List of Vellalar sub castes

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Indian English Template:Protection padlock The Vellalar (also called Velalar (வேளாளர்) and Karalar) are a group of castes predominantly found in Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India. They are ruling and land-owning classes in the Tamil country since the beginning of recorded history and have historically played a significant role in the region’s agricultural and social structure.

Titles

The titles used by the Vellalar community include Pillai, Mudaliar, Gounder and Chettiar.Template:Efn These titles are adopted by different subcastes of the Vellalar based on regional, social, and cultural factors.

Not all those who assumed the titles Pillai, Mudaliar, Gounder and Chettiar were Vellalars. The adoption of Vellala honorifics was not limited to peasant groups; in Tondaimandalam, the Sengundar weavers took on the title Segunda-Mudali, the Yadava pastoralists identified as Pillai, the people of the Vanniyar group who assumed the title Gounder, and wealthy Paravar fishermen assumed the honorific Chetty.Template:Efn

This phenomenon was part of a broader process of social mobility, often termed Sanskritisation, which reflected the widespread belief in the superior landed legacy and status of the Vellalars. In Tamil agrarian society, Vellala identity conferred not just economic entitlements but also legitimized social status.Template:Efn

Subcastes

The Vellalar community is traditionally classified into four primary divisions based on geographical regions Nadu or Mandalam (country): Thondai Nadu, Chola Nadu, Pandya Nadu, and Kongu Nadu

The Thondaimandalam are subdivided into

• Kondaikatti Vellalar
• Poonamallee Vellalar also known as Poonamallee Mudaliar
• Thondaimandala Vellalar
• Thuluva Vellalar also known as Arcot Vellalar or Acort Mudaliar

The cholamandalam are sub-divided into

• Arunattu Vellalar
• Chozhia Vellalar (also spelt as Sozhia Vellalar). who are again further split up into three or four other territorial divisions such as,
• Kanakkilinattar
• Kodikaal Vellalar
• Vellan Chetti

The Pandyamandalam are sub-divided into

• Kaarkaathaa Vellalar also known as Kaarkaathaar
• Nankudi Vellalar also known as Kottai Vellalar, or Kottai Pillaimar
• Kodikaal Vellalar they also present in the pandyamandalam

The Kongumandalam are subdivided into

• Kongu Vellalar they are divided into a number of exogamous clans called Kootams, each of which is totemistic.Template:Sfnp

The Sri Lankan Vellalars are other set of vellalar predominantly found in the Jaffna peninsula and adjacent Vanni region in Sri Lanka country.

Adoption of the Vellalar Name

In recent times, several other communities have adopted the name "Vellalar" due to its association with landownership and high social status.Template:EfnTemplate:Efn Such as, the Pallar caste, who have been classified as a Scheduled Caste community, began using the title "Devendrakula Velalar" and Melakkarars who now using the name Isai Vellalar for higher social status. However, it is important to note that these communities do not fall under the traditional Vellalar subcaste.

See also

• List of Vellalars