Karkarthar
Encyclopedia
Karkathar is a Forward caste in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a sub-caste of the grater Vellalar
community. Karkathar are also known as Karalar.
. They are also called as pillai which means son in Tamil
.In ancient past, it is said, that people were starving to death because there was no food for the masses . To redeem people from hunger and poverty Goddess Parvati created persons of Karkathar Vellala caste to save people from hunger by teaching them the nuances of agriculture and water management. As these Vellalas were created by Goddess Parvati they are referred to as pillais, sons of Parvati.Even today some of the karkathars use pillai as a suffix to their name ; but the younger generation is wary of using caste titles.Nowadays people belonging to other castes also use pillai as a suffix to enhance their social status.
A Karkathar Pillai can easily be identified with his Gotra name, which is unique to them .
Karkathars are a sub-caste of Vellalar
. The word Vellalar is from the term Velanmai which means cultivation.As the preeminent occupation of the Karkathars is agriculture they are known as Karkatha Vellalas.In the Poonagari Brahmi inscription of Jaffna, Srilanka the precursor of the word Vellala,vela, was found inscribed.The inscription is dated to 2nd century BCE.
They used the water sources more effectively to irrigate and cultivate the lands for agriculture.Most of them were landlords, so they don't work on lands but supervise the works. It was a pride among the karkathars to have land in the past; which was their status symbol.
According to tradition, the Karkathar migrated from the Gangetic plains and over time spread over the entire macro region of present day Tamil Nadu
. According to satakams, the Pandya country was settled by these people after they had resided in the Chola country. According to historian Burton Stein, this theory is purely mythical and according to another historian, Suomen Itämainen Seura, the Karkathar are so called as they migrated from a place called Karaikadu. But here is an inscription from Malur
taluk in Karnataka
(original in Tamil
and Grantha
):
Kuvalāla was the name given to the present day Kolar
region in Karnataka
by the Cholas.
Settlement of Pudukottai region
According to historian Nicholas B. Dirks, the Pudukottai region was sparsely populated until the early Chola period. But with the beginning of the Chola era, there is strong evidence of increasing agrarian settlement, the growth of villages, institutions, the construction and expansion of temples. According to the Tekkattur manuscript, the Karkathar were initially divided into Kanāttars and Kōnāttars, each of which had many exogamous sub-divisions. Kōnādu or the land of the king (Chola country) mostly consisted of the regions north of the river Vellar except for the western part of the state where it included certain regions south of the river as well. Kanādu, literally meaning the land of the forests was included in the Pandya country. The manuscript goes on to describe the decline in the position of the Karkathar after the initial golden age due to the fighting between the two branches over various issues such as land, rights to the water of the river Vellar, temples etc. and the subsequent settlement and dominance of the Maravars in the region who were initially imported from Ramnad by both branches. The copper plate inscriptions held by every Maravar community in the region indicates that the Kōnāttu vellalar were victorious in the end. The seven lineages of Karkathar vellalars were the overlords of the Kaniyatchi in the Ponnamaravati, having 756 villages, 1511 hamlets, 21 brahmadeyams, 212 devadayams, and 64 nādus
The noted scholar I.Mahadevan of Indus script fame postulates that the Vellalas who are identified with the Velirs have migrated from Dwaraka to the southern states some 3200 to 3500 years BP.He identifies them as the marvelous creators of the Harappan civilization.He further remarks that the naidus of Andhra and nairs of Kerala form part of the greater vellala community.
According to historian Arokiaswami, the Irukkuvels
of Kodumbalur who were the main allies of the Cholas from an early period were all Vellalars. According to historian Nicholas B. Dirks, the local sources like palm leaf manuscripts, copper plate inscriptions and many of the origin stories also indicate that there was a relationship between the Irukkuvel family of chieftains and the Karkathar vellalar community and he says, that the Irukkuvel titles such as Vēlār as in Madurantaka Irukkuvēlār, Śembiyan Irukkuvēlār, etc. proves that the Irukkuvels were indeed Vellalar. The following is an inscription from Bowringpet district in Karnataka that shows that the Vēlār was the title of Vellalar
(original in Tamil
):
But historian Burton Stein disputes Arokiaswami's claim that the Irukkuvels were Vellalar. But here is an inscription (Tiruvorriyur) of a top officer (Dandanayaka) of Rajendra Chola II
/ Rajadhiraja Chola I from the Irunkōvēl
family:
According to historian, Muttusvami Srinivasa Aiyangar, the Velirs were recipients of high titles such as Kizhan, Udaiyan, Velan, Rayan, Araiyan etc. To quote him:
The following is an inscription of a feudatory of the Cholas from Tiruvannamalai:
According Kulamankalam plates, the Konattu vellalar were also known as Karkathar Vellalar or Karaikattu vellalar. Here is an excerpt of an inscription of a Kōnāttu-Vēlār:
, one of the five great Epics in the Tamil language, mentions Karalar, the name generally believed to denote Karkarthar, twice, using the phrase Karalar Sanbai meaning the city Sirkazhi of the Karkathar. Sanbai is one of the 12 names of Sirkazhi popularized by Bhakti
era poet Sambandar in his song sung before the Pandya prince of Madurai
, saying that he hailed from Sirkazhi the holy place with twelve names. Amongst the 12 names he mentions Sanbai as one because of the wild growth of elephant grass, namely Sanban korai around the city. Sirkazhi has a pre-eminent place in the literature related to the Saiva Siddhantam, of Hinduism
.
