Attempting to describe the nature of the soul,the upanishads resort to enumerating the various faculties of man and conclude-this is not the soul!What then is the soul ?Negating all that is perceived,pundits wax eloquent,'it is difficult to explain.' Those who have had an out of the body experience suppress a smile.Your tortuous logic is more difficult to comprehend!So is my effort at understanding the origin of Rajapalayam!Those who know may suppress their smiles.I am taking you on a road called 'not this! not this!And you are not to ask :'what then?'
It has been claimed that one Pusapati Chinna Raju,a brother of the Maharaja of Vijayanagar,was sent by Krishnadeva Raya,and he accompanied Viwanatha Nayaka,followed by his four brothers to quell the riots in Seithur/Sivagiri sometime between 1600-1650.
1.Pusapatis are from Vizianagar ,(comprising Vijayawada,Rajamundry,Vishakapatnam),not from Vijayanagar empire.
2.Pusapadu is a village built by Amalaraju,near Chirala.Anyone from Pusapadu is a Pusapati,not necessarily of royal lineage.Vizianagar royal family has released its geneology,with a request for missing details if any.
Pusapati Chinnaraju said to be the founder of Rajapalayam is not mentioned.
3.He is said to be brother of a Maharaja,and was accompanied by four brothers.Who is this Maharaja?His name is not mentioned anywhere.
4.Vijayanagar empire was defeated in Thalikotta war in 1565,marking the end of Thuluva dynasty.It was licking its wounds and whimpering in Penugonta,Vellore and later in Chandragiri till Aravidu line was defeated by Bijapur and Golkonda in 1652. There was virtually no Vijayanagar empire between 1600-1650
5. Krishnadeva raya ruled from 1509-1529 How did he send Pusapati Chinna Raju between 1600-1650?
6.Viswanatha nayaka ruled Madurai between 1529-1563.How did Pusapati Chinna Raju accompany him between 1600-1650?
7.They were sent to quell the riots in Seithur/Sivagiri.In what capacity?
Rajapalayam was not one of the palayams of the Madurai Nayak kingdom.
It was not a zamin under the British.There are no forts or palaces-existing or in ruin.
Yet a Valivarthy clan is supposed to be the zamindhars of Rajapalayam!Who are they?!
More questions than answers!Not so ,not so.How then?Questions have been raised.Answers must follow.
Saturday, 7 September 2013
Thursday, 15 August 2013
Migration of Coranghees to Burma
Migration of Coranghees to Burma
Korangi is a port in Godhavari district.The British operated weekly steamers from Korangi and Kakinada to Rangoon,carrying indentured labour .The rice fields of Burma,and its railways were the creations of 'coranghees'-obedient undemanding,cheap,hard working Telugu speaking labour recruited from coastal Andhra,through meisthries and kanganis. They cleared forests,created rice fields,worked the rice mills,transported rice,cleaned the streets-all of which were low paid lowly jobs, which the Burmese would not do.
The rubber plantations in Malaysia,increased from a mere 350acres to 2 million acres.Its sugar,tea,coffee and oil palm plantations thrived on labour from the Madras presidency,75% of whom were from coastal Andhra.Migration analysts speak of 'push' and 'pull' factors as the cause of migration-pushed out by poverty and pulled by oppotunities!! Women followed as cooks,domestic workers and prostitutes.Poverty! in the fertile soils of coastal Andhra!!,where it requires no more than throwing a fistful of grain,for it to grow and yield a plentiful harvest?!!
1876-1878 were called the years of 'The Great Famine'.Monsoon had failed for two successive years.There was a food famine.and a money famine.The peasant had no money to buy food,as he had to pay tax.The farmer could not grow food,as he was taxed and could not invest in land.What was grown was transported to England.An insensitive Lytton-the butcher,the then viceroy( a Malthusian,who believed population had grown to unsustainable levels,and nature had its ways of culling through disease and famine),was relentless with his taxes,as he needed the money for his Afghan venture!.The severity of famine,compounded by cholera ,took a toll of lives said to be anywhere between 5 to 10 millions,comparable only to Nazi Germany.
Migration-seasonal and permanent- presented itself as a choice for these peasants migrating to Burma,some of whom returned with money and exposure and became social activists.When many went to Burma and Malaysia,some migrated inlands southwards. .Perhaps that is where our roots are-in the great famine of the British Raj!A very real possibility,much as we would like to fantasise a heroic,historic princely lineage linking us to Vijayanagar!My heart goes out to those vagrants wandering looking for food source!The western ghats and its foothills with its well-fed plentiful rabbits and deer population must have been a refuge for these hunting food-gatherers with their dogs!
On this 15th of Aug,I fervently hope there will not be another such calamity faced in the British Raj!
On this 15th of Aug,I fervently hope there will not be another such calamity faced in the British Raj!
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
Tracing our roots via inti peru (house name)
Migrants try to carry a something from their place of origin and retain it,for generations.Perhaps with the fond hope that it will help them or their progeny re trace their steps.It is like that rope people tie round their waists while trying to cross a river in spate,or when diving deep.Little do humans realise,life goes ahead and never backwards.This something is usually,the name of the village,they belong to.This is a trend seen with the Telugu migrants in Tamilnadu and the Iyers in Palakkadu. Perhaps also with the sourashtras in Madurai and the marattis in Tanjore.
