performed by them. They were the prime and valuable services and in return they were

rewarded well by the kings. They also inscribed the victory of the rulers in inscriptions.

Since they were masters of laws, they involved in indicial activities also. They played

vital role in village assemblies. When they were found guilty for thieving and stealing

temple properties, they were exonerated with mild punishments by the state and the

establishment unlike the non-Brahmins who were found guilty of such crimes. On the

whole, their influence was felt strongly in the socio-cultural lives of the Tamils during

the period under study.

CHAPTER II

VELLALAS

Tamil society was organised on the basis of caste system. Depending on their

professions, sub-castes also existed in large numbers. Tamil castes who traced their

ancestry to the Vedic and puranic gods, calling themselves, Viswa-Brahmanas,

Dravidakshatriyas and Arya-vaisyas.398

They had grown out of the Tamil tribes and

castes, which were described in ancient Tamil literature and inscriptions. There were

atleast three distrinct types of pre-Aryans (Tamil tribes) in the Tamil country, namely the

hill and forest tribes, the Nagas and the Velir or the Vellala tribes. They were

collectively known as Dravidians.399

“Dravidian” should have been applied only to the

Vellalas, who were the latest of the Pre-Aryan immigrants in Southern India. The earlier

Tamil works describe that there were two sections among the Vellalas or pure

398

M. Srinivasa Aiyangar, Tamil Studies Essays on the History of the Tamil People,

Language, Religion and literature, Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 1982, p.60. 399

Ibid., p.61.

Dravidians, namely the cultivators and the non-cultivators. Sometimes the term Naga-

Dravidians was used to denote them. The earlier Kshatriyas were elevated to the rank,

which was equal to the rulers, due to their matrimonial alliances with the Vellalas. They

were on this account called Ilangokkal or the minor kings.The Vellalas held high esteem

in the society. They took participation in the civil and military administration.

Early Political Reference

Vellalas were originally dominant caste of landowners. They were the nobility

and landed aristocracy of the ancient Tamil country.400

They had maintained close

contact with the different royal dynasties. The Chera, Chola and Pandiyan Kings, and

most of the Petty Chiefs of Tamilakam belonged to the tribe of Vellalas.401

Literary and

archaelogical sources trace the origin of the Vellalas to a group of Chieftains called Vel

or Velir.402

Vellalars were the scions of the Velir chieftains who belonged to the Yadu

Kshatriya clan.403

The Irukkuvelirs are the immediate forefathers of the Vellalas. The

Velir also were identified with Vellalar.404

Legend has it they came to south from the

city of Djaraka in North India under the leadership of the Vedic sage Agastya. Agastya

led 18 Velir families to the south, where they settle down, cleaning the forest and

cultivating the land.405

These velirs or Vellalars not only held absolute control over the

feudal society but also demonstated great military prowess. Mavel Evvi was the famous

400

T.K. Venkatasubramanian, Political Change and Agrarian Tradition in South India,

op.cit., pp.63-64. 401

V.Kanakasabhai, The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago, op.cit., p.113. 402

Encyclopedia of World cultures, Vol.III, p.113. 403

Kamala Ganesh, Boundary Walls, Caste and Women in a Tamil Community, Delhi, 1993,

p.308. 404

Annual Bibliography of Indian Archaelogy, Vol.17, p.111. 405

S.S. Shashi, Encyclopedia of Indian Tribes, Anmol Publications, Delhi, 1994, p.308.

warrior chieftain known for valour and bravery. He was a Vellala from Millalikurram in

Pandimandalam. His territory included one of the most fertile fields of the Cauvery

basin. Velpari was known as the great patron of poets. He was a relative of Mavel Evvi.

After the demise of the latter, he took over the territory around the mountains of

Paramba. Poet Kapilar described him as the lord of three hundred villages in ancient

Tamil Country.406

Etymology

The word ‘Vellalan’ is derived from the word “Vellamai”, (Vellam = water, anmai

= management) meaning cultivation and tillage.407

Gustav Opert considers Vellalans to

be etymologically identified with Pallan and Palupalli.That means the lord of the Vallas

or Pallas.408

Another reference is that the word “Vellalar” is derived from Vel’ meaning a

spear or lance and “alar” means “People of Vel” an old and archaic Tamil weapon.409

Another theory explains that Vellalars were the controllers of the flood, irrigated their

fields, when the rivers were in flood and raised the rice crop on damp rice-fields, while

the Karalar were controllers of the rain, who looked up to the sky for watering their

fields and stored the rain water in tanks.410

406

V.Kanabasabhai, op.cit, p.113. 407

N.Alagappan, Social condition in Medieval Tamil Country, Thiruvarul Pathippagam,

Chidambaram, 1998, pp.64-65. 408

Edgar Thurston, op.cit., Vol.VII, p.341. 409

V.Kanagasabhai, op.cit., p.113. 410

P.T.Srinivasa Iyengar, "Pre-Aryan Tamil Culture", Journal of Indian History, Vol.VII,

Madras, 1928, p.118.

Another reference stated that the Vellalas controlled the vellam (flood water),

so that they acquired the title “lords of the flood” and “lords of clouds” (Karalan). Their

title indicate that they were the people who controlled floods and stored water for

agricultural purposes.

The Vellalas were the influential non-Brahmana caste. They were also acted as

functionaries in royal administration and the topmost crust at land owning gentry. They

were the industrious people and merchants. They were considered to occupy the first

place in the social scale among the non-Brahmanas. They called themselves Pillai,

Chettiar and Mudaliar. Though they were known by different names they observed

uniform essential customs and manners.

V. Kanakasabhai stated that among the pure Tamils, the class most honoured was

the Arivar or sages. Next in rank of the Arivar were the Ulavar or farmers. The farmers

occupied the highest position in the society411

, so the Vellalas.

The Vellala community furnished statesmen and generals to the Tamil Kings.

They were generally recipients of high titles like Kizhan, Udaiyan412

, Rayan or Arayan413

,

Vel or Velan and Kaviti and as Kudal - Udai.414

Arisil Kizhan and Kalingarayan appear

as the gotric names of Karkatta Vellalas. They had ninety six gotras or exogamous

sects, thirteen of which end in Thirai, or Thiraiyan, fourteen in Rayan and sixty nine in

411

V.Kanagasabhai, op.cit., p.112. 412

S.I.I., Vol. III, Part-I & II, No.68. 413

Karu.Rajendran “ Nelvelivalaikuruchi Kalvettugal”in Avanam, (Tamil) Vol.7, 1996, p.42. 414

M.Srinivasa Iyengar, op.cit., p.63.

Udai or udaiyan.415

The term thirai designates the clan or tribe to which that section of

the Vellalas originally belonged. The term rayan as the title conferred on them by the

kings. The term udaiyan would have been conferred on the chieftains, Velan was

another term frequently referred to in many inscriptions. An inscription of Rajendra I

mentions the Thiruvappur Velan Venkadan, Parakesari Muvendavelan, Adavallan

Vasudevan alias Mudikondasola Muvendavelan,416

and Ayirattanankkurruvan Kalakalan

alias Kadavur Velan.417

Kaviti was a special distinction bestowed upon the ministers

of state. Many such gotric names found in the ancient Tamil inscriptions.

Legends and the Origin of the Vellalas

There were many legends that spoke the origin of the Vellalas. According to one

there was a severe drought when the entire world was ignorant of agriculutre, people

prayed to Bhudevi goddess of earth. Bhudevi produced from her body a man carrying a

plough, who showed them how to till the soil and support themselves. They included

Ko-Vaisyas, Bhu-vaisyas and Dhana-Vaisyas.418

Among them, the Bhu-vaisyas were

Vellala agricultural people. The Ko-vaisyas were husbendmen. The Dhana-vaisyas were

trading people.

