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Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 26 January 2023

Simplified helpful important overview (Compiled from already existing and reliable sources) of the article to add to the "History" section but above the "In Sangam literature" on the main article.

Historians consider the Vellalars originated from the Velir clans who claim descent from the Yadu king or Yadu dynasty.[1][2][3][4][5] Historically, the Vellalars were the class of landed aristocrats[6][7] and held various hereditary occupations such as petty kings and nobles, provincial governors, army commanders, court officials, warriors, landlords, and agriculturists.[8][9][10] Vino678777 (talk) 03:56, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

 Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{Edit extended-protected}} template. Lizthegrey (talk) 03:30, 16 March 2023 (UTC)

References

  1. ^ Harrison, S.S. (2015). India: The Most Dangerous Decades. Princeton Legacy Library. Princeton University Press. p. 123. ISBN 978-1-4008-7780-5. Retrieved 2023-01-23. Historian M. Arokiaswamy "Origin of the Vellalas, 1955, p 25" stresses that Vellalar originated as Velir chieftains of the sangam age.
  2. ^ Kumar, R. (2008). Encyclopaedia Of Untouchables : Ancient Medieval And Modern. Kalpaz Publications. p. 181. ISBN 978-81-7835-664-8. Retrieved 2023-01-23. An Ay chief described as vennir vellala, not as Yadhava. Although Vellalas themselves trace their descent from yadu. Thus Ay velirs are vellalas.
  3. ^ Ramanathan, P. (1969). "Iruṅkoveḷ and the Koṭṭai Veḷāḷar--The Possible Origins of a Closed Community". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 32 (2). Cambridge University Press: 323–343. JSTOR 614004. Retrieved 2023-01-23. The Nankudi vellalars directly trace their ancestors to the Irunkovel line of Velir kings.
  4. ^ Tambipillai, V. J. (1908). "THE ORIGIN OF THE TAMIL VELALAS". The Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland. 21 (61). Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka (RASSL): 37. JSTOR 43482996. Retrieved 2023-01-23. To conclude that, then: the Velir families who, as states in the preceding pages, emigrated from velpulam and settled as rulers in several parts of the south, and the great community of Velalas who were their followers and kinsmen have...
  5. ^ Sivaratnam, C. (1964). An Outline of the Cultural History and Principles of Hinduism. Stangard Printers. p. 36. Retrieved 2023-01-23. Velirs or Vellalas were landed agricultural aristrocrats.
  6. ^ Cupramaṇyam, K.N. (1987). Tiruvalluvar and His Tirukkural. English series. Bharatiya Jnanpith Publication. p. 66. Retrieved 2023-01-25. The dominant social group as depicted by Tolkapiyam was the class of landed aristocrats. These landed aristocrats or Vellalas constituted the most important section of the society.
  7. ^ Sivaratnam, C. (1964). An Outline of the Cultural History and Principles of Hinduism. Stangard Printers. p. 269. Retrieved 2023-01-23. Vellalas were landed agricultural aristocrats and associated with kings and nobles in blood...
  8. ^ Tambipillai, V. J. (1908). "THE ORIGIN OF THE TAMIL VELALAS". The Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland. 21 (61). Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka (RASSL): 32. JSTOR 43482996. Retrieved 2023-01-23. Vellalar of these, the former, i.e, Uluvithunbor were employed by the reigning monarchs as governors of provinces and districts, and commanders of their armies and they were entitled to high privileges... being born of the families of the petty kings and nobles, bride givers to royals ... {{cite journal}}: line feed character in |quote= at position 286 (help)
  9. ^ Vijailakshmi, Usha R. (2010). "Karmandala Satakam: Politico-Socio-Cultural analysis of medieval Tamil Literature on the Vellala community of South Karnataka". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 71. Indian History Congress: 429–430. JSTOR 44147510. Retrieved 2023-01-23. Vellalas held eight kind of positions, they were: Being a King, a Prince, Kosar...
  10. ^ Gough, Kathleen (2008). Rural Society in Southeast India. Cambridge University Press. pp. 29, 358. ISBN 9780521040198. The Vellalar were dominant secular aristocratic caste under the Chola kings, providing the courtiers, most of the army officers.... , Thondamandala Vellalar subjects there to have been traditionally "landlords, warriors, and officials of the state class".

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 5 September 2023

--Astroz anime (talk) 13:12, 5 September 2023 (UTC)--Astroz anime (talk) 13:12, 5 September 2023 (UTC)--Astroz anime (talk) 13:12, 5 September 2023 (UTC)

Astroz anime (talk) 13:12, 5 September 2023 (UTC)

Add Kodikaal Vellalar To The Subcastes of Vellalar

 Not done Please provide a reliable source RegentsPark (comment) 14:20, 5 September 2023 (UTC)

Add Kodikaal Vellalar To Subcastes

Source:

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.56743/page/n423/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.47747/page/n329/mode/2up Astroz anime (talk) 07:54, 27 September 2023 (UTC)

Add Kodikaal Vellalar to subcastes.

Source:

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.56743/page/n423/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.47747/page/n329/mode/2up Astroz anime (talk) 06:09, 2 October 2023 (UTC)

Varna Classification

The Varna status of the Vellalars is a contested and complex topic, as the Vellalars are traditionally classified under the Vaishya[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][3][12][13] varna, and additionally from British rule onwards are also classified as high ranking Shudras,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] by various sources. The traditional records, views of historians and Government records have been elaborated below in chronological order.

