Sanskritization and Tamil Castes: Karaiyar an example
Topic started by Raveen S. Nathan (@ ) on Thu Feb 24 15:31:30 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.
There is a caste called as Karaiyar/Karave in India and Sri Lanka. They claim like many other OBCs) that they are of Aryan Kashtriya origin. Other examples are Nadar, Vanniar, Maravar, Goundar, Telugu Chettys etc., practically all Tamils claim immigrant Aryan status in one form or the other including Sengunthar the caste in which Dravidian movement leader Annadurai was born in.
Karaiyar becoming Kauravas is a classic case of made up folk etymology in which purely dravidian people claim Aryan origin also known as Sanskritization.
Karave/Karayar is a composite caste. That means many nations, clans and tribes have assumed this caste title due to many reasons.
Before Tamils/Dravidians converted to Hinduism they did not have castes but had Tribes and Clans. Ancestors of Karai(ar) caste were simply put dwellers of the coast (Karai - In Tamil, Kara in Malayalam/Divehi) These coast dwellers were rulers, fishermen, pearliers, (overseas) traders who had common totemic tribal origin(s).
Once Tamils and other South Indians converted to Hinduism after the 9th century A.D there was a race in earnest to find Aryan roots among the Sudras (All South Indians became Sudras as new converts) to socially upgrade them.
Folk etymology of Karaiyar claimed that they are "Kaurava" Kshatriya Aryans from north India just like Komati Cheetis claimed Arya Vysya origin and Reddys calimed Arya Kshatriya origin.
As Karaiyars originally were a coastal people many among them were powerful petty rulers due to the monopoly they had over trade, pearling, fishing etc. But it does not mean that every Karai person was a ruler. There were rulers and subjects like in any normal society.
Once some Karaiyar migrated to Sri Lanka they were able to use this myth about Aryan origin to assimilate with the Indo-Aryan Buddhist Singhalese as a caste of Singhalese. But this assimilation happened only because the Portuguese converted most of the coastal people in Sri Lanka including the Singhalese to Roman Catholic religion. This process eliminated the cultural impediment to assimilation. During the last 100 years many Catholic coastal Singhalese including the assimilated Karaiyar (Karave in Singhalese) have become Buddhist thus completing this Singhalization process.
Those Karaiyar who remained faithful to their ancestral religion are still known as Tamils. Karaiyar in the North and East as well one single surviving village in the west (Udappu in Tamil and Udappuva in Singhalese) close to Negambo have remained faithful to their ancestral Hindu religion and are still called as Tamils and pay a price due to that in the current civil war. It is a paradoxical war in which many Karave are fighting and killing fellow Karaiyar just because one segmant has been able to assimilate with the majority community.
Udappu has a popular temple dedicated to Draupati (Amman), a popular character from the Mahabharat epic to which the local Hindus pay homage. This shows how this popular folk etymology of Karaiyar origin from Kaurava/Kuru, a legendary tribe from Mahabharat epic has penetrated the popular culture of these people.
The following site is created to maintain this myth, which has no real historical, anthropological, and archeological basis except in the hearts and minds of some people.
http://www.freetown.com/TheWaterFront/HarborHighway/1076
Responses:
- Old responses
- From: John (@ 136.250.adsl.sltnet.lk)
on: Mon Jul 5 14:12:19 EDT 2004
Singalese are mainly buddhists but practice caste system but not to such an extent as us tamils.
Tamils have a strong caste system where intermarriage is forbidden and different castes despise each other.
Does anyone here know the difference between tribe and caste?
- From: tth (@ 61.247.244.90)
on: Tue Jul 6 04:20:57 EDT 2004
Why Tamils do not know the origin of their own caste?
Why do they keep asking others?
If there is no caste among Tamilians, who prevented them from wiping it out?
Why do Political parties have caste base?
Even educated people who get into politics use thier castes. Why?
Why can Tamils listen to Dravidian movement if they dont believe in castes?