I tried a search and found all the inti peru of the Raju community from Rajapalayam to be that of small villages around Cudappa,Guntur,Nellore and Vijayawada.
intiperu village in Andhra
Pagalapadi Pegalapadu n w of Vijayawada
Chinthalapadi Chinthalapadu w of Vijayawada
Dhanthaloori Dendhuluru n of Eluru
Dhalta Dalta w of Kammam
Gottumukkala Gottumukkala n w of Vijayawada
Jujoori Jujoori n w of Vijayawada
Kasi Kasipadu n e of Guntur
Penumathsa Penumathsa n of Guntur near M.Patnam
Segoori Sekuru between Guntur and Thenali
Kondoori Kondur n of Vijayawada
Muddanuri Muddanur n e of Cudappa
Mudundi Mudugundi near Ongole
Chodaraji Chodvaram s e of Vijaya wada
Manthapadi Manthapadi s e of Rajamundry
Namboori Namboor between Guntur & Vijayawada
Bezawada Vijayawada
Erraguntla Erraguntla n w of Cudappa
Indhukuri Indhukur e of Nellore
Manthena Manthena e of Vijayawada
Nandhyala Nandhyal n of Cudappa
Pericherla Pericherla n e of Guntur
Pusapati Pusapadu between Ongole & Guntur
Sagi Sagi n e of Bobbili forests
Valavarthi Valivarthi padu n of Gudiwada
Vathsavayi Vathsavayi n of Nandigama, Vijayawada
Vegesana Vegeswaram w of Rajamundry
Velagapady Velagapady s of Ongole
The villages that refer to the names of Kammas have already been identified by the kammavar association,though it isn't common knowledge of the community.What surprised me was that the two communities have several names that they share!But why should that surprise me?If it is supposed that more than one community lives in a village and they migrate,it is only logical,that all of them carried the name of the village,and identify themselves with the same inti-peru!!The result is we have 'Gottimukkalu', 'Alluri','Namboor'and Bezawada among both kammas and Rajus!Our intiperu Pamurthy is an inti peru among Telugu brahmins as well.If it is a corruption of Pamulaparthy,a village in Medak district,then we have very distinguished relatives among brahmins,P.V.Narasimha Rao heading the list!
The inti peru meant to retain the identity and purity of the clan throws more issues.People with the same inti peru are considered brothers and sisters and are not supposed to marry!This premise supposes only members of one family migrated.What about other familes of the same community,and other communities from the same village,who migrated carrying the same name?Are they to be considered brothers and sisters?
Names change,both ways,the inti peru and the name of the village get corrupted in course of time.
And there is more than one village with the same name.There are atleast four Bhimavarams. five Chinthalapadus
Food for thought!
I tried a search and found all the inti peru of the Raju community from Rajapalayam to be that of small villages around Cudappa,Guntur,Nellore and Vijayawada.
intiperu village in Andhra
Pagalapadi Pegalapadu n w of Vijayawada
Chinthalapadi Chinthalapadu w of Vijayawada
Dhanthaloori Dendhuluru n of Eluru
Dhalta Dalta w of Kammam
Gottumukkala Gottumukkala n w of Vijayawada
Jujoori Jujoori n w of Vijayawada
Kasi Kasipadu n e of Guntur
Penumathsa Penumathsa n of Guntur near M.Patnam
Segoori Sekuru between Guntur and Thenali
Kondoori Kondur n of Vijayawada
Muddanuri Muddanur n e of Cudappa
Mudundi Mudugundi near Ongole
Chodaraji Chodvaram s e of Vijaya wada
Manthapadi Manthapadi s e of Rajamundry
Namboori Namboor between Guntur & Vijayawada
Bezawada Vijayawada
Erraguntla Erraguntla n w of Cudappa
Indhukuri Indhukur e of Nellore
Manthena Manthena e of Vijayawada
Nandhyala Nandhyal n of Cudappa
Pericherla Pericherla n e of Guntur
Pusapati Pusapadu between Ongole & Guntur
Sagi Sagi n e of Bobbili forests
Valavarthi Valivarthi padu n of Gudiwada
Vathsavayi Vathsavayi n of Nandigama, Vijayawada
Vegesana Vegeswaram w of Rajamundry
Velagapady Velagapady s of Ongole
The villages that refer to the names of Kammas have already been identified by the kammavar association,though it isn't common knowledge of the community.What surprised me was that the two communities have several names that they share!But why should that surprise me?If it is supposed that more than one community lives in a village and they migrate,it is only logical,that all of them carried the name of the village,and identify themselves with the same inti-peru!!The result is we have 'Gottimukkalu', 'Alluri','Namboor'and Bezawada among both kammas and Rajus!Our intiperu Pamurthy is an inti peru among Telugu brahmins as well.If it is a corruption of Pamulaparthy,a village in Medak district,then we have very distinguished relatives among brahmins,P.V.Narasimha Rao heading the list!
The inti peru meant to retain the identity and purity of the clan throws more issues.People with the same inti peru are considered brothers and sisters and are not supposed to marry!This premise supposes only members of one family migrated.What about other familes of the same community,and other communities from the same village,who migrated carrying the same name?Are they to be considered brothers and sisters?