As Vaishyas

Historical Vellala personalities documented as Vaishyas

J. V. Chelliah a popular Tamil scholar who translated the Ten Idylls into English states that Paṭṭiṉappālai (Commonly dated between 1st to 2nd Century CE) has mentions that Vellalars belonged to the Vysya caste, They followed the 4 Vedas, they were commonly involved in agriculture, taking care of cattle, trade and other business pursuits.[22] — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sastri676 (talk • contribs) 09:40, 6 October 2023 (UTC)

Appar, a Saiva Vellala saint who lived during the 6th-7th Century CE, was a Vaishya by birth[23][24]. The Saiva saint from 8th century CE, Eyarkon Kalikamar, 29th among the 63 Saiva Nayanmars mentioned in Sekkizhar's Periya Puranam, dated 12th century CE, is described as a Vellala of the Vaishya caste[25].

The Vaishnavite Vellala Saint Nammazhwar, who lived ca. 798 CE, was classified as Vysya, among the Four great Vysya saints of Hinduism, by the All India Vaishya Samaj in 1988.[26] This is corroborated by Dr.Panchapakesa Jayaraman, Vedic priest & scholar, ex-director of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, in his book "A Brief History of Vaishnava Saint Poets: The Alwars" where he mentions that Nammalwar, a Vellala, belongs to the Vaishya caste.[27] Nammazhwar's grandfather, Tiruvazhmarban Pillai, also a Vellala, is mentioned as a Vysya.[28]

Rangappa Thiruvengadam Pillai, who recorded a Diary of events in the Tamil region from 1761-1768, belonged to the Vaishya caste.[29]

@Sastri676:, could you tell why the Varna section is required in this article? It is not clear what is the use of this section? I mean, how does it matter if the Vellalar are Vaishya or not? Are there are any restrictions due to this Varna? Should they behave in a certain way when they come across other castes or other Varna like Brahmins? I assume "Sastri" is Brahmin Varna, so does it mean Sastri people are higher Varna than Vellalar? Is this why you want to add this information to Vellalar page so that everyone can understand that "Sastri" junta are higher/superior to Vellalars? Speak frankly so everyone can understand why this section is required as I find a concerted effort by a group of editors who are striving repeatedly to tag different non-Brahmin castes as belonging to Shudra Varna/Vaishya Varna etc. Nittawinoda (talk) 13:13, 28 October 2023 (UTC)

Upanayana ceremonies

The Karmandala Satakam by Ãrai Kiḻãr, dated 1292-1342 C.E, during the reign of Hoysala King Veera Ballala III, states in verse 52:

A Chettiar Vellālar or Vellān Chetty wearing the sacred thread, Madras, 1837

"The Vellalas of Karmandalam belonged to the Mānava Gotra & practiced the rite of upanayana or wearing the sacred thread."[30]

As per the Apastambha Shrauta Sutra, The Mānava Gotra is a Rājarși-derived Dvija Gotra used by the 3-upper castes.[31]

An elderly Chettiar Vellālar wearing the sacred thread in Sunnambukulam, Tamil Nadu. Photographed during the Census of India, 1961.

The Vaidika Upanayana ceremony performed by the Vellalas, for wearing the Yajñopavita or the sacred thread, traditionally done for the 3 upper castes, namely Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishya respectively,[32] is also well documented in the British era and modern records.[33][34][35][36][37] In his letters from 1947, Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy, a Sri Lankan Vellalar, records his Vellala ancestry from Thanjavur, and states that the Vellalars are traditionally given the Vaidika Upanayana ceremony and wear the sacred thread or Yajñopavita.[38] He also mentions his Upanayana ceremony conducted by a Brahmin from Punjab and his son Rama's Upanayana ceremony in Bengal.[39][40] Edgar Thurston quotes H.A Stuart's commentary on the Vellalas, where he mentions the Vaishya subdivisions of the Vellalas as shepherds, cultivators and merchants and a few who therefore constantly wear the sacred thread, with most putting it on only during marriages or funerals as a mark of the sacred nature of the ceremony."[41]

Traditional records

The various Puranas mentioning the Vaishya status accorded to the Vellalars during the reign of the Chola emperors, is elaborated in the Abhidana Chintamani.[42]

According to Anthropologist Irawati Karve, there is a tradition among the Vellalans that there were 3 divisions of the Vaishyas : (1) Bhu-Vaishyas or farmers ,(2) Go-Vaishyas or husbandmen & (3) Dhana-Vaishyas or merchants, with the last division giving rise to the Chettis who originally belonged to the Vellala tribe.[1]

Historian Usha R. Vijailakshmi observes that Verse 34 of the Karmandala Satakam, composed ca.1292 CE, connects the origin of the Gangas to the origin of the Karakatha Vellalas of Southern Karnataka, as follows: "Gangeya Murthaka pala was born to Lord Shiva and he had two wives; the first wife had 54 sons & the second wife had 52 sons. Out of these Bhupalar, (one who practiced Agriculture) gave birth to 35 Vellala leaders, Dhanapalar, who was into trade, gave birth to 35 Vellala leaders Gopalar, (one who herded cattle) and one Agamurthi gave birth to 1 Vellala leader".[43]

The terms Bhupālar, Dhanapālar, & Gopālar refer to the 3 subdivisions of Vaishyas: Bhu-vaishya, Dhana-vaishya & Go-vaishya[44][6][1] respectively. Their professions correspond to the duties laid out for Vaishyas in the Manusmriti, which states, "trade, animal husbandry, and agriculture has been prescribed as the livelihood for the Vaishya. Their Law, however, is giving gifts, studying the Vedas, and offering sacrifices."[45]. This is corroborated by Muttusvami Srinivasa Iyengar, who classifies the Vellalas as Vaishyas with Bhu-Vaishya and Kula Vanikar or Vellan Chetti sub-divisions, and cites the duties of the Bhu-Vaishya sect of Vellalars as mentioned in a verse of the 9th century CE text, the Purapporul Venba Maalai: "

