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| Large number of people from the community are serving the nation as militiary men. Large number of people serving the tamilnadu police department. | Large number of people from the community are serving the nation as militiary men. Large number of people serving the tamilnadu police department. | ||
| === The other branches of the Mukulathhor caste around the World === | |||
| Members of these castes are also found in the ] across the world, the word AGAM-PADAIYAR, or AGAP-PADAI, has a similarity with the surname AGAMPADI, in ] which is used amongst one of the sub castes in the ] Salagama ] ("]",). | |||
| HEWA = SOLDIER, PANNE = REGIMENT, the name "AGAMPADI", (AGAMPU)+(ADI=TO HIT) or "AGAMPODI" is used in front of their surnames, (e.g.): Agampadi Thabrew, Agampodi De Zoysa, Agampodi Mendis, Agampadi Jayathileke, Agampadi Abeysekara, etc... They are very proud of the military tradition of their ancestors. According to a legend, their ancestors were mercenary soldiers, from South India, who were brought to protect Royal Palaces as guards and to fight wars. They were highly trained in Martial Arts, Sword Fighting, etc. They were considered like ]es & the King allowed these Agampadi soldiers, to wear a red ] to distinguish them from the common soldiers. They were supposed to have fought valiantly against the ]. There were apparently, several military camps in the southern part of Srilanka & some of these soldiers married local Salagama women & got assimilated into the Salagama caste. | |||
| Some of them have embraced Christianity. There was a familiar priest in Tirunelveli - ] who was given a status of Sainthood by the local people for his exemplary living and generosity. He and his wife were buried near the church at Pannaivilai. His descendants and relatives were also serving as pastors such as Rev Jeevanandam, Rev M D Joshva in the Church of South India. One of his family person is working as a Professor at ]. His name is Rev Dr Joshva Raja. They come originally from ]. The commonly used titles & surnames of this community, are Thevar, Nattaar(not Nadar), Thalaivar, Ambalakarar, vandaiyars, salvars, kaduvettiar, Agamudaiya Mudaliar. The titles differ according to the region they live. Women use the title ], and it's a general practice in Southern Tamil Nadu to address a Thevar woman as "Nachchiyaar". In present day "nachiyaar" become "]". | |||
| ==The code of suicide by warriors or maravars in ancient tamilnadu== | ==The code of suicide by warriors or maravars in ancient tamilnadu== | ||
Revision as of 08:56, 11 September 2007
Mukkulathor or Mukulathaar (Tamil: முக்குலத்தோர்) literally means the trinity of ancient royal lineages. The title refers specifically to three related Tamil aristocratic and warrior clans that once ruled South India and Sri Lanka. . The trinity comprises Kallar, Maravar and Agamudaiyar.They were the rulers of ancient tamilnadu. They carry the title "Thevar", meaning 'divine being' appended to their names. They are Tamils and were traditionally Hindus while some had become Christians. Today they constitute a significant part of Tamil community in India, Sri Lanka and among the diaspora around the world.
Origins
Kallar
Kallars along with Maravars and Agamudaiyar are an ancient martial caste in TamilNadu, South India. Kallar, Maravar, Agamudayar, are all originated from the ancient Tamil race called kalabhrar of the ancient Indian subcontinent.
"Kallar" (Tamil: கள்ளர்) as a fearless tribe show many signs of independence and non-submission to any form of subjugation. Throughout Tamil history, they had fought against incursions into their territory, including the repulsion of Muslim and British colonialists. They were expert soldiers and in the olden days, were often favoured by the Tamil Kings in their military recruitment. One of the weapons the Kallars have in common with the Australian natives is the boomerang. They were, and still are, largely farmers as well.
Kallars are found largely in Madurai, Sivagangai, Tanjavur, Trichy, Theni and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu. One of their popular deities is Kallazhagar who is a warrior form of Lord Thirumal or Venkadavan. This Kallazhagar temple is one of the 108 vaishnava Divya Desam's and is located 18 kms from Madurai.
