Iyer (also spelt as
Ayyar,
Aiyar,
Ayer or
Aiyer) is the title given to the caste of Hindu
BrahminBrahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
communities of
TamilTamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
origin. Most Iyers are followers of the
AdvaitaAdvaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda...
philosophy propounded by
Adi ShankaraAdi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
. The majority reside in Tamil Nadu.
The title 'Iyer' was used as a designation for all Tamil Smartha Brahmins during the medieval period, during which they were organised into single community. However, during the 11th century, a breakaway sect formed a new community called "Iyengars", worshipping
Sri VaishnavaVaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
.
According to popular tradition, Iyers are descendants of
Indo-AryanModels of the Indo-Aryan migration discuss scenarios of prehistoric migrations of the proto-Indo-Aryans to their historically attested areas of settlement in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent...
migrants from
North IndiaNorth India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
. Iyers are sub-divided into various sub-sects based on cultural and regional differences. Like all Brahmins, they are also classified based on their gotra, or patrilineal descent, and the Veda they follow.
Iyers fall under the Pancha Dravida Brahmin sub-classification of India's Brahmin community and share many customs and traditions with other Brahmins. In recent times, they have felt affected by reservation policies and the
Self-Respect MovementThe Self-Respect Movement was founded in 1925 by Periyar E. V. Ramasamy in Tamil Nadu, India. The movement has the aim of achieving a society where backward castes have equal human rights, and encouraging backward castes to have self-respect in the context of a caste based society that...
in the Indian state of
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. This has helped encourage a large migration to other parts of India and the English-speaking world.
Apart from the prevalent practice of using the title "Iyer" as surname, Iyers also use other surnames as
Sāstri or
Bhattar.
Etymology
The word Iyer is derived from the title
Ayyā which is often used by Tamils to designate respectable people. There are number of etymologies for the word
Ayyā, generally it is thought to be derived from
Proto-DravidianProto-Dravidian is the proto-language of the Dravidian languages. It is thought to have differentiated into Proto-North Dravidian, Proto-Central Dravidian and Proto-South Dravidian around 500 BC, although some linguists have argued that the degree of differentiation between the sub-families points...
term denoting an elder brother. It is used in that meaning in
TamilTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
,
TeluguTelugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
and Malayalam. Yet others derive the
word Ayya as a
PrakritPrakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
version of the Sanskrit word
Aryā which means 'noble'. "Ayar" is also the name of a Tamil Yadava sub-caste. During the
British RajBritish Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, Christian clergymen were also occasionally given the honorific surname "Ayyar".
In ancient times, Iyers were also called
Anthanar or
Pārppān, though the usage of the word
Pārppān is considered derogatory in modern times. Until recent times, Kerala Iyers were called
Pattars. Like the term
pārppān, the word
Pattar too is considered derogatory.
It has also been recorded that in the past, the Nayak kings of Madurai have held the title "Aiyar" while Brahmins have borne titles as Pillai or Mudali.
Origin
Ethnicity and genetics
Some Iyer communities also pay homage to the
Narmada RiverThe Narmada , also called Rewa is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent. It is the third largest river that completely flows within India after Ganges and Godavari...
apart from the South Indian river Cauvery in their rituals and revere legends proposing a north Indian origin for their community. Iyer marriage rites, especially, are a mixture of some customs regarded Aryan and some considered Dravidian.
A
geneticGenetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
study conducted in 1996 amongst Iyers of
MaduraiMadurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
revealed close proximity to populations from
EurasiaEurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
n steppes of
Central AsiaCentral Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
. The sharing of some haplotypes between the Iyers and some Southeast Asian populations, too, suggest a migration through Southeast Asia to India. Genetic studies conducted in 2001 amongst Brahmins of Telugu origin revealed that the genetic distance between Brahmins and Europeans (0.013) was less than the distance between Europeans and Kshatryia (0.030) or Vysya (0.020). A 2007 study revealed that Iyers and Iyengars formed a separate cluster along with the high-ranking non-Brahmin communities of Tamil Nadu such as the Veerakodi
VellalarVellalars were, originally, an elite caste of Tamil agricultural landlords in Tamil Nadu, Kerala states in India and in neighbouring Sri Lanka; they were the nobility, aristocracy of the ancient Tamil order and had close relations with the different royal dynasties...
s. A 2008 study found that the most recent migrants of Iyers and Iyengars showed close similarities with
Bengali BrahminsThe Bengali Brahmins are those Hindu Brahmins who traditionally reside in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, currently comprising the Indian state of West Bengal, Tripura, Assam and Bangladesh...
,
MahishyaMahishya , also spelled as Mahisya, is a Bengali Hindu caste. Members of this caste are traditionally found in the Indian states of West Bengal and Orissa. Mahishyas are one of the predominant castes in West Bengal especially in the southern districts of Howrah, Paschim Medinipur, Purba Medinipur,...
and
BagdiThe Bagdi or Wagdi are a people of India who are one of the Bhil tribes. They historically spoke the Wagdi language however today the argest number of Bagdi speak Hindi with others speaking such languages as Malvi and Marwari....
than the early migrants into Tamil Nadu.
Edgar Thurston classified Iyers as mesocephalic with an average
cephalic indexCephalic index is the ratio of the maximum width of the head multiplied by 100 divided by its maximum length ....
of 74.2 and an average nasal index of 95.1 based on the anthropological survey he had conducted in the Madras Presidency. Kerala Iyers were found to have an average cephalic index of 74.5 and nasal index of 92.9.
Population and distribution
Today, Iyers live all over
South IndiaSouth India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
, but an overwhelming majority of Iyers continue to thrive in
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. Tamil Brahmins form an estimated 3% of the state's total population and are distributed all over the state. However, accurate statistics on the population of the Iyer community are unavailable.
They are concentrated mainly along the Cauvery Delta districts of
Nagapattinam,
ThanjavurThanjavur District is one of the 32 districts of the state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. Its headquarters is Thanjavur.-Geography:...
,
TiruvarurTiruvarur district is one of the 30 districts in the Tamil Nadu state of India. The district occupies an area of 2161 km². It is lies between Nagapattinam district on the east and Thanjavur district on the west, and is bounded by the Palk Strait on the south...
and Tiruchirapalli where they form almost 10% of the total population. In Northern Tamil Nadu they are found in the urban areas of
ChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
,
KanchipuramKanchipuram, or Kanchi, is a temple city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district...
