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Showing posts from May, 2013

Chola Warlords: Who Were the Paluvettaraiyars?

Ponniyin Selvan I movie poster showing actor Sarathkumar as Periya Paluvettaraiyar and actor Parthiban as Chinna Paluvettaraiyar. In 2024, Oxford University Press published  Minor Majesties: The Paluvēṭṭaraiyars and Their South Indian Kingdom of Paluvūr, 9th–11th Centuries A.D ., a groundbreaking study by historian Valerie Gillet. In the book’s opening chapter, A Tentative Biography of the Paluvettaraiyars , Gillet delves into the lineage and origins of this influential fami ly.  These Chola warlords traced their lineage to the formidable Maravars, an ancient warrior tribe renowned for their valor. However, I believe that while the Paluvettaraiyars were indeed of Maravar descent, they likely forged alliances through intermarriage with those of the Kallar and Agambadiyar clans, further solidifying their power and influence. Prominent figures in the medieval Chola era, the Paluvettaraiyars played a pivotal role in shaping the empire’s political and military landscape. Through st...
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Empowering The Tamil Dalits

Dalits are the most marginalized community in India The total population of India is 1,210,569,573. According to the Indian census of 2011, 16.6% of Indians are Dalits. The total number of Dalits in India is 200,954,549. 7.2% of the Dalits in India live in Tamil Nadu. Their population in Tamil Nadu is 14,468,727. Total population of Tamil Nadu is 72,138,958. That means only 20% of Tamil Nadu people are Dalits. This includes Dalits of non-Tamil origin who live in that state. Dalits cannot be empowered by simply demanding the other castes to drop their surnames or identity. Because these non-Dalit communities form 80% of Tamil population. Why would the 80% give up on their identities when they have already established themselves? Logically speaking, they will not do it. Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Instead of asking the 80% of the population to discard their identities, it is probably better for the Dalits of Tamil Nadu to merge as a single community...
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Boomerang of Tamilakam

An Australian Aborigine and his boomerang Boomerangs from Australia We usually think of Australia and their aboriginal people whenever the word Boomerang is mentioned. Not many are aware that the Tamil people used boomerangs too. The Tamil boomerang is known as Valari or Valai Tadi.    Dr. A.V Jayachandran holding a Valari. This weapon was excavated near the ancient port of Thondi. It was under the rule of the ancient Pandyas. Source: Dr. S.Jayabarathi (student of Dr. A.V Jayachandran) Tamil boomerangs were used for hunting. Most of it were not meant to return. These boomerangs were also used in warfare to decapitate the enemies. I was introduced to Tamil boomerangs by Dr.S.Jayabarathi (DrJaybee). It was his writings which inspired me to learn more about our origins. Furthermore, both our ancestors came from Sivagangai, a district known for its martial culture during ancient times. My ancestors used the boomerang not just to hunt deers but also to kill their...
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The Kongu Vellalar

Dheeran Chinnamalai Kavundar. A chieftain and freedom fighter from Kongu Nadu. I have given a list of clans that fall under the Vellalar community banner. There are 150 of them. You can view the full list here . Among the Vellalars, the Vellalars of Kongu Nadu are probably the most numerous. Kongu Nadu is a region in western Tamil Nadu. It used to be part of the ancient Chera Kingdom.   This region is made of Palani, Dharapuram, Karur, Nammakkal, Thiruchengodu, Erode, Salem, Dharmapuri, Satyamangalam, Nilgiris, Avinashi, Coimbatore, Pollachi and Udumalpet. Sri Lanka's cricket bowler, Muralitharan. The Vellalars of Kongu Nadu are also known as Kavundar as this is the most common title used by them. It is believed that they were from Thanjavur, the capital of Chola Kingdom, and migrated into the Kongu region. Over there, they fought wars with the Vettuvar tribe and emerged as the victor. Actor Sivakumar (born Palanisamy Kavundar) and sons, actors Surya and Karthi...
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The Dobermann

*Pictures taken randomly from Google   I love dogs. They are the most loyal creature a man can have. Our ancestors domesticated dogs and this is definitely one of the best things they did for us. There are many dog breeds. Some are pure breed while others are mixed breeds. I had a Rottweiler for almost 12 years. His name was Max. We still talk about Max although he died 5 years ago. We never had another dog after Max but I am sure to get one someday. Perhaps another male Rottweiler. There is another breed which I will consider. It is the Dobermann. Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann was a tax collector and he used to travel to places infested with criminals to collect tax. It was a dangerous job. He required a guard dog which was intelligent, fast, agile, loyal and also ferocious. Karl decided to create a dog breed which suits the criteria he looked for. It was created by crossbreeding the Beauceron, German Pinscher, Manchester Ter...
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Hereditary Malay Titles

