Villavar
Encyclopedia
Villavar were the primary rulers among the Dravidians. Villavar emerged from the ancient martial clans of India. The Tamil Villavar were also known as Eyinar under the Pandyan Dynasty and Īḻanar in Sri Lanka
and under the Chera Dynasty
.
with Polyandry
as the norm. Soon around the 12th century the Chera dynasty came to an end.
, Serendib or Cheran Divu indicate the influence of other Villavar kingdoms such as Pandyan Kingdom
and Chera Kingdom over Srilanka.
Pandyan kingdoms who had the title Sri Pandya Dhanajaya and double fish emblem ruled by Nadavas.The Nadava or Nadavaru (Nadalvar) are mixed with the ethnically different Bunt (community)
of Nagas now. Nadavas and Alvas are the titles of the Alupas The Billava
people could be equivalent to Villavar of ancient Tamilakam
might have contributed to the establishment of Alupas Pandyan kingdom.
preferred to have the title Banas instead of Villavars. Mahabali, Mavali and Balija
are their titles. The Banas claimed descent from the ancient Villavar dynasty of Mahabali.
Bana Kingdom
was ruled by kings with title of Bana.
However the Banas are mixed with Nagas who migrated from the North and had a different culture from original Villavar people.
, an ancient Tamil work, mentions the association of the Villavars(Bowmen) and their allies Meenavars(Fishermen)(known as Malthsya Kings in "Mahabharatha") who fought a fierce battle against Naga
s. When the Villavars and Minavars were defeated by the Nagas in the Central India, the Present day Maharashtra, Chatthisgarh and Madyapradesh area was lost to the Villavars and Nagas occupied it.
http://books.google.co.in/books?id=D-dIbnuJCjUC&pg=PA6&lpg=PA6&dq=Dravidian+theories+By+R.+Swaminatha+Aiyar&source=bl&ots=YD0vmGIhgH&sig=HQP1wZ4aBj4VeKTsN0Ug6ZJZ9LA&hl=en&ei=oGG6SsyyIoLIsAOF06SIBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=villavar&f=false
s though tribals one among them. The North Indian Villavar clans might have been assimilated by the Rajputs. Until recently during the coronation of Rajput princes their foreheads had to be smeared by the blood drawn from the thumb of a Dravidian Bhil tribal to authenticate their authority.
which had the emblem of Fish like the Pandyan kingdom of the south. The Meena kingdom ruled the west of the river Jamuna roughly corresponding to the modern Jaipur
and Alwar (ruler) areas. The meena kingdom (Fish kingdom) was called Matsya Kingdom
in Sanskrit was mentioned in the Rig Veda. The Bhil Meena
s could correspond to the Dravidian Villavar (Chera
) and Meenavar (Pandya Kingdom
)respectively and may descend from indigenous Dravidian rulers (Alwars) originally. Most of the Bhil Meenavas were aryanised even during the Vedic Period (1500 BC) and were considered as Vedic Tribes and had adopted Indo Aryan languages but a minority of the Bhil (tribal) Meenas still talk Dravidian
as their mother tongue. Bhils and Meenas are included in the Kshatriya
Varna.
In the later days the Bhils and Meenas mixed with the Pardeshi
s or Rajput
s who were Scythian, Hepthalite or other Central Asian clans. The Scythian mixed Meenas and Bhils remain as Rajput subclans while the Meenas and Bhils who were displaced by the Scythian invaders and Muslims have mixed with the tribal Bhils and form the Bhil
(tribal) meenas
who still talk a Dravidian tongue and still considered as Rajputs.
Bhil meenas are also found in parts of North eastern India and Sind area of Pakistan.
s or Mudaliar
a Kalabhra aristocracy who once ruled Chera, Chola and Pandyan kingdoms as Muvendars regard Paratas as one of their own clan. Now at the present day, Meenavar caste has been spread up to eight divisions, the major tribes are Maravar and paravar(parathavar), who were ancient rulers of land and seas of Pandya kingdom. Parataraja
Sri Lanka
Sri 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...
and under the Chera Dynasty
Chera dynasty
Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...