, Chengalpattu,
SriperumbudurSriperumbudur is an industrial city in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located in proximity to Chennai. It is famous for being the birth place of Sri Ramanuja, one of the most prominent Hindu Vaishnava saints as well as the town where former Indian Prime Minister...
and
VelloreVellore It is considered one of the oldest cities in South India and lies on the banks of the Palar river on the site of Vellore Fort. The city lies between Chennai and Bangalore and the Temple towns of Thiruvannamalai and Tirupati...
. They are almost non-existent in
ruralRural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
areas of Northern Tamil Nadu.
Iyers are also found in fairly appreciable number in Western and Southern districts of Tamil Nadu. Iyers of the far south are called
TirunelveliTirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
Iyers and speak the Tirunelveli Brahmin dialect. In
CoimbatoreCoimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
, there are a large number of Kerala Iyers from Palakkad.
Subsects
Iyers have many sub-sects among them, such as
VadamaVadama meaning "Northerners" are a sub-sect of the Iyer community of Tamil Brahmins. While some believe that their name is an indication of the fact that they were the most recent Brahmin migrants to the Tamil country others interpret the usage of the term "Vadama" as a reference to their strict...
, Brahacharnam or
BrahatcharanamBrahacharanam is a sub-sect of the Iyer community of Tamil Brahmins. The word "Brahacharanam" is a corruption of the Sanskrit word Brhatcharanam . Like other Iyer communities, they follow the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankara. However, the Brahacharanam are more Saivite than the Vadamas...
, Vāthima, Sholiyar or Chozhiar, Ashtasahasram, Mukkāni,
GurukkalGurukkal is Tamil plural form of the Sanksrit word "Guru" - Spiritual Teacher. These are the brahmins who acted as gurus to medieval king like Rajaraja I and brought many kings in to the fold of saivism.-Migration of Brahmins :...
, Kāniyālar and Prathamasāki. Each sub-sect is further subdivided according to the village or region of origin.
Vadama
The
Vadamas regard themselves the most superior of Smartha Brahmins. The word "Vadama" is derived from the Tamil word
Vadakku meaning North. Due to this reason, it is widely speculated that the Vadamas could have been the latest of the Brahmin settlers of the Tamil country. At the same time, however, the honorific title
Vadama could also be used simply to denote the level of Sanskritization and cultural affiliation and not as evidence for a migration at all.
The Vadamas are classified into Vadadesa Vadama, Choladesa Vadama, Sabhaiyar, Inji and Thummagunta Dravida.
Vāthima
The
Vāthimas are few in number and are confined mostly to eighteen villages in
Thanjavur districtThanjavur District is one of the 32 districts of the state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. Its headquarters is Thanjavur.-Geography:...
. They are sub-divided into Pathinettu Gramathu Vāthima or Vāthima of the eighteen villages, Udayalur, Nannilam and Rathamangalam.
Brahacharnam
Brahacharnam is a corruption of the Sanskrit word
Brahatcharnam means "the great sect". Brahacharnams are more Saivite than Vadamas and are sub-divided into Kandramaicka, Milanganur, Mangudi,
PazhamaneriPazhamarneri is a small village situated on the South bank of the River Kaveri. It is located 30 km northwest of Thanjavur and 32 km northeast of Trichy...
, Musanadu, Kolathur, Marudancheri,Sathyamangalam and Puthur Dravida.
Ashtasahasram
The
Ashtasahasram are, like the Brahacharnams, more Saivite than the Vadamas. They are further sub-divided into Aththiyur, Arivarpade, Nandivadi and Shatkulam.
Dīkshitar
The
Dīkshitars of Chidambaram or more particularly called in Tamil as 'Thillai Muairavar' are based mainly in the town of
ChidambaramChidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
and according to legend, have descended from three thousands individuals who migrated from
Varanasi-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
. They wear their kudumi in front of their head like the Nairs and Namboothiris of
Keralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
Chozhiar or Sholiyar
The
Sholiyars serve as priests, cooks or decorate idols in Hindu temples. Chozhiars hold the universal belief that
ChanakyaChānakya was a teacher to the first Maurya Emperor Chandragupta , and the first Indian emperor generally considered to be the architect of his rise to power. Traditionally, Chanakya is also identified by the names Kautilya and VishnuGupta, who authored the ancient Indian political treatise...
, the minister of
Chandragupta MauryaChandragupta Maurya , was the founder of the Maurya Empire. Chandragupta succeeded in conquering most of the Indian subcontinent. Chandragupta is considered the first unifier of India and its first genuine emperor...
was one of them. They are divided into Tirukattiur, Madalur, Visalur, Puthalur, Senganur, Avadiyar Koil. Renowned carnatic singer, Chembai Vaidyanatha Iyer belongs to the Chozhiar community.
Gurukkal
The sect of Sivāchārya or
Gurukkal form the hereditary priesthood or in the Siva and Sakthi temples in Tamil Nadu. They are Saivites and adhere to the philosophy of
Shaiva SiddhantaConsidered normative tantric Saivism, Shaiva Siddhanta provides the normative rites, cosmology and theological categories of tantric Saivism. Being a dualistic philosophy, the goal of Shaiva Siddhanta is to become an ontologically distinct Shiva . This tradition was once practiced all over India...
and in that sense are not followers of Adi Shankarachyarya. They are well versed in Agama Sasthras and follow the Agamic rituals of these temples. Because of these cultural differences, intermarriages with other Iyers is rare even to this date.
Gurukkals are sub-divided into Tiruvalangad, Conjeevaram and Thirukkazhukunram.
Mukkāni
The
Mukkāni sub-sect of Iyers are traditionally helpers to the priests in the temples of
ThiruchendurThiruchendur Murugan Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Muruga and one of the Arupadaiveedu of Lord Muruga. It is located in the small town of Thiruchendur in the district of Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, India. It is 55 km south-east of Tirunelveli, 40 km from Tuticorin and 75 km...
. Legend has it that the Mukkānis were the
Bhootaganas, the demon bodyguards of Lord Siva and that they were given the responsibility for guarding Subrahmanya's shrines by Siva. The Mukkanis predominantly subscribe to the Rig Veda.