(1) tilling,

(2) cow-breeding,

(3) trade,

(4) studying the Vedas,

(5) worship of sacrificial' fire, and

(6) giving aims.[46]

Usha R. Vijailakshmi notes that the same legend from the Karmandala Satakam[47] is dealt with in certain detail by Edgar Thurston in his seminal work - Castes and Tribes of Southern India, in which he discusses the Vellala community of Tamil Nadu.[48] The 1961 Census quotes Edgar Thurston who classifies the Vellalas as Vaisyas,[11][3][4] and mentions their traditional subdivision into Bhūmi Pālakulu or Bhu-Vaishyas, Vellal Shetti or Dhana-Vaishyas, and Govu-Shetlu or Go-Vaishyas as mentioned in the Baramahal records[5][12] which state that in Murdaka Palakulu, the son of Bhumi Devi born on the banks of the Ganges, after winning a battle with Vishwakarma, attained the titles

1) Bhūmi Pālakudu or saviour of the earth,

2) Ganga kulam or descendant of the river Ganga, and

3)Murdaka Pālakudu or protector of the plough, alluding to his being born with a ploughshare in his hand,

and it was ordained that a person of the caste should put the crown on the king's head at the coronation. They next invested him with the yegnōpavitam or string, and, in order that he might propagate his caste, they gave him in marriage the daughters of the gods Indra and Kubēra. [49] Murdaka Pālakulu had fifty-four sons by the daughter of the god Indra, and fifty-two by the daughter of the god Kubēra, whom he married to the one hundred and six daughters of Nala Kubarudu, the son of Kubēra, and it was ordained that;

  • thirty-five of them should be called Bhūmi Pālakulu, and should till the ground;
  • thirty-five of them named Vellal Shetti, and their occupation be traffic; and
  • thirty-five of them named Gōvu Shetlu, and their employment breeding and feeding of cattle.[50]

Edgar Thurston also cites H.A. Stuart's commentary which corroborates the Baramahal records, where he mentions the Vellalas sub-divisions of Vaishyas as Bhu-Vaishyas, Go-Vaishyas and Dhana-Vaishyas or shepherds, cultivators and merchants.[41]

Busnagi Rajannan states that the Kongu Vellalars are also referred to as Bhu-Vaishyas, Bhu-Pālan or Gangavamsam.[51] The "Yalpana Vaipava Malai" or "The History of the Kingdom of Jaffna", composed by Mayil Vakanan in 1739, states that the Vellalars are synonymous with Vaishyas.[7]

Government records (1834-1981)

Simon Casie Chitty notes in the British Government Ceylon District Gazetteer of 1834 that the Sri Lankan Vellalars also follow this 3 fold classification of Vaishyas; The Chettiar Vellalar are Dhana-Vaishyas, the Karkathar Vellalar, Tuluva Vellalar and Chozhia Vellalar are Bhu-Vaishyas, and the Idayers are Go-Vaishyas.[6] Alongside classifying the Vellalas as Vaishyas, Chetty also documents that the Jaffna Vellalas belong to the Bhu-Vaishya caste caste,[52] and the Colombo Chetties belong to the Dhana-Vaishya[53] caste.[6]

The 1871[54] and 1901 British Government Censuses which put the Vellalas in the Sudra category was met with protests by the Vellala community[55][56] who petitioned against the move by citing the Manusmriti, as they are traditionally classified as Vaishyas[57][58][7], with the traditional records dating as far back as 1292[59][60]. The evidences of the Dvija Gotras being held by the Vellalas[61][31], along with the long documented tradition of them wearing the sacred thread[33][34][35][36][37] or Yajñopavita & the Vaidika Upanayana ceremonies having been performed by the Vellalar community[62][38][39][63], which are traditionally restricted to the 3 upper varnas, namely Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishya respectively[32], reaffirms their traditional Dvija Vaishya status[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] & contradicts these additional Shudra classifications of the Vellalars from the colonial period onwards[16], as Shudras do not have Dvija Gotras & are not given the Vaidika upanayana ceremonies.

Post the 1871 and 1901 Census, The Travancore Government Gazette of 1911 documents the Nanjinad Vellalas as Bhu-Vaishyas.[9][64] The 1961 Census of India, quoting Edgar Thurson, classifies the Vellalas as Vaishyas.[3][4] The 1981 Census of India mentions the Chettiar Vellalar, Mudaliar, & Kongu Vellalars or Gounders alongside the other Vysya communities of Karnataka for their involvement in substantial businesses.[65]