Another legend is that one Visvakarma, the architect of the Devatas one day

intrued the privacy of Lord Paramasiva and Parvathy. Parvathy cursed him that an

enemy of his to be born in Bhuloka to punish him. Visvakarma said if he knew enemys

415

Idem. 416

S.I.I., Vol. XXVI, No.404; A.R.E., 383 of 1909. 417

Ibid., Vol. XXII, p.17, A.R.E., 23 of 1906. 418

Edgar Thurston, op.cit., p.362.

birth place, he would annihilate him with a single blow.419

Parvathy said that the man

would spring from the banks of Ganges. Viswakarma waited on the banks of Ganges.

One day he noticed that a Kiritam (crown) is coming out of the soil. Viswakarma made a

cut with his sword, which struck only the Kiritam. The man came out with a golden

ploughshare. Visvakarmam laid hold on the man. There appeared the Trinity, Brahma-

Vishnu and Maheswara before Visvakarma.

Vellalas controlled the flood water and utilised it for agricultural purposes. The

majority of them were cultivators. But a small section of them took up other

professions, such as cattle rearing and weaving. Some of them were big land owners.

Sometimes, they were settled outside the village and conrolled the lands, as absentee

land lords.420

Periapuranam clearly describes, the Vellalas and their position in the

society, their economic conditions and their benevolence.421

Vellala Settlement

The commentary on Tolkappiam the oldest Tamil grammer, states that Agastyar

the first Brahmin, in order to settle down in South India brought with him, eighteen

sections of Vellalas.422

J.H. Nelson, stated that they were the descendants of foreign

immigrants, who were invited by the Pandiya king.423

Ugra Peruvaludhi, the Pandiya

king selected 48,000 good families of Vellalas and imported them from east

419

Ibid., pp.361-380. 420

N.Alagappan, Social Conditions in the Medieval Tamil Country, Thiruvarul Publications,

Chidambaram, 1998, p.58. 421

Sekkilar, Periapuranam, Padal : 872. 422

M. Srinivasa Iyengar, op.cit., p.59. 423

J.H. Nelson, The Madura Country Manual, op.cit., p.215.

Kanchipuram and settled them in the Pandya land.424

In Pudukkottai State, Kodumbalur

and its surounding villages were the homes of the Vellalas. Tekattur palm leaf

manuscript stated that a Vellala chief namely Adanachakaravarthy brought many

Vellalas with him to the Chola territory.425

Chola Mandala Jatakam mentions that the

Chola Vellalas consisted of 64 Kudigal (Sixty four divisions).426

The Chola land

occupied by the Vellala was named as Konadu (land of the king) and the Pandiya

territory named as Kanadu (forest land) in Pudukkottai State.427

In Konadu, their power extended from Uraiyur near Trichinopoly to Solavandan

in the Madurai district and included Piranmalai, Ponnammaravati, Karaiyur

Oliyamangalam, Annavasal and Vayalogum. In Kanadu, they occupied the south and

east of Konadu and extended as far South as Tondi and Kalaiyar kovil.428

The Vellalar

occupied five eighths of the rural area in Konadu and three eighths in Kanadu. Konadu

was divided into three Kurrams-Uraiyur, Oilaiyur and Urattur. It was further subdivided

into 64 Nadus comprising altogether 756 Villages. Among them 212 Villages were

granted as devadhanam and 21 Villages as brahmadeyam.429

The rulers of Medieval

Tamil Country also settled the Brahmanas in the land purchased land from the

bhumiputtirar (Vellala land owners) or the Nattumukkal.430

424

Pudukkottai State Manual, p.547. 425

Idem. 426

Adhmanatha Desikan, Cholamandala Satakam, Tanjore University, Tanjore, 1994, p.67. 427

Pudukkottai State Manual, p.548. 428

Ibid,, p.549. 429

Ibid,, p.561. 430

A.R.E., 43 of 1936-37.

Nattumakkal, enjoyed the full right over the villages they were all Vellalas. The

Pudukkottai State manuscripts stated them as Nilattarasu.431

(rulers of the soil). They

lived independently with the support of the rulers.

Privileges

The bulk of the land was owned by the Vellalas, the agriculturists, who

commanded a high social rank. Naccinarkkiniyar distinguishes them as the rich and poor

Vellalas. The rich Vellalas held high official posts under the king in the civil and military

administration.432

They held the titles of Vel and Arasu in the Chola country and Kavidi

in the Pandya Country and the Jusconnubii (special privileges) with royal families.433

The Vellalas were recognized as a respectable body of the community. There was

a ceremony called tulabharam (weighing in scales) observed by the ancient kings. When

the Chola kings performed this ceremony, the right to weighing kings in person was

accorded to the Vellala Chettis. This shows that the Vellalas were also recognized as a

respectable body of mercantilemen in-charge of weights and measures.

The Cholas imposed certain taxes and collected them through the officials.

Besides the taxes collected by the rulers,the local administrative units like village

assemblies also enjoyed the privillage of collecting the taxes. Since the local

administration, during the medieval period enjoyed the autonomy. But the privileges

431

Pudukkottai State Manual, p.547. 432

K.A.N. Sastri. op.cit., p.88. 433

Swaminathan, The Early Cholas - History, Art and Culture, op.cit., p.122.

enjoyed by them were subject to general supervision and control from the centre. This

privilege was enjoyed by the Vellalas also. There is an example of such regulation

emphasized in a royal order of Rajendra II. According to it, right to raise such dues in

the village of Vakkur was made the monopoly of the Vellalas who are said to have had

the kani of the place.434

When this privilege was in practise, the common people sometimes suffered in

the hands of the officials for the non-payment of taxes or dues. There is an epigraphical

reference which depicts an incident. An epigraph dated 1286 A.D. states that a land

holder named Sengadir Chola Muvendavelan suffered due to the arrears of land dues.

The Royal officer, Brahmadarayan threatened him and ordered to put in prison.435

To

escape from this ill repute, the debtor sold his younger brother's land which was

apparently a joint family property for 100 panams in public auction and paid the land

dues.436

Another instance, a record of Kilattaniyam in Pudukkottai District registers the

sale of land to the local Siva temple by one Vira Cholamuvendavelan the Vellala and

others for 40 panams in order to pay the taxes on their holdings.437

The lands were sold

under very clearing circumstances and the tenants had no other means of clearing the

dues to the government.

434

K.A.N. Sastri, op.cit., p.47. 435

A.R.E., 24 of 1914; Ibid., 33 of 1915. 436

Idem. 437

P.S.I., No.624.

Professions

The Vellalas held almost all important professions during the medieval period.

Champakalakshmi stated that the Vellalar took six professions such as cultivation,

smithy, pottery, weaving, cattle rearing and trade.438

Pinkala Nigandu mentions ten

professions of the Vellalas as below:

anai valinnirral, maan vinaithodangal, kaikadanarral, kurramanathinmai,

suramporral, neengatha muyarchi, manniraitharuthal, orrumaikodul, discipline and

virundhopal. The land owing gently did all works of agriculture like, directed

agricultural operations and possibly leased out their lands.439

Divisions Among the Vellalas

The Vellalas were a major agriculture caste in medieval Tamil Country. Different

sub-castes were localized in different regions. They were heterogeneous and lived in

multi-caste environments, among them. Pinkala Nigandu describes three types of

Vaisyas. They were: Dhanavaisyas or merchants, Poovaisiyas or agricultural people and

438

R.Champakalakshmi, op.cit., p.42. 439

Pinkala Nigandu, 781.

