Mukkulathor
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Central and Southern Tamil Nadu | |
| Languages | |
| Tamil | |
| Religion | |
| Saiva Siddhantam |
The Mukkulathor people, who are also collectively known as Thevar, are native to the central and southern districts of Tamil Nadu, India. They comprise the Agamudayar, Kallar and Maravar social groups that share a common myth of origin and claim to have once been members of various ancient South Indian dynasties.
Demographics
The Mukkulathor communities live mostly in central and southern areas of Tamil Nadu, such as Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Sivagangai, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Tiruchirapalli and Thirunelveli. They have been recorded as practising female infanticide as recently as the 1990s.[1][2][a]
Although the Mukkulathor own significant amounts of land, the sociologist Hugo Gorringe noted in 2005 that "their educational and economic achievements have been negligible", with many being small farmers or agricultural labourers.[4] The community has mostly been given the status of Backward Class (BC) by the Government of Tamil Nadu,[5] although some subgroups are omitted. They are mostly listed as Other Backward Classes (OBC) by the National Commission for Backward Classes.[6]
Martial arts
Along with the Nadars, the Thevars, traditionally practise a Tamil martial art variously known as adi murai, chinna adi and varna ati. In recent years, since 1958, these have been referred to as Southern-style Kalaripayattu, although they are distinct from the ancient martial art of Kalaripayattu itself that was historically the style found in Kerala.[7] This and other displays of aggression are prominent during Thevar Jayanthi.[8]
Notable people
References
Notes
Citations
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Muthulakshmiwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Pati, Rabindra Nath (2003). Socio-cultural Dimensions of Reproductive Child Health. APH Publishing. p. 123. ISBN 978-8-17648-510-4.
- ^ "TN: Cradle Baby Scheme In Districts With Low Sex Ratio". Outlook. 24 June 2011. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013.
- ^ Gorringe, Hugo (2005). Untouchable Citizens: Dalit Movements and Democratization in Tamil Nadu. SAGE Publications India. p. 59. ISBN 978-8-13210-199-4.
- ^ "Tamil Nadu Public Services Commission: List of Communities". Retrieved 17 August 2016.
- ^ "Central List of OBCs - State: Tamil Nadu". National Commission for Backward Classes. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
- ^ Zarilli, Philip B. (2001). "India". In Green, Thomas A. (ed.). Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia. A – L. Vol. 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 177. ISBN 978-1-57607-150-2.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
karthikeyanwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).
External links