Who are they – the Azhagaites? Where did they come from? What were they? A long and hard peep into history reveals the origins of the Azhagaites.

The Christian and Hindu Nadars of the present-day Azhagappapuram are the descendants of ancient Pandiyan Kings Dynasty. The History of Pandiyan Kingdom starts with the early pre-history of India before 12000 to 15000 years ago. The ancient Pandiyan kingdom had sovereignty over most of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Southern Karnataka and Sri Lanka. It is the oldest of all the kingdoms in India, founded by native Dravidians, living at the banks of Thamiraparni.

Nadar community descends from the Nadalvar Kulam of ancient Pandian Kingdom . The lords of Pandia dynasty were called Maran, Maranadar/Mara Nadalwar.Nattar, Rayan, Nadar, Kshatriya Nadar, Nadan, Nadavaru Nadava, Alwar, etc Karukkupattayathar (Elite guards),Kodi Marathar (who defend the flag),Sivanthi (Elite Suicidal army) Panicker (one who trained in Martial arts) are some other titles. Gramony or Gramaniar was the village head. Asan (Teachers of Martial arts, medicine, arts and history). Vaidyar (practitioners of indigenous medicine). The soldiers were called Chanar (chan=Iron,those who carried iron implements when iron was rare)( Sanar, Shanar) Pullu Kai Chanar are hired soldiers who threw spears. (Pullu = spear or stake). Modern Nadar (caste) community descends from all the elements of Pandiyan kingdom - from kings and soldiers.

The initial capital was Korkai Pattinam which was a harbour city. Later, Then Madurai was founded at Then Madurai in a land south of Kanyakumari , which was later destroyed by the rising waters. The Pandiyan acquired the title Thennavan during that time. The extent of the country was between Kumari to Paquruli rivers ( Pakruli ). When the raising waters drowned the country, Kumarikkandam the capital was shifted to Vada Madurai.

A highly knit group of Nadars lived in the town of Thirumangalam, near Madurai, Tamilnadu, the last capital of the Pandiyans, called Pandiyakula Kshatriya nadar, PKN in short. This acronym is quite well known in and around Madurai for its educational institutions.

Legends talk about a king Ulagudaiya Perumal , a Tenkasi Pandiyan king who ruled from Eranial in Kanyakumari district, could have been Maveli Thampuran. Avanam (Onam) was the day in which the records were verified each year (Avani, Singa masam). Hiranya Kasibu was an ancestor who ruled perhaps from Eranial (Kanyakumari). Mavelikkara also might have been named after Pandiyan kings. Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar received a Pandiyan emissary at 13 BC. Roman Emperor Justinian also received an emissary from the Pandiyan Kingdom in the fourth century AD.

Pandiyan Kingdom of Mara Nadars evolved at the banks of Tamraparni river before millennia. The Capital was shifted to Madurai in the later times. The Royal house of Mara Nadars was at Tenkasippatinam with minor capital at Sivakasippatinam. From Tenkasi they could control the affairs of southern Kerala too. The Pandiyan country was divided into Nadu, Valanadu, Kottam and Kuttam. ( Desam in later periods ). The Nadu was ruled by Nadalvar (Nadu + Alvar ) who was a close relative of the King. Each Nadalvar maintained their own temple, collected tax and maintained a contingent of army.

Pandiyan Legacy
While Chanarappalayam could have been named after an ancient Pandiyan army camp, Chadaya Mangalam, Thirunelveli, Mara Nadu, Mavelikkara, Nenmara, Boothappandy, Parthivasekharapuram are few of the places named after the Pandiyan kings of Mara Nadar dynasty. Chanar Malai in the Western Ghats where the chanars lived after the Naicker war. The minor provincial capitals were usually named afterer Nelveli Maran, the Pandiyan king Nenmara, Nelkinda and Nelveli.

Languages
The language of the Pandiyan kingdom had been an archaic form of Tamil which evolved into various modern Dravidian tongues like Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and Tulu.

Religion
The Pandyans were mostly Hindu devotees of Shiva and Vishnu. However some other traditions did enter into South India. Jainism or Samana or Sramana was a major religeon of ancient Pandiyan kingdom. Aruga Kadavul was a Jain deity.
During the Sangha Age many Tamil Sanghams organized over millenias preserved the ancient Tamil language, literature and culture over a wide span of time.