Miz top epw;wd; khz;tpid njhlq;fy;

iff;$l dhw;wy; fhpfyfj; jpd;ik

nahf;fy; Nghw;w Nyhth Kaw;rp

kd;dpiw jUj nyhw;Wik Nfhl

wpUe;jpa nthOf;fk; tpUe;J Gwe; jUjy;

Ntshz; khe;jh; nra;ifaP iuj;Nj

Ko-Vaishyas or herdsmen.440

Poovaisiyas were Vellalas. Dhanavaisyas were trading

people. Kovaishyas were cattle rearer. The sub-divisions of the Poovaisiyar were

karkatta or karala Vellalas, Tuluva Vellalas, Choliya Vellalas, Kondaikatti Vellalas,

Sembaratti Vellalas, Kodikkal Vellalas, Kongu Vellalas, Aranattu Vellalas and

Arumpukottai Vellalas.441

A number of inscriptions of Medieval Tamil Country frequently refer to many

divisions or sub-caste of Vellalas. They are: Tondaimandalam Vellalas or Konkatta

Vellalas, Soliya Vellalas, Kongu Vellalas, Nanchilnad Vellalas, Karaikattu Vellalas,

JainaVellalas, Kodikkal Vellalas, Urattur Vellalas, Tuluva Vellalas, Milalaikkuru

Vellalas, Vembanattu Vellalas and Thenmandala Vellalas.442

Karala Vellalas

Karala Vellalas were divided into Kanattars and Konattars.443

Each division has

many exogamous sub-divisions “Karalar” was the term used to denote the Karkattar

community. Manimekalai also referred to the term Kavalar Sanbai, which denotes the

city Sikali. Sanbai is one of the twelve names of Sirkali, Sirkali was then a seat of the

440

Pinkala Nigandu, 792.

coth; Nkopay; fhuhs; hpsq;Nfh

Gfo;G+ itrpah; ngaNu 441

Simon Chetti, The Castes, Customs, Manners and Literature of the Tamils, Asian Educational

services, Madras, 1992, p.52. 442

S.Raju “ Arithuvaaramangalam Vellalar Cheppedugal” in Avanam, Vol .7, 1996, p.75. 443

Pudukkottai State Manual, Part I, Vol.1, p.548.

Karkattar. So, it was called as Karalar Sanbai in the epic.444

The term Karalar means

people who were engaged in agriculture.

‘Karanmai’ meant the steel blade of the plough or plough share.445

So, Karalar

meant those who were masters of plough share and they were naturally the Karkattar.

The Karala Vellalas were skilled agriculturists. They destroyed the jungles and

brought the land under cultivation. They established irrigational facilities. They

constructed dams, anicuts tanks, channels, and fed the lands. A copper plate found in

Pudukkottai mentions the places of Karala Vellala settlements.446

They are Tekkattur,

Karaiyur, Viruchilai Ponamaravati, Diyamangalam, Idaiyarrur, Peraiyur, Arimalam and

Valasam panikkam in Tirumayam Taluk. They also settled in Kolattur, Marudur,

Alangudipatti, Vellanur and Kovilvirakudi.

Kongu Vellalas

The Vellalas of Kongumandalam were called as Kongu Vellalas or Kongu Vellala

Gounders. Kongu Nadu includes Coimbatore, Salem, Pollachi , Udagamandalam and

Dharmapuri. Among the Kongu Vellalas, Vellala Gounders were the dominant

community in that region. Kongu Vellalas were also known as Gangakulatars.447

They

were the kurunila mannars (petty chiefs) of Ancient Tamil country. Kadaiyezhu

Vallalayal hailed from this community; they were believed to be great patrons and

444

M.Arunachalam, A Study of the Culture and History of the Karkattar, Bulletin, Jan-June 1975, p.5. 445

Ibid., p.6. 446

Pudukkottai State Manual, p.549. 447

V.Ramamurthi, Kongunattu Goundargal (Tamil), Trichy, 1997, p.99.

philanthropists. They were the traditional heads of the Kongu Vellalar community. They

migrated to Kongu country from Cholamandalam and Thondaimandalam.448

The Cholan

Purvapattayam and the legendary work Annanmarkatai mentions that the Kongu

Vellalas came from Chola Country. The Chola purvapattayam describes449

that the king

Karikala killed his son since the latter had killed a calf. Subsequently, Karikala suffered

from mental sickness. To get rid of this, he constructed 36 big temples, 360 small

temples in Kongu from Karur to Muttam. For that purpose people belonging to eighteen

castes were settled in these regions. One among them were Kongu Vellalas.

Ananmarkatai makes another reference regarding the Vellala settlement.450

According

to that the Vellalar moved out of the Veynadu in the Chola country, due to their

refusal to offer their girl as the bride for the Chola prince. Kongu Vellalar Puranam

mentions the Marabalan legend. By this legend, Vishnu created Marabalan,

eponymous ancestor of the Vellalas, at the request of Siva, to introduce the art of

farming in the world. Marabalan had his rule in the Kanchi region. Konga, a descent of

Marabalan, migrated to Kongu country with 60,000 followers of Vellala Kudigal. He

gave his name to this region called it Kongu.451

The Kongu Vellalar are sub-divided into the Sendalais (red-headmen) the

Padaitalais, (leaders of armies) the Vellikais, (the Silver hands) the Pavalamkattis

(weavers of coral) the Malaiyalis (lived in the foot of the hill) and the Tollakadus (ears

with big holes). Among these groups, the Sendalai Vellalas were predominant in the

Kongu country. They grouped among themselves in various places. These group further

448

V.Ramamurthi, History of Kongu, Madras, 1986, p.4. 449

T.Chandrasekar, Cholan Poorvapatayam (Tamil), Vol V, Madras Government Oriental

Series, pp.56-60. 450

V.Manickam, The Kongu Nadu A.History upto A.D.1400, Makkal Veliyedu, Chennai,

2001, p.539. 451

Ibid., p.540.

divided into number of clans. Each clan had shown special interest and was associated

with particular food, animal, fish, bird, insect and fruit. They had different group

titles,which was named as Kuttappeyargal. A plenty of medieval inscriptions mention

the different kuttappeyargal.452

They are noted as a hardy race of people, very

industrious and honest, since they involved in agricultural activities and they became

the backbone of the Kongu Country. A proverb says “The Vellala goad is the rulers

scepter”.453

The Kongu Vellalas by the effect of their ploughing, maintained the prayers

of the Brahmin’s, strength of the rulers, the profit of merchants and the welfare of all.

The Kongu Vellalas sometimes occupied an even lower position in society than the

Soliya Vellalas because they dined with so-called lower castes like Tottiyans.454

The Nanchinad Vellalas

The Nanchinad Vellalas were another group of Vellalas. They were land owners

and tillers of the soil and held offices during the medieval Tamil Country. The term

“Nanchil” occur in Purananuru.455

“Nanchil” means ploughshare. “Nanchil” has been

famous for its prosperous paddy cultivation. Nanchilnadu is the land of agriculture.

“Nanchil” denotes the region of bastions or forts represented by the natural barriers

like hills fortifying the land. The Pandyas were the time honoured rulers of this region.

Purananuru speaks of chieftain Nanchil Porunan, who ruled northen Nanchilnad. He

was the vassal of the Pandya king. He was described as Tennavar Vayamaravan; the

thennavar denoted the Pandiya.456

Nanchinad comprises the taluks of Tovalai and

452

A.R.E., 213 of 1920; Ibid., 220 of 1964; Ibid., 260 of 1931. 453

Edgar Thurston, op.cit., p.368. 454

Idem. 455

Purananuru, 137 and 139. 456

Ibid., 380.

Agastisvaram in the extreme south of the present Kanyakumari District. The Vellalas

have been the most dominant people of the region over the years. Some Nanchilnad

Vellalas settled down in North Travancore, Madras city and other places of Tamil Nadu.

The Nanchilnad Vellalas had their temples for their own clan in the districts of

Tirunelveli and Madurai. All were Saivites. Though they were not opposed to the

worship of Vishnu, their high priest was the Umayorubhagom Gurukkal of

Srivaikuntam.457

They used holy ashes and commonly had three horizontal lines with

holy ash on the forehead and arms. Like other non-brahmin communities, they also

worshiped village deities like Madan, Inan, Isakki and Mariamman.Besides daily

worship ,certain periodic festivities and ceremonies were held. They were known as

Chirappu, while grand annual festivals were known as Kodai.458

These peykodai and

amman kodais were celebrated with great enthusiasm and at considerable expenses.

