Arunthathiyar

Arunthathiyar
Arunthathiyar
	Arunthathiyar community members at an Adi Tamizhar Peravai meeting
Religions	Hinduism • Christianity
Languages	Tamil • Telugu • Kannada
Populated states	Tamil Nadu • Kerala • Andhra Pradesh • Karnataka
Region	Northern and western Tamil Nadu
Population	c. 2.3 million

Arunthathiyar is a community from Tamil Nadu currently under Scheduled Caste category.^[1] Arunthathiyar is a community from Tamil Nadu currently under Scheduled Caste category.[1] Tamil language arundathiyars are basically an ancient living society, this is the ancient community which ruled the Tamil Nadu in different ages, after the defeat of this kingdom . They are landowners and leathers experts for kings in ages.After Vijayanagar Kingdom tied up with British and Mughals for lands many of them here took lands from them and made documents with the government . The term has two distinct usages: for the purposes of reservation in Tamil Nadu, in 2009 it was designated an umbrella term for the Arunthatiyar, poosari, Pagadai, Thoti and communities in Tamilub-quota, while the Office of the Registrar-General, which administrates the census of India, records only the Arunthathiyar caste as Arunthathiyar.

The 2011 Census of India reported almost 23 lakhs community members in the country.^{[citation needed]}

Origin[]

Arunthathiyar is cluster caste groups, previously called as chakkiliyars and some more caste names are one of the oldest caste group and they known to be first inhabitants of southern India and Tamil Nadu, according to DNA research done by Indian Academy of Sciences under their research article:Genetic admixture studies on four in situ evolved, two migrant and twenty-one ethnic populations of Tamil Nadu, south India . Most scholarly authorities, including Edgar Thurston, falsely claimed that the community originated in Andhra Pradesh and migrated to Tamil Nadu in the 15th century tunder Vijayanagara Empire rule.^{[citation needed]} They were taken as captives in war to Andhra and Karnataka in ancient days (Sangam period) and only returned in the 16th century as the Tamil speaking Chakkiliyars, Telugu speaking Madigas and Kannada-speaking Madari. Therefore, Arunthathiyar they called themselves Adi Dravidar to represent themselves forward. They allege that these scholarly authorities, from 19th century onwards that assert Arunthathiyars migrated into Tamil Nadu are attempting to paint Arunthathiyars as outsiders and trying to call them non-Tamil. This is an Upper Caste and Colonial attempt to keep them oppressed and divided from other Dalit communities in Tamil Nadu and so prevent Annihilation of Caste.^[2]

Occupation[]

The Arunthathiyars, although they never touched dead cattle, still worked with leather for agriculture irrigation pots and leatherworkers and cobblers, and were thus given a low social status. Many are also landless agricultural labourers and were engaged in bonded labour.^[3]

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%.^[4]

Notable people[]

Madurai Veeran - King and Commander-in-chief (Thirumalai Nayakkar Period)^[5]
Ondiveeran - King and Commander of an army who fought against the British East India Company in Tamil Nadu.
Rao Sahib L.C. Gurusamy - Member of the round table conference team led by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Founder of Arunthathiyar Mahajana Saba. Membsr of Justice Party. Social activist And Politician.
H.M.JAGANNATHAN - Member of 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 and current president of BJP in Tamil Nadu

References[]

^ escNagendra Kr Singh, ed. (2006). Global Encyclopaedia of the South Indian Dalit's Ethnography. Global Vision Pub House. p. 43. ISBN 9788182201682.
^ Geetha, K. A. (4 December 2014). "Unified Tamil Dalit Identity: Problematics and Anomalies". Prose Studies. doi:10.1080/01440357.2014.933575. ISSN 0144-0357.
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ Vannar, Gokul (18 July 2010). "The story of Madurai Veeran". New Indian Express. Retrieved 5 April 2015.

6. Indian Academy of Sciences (aug 2011) Genetic admixture studies on four in situ evolved, two migrant and twenty-one ethnic populations of Tamil Nadu, south India

[1] scNagendra Kr Singh, ed. (2006). Global Encyclopaedia of the South Indian Dalit's Ethnography. Global Vision Pub House. p. 43. ISBN 9788182201682.

[2] Geetha, K. A. (4 December 2014). "Unified Tamil Dalit Identity: Problematics and Anomalies". Prose Studies. doi:10.1080/01440357.2014.933575. ISSN 0144-0357.

[3] 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.

[4] 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.

[5] Vannar, Gokul (18 July 2010). "The story of Madurai Veeran". New Indian Express. Retrieved 5 April 2015.

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