Modern historians like K.A.Nilakanta Sastri, R.S.Sharma and S.Thiruvenkatachari have stated that the Vellalars cannot be equated with Shudras.[66][67][68][69] A.R. Desai notes in that the Vellalas follow a more ritualistic , " Sanskritic ” style of life and proclaim themselves as Vaishyas.[70]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Karve, Irawati (1981). Biology of the People of Tamil Nadu. Indian Society of Human Genetics. p. 19.:"There is a tradition among the Vellalans that there were 3 divisions of the Vaisyas : ( 1 ) Bhuvaisyas or farmers , ( 2 ) Govaisyas or husbandmen and ( 3 ) Dhanavaisyas or merchants . The last division is claimed to have given rise to the Chettis who originally belonged to the Vellala tribe."
  2. ^ a b Vijailakshmi, Usha R. (2010). KARMANDALA SATAKAM: POLITICO-SOCIO-CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF MEDIEVAL TAMIL LITERATURE ON THE VELLALA COMMUNITY OF SOUTH KARNATAKA. Indian History Congress. p. 432.:"Verse 34: Gangeya Murthaka pala was born to Lord Shiva and he had two wives; the first wife had 54 sons & the second wife had 52 sons. Out of these Bhupalar, (one who practiced Agriculture) gave birth to 35 Vellala leaders, Dhanapalar, who was into trade, gave birth to 35 Vellala leaders Gopalar, (one who herded cattle) and one Agamurthi gave birth to 1 Vellala leader"
  3. ^ a b c d e Nambiar, P.K. (1961). Village Survey Monographs, 13 Kadukkara, Part VI, Vol-IX, Census Year 1961 (PDF). India: Office of the Registrar General. pp. 7–8. "These people are considered as high caste Hindus and Mr. Thurston classifies them as a sub-sect of Vaisyas. According to Mr. Thurston these people belong to the sub-sect known as Buvaisyas as distinguished from Thanavaisyas. The former are cultivators by tradition and the latter are traders by profession. The word Vellala is believed to be derived from the word Velanmai meaning cultivation and thereby indicating their traditional occupation."
  4. ^ a b c d Census Division, India (1965). Madras: Volume 9, Part 6, Issue 13 of Census of India 1961, India Census Division. India: Office of the Registrar General. pp. 7–8. considered as high caste Hindus and Mr . Thurston classifies them as a sub - sect of Vaisyas . According to Mr . Thurston these people belong to the sub - sect known as Buvaisyas as distinguished from Thanavaisyas . The former are cultivators by tradition and the latter are traders by profession . The word Vellala is believed to be
  5. ^ a b c Thurston, Edgar. Castes and Tribes of Southern India.: "The traditional story of the origin of the Vellālas is given as follows in the Baramahal Records.*" "Murdaka Pālakulu had fifty-four sons by the daughter of the god Indra, and fifty-two by the daughter of the god Kubēra, whom he married to the one hundred and six daughters of Nala Kubarudu, the son of Kubēra, and his sons-in-law made the following agreement with him, viz., that thirty-five of them should be called Bhūmi Pālakulu, and should till the ground; thirty-five of them named Vellal Shetti, and their occupation be traffic; and thirty-five of them named Gōvu Shetlu, and their employment breeding and feeding of cattle."
  6. ^ a b c d e Chitty, Simon Casie (2016). The Ceylon Gazetteer: Containing an Accurate Account of the Districts, Provinces, Cities, Towns ... &c. of the Island of Ceylon. Palala Press. p. 230. ISBN 978-1358116018.
  7. ^ a b c d Brito, C. (1999). Yalpana Vaipava Malai or The History of the Kingdom of Jaffna, Translated from Tamil with an Appendix and a Glossary. Asian Educational Services, New Delhi. p. 98. ISBN 81-206-1362-7.:"Velalar... Vellalar...Cultivator caste, i. e., same as Vaisya, p. lxxxiii."
  8. ^ Aiyangar, M. Srinivasa (2018). Tamil Studies, or Essays on the History of the Tamil People, Language, Religion and Literature. India: Franklin Classics Trade Press. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-35301-211-0."(1) tilling, (2i cow-breeding, (3) trade, (4) studying the Vedas, (5) worship of sacrificial' fire, and (G) giving aims. Here the Vellalas are spoken of as Bhu-Vaisyas." "trade in grains was formerly followed by a class of Vellalas called Kula-Vanikar or Vellan- Chettis"
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference google514 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Rajannan, Busnagi (1992). Salem Cyclopedia: A Cultural and Historical Dictionary of Salem District, Tamil Nadu. Institute of Kongu Studies (Salem, India). p. 340. ISBN 978-8-19002-880-6.:"VELLALAR , Kongu . They are variously referred to as Bupaalan , Buvaisya, Dhevar, Gangavamsam, Rayar and most commonly vivasayee and kudiyaanavar."
  11. ^ a b Nambiar, P.K. (1961). Village Survey Monographs, 13 Kadukkara, Part VI, Vol-IX, Census Year 1961. India: Office of the Registrar General. pp. 7–8. "These people are considered as high caste Hindus and Mr. Thurston classifies them as a sub-sect of Vaisyas. According to Mr. Thurston these people belong to the sub-sect known as Buvaisyas as distinguished from Thanavaisyas. The former are cultivators by tradition and the latter are traders by profession. The word Vellala is believed to be derived from the word Velanmai meaning cultivation and thereby indicating their traditional occupation."
  12. ^ a b Thurston, Edgar (2018). CASTES AND TRIBES OF SOUTHERN INDIA VOL 1: With commentary by VED from VICTORIA INSTITUTIONS. VICTORIA INSTITUTIONS, Aaradhana, Deverkovil 673508 India. p. 125. ISBN 978-1-98077-710-6.:"Bhu vaisya (earth Vaisya).—A name returned by some Nattukottai Chettis and Vellalas."
  13. ^ Aiyangar, M. Srinivasa (2018). Tamil Studies, or Essays on the History of the Tamil People, Language, Religion and Literature. India: Franklin Classics Trade Press. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-35301-211-0."(1) tilling, (2i cow-breeding, (3) trade, (4) studying the Vedas, (5) worship of sacrificial' fire, and (G) giving aims. Here the Vellalas are spoken of as Bhu-Vaisyas." "trade in grains was formerly followed by a class of Vellalas called Kula-Vanikar or Vellan- Chettis"