, with a unique dialect that is particular to the city of Mayavaram. They are Hindus and generally follow Dvaita
(Dual) Saiva Siddhantam school of thought in Hinduism
. Karkarthars are traditionally vegetarians. This community is very orthodox and in olden days they were performing "Anushtanam" which is similar to Sandhya vandam. Karthar vellalar has a community magazine called "oppuravu". They are predominantly Shaivites but Vaishnavites are also found among the community and intermarriage is allowed between both sects. They all follow the traditional Gotras system. The people belonging to this caste are conservative and do not marry into the other vellalar
sub castes.
Vellalar
Vellalars were, originally, an elite caste of Tamil agricultural landlords in Tamil Nadu, Kerala states in India and in neighbouring Sri Lanka; they were the nobility, aristocracy of the ancient Tamil order and had close relations with the different royal dynasties...
community. Karkathar are also known as Karalar.
Etymology
Karkathar (Kar-cloud, Kathar- protector) means protector of clouds in TamilTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
. They are also called as pillai which means son in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
.In ancient past, it is said, that people were starving to death because there was no food for the masses . To redeem people from hunger and poverty Goddess Parvati created persons of Karkathar Vellala caste to save people from hunger by teaching them the nuances of agriculture and water management. As these Vellalas were created by Goddess Parvati they are referred to as pillais, sons of Parvati.Even today some of the karkathars use pillai as a suffix to their name ; but the younger generation is wary of using caste titles.Nowadays people belonging to other castes also use pillai as a suffix to enhance their social status.
A Karkathar Pillai can easily be identified with his Gotra name, which is unique to them .
Karkathars are a sub-caste of Vellalar
Vellalar
Vellalars were, originally, an elite caste of Tamil agricultural landlords in Tamil Nadu, Kerala states in India and in neighbouring Sri Lanka; they were the nobility, aristocracy of the ancient Tamil order and had close relations with the different royal dynasties...
. The word Vellalar is from the term Velanmai which means cultivation.As the preeminent occupation of the Karkathars is agriculture they are known as Karkatha Vellalas.In the Poonagari Brahmi inscription of Jaffna, Srilanka the precursor of the word Vellala,vela, was found inscribed.The inscription is dated to 2nd century BCE.
They used the water sources more effectively to irrigate and cultivate the lands for agriculture.Most of them were landlords, so they don't work on lands but supervise the works. It was a pride among the karkathars to have land in the past; which was their status symbol.
History
MigrationAccording to tradition, the Karkathar migrated from the Gangetic plains and over time spread over the entire macro region of present day Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. According to satakams, the Pandya country was settled by these people after they had resided in the Chola country. According to historian Burton Stein, this theory is purely mythical and according to another historian, Suomen Itämainen Seura, the Karkathar are so called as they migrated from a place called Karaikadu. But here is an inscription from Malur
Malur
Malur is a town in Kolar district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is near Bangalore.-Geography:Malur is located at . It has an average elevation of 910 metres ....
taluk in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
(original in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
and Grantha
Grantha
Grantha script is an ancient script that was widely used between the 6th century and the 19th century CE to write classical Sanskrit and Manipravalam by Tamil speakers in Southern India, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and is still in restricted use in traditional vedic schools...
):
Kuvalāla was the name given to the present day Kolar
Kolar
Kolara is a city in the South Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Kolar District. It is known for being one of the gold mining sites in India....
region in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
by the Cholas.