Kottai Vellalas

The Vellalas who lived in the fort were known as Kottai Vellalas. They lived in

Srivaikuntam fort, in the delta of the Tambiraparani river. This tribal settlement is dated

back to 10th

Century A.D. The ancestors of the Kottai Vellalars were obsessed by a

political revolution from their home, Parakirama Pandya presented them a home and

protection in the valley of river Vaigai.459

Under the Pandyas of Madurai these Vellalas were the chamberlains or

treasures. They enjoyed the hereditary dignity of crowning the newly succeeding kings.

This traditional dignity is still commemorated by an annual ceremony, performed in a

457

K.K.Pillai, The Tradition and History of the Nanchilnad Vellalas, Bulletin, 1973, p.8. 458

Ibid., p.9. 459

The Indian Antiquary, October 1874, Vol. 43, p.287.

Tirunelveli Temple.460

These Vellalas shut themselves out from social intercourse with

their kinsmen. They had established the most unique customs, absolutely unknown to

the rest of the tribes.

Chozhiya Vellalas

The Chola mandala Satagam states Cholamandalam is famous for the Chozhia

Vellalas. Chozhiya Vellalas inhabited all over medieval Tamil country. They were

the people of Chola nadu in origin and were greater land lords in the Chola Kingdom.

They were also the great warrior clan of the Cholas and led crucial wars for Chola kings

as generals of Chola army. The Chozhiya Vellalas were divided into several exogamous

gotrams. They included the sub-castes of Keerakarar, Kodikalarar and

Vatrilaikkarar.461

Among them, the Chozhiya Vellalas of Ambunadu occupied a higher

rank than other Chozhiya Vellalas. The members of the Chozhiya Vellalas held the tittle

of “Pillai”.462

The Pandya Vellalas of Madurai and Tirunelveli members also used this

caste suffix.

Vellalas and Agriculture

In the medieval period agriculture and trade were the two unique economic

segments of Tamil society. These unique activities gave rise to various settlements,

different groups and institutions. The Vellalas who were actually agriculturists during

460

Ibid., p.288. 461

P.S.I. Manual, Vol.II, p.549. 462

Ibid., p.545.

the medieval period actively participated in the cultivation process. Consequently, they

were responsible for the formation of new institutions in the medieval society. The one

such organized settlement during the medieval period was the formation of Vellanvugai

Villages.463

Vellanvagai comprises two words, Nilakanta Sastri explains the term in a

beautiful manner. “Vellan” means cultivator, “Vagai” means class or manner464

. It was

an oridinary ryotwari village. It had the direct relations with government and paid a

land tax liable to revision from time to time. He also implies that the Ur was the

settlement of the cultivators. The Vellalas had direct connections with the government

regarding the payment of taxes. The Vellalas who were engaged in agriculture were

settled in Ur. They were known as Urar.465

Mostly the agricultural lands were controlled

and cultivated by group of people popularly known as Urars. Historians like Noboru

Karasimha has opined that they were Vellalas.466

Moreover the agricultural lands were

sometimes held commonly by the communal body (Ur). In this case, the cultivation and

management were done by the same communal body, and the land became the

property of the community. This communal ownership was enjoyed by the Vellalas.467

Tamil lexicon referred to Vellanvagai Village. The title itself denotes that the village

was owned by the Vellalas.468

Thurston rightly poits out that the Vellalas by the effect

of their ploughing maintained the prayers of the Brahmanar, the strength of the kings,

the profit of merchants, the welfare of all charity and donation, the enjoyment of

domestic life and connubial happiness, homage to the gods, things of good report or

integrity, the good order of the caste and skill of all these things came to pass by the

463

S.I.I., Vol III, Part- III & IV, No. 204. 464

K.A.N.Sastri, op.cit., p.425. 465

S.I.I., Vol. XVII, No. 442. 466

Noboru Karashima, South Indian History and Society, Studies from Inscriptions, A.D.850-1800,

Oxford University Press, Japan, 1984. p.91. 467

P.Chandra Sekaran, Agrarian system of Tamilnadu from A.D. 850-1300, Rajapalayam, 2004, p.29. 468

Tamil Lexicon, Vol VII, p.1012.

merit of the saying, “Agriculture is no agriculture unless it is performed by the

Vellalas”.469

The Vellalas who involved in agriculture were divided into three categories. They

were the cultivator, peasants and landlords The cultivators were not only the owners,

but also cultivators themselves. The agricultural peasants worked in the lands for

wages. Some Vellalas who leased out their lands for others were known as share

cropers. Some peasants who worked for wages were ranked lower in the social order. A

peasant is one who is either as owner or no-owner, actually involves himself in

cultivation. He may be a tenant share-cropper or a landless agricultural labourer.

Vellalars, the controllers of the flood, irrigated their fields, when the rivers were

in flood, and raised the rice-crops on damp rice-fields with the extraordinary patience.

They dominated other agricultural peasants and made them believe that they had divine

powers over waters. They stressed the collective management of irrigation works which

became useful in paddy cultivation.

Inscriptions and literary evidences describe the rice-fields, the rich fields of sugar-

cane, the groves of palm trees, plaintains and others, which grew near the river

Kaveri.470

The Udayendiram plates which record the exploits of Udayacandra, a vassal of

Nandivarman Pallavamalla, was described as the “Lord of the river Vegavati”.471

It

469

Edgar Thurston, op.cit., pp.371-372. 470

S.I.I., Vol.III, No.73.

mentions the different varieties of crops which were grown on the banks of this river,

such as arecapalms, coconut trees, mango trees, palmyra and various other trees such

as hintala, tamala, naga pumnaga, raktasoka, kuruvaka, madhavi and karnikara.472

Another inscription of the Pallava mentions that “Forests of Paddy” and the brilliant

grows of areca palms were to be found in the Chola Country.473

Another inscription also

mentions that rice and other grains, fruit trees such as mango and jack fruit were grown

in the Kaveri basin.474

Irrigation

The agricultural prosperity of the Tamil Country was mainly due to the rivers

flowing through different regins. The rivers were: the Vaigai, the Vegavati and the

mighty Kaveri. The Kaveri running through the heartland of the Chola empire

contributed a larger measure to the bountiful yielding of crops in that area and to its

subsequent prosperity. Like the Tamil Kings, the Vellalas also fully realized the potential

of utilizing the waters of the Kaveri and Tambiraparani for irrigation and bringing more

lands under cultivation. They contributed to the betterment of the farmers made the

Chola empire one of the most fertile areas in South India. The construction of new

tanks and maintenance of old tanks was another activity of the Vellalas. They made

arrangements for the construction of tanks in various parts of the country.

471

Chithra Madhavan, History and Culture of Tamilnadu as Gleaned from the Sanskrit

Inscription, D.K. Print world (P) Ltd, New Delhi, 2006, p.105. 472

S.I.I., Vol.II, No.74. 473

Ibid., Vol.II, No.98. 474

E.I., Vol.III, No.14.

Their village assembly took the responsibility of all the agricultural activities like

construction and maintenance of irrigation works, collection and remission of taxes

from the peasants, selling and purchasing of lands, controlling the village servants and

leasing lands and serving as banks by receiving deposits of money.

To develop the irrigational facility, their village assembly established the

erivariyam or tank committee. Its members were known as Erivariyaperumakkal.475

This body took the responsibility of construction476

and maintenance of tank.477

Supervision of paths and roads around cultivable lands478

and other agricultural

extension activities. Numerous references to digging of tanks and making grants for

their maintenance indicate that irrigation of land was provided for on a large scale by

the erivariyam.479

Sometimes individuals also donated funds to be utilized for keeping

irrigation works in good repair by the periodical removal of silt.480

An inscription of

Devimangalam Akkaraipatti Erikkarai mentions that a Vellala by name Thiaga Vinotha

Velan reconstructed the canal of Erikkarai481

and named it as Anchata Perumal Erikkaru.