.
Chera Kingdom
The Chera king had the title Villavar Kon indicating Villavar clans founded the ancient Chera Kingdom. The Emblem on the flag of Cheras was Bow and Arrow. The Chera kingdom was founded by the integration of various Villavar tribes such as Vanavar or Vanathi Rayar, Puraiyar, Velliar and Pazhuvettaraiyars http://books.google.co.in/books?id=pXpuAAAAMAAJ&q=malayar+vanavar&dq=malayar+vanavar&lr= After the arrival of Nagas the Villavar culture who cherished Patriarchy and Monogamy was replaced by MatriarchyMatriarchy
A matriarchy is a society in which females, especially mothers, have the central roles of political leadership and moral authority. It is also sometimes called a gynocratic or gynocentric society....
with Polyandry
Polyandry
Polyandry refers to a form of marriage in which a woman has two or more husbands at the same time. The form of polyandry in which a woman is married to two or more brothers is known as "fraternal polyandry", and it is believed by many anthropologists to be the most frequently encountered...
as the norm. Soon around the 12th century the Chera dynasty came to an end.
Travancore Venad
The Travancore kings, who descend from Ay kings of Venad (Southern Kerala), who once had been under the suzerainty of Pandyan kingdom and later under the Chera kingdom, had marital relationships with the ancient Chera kingdom. The Venad kings added the title Villavar indicating their Chera connections.Pandyan Kingdom
The Pandyan dynasty (Tamil: பாண்டியர்) was an ancient Tamil dynasty. The Pandyas were one of the four Tamil dynasties (the other three being Chola, Chera and Pallava), 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 to Madurai. Pandyan was well known since the ancient period, with contacts, even diplomatic, reaching the Roman Empire; during the 13th century AD, Marco Polo mentioned it as the richest empire in existence.[2] The Pandyan empire was home to temples including Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, and Nellaiappar Temple built on the bank of the river Thamirabarani in Tirunelveli.Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka was named Ezham or Ezha Theevu in ancient times or Heladiva in Sinhalese.Ezham was named after Ezhinar a Villavar people of Sri Lanka.The other ancient names of Sri Lanka such as Taprobane or TamraparniTamraparni
Tamraparni or Tambapanni is an old name of Sri Lanka. Tamraparniya is a name given to the Theravada school lineage in Sri Lanka...
, Serendib or Cheran Divu indicate the influence of other Villavar kingdoms such as Pandyan Kingdom
Pandyan Kingdom
The 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...
and Chera Kingdom over Srilanka.
Tulunadu
The Tulunadus ruling clans were the AlupasAlupas
The Alupas kings were a minor dynasty who ruled parts of coastal Karnataka. Later with the dominance of Kadambas in Banavasi, they became feudatory to them. With the changing political scenario, soon they became the feudatories to Chalukyas, Hoysalas and Vijayanagara Rayas...
Pandyan kingdoms who had the title Sri Pandya Dhanajaya and double fish emblem ruled by Nadavas.The Nadava or Nadavaru (Nadalvar) are mixed with the ethnically different Bunt (community)
Bunt (community)
Bunt , previously spelled Bant, are a community of erstwhile nobility, feudatory and gentry from the region of Tulu Nadu in the south west of India which comprises the districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada in the Indian state of Karnataka and Kasaragod taluk of Kerala...
of Nagas now. Nadavas and Alvas are the titles of the Alupas The Billava
Billava
The Billava, or Ilava people make up one of the largest Hindu communities of the Tulu ethnic group in India. They are also found in the Kannada-speaking Kundapura region of Karnataka and some parts of Kerala, including Kasaragod district...
people could be equivalent to Villavar of ancient Tamilakam
Tamilakam
' refers to the classical era territory of old South Indian royalties covering modern Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Tamil Eelam and southern parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka.; In an academic context, Tamilakam is used to refer to these territories as a single cultural area, where Tamil was the natural...
might have contributed to the establishment of Alupas Pandyan kingdom.
