Kongu Nadu

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The name Kongu Nadu originated from the term Kongu, meaning nectar or honey in Sangam Tamil metamorphically referring to the honey or nectar like landscape and people living in the western regions of Tamil Nadu. Kongu Nadu is an ancient division of Tamilakkam known since Sangam Tamil age and comes under the Kurunji and Palai type of lands of the ancient Tamil country.

Description

Kongu Nadu is an ancient division of Tamilakkam from Sangam Tamil days ruled by native Kongu Chieftains and also by Kongu Cholas later. Kongu Nadu for most part in the South Indian history remained an independent and largely autonomous self-governing region. Many a Kongu Kings have defied the commands of the mighty emperors and fought for Kongu's rights. Even the Imperial Cholas couldn't bring Kongu Nadu under their hegemony. But the native Kongu warrior clans and kootams have took part in many of the various war campaigns and historical battles of the Chola and Chera empires to safeguard their homeland against any outside aggression. The Chera kings are noted to be of Gounder origin (lineage Cheran kootam) which lives near the seat of the Cheras, the ancient city of Vanchi, modern day Karur. The ancient Sangam Tamil literature Pathirruppathu describes about the Kongu region in detail. Kongu region came to be called as Kongu Nadu with the growth of Tamil civilization in South India.

Kongu Vellala Gounders are a Kshatriya warrior clan of the Kongu Nadu and ancient Chola and Chera empires of the Southern India. They are an ancient noble, feudal and land-owning caste in Tamil Nadu, India. Known for protecting self-respect, many a Kongu Chieftain had defied the commands of empires. Even the Imperial Cholas couldn't fully bring Kongu Nadu under their control. They moved to now Kongu Nadu after a conflict with the Imperial Cholas ^[1]. These Kshatriyas became Vellalars later, as it is allowed in Hindu dharma for Kshatriyas to become Vellalars under special circumstances, especially to feed the feudal, military apparatus of one's country during famine and took up agriculture in the now Kongu Nadu. Kongu Nadu has the largest number of Palayams (military camps) in Tamilnadu. During the British rule, the Sankagiri Fort was made the army head quarters for the troops stationed in the Kongu region and also where the revolutionary Kongu Chieftain Theeran Chinnamalai, a Palayakkarar was hanged, a landmark and watershed event in annals of Kongu Nadu history .

History

Until the tenth century or so, the Kongu Nadu was a heavily forested area, its small population living largely by hunting and herding rather than by direct cultivation of the soil. It is said that the great Chola warriors expanded into the Kongu region, cleared the forests and established agricultural settlements. Certain clans soon distinguished themselves in local battles fought to win the land and to establish agricultural settlements. As a result, the Chola King rewarded them by giving them rights to fine tracks of land. The clans which are named are among the prosperous Gounder caste in Kongu today. Gounders enlisted the help of service class people to carry on their daily lives in their settlements. Hence we have Kongu barbers, Kongu washerman, Kongu carpenter etc.

Kongu Nadu consists of the present districts of Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Nilagiri, Karur, Dindigul, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri as well as parts of Thiruchirapalli, Perambalur, Vellore and Villupuram districts in Tamilnadu. Its main industrial cities are Coimbatore, Salem, Tirupur, Karur, Namakkal and Erode. Kongu Vellalars are also sparsely distributed in Thanjavur, Madurai and Theni districts of Tamil Nadu. In ancient days it included South Indian regions of Palakkad, Malappuram, Idukki districts now in Kerala. Nowadays Kongu Mandalam is an administrative zone encompassing the western regions of the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu bordering Kerala and Karnataka.

The Sangam age

We have to remember that though the geographical region is called Kongunadu in Tamil, the name is a derivent of Kangu (கங்கு) (Komaralingam copperplates) and ultimately Kanganadu (கங்கநாடு) (Sanskrit: Ganganadu, or the land of the Ganga people). The region streched throughout the Kaveri catchment basin. As even a 17th century poet, Valasundara Kavirayar in his Kongumandalasatakam versifies the borders of Kongu Nadu.

