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===Christian Nadars=== |
===Christian Nadars=== |
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In 1680, the first congregation of Nadars was started at Vaddakankulam with the conversion of Nadar women and a church was built accordingly in 1685. A permanent mission was established in 1701. 40% of the Nadars in Tamil Nadu are ''Christians''. Some Nadars accepted [[Christianity]] through will and some accepted it due to their aversion to local beliefs. <ref name="The Spirituality of Basic Ecclesial Communities in the Socio-religious Context of Trivandrum/Kerala, India: Reflections on a Distinctively Canonical Institution |
In 1680, the first congregation of Nadars was started at Vaddakankulam with the conversion of Nadar women and a church was built accordingly in 1685. A permanent mission was established in 1701. 40% of the Nadars in Tamil Nadu are ''Christians''. Some Nadars accepted [[Christianity]] through will and some accepted it due to their aversion to local beliefs. <ref name="The Spirituality of Basic Ecclesial Communities in the Socio-religious Context of Trivandrum/Kerala, India: Reflections on a Distinctively Canonical Institution |
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Francis Xavier came to India in the year 1542 A.D.. He concentrated on the people along the sea coast for conversion. A very large number of fishermen joined his denomination. He belonged to the Catholic Christian tradition. London Missionary Society (L.M.S.) missionaries landed in South Travancore, while the Church Missionary Society (C.M.S.) in the north during the beginning of the nineteenth century and converted people to Protestant Christianity. London Missionary Society brought a largenumber of low caste people, especially the Nadars within its fold. Some soil slaves, Pulayas and Parayas also embraced Christianity during this period. |
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By Selvister Ponnumuthan |
By Selvister Ponnumuthan |
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===Early Missionaries=== |
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London Missionary Society sent William Tobias Ringeltaube to India. He landed at Tranquebar on 4 December 1804. Ringeltaube’s attention was directed towards the Shanars of South Travancore. So he studied Tamil, their language and proceeded to Travancore through Aralvaimozhi Pass and settled in South Travancore at a place called Mylaudy in Agasteeswaram Taluk. For his entry, settlement and work, the first British Resident Mecaulay helped much. But for him, Ringeltaube would not have entered Travancore. He laboured there for about ten years and converted the low caste people, particularly the Nadars to Christianity. During his period he mingled with the low caste poor people and very clearly understood their sufferings. He, with the assistance of the Residents brought forth many reliefs to the poor low caste Christians as well as to the low caste Non-Christians. |
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Following Ringeltaube, Charles Mead, the second L.M.S. missionary landed at Mylaudy in the year 1818 and he served for the betterment of the down - trodden for more than half a century. During his period, people under his fold multiplied in thousands year after year and the mission centres expanded from Quilon to Cape Comorin. He brought more missionaries during this period from homeland and expanded the humanitarian outreach through educational, medical and technical services. Mead established mission centres in most of the important places. In those centres he also built churches and schools. |
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===The Nadars in Christianity=== |
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According to the 1815 statistics, during the period of Ringeltaube, there were only 1019 Christians. But this multiplied during the period of Charles Mead. In his first year of service alone more than 3000 Nadars embraced Christianity11. If the head of the Nadar community in a village joined Christianity, he was followed by the whole village. In Agasteeswaram taluk, village after village people embraced Christianity. In all these villages, churches and schools were established by the missionaries. In 1824 the number of congregations nearly doubled, rising to 48, under the care of 27 native teachers, while 47 schools were in operation with a daily attendance of 1,300 scholars. In this expansion the participation of the Nadar community was immense. |
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===Relief from Restrictions=== |
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With the assistance of the Protestant Christian Missionaries, this oppressed community began to shed the restrictions they underwent in the name of caste, one by one. Nadars were subjected to innumerable cruel taxes of the government. From these they wanted relief. When Ringeltaube came around the villages, the Nadar community people made him understand the cruelty of the taxes that were imposed on them by the government. Ringeltaube never missed the chance of relieving them from the burden of taxes by making use of his influence with the British Residents. The Nadars were relieved from Poll Tax, and Professional Tax. This was a great boon to the Nadar community and it can never be forgotten. |