An inscription mentions that the Ur co-operated with the Sabha in drafting and

engraving of documents also.482

The Organisation of Vellalas

475

A.R.E ., 84 of 1998. 476

S.I.I., Vol.III, No.5. 477

E.I., Vol XI, p.225. 478

S.I.I., Vol.III, No.156. 479

A.R.E., 75 of 1898. 480

Ibid., 283 of 1919; Ibid., 74 of 1898. 481

K. Sridharan,”Devimangalam Akkaraipatti Erikkarai Kalvettu” (T) in Avaram, Vol.VIII,

Tanjore, 1997, p.36. 482

A.R.E., 279 of 1903.

Since, the Vellalas were basically agriculturists, they had their own organization.

Chitrameli was their organization.483

It means plough share. A large organization

consisting of groups of Villages or Nadus was named as Chitrameli Perianadu.484

It had

the suffix Chitramelinallur485

and Chitrameli Chaturvedimangalam.486

Their members

were called Chitrameli Perianattar.487

They were otherwise known as Bhumiputtirar

and Nattumakkal because of their dependence on land. It was an organization of

agriculturists, appearing quite early in the Chola period, in the latter half of the eleventh

century A.D. in Tamaraippakkam, North Arcot District.488

They worshipped the

ploughshare. It was also adopted by them as their standard unit of measurement.489

Chitrameli Periyanadu was a guild of agriculturists. Vellalars were involved in trade and

formed the separate organisation known as Chitrameli Periayanadu. This guild was

identified with the provincial agricultural organization.490

It was also a social

organisation existed in the Tamil country in the name Vellalar kudi Sabha.491

The sabha

members belonged to the peasant groups Nadu was indicated as a ruling land. Periya

Nadu denotes Periya Sabha, the Village or town assembly.492

Chitrameli Periya Nadu

was indentified as Uzhavar Perum Sabha (coth; ngUk; rig).493

moreover it appears that

483

B.S.Chandra Babu andThilagavathi, op.cit., p.86. 484

S.I.I., Vol VII, No. 291. 485

A.R.E., 172 of 1941-42. 486

Ibid., 91 of 1941-42. 487

Ibid., 117 of 1900. 488

R.Champakalakshmi, Trade, Geology and Urbanisation in South India, BC to AD 1300,

Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1999, p.59. 489

A.R.E., 43 of 1936-37. 490

B.S.Chandra Babu and Thilagavathi, op.cit., p.86. 491

Ibid., p.36. 492

A.R.E., 15 of 1922. 493

B.S. Chandra babu and Thilagavathi, Trade in Kongu (Upto 16th

Century A.D.), Kalam

Veliyeedu, Madurai, 2003, p.

the constituent localities of these supra local bodies, maintained their identify for social

and religious purposes.

Disputes Among the Vellalas

There are also references to the disputes among the Vellalas and with the other

communities like Maravas. There is a reference to the internal dispute among the

Karala Vellalas of Kanadu and Konadu.494

Mostly disputes arose between these two

groups in connection with lands, temples, tanks, temple honours and the right to the

use of water of the Vellar. They fought with other communities regarding land

settlement.

Another inscriptional record dated 1142 A.D. speaks of the Vellalas of

Tiravayppadi who enquired into a murder case and directed the culprit to burn a

perpertual lamp in expiation.495

An inscription dated 1076 A.D. records that in the presence of a royal officer

Nilagangaraiyar, Vellalar made an arrangement as to enquire a murder case.496

Another

inscription records the disputes that took place between the Vellalas and the

Vellainadars at Kallidaikurichi which had resulted in the ostracism of the latter by the

former in 1379 A.D.497

They decided to kill the Vellainadu offenders. They also

494

Pudukkottai State Manual , Vol.II, p.546. 495

A.R.E., 248 of 1901; S.I.I., Vol.VII, No.462. 496

A.R.E., 176 of 1904; S.I.I., Vol.XVII, No.200. 497

Ibid., 325 of 1916.

prohibited the residents of Vellai nadu from working together with the Vellalars as

labourers nor could they be their accountants or be occupants of lands.

Prasasti

The Vellalas had their own Prasasti which is found as preamble in some of their

records. In the Prasasti they called themselves as Bhumiputirar and the children of the

Ayyampoli Parameshwara.498

They worshipped the ploughshare and adopted it as their

unit of measurement. They helped the kings in the land administration of the country.

The Pandya king Virapandya who bore the title Bhumiputtiran, seemed to have been

the patron of the Vellalas.499

Vellalas as Officials

The contributions of Vellalas in the royal and military services were significant.

The Vellala officials who distinguished themselves in the royal service were conferred

titles like Sembian Muvendavelan, Solavelan and Mavendavelan. From the time of

Parantaka Chola they were entitled to the royal service. Because he was the first Chola

ruler who attempted to conquere the entire Tamil country, conferred these this titles

to win over the confidence of the traditional land holding groups of the whole

territorry. Inscriptions also refer to the titles conferred on them. A record refers to the

auditing of the temple accounts by the temple officials Solavelar and Tennavan

498

S.I.I., Vol.II No.129. 499

N.Alagappan, op.cit., p.61.

Soliyavariyar. Some of the Vellalas were employed as officials by the king and some

others recruited for military services.

Aditan Suriyanakia Muvendavelan

He was a chieftain of Poygaindu at RajendraSingh Valanadu in Cholamandalam.

He erected copper statutes at Rajarajeswaram to Thirugnana Sambantha Adigal,

Thirunavukkaraiyadevar, Nambiyarurar, Nangai Paravaiyar and Siruthondanayanar.500

In

995 A.D. Aditan Suriyanakia Muvendavelan granted gold to the Brahmins for reciting the

Devaram. He was very close to the King Rajarajan.

Mathurandhaka Muvendavelan

He was the local Chieftain of Arulmozhi Deva Valanattu Nenmalinadu. His name

is found mentioned in the Anaimangalam copper plates.501

He worked as

Thirumandhira Olainayagam. He got the title of Madhuranthaga Muvendavelan.

Vellakkutan Alais Sembian Muvendavelan

Vellakkutan Alais Sembian Muvendavelan was the minister of Rajendra Chola I.

He got the title of Sembian Muvenda Velan. He built the Karbhaagraham and

Arthamandapam of the Thiruvarur temple.502

Rajendra Muvendavelan alais

Thiruvarangan was the another Vellala minister of Vira Rajendra. He renovated the

500

T.V. Sadasiva pandarattar, Pirkala Chola Varalaru, Annamalai University Chennai,

2008, p.112. 501

E.I., Vol. XXII, No.34. 502

A.R.E., 675 & 699 of 1919.

temple of Padam Pakka Nathan at Thiruvorriyur and built Thivananthavanam in the

name of Vira Rajendra.503

Velan Madhavanakia Raja Vallava Pallavarayan was another

important and efficient ministers of Kulotunga I. He was born at Kadampangudi in

Cholamandalam. He donated a perpetual lamp to Thirumal temple at Bhimavaram in

Godavari Taluk Layden Grants mentions his vital role and his achievements. The

government conferred him with titles Vendannal vel and Raja Vallapallavaraiyan504

Veera Sikamani Muvenda Velan and others

Veera Sikamani Muvenda Velan was born in Pandiyanpakkam in

Thondaimandalam. He was the minister of KoluttungaI. He received the title of

Muvendavelan from the king. He appointed a committee for the maintenance of the

temple activities in the temple of Durga at Kuvalapuram in Kolar District.505

Sundan Gangaikondan alias Duvarapatti Velan was an important minister of king

Vikrama Chola. One inscription at Sivapuri in Ramanathapuram Taluk mentions that he

was called as Duvarapativel.506

Sikkarudaiyan Namman Kanichan alias

Solamuvendavelan was a minister under the Cholas.507

Vadasattimangalamudaiyan,

Kuttan Somadevan alias Kannagitarapani Muvendavelan was a temple officer who

served under the Pandiyas.508

Pundiyurudaiyan alias Madurantaka Paravainattu

503

Ibid., 228 & 232 of 1912. 504

E.I., Vol.XXII, No. 35. 505

S.I.I., Vol.XI, No.36. 506

Ibid., Vol.XI, No. 12. 507

A.R.E., 232 of 1917. 508

Ibid., 12 of 1920-22.

muvendavelan was another central minister.509

Pandiya Raja Narayana Muvendavelan

was a minister of Kulottunga III. He served as a Thirurandhira Olainayagam.510

Udaiya

Divakara Muvendavelan was an officer in the court of Maravarman Sundara Pandiyan

I.511

Tarapperumal and Nilagangarayan belonged to the Vellala community and they

served in the courts of Jatavarman Sundara Pandiya I and Maravarman Vikrama Pandiya

III respectively.512

Viluppatarayar

In the battles also the contributions of Vellalas could not be minimised. A

Vellala military commander namely Viluppatarayar had given a tough battle to

Chalukkija, the Koppam battle took place in 1054 A.D.513

His name was referred to in an

inscription as a millitary general of the Cholas. In recognition of this service, Rajadiraja

gave Villuppataraya the title of Jayasinga Kulakalu an annihilator of the Jeyasinga tribe.