வடக்கு நந்திகிரி வராககிரி தெற்கு

குடக்குப் பொறுப்பு வெள்ளிக் குன்று கிடக்கும்

களித்தண்டலை மேவு காவிரிசூழ் நாட்டுக்

குளித்தண்டலை யளவு கொங்கு.

From this we ascertain that the borders of 17th century Kongu were:

Northern: Nandigiri (Nandi hills in Kolar and Tumkur dists. of Karnataka located seventy kilometeres to the north of today's Bengaluru). Southern: Varahagiri (Panrimalai mountain in the Palani-Kodaikkanal ranges, Panrimalai is referred in its Sanskrit name). Eastern: Kudagu and Vellikundru (Kodagu in the Madikeri dist. of Karnataka and Vellingiri hills near Coimbatore which form the border with Kerala). Western: Kulithalai (Karur dist. located on the Karur- Tiruchirappalli highway). Further he adds that the region is like a basin (Kavirisoozh) and surprises us with his geographical knowledge through expressing Kongu as the entire Kaveri catchment basin, the Kaveri valley.

This region comprises the following modern districts of the following states.

In Tamilnadu: Coimbatore, Erode, Udagamandalam, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Karur, Dindigul (excluding the Nattam, Nilakkottai and southward slopes of Kodaikkanal taluk), Vellore (Tiruppattur taluk only), Villuppuram (Kalrayan hills only), Perambalur (Pachamalai hills only) and Tiruchirappalli (Pachamalai hills, Turaiyur taluk's western parts and Musiri panchayat union).

In Karnataka: Madikeri, Chickmagalur, Hassan, Tumkur, Kolar, Bangalaore Urban, Bangalore Rural, Mandya, Mysore and Chamrajnagar.

In Kerala: Wayanad, Palakkad (villages with a majority Tamil speaking population only), Malappuram (river Bhavani valley only) and Idukki (Amaravati River valley only) .

The excavations dating to the Sangam period show great works of art like coins, anklets and other objects of household and luxury necessities emerge. Kongunadu perhaps has yielded the most in metal and embedding industry than any other region of earth at that time. It was the only exclusive source of gold and quality iron to the whole world. The famous sites are:

Kodumanal (world's only gold jewellery embedding centre of those days), Kundadam (metal works), Karur (Chera Vanji) (coin mints, anklets, Greco-Roman trade posts, etc..,), Salem: (first steel workshops whose products were found in the Egyptian pyramids),

The region around Coimbatore and Erode was amongst the first places in Tamil Nadu where the local Tamil speaking people set up territorial states. Its strategic location near the Palghat Gap in the Western Ghats made it an area of conflict between the ancient southern kingdoms; The region of Kongunadu originally belongs to the Kurinji (tropical evergreen mountainous) and Mullai types (tropical deciduous plateau) which were originally densely to medium sparsely forested. The Gounders have in living memory, the very different days from now, when people moved around far and wide but within the forested Kaveri catchment valley with their cow herds. These people did not settle down at a single major point in history. There are such cowherds even to be found today in the remote forests of the Sathyamangalam ghats for example. The herds were vast and mostly belonged to the Bargur cattle type. This is reflected in the Mahabharata references in the Kongu Nadu where Pithamagar Bhisma and the Kauravas came for a cattle raid which is in the pattern called Vetchi (Tam:வெட்சி) in Sangam literature, where cattle, the primary wealth of the people is taken as stake to initiate a war.

Kongumandalasatakam says that the cattle raid was successfully repelled by Arjuna (Bruhannala) with Uttarakumaran, the son of the King Viratarayan of Ladapuram (modern Dharapuram) at a skirmish at the banks of the Kanchi (Noyyal) (dates: 3100 B.C, Mahabharata). This place was named Tirupur or the place where the cattle were rerouted back to Ladapuram. These shifting farmer-cattleherd villages were called pattis after the cow pens. The main food products were cow milk and dry crops like Aariyam (Varaku or Ragi), Kambu, Cholam and Tinai. They also exchanged these produce for rice from marginal settled farmers. Satiyaputra (Adiyaman) of Dharmapuri, the Cheras of Karur (Vanchi) and, during the decline of the Sangam era, the Western Ganga Dynasty of Kannuva Gotra. There was also a period of Thanjavur Chola rule under Rajaraja and Rajendra. The power then passed to the Hoysalas who still used Gounder organisation at local level. The defeat of the Khalji invasions resulted in a shift to the Wodeyar scribes under Vijayanagara. However, the Gounders retained their military and administrative power to the era of the Kingdom of Mysore. After the fall of Kongu Palayakkarar Theeran Chinnamalai, power went into British hands.

