born to Lord Shiva and he had two wives; the first wife had 54 sons & the second wife had 52 sons. Out of these Bhupalar, (one who practiced Agriculture) gave birth to 35 Vellala leaders, Dhanapalar, who was into trade, gave birth to 35 Vellala leaders Gopalar, (one who herded cattle) and one Agamurthi gave birth to 1 Vellala leader.
  5. ↑ Rajannan, Busnagi (1992). Salem Cyclopedia: A Cultural and Historical Dictionary of Salem District, Tamil Nadu. India: Institute of Kongu Studies (Salem, India). p. 340. ISBN 978-8-19002-880-6. VELLALAR , Kongu . They are variously referred to as Bupaalan , Buvaisya, Dhevar, Gangavamsam, Rayar and most commonly vivasayee and kudiyaanavar.
  6. ↑ Chitty, Simon Casie (2016). The Ceylon Gazetteer: Containing an Accurate Account of the Districts, Provinces, Cities, Towns ... &c. of the Island of Ceylon. India: Palala Press. p. 230. ISBN 978-1-35811-601-8.
  7. ↑ Karve, Irawati (1981). Biology of the People of Tamil Nadu. India: Indian Society of Human Genetics. p. 19. There is a tradition among the Vellalans that there were 3 divisions of the Vaisyas : ( 1 ) Bhuvaisyas or farmers , ( 2 ) Govaisyas or husbandmen and ( 3 ) Dhanavaisyas or merchants . The last division is claimed to have given rise to the Chettis who originally belonged to the Vellala tribe.
  8. ↑ Nambiar, P.K. (1961). Village Survey Monographs, 13 Kadukkara, Part VI, Vol-IX, Census Year 1961. India: Office of the Registrar General. pp. 7–8. "These people are considered as high caste Hindus and Mr. Thurston classifies them as a sub-sect of Vaisyas. According to Mr. Thurston these people belong to the sub-sect known as Buvaisyas as distinguished from Thanavaisyas. The former are cultivators by tradition and the latter are traders by profession. The word Vellala is believed to be derived from the word Velanmai meaning cultivation and thereby indicating their traditional occupation."
  9. ↑ Nambiar, P.K. (1961). Village Survey Monographs, 13 Kadukkara, Part VI, Vol-IX, Census Year 1961 (PDF). India: Office of the Registrar General. pp. 7–8. "These people are considered as high caste Hindus and Mr. Thurston classifies them as a sub-sect of Vaisyas. According to Mr. Thurston these people belong to the sub-sect known as Buvaisyas as distinguished from Thanavaisyas. The former are cultivators by tradition and the latter are traders by profession. The word Vellala is believed to be derived from the word Velanmai meaning cultivation and thereby indicating their traditional occupation."
  10. ↑ Census Division, India (1965). Madras: Volume 9, Part 6, Issue 13 of Census of India 1961, India Census Division. India: Office of the Registrar General. pp. 7–8. considered as high caste Hindus and Mr . Thurston classifies them as a sub - sect of Vaisyas . According to Mr . Thurston these people belong to the sub - sect known as Buvaisyas as distinguished from Thanavaisyas . The former are cultivators by tradition and the latter are traders by profession . The word Vellala is believed to be
  11. ↑ Chitty, Simon Casie (2016). The Ceylon Gazetteer: Containing an Accurate Account of the Districts, Provinces, Cities, Towns ... &c. of the Island of Ceylon. India: Palala Press. p. 230. ISBN 978-1-35811-601-8.
  12. ↑ Dirks (1993), p. 139
  13. ↑ Dirks (1993), p. 140
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Dirks (1993), p. 149
  15. ↑ Volume 6 of A Topographical List of Inscriptions in the Tamil Nadu and Kerala States, page 47, 49
  16. ↑ A Comprehensive History of India: Pt.2 No special title. 2008. ISBN 9788173045615.
  17. ↑ Mathur (1994), p. 153
  18. ↑ Baliga (1967), p. 121

Bibliography

Further readingEdit

  • People of India: A - G. Vol. 4.
  • Social science and social concern: felicitation volume in honour of Professor B.K. Roy Burman.
  • Raghavan, M. D. Tamil culture in Ceylon: a general introduction.
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