LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 18:9 September 2018
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
         Renuga Devi, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.
         Dr. S. Chelliah, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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The Origin of the Communities in Kongu Nadu:
A Study from the Sangam Age to Present

K. Soundrarajan, Ph.D. Research Scholar

Abstract

This article is a historical study of seven Saivaite temples in Kongu Nadu which played a major role in the religious, political, social, and economic life of the people. The land of Kongu consists of various communities and castes. The people of the Kongu region had contacts with the foreign people for developing their business. The analysis of the castes and communities, coins and taxes along with the study of the inscriptions from the seven Saivaite temples of this region reveals the life story of the people. Further, it helps to study customs, habits and practices of the people. The records from the seven Saivaite temples mention the different communities like Devaradiyars, Kaikolars, Puluvas, Vellalas, Vettuvas, Brahmanas, and Siva Brahmanas. The people who were called the Vettuvas were the tribal people. Later on, they became a large group and dominated the Kongu region. The Sangam literature presents that the Vettuvas emerged from the pre-historic time itself. Scholars have suggestted that the proto-Austroloid, Negroloid and Naga stock might have been their ancestors. Their descendants were later known by various names such as Vettuvar, Irular, and Villiar. The Vettuva chiefs like Kadiyanedu Vettuvan of Kodiamalai and Kantira Kopperunalli were eulogized by a poet in Purananuru for their heroic deeds.

Keywords:Community, Caste, Kongu, Vettuvar, and Religion

Introduction

The copper plate of Sivamara (a 9th century A.D. Ganga King) from Perunkatai and Hirahadagalli provides the information about Krathas. They were called as Kongu Vettuvar. The Vettuvars are mentioned as robbers in Sundarar’s Tevaram. The Vettuvars were living their life by hunting the animals and some people organized a group and robbed the people to meet their basic needs. The Chola king Aditya I made his soldiders to find the robbers and subdued them and because of his influence and encouragement a large number of Vellalas settled in the Kongu region and that provided a platform for the conflict between Vettuvas and Vellalars. These two groups produced the majority of the population in the Kongu region. The Vettuvars excelled in agricultural activities. They were affected by the new ideas and technology introduced by the Vellalars. The Vettuvars were left helplessly in the Kongu region because of the new invention. The Vettuvar community had some social dignity and private property. Agriculture was not only their major work, but also, they worked as the royal agents and they sponsored the temples. Then they came forward to assimilate the habits of the people like the Brahmins and the Vellalars. Later, there was a gradual understanding, compromise. Mutual exchange of traditions and customs took place between the Vellalars and the Vettuvars. The Vettuvars had changed their mode of life from an unstable nomadic life to that of a stable and settled life as agriculturists.

This is only the beginning part of the ARTICLE. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.


K. Soundrarajan
Ph.D., Research Scholar
Department of History
Annamalai University
rajanvpy@gmail.com

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