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ a b Price, Pamela G. (1996). Kingship and Political Practice in Colonial India. Cambridge University Press. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-52155-247-9.:”Dominant castes like the land - controlling Vellalar , whose practices were compatible with Brahminic ideas of purity , were considered high - ranking Sudras in the government system”
  17. ^ Diehl, Anita (1977). E. V. Ramaswami Naicker-Periyar: A Study of the Influence of a Personality in Contemporary South India. Stockholm ; Göteborg ; Lund: Esselte studium. p. 16. ISBN 9789124276454.:”In Tamil Nadu the traditional caste society is in practice reduced into Brahmins and Sudras, kith a large third group classified in administrative terms as Scheduled and Backward classes.) Prominent among the Sudras are Vellalar , Chettiar and Gounder”
  18. ^ Yanagisawa, Haruka (1996). A Century of Change: Caste and Irrigated Lands in Tamilnadu, 1860s-1970s. Manohar. p. 35. ISBN 9788173041594.:”Manual of Tinnevelly district tabulates the composition of the village population as follows : Brahmans , 10 families ; Vellalar and other ' Sudra ' landholders ...”
  19. ^ Pillai, P. Chidambaram (2008). Right of Temple Entry. Chennai: MJP Publishers. p. 33. ISBN 9788180940392.:”The Brahmin goes with the Vellala and others of the Sudra caste in this affair”
  20. ^ Narayana, M. G. S. (1977). Re-interpretations in South Indian History. India, South: College Book House. p. 15.:”They mention Parpan Andanar or Marayor (Brahmins), Aracar ( Kings or Kshatriyas ) , Vanikar ( Merchants or Vaisya ) , and Vellalar ( Cultivators or Sudra ) , in many places“
  21. ^ Thurston, Edgar. Castes and Tribes of Southern India.
  22. ^ https://archive.org/details/pattupattutentamilidyllschelliahj.v._108_Q/page/n81/mode/2up
  23. ^ Smith, Ronald Morton (2002). Developments in Indian Religion. Canadian Scholars' Press. p. 33.:"Appar was a vaisya"
  24. ^ Leiden, International Congress of Orientalists (2018). Actes Du Sixième Congrès International Des Orientalistes. Wentworth Press. p. 300. ISBN 978-0-27090-885-5.:"He was a Vellala or Vaisya by birth ."
  25. ^ Dehejia, Vidya (1988). Slaves of the Lord: The Path of the Tamil Saints. Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 178. ISBN 978-8-12150-044-9.:"EYARKON KALIKAMAR Caste : vaishya ( vellala )"
  26. ^ Gupta, Ke.Si. (1988). Vaishyas in India, Volume 1. All India Vaishya Samaj. p. 38.:"VYSYA. SAINTS. NAMMALVAR. According to tradition Nammalvar is the first amongst Alvars of Ramanuja Visista Advaita Siddhantha and he was is known traditionally one who born in a Vysya family ."
  27. ^ P., Jayaraman (2019). A Brief History of Vaishnava Saint Poets : The Alwars. India: Vani Prakashan. p. 60. ISBN 978-9-38901-269-9. Nammalwar belonging to the Vellala, Vaishya community
  28. ^ Ramesh, M.S. (2000). 108 Vaishnavite Divya Desams: Divya desams in Malai Nadu and Vada Nadu. T.T. Devasthanams. p. 95.:"A vysya by name Tiruvazhmarba was married to lady by name Brindha . They had no children . They prayed to the Lord of Tirupatisaram and were blessed with a daughter named ******* Udaya nangai ."
  29. ^ Stephen, S. Jeyaseela (2001). The Diary of Rangappa Thiruvengadam Pillai: 1761-1768. India: IIES. p. xix.:"Rangappa Thiruvengadam Pillai was a vaishya "
  30. ^ Vijailakshmi, Usha R. (2010). KARMANDALA SATAKAM: POLITICO-SOCIO-CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF MEDIEVAL TAMIL LITERATURE ON THE VELLALA COMMUNITY OF SOUTH KARNATAKA. Indian History Congress. p. 432.
  31. ^ a b Scharfe, Hartmut (1973). Handbuch der Orientalistik: Indien, Part 2. BRILL. p. 115. ISBN 978-9-00409-060-6."ĀśśS I 1,3,5f . prescribes gotra - s derived from rājarși - s ( such as Mānava , Aila , Paurūrava ) for kings , or Mānava for all the three upper castes if the exact gotra is unknown ; vaisya - s sometimes used Bhālandana , Vātsapra or Mārkhila"
  32. ^ a b Kentish Coomaraswamy, Ananda (1988). Selected Letters of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. p. 437. ISBN 978-0-90562-306-1.:"Yajñopavita is the sacred thread which all the ' twice born ' , ie , the three uppercastes , among the Hindus begin wearing when they come of age . The rite that confers this is called upanayana ."
  33. ^ a b Journal of Kerala Studies, Volume 32. University of Kerala. 2005. p. 134.:"a few of the Vellalas constantly wear the sacred thread"
  34. ^ a b Raghavan, M.D (1971). Tamil Culture in Ceylon: A General Introduction. Kalai Nilayam. p. 129.:"A few therefore constantly wear the sacred thread"
  35. ^ a b Record Office, Madras (India : State) (1957). Tanjore District Handbook. Superintendent Government Press. p. 156.:"They generally style themselves as Chettiars or Mudaliars and engage themselves partly in trade and partly in agriculture . The men , except that they wear the sacred thread and paint on their foreheads a sect - mark which is like the ordinary Vaishnava mark"
  36. ^ a b B. S. Baliga (Rao Bahadur.), Madras (India : State) (1957). Madras District Gazetteers, Volume 1. Superintendent, Government Press. p. 156.:"They generally style themselves as Chettiars or Mudaliars and engage themselves partly in trade and partly in agriculture . The men , except that they wear the sacred thread and paint on their foreheads a sect - mark which is like the ordinary Vaishnava mark"
  37. ^ a b Venkataramaiah, K. M. (1996). A Handbook of Tamil Nadu. International School of Dravidian Linguistics. p. 424.:"others being Sara ! ! ı , Kaikkutti and Coliya ( cõliya ) . They do not intermarry . They are vegetarians and wear the sacred thread . They have the title Pillai"
  38. ^ a b Kentish Coomaraswamy, Ananda (1988). Selected Letters of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. p. 437. ISBN 978-0-90562-306-1.:"Our people are Vellalas , originally from Tanjore , but long settled in N . Ceylon ( Jaffna ) and then also in Colombo . They are Saivas , they are given upanayana and wear the thread ."