People of Kongu Nadu

There are various themes of origin of the Gounder caste. The common undercurrent in all of them is that the original name of the caste is Gangakulam (Tamil: கங்காகுலம்) which is descended from the King Gangadatta (Sanskrit: meaning one given by the Goddess Ganga) (Tamil: கங்கதத்தன்) (the name Kongu Vellala Gounder is a relatively new, post-colonial classification necessitated nomenclature).

They are traditionally considered to be Tamil speakers of the Kongu Nadu, an ancient division of Tamilakam that includes parts of northwest Tamil Nadu, portions of neighbouring Kerala and the southern Mysore region of Karnataka. They are one of the Prominent castes of Tamil Community who have their roots to the Sangam Tamil Culture and their elaborate marriage festivities are mentioned about in beautiful chaste Tamil by Kavirayar Kambar in his famous Kongu Mangala Vazhthu songs. The legendary Ponnar Shankar epic which was also written by Kalaignar Karunanidhi in the modern 20th century illustrates about the valiant brothers very clearly.

They are one of the most reformed, progressive castes who lived in the Kongu region of Tamilnadu from historical times. The reasons for such a developed region, cultured & mannered people go back to the Gounder caste which mostly go unresearched partly due to the heavy stench of ideological biases of contemperory Tamil historians and partly due to the jealousy and the resulting fear of the caste itself.

The word Gounder has two possible meanings in archaic Tamil and Kannada.

1) The word Kamindan in Sangam Tamil means "the one who cleared forests and made the land cultivable."

2) In Kannada Kamindan means cattle breeder which is found in inscription belonging to the Hoysala's.

One can even now see the sanctity attached to cattle breeding by the Kongu Vellala Gounders even to-day when they call their chief festival Pongal as Patti Nombi. The Vokkaliga Gowdas of Karnataka and the Kongu Vellala Gounders of Tamil Nadu are one of the most well organised social group in South India but with Kongu Vellalars showing even more intricately arranged socio-cultural hierarchy than their long separated ethnic cousins Vokkaliga Gowdas owing to their long recorded history of martial Kshatriya status before turning Vellalars.

The Kongu Vellalars (including Nattu Gounders) were of great support to the King by assisting with their own army in great battles and war during ancient times. They also held high positions such as chieftains, army generals and ministers of Chera and Chola empires. They were also Chera Kings and extended their empire till the western coast of India when the Kingdom was at its peak. The community enjoyed high reputation, influence, popularity and respect even from the early Sangam age.

The Velalapuranam and Kambar's Mangalavazthu

The Velalapuranam, a 19th century work which tells the legend of the man who originated from the Goddess Ganga called here as Marapalan who started the Gangakulam. This is a construction based probably on Kambar's Mangala Vazhthu ( மங்கல வாழ்த்து) which is even today sung during only the Kongu Vellala Gounder marriage rites. Kambar himself describes the various rites associated with the Gounder marriage. One is the Kaikorvai (கங்கா குலம் விளங்க கம்பர் சொன்ன...) in which he blesse the Gangakulam couple.

These Vellalars are descendant from the ancient Kshatriya Suriyavamsam (Solar dynasty) through the Gangakulam (preserved in names like Suriya Kangeyan and titles having Kangeyan).

