Nankudi Vellalar

Nankudi Vellalar or Sevalai Pillaimar is a Tamil agricultural caste found in Tamil Nadu, India.[1] They claim descent from the Velir clan of Irungovels[2] The hereditary headman of the caste was always invested with the title Irungovel.[3] Their original stronghold seems to have been southern districts of Tamil Nadu, viz. Tirunelveli, Korkai, Ambasamudram, etc. Some of them migrated to Srivaikuntam during the course of time and came to be known as Kottai Vellalar or Kottai Pillaimar as they built and lived in forts.[4]

Nankudi Vellalar
Regions with significant populations
Tamil Nadu: Tirunelveli, Ambasamudram, Korkai, Srivaikuntam
Languages
Tamil
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Tamil people

H.R Pate (1917), the former district collector of Tirunelveli describes them as agriculturists, merchants and traders and as a remarkably prosperous and an energetic community.[5]

Etymology

Nankudi Vellalar is derived from the words Nar(good), Kudi (community) and Vellalar (farmers), so they were essentially a good community of farmers.

Caste structure

The caste is made of a number of matrilineal exogamous clans called Kilais or branches descending from the female line.[6][7]

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References

Citations

  1. Ramanathan (1969), p. 327
  2. Ramanathan (1969), p. 341
  3. Sinnakani, p. 248
  4. Ramanathan (1969), p. 331
  5. Ramanathan (1969), p. 340
  6. Ramanathan (1969), p. 338
  7. Goody (1973), p. 136

Bibliography

  • Ramanathan, P. (1969), Iruṅkoveḷ and the Koṭṭai Veḷāḷar--The Possible Origins of a Closed Community.Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 32(2), 323-343.
  • R. Sinnakani, Tamil Nadu State: Thoothukudi District, Band 1, Government of Tamil Nadu, Commissioner of Archives and Historical Research, 2007
  • Jack Goody, John Rankine Goody, S. J. Tambiah (1973), Bridewealth and Dowry, CUP Archive, 1973CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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