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Next great burden which pulled down the economy of the Nadar community was the Ooliam services to the temples, government and landlords. Converts to Christianity did not like to serve in the Hindu temples18. Secondly they also wanted relief from Ooliam on Sundays as they had to attend the church services on that day. The Christian Nadars got relief from doing Ooliam service to the Hindu temples on Sundays in the year 1815. Again during the time of Mead the question of doing Ooliam on Sundays to the government arose. Relief was granted to the Christians from doing Ooliam to the government on Sundays in the year 1821. But those who refused to accept Ooliam on other days were made liable for punishment. |
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Next restriction was using upper garment, covering the breast by the low caste women. Those women converted to Christianity wanted to dress decently covering their breast. The high caste Nairs considered the women of low caste covering their breast before them to be a sign of disrespect and insult. Hence Munro, the Resident on the request of Christian Missionary, Ringeltaube released an order in 1812 permitting the Christian converts to use upper garments. |
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===Educational Progress=== |
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Of all the progresses the Nadar community attained under missionary efforts, educational progress was enviable. The Christian Missionaries along with evangelism did yeomen service in the cause of providing useful knowledge to all. The first missionary Ringeltaube opened schools wherever he established a church. He taught the students English, Tamil, Mathematics and Scripture. Ringeltaube gets the credit of being the first to introduce English Education in Travancore. |
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Next came Charles Mead who deserves the credit for introducing systematic English Education in Travancore. In 1819 Mead startd a seminary in Nagercoil. His wife and the wives of other missionaries stationed at Nagercoil started girls’ schools as well as boarding schools for the slave girls. Mead also started schools exclusively for the Hindus and Muslims. The seminary started by Mead grew into a Second Grade College in Travancore in the year 1893. This college had produced eminent men useful to hold high posts in the government. Hence it attracted the king and he sought the help of the missionaries for a similar educational work in the entire country. Missionaries established a network of schools based on all their mission centres catering to the need of the citizens of Travancore without caste or religious discrimination. The missionaries also started industrial schools with a view to provide employment. |
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It is worth to note the testimony of the Travancore State Historian, Nagam Aiya (1906) on the educational services rendered by the two Protestant Christian Missionaries, Ringeltaube and Charles Mead. It is as follows: |
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“The Protestant Missionaries, though later arrivals in the field, were the first to introduce English Education in the State. The originator of an English School in Travancore was Revd. William Tobias Ringeltaube, a native of Prussia and a man of great force of character. From 1806, when he came to Travancore, till 1816 he devoted his whole energy to evangelistic work, and wherever he went he carried with him the mission of English Education. He was incessantly preaching and teaching and he established many schools for poor children, Christian as well as Non-Christian. The progress of education through his instrumentality may be gathered from his reply to a query from Col. Munro, the Dewan-Resident of Travancore in 1813. He wrote that there were six schools for the laity. “the instructions that are given consist in lessons of reading, writing, arithmetic” and to Christian children the “catechism and reading the New Testament or religious books . . . The natives are not disposed to send their children to school . . . Books are supplied by presents from the Revd. Missionaries at Tranquebar but not in sufficient number”. Ringeltaube’s noble efforts in the spread of English education was aided, through the recommendation of the Resident Col. Munro, by a grant of land at a nominal rental made by Rani Lakshmi Bayi.” |
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“The most important name connected with educational work in Travancore was undoubtedly that of Revd. Mead. He was a most enthusiastic worker and from the date of his arrival in Travancore in 1817 as a Missionary of L.M.S till his death in 1873, he threw his heart and soul into the work of education. The year after his arrival, ie., in 1818, he founded the Nagercoil Seminary which was the first institution to give regular English Education in Travancore. The great object of the founder in view, was “the communication of religious and useful knowledge”, and the languages taught were English, Tamil, Malayalm and Sanskrit. After a long and bright career, the Seminary has risen to the status of a Second Grade College. It has supplied two Dewans (N. Nanu Pillai & T. Rama Rao) to the State, and the first Headmaster and organiser of the Rajah’s Free School at Trivandrum, Mr. Roberts, was drawn from it. Mr. Mead who had settled at Nagercoil, established several schools besides the Nagercoil Seminary. His long and intimate connection with English Education induced the government to appoint him as Superintendent of Schools in 1855, and in this capacity he did much to further the cause of education in Travancore.” |