Rajadhiraja donated a village of several acres of land in Mayuram Taluk and named it as

Jayasinga Kulakala nallur.514

Munaiyatarayar

509

S.I.I., Vol.II, No,76. 510

Ibid., No. 86. 511

A.R.E., 73 of 1934-35. 512

Ibid., 340 of 1916. 513

Idem. 514

S.I.I., Vol.V, No.78.

During the time of Vikrama Chola there was another military commander who

also rendered heroic service to the Chola army. He took part in north Kalinga expedition

in 1105 A.D.515

In Kalingattubarani his name was included as one of the celebrities. He

was praised by Ottakuttan in his Muvarula also.

Vellala as Traders

Though the Vellalas mainly involved in agriculture, some of them were traders

and were actively participated in the trading activities. Trade and commerce though

undertaken, as principal occupation by other castes, the Vellalas obeyed the common

regulations in practice. They involved in trade and banking business of the country.

The merchant Vellalas were known by the name Vellan Chetti. The epigraphical

evidences provide many names of traders. Vellalas who engaged in trading activities

were divided into two groups called Ainurru (500) Picchars and Arunrru Nallakattars.516

Ainnurruvar increased their overseas commercial activity and controlled the movement

of commodities. They also fixed the rates of magamai and pattanapagudi.517

The

epigraphical evidences provide many trader names such as Avanashi Chilai, Chelli

Velan,518

Utaiyamanika Chilai Chetti Velan,519

Andan Chetti alias Bhumipalan,520

and

Purushamachi chilai chetti velan.521

Some inscriptions refer to the joint actions and

515

S.I.I., Vol.III, No.98. 516

Karu Rajendran, op.cit., p.34. 517

S.I.I., Vol.V, No.24. 518

A.R.E., 140 of 1920. 519

Ibid., 296 of 1906. 520

Ibid., 226 of 1906. 521

S.I.I., Vol.IV, No.150.

sessions of the Vellala merchant bodies.522

They also refer to their control over the

coastal towns. An inscription found at Thirumayam refers to ainnurrukilavan tank.

523

Pudukkottai State Manual descirbles Soliya Vellalas as Ainnurru (500) Picchars

and Arunruru Nallakattans.524

It shows the Vellala involvement in trading and their

membership in Ainnurruvar guild. In Pudukkottai their residential streets were known

as Ainnurruvan perunderu.525

Ainnurruvan mangalam was also a residential area of the

Ainnurruva Vellalas.526

There was an inscription found at Vedaranyam referring to the

activities of the Ainnurruvar.527

It is likely that they moved towards the coastal areas for

the easy movement of itinerant traders and for the sake of the overseas trade. An

unpublished hero-stone inscription from Kanampalli in Hogenakkal reports of a hero-

stone erected by the merchants in memory of the soldier who lost his life while

safeguarding a merchant caravan from Jayamkonda Cholapuram.528

Vellalas and their Religious Life

Brahmins played a vital role in religious works and temple services. Besides

them, the Vellalas also involved in temple services. When the sacrificial fire was not

known to them, the Vellalas acted as Vaidyas and involved in Charitable works.

522

A.R.E., 10 of 1924. 523

Kara Rajendran, “Pudukkottai Mavatta Kalvettugal” in Avanam, Vol.15, 2004, p.31. 524

P.S.I. Manual, Vol.I, Part-I, p.546. 525

P.S.I. Inscription, No.404. 526

P.S.I., No.393. 527

A.R.E., 173 of 1932-33. 528

The Hindu, dated 25.07.1996.

Religious change from the twelth century strongly suggest the efflorescence of a

significant cultural variant not before visible in medieval south India. It is impossible to

separate this cultural development from the leaders of peasant society. In all cases the

Vellalas were not only intimately involved in the changes but they were its promoters.

Individuals who involved in Saiva siddhanta movement were referred to in inscriptions

as belonging to Vellala community. Individuals such as Meykandar and Marai within the

Saiva Siddhanta movement and the numerous Siddantanta Mudaliyars were Vellalas.

The offices reserved for non-brahmins within the leading Vaishna Shrine at Srirangam

and Tirupati were occupied by the Vellalas. Temples, Maths and even Brahmin

settlements during the 12th

and 13th

centuries came under the protection of the supra-

local assemblies composed of Vellala nattars of the Chitrameli perianattar.529

Saiva Siddhanta Margam

Saiva Siddhanta principle is one of the principles followed by the Saivites. The

Vellalas also followed Saivism and Saiva Siddhanta principles. It is one of the oldest

school of thought in Saivism. Saiva Siddhanta philosophy with its intense monoteism

and devotional emphasis was transformed into a popular sect during the thirteenth

century. Headship of the respective Math organisations constituted a line called a

529

A.R.E., 56 of 1924.

Sanatana. They usually bore the title of Mudaliyar, presumably to distinguish them

from Brahmana math leaders, another districtive designation, which occured in the

math at Tiruvanaikkaval, in Tiruchirapalli530

. It is a branch of the Tiruchchatti Murrattu

Math at Rajarajapuram in Tanjavur, named as Narpattennayiravan-mutt or 48,000 math.

But it had been taken over by Brahmanas who changed its name to the

Sankaracharyaswami math.531

Saiva Nayanmars

Sekkilar’s Periapuranam comprised of the hyms 63 Nayanmars. It is persumed

that among those 63 Nayanmars, 13 belonged to Vellala community.532

Almost all of

them lived prior to Sundarar. Moreover, Appar also belonged to one of the sub-caste

of Vellala community namely Karkattar.533

Saints Kalikkama and Manakkanjara

530

Ibid., 67 of 1929. 531

S.I.I., Vol.II, No.67. 532

Ibid., Vol.II, No. 89. 533

Ibid., Vol.II, No. 67.

These two saints lived probably a few decades after Appar. Through other

evidences it is clear that they belonged to a community which had later come to be

called as belonging to Karkattar caste.

Saint Sundarar lived around the year 700 A.D. He has referred to the miracles

performed for the sake of Kalikkama in his song on Tiruppungur. 534

Kalikkama belonged

to the Karkatta Vellala community, which is even today the major comunity in

Perumangalam. The two hundred and forty eight acres of land donated by Kalikkama

constitute a separate hamlet now known as Panniruveli, which is now under

Anbanathapuram Vagaiyara charities of Mayuram.535

Kundaiyur Kilar a Vellala one of the devotes figured in the life of Saint

Sundarar.536

He had supplied the required rice to the household of Paravai, the spouse

of Sundarar at Tiruaurur. Meykandar Tradition has it that Meykandar was himself a

Karkattar. He was the son of Achutha Kalappalar of Pennagadam.537

It is believed that

was himself born through the grace of Siva enshrined at Tiruvenkad was named

Svetavanapperumal which is the name of the Lord there. He wrote the Sivajnana

Bodham, which is the basic original scripture of the Saiva Siddanta philosophy. The

aged Sivacarya, Sakalagama Pandit was his first disciple and he came later to be known

as Arul Nandi. From Meykandar, the school of Saiva Siddhanta evolved itself into a new

school of theistic Advaita philosophy.