Names change,both ways,the inti peru and the name of the village get corrupted in course of time.
And there is more than one village with the same name.There are atleast four Bhimavarams. five Chinthalapadus
Food for thought!
Monday, 29 July 2013
Migration of Rajus-Truths and half truths
Migration of Rajus-Truths and half truths
True-The Raju community are a martial race and are kshathriyas: and a certain clan among them is an off-shoot of a family from a dynasty.But so are a half dozen other communities;
The army today is not caste specific;Yet is more popular among certain communities than others-with this difference from the armies of erst-while rulers:When there was a war,every body fought-the casteless madigas were legendary in their valour. What differentiates the kshathriyas from the madigas was their right to rule,and establish dynasties.Here again,there have been dynasties established by so many communities-kammas,velamas yadavs and reddys-from among the Telugu speaking regions in Andhra.But none of them have distinguished themselves with an obsessive desire to identify themselves as the ruling class-not even the dynastic rulers whom the Rajus served!
Dynasties are in a constant flux,established and dissolved through intrigues in court,claims
to the throne by the next in line,or the commander of a weak king!That is how Vijayanagar
came to be ruled by four dynasties,Sangama,Saluva,Thuluva and Aravidu. Rajapalayam Rajus do not come from any of these dynasties.The Rajus from Rayalseema-the Ananthapur district that was part of the earlier Western Chalukyas must have served in the Vijayanagar army and after the war of Thalikotta moved south,looking for opportunities in the Madurai Nayak kingdom,that was already served by the military establishments of the 72 palayams. The Rajus must have served these palayams and enjoyed their patronage through land grants,as can be seen in their land holdings in these areas. Rajapalyam was never an independent military settlement,did not contribute to any wars with the Nawabs or the British! In fact, it did not exist then.It came into existence much later as a settlement of refugees who ventured into agriculture,through the patronage and munificence of the Polygers from Theni,Devaram to Thirunelveli and Kollam. The settlement came to be called as Palaya Palayam,when a fresh wave of migrants from the east of the Telugu kingdom,settled in Pudhu Palayam.
In wars,the loser negotiated peace with the victorious,in several ways-becoming a vassal,paying obeissance symbolically and in annual tax financially, was one.Another was establishing a relationship- trading away a daughter in marriage in exchange for peace!
Instances are plentiful in history-and this is the relationship between Rajus and Krishna Deva Raya! (The man had an opportunity to acquire a harem!) Some of these war marriages were
honoured,others were not.Krishna Deva Raya's marriage to Jagan mohini of the Pusapadi
Gajapathy dynasty was not honoured. A war that lasted 6 years and ended in loss of life,
honour and territory could not make a marriage of any sort. Vizianagar,spelt with a Z to differentiate it from Vijayanagar empire retained its animosity till the very end,and Pusapadi Chinna Raju,brother of a Maharaja,whom the Rajapalayam Rajus followed to their present location was from the remains of Vizianagar,devastated by continuous wars with the Nizam and the British,disputes over ascendancy to throne,taxes levied by the British and famine! A typical situation that triggers migration-of refugees!Pudhu Palayam was born,in the sixty years from when Sitarama Gajapathy Raju was exiled by the British in1793, to1845 ,when .Narayana Gajapathy Raju died heavily in debt in Varanasi.
The two settlements had their origin from different parts of the Telugu country,in different times and events in history.They remained two different entities,for over a century,and merged into Rajapalayam,perhaps by the end of the 19th century.They were agrarian and annexed lands from temples,mutts ,and locals through persuasion,coercion and manipulation and are today a thriving and industrious clan of businessmen and industrialists! Evidence for my statement??-Nil! That is why it is a blog and not a research paper!What prompted it?I came across several sites,with the claim that Rajus came here to administer peace, and maintain law and order in a conflict ridden region!Events make history and distortions become recorded history,projected by vested interests! It was never so easy as now with the advent of the Inter net!!A linguistic enquiry into the speech habits of the groups can prove what murky stories can only muddle further.
True-The Raju community are a martial race and are kshathriyas: and a certain clan among them is an off-shoot of a family from a dynasty.But so are a half dozen other communities;
The army today is not caste specific;Yet is more popular among certain communities than others-with this difference from the armies of erst-while rulers:When there was a war,every body fought-the casteless madigas were legendary in their valour. What differentiates the kshathriyas from the madigas was their right to rule,and establish dynasties.Here again,there have been dynasties established by so many communities-kammas,velamas yadavs and reddys-from among the Telugu speaking regions in Andhra.But none of them have distinguished themselves with an obsessive desire to identify themselves as the ruling class-not even the dynastic rulers whom the Rajus served!
Dynasties are in a constant flux,established and dissolved through intrigues in court,claims
to the throne by the next in line,or the commander of a weak king!That is how Vijayanagar
came to be ruled by four dynasties,Sangama,Saluva,Thuluva and Aravidu. Rajapalayam Rajus do not come from any of these dynasties.The Rajus from Rayalseema-the Ananthapur district that was part of the earlier Western Chalukyas must have served in the Vijayanagar army and after the war of Thalikotta moved south,looking for opportunities in the Madurai Nayak kingdom,that was already served by the military establishments of the 72 palayams. The Rajus must have served these palayams and enjoyed their patronage through land grants,as can be seen in their land holdings in these areas. Rajapalyam was never an independent military settlement,did not contribute to any wars with the Nawabs or the British! In fact, it did not exist then.It came into existence much later as a settlement of refugees who ventured into agriculture,through the patronage and munificence of the Polygers from Theni,Devaram to Thirunelveli and Kollam. The settlement came to be called as Palaya Palayam,when a fresh wave of migrants from the east of the Telugu kingdom,settled in Pudhu Palayam.