Hereditary titles are used by various ethnics. The Tamils have their caste titles which can be used as paternal family names or titular clan surnames. These are hereditary and should only be used by those who belong to that particular family. For example, a person with the Udayar title cannot call himself a Desigar and vice versa. Like the Tamils, the Malay people too have their own hereditary titles. However, unlike the Tamils who use it as their last name, the Malay titles are used as the first name, right before the given name. Let's take a look at some of it. Pengiran and Tengku Pengiran is much more common in Borneo (esp Brunei) than in Peninsular Malaysia. It is equivalent to the Tengku title used in peninsular. One of Brunei’s recognized literary artist is Pengiran Setia Negara Pengiran (Dr.) Haji Mohd Yusof Pengiran Haji Abdul Rahim. He is also known as Yura Halim. Tengku Razaleigh bin Tengku Mohd Hamzah, former Finance Minister of Malaysia Raja This tit...
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BN Indians vs PR Indians

It has been a week since elections (GE13) ended. It is probably the most controversial elections in our nation's history. When I started this blog, I told myself to avoid writing about politics. But I can't help it. I decided to start writing whatever that I feel as necessary. Alot of Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters particularly those from Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) believe that Malaysians of Indian origin can only be represented by BN at both state and federal level. They have played the race cards for too long. I decided to do some calculation to check on this matter. During the elections, we will select candidates for 2 different seats. One is for the state level, the other is for the federal level. The state seats are known as Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) in Malaysia. A person who wins a DUN is known as Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN). Federal seats are referred to as Parliament seats. A person who wins the Parliament seat is referred to as Member of ...
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Popular posts from this blog

The Indian confusion - Race, Caste, Clan & Surnames

Before you read, keep in mind that this was not written with the intention to divide the people. It was written with the intention to explain the meaning of each group. The write up on my journey in Bali is still in progress. I have to transfer some image files in order to upload them. So I thought of writing about the biggest confusion in the Indian Malaysian community. It is a sensitive one too. But clarification should be given. Else, when are we going to understand it? To my friends of other races who happened to read my blog, this will probably be enlightening as many may not be aware of our demographics. First of all, there are two main classification for us in Malaysia. Indian & Ceylonese. Many assume it to be a homogenous race like Chinese, but it isn't. The Chinese have many languages but they have a common language called Mandarin. They also have one writing script. This is what makes the over 1 billion Chinese worldwide as a homogenous race. Ancient Chinese ...
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Dogs of Tamil Nadu

Pictures taken from Google. Credit goes to the various people who uploaded them. I apologise for not being able to identify the original owner of the pics. Whenever we speak of dogs, we tend to focus on the European breeds.  This is due to their popularity and demand. Unknown to many, India has about 88 native dog breeds. Six of these breeds are from the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Most of these dogs from Tamil Nadu evolved naturally. That makes them more suitable to the hot climate in the south. Furthermore, these dogs require less medical attention as their immune system is stronger, making them less prone to disease which are common among the European breeds. In Tamil Nadu, we can find breeds like the famous Rajapalayam, Kombai, Alangu Mastiff, Chippiparai, Kanni and Malayeri. Both the Alangu Mastiff and Malayeri are now extinct. Malayeri The Malayeri (hill climber) was a shepherd dog used by the tribals to herd sheeps. It was commonly found in the hills of Tamil Na...
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Muniswaran Worship

(Pictures taken from Google except for the Banyan tree) Hinduism is a world of its own. It is not a single book religion like the Abrahamic religions. It is actually a collection of various religions, philosophies, doctrines, rituals and practices. In Hinduism, worship of minor deities is also practiced. Although it is not part of mainstream Hinduism, it still plays an important part in the daily lives of many individuals and families. The worship of minor deities is much more common in rural areas. It is often more of a clan or family affair. The minor deities fall into different categories. One of it is a class of powerful spirits known as Muni. My family use to offer worship under this tree in Klang. My interest in Muni worship started at a very young age. I have always been a curious kid. I ask alot of questions.. I still am a curious person. Always looking for more clues and hopefully some answers. It is perhaps my late paternal grandmother, Letchumy, who ign...
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