Indian Antiquary Vol 61

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 192

174
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ SEPTEMBER, 1932
swamps was all they needed for pasture, dry crops, fuel and habitation. Each river valley would then become characterized by some more or less homogeneous community."16
The curly-haired Paniyar represent presumably the oldest stratum. Their method of making fire by “sawing" links them with the jungle folk of Malaya. 17 They number about 24,000 in the Wynad alone, 18 some 28 per cent of the total population, and they are to be found all over the Wynad (fig. 2). They work for hire in the fields. Their speech is corrupt Malayalam.
Field labour is also provided in the Western Wynad by Pulayans in the western half (fig. 6) and Adiyans in the Tirunelli Sector and the N.E. quadrant (fig. 4), the former apparently from Malabar (though they deny any affinity with the Malabar serf caste of that name), the latter from Coorg.19
The Tên Kurumbars and Shola Nayaks20 are more purely jungle folk, who speak Kanarese and whose affinities lie with Mysore.
In the Western Wynad the Kadars of the west and Karimbalans of the south?1 (fig. 6) claim a definite status in the social hierarchy of Malabar, and their kinsfolk are to be found beyond the Wynad limits, mostly in N. Malabar.
The Mullu Kurumbars in the eastern half and the Kundavatayans of the N.E. quadrant (fig. 5) claim yet higher status, while the Kuricchans or Kuricchiyans of the western half (fig. 3) rank highest of all the Wynad tribes.82 These tribes cultivate their own lands, are keen hunters and stout fighters, as the British found to their cost, during the "Pychy" rebellions (1793-97 and 1800-05), and again in 1812.28 The Kuricchans claim to be Nayars of Travancore24 whom the Kottayam Raja brought with him when he conquered the Wynad, while the Mullu Kurumbars say they are kinsmen of the " Vēdar" chief who ruled before him.
The so-called "Chettis" of the Wynad seem to have quite a different origin. They too are landholders, and have no connection whatever with the trading "Chettis" of the Tamil, Kanarese and Telugu areas.26 The Edanddan Chettis of the N.W. speak Kanarese. So do the Mandadan Chettis of the E. Wynad; while the Wynadan Chettis, of the Western half of the E. Wynad, though their language is Malayalam, state definitely that they are Tamil Vellalars who came via Mysore from Dharapuram in Coimbatore (fig. 4).
(To be continued.)
16 so writos Mr. Cammiade. The distribution of the several castes and tribee, so far as information is available, is roughly indicated in the figures on the plate.
17 Soo Thurston's Castes and Tribes, p. 57; Ethnographic Notes, 468; Nilgiri Gazetteer, 160 ; Malabar Gazetteer, 135; Nair, op. cit., 100.
18 There are also, according to unpublished figures kindly supplied me by Mr. G. T. Bong, Census Superintendent for 1921, some 3,800 in Ernad Taluk and over 2,000 in Kottayam. 19 Nair, pp. 97 and 105.
30 Nair, pp. 108 sq. 21 Nair, pp. 77 and 80. Cf. Malabar Gazetteer, p. 137. These Kadars have no connection with the teeth chipping "Kadirs" of the Anaimalais described by Thurston in vol. III, p. 6 sg.
23 Nair. pp. 64, 74 and 89. The term Kurumber is used indiscriminately for a number of totally different communities. There is no evidence to connect this Mullu section with the Ten or Urali Kurumbars or any other "Kurumbar" of the Tamil, Kanarose or Telugu areas. There are 10,485 "Kurumbas" in Malabar, but it is impossible to say how many of these belong to each of the several communities to whom the term is applied.
23 Malabar Gazetteer, pp. 78 and 82. The Kuricchans in 1921 numbered 6,206 in the Wynad, 1,806 in Kottayam Taluk and 367 in Kurumbranad.
34 See Malabar Gazetteer, p. 474.
38 Soo Nair, pp. 183 89., Thurston IV, 444 and VII, 413; Malabar Gazetteer, p. 123; Nilgiri Gazetteer, p. 158. In 1921 there were 4,736 "Chettis" "other" than Tamil or Telugu in the Malabar Wynad and 601 in Gadalur Taluk. But how many of these are included in the three local groups is not known.