In wars,the loser negotiated peace with the victorious,in several ways-becoming a vassal,paying obeissance symbolically and in annual tax financially, was one.Another was establishing a relationship- trading away a daughter in marriage in exchange for peace!
Instances are plentiful in history-and this is the relationship between Rajus and Krishna Deva Raya! (The man had an opportunity to acquire a harem!) Some of these war marriages were
honoured,others were not.Krishna Deva Raya's marriage to Jagan mohini of the Pusapadi
Gajapathy dynasty was not honoured. A war that lasted 6 years and ended in loss of life,
honour and territory could not make a marriage of any sort. Vizianagar,spelt with a Z to differentiate it from Vijayanagar empire retained its animosity till the very end,and Pusapadi Chinna Raju,brother of a Maharaja,whom the Rajapalayam Rajus followed to their present location was from the remains of Vizianagar,devastated by continuous wars with the Nizam and the British,disputes over ascendancy to throne,taxes levied by the British and famine! A typical situation that triggers migration-of refugees!Pudhu Palayam was born,in the sixty years from when Sitarama Gajapathy Raju was exiled by the British in1793, to1845 ,when .Narayana Gajapathy Raju died heavily in debt in Varanasi.
The two settlements had their origin from different parts of the Telugu country,in different times and events in history.They remained two different entities,for over a century,and merged into Rajapalayam,perhaps by the end of the 19th century.They were agrarian and annexed lands from temples,mutts ,and locals through persuasion,coercion and manipulation and are today a thriving and industrious clan of businessmen and industrialists! Evidence for my statement??-Nil! That is why it is a blog and not a research paper!What prompted it?I came across several sites,with the claim that Rajus came here to administer peace, and maintain law and order in a conflict ridden region!Events make history and distortions become recorded history,projected by vested interests! It was never so easy as now with the advent of the Inter net!!A linguistic enquiry into the speech habits of the groups can prove what murky stories can only muddle further.
Thursday, 25 July 2013
What we are not!
What we are not!
The caste title'Naicker' assumed by the community of kammas in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu is misleading.We grew up believing we were descendants of the great Nayak king Thirumalai Naicker. Youngsters of today believe so,none having cleared the misconception.There is a community college funded and run by the community in Madurai,under the name Mannar Thirumalai Naicker college!He is believed to be a balija;others believe he was at least part gollavar. Whatever he was,he was not kamma. Nor was the Nayak kingdom established by kammas.
The Maduai Nayak kingdom was divided into 72 palayams,of which only two were ruled by kamma chieftains:Kuruvi kulam,and Ilaiarasa Nendhal,both situated off the Rajapalayam-Kovilpatti road.Neykarappatti near Palani was perhaps a Zamin under the British.15 of the rest were maravar palayams. The rest barring a couple of kaundar palayams were ruled by the Telugu speaking Kambalathu Naickers,the most notable among them being Ettappa Naicker of Ettaiya puram and Katta Bomman of Panchalan Kurichi.
Look at the word Katta bomman!It was originally Getty Bomma!Remember being called 'getty bidda' meaning 'smart kid'!!The smart getty bommadu became Katta Bomman!!These Raja Kambalathu Naickers were the warriors and chieftains of the Nayak kingdom.Though fallen from that state,they have an interesting history.Tyranny of a multi-pronged translation,they are also called Thottiya Naicker!They were Thuluva Nayaks who served the Thuluva dynasty of the Vijayanagar empire!In the Tamil country,thuluva got corrupted as 'tholuva',which did not seem incongruous referring to herdsmen who owned huge herds of cattle. Tholuva got translated to 'dhoddy' in Telugu meaning'cattleshed'!The voiced 'dh' and 'd' became voiceless in Tamil and became 'thotti'! And that is the transformation of Thuluva Nayaks to Thottiya Naicker! Thuluva-tholuva-dhoddi-thotti-Thottiya Naicker!!
Originally herdsman,they have their own ways of worship!I remember the heavily decked boom boom madu,doing the rounds!A couple of years back,I had a confrontation with a 'samak kodangi'/kudu kuduppaikaran disturbing us in the middle of the night with his predictions.He had the nerve to come back during the day for his collections-extortion,actually!!.He was furious when I threatened to let my GSDs on him,if ever he returned to the street.Something didn't jel!!He seemed offended and angry,not threatened! It was later I found he was from a royal stock!!Sad indeed!!Their 'Thevarattam' celebrated as a folk dance now was actually,their martial art performed with swords!
But kammas were never royal!!You will have to trace your roots to Rudramba of Kakathiya Dynasty in Warangal in the 13th century to claim your royal roots!!!Watch the movie!
