Sengunthar: Difference between revisions

{{short description|Hindu weavers caste}}

|kula_daivat = [[Murugan]]<ref name="Mines 16">{{Harvnb|Mines|1984|pp=62–64}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Mines|first=Mattison|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u7YwDwAAQBAJ&q=Kaikkoolars+consider+murugan+their+caste+god&pg=PA113|title=Public Faces, Private Lives: Community and Individuality in South India |date=1994|publisher=University of California Press |isbn=9780520084797 |pages=113 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wYjtAAAAMAAJ&q=kaikkolars+murugan |title=Textiles and weavers in medieval South India |first=Vijaya |last=Ramaswamy |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1985 |page=47}}</ref>

| religions              = [[Hinduism]]

| languages              = [[Tamil language|Tamil]]

| populated_states      = [[Tamil Nadu]]

| classification        = [[Tamil people]]<ref name="auto">{{cite book|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/India_Before_Europe/ZvaGuaJIJgoC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=&pg=PA83&printsec=frontcover |title=India Before Europe |first= Catherine |last=Asher |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2006 |isbn=9780521809047}}</ref>}}

'''Sengunthar''' ({{IPA-tt|sɛŋkʊnʈɻ|}}), also known as the '''Kaikolar''' and '''Senguntha Mudaliyar''' is a [[Tamil people|Tamil]] caste commonly found in the [[Indian state]] of [[Tamil Nadu]] and also in some other parts of South India and [[Jaffna]], Sri Lanka. They are traditionally [[Weaving|weavers]] by occupation and [[warrior]]s by ancient heritage.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mines|first=Mattison|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y089AAAAIAAJ&q=warrior+merchants+weavers|title=The Warrior Merchants: Textiles, Trade and Territory in South India|date=1984|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-26714-4|pages=11|language=en}}</ref> They are sub divided into numerous clans based on a [[patrilineal]] system called Koottam or Kulam.

The ancient occupational name of ''Kaikkolar'' comes from the words ''kai'' (hand) and ''kol'' (a shuttle used in looms). The appended ''-ar'' means ''people''.<ref name="Mines2">{{Harvnb|Mines|1984|pp=54–55}}</ref> ''Kaikkolar'' also means men with stronger arms.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&pg=PA491 |title=Ancient Indian History and Civilization |first=Sailendra Nath |last=Sen |publisher=New Age International |year=1999 |isbn=978-8-12241-198-0 |page=491}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Religion_and_Society_in_South_India.html?id=0pTXAAAAMAAJ|title=Religion and Society in South India: a volume in honour of Prof. N. Subba Reddy, V. Sudarsen, G. Prakash Reddy, M. Suryanarayana|first1=Sudarsen|last1=V|first2=G. Prakash|last2=Reddy|first3=Suryanarayana|last3=M|publisher=B.R. Publishing Corporation|page=97}}</ref>

In ancient times they were also called as ''Kaarugar'' (weaver), Thanthuvayar (weaver), ''Senguntha padaiyar'' (soldiers), ''Senaithalaivar'' (army commander) and ''Kaikolar'' (Weaver).<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wYjtAAAAMAAJ&q=+diwakaram |title=Textiles and weavers in medieval South India |first=Vijaya |last=Ramaswamy |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1985}}</ref>

Sengunthars were given the title Mudaliar for their bravery.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vp_la9QMGIQC&q=Senkuntar+India+warriors+given+title+Mutaliyar+their+bravery&pg=PA188 |title=The New Wind: Changing Identities in South Asia (World Anthropology)|first=Kenneth|last=David|publisher=De Gruyter Mouton; Reprint 2011 edition (1 December 1977)|year=1977|pages=188|isbn=9027979596}}</ref> The twelfth century poet [[Ottakoothar]]’s Itti Elupatu, a panegyric on the bravery and prowess of arms of Kaikkola warriors, says they were known as Mudaliars during the [[Later Chola]] period.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ML8yAAAAMAAJ&q=அவர்+வழியில்+தோன்றினமையால்+செங்குந்தர்களுக்கு+முதலியார்|title=Oṭṭakkūttar pāṭalkaḷum viḷakkamum|trans-title=Critical interpretation of the poems of Otṭạkkūttar, 12th century Tamil poet|first=Civa|last= Kan̲n̲iyappan̲|publisher= Mullai Nilaiyam|year=1996|pages=51|language=ta|quote=சூலமும் மழுவும் கொண்ட சிவபெருமானவர். அதனால் அவருடைய பெயர் முதலியார் என்பது. அவர் வழியில் தோன்றினமையால் செங்குந்தர்களுக்கு முதலியார் என்ற பெயரைக் கொடுத்து அப்பெயராலேயே வழங்கப்படுகின்றது}}</ref>

