The earliest occurrence of the term Velaalar (வேளாளர்) in Sangam literature is found in Paripadal, where it is used in the sense of a landowner.[11] The word Vellalar (வெள்ளாளர்) may originate from the root Vellam for flood, denoting their ability to control and store water for irrigation purposes.[12] which led to the development of various land rights, ultimately giving the Vellalar their name.[13] The term Velaalar (வேளாளர்) is also derived from the word Vel (வேள்), a title used by Velir chieftains during the Sangam age.
Since they migrated from the Tulu region of ancient Tamizhagam, they are called Thuluva Vellalar.[7][8][9]
History
Thuluva Vellalars are part of larger Vellalar community. An early Tamil tradition states that a king known as Ādonda Chakravarthi brought a large number of agriculturists (now known as the Tuluva Vellalas) from the Tulu areas in order to reclaim forest lands for cultivation in Thondaimandalam.[14] Scholar M. Arokiaswami identifies Tondaiman Ilandiraiyan with king Adondai Chakravarthi, the legendary figure who is referred to in the Mackenzie Manuscripts.[15]
Sometimes this migration of Thuluva Vellalas is also assigned to later Chola times when Hoysala Ballalas of Karnataka had occupied portions of Kanchipuram and Trichy.[16]
Tuluva Vellalars are progressive and prosperous[7] in the society. They are considerably advanced in the matter of education[19] and the community was eagerly involved in business, Government and Non- governmental institutions.
The community commonly use Mudaliar[20] and Udayar titles. However Naicker,[21] Gounder, Reddy and Pillai titles are also present in some pockets.
Gotra and Kuladevi
Gotra
In Hindu tradition, Gotra represents a lineage or ancestral family line. The system of gotra is significant for understanding one's heritage and lineage and plays an essential role in cultural and religious practices.
These primary groupings can be further divided into sub-categories, including:
Vanadhirayar
Kalingarayar
Siva Maharshi
These sub-groupings often signify deeper historical and cultural connections within the broader Shiva or Vishnu lineages.
Kuladevi
The Kuladevi refers to the female family deity or guardian goddess worshipped by a specific family or clan across generations. Families revere their kuladevi for protection, prosperity, and familial well-being. Commonly worshipped kuladevis include:
Pachayamman
Angala Parameshwari
Saptha Kannimar: A group of seven divine sisters.
Ammachchar
EllaiAmman: Often revered as the boundary guardian deity of a village or a region.
These deities are central to family rituals, festivals, and religious ceremonies, reinforcing the cultural and spiritual ties of a family to their ancestral roots.
Arcot Mudaliar and Arcot Vellala sects: Classified as Forward Class.[22]
Other sects of Thuluva Vellala: Classified under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category at both the Central[23] and State levels.[24] Thuluva Vellala is listed as entry number 1 alongside Agamudayar.
Thuluva Vellala, Agamudi Mudaliar, and Aghamudi Vellala: Recognized under the Backward Class (D) category under the umbrella term ‘Mudhaliar’.[25]
This reservation status allows these communities to access benefits and opportunities related to education, employment, and other social programs as per their classifications.
Current status
The Thuluva Vellalar community, also referred to as Thuluva Vellala Mudaliars, was historically classified as a Forward Caste (FC) in Tamil Nadu.[22][26] However, over time, they were reclassified as a Backward Class (BC).[27][24] The reclassification has its roots in the socio-political and economic changes that occurred in Tamil society, particularly after Indian independence.
^Susan Bayly has noted of the Vellalar communities generally that "they were never a tighly-knit community ... In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries Vellala affiliation was a vague and uncertain as that of most other south Indian caste groups. Vellala identity was certainly thought of as a source of prestige, but for that very reason there were any number of groups who sought to claim Vellala status for themselves".[2]
^ abcTañcai Tamil̲p Palkalaik Kal̲akam, Tañcai Tamiḻp Palkalaik Kaḻakam (1994). Glimpses of Tamil Civilization. Articles from the University Quarterly, Tamil Civilization. https://archive.org/details/dli.jZY9lup2kZl6TuXGlZQdjZU6kuUy/page/142/mode/1up?q=Vel. Tamil University. p. 142. Tuluva Vellala is a prosperous and progressive caste in Tamil Nadu and they migrated from Tulu Nadu to Tamil Nadu in ancient times.{{cite book}}: External link in |others= (help)
^ abAnthony R. Walker (1994). New Place, Old Ways, Essays on Indian Society and Culture in Modern Singapore. Hindustan Publishing Corporation. p. 200. The names of these four main Vellalar divisions are the Tondaimandalam (residents of the Pallava country), the Sōliyan (of the Cōla country), the Pandya (from the ancient Pandyan kingdom) and the Konku (from Konku country). Each of these four great divisions is further divided on a territorial basis. For example, the Tuluva are that branch of the Tondaimandalam Vellalar with origins in the Tulu country.
^ abM. D. Raghavan. Tamil Culture in Ceylon: A General Introduction. Kalai Nilayam, 1971. p. 130. The Thondaimandalam Vellalas are sub-divided into the Tuluvas, originally of the Tulu country.
^Krishnaswamy Ranaganathan Hanumanthan. Untouchability: A Historical Study Upto 1500 A.D. : with Special Reference to Tamil Nadu. Koodal Publishers. p. 101.
^M. Arokiaswami (1954). The Early History of the Vellar Basin, with Special Reference to the Irukkuvels of Kodumbalur. A Study in Vellala Origin and Early History. Amudha Nilayam. p. 72.
^Proceedings and Transactions of the All-India Oriental Conference. 1964.
^India. Office of the Registrar (1962). Census of India, 1961. Manager of Publications. p. xxii.
^A. Krishnaswami (Professor of History) (1975). Topics in South Indian From Early Times Upto 1565 A.D. History. p. 212.
^"3". Census Book of India 1961 (in Tamil). Vol. 9 North Arcot District. Madras: The Director of stationery and Printing, Madras. 1961. p. 31.
^"CENTRAL LIST OF OBCs FOR THE STATE OF TAMILNADU"(PDF). www.bcmbcmw.tn.gov.in. Department of Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare, Tamil Nadu. p. 1. Retrieved 11 March 2021. Entry.No 1
^Staff Reporter (12 December 2016). "'Mudaliar' title added in BC (D) list". The Hindu. ISSN0971-751X. Retrieved 6 February 2021.: "The State government has decided to add the title ‘Mudaliar’ in the first line of Sl. No. 39 of Group D of BC list following a request from the Mudaliar community. This will benefit Agamudimudaliar, Agamudivellalar, and Agamudimudaliar, including Thuluva Vellalas."
^"CENTRAL LIST OF OBCs FOR THE STATE OF TAMILNADU"(PDF). www.bcmbcmw.tn.gov.in. Department of Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare, Tamil Nadu. p. 1. Retrieved 11 March 2021. Entry.No 1
^K, Kumaresan (1984). Dravida Thalaivar C. Natesanar. Madras. pp. Introduction, p.4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Muthiah, S. (30 July 2003). "The Mount Road congregations". The Hindu. Chennai. Archived from the original on 25 December 2004. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
Neild, Susan M. (1979). "Colonial Urbanism: The Development of Madras City in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries". Modern Asian Studies. 13 (2): 217–246. doi:10.1017/S0026749X00008301. JSTOR312124. S2CID144309252.