The caste title'Naicker' assumed by the community of kammas in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu is misleading.We grew up believing we were descendants of the great Nayak king Thirumalai Naicker. Youngsters of today believe so,none having cleared the misconception.There is a community college funded and run by the community in Madurai,under the name Mannar Thirumalai Naicker college!He is believed to be a balija;others believe he was at least part gollavar. Whatever he was,he was not kamma. Nor was the Nayak kingdom established by kammas.
The Maduai Nayak kingdom was divided into 72 palayams,of which only two were ruled by kamma chieftains:Kuruvi kulam,and Ilaiarasa Nendhal,both situated off the Rajapalayam-Kovilpatti road.Neykarappatti near Palani was perhaps a Zamin under the British.15 of the rest were maravar palayams. The rest barring a couple of kaundar palayams were ruled by the Telugu speaking Kambalathu Naickers,the most notable among them being Ettappa Naicker of Ettaiya puram and Katta Bomman of Panchalan Kurichi.
Look at the word Katta bomman!It was originally Getty Bomma!Remember being called 'getty bidda' meaning 'smart kid'!!The smart getty bommadu became Katta Bomman!!These Raja Kambalathu Naickers were the warriors and chieftains of the Nayak kingdom.Though fallen from that state,they have an interesting history.Tyranny of a multi-pronged translation,they are also called Thottiya Naicker!They were Thuluva Nayaks who served the Thuluva dynasty of the Vijayanagar empire!In the Tamil country,thuluva got corrupted as 'tholuva',which did not seem incongruous referring to herdsmen who owned huge herds of cattle. Tholuva got translated to 'dhoddy' in Telugu meaning'cattleshed'!The voiced 'dh' and 'd' became voiceless in Tamil and became 'thotti'! And that is the transformation of Thuluva Nayaks to Thottiya Naicker! Thuluva-tholuva-dhoddi-thotti-Thottiya Naicker!!
Originally herdsman,they have their own ways of worship!I remember the heavily decked boom boom madu,doing the rounds!A couple of years back,I had a confrontation with a 'samak kodangi'/kudu kuduppaikaran disturbing us in the middle of the night with his predictions.He had the nerve to come back during the day for his collections-extortion,actually!!.He was furious when I threatened to let my GSDs on him,if ever he returned to the street.Something didn't jel!!He seemed offended and angry,not threatened! It was later I found he was from a royal stock!!Sad indeed!!Their 'Thevarattam' celebrated as a folk dance now was actually,their martial art performed with swords!
But kammas were never royal!!You will have to trace your roots to Rudramba of Kakathiya Dynasty in Warangal in the 13th century to claim your royal roots!!!Watch the movie!
migrant's language
Migrant Contribution to language
When two languages,two cultures co-exist for a time,they tend to assimilate aspects of each other,thus becoming richer-that is unless there is a fatwa prohibitng a 'contamination'.When a migrant population is seen as superior,the locals tend to imitate the ways of the intruder.If on the other hand the migrants are refugees,they are eager to merge with the locals and adapt.
The first to suffer change is speech,the migrant language accepts the sounds and later the words of the local language.The written script is lost and gradually the language loses its identity,unless the migrants themselves make an effort to retain their identity.In the case of the Telugu migration the word Telugu itself underwent a change,assimilating a medial nasal 'ng' to become Telungu. The feature may be seen in: vaadu-vaandu-meaning 'He'.'moodu-moondu-meaning 'three'/'husband'.
The migrant language also affects the local language.The word 'ayya' in Tamil refers to an affluent respected person in the social order,an elder.The founder of the Nayak rule in Madurai was referred to as Viswanatha Nayaka Ayyar. The remnant palayams even today are prefixed with Ayyan,such as Ayyan Kollankondan and Ayyan Singampatti. The word Ayyar or Iyer as spelt today must have come to refer to a brahmin much later.The Telugu migrants who were Vaishnavites added yet another telugu honorific 'garu' and referred to them as 'ayyagaru'.The Tamil medial nasal 'ng'had its play and the word Iyengar refrring to a vaishnavite priest was born!
ayya--ayyar--iyer--Tamil
ayya--ayyagaru--ayyangaru--iyengar ,a telugu contribution to Vaishnavite Tamil.
Instances of the kind must be plenty.Requires thinking skills in association, to figure out.There is no way here to prove theory beyond doubt.But,a systematic linguistic enquiry will certainly throw up answers to where we come from,and establish our roots.
When two languages,two cultures co-exist for a time,they tend to assimilate aspects of each other,thus becoming richer-that is unless there is a fatwa prohibitng a 'contamination'.When a migrant population is seen as superior,the locals tend to imitate the ways of the intruder.If on the other hand the migrants are refugees,they are eager to merge with the locals and adapt.
The first to suffer change is speech,the migrant language accepts the sounds and later the words of the local language.The written script is lost and gradually the language loses its identity,unless the migrants themselves make an effort to retain their identity.In the case of the Telugu migration the word Telugu itself underwent a change,assimilating a medial nasal 'ng' to become Telungu. The feature may be seen in: vaadu-vaandu-meaning 'He'.'moodu-moondu-meaning 'three'/'husband'.