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“Mead was also the pioneer of female education in the State. He established industrial schools and did much to bring about the abolition of slavery. As a Judge, Missionary and Superintendent of Education and of the Government Press, he put forth his best efforts for the amelioration of the condition of His Highness’ subjects. After him the L.M.S. did not relax efforts and their remarkable activity in this direction may be gathered from the fact that according to the statistics of 1904, they had under their charge 384 schools with 15,641 pupils |
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Published by Editrice Pontificia Università Gregoriana, 1996">The Spirituality of Basic Ecclesial Communities in the Socio-religious Context of Trivandrum/Kerala, India: Reflections on a Distinctively Canonical Institution |
Published by Editrice Pontificia Università Gregoriana, 1996">The Spirituality of Basic Ecclesial Communities in the Socio-religious Context of Trivandrum/Kerala, India: Reflections on a Distinctively Canonical Institution |
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By Selvister Ponnumuthan |
By Selvister Ponnumuthan |
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Revision as of 09:04, 7 July 2010
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 | This article may be written from a fan's point of view, rather than a neutral point of view. (October 2009) |
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 File:W.P.A. Soundrapandiyanar.JPG  File:Sarath-Kumar.jpg | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Nagercoil, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Salem, Chennai, Kanyakumari | |
| Languages | |
| Tamil, Malayalam | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism, Christianity, Ayyavazhi | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Tamil people |
Nadar (Tamil: நாடார்) "Nadar" (also referred as Nadan, Nataar, Gramani and Shanar) is one of the prominent castes of Tamil Nadu, South India. The term, Nadar, in Tamil literally means "one who rules the land"[1]. The Nadars are also quite commonly called as Annachi (meaning elder brother). Nowadays, the Nadars occupy various positions, including education, politics and mostly retail business.
History
The Nadars firmly claim to be an ancient warrior caste and descendants of the initial rulers of the ancient Pandyan Kingdom of Korkai.[2][3][1][4][5][6]. The ancient capital city of Pandiya Nadu, Korkai, is predominantly occupied by the Nadars. After the Nayak invasion, it is believed that the Nadars were almost wiped out and most of the Nadars lost their wealth due to the invasion. It is believed that the then Nayak rulers of Tamil Nadu imposed Deshaprashtam (ostracism) on the ancient Nadars (Pandyas), to ensure that their rise wouldn't ever happen [1]. The community which was known as 'Shanans' till the 19th century came to be known as Nadars. The title Nadar is believed to be derived from the Nadans, the aristocrats and the highest of the old Nadar community. The aristocrats among the Nadars in those days were known as Nadans and the poor among the caste, who did toddy tapping for a living, were known as climbing Shanars.[7][8]. The poor among the Nadars(climbing Shanars) during early times possessed no agricultural lands due to the Nayak invasion[1].
Rise of the Nadars after the Nayak invasion
The rise of the Nadars began in the early 19th century. Mercantilism played crucial roles in facilitating their upward mobility. The British rule then in the southern districts introduced new frontiers of trade and commerce. The Nadars took this opportunity and made it their greatest advantage. They began to excel rapidly in trade and commerce. The Nadar traders were frequently bothered by the bandits sent by their rival castes. They established sophisticated pettais (fortified compounds) to ensure safety for their goods. Some times they even used their skills in fighting to chase away these bandits. To enhance their cohesiveness and consistent progress in business, the Nadars established sanghams (oraganisation) such as the Nadar Mahajana Sangham and Dakshinamara Nadar Sangham in the early 20th century. After upgrading their economic status, the Nadars continued with their advancement and erected a network of educational institutions. Most of these institutions were contrived to educate the poor and offer free education. They were even able to successively establish a bank (Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank) in that period. [9]
Christian Nadars
In 1680, the first congregation of Nadars was started at Vaddakankulam with the conversion of Nadar women and a church was built accordingly in 1685. A permanent mission was established in 1701. 40% of the Nadars in Tamil Nadu are Christians. Some Nadars accepted Christianity through will and some accepted it due to their aversion to local beliefs. [11][12].
Orthodox customs
The Nadars, like other Tamil castes, perform a number of rituals and ceremonies according to their customs. Birth ceremony, initiation ceremony, marriage ceremonies and death ceremonies are the most important of all the ceremonies.
Birth ceremony
The Nadar birth ceremony is very similar to other Tamil castes. These rituals usually begin when a woman is taken to her parents' home for her confinement and end when she returns to her husband's house after the birth of the baby. Ceremonies like seventh month ceremony, (a ceremony held for a pregnant woman who is pregnant for 7 months), is commonly practiced by a Hindu Nadar. Due to modernization, some Nadars have stopped these practices.