  39. ^ a b Kentish Coomaraswamy, Ananda (1988). Selected Letters of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. p. 436. ISBN 978-0-90562-306-1.:"We do wear the yajñopavita ; I have received upanayana from a Brahman in the Punjab , and shall resume wearing the thread when we come to India . I suggested that you should accept the offer to give you upanayana in Bengal"
  40. ^ Kentish Coomaraswamy, Ananda (1988). Selected Letters of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (PDF). Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. p. 436. ISBN 978-0-90562-306-1.:"We do wear the yajñopavita ; I have received upanayana from a Brahman in the Punjab , and shall resume wearing the thread when we come to India . I suggested that you should accept the offer to give you upanayana in Bengal"
  41. ^ a b Thurston, Edgar. Castes and Tribes of Southern India.: "a severe drought fell upon the land, and the people prayed to Bhūdēvi, the goddess of the earth, for aid. She pitied them, and produced from her body a man carrying a plough, who showed them how to till the soil and support themselves. His offsprings are the Vellālas, who aspire to belong to the Vaisya caste, since that includes Gōvaisyas, Bhūvaisyas, and Dhanavaisyas (shepherds, cultivators and merchants). A few, therefore, constantly wear the sacred thread, but most put it on only during marriages or funerals as a mark of the sacred nature of the ceremony."
  42. ^ Iravīntiran̲, Na (2003). இந்துத்துவம், இந்து சமயம், சமூக மாற்றங்கள். கவுட் விஷன். p. 112.:"வெள்ளாளர் வைசியர்கள்"
  43. ^ Cite error: The named reference auto3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  44. ^ Rajannan, Busnagi (1992). Salem Cyclopedia: A Cultural and Historical Dictionary of Salem District, Tamil Nadu. Institute of Kongu Studies (Salem, India). p. 340. ISBN 978-8-19002-880-6.:"VELLALAR , Kongu . They are variously referred to as Bupaalan , Buvaisya, Dhevar, Gangavamsam, Rayar and most commonly vivasayee and kudiyaanavar.”
  45. ^ Olivelle, Patrick (2005). Manus Code Of Law: A Critical Edition And Translation Of The Mānava Dharmaśāstra. Oxford University Press. p. 212. ISBN 978-0-19517-146-4.
  46. ^ Aiyangar, M. Srinivasa (2018). Tamil Studies, or Essays on the History of the Tamil People, Language, Religion and Literature. India: Franklin Classics Trade Press. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-35301-211-0."(1) tilling, (2i cow-breeding, (3) trade, (4) studying the Vedas, (5) worship of sacrificial' fire, and (G) giving aims. Here the Vellalas are spoken of as Bhu-Vaisyas." "trade in grains was formerly followed by a class of Vellalas called Kula-Vanikar or Vellan- Chettis"
  47. ^ Vijailakshmi, Usha R. (2010). KARMANDALA SATAKAM: POLITICO-SOCIO-CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF MEDIEVAL TAMIL LITERATURE ON THE VELLALA COMMUNITY OF SOUTH KARNATAKA. Indian History Congress. p. 432.:"Verse 34: Gangeya Murthaka pala was born to Lord Shiva and he had two wives; the first wife had 54 sons & the second wife had 52 sons. Out of these Bhupalar, (one who practiced Agriculture) gave birth to 35 Vellala leaders, Dhanapalar, who was into trade, gave birth to 35 Vellala leaders Gopalar, (one who herded cattle)"
  48. ^ Vijailakshmi, Usha R. (2010). KARMANDALA SATAKAM: POLITICO-SOCIO-CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF MEDIEVAL TAMIL LITERATURE ON THE VELLALA COMMUNITY OF SOUTH KARNATAKA. Indian History Congress. p. 432.:"Interestingly, this legend is dealt with in certain detail by Edgar Thurston in his seminal work —- Castes and Tribes of Southern India, in which he discusses about Vellala community of Tamilnadu."
  49. ^ Thurston, Edgar. Castes and Tribes of Southern India.: "First Bhūmi Pālakudu or saviour of the earth, because he was produced by her. Second, Ganga kulam or descendant of the river Ganga, by reason of having been brought forth on her banks. Third, Murdaka Pālakudu or protector of the plough, alluding to his being born with a ploughshare in his hand, and they likewise ordained that, as he had lost his diadem, he should not be eligible to sovereignty, but that he and his descendants should till the ground with this privilege. that a person of the caste should put the crown on the king's head at the coronation. They next invested him with the yegnōpavitam or string, and, in order that he might propagate his caste, they gave him in marriage the daughters of the gods Indra and Kubēra."
  50. ^ Thurston, Edgar. Castes and Tribes of Southern India.: "Murdaka Pālakulu had fifty-four sons by the daughter of the god Indra, and fifty-two by the daughter of the god Kubēra, whom he married to the one hundred and six daughters of Nala Kubarudu, the son of Kubēra, and his sons-in-law made the following agreement with him, viz., that thirty-five of them should be called Bhūmi Pālakulu, and should till the ground; thirty-five of them named Vellal Shetti, and their occupation be traffic; and thirty-five of them named Gōvu Shetlu, and their employment breeding and feeding of cattle."
  51. ^ Rajannan, Busnagi (1992). Salem Cyclopedia: A Cultural and Historical Dictionary of Salem District, Tamil Nadu. Institute of Kongu Studies (Salem, India). p. 340. ISBN 978-8-19002-880-6.:"VELLALAR , Kongu . A major caste of farmers in the district . They are variously referred to as Bupaalan , Buvaisya , Dhevar , Gangavamsam , Rayar , and most commonly as Kudiyaanavar and Vivasaayi ."
  52. ^ Tambiah, Henry Wijayakone (2001). The Laws and Customs of the Tamils of Jaffna. Women's Education & Research Centre, Colombo, Sri Lanka. p. 57. ISBN 978-9-55926-116-2.:"he classifies the Vellalas under the Vaisya caste and even goes to the extent of calling the Vellalas the "Poo Vasi Ya""