The migrant language also affects the local language.The word 'ayya' in Tamil refers to an affluent respected person in the social order,an elder.The founder of the Nayak rule in Madurai was referred to as Viswanatha Nayaka Ayyar. The remnant palayams even today are prefixed with Ayyan,such as Ayyan Kollankondan and Ayyan Singampatti. The word Ayyar or Iyer as spelt today must have come to refer to a brahmin much later.The Telugu migrants who were Vaishnavites added yet another telugu honorific 'garu' and referred to them as 'ayyagaru'.The Tamil medial nasal 'ng'had its play and the word Iyengar refrring to a vaishnavite priest was born!
ayya--ayyar--iyer--Tamil
ayya--ayyagaru--ayyangaru--iyengar ,a telugu contribution to Vaishnavite Tamil.
Instances of the kind must be plenty.Requires thinking skills in association, to figure out.There is no way here to prove theory beyond doubt.But,a systematic linguistic enquiry will certainly throw up answers to where we come from,and establish our roots.
Monday, 22 July 2013
Naicker or Naidu?
My father had the caste name Naicker affixed to his name, as did most uncles and grand pas; and perhaps
all their ancestors.There was a tendency among the educated youngsters to change it to Naidu. It seemed socially more acceptable.However,they themselves did not affix either naidu or naicker to their own names,keeping with the trend among all youngsters,whatever caste they belonged to.
We are kammas,a community found in Andhra and the districts of Virudhunagar,Thirunelveli,Coimbatore and
Vellore mostly.When confronted by this question,'Are we Naidu or Naicker?',I always brushed it off 'what does it matter?'And then it occurred to me that I should find out as a responsible member of the community,and pass it on.This is what I found.
'Nayaka' in Sanskrit means a leader;:it was a title conferred on military chiefs, coveted and assumed by many in course of time.(There can't have been clans of leaders!If every one was to lead,who was to follow?)
The word underwent a mutation in the Tamil and Telugu speaking regions,depending on the more influential
factors prevailing in the region.In the regions,where Telugu was more prone to assimilation from Tamil,Nayaka took on the -er/-ar suffix,as seen in chettiar, kaundar,and mudhaliar,and became Naicker.
In regions where Telugu features were more influential 'Nayaka'became Nayakadu and later lost a syllable
to become Naidu.
Whichever title we don on,we share it with other communities. Naicker is a title by which the Rajakambalathar,Thottia Naicker,kattu Naicker and Vanniar are also known(the latter are Tamils from the northern districts)Naidu is a title by which kapu,velama,balija and gavara communities are also known.So,there really is no answer to 'are we naidus or naickers?'Suffice it to say we are kammas.
Kammas are also known as Rao and chaudhry in Andhra.But then brahmins,reddys and Mudaliars are also known as raos in Andhra and Karnataka. And there are Chaudhrys in Bengal too. Chauth is tax or toll;.a chaudhry is a tax collector-a middle level official perhaps.
Whatever our title signifies,we come from a respectable stock of land owners,kshathriyas and administrators and not peasants as the Sahithya Academy Award winning Venkatesan will have us believe!!.
all their ancestors.There was a tendency among the educated youngsters to change it to Naidu. It seemed socially more acceptable.However,they themselves did not affix either naidu or naicker to their own names,keeping with the trend among all youngsters,whatever caste they belonged to.
We are kammas,a community found in Andhra and the districts of Virudhunagar,Thirunelveli,Coimbatore and
Vellore mostly.When confronted by this question,'Are we Naidu or Naicker?',I always brushed it off 'what does it matter?'And then it occurred to me that I should find out as a responsible member of the community,and pass it on.This is what I found.
'Nayaka' in Sanskrit means a leader;:it was a title conferred on military chiefs, coveted and assumed by many in course of time.(There can't have been clans of leaders!If every one was to lead,who was to follow?)
The word underwent a mutation in the Tamil and Telugu speaking regions,depending on the more influential
factors prevailing in the region.In the regions,where Telugu was more prone to assimilation from Tamil,Nayaka took on the -er/-ar suffix,as seen in chettiar, kaundar,and mudhaliar,and became Naicker.
In regions where Telugu features were more influential 'Nayaka'became Nayakadu and later lost a syllable
to become Naidu.
Whichever title we don on,we share it with other communities. Naicker is a title by which the Rajakambalathar,Thottia Naicker,kattu Naicker and Vanniar are also known(the latter are Tamils from the northern districts)Naidu is a title by which kapu,velama,balija and gavara communities are also known.So,there really is no answer to 'are we naidus or naickers?'Suffice it to say we are kammas.
Kammas are also known as Rao and chaudhry in Andhra.But then brahmins,reddys and Mudaliars are also known as raos in Andhra and Karnataka. And there are Chaudhrys in Bengal too. Chauth is tax or toll;.a chaudhry is a tax collector-a middle level official perhaps.
Whatever our title signifies,we come from a respectable stock of land owners,kshathriyas and administrators and not peasants as the Sahithya Academy Award winning Venkatesan will have us believe!!.
Friday, 19 July 2013
Migration-A Nebulous story sans evidence
Migration leaves behind ghost towns and builds vibrant cities.Was there a Chennai-a Madras,by which name it was known till recently,300 yrs back?We do know however,a clutter of hamlets existed,which unified,expanded to become the Chennai,we see today. Saivite literature mentions Mylapore,Thruvanmiyur and Thiruvottiyur. Santhome and St.Thomas Mount tell a different story as does Royapetta. Migrant population bring with them tonnes of energy for prosperity for themselves and the city blooming around them.
