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Kongu Vellalar
Kongu Vellalar
Classification	Backward Class
Languages	Tamil (Kongu Tamil)
Country	India
Original state	Tamil Nadu

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Kongu Vellalar is a community found in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu, India.

Etymology

The Vellalar of the Kongu country came to be known as Kongu Vellalar. They are also known by names such as "Bupaalan", Gangavamsam, Kudiyaanavar and Vivasaayi, and use the title Gounder as a caste appellation in their personal names.^[1]

Origin

According to the Kongu Vellalar Puranam, a 19th-century work by Mahavidwan Kandasamy Kavirayar, the Vellalar of the Kongu country trace their origin to Marabalan, a mythical figure who was created from the river Ganges to rid the world of hunger. Marabalan turned to agriculture and his descendants became the Vellalar. Marabalan had various titles such as Gangavamsa, Devar, Vellalar, Bupaalan, etc.^[2]^[3]^[4] Interestingly the Gandadikara Vokkaligas of the neighbouring parts of Karnataka also claim origin from the banks of the Ganges.^[5]^[6] According to Burton Stein, the Gangadikaras and the Kongu Vellalars were linked.^[7]

History

From the early Sangam period, the Kongu region had always been a "frontier zone," only loosely controlled by the various Tamil dynasties from the plains. Due to their isolation, the people of this region had always been most associated with muscle power and the "heroic" ideals of the Sangam age. While these "heroic" traditions faded in the rest of the plains region due to the rise of agrarian states, the Kongu region and other remote buffer zones kept it alive until the 11th century CE. In Upper Kongu (north of the Kaveri), the natukal tradition was still present. This cultural combination of the heroic traditions and megalithic burials greatly influenced Kongu Nadu's culture. After the end of the Sangam period, the Vettuvar (hunter) tribe gained dominance over the other tribes of the region such as the Kurumbar, Ay, and Kuravar, which led to a large number of peoples associating themselves with the Vettuvar. This caused a Vettuvar population explosion in the early 9th century and created a complex social structure, with the chieftains of the Vettuvars calling themselves Koundar. However, by the 11th century CE, the influence of the Bhakti movement and Brahminical values from the plains largely displaced the Sangam traditions. Thus some groups of the Vettuvars became full-time agriculturalists, calling themselves Vettuvavelalar.^[8]

Large groups of peasants from the plains soon began to migrate into the Kongu Nadu region starting in the 10th century from many places, with migration peaking in the 13th century. Their technological advancement allowed them to generally outcompete the earlier inhabitants in land ownership and agricultural production. Most initially identified with their clan names and their chiefs with the Gounder title, but eventually coalesced into a single group called Kongu Vellalar Gounder. The Kongu Vellalars also had complex relations with the locals, sometimes friendly, sometimes hostile, and many locals were assimilated into the ethnogenesis of the Gounders. The early pre-migration institutions were modified to include the emerging peasant class. Other communities migrated along with the peasants, including potters, barbers, craftsmen, as well as Brahmins and Dalits. However Brahmins played a negligible role in the new social formation, since the Kongu Vellalars and their dependent communities never used Brahmins for religious ceremonies. However, eventually this period of ethnogenesis would end in the creation of a hierarchical structure with Kongu Vellalars at the top.^[8]

The Kongu Vellalar were inhabitants of the Kongu country since at least the 10th century CE.^[9] The Vellalars of Kongu region came to be known as Kongu Vellalar or Gounder, though both the names have also been treated separately in some regions.^[10] According to Beck's (1972) study, the Kongu Vellalar are one of the top ranking castes who were entitled to ownership over land. They followed a kingly model acquiring prestige by ownership of land, control of daily labor and production activity.^[11]

Today, the Gounders have presided over Kongu Nadu's transition from an agricultural to industrial economy. Gounders traditionally controlled most of the land in western Tamil Nadu, and had the Arunthathiyar community as labourers. When MGNREGA was introduced, Gounder farmers were furious as it prevented the Arunthathiyars from working in their fields. Thanks to their land ownership, the Gounders were also able to control the industrialization of the Kongu belt and consequently most industrialists in the region are Gounder. The community plays a significant role in the political and economic life of the Kongu Nadu region. The prominent Kongu Nadu-based parties, Kongunadu Munnetra Kazhagam and later Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi, were primarily Gounder caste outfits similar to the PMK for Vanniyars. Some scholars saw the KMK's presence in the Kongu belt as contributing to the ADMK's victory in those constitutencies.^[12]^[13]^[14]

