parallel caste system

[Guest guest]

Apart from the chatur varna system there lies a parallel caste system

in India with historical roots : KA Nilakanta Shastri in his History

of South India mentions four castes in Tamil society : vellaalar

(landlords), maravar (warriors), vanigar (merchants) and paraiyar

(menial labourers/untouchables?).

 

These classifications are still in existence even today in Tamil

society. I think similar systems exist in both Andhra and Kerala too.

I would be grateful for information regarding similar caste

classifications in other parts of India - classifications which are

different from the chatur varna system.

[Guest guest]

>KA Nilakanta Shastri in his History

> of South India mentions four castes in Tamil society : vellaalar

> (landlords), maravar (warriors), vanigar (merchants) and paraiyar

> (menial labourers/untouchables?).

 

Can Tamil scholars provide the traditional name for the above system?

And which Tamil works (earliest) dicuss this caste system and any

arguments provided as justification for this system? (similar to the

dharma shaastras in Sanskrit literature). Also where is the earliest

instance in Tamil literature where the chatur varna system is

mentioned?

 

Grateful for any pointers.

[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, "vpcnk" <vpcnk@H...> wrote:

> >KA Nilakanta Shastri in his History

> > of South India mentions four castes in Tamil society : vellaalar

> > (landlords), maravar (warriors), vanigar (merchants) and paraiyar

> > (menial labourers/untouchables?).

>

> Can Tamil scholars provide the traditional name for the above

> system?

> And which Tamil works (earliest) dicuss this caste system and any

> arguments provided as justification for this system? (similar to the

> dharma shaastras in Sanskrit literature). Also where is the earliest

> instance in Tamil literature where the chatur varna system is

> mentioned?

 

Have seen reviews about K. A. N. Sastri's later writings mentioning

that

his views on caste and varNa dharma were strange. That was a time

when DMK just coming to power.

 

TolkAppiyar uses the word, "piRappu" for skt. jAti.

 

The caste system has two part, varNa and jAti. Indologists are

well aware of the Purusha suktam, Manu and so on. But the sangam

literature study reveals an area not well known. The "must read"

article from ancient Tamil literature was by G. L. Hart.

Its PDF file is at:

S_India/message/62

 

It is interesting to note that the word, "antaNan"

did not exclusively denote vedic brahmins in sangam literature.

CTamil/message/632

 

antaNan (=am+taNan) has the prefix, am- as in ampaTTan, ampaNavan,

etc.,

PuRanAnURu has a poem where vedic priests work with native

funerary ritualists. One of the important modes of worship in sangam

period

is pali (> skt. bali) of animals, and smearing of the sacrifical

blood on the drum leather. Drums were called am-pali,

and often drums are compared to the moon. The full moon itself

is called "ampuli" (ampuli-p-paruvam in piLLaiitamiz).

pul- as in pulA/pulavu 'meat', pulai 'stain, pollution',

pulaiyan2 'low-born'. ampuli > ampali, some parallels are:

a) paLLiccontam > paLLiccantam grants to jaina or buddhist paLLis,

b) aJcolAL > ajcalAL in Mayavaram.

 

Regards,

N. Ganesan

[Guest guest]

> It is interesting to note that the word, "antaNan"

> did not exclusively denote vedic brahmins in sangam literature.

> CTamil/message/632

 

Ganesan, I don't think I raised any questions about "antanan" or

brahmins in Tamil country - I just need some information about the

traditional Tamil caste system.