  53. ^ Tambiah, Henry Wijayakone (2001). The Laws and Customs of the Tamils of Jaffna. Women's Education & Research Centre, Colombo, Sri Lanka. p. 57. ISBN 978-9-55926-116-2.:"Simon Casie Chetty seems to think that the Colombo Chetties belong to the Tana Vasiya Caste”
  54. ^ Beteille, Andre (1996). Caste, Class and Power: Changing Patterns of Stratification in a Tanjore Village. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-908872-0.
  55. ^ Kingship and political practice in colonial India, by Pamela G. Price, p.61: "...when government census officers placed Vellalar in the Sat-Sudra or Good Sudra category in its 1901 census, Vellalar castemen petitioned this designation, protesting this designation.
  56. ^ Cite error: The named reference price1996 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  57. ^ Karve, Irawati (1981). Biology of the People of Tamil Nadu. India: Indian Society of Human Genetics. p. 19. There is a tradition among the Vellalans that there were 3 divisions of the Vaisyas : ( 1 ) Bhuvaisyas or farmers , ( 2 ) Govaisyas or husbandmen and ( 3 ) Dhanavaisyas or merchants . The last division is claimed to have given rise to the Chettis who originally belonged to the Vellala tribe.
  58. ^ Chitty, Simon Casie (2016). The Ceylon Gazetteer: Containing an Accurate Account of the Districts, Provinces, Cities, Towns ... &c. of the Island of Ceylon. India: Palala Press. p. 230. ISBN 978-1-35811-601-8.
  59. ^ Vijailakshmi, Usha R. (2010). KARMANDALA SATAKAM: POLITICO-SOCIO-CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF MEDIEVAL TAMIL LITERATURE ON THE VELLALA COMMUNITY OF SOUTH KARNATAKA. India: Indian History Congress. p. 430. The work connects the origin of the Gangas to the origin of the Karkatha Vellalas of Karnataka. Gangeya Murthaka pala was born to Lord Shiva and he had two wives; the first wife had 54 sons & the second wife had 52 sons. Out of these Bhupalar, (one who practiced Agriculture) gave birth to 35 Vellala leaders, Dhanapalar, who was into trade, gave birth to 35 Vellala leaders Gopalar, (one who herded cattle) and one Agamurthi gave birth to 1 Vellala leader.
  60. ^ Vijailakshmi, Usha R. (2010). KARMANDALA SATAKAM: POLITICO-SOCIO-CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF MEDIEVAL TAMIL LITERATURE ON THE VELLALA COMMUNITY OF SOUTH KARNATAKA. India: Indian History Congress. p. 430. Verse 52: The Vellalas of Karmandalam belonged to the Mānava Gotra & practiced the rite of upanayana or wearing the sacred thread.
  61. ^ Vijailakshmi, Usha R. (2010). KARMANDALA SATAKAM: POLITICO-SOCIO-CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF MEDIEVAL TAMIL LITERATURE ON THE VELLALA COMMUNITY OF SOUTH KARNATAKA. India: Indian History Congress. p. 430. Verse 52: The Vellalas of Karmandalam belonged to the Mānava Gotra & practiced the rite of upanayana or wearing the sacred thread.
  62. ^ Vijailakshmi, Usha R. (2010). KARMANDALA SATAKAM: POLITICO-SOCIO-CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF MEDIEVAL TAMIL LITERATURE ON THE VELLALA COMMUNITY OF SOUTH KARNATAKA. India: Indian History Congress. p. 430. Verse 52: The Vellalas of Karmandalam belonged to the Mānava Gotra & practiced the rite of upanayana or wearing the sacred thread.
  63. ^ Kentish Coomaraswamy, Ananda (1988). Selected Letters of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (PDF). Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. p. 436. ISBN 978-0-90562-306-1.:"We do wear the yajñopavita ; I have received upanayana from a Brahman in the Punjab , and shall resume wearing the thread when we come to India . I suggested that you should accept the offer to give you upanayana in Bengal"
  64. ^ Rao, C. Hayavadana Rao (2014). The Vellalas of Nanjanad, Travancore State, India. Anthropos, University of California. p. 514.:"Of the three subdivisions among Vysias, the Vellalas belong to one that is known as Bhoo-Vysias."
  65. ^ B. K. Das, India., Director of Census Operations, Karnataka (1983). Census of India, 1981: Karnataka, Volume 10, Part 2. Karnataka, India: Controller of Publications, Government of India. p. 163.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link):"Other locals belonging to Chettiar , Goundar , Mudaliar and Vysya communities are also doing a substantial business ."
  66. ^ R.S.Sharma; K.M.Shrimali (2008). A Comprehensive History of India: pt.2. India: People's Publishing House. p. 226. ISBN 978-8-17304-561-5.:"The vellālars cannot be equated with the shudras of the north since some of them had the right of marriage with members of the royal families and a section of them known as veļirs were local rulers and feudatories"
  67. ^ Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri. A Comprehensive History of India, Volume 4, Part 2. India: Indian History Congress. p. 226. ISBN 978-8-17304-561-5.:"The vellālars cannot be equated with the shudras of the north since some of them had the right of marriage with members of the royal families and a section of them known as veļirs were local rulers and feudatories"
  68. ^ S. Thiruvenkatachari (1978). Studies in Arts and Sciences. India: Ram Bros : available from SISSWP Society. p. 330.:"The fourth division was not the Sudra, but the peasant or the Vellala - who was not the low menial that he was in the north-Indian caste system. The Vellala was as much respected as the Brahmin or Kshatriya."
  69. ^ Indira Gandhi; Indira Gandhi Abhinandan Samiti (1975). The Spirit of India: volumes presented to Shrimati Indira Gandhi by the Indira Gandhi Abhinandan Samiti. India: Asia Pub. House.:"The fourth division was not the Sudra, but the peasant or the Vellala - who was not the low menial that he was in the north-Indian caste system. The Vellala was as much respected as the Brahmin or Kshatriya."
  70. ^ Desai, A.R. (1975). State and Society in India. Popular Prakashan. p. 458. ISBN 978-8-17154-013-6.:"Vellalas follow a more ritualistic , " Sanskritic ” style of life and proclaim themselves as Vaishyas ."