Traditional duties

The traditional roles of this community are agriculture and cattle-rearing, but over time they came to be landowners, weaving, traders and money-lenders.^[15]

Caste structure

The caste is divided into a number of exogamous clans called Kootams, each of which is totemistic.^[16] Medieval poet Kambar is said to have given their kula and gotra (kin and clan).^[17] The community has 24 Nadus (countries), which originated they claim from the time of their settlement. These Nadus are arranged in 4 groups of 6 villages each headquartered at Palayakottai, Kangayam, Pudur and Kadayur. The village head is a kottukaran, the head of a nadu is nattukavundan or periyatanakaran and each group of Nadus is a pattakaran. The pattakaran is treated with considerable respect, and is very rarely consulted. The kottukaran and nattukavundan generally take care of caste disputes and marriage selection respectively, and only important caste disputes are handled by him.

Culture

Marriage

The community has its own style of marriage ceremony. The ceremony is led by person called an Arumbukarar or Arumaikkarar, who must be married and should have children.^[18] The engagement ceremony takes place at the bride's house, with the maternal uncles of both groom and birde present, where fruit and betel leaf are tied in the girl's clothes. On the day of the wedding, the groom is shaven, and a karumaikkarari pours water on his head. If he has a sister, he performs a betrothal ceremony for his daughter to her son. He then goes on horseback to a nattukal with fruit and a pestle and worships it. The stone is said to represent the Kongu king and the worship is a symbolic request for permission of the marriage, as in the old days the king was supposed to give permission for every marriage. On his return, balls of white and coloured rice are taken around the bridegroom and his mother feeds him 3 mouthfuls of food. This indicates she will no longer feed him and he is going out into the world on his own. A barber then blesses him and they go to the bride's house on horseback, where they are met by someone from the bride's party similarly mounted. The groom then gives his earrings to the bride, and they are carried on their respective maternal uncles to the nattukal. When they return, they are touched by an arumaikkarar with a betel leaf dipped on oil, milk and water. They worship the thaali and the arumaikkaran ties it around the bride's neck.^[19] Then he and the barber sing a long song composed by poet-saint Kambar, called "Mangala Valthu", speaking of the glory of marriage.^[20] Then the little fingers of bride and groom and linked, milk is poured over them, and separated. In the wedding ceremony, the brother of the bride and sister of the groom play significant roles.^[21]

Widow remarriage was forbidden at the turn of the 20th century, and those who had intimate relations with widows were ostracised. The punishment was lifted if the widow consented to the man leaving her, the man provided the widow with sufficient means to live herself, and the man providing a feast to his family by killing a black sheep.^[19]

Present status

The Kongu Vellalar were classified as a Forward Caste (General class) at the time of Indian independence but they successfully requested to be reclassified as an other Backward Class in 1975.^[22]