Bana Kingdom
The Villavars north of TamilakamTamilakam
' refers to the classical era territory of old South Indian royalties covering modern Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Tamil Eelam and southern parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka.; In an academic context, Tamilakam is used to refer to these territories as a single cultural area, where Tamil was the natural...
preferred to have the title Banas instead of Villavars. Mahabali, Mavali and Balija
Balija
Balija is a social group spread across the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh , Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala...
are their titles. The Banas claimed descent from the ancient Villavar dynasty of Mahabali.
Bana Kingdom
Bana Kingdom
The Banas were a dynasty of South India, who claimed descent from the asura Mahabali. The dynasty takes its name from Bana, the son of Mahabali. The Banas faced opposition from several neighbouring dynasties and served some major dynasties such as the Cholas and Pandyas as feudatories, sometimes...
was ruled by kings with title of Bana.
However the Banas are mixed with Nagas who migrated from the North and had a different culture from original Villavar people.
Villavars and Meenavars (minavar)
The KaliththokaiKaliththokai
Kalithogai ,a classical Tamil poetic work,is the sixth book of Ettuthokai, a Sangam literature anthology. Kalithogai contains one hundred and fifty poems and were written by various authors. Nachinarkiniyar, a Tamil scholar living during the sixth or the seventh century C.E...
, an ancient Tamil work, mentions the association of the Villavars(Bowmen) and their allies Meenavars(Fishermen)(known as Malthsya Kings in "Mahabharatha") who fought a fierce battle against Naga
Naga people
The term Naga people refers to a conglomeration of several tribes inhabiting the North Eastern part of India and north-western Burma. The tribes have similar cultures and traditions, and form the majority ethnic group in the Indian state of Nagaland...
s. When the Villavars and Minavars were defeated by the Nagas in the Central India, the Present day Maharashtra, Chatthisgarh and Madyapradesh area was lost to the Villavars and Nagas occupied it.
http://books.google.co.in/books?id=D-dIbnuJCjUC&pg=PA6&lpg=PA6&dq=Dravidian+theories+By+R.+Swaminatha+Aiyar&source=bl&ots=YD0vmGIhgH&sig=HQP1wZ4aBj4VeKTsN0Ug6ZJZ9LA&hl=en&ei=oGG6SsyyIoLIsAOF06SIBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=villavar&f=false
Maravar, Oliyar, Oviyar, Aru-Valur and Parathavar
Maravar, Oliyar, Oviyar, Aru-Valur and Parathavar are believed to have Naga origins. Some Nagas who converted to "Budha" religion moved to some places in Sri Lanka also, which were in turn renamed Nagadipa. They also moved to Indo China and South Asian countries and moved to Philippines also. Eyinar may have Villavar origins too since Eyinar means archer in ancient Tamil.The North Indian Villavars
Rajputs regard the BhilBhil
Bhils are primarily an Adivasi people of Central India. Bhils are also settled in the Tharparkar District of Sindh, Pakistan. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages....
s though tribals one among them. The North Indian Villavar clans might have been assimilated by the Rajputs. Until recently during the coronation of Rajput princes their foreheads had to be smeared by the blood drawn from the thumb of a Dravidian Bhil tribal to authenticate their authority.
