Arunthathiyar

Arunthathiyar is a scheduled caste community mostly found in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The term has two distinct usages: for the purposes of the state government's positive discrimination program, in 2009 it was designated an umbrella term for the Arunthatiyar, Chakkiliyar (Sakkiliyar[2]), Madari, Madiga, Pagadai, Thoti and Adi Andhra communities with a total population of 2,150,285, accounting for 14.89% of the Scheduled Caste population according to the 2011 Census of India.[3][4][5] While the Office of the Registrar-General, which administers the census of India, does not recognize all of those communities as one.[6]

Arunthathiyar
Arunthathiyar community Leader Athiyamaan and members at an Adi Tamizhar Peravai Protest
ClassificationScheduled caste
ReligionsHinduism • Christianity
LanguagesTamil • Telugu • Kannada
Country India
Populated statesTamil Nadu • Kerala • Karnataka • Andhra Pradesh
RegionNorthern and western Tamil Nadu
EthnicitySouth Asian
Population2,150,285
SubdivisionsArunthathiyar • Chakkiliyar • Madari • Madiga • Pagadai • Thoti • Adi Andhra[1]

Specifically, within Arunthathiyar caste it is reported that there were 1,084,162 individuals in Tamil Nadu, being 7.52 percent of the Scheduled Caste population of the state.[6]

Origin

Due to their speaking Telugu and lack of mention in early Tamil texts, most scholarly authorities believe the community originated in Andhra Pradesh and migrated to Tamil Nadu in the 17th century. However, the community's own history is that they are originally Tamil kings who ruled the area around Tagadur (Dharmapuri), who were taken as captives in war to Andhra and Karnataka in ancient days and only returned in the 16th century as the Kannada-speaking Madiyars and Tamil-speaking Chakkiliyars. Therefore, they called themselves Adi Tamizhar.[7]

Occupation

The Arunthathiyars, although they never touched dead cattle, still worked with leather and leatherworkers and cobblers, and were thus given a low social status in Hinduism Caste system. Many are also landless agricultural labourers and are engaged in bonded labour.[8]

Current status

The vast majority of the community, almost 18.27 lakhs, live in Tamil Nadu, with small minorities in neighbouring states. Small populations live in the Palakkad district of Kerala (40,507), and southern parts of Andhra Pradesh (30,190) and Karnataka (2,959). 62% of the community lived in rural areas, and the literacy rate is 60%.

Many Arunthathiyars in northern Tamil Nadu work as landless agricultural labourers for Naidu landlords, and their women work as domestic help in their houses. Some girls from the community are dedicated to the Mathamma cult, a local village deity tradition.[9]

Notable people
  • Madurai Veeran - King and commander-in-chief (Thirumalai Nayakkar Period)[10]
  • Ondiveeran - King and commander of an army who fought against the British East India Company in Tamil Nadu
  • Veeramangai Kuyili - Kuyili was an army commander of queen Velu Nachiyar. She is considered the first suicide bomber in Indian history
  • Pollan - Who was the commander of Theeran Chinnamalai’s army
  • Panchai Pagadai - Pagadai Brothers who was the army commanders of Veerapandiya Kattabomman
  • Rao Sahib L.C. Gurusamy - Member of the round table conference team led by B. R. Ambedkar; founder of Arunthathiyar Mahajana Saba. Member of the Justice Party, social activist and politician
  • H. M. Jagannathan - Member of the Justice Party, social activist and politician, graduated in law.
  • V. P. Duraisamy - Politician and former DMK general secretary, current vice president of Tamil Nadu BJP
  • P. Dhanapal - Former speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly (2016-2021)
  • L. Murugan - Current union minister of state of ministries of animal husbandry

References
  1. "Caste in Tamil Nadu - III". Economic and Political Weekly. 48 (8): 7–8. 5 June 2015.
  2. S. Gunasekaran. "Documenting a Caste: The Chakkiliyars in Colonial and Missionary Documents in India". brandeis.edu. p. 52. ..the correct pronunciation of the caste name, from Siclar to Chakkiliyar and Sakkiliyar, correlates with the long process...
  3. "India - A-10 Appendix: District wise scheduled caste population (Appendix), Tamil Nadu - 2011". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  4. "Tamil Nadu Government Gazette" (PDF). Government of Tamil Nadu. 12 March 2009. p. 3. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  5. "Caste in Tamil Nadu - III". Economic and Political Weekly. 48 (8): 7–8. 5 June 2015.
  6. "Tamil Nadu Date Highlights: The Scheduled Castes Census of India 2001" (PDF). Office of the Registrar-General. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  7. Geetha, K. A. (4 December 2014). "Unified Tamil Dalit Identity: Problematics and Anomalies". Prose Studies. 36 (2): 130–140. doi:10.1080/01440357.2014.933575. ISSN 0144-0357. S2CID 154848931.
  8. Salahudheen, O.P.; Salahuddin, O.P. (2010). "Chakkliyas of Mannarkkad: A History from Below". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 71: 1279–1286. ISSN 2249-1937. JSTOR 44147597.
  9. S, ANANDHI (2013). "The Mathammas: Gender, Caste and the Politics of Intersectionality in Rural Tamil Nadu". Economic and Political Weekly. 48 (18): 64–71. ISSN 0012-9976. JSTOR 23527310.
  10. Vannar, Gokul (18 July 2010). "The story of Madurai Veeran". New Indian Express. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
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