References

Citations

^ Rajannan, Busnagi (1992). Salem cyclopedia: a cultural and historical dictionary of Salem District, Tamil Nadu. Salem, India: Institute of Kongu Studies. p. 340. ISBN 978-8-19002-880-6.
^ "Purana of Kongunadu's conventional farming". The Indian Express. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
^ V. Manickam (2001), p. 540
^ "422" . Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 7.djvu – via Wikisource.:”The Vellālas were also called the Gangakula or Gangavamsa, because they derived their descent from the great and powerful tribe named Gāngvida, which inhabited the valley of the Ganges, as mentioned by Pliny and Ptolemy. A portion of Mysore which was peopled mostly by Vellālas was called Gangavādi in the tenth and eleventh centuries of the Christian era. ”
^ "288" . Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 2.djvu – via Wikisource.
^ Nanjundayya, H.V; Iyer, L.K Ananthakrishna (1930). The Mysore Tribes and Castes. Vol. 3. Mysore: The Mysore University. p. 175-185.:”Gangadikara is a contraction of the term Gangawadikara (A man of Gangavadi)”
^ Stein, Burton (1980). Peasant State and Society in Medieval South India. Delhi: Oxford University Press. p. 319. ISBN 978-0-19-563507-2.:”The Gangadikara peasantry of Gangavadi appears to have been more significantly linked to the Kongu peasantry to the south than to peasant peoples in the central and northern parts of medieval Karnataka. Similarly, the Marasu Vokkaligas of eastern Bangalore and central and southern Kolar districts appear to have been linked to Tondaimandalam”
^ ^a ^b S, Gunasekaran (2016). "Migration and Mobility: The Collective Memory of Kongu Vellalar Peasantry of South India". Migrations in Medieval and early colonial India. Routledge Publication. ISBN 9781138488540.
^ Busnagi Rajannan. Salem cyclopedia: a cultural and historical dictionary of Salem District, Tamil Nadu. Institute of Kongu Studies, 1992. p. 5.
^ Ramaswamy, Vijaya (2007). Historical Dictionary of the Tamils. Scarecrow Press. p. 303. ISBN 9780810864450.
^ Sharad Chari (2004), p. 315
^ Price, Pamela (June 2011). "NREGA and the Return of Identity Politics in Western Tamil Nadu, India". Forum for Development Studies. 38 (2): 211. doi:10.1080/08039410.2011.569923. ISSN 0803-9410. S2CID 216643740.
^ Gounder consolidation could pose headache to major parties – Times Of India
^ Menon, Jaya (15 February 2011). "Rahul keen to test western belt". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
^ Boesche, Roger (1 March 2003). The First Great Political Realist. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-73910-607-5.
^ S. Gunasekaran (2017), p. 41
^ S. Gunasekaran (2017), p. 27
^ Beck, Brenda (1972). Peasant Society of Konku: A Study of right and left subastes in South India. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver. p. 299. ISBN 0-7748-0014-3.
^ ^a ^b "The Castes and Tribes of Southern India". Nature. 84 (2134): 365–367. September 1910. Bibcode:1910Natur..84..365.. doi:10.1038/084365a0. ISSN 0028-0836.
^ Sundaram, B. Meenakshi (20 September 2015). "Kambar, Kongunadu's Friend or Foe?". New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
^ Beck, Brenda (1972). Peasant Society of Konku: A Study of right and left subastes in South India. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver. p. 240. ISBN 0-7748-0014-3.
^ Prasad, K.V. (8 May 2009). "Looking to create a Kongu stronghold". The Hindu. Retrieved 22 May 2016.

Bibliography

S. Gunasekaran (2017). Vijaya Ramaswamy (ed.). Migrations in Medieval and Early Colonial India. Routledge, 2017.
V. Manickam (2001). Kongu Nadu, a History Up to A.D. 1400. Makkal Veliyeedu, 2001.
Sharad Chari (2004). Fraternal Capital: Peasant-workers, Self-made Men, and Globalization in Provincial India. Stanford University Press, 2004.

[1] Rajannan, Busnagi (1992). Salem cyclopedia: a cultural and historical dictionary of Salem District, Tamil Nadu. Salem, India: Institute of Kongu Studies. p. 340. ISBN 978-8-19002-880-6.

[indianexpress-2] "Purana of Kongunadu's conventional farming". The Indian Express. Retrieved 9 July 2020.

[FOOTNOTEV._Manickam2001540-3] V. Manickam (2001), p. 540

[4] "422" . Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 7.djvu – via Wikisource.:”The Vellālas were also called the Gangakula or Gangavamsa, because they derived their descent from the great and powerful tribe named Gāngvida, which inhabited the valley of the Ganges, as mentioned by Pliny and Ptolemy. A portion of Mysore which was peopled mostly by Vellālas was called Gangavādi in the tenth and eleventh centuries of the Christian era. ”

[5] "288" . Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 2.djvu – via Wikisource.

[“Gangadikara”-6] Nanjundayya, H.V; Iyer, L.K Ananthakrishna (1930). The Mysore Tribes and Castes. Vol. 3. Mysore: The Mysore University. p. 175-185.:”Gangadikara is a contraction of the term Gangawadikara (A man of Gangavadi)”

[7] Stein, Burton (1980). Peasant State and Society in Medieval South India. Delhi: Oxford University Press. p. 319. ISBN 978-0-19-563507-2.:”The Gangadikara peasantry of Gangavadi appears to have been more significantly linked to the Kongu peasantry to the south than to peasant peoples in the central and northern parts of medieval Karnataka. Similarly, the Marasu Vokkaligas of eastern Bangalore and central and southern Kolar districts appear to have been linked to Tondaimandalam”

[:0-8] S, Gunasekaran (2016). "Migration and Mobility: The Collective Memory of Kongu Vellalar Peasantry of South India". Migrations in Medieval and early colonial India. Routledge Publication. ISBN 9781138488540.

[9] Busnagi Rajannan. Salem cyclopedia: a cultural and historical dictionary of Salem District, Tamil Nadu. Institute of Kongu Studies, 1992. p. 5.

[10] Ramaswamy, Vijaya (2007). Historical Dictionary of the Tamils. Scarecrow Press. p. 303. ISBN 9780810864450.

[FOOTNOTESharad_Chari2004315-11] Sharad Chari (2004), p. 315

[12] Price, Pamela (June 2011). "NREGA and the Return of Identity Politics in Western Tamil Nadu, India". Forum for Development Studies. 38 (2): 211. doi:10.1080/08039410.2011.569923. ISSN 0803-9410. S2CID 216643740.

[13] Gounder consolidation could pose headache to major parties – Times Of India

[14] Menon, Jaya (15 February 2011). "Rahul keen to test western belt". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 May 2016.

[15] Boesche, Roger (1 March 2003). The First Great Political Realist. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-73910-607-5.

[FOOTNOTES._Gunasekaran201741-16] S. Gunasekaran (2017), p. 41

[FOOTNOTES._Gunasekaran201727-17] S. Gunasekaran (2017), p. 27

[18] Beck, Brenda (1972). Peasant Society of Konku: A Study of right and left subastes in South India. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver. p. 299. ISBN 0-7748-0014-3.

[:1-19] "The Castes and Tribes of Southern India". Nature. 84 (2134): 365–367. September 1910. Bibcode:1910Natur..84..365.. doi:10.1038/084365a0. ISSN 0028-0836.

[20] Sundaram, B. Meenakshi (20 September 2015). "Kambar, Kongunadu's Friend or Foe?". New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2016.

[21] Beck, Brenda (1972). Peasant Society of Konku: A Study of right and left subastes in South India. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver. p. 240. ISBN 0-7748-0014-3.

[22] Prasad, K.V. (8 May 2009). "Looking to create a Kongu stronghold". The Hindu. Retrieved 22 May 2016.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Tamil community}}
+{{pp-protected|reason=Persistent [[WP:Disruptive editing|disruptive editing]]|small=yes}}
 {{Use Indian English|date=May 2016}}
-{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2011}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
 {{infobox caste
-| caste_name             =Kongu Vellalar
+| caste_name             = Kongu Vellalar
-| image_1                =
-| image_title_1          =
-| image_width_1          =
-| image_2                =
-| image_width_2          =
-| image_title_2          =
 | image                  =
 | caption                =
-| varna                  =
+| region                 =
-| classification         = [[Backward Class]]
+| religions              =
-| gotra                  =
+| country                = India
-| religions              = [[Hinduism]]
-| country                = [[India]]
 | state                  = [[Tamil Nadu]]
+| populated_states       =
-| populated_states       = major population in Tamil Nadu, minor populations in [[Puducherry]], [[Karnataka]], [[Kerala]], United Kingdom and the United States<ref>{{cite news | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Gounder-consolidation-could-pose-headache-to-major-parties/articleshow/4557663.cms?referral=PM | title=Gounder consolidation could pose headache to major parties | first=Jayaraj | last=Sivan | newspaper=The Times of India | date=21 May 2009 | accessdate=22 May 2016 }}</ref>
-| language               = [[Tamil language|Tamil]] ([[Kongu Tamil]])
+| languages              = [[Tamil language|Tamil]] ([[Kongu Tamil]])
-| region                 = Tamil Nadu
+| classification         = [[Backward Class]]}}
-| related                = [[Vellalar]], [[Tamil people]], [[Dravidian people]]
-}}
+'''Kongu Vellalar''' is a community found in the Kongu region of [[Tamil Nadu]], India.
-'''Kongu Vellalars''', sometimes referred to simply as [[Gounder (title)|Gounder]], are a community from the western region of [[Tamil Nadu]], which is known as [[Kongu Nadu]]. It  also refers to the title or surname used by the [[Vellalar]] community from the region. Kongu Vellala Gounders were classified as a [[Forward Caste]] at the time of [[Indian independence]] but they successfully requested to be reclassified as a [[Backward Class]] in 1975.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article277921.ece | newspaper=The Hindu | title=Looking to create a Kongu stronghold | date=8 May 2009 | first=K.V. | last=Prasad | accessdate=22 May 2016}}</ref> The Vellalars of Kongu region came to be known as Kongu Vellalar or Gounder, though both the names have also been treated separately in some regions.<ref>{{cite book |title=Historical Dictionary of the Tamils|first=Vijaya |last=Ramaswamy |page=303 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |year=2007 |isbn=9780810864450 |url=http://books.google.co.in/books?id=H4q0DHGMcjEC}}</ref>
+==Etymology==
-The community plays a significant role in the political and economic life of the Kongu Nadu region.<ref>[http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-05-21/chennai/28179309_1_poll-observers-assembly-polls-poll-eve Gounder consolidation could pose headache to major parties - Times Of India<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Rahul-keen-to-test-western-belt-/articleshow/7498031.cms?referral=PM | title=Rahul keen to test western belt | newspaper=The Times of India | first=Jaya | last=Menon | date=15 February 2011 | accessdate=22 May 2016 }}</ref> Among them are businessmen who figure among the global leaders in several industrial sectors.<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Gounder-consolidation-could-pose-headache-to-major-parties/articleshow/4557663.cms Gounders consolidation could pose headache to major parties]</ref>
+The [[Vellalar]] of the [[Kongunadu|Kongu country]] came to be known as Kongu Vellalar. They are also known by names such as "Bupaalan", Gangavamsam, Kudiyaanavar and Vivasaayi, and use the title [[Gounder]] as a caste appellation in their personal names.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ez9uAAAAMAAJ&q=Buvaisya|title=Salem cyclopedia: a cultural and historical dictionary of Salem District, Tamil Nadu|last=Rajannan|first=Busnagi|location=Salem, India|date=1992|publisher=Institute of Kongu Studies|page=340|isbn=978-8-19002-880-6|language=en}}</ref>
-==Wedding==
+==Origin==