Kāniyālar
The
Kāniyālar are a little known sub-sect of Iyers. A large number of Kāniyālars serve as cooks and menial servants in Vaishnavite temples. Hence, they sport the
nāmam like Vaishnavite Iyengars.
Prathamasāki
The
Prathamasākis form another little-known sub-sect of Iyers. They follow the White Yajur Veda. According to Hindu legend, in remote antiquity, the Prathamasākis were cursed by God to spend one hour every day as
ParayarsParaiyar, Parayar, and Sambavar, anglicised by Europeans as Pariah are a social group found in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and in Sri Lanka . In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, though they have been enumerated under three different caste names, they have generally been referred to as...
and hence they are known as "Madhyana Paraiyans" in
Tanjore districtThanjavur District is one of the 32 districts of the state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. Its headquarters is Thanjavur.-Geography:...
and are regarded inferior by other sects of Brahmins.
Edgar Thurston also mentions another sect of Iyers called
Kesigal or
Hiranyakesigal. However, this sub-sect appears to have disappeared or merged into the larger Vadama community with the passage of time.
Iyers, just like other Brahmins were required to learn the Vedas. Iyers are also divided into different sects based on the
VedaThe Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
they follow. Iyers belonging to the Yajur Veda sect usually follow the teachings of the Krishna Yajur Veda.
Gotrās and Shākhas
Iyers, like all other Brahmins, trace their paternal ancestry to one of the eight
rishiRishi denotes the composers of Vedic hymns. However, according to post-Vedic tradition, the rishi is a "seer" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness. The rishis were prominent when Vedic Hinduism took shape, as far back as some three thousand years...
s or sages. Accordingly they are classified into eight
gotrāsIn the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
based on the
rishi they have descended from. A maiden in the family belongs to gotra of her father, but upon marriage takes the
gotrā of her husband.
The Vedas are further sub-divided into
shākhās or "branches" and followers of each Veda are further sub-divided based on the
shākhā they adhere to. However, only a few of the
shākhās are extant, the vast majority of them having disappeared.The different Vedas and the corresponding
shākhās that exist today in Tamil Nadu are:
| Veda | shākhā |
| Rig Veda |
Shakala and Paingi |
| Yajur Veda |
Kanva and Taittiriya |
| Sama Veda |
Kauthuma, Jaiminiya/Talavakara, Shatyayaniya and Gautama |
| Atharva Veda |
Shaunakiya and Paippalada |
Karnataka
Over the last few centuries, a large number of Iyers have also migrated and settled in parts of
KarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. During the rule of the Mysore Maharajahs, a large number of Iyers from the then
Madras provinceThe Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
migrated to Mysore. The
Ashtagrama IyerThe Ashtagrama Iyers are a group of Vadama Iyers or South Indian Brahmins with their roots in the Ashtagrama villages situated in the Kolar district of Karnataka.-History:...
s are also a prominent group of Iyers in Karnataka.
The
Sankethi IyersThe Sankethis are Smartha brahmins residing in Karnataka. They are an offshoot of the Iyer Community. There are also some Sankethis in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. They are said to have left their homeland under the guidance of a saintly lady, nAcAramma...
are another subcaste who speak a distinct language called Sankethi which borrows words from Kannada,Tamil and Sanskrit.
Kerala
- Iyers have been resident of the princely state of Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
from ancient times. The Venad state (present Kanyakumari districtKanyakumari District ) is a district of Tamil Nadu state, India and is the southernmost land area of mainland India.The district is the second most urbanised district in Tamilnadu, next only to Chennai and ahead of Coimbatore. It also has the highest literacy and education levels in the...
) and the southern parts of Kerala was part of the Pandyan kingdomThe Pandyan dynasty was an ancient Tamil dynasty. The Pandyas were one of the four Tamil dynasties , which ruled South India until the 15th century CE. They initially ruled their country Pandya Nadu from Korkai, a seaport on the Southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, and in later times moved...
known as Then Pandi Nadu. There were also many Iyers in VenadVenad Swarupam was one of the three prominent late medieval Hindu feudal kingdoms on Malabar Coast, south India, along with Kingdom of Calicut and Kingdom of Cannanore. In the early 14th century, Venad ruler Ravi Varma Kulasekhara had established a short-lived supremacy over southern India...
which later on grew to be the TravancoreKingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
state. The old capital of TravancoreKingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
was PadmanabhapuramPadmanabhapuram a city and a municipality near Thuckalay in Kanniyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-History:Padmanabhapuram was the old capital of the princely state of Travancore in India...
which is at present in Kanyakumari district.
- There has also been a continuous inflow from from Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
and Ramnad districts of Tamil Nadu which are contiguous to the erstwhile princely stateA Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
of TravancoreKingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
. Many parts of the present Tirunelveli district were even part of the old TravancoreKingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
state.
- Some of these people migrated to Cochin and later to Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
and KozhikodeKozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
districts.
- There were also migrations from Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu to Palakkad. Their descendants are known today as Palakkad Iyers
Kerala Iyers, colloquially called Pattars, are Tamil Iyers of the Indian state of Kerala who migrated from present day Tamil Nadu in different waves starting from the medieval period onwards...
.
These Iyers are now called 'Kerala Iyer' community.
There is no historical record of migration from Thirunelveli and Ramnad district. But the migration from Tanjore district to
PalakkadPalakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
is recorded in many documents.
Sri Lanka
According to the Buddhist scripture
MahavamsaThe Mahavamsa is a historical poem written in the Pali language, of the kings of Sri Lanka...
, the presence of Brahmins have been recorded in
Sri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
as early as 500BC when the first migrations from the Indian mainland supposedly took place. Currently, Brahmins are an important constituent of the Sri Lankan Tamil minority. Tamil Brahmins are believed to have played a historic role in the formation of the
Jaffna KingdomThe Jaffna kingdom , also known as Kingdom of Aryacakravarti, of modern northern Sri Lanka was a historic monarchy that came into existence around the town of Jaffna on the Jaffna peninsula after the invasion of Magha, who is said to have been from Kalinga, in India...
.
Recent migrations
Apart from
South IndiaSouth India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
, Iyers have also migrated to and settled in places in
North IndiaNorth India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
. There are significantly large Iyer communities in
MumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, and
DelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. These migrations, which commenced during the British rule, were often undertaken in search of better prospects and contributed to the prosperity of the community.