Settlement of Pudukottai region
According to historian Nicholas B. Dirks, the Pudukottai region was sparsely populated until the early Chola period. But with the beginning of the Chola era, there is strong evidence of increasing agrarian settlement, the growth of villages, institutions, the construction and expansion of temples. According to the Tekkattur manuscript, the Karkathar were initially divided into Kanāttars and Kōnāttars, each of which had many exogamous sub-divisions. Kōnādu or the land of the king (Chola country) mostly consisted of the regions north of the river Vellar except for the western part of the state where it included certain regions south of the river as well. Kanādu, literally meaning the land of the forests was included in the Pandya country. The manuscript goes on to describe the decline in the position of the Karkathar after the initial golden age due to the fighting between the two branches over various issues such as land, rights to the water of the river Vellar, temples etc. and the subsequent settlement and dominance of the Maravars in the region who were initially imported from Ramnad by both branches. The copper plate inscriptions held by every Maravar community in the region indicates that the Kōnāttu vellalar were victorious in the end. The seven lineages of Karkathar vellalars were the overlords of the Kaniyatchi in the Ponnamaravati, having 756 villages, 1511 hamlets, 21 brahmadeyams, 212 devadayams, and 64 nādus
The noted scholar I.Mahadevan of Indus script fame postulates that the Vellalas who are identified with the Velirs have migrated from Dwaraka to the southern states some 3200 to 3500 years BP.He identifies them as the marvelous creators of the Harappan civilization.He further remarks that the naidus of Andhra and nairs of Kerala form part of the greater vellala community.
According to historian Arokiaswami, the Irukkuvels
Irunkōvēl
Irunkōvēl also Irungkōvēl, Irukkuvēl, Ilangōvēlar was a title of the Irunkōvēl line of Tamil Velir kings. The Irunkovel line of kings ruled over Kō nādu identified with the Kodumbalur and surrounding areas in ancient Tamilakkam...
of Kodumbalur who were the main allies of the Cholas from an early period were all Vellalars. According to historian Nicholas B. Dirks, the local sources like palm leaf manuscripts, copper plate inscriptions and many of the origin stories also indicate that there was a relationship between the Irukkuvel family of chieftains and the Karkathar vellalar community and he says, that the Irukkuvel titles such as Vēlār as in Madurantaka Irukkuvēlār, Śembiyan Irukkuvēlār, etc. proves that the Irukkuvels were indeed Vellalar. The following is an inscription from Bowringpet district in Karnataka that shows that the Vēlār was the title of Vellalar
Vellalar
Vellalars were, originally, an elite caste of Tamil agricultural landlords in Tamil Nadu, Kerala states in India and in neighbouring Sri Lanka; they were the nobility, aristocracy of the ancient Tamil order and had close relations with the different royal dynasties...
(original in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
):
But historian Burton Stein disputes Arokiaswami's claim that the Irukkuvels were Vellalar. But here is an inscription (Tiruvorriyur) of a top officer (Dandanayaka) of Rajendra Chola II
Rajendra Chola II
Rajendra Chola II reigned as the Chola king succeeding his elder brother brother Rajadhiraja Chola. He is best remembered for his role in the battle of Koppam alongside his elder brother where he dramatically turned the tables on the Chalukyan King Somesvara I.- Koppam Battle :The Chola forces were...
/ Rajadhiraja Chola I from the Irunkōvēl
Irunkōvēl
Irunkōvēl also Irungkōvēl, Irukkuvēl, Ilangōvēlar was a title of the Irunkōvēl line of Tamil Velir kings. The Irunkovel line of kings ruled over Kō nādu identified with the Kodumbalur and surrounding areas in ancient Tamilakkam...
family:
According to historian, Muttusvami Srinivasa Aiyangar, the Velirs were recipients of high titles such as Kizhan, Udaiyan, Velan, Rayan, Araiyan etc. To quote him:
The following is an inscription of a feudatory of the Cholas from Tiruvannamalai:
According Kulamankalam plates, the Konattu vellalar were also known as Karkathar Vellalar or Karaikattu vellalar. Here is an excerpt of an inscription of a Kōnāttu-Vēlār:
Sangam Literature
ManimekalaiManimekalai
Manimekalai or Maṇimekalai , written by the Tamil Buddhist poet Seethalai Saathanar is one of the masterpieces of Tamil literature. It is considered to be one of the five great epics of Tamil literature. Manimekalai is a poem in 30 cantos...
