Chozhia Vellalar

Chozhia Vellalar or Sozhia Vellalar (Tamil: சோழிய வேளாளர்) (Pronounced as Cholia Vellalar) is one of the High/Dominate social group from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Chozhia Vellalar caste includes sub-castes of Keerakarar, Mudaliar, Kodikalarar and Vatrilaikarar^[1]

Chozia Vellalar
சோழிய வேளாளர்

Regions with significant populations
Tamil Nadu
Languages
Tamil
Religion
Hinduism, Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Pillai (community)

Origin

Chozia Vellalar is a sub-caste of the greater Vellalar and Pillai community. They were the people of Chola Nadu in origin and were greater landlords & Scholars in the Chola Kingdom. They were also the Great Warrior Clan of Chola and led crucial war for Chola Kings as Generals of Chola Army.^{[citation needed]}

A theory derives the word from Vel, to win to control, to take, as well as a lance, an old and archaic Tamil weapon. Supposedly cultivation in South Asia was spread by force, people would move out into virgin land, which was used by hunter gatherer or tribal people for slash and burn agriculture or for hunting and convert into prime agricultural land.^[2]

This was an honorific title of select few people who would organize such raids and settlements like chiefs who were also called as Vel which spread to all including that of all Ulavar which is Tamil for farmer, the actual Tamil name for cultivators. Today everybody uses it but once it was restricted to village headman or founding chief's lineage^[2]

The true concept of Vellars is they are original cultivators that has its origin to the Tamil Word Vellanmai, which means agriculture and the agriculturalists of Choza dynast became the Chozia Vellars, if to Pandiya they were called as Pandiya Vellars,those who settled in 6 different nations are called Arunattu Vellars. The farmers of Kongu are called Kongu Vellalars.

Distribution and migration

The Chozhia Vellalars were present predominantly in the eastern districts^[3] of Tamil Nadu. Nowadays they are present in almost all the districts of Tamil Nadu.

Though the distribution of the community is found in most of the districts, they migrated to the other parts of Tamil Nadu from Trichy and Thanjavur areas towards the middle and second half of the 19th century. As they moved in, they always followed the river bed areas for settlement. Thus, the said community when came to Salem District they initially settled at Palamedu. When their life at Palamedu became difficult due to Theechati Kolliyars (Dacoits with fire) they moved out. Of these the persons who moved to Pandamangalam area were farmers and the traders moved into Proper Salem. They settled as trader dealing in betel leaves and thus earning the name Vatrilaikarar.

Many communities converted to Christianity due to missionaries, but retained their cultural identity.

Prominent Chozhia Vellalars

• Nayanmars^{[citation needed]} from Chola Nadu
• Ki.Aa.Pe. Viswanatham Pillai, called as 'Muthamizh Kaavalar' for his contribution towards Tamil.
• Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai, a famous minister of Ramnad during the reign of Muthuramalinga Sethupathy
• Vasantha Prabu, Software Engineer, Bangalore
• Arunmoorthy Sethupathy, Coimbatore.
• Elagu V. Elaguppillai-Scientist
• Dr. Harish K Pillai^[4],Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay)Known in academic circles for his contribution to the field of Behavioral Theory of Systems, a fundamentally new approach to the study of Systems.
• L. D. Swamikannu Pillai, Indian astronomer,former Speaker of Tamil Nadu Assembly
• Russell Stanislaus - Power Plant Pioneer
• A. John Louis, son of Arpudhasamy pillai - Former Joint Director of Education, Pondicherry

See also

• Velama
• Sholiyar

References

1. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=COcwoYRCYhcC&pg=PA200&dq=#v=onepage&q=&f=false
2. ^ ^{a b} David Ludden, Spectres of Agrarian Territory
3. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=s_meloLiY-8C&pg=PA120&dq=Chozhia+Vellalar#v=onepage&q=&f=false
4. ^ http://www.ee.iitb.ac.in/wiki/faculty/hp