Bhil Meenas of Rajastan
In the ancient times Rajasthan was ruled by a dynasty of MeenasMeenas
Meenas, Meena, Meenoat or Mina is a caste and community mainly found in Rajasthan, India. The name Mina is derived from Meen,meaning 'fish' in Sanskrit, and the Minas claim descent from the Matsya Avatar, or fish incarnation, of Vishnu.Meenas celebrate Meenesh Jayanti in the name of Vishnu on 3...
which had the emblem of Fish like the Pandyan kingdom of the south. The Meena kingdom ruled the west of the river Jamuna roughly corresponding to the modern Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
and Alwar (ruler) areas. The meena kingdom (Fish kingdom) was called Matsya Kingdom
Matsya Kingdom
Matsya or Machcha , classically called the Mese , was the name of a tribe and the state of the Vedic civilization of India. It lay to south of the kingdom of Kurus and west of the Yamuna which separated it from the kingdom of Panchalas...
in Sanskrit was mentioned in the Rig Veda. The Bhil Meena
Bhil Meena
The Bhil Meena are a tribal group found in the state of Rajasthan in India. According to some traditions, they are said to be descended from those Meenas and Rajputs who, in the wars between their own tribes or with Muslims, were compelled to quit their native home and seek refuge in the vastness...
s could correspond to the Dravidian Villavar (Chera
Chera dynasty
Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...
) and Meenavar (Pandya Kingdom
Pandya Kingdom
The Pandyas were fierce warriors who took part in the Kurukshetra War as per the epic Mahabharata. A Pandya king named Sarangadhwaja, is mentioned as participating in the Kurukshetra War, siding with the Pandavas. It is not clear if Pandyas were linked to the Pandavas of North India...
)respectively and may descend from indigenous Dravidian rulers (Alwars) originally. Most of the Bhil Meenavas were aryanised even during the Vedic Period (1500 BC) and were considered as Vedic Tribes and had adopted Indo Aryan languages but a minority of the Bhil (tribal) Meenas still talk Dravidian
Dravidian languages
The Dravidian language family includes approximately 85 genetically related languages, spoken by about 217 million people. They are mainly spoken in southern India and parts of eastern and central India as well as in northeastern Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran, and...
as their mother tongue. Bhils and Meenas are included in the Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
Varna.
In the later days the Bhils and Meenas mixed with the Pardeshi
Pardeshi
A Pardeshi is a surname of Hindi/Marathi origin. It is used in the Rajput communities, and it is fairly common in certain areas, such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujrat.-Origin:...
s or Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s who were Scythian, Hepthalite or other Central Asian clans. The Scythian mixed Meenas and Bhils remain as Rajput subclans while the Meenas and Bhils who were displaced by the Scythian invaders and Muslims have mixed with the tribal Bhils and form the Bhil
Bhil
Bhils are primarily an Adivasi people of Central India. Bhils are also settled in the Tharparkar District of Sindh, Pakistan. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages....
(tribal) meenas
Meenas
Meenas, Meena, Meenoat or Mina is a caste and community mainly found in Rajasthan, India. The name Mina is derived from Meen,meaning 'fish' in Sanskrit, and the Minas claim descent from the Matsya Avatar, or fish incarnation, of Vishnu.Meenas celebrate Meenesh Jayanti in the name of Vishnu on 3...
who still talk a Dravidian tongue and still considered as Rajputs.
Bhil meenas are also found in parts of North eastern India and Sind area of Pakistan.
Fate of the Meenavars
MudirajuMudiraju
Mudiraju or Mudiraj. is a caste found in Andhra pradesh. The caste was primarily devoted to agriculture. Mudiraju are also found in Tamilnadu. They constitute a major block of aboriginal Indians. They are descendants of the Bhils and are believed to have developed the Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro...
s or Mudaliar
Mudaliar
Mudaliar also Mudali, Moodley is a title used in Tamil diaspora. It is derived from the honorary title Mudali meaning a person of first rank in the Tamil language which was bestowed upon top-ranking bureaucratic officials and army commanders in medieval South India...
a Kalabhra aristocracy who once ruled Chera, Chola and Pandyan kingdoms as Muvendars regard Paratas as one of their own clan. Now at the present day, Meenavar caste has been spread up to eight divisions, the major tribes are Maravar and paravar(parathavar), who were ancient rulers of land and seas of Pandya kingdom. Parataraja