Why DM is not seriously into that?
Even most educated politicians of TN stick on to their castes, and develop only their caste alone.
Why?
Where do u stand right now ?
- From: truth (@ 202.88.152.173)
on: Wed Jul 7 06:21:39 EDT 2004
Keep an English, French or Italian name for ur caste, but Brahmins will call u Sudra Ok.
"Rose is a rose with whatever name ur call it"
Shakespear
- From: truth (@ 202.88.152.173)
on: Wed Jul 7 06:24:49 EDT 2004
I think even Dravidian Movement have faith in Castes.
As long as they will get reservation they will stick on to that caste and be Hindus.
The moment the reservation is nullified, Sudras will switch over to some religion like Christianity of Muslims where they will be considered minorities or backwards.
Reservation is what Sudras need.
They will go to any extent to retain that.
Chanakya said "Fools ask for leniance"
So r the Sudras
- From: Wojciech Zbik (@ unley-lib-isp.plain.net.au)
on: Thu Sep 9 22:28:10
I am looking for informations on the Tamil caste "KOUNDER". (Surname Shettiyar) Does it exist and where it lay in the social context?
Wojciech Zbik (paserchjo@wp.pl)
- From: Vivek (@ )
on: Tue Oct 5 13:44:29
Original Post by Raveen S Nathan stating Tamils converted to Hinduism in 9th century AD is absurd . Ever heard about Bhakthi Movement ? Heard about Kili cholan ??????? Heard about Kumari Kandam ??? Get your Knowledge straight.
- From: inian (@ 161.225.1.12)
on: Thu Oct 7 19:34:24 EDT 2004
vivek u got the point.these guys are talking abt bs.
- From: CHOLAN (@ 193.114.111.10)
on: Fri Oct 8 04:21:48 EDT 2004
Brahmins are not of Tamil extract.They are Aryans.They are CLONED Tamils or more appropriately defined as mongrelised Tamils.
Its for this reason they are against Tamil nationalism ,Tamil leaders and against Tamil as a classical language .But silently they have hijacked Tamil culture as their own.But advance of modern day information has exposed their trickery deceit and cunningness !
BRAHMINDS ARE TODAY GRADUALLY LOSING THEIR LOFTY PEDESTAL POSITIONS .THEIR DAYS ARE NUMBERED .THEY CAN,T LIVE IN THE PAST !
- From: UmbSla (@ ptr-64-201-162-1.ptr.terago.ca)
on: Fri Oct 8 16:43:00 EDT 2004
"I am looking for informations on the Tamil caste "KOUNDER". (Surname Shettiyar) Does it exist and where it lay in the social context?
Wojciech Zbik (paserchjo@wp.pl)"
No caste called kounder, it is a title used by many caste members.
The last name Shettiyar seems to be a derivation of Cettiyar a title of castes assocaited with business. Again used by even non Tamil residents of Tamil Nadu such as Telugu Vysiyas.
- From: DEVA (@ 212.130.111.3)
on: Sat Oct 16 01:14:39 EDT 2004
GOD THWARTED THE BJP,S SCHEME TO DISTORT INDIAN HISTORY BY KICKING THEM OUT OF OFFICE . HALLELUJAH !.THE BRAHMINS ARE HERE AGAIN TO DISTORT HISTORY TO ASSERT THEIR RULERSHIP OVER THE DRAVIDIANS .
THESE SCHEMES HAS FAILED AND WILL FAIL !BRAHMINS ARE ORIGINALLY FROM PERSIA ! THEY BELONG TO THE LAND OF ARYABHATTA ! THATS THEIR ROOTS . POONAL THREAD COMES FROM THERE !
- From: MYTH_SHATTERER (@ ppp82-144.dsl-chn.eth.net)
on: Sun Oct 24 10:09:56 EDT 2004
THE COMMUNIST MYTHS WILL BE SHATTERED SOON.THE FAKE ARYAN INVASION THEORY WILL BE SHATTERED.
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