"Piramalai Kallar" is one important subcaste of the main Kallar groups. They are the most conservative group and to date maintain indigenous rituals that are recorded even in the most ancient of the Tamil literature that goes back to 300 years B.C. They are found mostly in the districts of Madurai and Theni. One of their most hurtful experiences in their lives was the deep humiliation by the British Colonialists who attempted to confine all male members of the community to stand all night within a circle drawn on the ground. Muthu Ramalinga Thevar, a highly popular community leader successfully fought against this subjugation. Their popular deity is Amman, the Mother Goddess.
"Ambalakkaarar" is another subcaste found mostly in the east of Madurai.
Servai is a sub caste of Mukkulathor found mostly around ramanathapuram district
Maravar
Maravar (Tamil: Veerar, upper caste) are one of the earliest social groups to be mentioned by the Sangam Tamil literature, thus indicating an age old association with Tamil lands of at least 2,000 years. They are mentioned by the authors as part of the landscape beyond settled life in cities in the ancient Tamilakam. Maravar means, in Tamil, a warrior. Maravars are the courageous breed and were involved in the major wars that Tamilnadu witnessed.
Nativist roots
Other historians postulate that Maravar is derived from Tamil language term Marutham for a kind of place (called as Thinnai). They originally lived in (See Ancient Tamil country). The name of the city Madurai is also postulated to be derived from Maruthai and honorific title of local Pandya kings.
Agamudayar
Also known as Agam Padaiyar or defending soldiers (or in pure Tamil, Agam udayar means: Agam - prestige, Udayar - having) indicating a specialization as soldiers. Agam can also be compared with heart, (as in "Agathin Azhagu Mugathil Theriyum"), and can be interepreted as, people with a good heart. Although their name is attested later in literature, they and the culture is indigenous to the area and are ancient in origins.
Some believe these castes formed as part of military formation of Kallap-Padai or hustlers, Marap-Padai or soldiers and Agap-Padai or defenders, although no evidence has been put forward towards this theory.
"Kallar, Maravar, Ganathathore Agamudayar
The Mukulathor who moved to south & western Tamil nadu and formed the Chera dynasty have later become Pillai (saiva pillai or Nanjil Vellalar). They have no relations with Ettu veetill pillamar and other nair pillais of south travancore.
Legends of the British Era
Marudu brothers: Periya Marudhu and Chinna Marudhu are the sons of Udayar Servai alias Mookiah Palaniappan servai and Anandayer alias Ponnathal. They are natives of the Kongulu street of Ramnad. The Marudu brothers with 12,000 armed men surrounded Sivaganga and plundered the Nawab's territories. The Nawab on the 10th of March 1789 appealed to the Madras Council for aid. On 29 April 1789, the British forces attacked Kollangudi. It was defeated by a large body of Marudu's troops. He was in close association with Veera Pandiya Kattabomman of Panchalankurichi. Kattabomman held frequent consultations with the Marudus.
Pooli Thevar is another legend in Thirunelveli district of Southern Tamilnadu who fought the British during the 1755 and is the first king who fought and defeated the British in India. In several wars before, he was defeated by British forces in collaboration with the Travancore forces.
Padal Vellaiya Devan is the important legend in Thirunelveli district of southern tamilnadu who fought the British with KattaBomman. His son Desakaval Senbaga Devar was also a legend.
Queen Velu Nachiyar, Queen of Sivaganga, from Ramanadhapuram district of Southern Tamilnadu is another noted personality who fought with the British during early British Era.
Association with the Very First Humankinds
Dr Spencer Wells and Dr Pitchappan have found an ancient DNA marker in the blood of Piramalai Kallar that links them to the very first modern humans who migrated out of Africa about 60,000 years ago and travelling through the southern coastline of Asia had eventually reached Australia. From this it is clear that the Piramalai Kallar can be said to be the longest living sect in India and one of the oldest in the world. Yet, this is an isolated case found only among the piramalai kallar sub-caste. Thus it is one another example from the Indian community to be a generous (by absorbing in) but disciplined (by keeping out as a sub-sect) society.
