History of Parayas
July 15, 2010 at 2:29 PM (Uncategorized)
Paraiyar, Parayar or Sambavar, also called as Adi-Dravida, are a social group found in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and in Sri Lanka (see Caste in Sri Lanka). In Tamilnadu though they have been enumerated under three different caste names, they have generally been referred to as Paraiyar. In Northern Districts of Tamilnadu they are known as Paraiyars only. In the southern districts of Tamilnadu they are known as Sambavar or Samban. However, they themselves prefer the name Adi Dravidar to Paraiyar and Sambavar.[1] The Indian census of 2001 reported the Paraiyan/Adi-Dravida population about 9 Million [2].
Adi-Dravida (the earliest Dravidians) is a modern name for the Paraiyars coined by the Government of Tamilnadu, it denotes only the Paraiyar Caste. Paraiyar/Adi-Dravida are the majority among the Scheduled Castes in Tamil Nadu. The scheduled castes are generally called ‘Adi-Dravidar’ by the Government of Tamilnadu. Paraiyan and Samban are synonymous with Adi Dravidar.[1] The term ‘Adi-Dravidar’ means Ancient Dravidians in Tamil Nadu.
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[edit] History
The Paraiyars enjoyed a privileged position in the society of the Sangam period. They were traditionally farmers and weavers. One sub-group of Paraiyars, "Valluvan", were renowned as magicians and Astrologers. They were employed as advisers to kings.
Mr. Clayton states that he knows of no legend or popular belief among the Paraiyans, indicating that they believe themselves to have come from any other part of the country than that where they now find themselves. There is, however, some evidence that the race has had a long past, and one in which they had independence, and possibly great importance in the peninsula[3].
Mr. Stuart mentions that the Valluvans were priests to the Pallava kings before the introduction of the Brahmans, and even for some time after it.[4]
He quotes an unpublished Vatteluttu inscription, believed to be of the ninth century, in which it is noted that "Sri Valluvam Puvanavan,the Uvacchan(or temple ministrant),will employ six men daily, and do the temple service." The inference is that the Valluvan was a man of recognised priestly rank, and of great influence. The prefix Sri is a notable honorific. By itself this inscription would prove little, but the whole legendary history of the greatest of all Tamil poets,Tiruvalluvar, "the holy Valluvan," confirms all that can be deduced from it. [5]
There are certain privileges possessed by Paraiyans, which they could never have gained for themselves from orthodox Hinduism. They seem to be survivals of a past, in which Paraiyans held a much higher position than they do now. It is noted by Mr. M. J. Walhouse that "in the great festival of Siva at Trivalur in Tanjore the headman of the Paraiyars is mounted on the elephant with the god, and carries his chauri (yak-tail fly fan). In Madras, at the annual festival of Egatta, the goddess of the Black, f now George, Town, when a tali is tied round the neck of the idol in the name of the entire community, a Paraiyan is chosen to represent the bridegroom.[6]
The facts, taken together, seem to show that the Paraiyan priests (Valluvans), and therefore the Paraiyans as a race, are very ancient, that ten centuries ago they were a respectable community, and that many were weavers.The privileges they enjoy are relics of an exceedingly long association with the land. If the account of the colonisation of Tondeimandalam by Vellalans in the eighth century A.D. is historic, then it is possible that at that time the Paraiyans lost the land, and that their degradation as a race began.[7]
[edit] Caste sub-divisions
At the census, 1891, 348 sub-divisions were returned, of which the following were strongest in point of numbers : Amma found chiefly in Tanjore and Madura; Katti in Salem and Trichinopoly; Kizhakkatti (eastern)in Salem; Koliyan(weavers)in Chingleput,Tanjore and Trichinopoly; Konga in Salem; Korava in Coimbatore; Kottai (fort) in South Arcot; Morasu (drum) in Salem ; Mottai in Madura ;Pacchai(green) in Coimbatore; Samban in South Arcot; Sangidum (sanku, conch, or chank shell) in Coimbatore; Sozhia (natives of the Sozha or Chola country) in Tanjore and Madura; Tangalan in North and South Arcot, Chingleput, Salem, and Trichinopoly; and Valangamattu in South Arcot. The members of the various sub-divisions do not intermarry. [8]
[edit] Valangai (or)Right-hand caste faction
Paraiyars belong to the Right-hand caste faction[9](or) the Valangai was made up of castes with an agricultural basis while the Idangai was made of metal workers, weavers, etc. i.e. castes involved in manufacturing.[10]Valangai which was better organized, politically, than the Idangai.[11],and has most of the agriculture based higher castes. The Paraiyas are its chief support, as a proof of which they glory in the title ‘Valangai-Mougattar’, or friends of the Right-hand.[12]
[edit] Paraiyar and Brahmin connection
All the Paraiyars have Y-chromosome haplogroup, Haplogroup G,specifically Haplogroup G2a3b1 (Y-DNA). This shows the Paraiyar males are Caucasians. This Haplogroup G2a3b1 is also found in 10% of Iyer and 13% of Iyengar Brahmins.[13][14]. The Aryan Brahmins have Haplogroup R1a & Haplogroup R2[13][15].