534

Idem. 535

A.R.E., 56 of 1906. 536

Ibid., 98 of 1909. 537

Sadasiva Pandarattar, op,cit., p.245.

The Saiva Mutts

The Tiruvaduturai mutt was established by Namasivayamurti, a Karkattar

disciple of Siddhar Sivaprakasa who was a disciple of Arul Namasivaya, on the other

hand Arul Nama Sivaya was a disciple of Saint Umapati, the fourth Sanatana-acharya

and the author of many literary and philosophical works.538

Joint action of the Brahmanas and the Vellalas

An inscription of Maravarman Virupandya, in the Sivanekunesvara temple at

Tirthanagari, in South Arcot district, mentions the assignment of tolls on a number of

articles to God Tiruttinainagar Udaiyar of Jayangondasola chaturvedimangalam,539

by

the Sabha and nattar of Andagalurparru towards the worship and other offerings and

procession during the festival to be celebrated in the month of Vaikasi (May-June).540

The same record also mentions the agreement among reached the local bodies

regarding the reassignment of the maganmai, collected at the toll gates and 20 ma of

land given by Tamandai. Tennavarayan of Perunganur to the temple.541

An Inscription

of Jatavarman Sundra Pandiya I dated 1264 A.D., records an agreement between the

Sivabrahmanas, temple authorities, the royal Kankani officers and the Ur Mudlis, of

Solakulavallinallur, for conducting a service to god Tirukkannisvara Mudaiya Nayanar on

the occasion of Thiru-ppalli – eluchchi to be called paliyil- pugalalan sandhi.542

538

R.Thirumalai, op.cit., p.78. 539

A.R.E., 56 of 1910 . 540

S.I.I., Vol.XVII, No.141, p.37; A.R.E., 121 of 1901. 541

S.I.I., Vol.XVII, 142, p.38; A.R.E., 122 of 1904. 542

Ibid., Vol.XVII, No.171, p.55; A.R.E., 151 of 1904.

Temple Endowments

Muvendavelan is the title given to the officers of Vellala caste. The title holders

of Muvendavelan played a vital role in the Chola Administration. As land owners, they

donated a large part of land to the temples as well as Brahmanas and did charitable

work for the benefit the public.Those endowment activities were recognished by the

ruler till the sixteenth century.

Land to the temples

The wel-to-do Vellalas donated lands to the temples. The vilalge

Kundamangalam was granted to the temple of Bhumi Sundara Vinnagar Parameswami

by Kannan Dairivanam Sundarasola Muvendavelan of Valaippandal in Palkunrakhottam,

a division of Tondainadu543

Adavallan Vasudevan (alias) Mudikondasola Muvendavelan,

the Madhyatha of Munnuru in Oymanadu, granted 700 kulis of land of tax-free

devadhana to the temple of Tiruppulinppagavadevar.544

An inscription of RajaRaja I

records a gift of 13 ma of land by Adigal Nirad Parakesari Muvendavelan of Avurkurrum

in Sonadu for burning perpetual lamps in the temple of Emberuman in Srivaikuntam.545

543

S.I.I., Vol.XIII, No.151; A.R.E., 232 of 1923. 544

S.I.I., Vol.XXVI, No. 404; A.R.E., 383 of 1909. 545

A.R.E., 245/1973-74.

An inscription in the north wall of Vedasarayeswara temple, refers to a gift of

one and a half of land by Panganvay Udaiyar alias Raja Raja Muvendavelan of Kiliyur for

burning a perpetual lamp to the deity Thirumaraikkadu Uadaiyar in Umbala Nadu.546

An Inscription dated in the 7th

year of Raja Raja I registers that Tiruchchirrambala

muvendavelan of Olugarai Near Poygai Avaism granted land to the temple of

Tiruviramisvaram Udaiya Periyanayanar, after purchase from the assembly of

Urumur.547

Two inscriptions of Kulottunga I dated in the 28th

and 44th

regnal years, refers to a

Vellala land owner named Pancha Nithivanan Cholendra Muvenda Velan of

Marimangalam in Kanchipuram, purchased land from the Mahasabhaiyar of Sivan

Koodal and donated it to the Brahmanas. 548

An inscription of Devanampalayam Inscription dated 1303 A.D., mentions that

Kurunila Vellalan a landlord endowed a land to Siva temple of Kayilayamudaiyar.549

A record dated in the 10th

regnal year of Vikrama Chola in 1128 A.D., registers an

endowment of 400 kuli of land, which was jointly donated by the Mahashabha of Sivan

Koodal and Vellalas to the temple of Sivakkulundaiyar in Kanchipuram District.550

546

S.I.I., Vol.XVII, No.540; A.R.E., 498 of 1904. 547

A.R.E., 397 of 1913. 548

Kanchipuram Mavatta Kalvattukkal, Tamil Nadu State Department of Archealogy,

Chennai, 2006, p.66. 549

Coimbatore Mavatta Kalvettukkal, Tamiladu State Department of Archaelogy, Chennai,

2006, p.46.

An inscription found on the Tirumaliswara temple at Vembanur, Kulitalai taluk,

Trichinopoly district, dated in 14th

year of Maravarman registers a gift of a tank and land

as devadana to the god Tirumkalisvaram Udaiya, Tambiran by Taliyandan, a Vellala of

Vembanur.551

Maravan Anukkapperaraiyan alias Kadamban Velan of Perumattur made a gift of

15 palangasu and a lamp stand for burning a perpetual lamp in the temple. Another

same amount for the supply of garlands to the deity of Tirupputtu, a brahmadeya in

Koluvur Kuram was made by the donar.552

Koyil Kannapiratti, wife of the Chief Sattan Kalanvellan Aditan (alias) Minavan

Muvendavelan of Pullali made an endowment of land ½ kuli in extent for the daily

expenses of performing ardhajama service in the temple of Govindapadi Ninarulina

Perumanadigal.553

A Vellala lady namely Tayan Arinjigai (alias) Tiruvudaitalai Ottuvattil

pichchi residing at Uraiyur made an endowment of 2 mas of land for the supply of water

for the sacred bath of God Tiruvudaittalai Perumal Temple at Uraiyur in Uraiyur

Kunam.554

An inscription at Udayarkudi, South Arcot District mentions that a gift of 13½

kalanju of gold was made for a perpetual lamp to the Ananthiswara temple by Arisu

Kadi a Vellala women resident of Siruka dambur in Vilatturnadu.555

550

Ibid., p.59; A.R.E., 283 of 1912; A.R.E., 9 of 2004. 551

A.R.E., 353 of 1922. 552

S.I.I., Vol.XIV, No.15. 553

Ibid., Vol. XIX, No.5. 554

Idem. 555

A.R.E., 542 of 1920.

An inscription of Kulottunga Chola mentions that the village Maruthuvanpadi was

granted as devadhana to the temple by one Vanavichchidiravelan.556

Another inscription in the same temple refers to the gift of 14 kalanju of gold for

purchasing 96 sheep and a ram to maintain a perpetual lamp in the temple by Nagan

Sattan alias Paramesvara Perunal Yakar, a Vellala of Parakesarichcheri of the Village.557

An inscription of Aditya I, refers to the donation of land made by a Vellala,

Chola Ilango Vellala to Brahmana. He belongs to the village of Vayalogam in

Pudukkottai District.558

An inscription dated 1017 A.D. of Rajendra I, records the gift of

90 sheeps made to the temple of Munnur Mulattan by a Vilivathathu Vellala.559

Blunaryarradigal, a Muvendavelan made a gift of common land to the temple of

Tiruvenkattil Parameswara in Kanrurnadu.560

Another epigraph belongs to 12th

Century

A.D., refers to the gift of the kalanju gold by the wife of a Vellala and a Vellala Putantai

clan for burning a perpetual lamp.561

An inscription of Devanampalayam, belongs to

13th

century A.D. mentions the gift of door lamb by a Vellala Kurunili.562

The same

record also mentions some gift made by Devan Kesan and Devan Pamman of Vellala

community.563

In the same record found in the north wall of sanctum sanctorum of the

same temple mention is made of the gift of part of temple by Vellala by name

556

S.I.I., Vol. XXII, Part -I, p.70; A.R.E., 73 of 1906. 557

A.R.E., 618 of 1920; S.I.I., Vol. XX, p.28. 558

S. Rajavelu, "Vayalogam Chola Inscription" in Avanam, Vol. 10, Tanjore 1999, p.15. 559

K. Utthiradam, "Rajendra Chola Inscription of Munnur", in Avanam, Vol.10, Tanjore,

1999, p.25. 560

A.R.E., 396 of 1922. 561

Coimbatore Mavatta Kalvettukkal, op. cit., p.133; A.R.E., 180 of 2004. 562

Ibid., p.136. 563

A.R.E., 927 of 2005.