The last significant theory
The above theories (of non-native) come under severe blow because of following reason. If any of the Mukkulathor sub-castes had a different origin with different cultural/lingual/physical identity, it would have sure reflected in today’s social formation of Tamil Nadu. Instead, their significant role towards the Tamil as a language and community prove them to be a native sect like others.
So the less known theory that they might be the last (but late) sect moved from the common origin (such like of a civilization) gets more substance here. Later, it might have taken centuries together for recognition and assimilation of them as one another sect.
In Inscriptions
Inscription, from 1655, records an accord between the Sthanathar, the Chetti merchant community, and the Nattar to contribute fifty Kalanju of gold to the Elunattu Mutt at Chidambaram. Link ]
Current Status
Although a great many of the members are still agriculturalists, many have also progressed up the social ladder as doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, politicians and civil servants. Large number of people from the community are serving the nation as militiary men. Large number of people serving the tamilnadu police department.
The code of suicide by warriors or maravars in ancient tamilnadu
Avippali, Thannai, Verttal, Vallan pakkam, Pun Kilithu Mudiyum Maram and Marakkanchi: the forms of martial suicide and suicidal battle of the warrior as the ultimate expression of his loyalty to his commander. These six forms of martial suicide are defined as described by the works referred to above.
Pulla Vazhkai Vallan Pakkam – the martial attitude of the warrior who goes forth into suicidal battle is mentioned by Tholkappiyam. The other works refer to it as Thannai Verttal. Duarte Barbosa describes the practice among the Nayar (of the Chera kingdom). It was later noticed by British officials as well. It was also prevalent among the Maravar (of the Pandya kingdom) from whom the suicidal Aapathhuthavi bodyguard was selected. Thannai Verttal also refers to the suicide of a warrior on hearing that his king or commander has died (Purapporul Venpa Malai). Punkilithu Mudiyum Maram is the martial act of a warrior who commits suicide by tearing apart his battle wound.
Another form of martial suicide mentioned by all the works except Veera soliyam, is Avippali. Tamil inscriptions speak of it as Navakandam. Inscriptions found in many parts of Tamilnadu provide greater information on the practice. Navakandam is the act of a warrior who slices his own neck to fulfil the vow made to korravai – the Tamil goddess of war – for his commanders’ victory in battle. The Kalingathu Parani(10) – a work which celebrates the victory of the Chola king Kulotunga and his general Thondaman in the battle for Kalinga, describes the practice in detail. “The temple of korravai is decorated with lotus flowers which bloomed when the warriors sliced their own necks”(106); “they slice the base of their necks; the severed heads are given to the goddess”(111); “when the neck is sliced and the head is severed, the headless body jumps with joy for having fulfilled the vow”(113).
The epics of Chilapadikaram (5: 79-86) and Manimekalai (6: 50-51) mention the practice. To ensure the complete severing of the head, the warrior tied his hair to a bamboo bent taut before he cut his neck. Hero stones depicting this practice are found all over Tamil Nadu, and are called Saavan Kallu by locals. The warriors who thus committed suicide were not only deified in hero stones (saavan kallu) and worshipped but their relatives were given lands which were exempted from tax(11).
An area handbook (Tharamangalam) of the Tamilnadu archeology department notes that “the Nava Kandam sculpture which is found widely all over Kongu Nadu (Coimbatore, Salem) is to be seen at the Tharamangalam Kailasanathar kovil also. The people call it Saavan Kallu. “The practice of Nava Kandam existed in Kongu Nadu till the early part of this century.”(12)
A Saavan Kallu at Thenkarai Moolanatha sami Kovil in Madurai, depicting the act of a warrior holding his hair with his left hand and slicing his neck with his right – 14th century – is said to be annually worshipped by the Conjeevaram Mudaliyars.(13) The Conjeevaram Mudaliyars are Kaikolar, a presentday weaving caste which was militarized under the Chola empire and was made into a special military body; there are indications that Kaikolar warriors practiced Nava Kandam(14).
Apart from these codified forms of martial suicide, a method called Vadakkiruththal is mentioned in Tamil heroic poetry. It is the act of a warrior king fasting to death, if some dire dishonour were to come upon him(15). The Tamil teacher, and the Dravidian propagandist, turned the song of the legendary Chera king Irumborai who committed suicide when he was taken captive by his enemies into a compelling theme in Tamil renaissance.