Countries of ancient Kongu Nadu

The countries comprising ancient Kongu Nadu are:

1. Poondurai Nadu - Erode & Thiruchengode Taluks
2. Thenkarai Nadu - Dharapuram & Karur Taluks
3. Kangeya Nadu - Dharapuram & Kankeyam Taluks
4. Pongalur Nadu - Palladam & Dharapuram Taluks
5. Arai Nadu - Kovai & Avanasi Taluks
6. Varakka Nadu - Palladam & Pollachi Taluks
7. Thiruvavinankudi Nadu - Palani Taluk
8. Mana Nadu - South-West region of Karur Taluk
9. Thalaiyur Nadu - South & West regions of Karur Taluk
10. Thataiyur Nadu - Kuliththalai Taluk
11. Poovaniya Nadu - Omalur & Dharmapuri Taluks
12. Araya nadu - Erode & Namakkal Taluks
13. Oduvanga Nadu - Gobi Taluk
14. Vadakarai Nadu - Bhavani Taluk
15. Kilanku Nadu - Karur & Kulithalai Taluks
16. Nallurukka Nadu - Udumalaipettai Taluk
17. Vallavandi Nadu - Namakkal Northern part & Karur Taluks
18. Anda Nadu - Palani Taluk, Eastern Part
19. Venkala Nadu - Karur Taluk, Eastern Part
20. Kazalakkala Nadu - Pollachi Taluk
21. Anamalai Nadu - South-West region of Pollachi Taluk
22. Rasipura Nadu - Selam, Rasipuram, Kollimalai Taluks
23. Kangikovil Nadu - Gobi & Bhavani Taluks
24. Kurumbu Nadu - Vellakovil Taluk

The code of Predatory Warfare and Self-Sacrifice by the Gounders and other warrior castes in Ancient Tamilnadu

The epics of Silappatikaram (5: 79-86) and Manimekalai (6: 50-51) mention the practice of martial self-sacrifices and suicidal battles of the warrior caste of ancient Tamil Nadu as the ultimate expression of honour and his loyalty to his King . The Tamil country was divided into a number of feudal domains, called "Palayams", which literally means ‘military camps’ , the chief of which was the Palaiyakkarar – the commander of the camp. The practice of martial suicide was most prevalent in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu, which had the very large number of "Palayams" in Southern India.

Early Europeans who studied the military system of the Tamil country were inclined to read therein, some of the ideals embodied in the celebrated regulations of the Prussian infantry that the whole of Europe imitated after the victories of Frederick II.The military system of the Tamil country was yet a dream in eighteenth century Europe; its armies were in the process of developing methods and regulations which “got rid of the peasant” in the new recruit and “gave him the air of a soldier.” Like the Japanese Bakuhan system, the "Palayam system" was based on a feudal class structure of warriors, farmers, artisans and merchants where the distinctions between the caste statuses of the constitutent classes were strictly enforced. To symbolize this society, the Tamil warriors, like the Japanese samurai, wore swords in everyday life because the system was maintained by their military power.

"Avippali" is an act of the Kshtatriya warrior done on hearing that his King or commander has died (Purapporul Venpa Malai). To ensure the complete severing of the head, the warrior tied his hair to a bamboo bent taut before he cut his neck. Hero stones depicting this practice are found all over Tamil Nadu and are called "Avippali" by Tamil literature and "Saavan Kallu" by locals. The warriors who thus committed self-sacrifice were deified in hero stones (saavan kallu) and worshipped. Their relatives were given lands which were exempted from tax as mark of respect for the brave soul deceased.

An area handbook (Tharamangalam) of the Tamilnadu archeology department notes that the Nava Kandam sculpture which is found widely all over Kongu Nadu (Coimbatore, Salem) is to be seen at the Tharamangalam Kailasanathar Kovil also. The people call it Saavan Kallu. The practice of "Nava Kandam" existed in Kongu Nadu till the early part of this [i.e., 20th] century.

Apart from these codified forms of martial self-sacrifice, a method called Vadakkiruththal is mentioned in Tamil heroic poetry. It is the act of a warrior king fasting to death, if some dire dishonour were to come upon him. The Tamil teacher, and the Dravidian propagandist, turned the song of the legendary Chera King Irumborai who committed self-sacrifice when he was taken captive by his enemies into a compelling theme in Tamil renaissance.

