Tamilnadu on the Eve of Dutch – A Study

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume II, Issue IV, April 2018 | ISSN 2454-6186

Tamilnadu on the Eve of Dutch – A Study

V.Kumar

  Research Scholar, Department of History, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract: – The Tamil country known as Tamilaham was a geographical unit situated in the southern end of peninsular India.For its natural divisions the people divided their lands into five namely Kurunji, Marudham, Mullai, Neydal and Palai on the nature of the soil.1This land was the abode of different communities known from time immemorial. The time immemorial society was basically divided into four major divisions known as Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras.2 They migrated from place to place for some reasons. After that several new castes found a place in the social stratification of the Tamil areas including the Dutch settled areas with the arrival of Telugu and Kanarese people during the Vijayanagar days. Among them Reddiars, Cavarai Naidus, Baljas, Uppiliars, Senians and Telugu speaking Brahmins was occupied important place in their respective areas. The Dutch having come here originally as traders did not interfere in matters of customs and practices. They intermingled with the natives and allowed the natives to follow their own customs and practices so as to maintain good relation with them.

Keywords: Dutch Governance, Trade Growth, Commerce Development, Caste Growth, Occupation Based on Caste and Social equality.

I. INTRODUCTION

In the social hierarchy the Brahmins, Vellalas and Vanniyars occupied at the top position and the landless untouchable agricultural labourers were at the bottom of the society.3 Mostof the communities especially the Brahmin, Vellalar, Vanniars and Reddiars were immigrants from the Andhra country.4 The Brahmins held a high sacrament position and wherever they were dominant landowners and they were also high in the economic ladder.Next to the Brahmins the Vellalas who were the landowners occupied an important place in the social hierarchy of the Tamil country. There were the landless people were next ranked below the non-Brahmins and non-vellalas. The kammalars were included five castes known as ironsmith, carpenters, goldsmith, mansion workers and stone cutters. Generally they were known as Nunvinaikammiar. Below the rank of the Nunvinaikkammiar, the dalit castes like the cobblers and pariahs who formed the last rung of the social order. The pariahs who were measured highly polluted and untouchables were mostly agricultural labourers. In villages, the parahs lived in a separate hamlet called paracherry away from the main village site and were forbidden from approaching the high caste houses and streets.

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