The Avippali form of martial suicide as the ultimate expression of loyalty to one’s commander, is deeply embedded in the Tamil psyche. Senchorru-kadan (the debt of red rice) is a phrase that is widely used today by Tamils as an expression of loyalty. One frequently hears of it in a popular Tamil song. The phrase sands for the ritual of partaking of rice by which Maravar and other Tamil military caste warriors bound themselves to their king or commander to die in suicidal battle for him, or to commit suicide on the day he was slain. Of Avippali, the Puraporul Venba Malai ( 92) says, “thinking of nothing but the red (blood) rice the Maravar give their life as offering in battle.”
The ritual of red or blood rice was described by two Muslim travellers who had visited the Tamil country in the 9th century. “A quantity of cooked rice was spread before the king, and some three or four hundred persons came of their own accord and received each a small quantity of rice from the king’s own hands, after he himself had eaten some. By eating of this rice, they all engage themselvesto burn themselves on the day the king dies or is slain; and they punctually fulfill their promise.”(16) In modern times it has been observed that “when a Maravar takes food in the house of a stranger, he will take a pinch of earth and put it on the food before he commences his meal.”(17) This act freed him from the debt of blood rice.
Some also committed suicide by eating bricks.
Other version
Kallar, Maravar, Agamudaiyar basically are the Pandiyan caste who formed the Pandiyan Army.
Kallar mainly lived and are still populas on the northern pandian territory or Thanjavur, Thiruchirappalli, Dindugal, Madurai districts.
Agamudaiyar formed the police force and did security jobs. They bascially stood guard for Temple, Farm lands, Nadan hamlets. They are called servai in Thirunalveli, Thoothukudi districts. Maruthu Sagothararkal are marked for their guard of Kalayar koil against the war with british. They are scaterd all thro Pandiyan Territory mainly to all temple cities.
Maravar are brave warriors who met head-on. They lived and are still populas on the northern Pandian Territory next to Kallar belt in the districts of Ramnad, Madurai, Raja Palayam, Thirunelveli. They shared the rulling titles of Pandiyans for their bravery. Raja of Ramnad is the fact for this.
When the pandian suffered defeat at the hands of Nayaks and Muslims of Vijayanagar Empire, These 3 castes stood guard and gave their life in protecting the assets of Maduari Meenakshi temple and its chain of temples down south. For this purpose only they were given the title "Thevar" by the pandiyan ruling clans. They retained the pandian control and still are dominant in the southern pandiyan districts of Tamilnadu.
Popular personalities of the community
LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
- Elangovadigal
- Arunmozhi thevar
- Thiruthakka thevar
- Pandithurai thevar-founder of 4th tamil sangam
FREEDOM FIGHTERS & KINGS
- Puli Devar(First person in india to fought against British and defeat them)
- Maruthu Pandiyar
- Muthu vaduganathar
- Bhahathur vellaiyathevar
- Queen velu nachiyar
- Muthuramalinga Sethupathy
- Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar-Freedom fighter,social reformer,descendant of pandiya kings and known for his relationship with Nethaji
- Mookiah thevar
- Many of unknown warriors from the community participated in the war for freedom
POLITICS
- Nallakannu,Communist leader
- Sasivarna thevar
- T.R.Baalu, Honorable Minister for Shipping and Road transport of India
