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!