Initiation ceremony
This sort of ceremonies occur after the birth of a child. A baby's ears are pierced when the infant reaches the age of 6 months. Some Hindu Nadar boys have to go through the rituals in order to wear the sacred thread at the age of 12 years and must also attend rituals accordingly for the annual renewal of the sacred thread. Christian Nadar boys are initially baptized and are made to join the church association when the time is appropriate. Like other Tamil castes, the Nadars also conduct a ceremony for girls who have just attained puberty. Some Christian Nadars follow some of the orthodox customs of the Hindu nadars. For example the puberty ceremony is also followed by some Christian Nadars.
Marriage ceremony
The Nadars marry according to their clan. For instance an aristocratic Nadar should marry a Nadar of his status and clan. There are various endogamous clans among the Nadars. An orthodox marriage is usually based on the clan a Nadar belongs to. However some Nadars neglect the ways of endogamy and marry Nadars not of their clan. Usually, a Nadar would marry his sister's daughter or his cross cousin. This practice is quite common in Nadar villages. The Nadars prefer joint or extended families.
Death ceremony
The local Nadar association is usually informed when a Nadar dies. The corpse is bathed and carried in a palanquin in an upright chair-like position. The body of a widow is usually laid down flat. Women don't accompany the men to the cemetery. After the third day of the death, another ritual is held for the widow (if the dead person is a male) in order to remove all her jewelry and most importantly her thali. However these old customs are not practiced by all the Nadars; especially the educated Nadars. [13]
Kalaripayattu/Varma Kalai/Marma Ati
Till the 19th century the martial art, Kalaripayattu, was meant to be practised only by the warrior castes of South India. Marma Ati was a great warfare practised by the Royal Thiruppad Nadans to defeat/kill the enemy without any external injuries. The art was practiced exclusively by the Nadars of Tamil Nadu and by the Nairs and Ezhavas of Kerala. [14][15]
Genetic study
Recent genetic studies on the antigenic variations among south Indian populations suggest Nadars share several genotypic characters with East Asian populations, consistent with the demographic history of South India, and also revealed that there are several genetic markers unique to the group. The study suggested a distinct evolutionary lineage with lesser admixture in the gene pool among groups of Tamil Nadu. The gene pool of nadars show more similarity to the East Asian populations (Tissue Antigens. 2003 Dec; 62(6): 542-7) (Human Biology 1996, 68(4), 523-37) [16].
Notable people
See also
- Pandyan Kingdom
- Nadan
- Villavar
- Southern Kalaripayattu
- Nanjil nadar
- Upper cloth revolt
- Pandya Kingdom
Further reading
- M. Immanuel (2002) The Dravidian Lineages: The Nadars Through the Ages. A Socio-Historical Study. From Indus Valley Civilization to present time. Published by: Historical Research & Publications Trust, 137/H-4 Bethel Nagar, Nagercoil-629004, Tamil Nadu, India.
- Robert L. Hardgrave, Jr.(1969) The Nadars of Tamilnad; the political culture of a community in change. From year 1800 British records to 1968.
References
- ^ a b c d [1] www.hindu.com Cite error: The named reference "hindu.com" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ History of Tamil Nadu, 1565-1982 Page 277 By K. Rajayyan
- ^ Anatomy of a folklore, ottan kathai By M. Immanuel<
- ^ Manadu(Tamil) Page 6 By Tacaratan (Madras, India)
- ^ Natar varalaru(Tamil) By Mocacu Ponnaiya
- ^ [2] www.sishri.org
- ^ Caste in Indian politics By Rajni Kothari Page 100
- ^ South Indian sketches By Sarah Tucker Pg 36
- ^ Caste in Indian politics By Rajni Kothari Page 101-120
- ^ Report of the London Missionary Society, 1847. 1847. pp. 88–89.
- ^ The Spirituality of Basic Ecclesial Communities in the Socio-religious Context of Trivandrum/Kerala, India: Reflections on a Distinctively Canonical Institution By Selvister Ponnumuthan Published by Editrice Pontificia Università Gregoriana, 1996
- ^ The Nadars of Tamilnad, R.L.Hardgrave Jr
- ^ Maharashtra By K. S. Singh, B. V. Bhanu, B. R. Bhatnagar, D. K. Bose, V. S. Kulkarni, J. Sreenath Pg 1505-1507
- ^ [3] www.gemify.com
- ^ [4] www.krishnascience.com
- ^ [5] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov