Nadar (caste)

For other uses, see Nadar (disambiguation).

"Chanar" redirects here. For places in Iran, see Chenar.

Nadar

Regions with significant populations
Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Tiruchendur, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Thanjavur, Chennai, Kanyakumari, Trivandrum, Kollam
Languages
Tamil, Malayalam
Religion
Hinduism, Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Tamil people

Nadar is a prominent caste/ethnicity in South India and Sri Lanka. Nadars are predominant in the south Indian districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Tuticorin, Kaniyakumari, Tirunelveli and Virudhunagar.

Nadars who had a strong philosophy of 'Peace Loving' attitude like the great Buddhists and Jains, were not for any war. But, when compelled to war, they never retreated, a racial character that they even today hold to the ground. The Nadar’s as a Community have made themselves upwardly mobile- moving to a remarkably higher level, economically , politically, academically and socially during the 20th century. The Nadar’s are a very hard working people. They have been well known for their perseverance, untiring energy, commitments and dedication to their business. They have become highly modernized. Many of them are qualified from Engineering, Medical Institutions and Business Schools. Nadar’s who were quite active in Congress party circles was well known around the period Indira Gandhi through leaders like K. Kamaraj, Marshal Nesamony and the like. Scattered throughout the world, the community has produced a diverse array of prominent men in different walks of life: K Kamaraj, the Congress King Maker, V S Azariah, the first Indian Bishop consecrated by the Church of England, S P Adityan, who founded one of India's most successful newspaper empires, Shiv Nadar, a technocrat who heads a multinational IT giant, David Davidar, prominent publisher and writer, Manuel Aaron, India's first International Chess Master and the first chess player to be honoured with the Arjuna Award, Ranjan Roy Daniel, Physicist conferred Padma Bhushan and Sam Rajappa, distinguished journalist. Also the traditional martial art that has been called Southern-style Kalaripayattu(Adi Murai) was historically practised by the Nadars.

The Nadars have made significant strides through their emphasis on education and entrepreneurship. The socio-economic development achieved by the Nadars in southern India has elicited academic interest. Nadars are classified and listed as an Other Backward Class by the governments of both Tamil Nadu and India.

Etymology

The community was previously known as Shanar but legally changed their name to Nadar in 1921. The title Nadar is believed to be derived from the Nelamaikkarars, the aristocrats of the Shanar community who had previously used it exclusively. Nadars claim that the original name of the community was Shanthor or Shandrar (noble one) which, in course of time, was corrupted to Shanar. Channar is a title used by the Ezhava community of Kerala.

NADAR HISTORY

The origin of Nadars as a social group is uncertain. Hardgrave stated that the Teri palmrya forests around today’s Tiruchendur must have been their original abode. Nadars claim that they are the descendants of those who ruled the Pandyan kingdom and that when Nayak rulers captured the Pandya country, it was divided into several Palayams (divisions) for each of which Palaiyakkars were appointed as rulers. They also claimed that the Nayak rulers of Tamil Nadu imposed Deshaprashtam (ostracism) on the ancient Nadars to ensure that they would not rise. According to Hardgrave these claims were not completely baseless. The traditions followed by the Nelamaikkarars and the existence of the ruins beneath the Teri palmrya forests of Tiruchendur and the Pandyan capital city of Korkai, where the Nadar population is predominant, suggest they could very well be the heirs of the Early Pandyas. This belief, that the Nadars had been the kings of Tamil Nadu, became the prominent among of the Nadar community members in the 19th century. According to legendary accounts, some of the Nadars had migrated to Sri Lanka, but they had to return to India as they didn't receive proper treatment in Sri Lanka.

Sangam Period to 10th Century AD NADAR’S

NADAR’S are also known as Santors, meaning, Noble people. During the sangam periods (9990 to 5550 BC) of the Tamils, the land with people was called "Nadu" and the Chief to protector of the land was called Naden. The Chera, Chola and Pandyas(1st century AD -10th century AD) related to Nadar caste/ethnicity are known to be existing from the Sangam period . Their history is vanished almost to the thin air, except some references here and there. We have many references in the 1st, 2nd and 4th centuries about the history of the Southern Nadars. Karikaala Chola is one of the major kings ruling in this period. There is a bunch of writings about him. There are many wars fought for this king by the Yaudheya Nadars. This is recorded in the Palm-leaf Text, Valamkaimaalai(An old text depicting Nadar history).

Adi Sankara (788-820 AD), who was known to be responsible for bringing the 'Caste System' in India travelled from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, like the Chanakkya who travelled from the South to the North, during the period of Chandra Gupta, which made a turning point in Indian history. This influence has gone to the extent that 8000 nadar jains saints were sent to the gallows in a single day during the time period, thousands and thousands of Nadar Sanmargis and their Jaina and Buddha Viharas were hunted and destroyed. This has caused the beginning of degradation of the Basic Culture of Nadars. During these periods, the economy and the language of the country were also degenerated. The original method of 'King-Priest ' phenomenon had been changed to priority to first Priest, and then 'to the King' or Kshatriya gradation. Things slowly began to go up-down. Common people were objected from learning. It should be ascertained that many of the Nadar kings had supported this new ideologies in which, the King, as Kshatriya was offered lot of specialties, luxuries and many sensualities for his pleasures at the cost of the subjects, who were once his own partners (Uravinmurai), but, now turned to be somebody little lower. But as time passed by the 8th and 9th century AD the famous Aye kings(Nadar Dynasty) were seen struggling to keep up their independence, suppressed, and intimidated by the Cholas, influenced by the new Brahmanic priestly class on the basis of Mantric or Achara regulations. This is seen in one of the inscriptions at the famous parthipasekarapuram temple in South India, in the present Kanyakumari district. There was a big Univeristy under the Aye Nadans. As the regulations were changed up to the gluttonous habit of the Aryans, it finally lost its identity and the Ayes were almost dissolved with the Perumals and the Thiruppappu Nadans of Travancore.

11th – 15th Century AD NADAR’S

The downfall of Nadar kingdoms happens from the invasion of Moguls from 11th to the 13 century AD. During these period, it is seen that a number of servants of Nadars are turning their back to the Nadars in their friendship with the new invaders thereby betraying their own salt. Moral deterioration has started after the Muslim invasions and Erotic sensuality had been promoted to the destruction of the Basic aboriginal Root-Culture and Civilization of the Jainistic nature. Slowly the temples have begun to flow into the hands of the new Brahmanical allies. Influenced by this new cultural turning, even rivalries among the traditional brotherhood of the Chera Chola Pandyas had occurred, and there developed a great war that lasted for more than one hundred years during(11th - 15th century AD) between the Cholas, and Pandyas; and Cholas and the Cheras (Rejendra Cholan, Raja raja Cholan period). After the war, although some new matrimonial relations have been maintained by the Cholas and the Cheras, the country was again reduced to smaller bits, controlled by little Chieftains. Only a few Nadars had independent kingdoms remained. But the rivalry fire was continued to be kindled by the new forces that by another one hundred years, the larger kingdom of the Nadars were almost lost, except among the Aivar Rajakkal of the south.

16th – 19th Century AD NADAR’S

History records that the major wealth and treasures of Nadars were taken in several carts by the Muslim invaders during 16th-18th century AD. The repeated Mugul invasions to the Tamil country has opened the way for the entry of the Vijayanagara lords and finally the Nayaks into the Nadar Kingdom, especially after the period of Soundara Pandyan. Most of the royalties from the Nadar groups have either surrendered to the Nayaks or taken side with the Brahmanical supremacy, and only certain minor Chieftains, here and there were hiding in some forest tracts, and some escaping to the ancestral brothers in the nearby Chera Country, Mysore, etc. Many families have even followed pseudo names for the hiding. A few conservative Nadan families have tried to re-organise and resist the enemies in order to re-capture powers. Alwar Naden, Kali Kaatha Perumal Naden, Navab Kumara Marthandan Nadar were a few among them. Here some have been betrayed or killed, but Kalai kaatha Perumal Naden has accepted Catholic Christian religion and worked for social causes, paving way for the new way of Social Revolutions.

It is to be recorded here that "Tamil" was the language in the Chera country(Present day: Kerala) all along. So, it was in the 16th century AD, that the Nambutiri groups of Kerala formed a new language for Kerala, called the Malayalam. Initially, it was a mixture of Sanskrit and Tamil, added with new vocabularies. It was known by the name, Manipravalam. But, when it has become to the middle of 17th century AD, the new language, Malayalam has been created. Yet, the real Royal orders which were recorded in Copper plates and Inscriptions in the original "Villavan Code" language of the Nadars continued to exist. This period had seen the great down fall of the Nadars in Kerala as well as in the Tamil Nadu. It was during this time the new religion of Christianity becomes popular among the Nadar population. One of the famous Perumal/Nadar kings from the Nadar tribe who ruled the land was Udaya Martanda Kulasekhara Perumal of Eraniyel(1798-1810), whose descendants are still alive, of course, without kingdom, but with certain records of their royalty.

By the beginning of 18th and 19th century AD, although we find that some Nadar Chieftains are still having their good establishments, the newly formed political situation with the presence of the British , French, the Dutch,. etc., have engulfed the power of the Nadar’s. Now, by the beginning of the 20th century AD, the Nadars are reduced to a economically backward community, being snatched off their lands and wealth by the Palayakkara (Nayaks), 1600-1700 AD, the Ettuviittil Pillamar, (through Velu Thampy Dalawa (1801-1809) who killed many number of Nadar land owners and confiscated their wealth in a very large number and had given to his allied groups of Nairs and Pillamar. This age is followed by the imposition of taxation (HEAVY AS 120 TYPES OF TAXES ON THE NADARS) SO THAT THEY CAN NEVER THINK OF COMING BACK TO POWER FOR GENERATIONS. This period is the most DARK PERIOD in the history of the Nadars, their true history being marred and buried. Further, they were attacked even in sociological norms, by humiliating , creating new rules that they shall not enter into the temples, can not wear cloths on the upper part of the body, and must perform uliyam ( free service without wages), etc...

We are to remember that it was during these periods that the history of India was written being initiated by many foreign powers like the British and the Dutch. Naturally, the Nadars have missed many of their historical fabrics being recorded in the texts. It was this period that Edward Thurston has studied the Castes of India and wrote the great book Castes and Tribes of India. He was guided by many of the Brahmanic groups who have misguided the history to a great extent. At the same time, the Brahmins took hold of another earlier lower communities as the Shudras(Nairs) or Pillai, etc., and upgraded them to the position, closer to them in order to give a thrashing blow to the fallen true kshatriaya Nadans.

20th Century NADAR’S

British rule in the southern districts introduced new opportunities for trade and commerce, of which the Nadars took advantage. They established sophisticated pettais (fortified compounds) and urvinmurais (local caste associations) to ensure safety for their goods. Members of the uravinmurai, who were known as muraikkarars, would contribute a portion of their income to the association as mahimai (literally, to glorify oneself), in order to use the facilities of the pettais and to improve the common good. The Nadar’s as a Community have made themselves upwardly mobile- moving to a remarkably higher level, economically , politically, academically and socially during the 20th century. The Nadar’s are a very hard working people. They have been well known for their perseverance, untiring energy, commitments and dedication to their business. They have become highly modernized. Many of them are qualified from Engineering, Medical Institutions and Business Schools. Nadar’s who were quite active in Congress party circles was well known around the period Indira Gandhi through leaders like K. Kamaraj, Marshal Nesamony and the like. Scattered throughout the world, the community has produced a diverse array of prominent men in different walks of life: K Kamaraj, the Congress King Maker, V S Azariah, the first Indian Bishop consecrated by the Church of England, S P Adityan, who founded one of India's most successful newspaper empires, Shiv Nadar, a technocrat who heads a multinational IT giant, David Davidar, prominent publisher and writer, Manuel Aaron, India's first International Chess Master and the first chess player to be honoured with the Arjuna Award, Ranjan Roy Daniel, Physicist conferred Padma Bhushan and Sam Rajappa, distinguished journalist. Nadars who had a strong philosophy of 'Peace Loving' attitude like the great Buddhists and Jains, were not for any war. But, when compelled to war, they never retreated, a racial character that they even today hold to the ground. There might be hundreds of struggles ahead for this caste/ethnic group called NADAR for their survival to the future.

Sri Lanka

Some Nadars emigrated from South India to Sri Lanka during the British colonial era.

Nadar Mahajana Sangam

The separate Nadar associations of the six Ramanad towns were unable to support a community that was becoming more dispersed as many began to migrate to other parts of Madras Presidency. With the rise of the politically ambitious T. Rattinasami Nadar, a wealthy Nadar of Porayar in Thanjavur district, a new association was formed. This resulted from Rattinasami Nadar inviting prominent community leaders to attend a plenary session in February 1910, with the intent of establishing an organization to represent the entire community. Rattinasami Nadar's uncle, V. Ponnusami Nadar, was elected to become the first president of the association, which was called the Nadar Mahajana Sangam. The association was open to any Nadar male of any subcaste or religion, and had as its general purpose the upliftment of the community. The early Sangam conferences were dominated by the Northern Nadars.

Against toddy

The campaign against toddy was one of the first steps taken by the Nadar Mahajana Sangam to enhance the social advancement of the entire Nadar community. Though majority of the Nadar climbers were engaged in the production of jaggery, a significant number of Nadar climbers were also involved in the production of toddy. The Sangam urged the Nadar climbers to abandon their traditional occupation of toddy tapping and not to sell hard toddy. However many Nadar climbers were reluctant to give up their profitable occupation. The situation got out of hand when Nadar leaders tried to intimidate the climbers, by using tenets of their cult, to give up their occupation as toddy tappers. To ease the situation the district magistrate issued a proclamation restricting the climbers to sell hard toddy only in specific regions, where toddy can be legally drawn. However the Sangam's campaign was effective for only about a year.

Prohibition of toddy act

The Sangam then in order to aid the depressed climbers, sought to abolish the tax levied on palmrya trees. After the establishment of the Prohibition(of toddy) act in the Northern districts of Madras Presidency, the Nadar Mahajana Sangam along with its sister association,Dakshina Mara Nadar Sangam of Tirunelveli, sought to remove it to aid the depressed climbers. The British advisor government in turn suspended the act. However, the prohibition act was reintroduced after the independence. Under the rules of the act, the climbers could only tap between 4 am to 2pm and sell sweet toddy between 6am and 2pm. These procedures can also only be practiced by climbers who have license. The rigid government rules pressurized the depressed climbers. The two prominent Nadars Sangams constantly pressurized the government and eventually the enforcement of these regulations gradually eased. By mid-1950s, the government assigned cooperative societies to promote jaggery production.

Nadar educational institutions

The Nadar community did not completely rely on the Backward Class Commission for educational advancement. In 1885, the Northern Nadars established the Kshatriya Vidhyasala High School in Virudhunagar by using the mahimai funds from the Nadar uravinmurai. Education was also the primary concern of the Nadar Mahajana Sangam from inception. In 1921, the Sangam began to provide scholarship loans to needy students, and by 1964 more than 3000 such loans were offered. Some students were given assistance for foreign studies. The Sangam also aided the establishment of village schools. Education formed the largest portion of expenditure by the Nadar Mahajana Sangam. The Nadar bank along with other cooperative societies gave 5 percent of their profit to the scholarship fund. The Nadar Mahajana Sangam also established a college, Senthilkumara Nadar College, in 1947.

Resolution of inter-caste conflicts

In villages with less Nadar population, they were oppressed by those in the majority. The Nadar Mahajana Sangam acted in the interests of such Nadar community memebers, using the strength and influence of the community at large. The nadars could ask the Sangam to intervene in inter-community issues, which would cause the Sangam to investigate the situation and determine the validity of any Nadar claims. Then, if necessary, the Sangam would request police intervention or support a claim in court. In situations where the matter went to court, the Sangam would not provide financial support for the Nadar claimant to contest the case, but would rather see that the claim is properly heard. The support included urging their own community members to allow use of their schools, tanks, temples and wells by other communities. The name of the Nadar bank was changed to Tamilnad Mercantile Bank. These activities earned the Nadar community respect and recognition.

Most of the shops in Ranganathan Street, Tamil Nadu's premier high street, are owned by the Nadars.

Politics

In the 1920s and 1930s, Nadar Mahajan Sangam supported the non-Brahmin movement and Justice party. W. P. A. Soundrapandian Nadar as the president of Nadar Mahajana Sangam led the effort to ally the community with Periyar E. V. Ramasamy's Self-respect movement. The Northern Nadars joined the Justice party in its attack against Brahmins on cultural and religious front. They also practiced self-respect marriages during the non-Brahmin movement.

However, in the late 1940s the Nadars' support shifted to Indian National Congress, in part because of the political success of K. Kamaraj, whose opinions had originally been disliked by his own community. After the end of Kamaraj's era, the Nadars' political support has become diffused across various parties and the Nadar Sangam has become less politicized.

Government classification

Nadars are classified and listed as an Other Backward Class by the governments of both Tamil Nadu and India.

Subcastes

The legend of the origin of the Nadars tell of the birth of seven sons; with the death of two, the remaining five father the separate divisions of the community. There were five major divisions among the Nadars. The Nadar community was not a single caste, but developed from an assortment of related subcastes and classes of different origins, which in course of time, came under the single banner Nadar. Nadar climber was the largest subsect of today’s Nadar community. Nadars are predominant in the south Indian districts of Tuticorin, Kaniyakumari, Tirunelveli and Virudhunagar.

Karukkupattaiyathar

Palmrya climber in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu

The Karukkupattaiyathar are supposed to be the original inhabitants of the country around Manadu. This sub-division was later known as Mara Nadar. They claim to be the descendants of the Pandyans. It is the largest of the five subcastes and constitutes about 80 percent of the entire community, including the aristocratic Nelamaikkarars and the climbers beneath them. The Nelamaikarrars and the climbers are endogamous groups, forming sub-subcastes that each marry only among themselves.

Mel-nattar

The term Mel-nattar comes from Mel-nadu (western country). Mel-nattars lived traditionally in the Southern Travancore and Western Tirunelveli districts. They claim to be descendants of the Chera kings who settled in the area of the Western Ghats after the fall of their dynasty.

Tiruvarudi Vaihunda Nadan, the last Zamindar of Nattathi.

Nattathi

At the time that Robert Hardgrave conducted his study, in the 1960s, the Nattathis were predominant in the village of Nattathi near Sawyerpuram, Tuticorin district. There they were traditionally cultivators, traders and money lenders. Legendary accounts claim that the Nattathis are descendants born of the Pandyas and Cholas. The community was mostly Christian and remained an endogamous unit. The overlord of Nattathi was a retainer of the Kattabomma Nayaka. The Nattathi overlord was invested with Zamindari rights under the British. The last of the Nattathi zamindars, Tiruvarudi Vaihunda Nadan, died in 1892. The properties of the Zamindar were eventually divided among a number of claimants.

Kodikal

They are traditionally palmrya climbers. They are supposed to have migrated to the Pandyan country from the banks of the Cauvery River in Tanjore to serve the Pandyan kings as their flag bearers.

Kalla

The Kalla Shanars were considered as the lowest division of the Nadar community. They are also known as Servai. The term kalla means "false". They are believed originally to have been palanquin bearers for the Pandyan kings or menial slaves of the Nelamaikkarar family, having descended from illegal unions within the Nadar community. They are traditionally toddy tappers.

The subsect culture is not present today among the Nadars north of Tirunelveli but it still exists among those of southern Tirunelveli. The Karkuppatayathars, the endogamaous Nelamaikkarars and the Nadar climbers beneath them, are today known as A group or Mara Nadar, and the remaining four subcastes are known as B group.

Christian Nadars

In 1680, the first congregation of Nadars was started at Vaddakankulam with the conversion of Nadar women and a church was built accordingly in 1685. A permanent mission was established in 1701. Some Nadars accepted Christianity through will and some accepted it due to their aversion to local beliefs. In 1970, Christian Nadars numbered 150,000 as opposed to 1.5 to 2 millions of Hindu Nadars in Madras state. Nadar Christians, like Hindus, marry within their caste..

Religious customs

See also: Kuladevata

The Hindu Nadars, like other Hindus, have a variety of religious rituals and ceremonies. These include procedures relating to birth, adulthood, marriage and death. Every Hindu Nadar belongs to a kuttam (assemblage) through patrilineal descent, and each kuttam has a common family deity. During migration, families would often take soil from their family temple and enshrine it at their new home. Traditionally, all the members of a kuttam would assemble at least once a year at the family temple. With the birth of a child, the family would traditionally go to the family deity temple, where the hair of the child is shaved for the first time and offered to the deity. At the time of marriage the first invitation is presented to the family deity.

The Hindu Nadars are almost entirely Saivite (only one kuttam is Vaishnavite). Of the deities, Murugan has been widely popular among the Nadars. Goddess Bhadrakali is the tutelary deity of the Nadar community. The Nadars also claim that they are the descendants of Bhadrakali. A Bhadrakali temple is usually at the centre of almost every Nadar settlement.

The socio-religious movement of Ayyavazhi was pioneered and patronized by the Nadar community.

Martial arts

The Nadars, along with the Kallars and Thevars, traditionally practised a Tamil martial art variously known as adi murai, chinna adi and varma adi. In recent years, since 1958, these have been referred to as Southern-style Kalaripayattu, although they are distinct from the ancient martial art of Kalaripayattu itself that was historically the style found in Kerala.

Notable people

Further information: List of Nadars

References

• Hardgrave, Robert (1969). The Nadars of Tamilnad: the political culture of a community in change. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 81-7304-701-4. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Mandelbaum, David Goodman (1970). Society in India, Volumes 1–2. University of California Press. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)

Further reading

• Templeman, Dennis (1996). The Northern Nadars of Tamil Nadu: An Indian Caste in the Process of Change. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195637885. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Venkatachalapathy, A. R. (2011). ""More Kshatriya than thou!" Debating caste and ritual ranking in colonial Tamilnadu". In Bergunder, Michael; Frese, Heiko; Schröder, Ulrike (eds.). Ritual, Caste and Religion in Colonial South India. Primus Books. ISBN 9789380607214.