+According to the ''Kongu Vellalar Puranam'', a 19th-century work by Mahavidwan Kandasamy Kavirayar, the Vellalar of the Kongu country trace their origin to Marabalan, a mythical figure who was created from the river [[Ganges]] to rid the world of hunger. Marabalan turned to agriculture and his descendants became the [[Vellalar]]. Marabalan had various titles such as Gangavamsa, Devar, Vellalar, Bupaalan, etc.<ref name="indianexpress">{{cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2015/sep/13/purana-of-kongunadus-conventional-farming-813729.html|title=Purana of Kongunadu's conventional farming|website=The Indian Express|access-date=2020-07-09}}</ref>{{sfnp|V. Manickam|2001|p=540|ps=}}<ref>{{cite wikisource|chapter=422|wslink=Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 7.djvu|plaintitle=Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 7.djvu|last=|first=|year=|publisher=|page=|wspage=|scan=}}:”The Vellālas were also called the Gangakula or Gangavamsa, because they derived their descent from the great and powerful tribe named Gāngvida, which inhabited the valley of the Ganges, as mentioned by Pliny and Ptolemy. A portion of Mysore which was peopled mostly by Vellālas was called Gangavādi in the tenth and eleventh centuries of the Christian era. ”</ref> Interestingly the [[Vokkaliga#Gangadikara_Vokkaliga|Gandadikara Vokkaligas]] of the neighbouring parts of [[Karnataka]] also claim origin from the banks of the [[Ganges]].<ref>{{cite wikisource|chapter=288|wslink=Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 2.djvu|plaintitle=Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 2.djvu|last=|first=|year=|publisher=|page=|wspage=|scan=}}</ref><ref name=“Gangadikara”>{{cite book |last1=Nanjundayya|first1=H.V|first2=L.K Ananthakrishna|last2=Iyer|date=1930|title=The Mysore Tribes and Castes|volume=3|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.22885/page/n255/mode/2up|location=Mysore |publisher=The Mysore University|page=175-185}}:”Gangadikara is a contraction of the term Gangawadikara (A man of Gangavadi)”</ref>  According to [[Burton Stein]], the Gangadikaras and the Kongu Vellalars were linked.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Peasant State and Society in Medieval South India|last=Stein|first=Burton|date=1980|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4SsKAQAAIAAJ&q=Gangadikara+peasantry+of+Gangavadi+|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages=319|location=Delhi|isbn=978-0-19-563507-2}}:”The Gangadikara peasantry of Gangavadi appears to have been more significantly linked to the Kongu peasantry to the south than to peasant peoples in the central and northern parts of medieval Karnataka. Similarly, the Marasu Vokkaligas of eastern Bangalore and central and southern Kolar districts appear to have been linked to Tondaimandalam”</ref>
-The community has own practice of marriage ceremonial. This ceremonial lead by person called Arumbukarar ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]: அரும்புகாரர்). He sings ritual song called "Mangala valthu" ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]:மங்களவாழ்த்து).<ref>http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/Kambar-Kongunadus-Friend-or-Foe/2015/09/20/article3037320.ece</ref><ref>http://www.sripudhuvangalamman.net/mangalavalthu</ref> In them wedding ceremony brother bride and sister of the groom plays significant role.
+==History==
-Them wedding ceremony compose of various function in stages Uridhi varthai ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]:உறுதிவார்த்தை), Nall Virundhu([[Tamil language|Tamil]]:நால்விருந்து), Nichiyathartham ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]:நிச்சையதார்த்தம்), Inayaisear ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]:இணைசீர்) and Thalikattu ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]:தாலிகட்டு)
+From the early Sangam period, the Kongu region had always been a "frontier zone," only loosely controlled by the various Tamil dynasties from the plains. Due to their isolation, the people of this region had always been most associated with muscle power and the "heroic" ideals of the Sangam age. While these "heroic" traditions faded in the rest of the plains region due to the rise of agrarian states, the Kongu region and other remote buffer zones kept it alive until the 11th century CE. In Upper Kongu (north of the Kaveri), the ''natukal'' tradition was still present. This cultural combination of the heroic traditions and megalithic burials greatly influenced Kongu Nadu's culture. After the end of the Sangam period, the Vettuvar (hunter) tribe gained dominance over the other tribes of the region such as the Kurumbar, Ay, and Kuravar, which led to a large number of peoples associating themselves with the Vettuvar. This caused a Vettuvar population explosion in the early 9th century and created a complex social structure, with the chieftains of the Vettuvars calling themselves ''Koundar''. However, by the 11th century CE, the influence of the Bhakti movement and Brahminical values from the plains largely displaced the Sangam traditions. Thus some groups of the Vettuvars became full-time agriculturalists, calling themselves ''Vettuvavelalar''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=S|first=Gunasekaran|url=https://www.academia.edu/29788355|title=Migrations in Medieval and early colonial India|publisher=Routledge Publication|year=2016|isbn=9781138488540|chapter=Migration and Mobility: The Collective Memory of Kongu Vellalar Peasantry of South India}}</ref>
-==Known Peoples==
-Few achievers from this community