In a note on the Paraiyans of the Trichinopoly district, Mr. F. R. Hemingway writes as follows.[16]
They have a very exalted account of their lineage, saying that they are descended from the Brahman priest SalaSambavan, who was employed in a Siva temple to worship the god with offerings of beef, but who incurred the anger of the god by one day concealing a portion of the meat, to give it to his pregnant wife, and was therefore turned into a Paraiyan. The god appointed his brother to do duty instead of him, and the Paraiyans say that Brahman priests are their cousins. For this reason they wear a sacred thread at their marriages and funerals.At the festival of the village goddesses, they repeat an extravagant praise of their caste, which runs as follows.
‘The Paraiyans were the first creation, the first who wore
the sacred thread, the uppermost in the social scale, the
differentiators of castes, the winners of laurels. They
have been seated on the white elephant, the Vira
Sambavans who beat the victorious drum.’It is a curious fact that, at the feast of the village goddess, a Paraiyan is honoured by being invested with a sacred thread for the occasion by the pujari (priest) of the temple, by having a turmeric thread tied to his wrists, and being allowed to head the procession. This, the Paraiyans say, is owing to their exalted origin.
From Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. VI. EdgarThurston and Rangachari, K. 1909.(Page.81,82.) [17]
Mr. Stuart mentions that the Valluvans(Paraiya priests) were priests to the Pallava kings before the introduction of the Brahmans, and even for some time after it.
The following- extract is taken from a note on the Paraiyans of Travancore by Mr. N. Subramani Aiyar.[16]
In the Keralolpathi, they are classed as one of the sixteen hill tribes. Concerning their origin the following tradition is current. They were originally Brahmans, but, on certain coparceners partitioning the common inheritance, the carcase of a cow, which was one of the articles to be partitioned, was burnt as being useless. A drop of oil fell from the burning animal on to one of the parties, and he licked it up with his tongue. For this act he was cast out of society, and his descendants, under the name of Paraiyas, became cow-eaters.
Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. VI. EdgarThurston and Rangachari, K. 1909.(Page.88,89.) [18]
The facts, taken together, seem to show that the Paraiyan priests (Valluvans), and therefore the Paraiyans as a race, are very ancient, that ten centuries ago they were a respectable community, and that many were weavers. The privileges they enjoy are relics of an exceedingly long association with the land. The institution of the paracheri points to original independence,and even to possession of much of the land. If the account of the colonisation of Tondeimandalam by Vellalans in the eighth century A.D. is historic, then it is possible that at that time the Paraiyans lost the land, and that their degradation as a race began.
Abbe J.A. Dubois writes:[19]
In very early days how ever the separation between the Parayas and others do not appear to have been so marked as at present. Though relegated to the lower grade in the social scale Parayas were not then placed absolutely outside and beyond the line of demarcation between them and the Sudras being almost imperceptible and they are even today considered to be direct descendants of the better class of agricultural labourers. The Tamil Vellalas and the Vockalikas (Vockaliyar) do not disdain to call them their children.
From the above genetic connection and other quoted evidence it is clear that once Paraiyars were a race who were Buddhists.[original research?] The Aryan Brahmins converted some of them as Brahmins, the rest who are staunch and radical Buddhists were punished to bemcome as Outcastes or Untouchable low castes.[improper synthesis?]
[edit] Paraiyars in politics
These people forms the majority in south India but their vote bank was misused by others due to lack of leadership partially and the rest. But nowadays they are united.The leading parties are trying to catch their vote bank. In Tamil Nadu these people are enjoying the greatest respect from the political parties. D.M.K (dravida munetra kazhagam), Viduthalai chiruthaigal, Communist party of India and major political parties are favouring these people.