Marriage customs

The marriage rites of Kongu Vellalar are ancient and stands as testimony to their cultured grooming. Their marriage customs are unique amongst other communities in Tamil Nadu. Gounders marry outside their Kulam/Kootam and are renowned for their elaborate three-day marriage extravaganzas.

The First day event: The first day event is called Naal virundhu. On this day, close relatives of the bride and bridegroom will host feasts for the bride’s family and bridegroom’s family respectively.

The Second day event: On the second day, marriage arrangements will be done by bringing together all relatives. Events such as erection of pandhal (temporary shed), cutting of Muhurtha Kaal, hairdressing of bridegroom by kudimagan, informing the marriage event to village community by drum beating, hosting of feast for the relatives in the bride’s family as well as bridegroom’s family, bridegroom leaving for the bride’s house will take place on the second day.

The Third day event: The Muhurtham will take place on third day. The bride and the bridegroom will be seated on the marriage platform on completion of appropriate rites. The Thaali (Mangala Naan) will be tied by the bridegroom around the bride’s neck and mangala vaazhthu song will be recited. The marriage events will come to a close with the serving of a grand feast to all relatives, friends and neighbours. The marriage events will be performed by a respected elderly person of the community.

Kongu Mangala Vaazhthu composed by Tamil National poet Kamban is a beautiful treatise in chaste Tamil elaborating the marriage festivities of Kongu Vellala Gounders who were his patron and is regarded as a classical masterpiece on ancient customs and traditions of Tamil people.[1]

Culture

The Kongu culture is reflected more in its folklore. Folklore is an archive of human civilization along with other forms of oral tradition like story telling. It consists of customs, beliefs, value systems, festivals and rituals of a Community. And tells about their morals, ideals, values and dharma for which they lived. It also reflects its greatness and shortcomings. Kula Puranams are the chief folkloristic expressions found in many communities in South India. The Annanmar Swami Kathai is considered the national literature of Kongu Nadu. The Ponnar Shankar epic tells the story of the historic war between the Vellalars and Vettuvans. It was popularized by Sakthikkanal at the regional level and by the American Anthropologist Brenda E.F. Beck at the international level. Kunnudiak Kavundan, Thamarai Nachiar, Ponnar, Sankar and Thangam represent the kind of human beings we see in every age & in every society. The valour, heroism, social concern & the sacrifice of the brothers Ponnar Sankar still inspire and guide thousands of people living in and outside Kongu region. Visiting Valanadu Fort - where the warrior brothers are believed to have lived and ruled, Virappur - where Peria Kandi Amman Temple the clan deity of Annanmars is located and Padugalam where the sister Thangam revived her dead brothers with her divine power is considered to be a holy task cutting across caste and creed.

Modern Education and Kongu Nadu

The "non-converting" Hindu castes like Gounders, initially had to face enormous amount of hardship and withstand pressure from evangelists, to get decent western education even after India was freed from the colonial British rule. They didn't get any of the previlages that were extended by the evanagelists and missionaries, who were running the most number of educational institutions across the nation, to the easily "convertable" castes especially from the southernmost districts of Tamilnadu. The non-convertable Hindu caste like Gounders were left ignorant at a time when the creamy layer among the convertables started getting educated overseas in foreign countries and also were running their own community based banks much on the lines of the western banks.

As an agricultural community Gounders were largely left untouched by the modern western scientific education until India's independence in 1947. After independence, slowly public education was made available in the rural areas. Many Gounders enrolled for the public school system and sent their children to schools hoping to give them eventually a college education and a prestigious job in the Government. As the school standard in the rural area was no match for the urban schools and only a minor percentage among them could eventually get quality professional education and could become professionals like doctors, engineers, lawyers and others.

Until 1970s the Gounders were treated as "Forward class" in the educational field and government job opportunities. Although Gounders owned land, the mostly rural school educated Gounders which were without any decent infrastructure or a well-trained staff could no way compete professionally with the urban convent and missionary schools mostly getting foreign aid. It was also difficult for them to compete with the traditionally well educated "Forward class" castes in competing for the limited professional seats. In 1970s the popular uprising and agitation of the Gounder community throughout the state forced the government to declare "Kongu Vellala Gounder" community to be an educationally "Backward community". This brought a level playing field for them and opened up opportunities which were till then earmarked for the educationally privilaged class and castes.