In recent times Iyers have also migrated in significant numbers to the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States in search of better fortune.
Rituals
Iyer rituals comprise rites as described in
Hindu scriptureThe Literature regarded as central to the Vedic and Hindu literary tradition was originally predominantly composed in Sanskrit. Indeed, much of the morphology inherent in the learning of Sanskrit is inextricably linked to study of the Vedas and other early texts....
s such as
Apastamba SutraThe Dharmasutra of Āpastamba forms a part of the larger Kalpasūtra of Āpastamba. It contains thirty praśnas, which literally means ‘questions’ or books. The subjects of this Dharmasūtra are well organized and preserved in good condition...
attributed to the Hindu sage
ApastambaThe Dharmasutra of Āpastamba forms a part of the larger Kalpasūtra of Āpastamba. It contains thirty praśnas, which literally means ‘questions’ or books. The subjects of this Dharmasūtra are well organized and preserved in good condition...
. The most important rites are the
Shodasa Samaskāras or the 16
dutiesSamskara may refer to:* Saṃskāra, Hindu rites* Saṃskāra , in Buddhism, mental and volitional formations* Samskara , a technique in ayurvedic medicine...
. Although many of the rites and rituals followed in antiquity are no longer practised, some have been retained.
Iyers are initiated into rituals at the time of birth. In ancient times, rituals used to be performed when the baby was being separated from mother's umbilical cord. This ceremony is known as
Jātakarma. However, this practice is no longer observed. At birth, a
horoscopeIn astrology, a horoscope is a chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, the astrological aspects, and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person's birth. The word horoscope is derived from Greek words meaning "a look at the hours" In...
is made for the child based on the position of the stars. The child is then given a ritual name. On the child's birthday, a ritual is performed to ensure longevity. This ritual is known as
Ayushya Homam. This ceremony is held on the child's birthday reckoned as per the Tamil calendar based on the position of the
nakshatraNakshatra is the term for lunar mansion in Hindu astrology. A nakshatra is one of 27 sectors along the ecliptic...
s or stars and not the
Gregorian calendarThe Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
. The child's first birthday is the most important and is the time when the baby is formally initiated by piercing the ears of the boy or girl. From that day onwards a girl is expected to wear earrings.
A second initiation (for the male child in particular) follows when the child crosses the age of seven. This is the
UpanayanaUpanayana is the initiation ritual by which initiates are invested with a sacred thread, to symbolize the transference of spiritual knowledge .- Significance of the sacred thread :...
ceremony during which a
BrahmanaBrahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
is said to be reborn. A three-piece cotton thread is installed around the
torsoTrunk or torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. The trunk includes the thorax and abdomen.-Major organs:...
of the child encompassing the whole length of his body from the left
shoulderThe human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...
to the right hip. The Upanayana ceremony of initiation is solely performed for the members of the
dvijaDvija is one of the members of the first three varnas in Hindu Dharma. Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas are included in Dvija.The first birth is physical. The second occurs when one uptakes fulfilling a role in society...
or twice-born castes, generally when the individual is between 7 and 16 years of age. In ancient times, the Upanayana was often considered as the ritual which marked the commencement of a boy's education, which in those days consisted mostly of the study of the Vedas. However, with the Brahmins taking to other vocations than priesthood, this initiation has become more of a symbolic ritual. The neophyte was expected to perform the
Sandhya Vandanam on a regular basis and utter a prescribed set of prayers, three times a day: dawn, mid-day, and dusk. The most sacred and prominent of the prescribed set of prayers is the
Gayatri MantraThe Gāyatrī Mantra is a highly revered mantra, based on a Vedic Sanskrit verse from a hymn of the Rigveda , attributed to the rishi . The mantra is named for its vedic gāyatrī metre. As the verse can be interpreted to invoke the deva Savitr, it is often called Sāvitrī...
, which is as sacred to the Hindus as the Kalima to the Muslims and
AhunwarAhuna Vairya is the Avestan language name of the most sacred of the Gathic hymns of the Avesta, the revered texts of Zoroastrianism....
to the Zoroastrians. Once a year, Iyers change their sacred thread. This ritual is exclusive to South Indian Brahmins and the day is commemorated in Tamil Nadu as
Āvani Avittam.
Other important ceremonies for Iyers include the rites for the deceased. All Iyers are cremated according to
VedicThe Vedic period was a period in history during which the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, were composed. The time span of the period is uncertain. Philological and linguistic evidence indicates that the Rigveda, the oldest of the Vedas, was composed roughly between 1700–1100 BCE, also...
rites, usually within a day of the individual's death. The death rites include a 13-day ceremony, and regular
Tarpanam (performed every month thereafter, on
AmavasyaAmavasya is the Indian name for a New moon. The word Amavasya is common to many Indian languages especially Sanskrit, Hindi, Assamese, Kannada, Bengali, Konkani, Marathi, Oriya, Telugu, and Gujarati...
day, or New Moon Day), for the ancestors. There is also a yearly
shrārddha, that must be performed. These rituals are expected to be performed only by male descendants of the deceased. Married men who perform this ritual must be accompanied by their wives. The women are symbolically important in the ritual to give a "consent" to all the proceedings in it.
Festivals
Iyers celebrate almost all Hindu festivals like Deepavali, Navratri,
PongalThai Ponggal is a harvest festival celebrated by Tamils in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Indian Union Territory of Pondicherry and in Sri Lanka. Pongal coincides with the festival Makara Sankranthi celebrated throughout India. Pongal in Tamil means "boiling over" or "spill over". The boiling...
, Vinayaka Chathurthi, Janmaashtami, Tamil New Year, Sivarathri and Karthika Deepam.
However, the most important festival which is exclusive to Brahmins of South India is the
Āvani Avittam festival.
Weddings
A typical Iyer wedding consists of
Sumangali Prārthanai (Hindu prayers for prosperous married life),
Nāndi (homage to ancestors),
Nischayadhārtham (Engagement) and
Mangalyadharanam (tying the knot). The main events of an Iyer marriage include
Vratam (fasting),
Kasi Yatra (pilgrimage to Kasi),
Oonjal (Swing),
Kanyadanam (placing the bride in the groom's care),
Mangalyadharanam,
Pānigrahanam and
Saptapathi (or
seven steps - the final and most important stage wherein the bride takes seven steps supported by the groom's palms thereby finalizing their union). This is usually followed by
Nalangu, which is a casual and informal event.