+Large groups of peasants from the plains soon began to migrate into the Kongu Nadu region starting in the 10th century from many places, with migration peaking in the 13th century. Their technological advancement allowed them to generally outcompete the earlier inhabitants in land ownership and agricultural production. Most initially identified with their clan names and their chiefs with the Gounder title, but eventually coalesced into a single group called Kongu Vellalar Gounder. The Kongu Vellalars also had complex relations with the locals, sometimes friendly, sometimes hostile, and many locals were assimilated into the ethnogenesis of the Gounders. The early pre-migration institutions were modified to include the emerging peasant class. Other communities migrated along with the peasants, including potters, barbers, craftsmen, as well as Brahmins and Dalits. However Brahmins played a negligible role in the new social formation, since the Kongu Vellalars and their dependent communities never used Brahmins for religious ceremonies. However, eventually this period of ethnogenesis would end in the creation of a hierarchical structure with Kongu Vellalars at the top.<ref name=":0" />
-===Entertainer===
-*[[Sivakumar|Actor Sivakumar]]
+The Kongu Vellalar were inhabitants of the [[Kongu Nadu|Kongu country]] since at least the 10th century CE.<ref>{{cite book|title=Salem cyclopedia: a cultural and historical dictionary of Salem District, Tamil Nadu|author=Busnagi Rajannan|publisher=Institute of Kongu Studies, 1992|page=5}}</ref> The Vellalars of Kongu region came to be known as Kongu Vellalar or Gounder, though both the names have also been treated separately in some regions.<ref>{{cite book |title=Historical Dictionary of the Tamils|first=Vijaya |last=Ramaswamy |page=303 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |year=2007 |isbn=9780810864450 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H4q0DHGMcjEC}}</ref> According to Beck's (1972) study, the Kongu Vellalar are one of the top ranking castes who were entitled to ownership over land. They followed a kingly model acquiring prestige by ownership of land, control of daily labor and production activity.{{sfnp|Sharad Chari|2004|p=315|ps=}}
-===Spritual===
-* Swami Satchidananda, founder of Integral Yoga <ref>http://swamisatchidananda.org/swami-satchidananda-biography/</ref>
+Today, the Gounders have presided over Kongu Nadu's transition from an agricultural to industrial economy. Gounders traditionally controlled most of the land in western Tamil Nadu, and had the Arunthathiyar community as labourers. When MGNREGA was introduced, Gounder farmers were furious as it prevented the Arunthathiyars from working in their fields. Thanks to their land ownership, the Gounders were also able to control the industrialization of the Kongu belt and consequently most industrialists in the region are Gounder. The community plays a significant role in the political and economic life of the Kongu Nadu region. The prominent Kongu Nadu-based parties, [[Kongunadu Munnetra Kazhagam]] and later [[Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi|Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi]], were primarily Gounder caste outfits similar to the [[Pattali Makkal Katchi|PMK]] for [[Vanniyar]]s. Some scholars saw the KMK's presence in the Kongu belt as contributing to the ADMK's victory in those constitutencies.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Price|first=Pamela|date=June 2011|title=NREGA and the Return of Identity Politics in Western Tamil Nadu, India|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08039410.2011.569923|journal=Forum for Development Studies|volume=38|issue=2|pages=211|doi=10.1080/08039410.2011.569923|s2cid=216643740|issn=0803-9410}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121104013919/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-05-21/chennai/28179309_1_poll-observers-assembly-polls-poll-eve Gounder consolidation could pose headache to major parties – Times Of India<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Rahul-keen-to-test-western-belt-/articleshow/7498031.cms?referral=PM | title=Rahul keen to test western belt | newspaper=The Times of India | first=Jaya | last=Menon | date=15 February 2011 | access-date=22 May 2016 }}</ref>
-* [[Swami Chidbhavananda]]
+==Traditional duties==
+The traditional roles of this community are [[agriculture]] and [[Cattle|cattle-rearing]], but over time they came to be [[landowners]], [[weaving]], [[Merchant|traders]] and [[money-lenders]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K85NA7Rg67wC&pg=PA24 |page=24 |title=The First Great Political Realist|author-link=Roger Boesche |first=Roger |last=Boesche|isbn=978-0-73910-607-5 |date=1 March 2003 }}</ref>
+==Caste structure==
+The caste is divided into a number of exogamous clans called ''Kootams'', each of which is totemistic.{{sfnp|S. Gunasekaran|2017|p=41|ps=}} Medieval poet [[Kambar (poet)|Kambar]] is said to have given their ''kula'' and ''[[gotra]]'' (kin and clan).{{sfnp|S. Gunasekaran|2017|p=27|ps=}} The community has 24 ''Nadus'' (countries), which originated they claim from the time of their settlement. These ''Nadus'' are arranged in 4 groups of 6 villages each headquartered at Palayakottai, [[Kangeyam|Kangayam]], [[Pudur, Erode|Pudur]] and Kadayur. The village head is a ''kottukaran'', the head of a ''nadu'' is ''nattukavundan'' or ''periyatanakaran'' and each group of ''Nadus'' is a ''pattakaran''. The pattakaran is treated with considerable respect, and is very rarely consulted. The ''kottukaran'' and ''nattukavundan'' generally take care of caste disputes and marriage selection respectively, and only important caste disputes are handled by him.