In the last forty years there have been some significant advancement made by the Gounder community in the field of education. Many Kongu towns are replete with doctors, engineers, lawyers etc. from the Gounder community making best use of the available educational opportunities. Many educational institutes in the Kongu region are well runned and self-managed by the Gounders.

Kongu Vellala Gounders in United States of America

Our rich heritage is certainly not our destiny. But it is important to pay homage to our Kongu ancestors who had struggled steadfastly for the freedom, welfare and independence of Kongu Nadu and for its people. Although migration of Gounders to North America started in the early sixties, real opportunities in America started in mid and late sixties mainly due to the Vietnam war.

Bleak employment opportunities in India forced many of the first generation of educated gounders( they use other people knowledge to become educated) to search for employment opportunities in America. Most of the Gounders came to America to pursue higher education and eventually getting a job. Slowly the number of Gounders in United States increased and reached a critical mass and a resulting dilemma owing to the clash of values, culture and civilization. The first meeting of Gounders was held in May 1995 in Columbus, Ohio in America. Not Many Gounders have made the crucial journey back to homeland and made significant contributions and made use of their high expertise to their native country in their respective chosen field with a distinction.

Demography

The traditional Gounder belt is the western region of Tamilnadu known as Kongu Nadu. This area now comprises the following regions in the western part of Tamil Nadu: Coimbatore, Erode, Gobi, Tirupur, Pollachi, Nilagiri, Udumalaipettai, Sathy, Salem, Attur, Kallakurichi, Karur, Dindigul, Namakkal, Rasipuram, Thiruchengode, Palladam, Palani, Dharapuram, Kangeyam, Avinashi, Omalur, Dharmapuri, Hosur, Sankagiri, Krishnagiri, western parts of Tiruchirapalli, Perambalur, Vellore and Villupuram. They are also sparsely distributed in Thanjavur, Madurai and Theni districts of Tamilnadu.

Kongu Vellalars are one of the Tamil Speaking majority communities in Tamilnadu. They are also spread across the globe ranging from Srilanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, America, Australia, Fiji, South Africa, Europe and many other countries around the world.

Politics

Kongunadu Munnetra Peravai, a newly formed political party based in Kongu Nadu and formed by Kongu people who have been consistently ignored by the successive governments that took power both at the Centre and State for a long time now, prompting them to start their own political forum. Kongunadu Munnetra Peravai (KMP), aims to represent and address the genuine greviances of Kongu people and find solutions for the day-day life within themselves. KMP in February 2009 and will contest in 12 Lok Sabha constituencies and 50 Legislative Assembly seats in the regions of Coimbatore, Gobichettipalayam, Tirupur, Nilgiris, Erode, Salem, Karur, Namakkal, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, and Dindigul in the western belt of Tamil Nadu.

Significance of Kongu Nadu

The Kongu region flourishes mainly due to their extreme hard work, commitment, objective nature and innovation in their fields.

1) Agriculture, Textiles (Kumarapalayam, Attur, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Pallipalayam, Salem, Rasipuram, Namakkal, Karur, Gobi,Erode, Kallakurichi),

2) White silk (Gobi - First automated silk reeling unit in the country),

3) Poultry (Namakkal),

4) Education (Erode, Rasipuram, Gobi, Namakkal, Coimbatore, Salem),

5) Automobiles (Namakkal, Salem),

6) Milk (Erode Aavin),

7) Edible Oils (Erode),

8) Turmeric (Erode has the largest market in South India).

Kongunadu region has the highest urban proportion in the State and contributes 2/3rd of Tamilnadu's income.

Notes

Sources

• Dr. Nagaswamy Roman Karur [1]
• Tiruppur Kumaran (Chennimalai-Erode)
• Kongudesarajakkal, Government manuscript Library, Chennai
• Dheeran Chinnamalai by Pulavar Dr. Rasu.