Rajapalayam,where I live is witness to such a buoyancy,drawing people to it like a magnet.There is a rural to urban shift, villagers abandoning farm labour for factory work.The origin of Rajapalayam itself is rooted in migration-that of the migrant population of the Telugu speaking community of Rajus from Andhra-after whom the place takes its name.
Just when did this migration take place,from where?What were the pressures behind this migration?A wild guess made by all Telugu communities living in Tamil Nadu is that their ancestors must have fled southward to escape the atrocities of muslim invasion.In other words,they were refugees! . Rajapalayam has a very different story to tell.The settlers claim to have been sent by no less a person than Krishna Devaraya; by the rulers of the Vijayanagaram empire after they were routed in the battle of Talikotta; invited by the last of the Madurai Nayaks to control the law and order situation.Well,the three events span over 200 yrs, through five generations!!Which of these is right?
Krishna Devaraya wrote Godha Charitha on the presiding deity of Srivilliputtur.Thirumalai Nayak was a devotee of Andal and had a palace in Srivilliputtur.Rani Mangammal,the legendary regent,who ruled on behalf of the last king,and suffered at his hands,had roads laid,choultries built in the entire region.But no mention is made of a Rajapalayam or its Mandaleshwar,( a title that would rank him along with Thirumalai Nayak himself!! )during their period!
The Polyger wars were fought in this vicinity:The first ever freedom fighter Puli Thevan fought the East India Company against Yussuf Khan,in several pitched battles,enlisting all the polygers of the region from 1755 to 1761 when he is captured.Kattabomman is hanged in the next war in 1799,soon followed by his brothers.And there is no mention of the warlords of Rajapalayam or its Mandaleshwar administering the region,controlling riots!
The Tinnevelly guezeteer1917 by H.R.Pate makes no mention of Rajapalayam. However,a Revathy submits a thesis on Palayams,listing Rajapalayam as one of the 72 palayams of the Nayak kingdom.I visit a few of the descendants of the Palayams to enquire. They respond with a polite snigger! So much for academic credibility! Have I kicked a hornest's nest?
When there is no evidence in document,inscription,or literature,history becomes mired in mystery,distorted by vested interests!Will historians clarify?
Thursday, 18 July 2013
Searching for my roots
I was born and brought up in Rajapalayam ,which 60 years back was only quarter its size now,with just about 25% of its present population.My parents were from a village 15kms east of this town.I have met my grand parents,uncles,aunts and cousins,can't say I know them,or identify with them socially or culturally.An alienation process was set in motion as far back as 50 years.Though I speak the same regional variety of the language,I speak it differently,the inflection is very different as is the choice of words-the change brought about by a faster assimilation of the local languages-Tamil and a different caste specific variety of Telugu spoken by Rajus.
If there is so much alienation within a span of 50 years,one can only imagine the extent of alienation that must have occurred in the 500 years since the first wave of migration from the Telugu speaking regions of Andhra!An attempt at speaking in Telugu in a campus in Hyderabad, sensitive to`issues of language,caused peals of laughter! An academic exchange revealed that I spoke like some one who had dropped out and emerged after centuries speaking a fossilised language of ancient literature-a skeletal remains of it, as my vocabulary was hardly 200 word strong.I do not use several words my parents used,perhaps because I don't use the language as much as they did,living and interacting with people speaking several other languages.My son's Telugu must be just a 100 word strong.
Roots?What roots?!We have been uprooted and have put our roots elsewhere,and yet there is this yearning for the long forgotten lands.Retracing our steps requires effort,some academic rigour. We have a system of gothras and family names to go by.Most family names are names of villages,the original migrants had left behind.But names of places also change in course of time!
There is perhaps a case in favour of the purists,who are passionate about preserving the purity of language.Herein lies our identity.Let us speak our mother tongues and learn the script and insist on our children learning it,even if they have to be proficient in the language of the state,a national and an international language.Not a great burden,linguists tell us.A child can learn many languages with ease before the age of 14.The part of the brain that fascilitates language learning loses its efficacy after that.So let us catch them young and keep alive our quaint habits,our oral traditions,if we are to retain our identity-in an alien climate.
I was born and brought up in Rajapalayam ,which 60 years back was only quarter its size now,with just about 25% of its present population.My parents were from a village 15kms east of this town.I have met my grand parents,uncles,aunts and cousins,can't say I know them,or identify with them socially or culturally.An alienation process was set in motion as far back as 50 years.Though I speak the same regional variety of the language,I speak it differently,the inflection is very different as is the choice of words-the change brought about by a faster assimilation of the local languages-Tamil and a different caste specific variety of Telugu spoken by Rajus.
If there is so much alienation within a span of 50 years,one can only imagine the extent of alienation that must have occurred in the 500 years since the first wave of migration from the Telugu speaking regions of Andhra!An attempt at speaking in Telugu in a campus in Hyderabad, sensitive to`issues of language,caused peals of laughter! An academic exchange revealed that I spoke like some one who had dropped out and emerged after centuries speaking a fossilised language of ancient literature-a skeletal remains of it, as my vocabulary was hardly 200 word strong.I do not use several words my parents used,perhaps because I don't use the language as much as they did,living and interacting with people speaking several other languages.My son's Telugu must be just a 100 word strong.