+==Culture==
+===Marriage===
+[[Image:A- thaali koundars.jpg|thumb|Kongu Vellalar ''thaali''. Compared to other communities, their ''thaalis'' are particularly large.]]
+The community has its own style of marriage ceremony. The ceremony is led by person called an ''Arumbukarar'' or ''Arumaikkarar'', who must be married and should have children.<ref>{{cite book | title = Peasant Society of Konku: A Study of right and left subastes in South India | first = Brenda | last = Beck | publisher = University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver | year = 1972 | page = [https://archive.org/details/peasantsocietyin0000beck/page/299 299] | isbn = 0-7748-0014-3 | url = https://archive.org/details/peasantsocietyin0000beck/page/299 }}</ref> The engagement ceremony takes place at the bride's house, with the maternal uncles of both groom and birde present, where fruit and betel leaf are tied in the girl's clothes. On the day of the wedding, the groom is shaven, and a ''karumaikkarari'' pours water on his head. If he has a sister, he performs a betrothal ceremony for his daughter to her son. He then goes on horseback to a ''nattukal'' with fruit and a pestle and worships it. The stone is said to represent the Kongu king and the worship is a symbolic request for permission of the marriage, as in the old days the king was supposed to give permission for every marriage. On his return, balls of white and coloured rice are taken around the bridegroom and his mother feeds him 3 mouthfuls of food. This indicates she will no longer feed him and he is going out into the world on his own. A barber then blesses him and they go to the bride's house on horseback, where they are met by someone from the bride's party similarly mounted. The groom then gives his earrings to the bride, and they are carried on their respective maternal uncles to the ''nattukal''. When they return, they are touched by an ''arumaikkarar'' with a betel leaf dipped on oil, milk and water. They worship the ''thaali'' and the ''arumaikkaran'' ties it around the bride's neck.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|date=September 1910|title=The Castes and Tribes of Southern India|journal=Nature|volume=84|issue=2134|pages=365–367|doi=10.1038/084365a0|bibcode=1910Natur..84..365. |issn=0028-0836|doi-access=free}}</ref> Then he and the barber sing a long song composed by poet-saint [[Kambar (poet)|Kambar]], called "Mangala Valthu", speaking of the glory of marriage.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/Kambar-Kongunadus-Friend-or-Foe/2015/09/20/article3037320.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120223033/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/Kambar-Kongunadus-Friend-or-Foe/2015/09/20/article3037320.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 November 2015 |title=Kambar, Kongunadu's Friend or Foe? |first=B. Meenakshi |last=Sundaram |work=New Indian Express |date=20 September 2015 |access-date=2016-09-12}}</ref> Then the little fingers of bride and groom and linked, milk is poured over them, and separated. In the wedding ceremony, the brother of the bride and sister of the groom play significant roles.<ref>{{cite book | title = Peasant Society of Konku: A Study of right and left subastes in South India | first = Brenda | last = Beck | publisher = University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver | year = 1972 | page = [https://archive.org/details/peasantsocietyin0000beck/page/240 240] | isbn = 0-7748-0014-3 | url = https://archive.org/details/peasantsocietyin0000beck/page/240 }}</ref>
+Widow remarriage was forbidden at the turn of the 20th century, and those who had intimate relations with widows were ostracised. The punishment was lifted if the widow consented to the man leaving her, the man provided the widow with sufficient means to live herself, and the man providing a feast to his family by killing a black sheep.<ref name=":1" />
+==Present status==
+The Kongu Vellalar were classified as a [[Forward Caste]] (General class) at the time of [[Partition of India|Indian independence]] but they successfully requested to be reclassified as an [[other Backward Class]] in 1975.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article277921.ece | newspaper=The Hindu| title=Looking to create a Kongu stronghold | date=8 May 2009 | first=K.V. | last=Prasad | access-date=22 May 2016}}</ref>
 ==References==
+'''Citations'''
 {{reflist}}
+'''Bibliography'''
+{{Portal|Tamils|India|Hinduism}}
+*{{cite book|title=Migrations in Medieval and Early Colonial India|author=S. Gunasekaran|editor=Vijaya Ramaswamy|publisher=Routledge, 2017|year=2017}}
+*{{cite book|title=Kongu Nadu, a History Up to A.D. 1400|author=V. Manickam|publisher=Makkal Veliyeedu, 2001|year=2001}}
+*{{cite book|title=Fraternal Capital: Peasant-workers, Self-made Men, and Globalization in Provincial India|author=Sharad Chari|publisher=Stanford University Press, 2004|year=2004}}
-[[Category:Vellalar]]
+[[Category:Vellalar clans]]
+[[Category:Gounder]]
+[[Category:Kongu Nadu]]
 [[Category:Social groups of Tamil Nadu]]
+[[Category:Indian castes]]
+[[Category:South Indian communities]]