caste pov in this article

the vellalars have no connection to velir and also vellalars are not connected to Ay velirs. there is no source which states that ayvelirs are vellalars. discuss

Social Scientist - Google Books Publisher:Indian School of Social Sciences https://www.google.com/books/edition/Social_Scientist/_Hw5AAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=vellalars+agricultural+shudra&dq=vellalars+agricultural+shudra&printsec=frontcover

Publisher:University of California, Berkeley https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Power_of_Murugan/6utIAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=vellalars+agricultural+shudra&dq=vellalars+agricultural+shudra&printsec=frontcover The Power of Murugan A Study of the Tamil Celebration of Thaipusam in Penang, Malaysia 160.69.1.132 (talk) 23:44, 14 November 2023 (UTC)

Discussion on Varna section. Why is it required?

Opening this section to discuss why the Varna section is not required in this article. Even though I have deleted this section for now, it is bound to be re-added to the article by some editor citing some reason or the other in the near future. Request editors to answer some of the queries listed below so wiki readership can better understand why some editors think varna section is required in this article.

  • It is not clear what is the purpose of this section? I mean, how does it matter if the Vellalar are Vaishya or not? Are there are any restrictions due to this Varna? Should they behave in a certain way when they come across other castes or other Varna like Brahmins? Vaishya is below Brahmin varna, is this why you want to add this information to the Vellalar page so that everyone can understand that "Brahmin" junta are higher/superior to Vellalars?
  • Is varna decided by birth? Is it not based upon one's occupation? In this modern age, all Vellalar are no longer farmers. They may be pursuing other occupations. In this case are they still considered to belong to the Vaishya Varna? Suppose, one Vellalar is in the army, is this person Kshatriya or still Vaishya? Varna is based upon the occupation as the Manusmrti lists farming, engaging in business as a Vaishya activity. This is why some Vellalar may have been classified as Vaishya. If not Vellalar cannot be classified as Vaishya as Vellalar is not a synonym for farmer or cattle rearer. On the same note, Iyer businessmen are not Brahmins, they are Vaishya as they are engaged in business.
  • As the article describes some Vellalar were never Hindus from the very beginning and other Vellalars have rejected Hinduism and are following other religions? So is it right to add the Varna section in the article? Isn't the Varna system a Hindu classification? The Varna system has its origins in the Smrti texts like Manusmrti and may be some other Vedic texts. The followers of these texts are called Smarthas for instance like Iyer group. They could choose to follow this system if they wanted to. Why should it apply to other people who choose to follow some Hindu folk religion/village deity and have nothing to do with Vedic Hinduism?

For the reasons/queries cited above, I think Varna section is not needed in this article. If some editors think otherwise then please explain the reasons and answer the above queries so everyone can undertand why Varna section is required in this article. Nittawinoda (talk) 15:15, 30 October 2023 (UTC)

Agreed.Vellalars Cannot be called as vaishyas because they were no doing business at all. They are agrarian cum military castes. Astroz anime (talk) 14:37, 29 November 2023 (UTC)
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