Vanniyar
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| Vanniyar kula kshatriyar | |
|---|---|
| Languages | Tamil |
| Region | Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry |
| Subdivisions | Padayatchi, Gounder, Kandar |
| Related groups | Tamil people |
Vanniyar (Tamil: வன்னியர்), also known as Palli refers to a very large social group of people spread all across South India. Vanniyars primarily live in modern Tamil Nadu where they speak Tamil, while in Karnataka and Kerala they speak their native South Indian Dravidian languages namely, Kannada and Malayalam respectively.
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Etymology
The name Vanniyar is derived from the Sanskrit word Vahni which means fire.[citation needed]
History
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The Vanniyars, known as Pallis, became soldiers and commanders during the medieval Pallava rule and came to be known as Padayatchis.Some Padayatchis retained their rule as chieftains and Poligars after the downfall of the Tamil kings.[1][Full citation needed]
Malayaman
Many castes today claim descent from Malayaman but Dennis B. McGilvray in his book "Crucible of conflict" states "Malayaman is a section of the udaiyar caste in south arcot today, but Burton Stein also finds the title in a thirteenth-century inscription identifying Vanniyar subcastes of south arcot in the left-right caste classification typical of the chola empire"[2]
Moreover, the malaymans were related to kadavas through marriages.[3][4]
Current status
In India, Vanniyar are classified as Most Backward Class tribes.[5] In Tamil Nadu, the government has classified them as part of the Vanniakula Kshatriya class, which they categorize as one of Tamil Nadu's Most Backwards Castes.[6]
Sri Lanka
Vanniar or Vannia is a title of a feudal chief in medieval Sri Lanka who ruled as a tribute payer to any number of local kingdoms. It was also recorded as that of a name of a caste amongst Sri Lankan Tamils iin the Vanni District of northern Sri Lanka during the early 1900s. It is no longer used as a name of a caste or as chiefs in Sri Lanka. There are number of origin theories for the feudal chiefs as well as the caste as coming from modern Tamil Nadu state or as an indigenous formation.
Titles, names, and subcastes
Depending upon the location and status, the members of the Vanniyar caste use titles such as Gounder, Padayatchi, Naicker, Reddiar, Kander/Kandar, Palli and many other titles in Tamil Nadu, Vanniar, Reddiar, Padayatchi etc. in pondicherry, in Karnataka they are called Tigala / Thigala, or Thigilaru with a common suffix of Hebbar or Hebbe or Banjara, Lambani and Nayakar. In Andhra Pradesh, Vanniars are usually known as Anamuk, Aray Mala, Bavuri, Palli, Agnikula , Vanniyakula , Vanne Kapu or Vanne Reddy. In Kerala, they are called Kuravan, Sidhanar and balija Reddiar. There are 92 different names or sub caste/sub titles given for Vannia Kula Kshatriya community.[7][Full citation needed]
Notable Vanniyars
- Paramaanandha Raayar,Freedom Fighter,First MLA Post-Independence, Parangipettai(Porto Novo)
- Kaduvetti Guru, Vanniar Sangam Leader, MLA Jayamkondam
- S. Ramadoss, Founder, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK)
- S. S. Ramasamy Padayachi, Founder of the Workers Toilers Party
References
- ^ Inrum Vazhnthuvarum Kachirayargal
- ^ McGilvray, Dennis B. (2008). Crucible of conflict: Tamil and Muslim society on the east coast of Sri Lanka. Duke University Press.
- ^ Archealogical Survey, of India. "A.R. No 481 of 1921". Archealogical Survey of India. http://www.whatisindia.com/inscriptions/south_indian_inscriptions/volume_12/appendix_b.html. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ Archealogical Survey, of India. "A.R. No 480 of 1921". Archealogical Survey of India. http://www.whatisindia.com/inscriptions/south_indian_inscriptions/volume_12/appendix_b.html.
- ^ Radhakrishnan, P. (17–30 August 2002). "The Vanniyar separatism". Frontline. http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl1917/19170400.htm. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
- ^ "Tamil Nadu Government Caste List". http://www.tn.gov.in/department/mbclist.htm.
- ^ A book by A.K. Natarajan of Vanniyar Sangam in the 1980s. The sub castes are Reddiar, Naicker, Kandar, Vanniya Pillai, Padaiyaachi, Raju, Palli etc.
