Folk history of Kallar caste of Tamil Nadu with references to Sri Lanka From: Ranjith (@ 213.42.2.

29) on: Sat Mar 20 15:12:45 EST 2004 I am from the Thevar part of Kallar caste my Pattam (clan) title is Vanniar. My Pattam Vanniar does not mean that I belong to Vanniar caste. It is a sub clan of the Kallar Caste. This Pattam was supposedly granted by a Chola king, because, our clan members were used to administer Sri Lanka in the region of Vanni. After the last Chola king was deposed by Mara Varman Sundara Pandiyan our clan settled near Thanjavur. The village name is Nalla Vannian Kudi Kadu, originally a forest land (Kadu) that was turned in to a village. The founder chief's name was Nalla Vannian. Amongst other Kallar of the region we will not marry any girls or boys of the same Pattam or clan. We will marry from any of the other 1499 clan of the community. It is considered that persons of same clans are considered as Pankalikal or belonging to the same blood line. During the fall of the Chola kingdom in the year of AD. 1279 some of our clan member were in Sri Lanka administering Vanni region by the order of the Chola king. But after the fall of Chola kingdom in Tamilaham they took over Vanni as their own administration as Kurinila Mannar or sub kings paying homage to no one or sometimes to the later Jaffna or Kandyan kingdoms but always maintained their independence. The last sub king was Pandara Vannian who ruled till 1803. There are place names in Vanni which trace this such as Pallavarayan Kulam. Pallavarayar is a clan or Pattam of the Kallar caste of Tanjore district. The Kallar community in India are living in Tanjore, Thiruvarur, Thiruchy, Nagapattinam, Pudukkottai, Ramnat, Madurai, Thirunelveli, Thindukal, and most of the South Tamil Nadu. Kallars living around Tanjore and Thiruvarur, Thiruvaiyaru, Pudukkottai, Trichy are known as Esan Nattu kallars, Esan was supposedly the name of the first Kallar chief who founded the lineage or it could mean some kind of ancient Nadu that cannot be traced today. The Thanjavur Kallars have 1500 clans, some of them are Cholahar, Jayamkondapriyar, Elamkondar, Mannaiyar, Thondaiman, Kandiyar, Vanniar, Vandaiyar, Vanathirayar, Kadu vettiyar, Vijayathevar, Pallavarayar, Kalinkarayar, Mandradiyar, Malavarayar, Sethurayar, Saluvar, Uranthairayar, Kobalar, Panipoondar, Mudipoondar, Senathiyar, Rajaliyar, Gangaikondar, Veeramundar, Nattar, Arumai Nattar, Thinnapriyar, Muneiyathirayar, Vaduvurayar.

These clan names were derived due to many reasons. All are derived from a group of founders or founder who was given a specific task by the Chola kings. Some of them are for example, Sethurayar whose founders administrated the region of Sethu Nadu, Thondaiman administrated Thondai Nadu, Pallavarayar administrated the Pallavanadu, Jayamkondapriyar is named after a lineage founder(s) who won a war with enemies by order the Chola king. Elamkondar captured the Eelam (Sri Lanka) as part of the Chola Army. Mannaiyar administrated the Mannargudi. Vaduvurayar administrated a place called Vaduvur, Kalinkarayar administrated places in Kalinga Nadu as part of Chola conquest of that kingdom. Malavarayar administrated a place called Malai Nadu (Kerala?). Chaluvar administrated the region of Chalukiya kingdom. Vanniar administrated the place of Vanni in Sri Lanka. Cuurently kings Pudukkottai Raja Thondaiman and Raja Sethupathi hail from the Kallar community. The Pudukkottai Raja's clan is Thondaiman, A Srilankan former minister's name is Thondaiman. There is a canal called as Thondaiman Aru in Jaffna that was dug by a person of Thondaiman clan in the services of the Chola king to transport Salt to Chola Kingdom from Jaffna. The great Tamil cinema actor Sivaji Ganasen is from the clan Mantradiyar. His village name is Vettaithidal near Needamangalam Thanjavur district. Regards Ranjithkumar