Kottappicolan alias Sakar from Kulantar clan.564

An inscription from Koduvay,

Coimbatore district, refers to the gift of 4 accus by Cirukali Cirupillai alias Sannatha

Nirainthan from Semputhi clan of Vellala community for burning a perpetual lamp.565

Another record refers to the gift of door lamb by Sadaiyan Kannan of Sempathi clan in

Vellala Community.566

An inscription of Amritaghatesvara temple at Tirukkdaiyur, Tanjavur District

mentions that a ayirattannurruvan madam was established by a Vellala by name

Tiruvenkadudaiyan Niranindapererraiyan for feeding sivayogis.567

An inscription found

at Thirumanthurai Kalyana Jotheswara temple, refers to the installation of the image of

Asthradeva by a Vellala.568

An inscription of Raja Raja I, records a grant of land by the sabha of Kadavur to

two persons by name Padasivan Ayirattannkkrruvan Kalakalan alias Kadavur Velan and

Raman Chandrasekharan alias Nurrenma Velan to provide for the playing of musical

instruments during the festival occasions of the temple of Tiruirattanattu

Perumanadigal.569

Lands donated for the maintenance of flower garden

564

Ibid., 292 of 2005. 565

Coimbatore Mavatta Kalvettukkal, Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology, Dept.

Serial No. 205, 2005, p.139. 566

Coimbatore Mavatta Kalvettukkal, Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology, Dept.

Serial No.207, 2004, p.139. 567

S.I.I., Vol. XXII, p.11; A.R.E., No.15 of 1906. 568

L.Thiagarajan, "Inscription from Kunnam Region", Avanam 17, 2006, p.76. 569

S.I.I., Vol. XXII, No.17; A.R.E., 23 of 1906.

The Vellalas donated lands for the maintenance of flower gardens in the temple.

An inscription dated in the 12th

year, mentions that Uttamachola Udaiya Marttanda

Muvendavelan of Nagarkudi in Ambar Nadu donated two ma of land for the

maintenance of a flower garden for God Tirukkadudaiya Emberumanar.570

The

Madyastha of Manalur, named Manalurudaiyan Tiruvagattipalippili granted land for the

purpose of raising a flower garlands to the god Tiruppulippagadevar of Sirringar, during

the reign of Raja Raja II.571

Another inscription referred to the donation of flower

garden for supplying 200 garlands and some specified quantity of paddy to the temple

by a Vellala Neriyan Muvandavelan of Vilathurnadu.572

Construction of Marriage Hall

Another inscription of Sivan temple, at Vellala Viduthi, mentions that a Vellalan

of Panriyuru constructed the marriage hall, Thiruvasal Nilakkal in the temple of

Agastheswara mudaiyar.573

An inscription refers to the donation of devadhana land by Muvenda Vellarla to

the temple of Mugugundeswara.574

An inscription of Vira Rajendran dated 1257 A.D.

mentions that the gift of the door lamp by an individual of Padaittalai Vellalan.575

570

S.I.I., Vol. XIX, No.309; A.R.E., 94 of 1925. 571

S.I.I., Vol. XXVI, No. 430; A.R.E., 409 of 1909. 572

S.I.I., Vol. XXIV, No.20; A.R.E., 109 of 1947-48. 573

Karu Rajendran, "Pudukkottai Mavatta Kalvettugal" in Avanam, Vol.15, 2004, p.33. 574

J. Raja Muhammad," Pudukkottai Mavatta Kalvettugal" in Avanam, Vol.15, 2004, p.35. 575

S. Ravi, Veera Rajendran Inscriptions, Vol.15, p.85.

An Inscription of Kulothunga III refers to the construction of the temple by Vellala

named Anjatha Perumal temple named as Thirumadhurantaga Eswaramudaiya Nayanar

temple.576

The same inscriptions refers to the donation of temple door by Chola

Muvendvelan in the year of 1219A.D.577

An inscription of Rajendra I, refers to a gift of

money for a Panguni (January-February) festival of Thiruvappur Velan Venkadan to the

Subramania temple, Pudukkottai District.578

Another inscription of Raja Raja I, in the

year of 995A.D., mentions the land gift made by a Vellalan Kalingan, to the temple of

Iyamadhangeshwarathalvar temple.579

Another inscription mentions that a Vellala

constructed and donated pillar to the temple at Vallitrichal in Kangayam Taluk.580

An inscription of Selliamman temple, Villuppuram district mentions that the

erection of Thirumamandapa in Salliamman koil by a Vellala.581

The same inscription

refers to the construction of stone slab in front of the Saptamata temple and registered

land grant as brahmadeya and donations of sheep for setting up of perpetual and

twilight lamps.582

Another inscription in the temple of Perianna Devi Viluppuram district

576

L.Thiagararajan, "Inscriptions from Pennakonam" in Avanam, Vol.16. p.48. 577

Ibid., p. 59. 578

R. Baskaran, "Inscription from Tirugokaranam, Pudukkottai", in Avanam, Vol. 13,

Tanjore, 2002, p.17. 579

K.Vijayavenugopal, "Inscriptions from Tensiruvalm" in Avanam 13, 2002, p.39. 580

S. Rajavelu, "Inscriptions from Vallicrichal", in Avanam 14, 2003, p.29. 581

G. Vijayavenugopal and T. Ramesh, ‘Inscription from Villupuram Distirct”, in Avanam,

Vol.19, Tanjore, 2008, p.25. 582

Ibid,, pp. 23 & 24.

mentions the donation of thirupparikalam and Dhapamani (bell) to this temple by one

Vannan Kannan Udhayan alias Chitrameli of Periayanai.583

An inscription dated in the 42nd

year of Kulottunga I, refers to the installation of

the images of Durga and Tribhuvana Nayaki by one Muvendavelan, also named as

Suriyan Thiruchitrambala mudayan.584

An inscription of Sivan temple in Pudukkottai

District, refers to the construction of entrance (Thiruvasal) by a Vellalar.585

The same inscription refers to the erection of temple pillars by a Vellala Vickimara

Minavan Muvendavelan made a gift of land to the shrine of Vinayaka Pillaiyar set up on

the bank of the Vivek Arisilaru.586

The Vellalas who actually agriculturists during the medieval period actitively

participated in the cultivation process. During the medival Tamil country the Vellalas

held high esteem in the society. They acted as the substitute of the monarchs and

involved in the administrative works. The Vellalas were prominent in the medieval

Tamil polity, economy, and society. They have been linked with the virtually all the

major ruling dynasties. The Vellalas in general followed a more ritually Sanskritic style of

life and proclaimed themselves as Vaishyas. They were autonomous and collectively

wielded significant political influence . They were bride givers to the three crowned

kings. They were not only active militariest, administrators and officials but also had

strong base as land holders of fertile paddy growing tracts.. They were celebrated for

583

S. Rajavelu, ”Inscriptions from Peranai”, in Avanam, op.cit., p.29. 584

V. Sevvel, Inscription of Papanasam Taluk, op.cit., p.40. 585

S. Govindaraj and Karu Rajendran, Parampu Inscription, op. cit., p.85. 586

A.R.E., 91 of 1911.