- Tha.Pandiyan,communist leader
- SS Palanimanickam, Minister for finance India
- K.C.Mani Minister for Cooperation,TN
- I.Periyasamy,Minister of Law,TN
- Thangam Then Arasu,B.E.Minister of school Education,TN
- Suba.Thangavel housing minister,TN
- Sathyamoorthy Former Minister for Commercial Taxes, TN
- Former speaker K.Kalimuthu
- T.Kiruttinan - Ex.Minister & MLA
- Late Ayyanan ambalam
- Former Speaker Sedapatti Muthiah
- Karupasaami pandian M.L.A
- Natarajan, Sasikala Natarajan
- O.Panneer Selvam,Former Chief minister,TN
- L.Ganesan BA, BL MP, Ex MLA, Senior Leader MDMK
- MR.Thangapandian Ex minister
- N.Nainar Nagendran M.A
- V.Karupasamy Pandian M.L.A
- R.Avudaiyappan B.L.M.L.A
- N.MalaiRaja M.A.M.L.A
- Thiru Rama.Subhuramaniyam B.Sc M.L.A
- Thiru Thiruvadanai KR.Ramaswamy M.L.A
- T.T.V. Dinkaran, M.P.,
- Dr.N.sethuraman,MMK,Founder of meenakshi mission hospital,Madurai
- Sridhar Vandaiyar, Mooventhar Munnettra Kazhagam
- Smt.Charubala thondaiman, Mayor,Trichy
- P.M.Mannan,Deputy Mayor,Madurai
- K.MuthuRamaLingam,Deputy mayor,Nellai
- A.Tharmalingam Ex M.L.A
CIVIL SERVICES
- Justice RathnaVel Pandian Supreme court Judge and Chairman of V pay commission
- Pon Paramaguru - I.P.S]
- AiyyarI.A.S
- Periyaiya I.P.S
- Arumugam I.A.S
- Justice R.Gurusamy,Former TNPSC member
- S.N.Karupanan I.A.S
- A.N.Dhyaneswaran I.A.S
- Velladurai,Encounter specialist
- Malaichamy I.A.S - He served as State Election commission officer in India.
- Thiru. Palanichamy, Tamil Nadu State Election Commissioner
- Mr.Rajendran I.A.S Tamil Development, Hindu Religious and culture & Information public relation
- SenthamaraiKanan IPS
- E.Masanamuthu (S.P)
- K.Palanichamy - ADSP - Tiruvallur
- Sankara Vadivelu - IRS - Customs & C.Excise
- Chandra Bose - DC
- Pon Manickavel - S.P
DOCTORS
- Dr.Major.D.Raja,Former Vice-chancellor of Dr.MGR medical university
- Dr.Ramasubramaniyam,Psychiatrist,Madurai
- Dr.Kanagaraj.S - Chennai
- Dr.Shanmuga bhaskar,Transplant surgeon,Chennai
BUSINESS
- PRP groups
- Paul Pandian - Founder of Axes Technologies
EDUCATION
- M.V.Muthuramalingam, chairperson, velammal groups
- Solaimalai thevar,Ambiga groups
ARTS
- Late actor Sivaji Ganesan
- Late actor P.U.Chinnappa
- Chinnappa Thevar, Producer,Founder of Thevar films
- Late actor R. Muthuraman
- Actor S.S.Rajendran
- Actress Manorama-Guinness recorder
- Late actor O.A.K.Thevar
- Director Bharathiraja
- Vairamuthu - Popular Lyricist
- Thiru. A. Ramiah Thevar, President - Indian Film Chamber of Commerce
- Music director Chandrabose
- Actor Prabhu Ganesan
- Actor and politician Karthik Muthuraman
- Actor Vivek
- Actor Arunpandian
- Actor S.S. Chandran
- Actor vinuchakravarthy
- Actor Rajesh
- Actor Senthil
- Actor Sangili murugan
- Actor chandrasekar
- Actor Manoj bharathiraja
- Director Manivannan
- Director Bala
- Director Seeman
- Director,actor S.J. Suryah
- Director Perarasu
- Director Kathir
- Director Balaji Sakthivel
- Director Simbu thevan
- Director Tharun gopi
- Director T.P. Singampuli
- Director T.P.Gajendran
- Director krishna
External links
- http://www.thevar.in
- Matrimony site for mukkulathor
- On Tamil Militarism- The suppression of Tamil military castes
- Genetic structure of four socio-culturally diversified caste populations of southwest India
- http://www.varalaaru.com/Default.asp?articleid=113
- http://www.varalaaru.com/Default.asp?articleid=124
- http://www.varalaaru.com/Default.asp?articleid=93
- http://www.varalaaru.com/Default.asp?articleid=154
- http://www.varalaaru.com/Default.asp?articleid=252
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