Roots?What roots?!We have been uprooted and have put our roots elsewhere,and yet there is this yearning for the long forgotten lands.Retracing our steps requires effort,some academic rigour. We have a system of gothras and family names to go by.Most family names are names of villages,the original migrants had left behind.But names of places also change in course of time!
There is perhaps a case in favour of the purists,who are passionate about preserving the purity of language.Herein lies our identity.Let us speak our mother tongues and learn the script and insist on our children learning it,even if they have to be proficient in the language of the state,a national and an international language.Not a great burden,linguists tell us.A child can learn many languages with ease before the age of 14.The part of the brain that fascilitates language learning loses its efficacy after that.So let us catch them young and keep alive our quaint habits,our oral traditions,if we are to retain our identity-in an alien climate.
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
Roots
Roots
Migration has been a periodic occurrence in history. Down the ages people have migrated voluntarily, or displaced by war famine and such other disasters. A recent migration from India, especially from Tamil Nadu, was that of the workers required to work in the colonies in inclement weather conditions-in the tea estates of Srilanka, the rubber plantations of Malaysia, the sugar plantations of South Africa, Mauritius and Fuji islands. Caught in the vortex of survival, they gave no thought to record for posterity details of their migration. Centuries later their descendants look for their roots, often with very little to go by.
Migrant communities merge with the local population, adopting their language, dress and food habits, eager to become them. And yet, there is a little something different, unique which they cling to, which clings to them. A surname, a ritual, an exotic cuisine, that has been handed down the line. There was an exchange group of students from Durban, who had come for an Indian experience. They had been told their ancestors were from Tamil Nadu. We found nothing Tamilian about them. They did not speak the language.
Yet a little probing both ways led to revelation and recognition. Surnames had undergone mutation, but were still discernible. Govendar was kaunder from west Tamil Nadu. Moodley was mudaliar and naidoo was naidu. More amusing information emerged, as we got talking about what they did different from other communities. Pichasi vridh, porridge prayer,and kavaadi were prayer rituals, unique to their clans. Much reflection after, we could comprehend these as Purattasi viradham, offering of ragi kanji to amman, and kavadi procession taken out to worship lord Murugan!
There is an unprecedented extent of migration now, with youngsters exploring global opportunities, assimilating a global culture.distancing themselves from their roots, in their eagerness to get acclimatised to their new environment. If and when their descendants try to trace their roots, will they have traces of their parent culture to guide their search? I am sure the 60 plus of my generation are with me. Will you take with you and pass on to your children our music, our dance forms, our ways of worship,our rituals, our festivals, our cuisine, so that in another two centuries, your descendants won't have to search for their roots? Will you pass on your Indian identity, through precept and practice, your language, your folk art, and your literature, so your children may not look at it as 'foreign'?
I am a descendant migrant from centuries back, from where I do not know, speaking a language 200 word strong-which the main stream speakers do not recognise-looking for my roots!
Migration has been a periodic occurrence in history. Down the ages people have migrated voluntarily, or displaced by war famine and such other disasters. A recent migration from India, especially from Tamil Nadu, was that of the workers required to work in the colonies in inclement weather conditions-in the tea estates of Srilanka, the rubber plantations of Malaysia, the sugar plantations of South Africa, Mauritius and Fuji islands. Caught in the vortex of survival, they gave no thought to record for posterity details of their migration. Centuries later their descendants look for their roots, often with very little to go by.
Migrant communities merge with the local population, adopting their language, dress and food habits, eager to become them. And yet, there is a little something different, unique which they cling to, which clings to them. A surname, a ritual, an exotic cuisine, that has been handed down the line. There was an exchange group of students from Durban, who had come for an Indian experience. They had been told their ancestors were from Tamil Nadu. We found nothing Tamilian about them. They did not speak the language.
Yet a little probing both ways led to revelation and recognition. Surnames had undergone mutation, but were still discernible. Govendar was kaunder from west Tamil Nadu. Moodley was mudaliar and naidoo was naidu. More amusing information emerged, as we got talking about what they did different from other communities. Pichasi vridh, porridge prayer,and kavaadi were prayer rituals, unique to their clans. Much reflection after, we could comprehend these as Purattasi viradham, offering of ragi kanji to amman, and kavadi procession taken out to worship lord Murugan!
There is an unprecedented extent of migration now, with youngsters exploring global opportunities, assimilating a global culture.distancing themselves from their roots, in their eagerness to get acclimatised to their new environment. If and when their descendants try to trace their roots, will they have traces of their parent culture to guide their search? I am sure the 60 plus of my generation are with me. Will you take with you and pass on to your children our music, our dance forms, our ways of worship,our rituals, our festivals, our cuisine, so that in another two centuries, your descendants won't have to search for their roots? Will you pass on your Indian identity, through precept and practice, your language, your folk art, and your literature, so your children may not look at it as 'foreign'?
I am a descendant migrant from centuries back, from where I do not know, speaking a language 200 word strong-which the main stream speakers do not recognise-looking for my roots!
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