, one of the five great Epics in the Tamil language, mentions Karalar, the name generally believed to denote Karkarthar, twice, using the phrase Karalar Sanbai meaning the city Sirkazhi of the Karkathar. Sanbai is one of the 12 names of Sirkazhi popularized by Bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
era poet Sambandar in his song sung before the Pandya prince of Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
, saying that he hailed from Sirkazhi the holy place with twelve names. Amongst the 12 names he mentions Sanbai as one because of the wild growth of elephant grass, namely Sanban korai around the city. Sirkazhi has a pre-eminent place in the literature related to the Saiva Siddhantam, of Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
.
Culture
The mother tongue of the Karkarthars is Tamil languageTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, with a unique dialect that is particular to the city of Mayavaram. They are Hindus and generally follow Dvaita
Dvaita
Dvaita is a school of Vedanta founded by Shri Madhvacharya....
(Dual) Saiva Siddhantam school of thought in Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
. Karkarthars are traditionally vegetarians. This community is very orthodox and in olden days they were performing "Anushtanam" which is similar to Sandhya vandam. Karthar vellalar has a community magazine called "oppuravu". They are predominantly Shaivites but Vaishnavites are also found among the community and intermarriage is allowed between both sects. They all follow the traditional Gotras system. The people belonging to this caste are conservative and do not marry into the other vellalar
Vellalar
Vellalars were, originally, an elite caste of Tamil agricultural landlords in Tamil Nadu, Kerala states in India and in neighbouring Sri Lanka; they were the nobility, aristocracy of the ancient Tamil order and had close relations with the different royal dynasties...
sub castes.
Distribution
The majority of Karkarthar live in the Tamil Nadu districts of :- Udaiyarpalayam taluk.
- CuddaloreCuddaloreCuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarter of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the coast of Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population.Cuddalore is known...
(ChidambaramChidambaramChidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
, Kattumannar Kovil, Virudhachalam, Pennadam, Siragizhanthanallur, Paradhur, Orathur,Sathamangalam, Ponnankoil,Dharmanallur,Kumaragudi, Kothattai, Anganur and Thittakudi) - NagapattinamNagapattinamNagapattinam is a town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Nagapattinam District. It is a prominent seaport on the east coast of India and an important centre of trade and commerce.The town of Nagapattinam dates back to the Sangam period...
(Around Mayavaram including and not limited to Sirkali, Poompuhar, Manigramam, Akkur, Kanyakudi, Melaiyur, KalyanaCholaPuram, Thazhancheri, Thiruvilayattam, Poigaikudi,ilanthope,kizhai, varavukudi,perundhottam,thiruchitrambalam etc. ) - Thiruvarur
- ChennaiChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
- Tanjore KumbakonamKumbakonamKumbakonam , also spelt as Coombaconum in the records of British India , is a town and a special grade municipality in the Thanjavur district in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located 40 kilometres from Thanjavur and 272 kilometres from Chennai, it is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam...
, Thirupanandal, Sripuram. - Trichy
- Anbanathapuram, Karugudy, Pallavarayanpet, Kanganaputtur & Enathimangalam
- Pondicherry (KaraikalKaraikalKaraikal is a major port city of east coast of India and a municipality in Karaikal district in the Union Territory of Pondicherry, India. Several explanations are offered for the word 'Karaikal'. The imperial Gazetteer gives it the meaning 'fish pass'. According to Julien vinson the town is said...
) - Thirunelveli
- AriyalurAriyalurAriyalur is a Municipality in Ariyalur district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.-Geography:Ariyalur is a municipality and headquarters of Ariyalur District in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is rich in limestone resources. Big industrial houses like Birlas , India cements, Dalmia cements, Madras...
(Nagamangalam, Vikramangalam, Keelanatham, Gunamangalam) - AtturAtturAttur is a town, municipality and capital of Attur Taluk in the Salem district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.-Etymology:The name of the town derives from the word "Aaru", meaning "River" and "Oor", meaning "Town/City/village" - Vasishta Nadi...
and OmalurOmalurOmalur is a panchayat town in Salem District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is situated on the National Highway 7 between 11° 73333" latitude and 78° 06667" longitude. It has a population of about 13,600. Agriculture, leather and handloom textiles are the major business. It is the second...
taluks.
Prominent Personalities
- Meykandar, the common preceptor of the Dharmapuram or the Thiruvaduthurai adhinam hailed from this community.
- Gurugnanasambhandar, an ascetic from present day Ramnad district took up residence near the Dharmapurisvara temple and founded the Dharmapuram mutt.
External links
- Official website of Karkathars
- http://www.saivaneri.org/