Traditional ethics
Iyers generally lead orthodox lives and adhere steadfastly to their customs and traditions. However, of recent, they have started abandoning their traditional duties as temple priests for more secular vocations, causing contemporary Iyers to be more flexible than their ancestors. Iyers follow the Grihya Sutras of
ApastambaThe Dharmasutra of Āpastamba forms a part of the larger Kalpasūtra of Āpastamba. It contains thirty praśnas, which literally means ‘questions’ or books. The subjects of this Dharmasūtra are well organized and preserved in good condition...
and
BaudhayanaBaudhāyana, was an Indian mathematician, whowas most likely also a priest. He is noted as the author of the earliest Sulba Sūtra—appendices to the Vedas giving rules for the construction of altars—called the , which contained several important mathematical results. He is older than the other...
apart from the Manusmriti. The society is patriarchal but not feudal.
Iyers are generally vegetarian. Some abjure onion and garlic on the grounds that they activate certain base senses. Cow milk and milk products were approved. They were required to avoid alcohol and tobacco.
Iyers follow elaborate purification rituals, both of self and the house. Men are forbidden from performing their "sixteen duties" while Women are forbidden from cooking food without having a purificatory bath in the morning. Food is to be consumed only after making an offering to the deities.
The bathing was considered sufficiently purifying only if it confirmed to the rules of
madi. The word
'madi' is used by Tamil Brahmins to indicate that a person is bodily pure.
In order to practice madi, the brahmin had to wear only clothes which had been recently washed and dried, and the clothes should remain untouched by any person who was not
madi. Only after taking bath in cold water, and after wearing such clothes, would the person be in a state of
madi.
This practice of
madi is followed by Iyers even in modern times, before participating in any kind of religious ceremony.
.
Until the turn of the last century, an Iyer widow was never allowed to remarry. Once her husband dies, an Iyer woman had to tonsure her head. She had to remove the
kunkumam or the vermilion mark on her forehead, and was required to smear her forehead with the
sacred ashesAshes are put to use in various religions.In Hinduism, sacred ashes or Vibhuti are used to smear, anoint or mark devotees.In Christianity, on Ash Wednesday, ashes of burnt palm leaves and fronds left over from Palm Sunday, mixed with olive oil, are applied in a cross-form on the forehead of the...
. All these practices have, however, greatly dimimished with the enactment of reforms.
Traditional attire
Iyer men traditionally wear
veshtis or
dhotiThe dhoti or pancha is the traditional men's garment in the in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A similar garment is worn in some rural areas of Punjab province in Pakistan, but the use is fast declining...
s which cover them from waist to foot. These are made of
cottonCotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
and sometimes
silkSilk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
.
Veshtis are worn in different styles. Those worn in typical brahminical style are known as
panchakacham (from the
sanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
terms
pancha and
gajam meaning "five yards" as the length of the
panchakacham is five yards in contrast to the
veshtis used in daily life which are four or eight cubits long). They sometimes wrap their shoulders with a single piece of cloth known as
angavastram (body-garment). In earlier times, Iyer men who performed austerities also draped their waist or chests with deer skin or grass.
The traditional Iyer woman is draped in a nine yard saree, also known as
madisārThe Madisar is a way in which the sari is worn mostly by the womenfolk of the Brahmin community in Tamil Nadu, India. In the olden days this was the customary style in which the sari was worn by a woman after her marriage. Today to suit modern trends and yet accommodate traditions, the madisaar is...
.
Patronage of art
For centuries, Iyers have taken a keen interest in preserving the arts and sciences. They undertook the responsibility of preserving the Bharata Natya Shastra, a monumental work on
BharatanatyamBharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
, the classical dance form of Tamil Nadu. During the early 20th century, dance was usually regarded as a
degenerate artDegenerate art is the English translation of the German entartete Kunst, a term adopted by the Nazi regime in Germany to describe virtually all modern art. Such art was banned on the grounds that it was un-German or Jewish Bolshevist in nature, and those identified as degenerate artists were...
associated with
devadasiIn Hinduism, the devadasi tradition is a religious tradition in which girls are "married" and dedicated to a deity or to a temple and includes performance aspects such as those that take place in the temple as well as in the courtly and mujuvani [telegu] or home context. Dance and music were...
s.
Rukmini Devi ArundaleRukmini Devi Arundale was an Indian theosophist, dancer and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatnatyam, and also an activist for animal rights and welfare....
, however, revived the dying art form thereby breaking social and caste taboos about Brahmins taking part in the study and practice of the dance.
However, compared to dance, the contribution of Iyers in field of music has been considerably noteworthy. The Trinity of Carnatic Music were responsible for making some excellent compositions towards the end of the 18th century. Today, there are Iyers who give traditional renderings as well as playback singers in Indian films like Nithyashree Mahadevan,
Usha UthupUsha Uthup is a popular Indian pop, jazz and playback singer. She is well known for popular hits in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.She started her Bollywood playback career, when she sang an English verse in hit song, "Dum maro dum"" in Hare Rama Hare Krishna, and went on work with music...
,
Shankar MahadevanShankar Mahadevan is an Indian music composer and singer. He is a part of the Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio team that composes for Indian films and a playback singer.-Early life:...
, Mahalaxmi Iyer,
Hamsika IyerHamsika Iyer is an Indian singer based in Mumbai—born in Pune and brought up in Mumbai. She studied at the SIES college of Arts and Science in Sion. She is a regular voice with ad world jingles, Marathi tele-serials, and has sung songs in Tamil and Hindi movies.-Biography:Hamsika received her...
and
Naresh IyerNaresh Iyer is a playback singer from Chennai, India. Naresh Iyer has rendered film songs in several Indian languages and has several chart hits to his credit. His rendition of "Roobaroo" from the movie Rang De Basanti composed by A. R. Rahman topped the music charts for many weeks in 2006 and won...
. Iyers have also contributed considerably to
dramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, short story and temple architecture.
In the field of literature and journalism, the Iyer community has produced individuals like
R. K. NarayanR. K. Narayan , shortened from Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami Tamil: ) , Madras Presidency, British India. His father was a school headmaster, and Narayan did some of his studies at his father's school...