''Mudali'' means ''first'', suggesting that the title bearer is of the first-ranked among people.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YFF9BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA236|title=The Politics of Cultural Nationalism in South India|last=Barnett|first=Marguerite Ross|year=2015|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-1-40086-718-9|page=236}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ALUvDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA229|title=Historical Dictionary of the Tamils|last=Ramaswamy|first=Vijaya|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-53810-686-0|page=229}}</ref> They had also used the title ''Nayanar'' after their names.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Encounters_on_the_Opposite_Coast_The_Dut/SaW8CgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=&pg=PA218&printsec=frontcover |title=Encounters on the Opposite Coast: The Dutch East India Company and the Nayaka State of Madurai in the Seventeenth Century |first=Markus |last=Vink |publisher=Brill |year=2005 |isbn=9789004272620|page=218}}</ref>

The earliest literary evidence about Sengunthar occurs in ''Adhi Diwakaram'', a Tamil lexicon written by Sendan Diwakarar. This dictionary, probably from the 8th century CE, is thought to refer to them as weavers and army commanders, which may be indicative of their dual role in society at that time.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wYjtAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA15 |title=Textiles and Weavers in Medieval South India |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=15 |first=Vijaya |last=Ramaswamy |year=1985}}</ref>

Some were chieftains and commanders-in-chief of the later Cholas. Kaikkolar commanders-in-chief were known as ''Samanta Senapathigal''<ref name="manickam"/>{{Page needed|date=April 2014}} or ''Senaithalaivar''.<ref name="auto"/>{{page needed|date=October 2018}}<ref name="manickam">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WTRuAAAAMAAJ&q=terinja+kaikkolar |title=Kongu Nadu, a history up to A.D. 1400 |first=V. |last=Manickam |publisher=Makkal Veliyeedu |year=2001}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=April 2014}}

Sengunthar Shaivite priests are vegetarian, wear the [[sacred thread]], and shave their foreheads in the [[Brahmanic]] fashion. Both alcoholic and sexual abstinence are valued, as is control of the passions. But when they are concerned with the sacred locus of the interior, meat eating, blood sacrifice, spirit possession, and the worship of small gods are all prominent. Sengunthars thus follow both a priestly model and a Tamil tradition.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Models of Caste and the Left-Hand Division in South India |first=Mattison |last=Mines |date=August 1982 |journal=American Ethnologist |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=467–484 |doi=10.1525/ae.1982.9.3.02a00020 |jstor=643998 }}</ref> The ''Kaikola Teesikar'' or ''Desigar'' who were non-Brahmin priest at temples of [[Murugan]]. Sengunthar community practices both the vegetarian and non-vegetarian traditions.<ref name="Mines 5">{{Harvnb|Mines|1984|pp=15}}</ref>

There are some divisions among Kaikolar based on their traditions.

===Perun Thaali Kaikolar===

Perun thaali Kaikolar, also known as Kongu Kaikolar and Vellai kaikkoolar. Women of this section wore big size of the Thali. Widows belonging this section wore white or saffron [[sari]]s and they were mainly found in the [[Erode]] side of the [[Bhavani River]].<ref name="Mines 7"/>

of double threads and they are traditional [[carpet]] makers. They are mainly found in West region of Tamil Nadu.<ref name="Mines 7"/>

They are called Thalaikooda Mudaliyar( meaning "head refusers"), because it is said that in 12th century they refused to sacrifice the heads of their first sons to the caste poet, [[Ottakoothar]] to compose poem so they were outcast in that time. Talaikooda Mudaliar are originally from Koorainaadu, in [[Tanjore]] district.<ref name="Mines 10">{{Harvnb|Mines|1984|pp=27}}</ref> Now they are found in [[Pondicherry]]<ref name="Martinson">{{cite journal |title=Models of Caste and the Left-Hand Division in South India |first=Mattison |last=Mines |date=August 1982 |journal=American Ethnologist |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=477|doi=10.1525/ae.1982.9.3.02a00020 |jstor=643998 }}</ref> region.

==Sengunthars from 20th century==