[edit] Paraiyars in tamil movement
Tamil saint thiruvalluvar wrote thirukkural the holy book of Tamil people called as ‘the Tamil veda’, ‘mupuri nool’. Tamil saint auvaiyar made many contributions such as ‘aathichudi’, ‘naladiyar’, ‘konrai vendan’ etc. Divan rettamalai srinivasan started a newspaper ‘paraiyan’, which fought against British rule. The five great epics of Tamil literature (silapathigaram, manimegalai, seevega sinthamani, valayapathi, kundalagesi) mostly based on buddhism principles. The saint ‘illango’ is also a Buddhist. These are the evidences that Buddhists (paraiyars) are the original inhabitants of Tamil Nadu.
[edit] Etymology and origin
The late Bishop Robert Caldwell derived the name Paraiyar from the Tamil word Parai a drum, as certain Paraiyars act as drummers at marriages, funerals, village festivals, and on occasions when Government or commercial announcements are proclaimed.[20] Mr. H. A. Stuart, however, seems to question this derivation, remarking ( Madras Census Report, 1891) that "it is only one section of Paraiyars that act as drummers Nor is the occupation confined to the Paraiyars. It seems in the highest degree improbable that a large, and at one time powerful, community should owe its name to an occasional occupation, which one of its divisions shares with other castes.[21] ‘The word Paraiyar is not found in Divakaram, a Tamil Dictionary of the eleventh century A.D., and the word Pulaiyar was then used to denote this section of population, as it is still in Malayalam to this day’."[22] In the legend of the Saivite saint Nandan is, in the prose version of the Periya Puranam called a Pulayan, though a native of Cholamandalam, which was a distinctly Tamil kingdom.[22] The Madras Census Report 1891 estimated over two million members of Paraiyar or Pariah caste. In the Census Report, 1901, Mr. Francis mentions an inscription of the chola king Raja Raja, dated about the eleventh century A.D., in which the Paraiyar caste is called by its name.[23] It had then two sub-divisions, the Nesavu or weavers, and Ulavu or ploughmen. The caste had even then its own hamlets, wells and burning-grounds.[24]
The community is classified as a depressed community until recent times. The economic and educational privileges have been denied to them for centuries. However, there is considerable evidence to suggest that their position must have been reasonably higher in older times. Some scholars presume that Paraiyars must have been followers of Buddhism who lost their status in society during the revival of the Agamic cults.[25][26][27]Thiruvalluvar[23][28][29] , the Tamil author of the Thirukkural, the Tamil poet Auvaiyar[23][28][29][30], and the architect of the classical city of Hastinapur[29][30] had all been "Paraiyars".[27]
The following is a description of "Paraiyars" originally appearing in Volume V20, Page 802 of the Encyclopaedia Britannica 1911.
Encyclopaedia Britannica 1911 ,Volume V20,Page 802.[31]
PARIAH, a name long adopted in European usage for the outcastes of India. Strictly speaking the Paraiyans are the agricultural labourer caste of the Tamil country in Madras.
The majority are ploughmen, formerly adscripti glebae, but some of them are weavers, and no less than 350 subdivisions have been distinguished. The name can be traced back to inscriptions of the 11th century, and the "Pariah poet," Tiruvalluvar, author of the Tamil poem, the Kurral, probably lived at about that time.
The accepted derivation of the word is from the Tamil. parai, the large drum of which the Paraiyans are the hereditary beaters at festivals, &c. In 1901 the total number of Paraiyans. in all India was 24 millions, almost confined to the south of Madras. In the Telugu country their place is taken by the Malas, in the Kanarese country by the Holeyas and in the Deccan by the Mahars.
Some of their privileges and duties seem to show that they represent the original owners of the land, subjected by a conquering race. The Pariahs supplied a notable proportion of Clive’s sepoys, and are still enlisted in the Madras sappers and miners. They have always acted as domestic servants to Europeans. That they are not deficient in intelligence is proved by the high position which some of them, when converted to Christianity, have occupied in the professions.
In modern official usage the outcastes generally are termed Panchamas in Madras, and special efforts are made for their education.See Caldwell, Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian Languages (PP. 54 0 -554), and the Madras Census Reports for 1891 and 1901.
As per anthropological research done by Edgar Thurston, the Paraiyars had an average cephalic index of 74[32] and an average nasal index of 80.[33]
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2 comments:
Nice post. I have used it to concisely write abt the same topic at http://www.caste-india.com/parayar. Let me know if there is any mistake.
http://themiddleclassparayar.blogspot.in/
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