,
R. K. LaxmanRasipuram Krishnaswamy Iyer Laxman is an Indian cartoonist, illustrator, and humorist. He is widely regarded as India's greatest-ever cartoonist and is best known for his creation The Common Man....
, Subramanya Bharathi,
Kalki KrishnamurthyKalki was the pen name of R. Krishnamurthy , a noted Tamil writer, film & music critic, Indian independence activist and journalist from Tamil Nadu, India.- Biography:...
,
Ulloor Parameswara IyerUlloor S. Parameswara Iyer , commonly known as Ulloor was a famous Malayalam poet and a noted historian. Ulloor was one of the famous triumvirate poets of Kerala, South India in the first half of the 20th century....
, and
Cho Ramaswamy to name a few. They have also contributed in an equal amount to Tamil language and literature.
Food
The main diet of Iyers is composed of vegetarian food, mostly rice which is the staple diet for millions of South Indians. Vegetarian side dishes are frequently made in Iyer households apart from compulsory additions as rasam,sambar,etc. Home-made
gheeGhee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia and is commonly used in South Asian cuisine....
is a staple addition to the diet, and traditional meals do not begin until ghee is poured over a heap of rice and lentils. While tasting delicious, the cuisine eschews the extent of spices and heat traditionally found in south Indian cuisine. Iyers are mostly known for their love for curd. Other South Indian delicacies such as dosas, idli, etc. are also relished by Iyers. Coffee amongst beverages and curd amongst food items form an indispensable part of the Iyer food menu.
The food is taken only after it is purified by a ritual called
annasuddhi which means "purification of rice".
Agrahāram
In ancient times, Iyers, along with Iyengars and other Tamil Brahmins, lived in exclusive Brahmin
quartersA quarter is a section of an urban settlement.Its borders can be administratively chosen , and it may have its own administrative structure...
of their village known as an
agrahāramAn Agraharam or Agrahara is the name given to the Brahmin quarter of a heterogenous village or to any village inhabited by Brahmins...
.
ShivaShiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and
VishnuVishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
temples were usually situated at the ends of an
agrahāram. In most cases, there would also be a fast-flowing stream or river nearby.
A typical
agrahāram consisted of a temple and a street adjacent to it. The houses on either side of the street were exclusively peopled by Brahmins who followed a joint family system. All the houses were identical in design and architecture though not in size.
With the arrival of the British and commencement of the Industrial Revolution, Iyers started moving to cities for their sustenance. Starting from the late 19th century, the
agrahārams were gradually discarded as more and more Iyers moved to towns and cities to take up lucrative jobs in the provincial and judicial administration.
However, there are still some agrahārams left where traditional Iyers continue to reside. In an Iyer residence, people wash their feet first with water on entering the house.
Language
TamilTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
is the mother tongue of most Iyers residing in India and elsewhere. However, Iyers speak a distinct dialect of Tamil unique to their community. This
dialectThe term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
of Tamil is known as Brāhmik or
Brahmin TamilBrahmin Tamil is the name for a series of closely related Tamil dialects spoken by Tamil Brahmin communities.The language has heavy Sanskrit vocabulary, unlike the mainstream Tamil spoken by the non-Brahmin Tamils...
. Brahmin Tamil is highly Sanskritized and has often invited ridicule from
TamilThe Thanittamil Iyakkam is a movement of linguistic purism in Tamil literature attempting to emulate the "unadulterated Tamil language" of the Sangam period, avoiding Sanskrit, Persian and English loanwords. It was notably initiated by the writings of Maraimalai Adigal and Paventhar ...
nationalists due to its extensive usage of the Sanskrit
vocabularyA person's vocabulary is the set of words within a language that are familiar to that person. A vocabulary usually develops with age, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge...
. While Brahmin Tamil used to be the
lingua francaA lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
for inter-caste communication between different Tamil communities during pre-independence times, it has been gradually discarded by Brahmin themselves in favour of regional dialects. The Palakkad Iyers have a unique sub-dialect of their own. Palakkad Tamil is characterized by the presence of a large number of words of Malayali origin. The Sankethi Iyers speak
SankethiSankethi is distinct from Kannada and is now an independent language according to Dravidian linguists such as Hampa Nagarajaiah. Many still call it a dialect of Kannada in keeping with tradition...
which borrows words from Kannada,Tamil and Sanskrit.
Iyengars speak a separate dialect of Tamil called Iyengar Tamil. Some regard the Iyengar speech not as a dialect at all, but only as a sub-dialect of Brahmin Tamil.
Iyers today
The traditional occupation of Iyers involved ministering in temples or performing Hindu religious rites. However, since ancient times, Iyers were never prohibited from taking to secular occupations. Iyers were frequently employed as administrators by ancient Tamil kings. During the rule of the Medieval Cholas, they even gave the kingdom its chief army commanders.
In addition to their earlier occupations, Iyers today have diversified into a variety of fields. Three of India's Nobel laureates, Sir C. V. Raman,
Subrahmanyan ChandrasekharSubrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, FRS ) was an Indian origin American astrophysicist who, with William A. Fowler, won the 1983 Nobel Prize for Physics for key discoveries that led to the currently accepted theory on the later evolutionary stages of massive stars...
and Venkatraman Ramakrishnan hail from the community. It is a small percentage of Iyers who voluntarily choose, in this era, to pursue the traditional vocation of priesthood.
Social and political issues
Since ancient times, Iyers, as members of the privileged priestly class, exercised a near-complete domination over educational, religious and literary institutions in the Tamil country. Their domination continued throughout the
British RajBritish Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
as they used their knowledge of the English language and education to dominate the political, administrative, judicial and
intellectualAn intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
spectrum. Upon India's independence in 1947, they tried to consolidate their hold on the administrative and judicial machinery . Such a situation led to resentment from the other castes in Tamil Nadu, an upshot of this atmosphere was an "non-Brahmin" movement and the formation of the
Justice PartyThe Justice Party , officially known as South Indian Liberal Federation, was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India. The party was established in 1917 by T. M. Nair and Theagaroya Chetty as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences and meetings in the presidency...
. Periyar, who took over as Justice Party President in the 1940s, changed its name to
Dravida KazhagamDravidar Kazhagam or Dravida Kazhagam was the first fully Dravidian party in India. It was a radical party formed by E. V. Ramaswamy, also called Thanthai Periyar of erstwhile Madras Presidency...
, and formulated the view that Tamil Brahmins were Aryans as opposed to a majority of Tamils who were
DravidianDravidian peoples is a term used to refer to the diverse groups of people who natively speak languages belonging to the Dravidian language family. Populations of speakers of around 220 million are found mostly in Southern India. Other Dravidian people are found in parts of central India, Sri Lanka,...
based on
Robert CaldwellBishop Robert Caldwell was an Evangelist missionary and linguist, who academically established the Dravidian family of languages. He served as Assistant Bishop of Tirunelveli from 1877. He was described in The Hindu as a 'pioneering champion of the downtrodden' and an 'avant-garde social reformer'...
's writings. The ensuing anti-Brahmin propaganda and the rising unpopularity of the Rajaji Government left an indelible mark on the Tamil Brahmin community ending their political aspirations forever. In the 1960s the
Dravida Munnetra KazhagamDravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a state political party in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, India. It is a Dravidian party founded by C. N. Annadurai as a breakaway faction from the Dravidar Kazhagam headed by Periyar...
(roughly translated as "Organisation for Progress of Dravidians") and its subgroups gained political ground on this platform forming state ministries, thereby wrenching control from the
Indian National CongressThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, in which Iyers at that time were holding important party positions. Today, apart from a few exceptions, Iyers have virtually disappeared from the political arena.
In 2006, the Tamil Nadu government took the decision to appoint non-Brahmin priests in Hindu temples in order to curb Brahmin ecclesiastical domination. This created a huge controversy. Violence broke out in March 2008 when a non-Brahmin
oduvar or reciter of Tamil idylls, empowered by the Government of Tamil Nadu, tried to make his way into the
sanctum sanctorum of the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram.
Relations with other communities
The legacy of Iyers have often been marred by accusations of
racismRacism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and counter-racism against them by non-Brahmins and vice versa.
Sir T. Muthuswamy IyerSir Thiruvarur Muthuswamy Iyer KCIE was an Indian lawyer who, in 1877, became the first native Indian to be appointed as judge of the Madras High Court. He also acted as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court in 1893....
, the first Indian judge of the
Madras High CourtThe Madras High Court is a senior court located at Chennai , in India. The court buildings, which are believed to be the second largest judicial complex in the world, are located near the beach, in one of the city's major business districts....
, once made the controversially casteist remark:
Grievances and alleged instances of
discriminationDiscrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
by Brahmins are believed to be the main factors which fuelled the
Dravidian MovementThe Self-Respect Movement was founded in 1925 by Periyar E. V. Ramasamy in Tamil Nadu, India. The movement has the aim of achieving a society where backward castes have equal human rights, and encouraging backward castes to have self-respect in the context of a caste based society that...
. With the dawn of the 20th century, and the rapid penetration of western education and western ideas, there was a rise in consciousness amongst the lower castes who felt that
rightsRights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory...
which were legitimately theirs were being denied to them. This led the non-Brahmins to agitate and form the
Justice PartyThe Justice Party , officially known as South Indian Liberal Federation, was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India. The party was established in 1917 by T. M. Nair and Theagaroya Chetty as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences and meetings in the presidency...
in 1916, which later became the
Dravidar KazhagamDravidar Kazhagam or Dravida Kazhagam was the first fully Dravidian party in India. It was a radical party formed by E. V. Ramaswamy, also called Thanthai Periyar of erstwhile Madras Presidency...
. The Justice Party banked on vehement anti-Hindu and anti-Brahmin propaganda to ease Brahmins out of their privileged positions. Gradually, the non-Brahmin replaced the Brahmin in every sphere and destroyed the
monopolyA monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
over
educationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and the
administrative servicesPublic Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
which the Brahmin had previously held.
However, with the destruction of Brahmin monopoly over the services and introduction of adequate
representationIn politics, representation describes how some individuals stand in for others or a group of others, for a certain time period. Representation usually refers to representative democracies, where elected officials nominally speak for their constituents in the legislature...
for other communities, anti-Brahmin feelings did not subside.There were frequent allegations of casteism and racism against Brahmins very similar to the ones made by the lower castes against them in the decades before independence.
However, the very concept of "Brahmin atrocities" is refuted by some Tamil Brahmin historians who are keen to dismiss it as fictitious. They argue that allegations of casteism against Tamil Brahmins have been exaggerated and that even prior to the rise of the Dravida Kazhagam, a significant section of Tamil Brahmin society was liberal and anti-casteist. The
Temple Entry ProclamationThe Temple Entry Proclamation issued by Maharaja Shri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma and his Dewan Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer in 1936 abolished the ban on low-caste people or avarnas from entering Hindu Temples in the state of Travancore .The edict is as follows:Today, the Temple Entry...
passed by the princely state of Travancore which gave people of all castes the right to enter Hindu temples in the princely state was due to the efforts of the Dewan of Travancore, Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer who was an Iyer.
DalitDalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
leader and founder of political party Pudiya Tamizhagam, Dr.Krishnasamy admits that the Anti-Brahmin Movement had not succeeded up to the expectations and that there continues to be as much discrimination of Dalits as had been before.
Alleged negative attitude towards Tamil language and culture
Another accusation hurled upon Iyers was that they were Sanskritists who entertained a distorted and contemptuous attitude towards Tamil language, culture and civilization.
However, a detailed study of the history of Tamil literature proves this accusation wrong. The renowned Dravidologist
Kamil ZvelebilKamil Václav Zvelebil was a distinguished Czech scholar in Indian literature and linguistics, notably Tamil, Sanskrit, Dravidian linguistics and literature and philology.- Biography :...
, in his book
Companion Studies to the History of Tamil Literature, even goes to the extent of saying that the Brahmin was chosen as a scapegoat to answer for the decline of Tamil civilization and culture in the medieval and post-medieval periods. Agathiar, usually identified with the legendary Vedic sage
AgastyaAgastya was a Tamil/Vedic Siddhar or sage. Agastya and his clan are also generally credited with uncovering many mantras of the Rig Veda, the earliest and most revered Hindu scripture, in the sense of first having the mantras revealed in his mind by the Supreme Brahman...
is credited with compiling the first rules of grammar of the Tamil language. Tolkappiar who wrote Tolkappiam, the oldest extant literary work in Tamil is believed to be a Tamil Brahmin and a disciple of Agathiar. Moreover, individuals like
U. V. Swaminatha IyerU. V. Swaminatha Iyer , 1855–1942 C.E., was a Tamil scholar and researcher who was instrumental in bringing many long-forgotten works of classical Tamil literature to light...
and Subramanya Bharathi have made invaluable contributions to the Dravidian Movement.
Parithimar KalaignarParithimar Kalaignar , a Professor of Tamil at the Madras Christian College was the first person to campaign for the recognition of Tamil as a classical language.- Life :...
was the first to campaign for the recognition of Tamil as a classical language.
Professor
George L. HartGeorge L. Hart is a professor of Tamil language at the University of California, Berkeley.Hart received his Ph.D. in Sanskrit from Harvard University and taught at the University of Wisconsin–Madison before joining the faculty at Berkeley...
in a speech in 1997 on Tamil, Brahmins, & Sanskrit rubbishes the claims of anti Brahmins that Brahmins favored Sanskrit to Tamil.
Portrayal in popular media
There have been extensive portrayals of Iyers in popular media, both positive and negative. This is because despite the fact that Tamil Brahmins form just 3% of the Tamil population their distinct culture and unique practices and strange habits make them strong targets of criticism,both positive and negative.
Brahmins have been mentioned for the first time in the works of
Sangam poetsSangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years c. 600 BCE to 300 CE. This collection contains 2381 poems composed by 473 poets, some 102 of whom remain anonymous The period during which these poems were composed is commonly referred to as the Sangam...
. During the early Christian era, Brahmin saints have been frequently praised for their efforts in combating
BuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. In modern times, when Iyers and Iyengars control a significant percentage of the print and visual media, there has been an appreciable coverage of Brahmins and Brahmin culture in magazines and periodicals and a number of Brahmin characters in novels, tele serials and films.
The first known literary work in Tamil to heap criticism on Brahmins was the
Tirumanthiram, a treatise on Yoga from the 13th century. However, anti-Brahminism has been a more recent phenomenon and has been partly due to the efforts of Christian missionaries of the 19th century. The writings and speeches of
Iyothee ThassIyothee Thass or Pandit C. Ayodhya Dasa was a practitioner of Siddha medicine who is regarded as a pioneer of the Dravidian Movement.- Early life :...
,
Maraimalai AdigalMaraimalai Adigal was an eminent Tamil orator and writer. He was a devout Hindu as a staunch follower of Saivism. He has authored more than 100 books, including works on original poems and dramas, but most famous are his books on his research into Tamil literature. Most of his literary works were...
,
PeriyarErode Venkata Ramasamy , affectionately called by his followers as Periyar , Thanthai Periyar or E. V...
, Bharatidasan,
C. N. AnnaduraiConjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai , popularly called Anna , or Arignar Anna was a former Chief Minister of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu...
and the leaders of
Justice PartyThe Justice Party , officially known as South Indian Liberal Federation, was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India. The party was established in 1917 by T. M. Nair and Theagaroya Chetty as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences and meetings in the presidency...
in the early 20th century and of the
Dravidar KazhagamDravidar Kazhagam or Dravida Kazhagam was the first fully Dravidian party in India. It was a radical party formed by E. V. Ramaswamy, also called Thanthai Periyar of erstwhile Madras Presidency...
in more modern times constitute much of modern anti-Brahmin rhetoric.
Starting from the 1940s onwards, Annadurai and the
Dravida Munnetra KazhagamDravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a state political party in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, India. It is a Dravidian party founded by C. N. Annadurai as a breakaway faction from the Dravidar Kazhagam headed by Periyar...
have been using films and the
mass mediaMass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
for the propagation of their political ideology. Most of the films made, including the 1952-blockbuster
ParasakthiParasakthi was a 1952 Tamil film starring Sivaji Ganesan, Pandari Bai, S. S. Rajendran, S. V. Sahasranamam and Sriranjani. It was directed by R. Krishnan and S. Panju and produced by AVM. The dialogues for the film were penned by writer M...
, are anti-Brahminical in character.
Prominent individuals
Some of the early members of the community to gain prominence were sages and religious scholars like
AgatthiarAgastya was a Tamil/Vedic Siddhar or sage. Agastya and his clan are also generally credited with uncovering many mantras of the Rig Veda, the earliest and most revered Hindu scripture, in the sense of first having the mantras revealed in his mind by the Supreme Brahman...
, Tholkappiyar, Parimelazhagar and Naccinarkiniyar. Prior to the 19th century, almost all prominent members of this community hailed from religious or literary spheres. Tyagaraja, Syama Sastri and Muthuswamy Dīkshitar, who constitute the "Trinity of Carnatic music" were probably the first verified historical personages from the community, as the accounts or biographies of those who lived earlier appear semi-legendary in character. During the British Raj, Iyers and Iyengars dominated the services by their predominance in the legal and administrative professions. Most of the
Dewans of the princely state of Travancore during the 19th century were Tamil Brahmins (Iyers and Iyengars). Some of the prominent individuals of the period as
Seshayya SastriSir Amaravati Seshayya Sastri KCSI , or Sashiah Sastri, was an Indian administrator who served as the Diwan of Travancore from May 1872 to May 4, 1877 and as the Diwan of Pudukkottai from 1878 to 1894...
, Sir T. Muthuswamy Iyer, Sir P. S. Sivaswami Iyer, Shungrasoobyer, Sir K. Seshadri Iyer,
Sir S. Subramania IyerSir Subbier Subramania Iyer KCIE was an Indian lawyer, jurist and freedom fighter who, along with Annie Besant, founded the Home Rule Movement. He was popularly known as the "Grand Old Man of South India"....
and C. P. Ramaswamy Ayyar all had a legal background. At the same time, they were also intimately associated with the
Indian National CongressThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
and the
Indian independence movementThe term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
. The most prominent freedom fighter from the community was Subrahmanya Bharati. Following independence, Iyers have diversified into a number of fields dominating the domain of classical arts in particular.
See also
- Dravid (Surname)
Dravid is a surname found in the Deshastha Brahmin community in the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka of India. The Dravids are believed to be Tamil Brahmins from Southernmost parts of India, who migrated to the northern kingdoms in western and central parts of India sometime...
- Forward Castes
- Mulukanadu
- Smartha
Further reading
External links