Fall of the ancient Pandyas
Kalabhra Invasion
The classical Pandiyan Kingdom was destroyed and weakened by the invading Kalappiras in the 3rd century A.D. The Pandiyan kingdom was eclipsed completely from 300-600 A.D. It never attained the ancient glory and learning again.

Revival of Pandiyan Kingdom
The classical Pandiyan kingdom of Mara Nadars was revived once again around 600 AD by Maravarman Ari Kesari (640 AD), a staunch Hindu Saivite king. The Kalabhra descendents were chased away from Pandiyan kingdom though they continued to rule from Thanjavur by Mutharaiyar Kings.

Nadar Organizations
Nadar Uravin Murai and Pettais (Fortified storehouses) further increased the prosperity of Business community of Nadars in the 19th century. The Nadar Mahajana Sangham which was founded in 1910, was another milestone. The Dekshina Mara Nadar Sangham is another community organization founded around the same period.

The Martial Tradition of Nadars
Nadar Kalaries and Kalarippayittu ( Kalam = Battle field + Ari = Cutting +Paittu = Training ) The Nadar Kalaries (martial schools) where compulsory training in martial arts, military training was given when a boy completed his 14th yr. The teachers of Martial arts were called Asans or Panickens. Adimura is a type of Kalarippayatu was practiced by the Nadars of South Thiruvidankur.

Worst period of Travancore Nadars
From 1750 to 1850 Later days Nadars were tortured by the Nair/Vellala combine. Many restrictions including ban on double storey buildings. Strict laws banning the Nadars wearing the Thol seela (upper cloth). Nadars in the Pandiyan times used to wear Markaccha and Thol Cheela. Finally the law was removed when the Nadars revolted in 1859.(Thol Seelai Kalaham) The military service was banned too. Nairs, though antagonistic to Nadars, when compared to Naickers they were in less severity. Some Aramozhi Kurups were friendly with Nadars. According to the Nadar oral traditions, the social status of Nadars deteriorated in the Travancore considerably only after 1750s when they were deliberately kept out of Travancore politics and army. After 1750s, though Nadars had better military tradition than others, efforts were made to deprive of their rights. Nadars resisted the new laws with all their might and won.

Bandits
Sembulingam alias Swampulingam Nadar ( Chembulingam) a Kshatriya Nadar became a country Robin Hood,a bandit,after the local feudal lords abused and killed his wife. He took his revenge and later periods used to rob the rich to help the poor. He and his fellow brigands, Kasi Nadan, Duraiyappa Nadar became bandits. They hid at the jungles of Western ghat at Travancore and robbed the Caravans passing that way. Maruthuvamalai near Kottaram, Kanyakumari, became their secret hideout. The gold and money thus acquired was distributed among the poor and destitute of Travancore. Chempulingam removed a tile from the roof of poor and dropped gold and money through the hole. The legend of Chembulingam became a folklore. Chembulingam was met by missionary Amy Carmichael an Irish national at jungle. Though Chembulingam was not converted he was quite impressed by the lady missionary. On one account the Brigand, when he was chased by the police, leaped and crossed a 30 foot wide well and escaped. He never killed females, according to the old Pandiyan rules. Instead he used to lock together the long ears of the ladies with a mankapootu (lock in the shape of a mango). When he realized that escape was not possible Chembulingam went to the compound of the Irish missionary and left his four year old daughter in the compound. Finally the British police killed all his friends one by one. After they killed Kasinadan, Chempulinkam allegedly lost all his will to live. He stood on the hill of Maruthuvamalai and gestured the police to shoot him. Chembalingam's daughter was raised as a Christian named Dona. The town Donavaur was named after her.

Christianity
Majority the Nadars from southern Travancore and Tamilnadu embraced Christianity between 1800 to 1830 period.

The European Missionaries of Kanyakumari
The London Mission society (LMS) was established in the 1795. and the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in 1799. Ringeltaube ( Rev. William Tobias), an early missionary who came around 1806, built the first protestant church at Mylaudy, Kanyakumari district at 1809. Veluthampy Dhalava who initially opposed building a church there yielded when Colonel Mecaulay, the British Resident and Diwan of Trivandrum and Cochin intervened. Most of the converts during the early years of 19th century were Nadars and all the schools started later were situated at Nadar Christian areas.

British Education
Many schools were opened by the British missionaries including the first school at Mayilaudy (1806) by Ringeltaube, Nagercoil(1812) and English school Nagercoil seminary (1819) was opened by Rev.Charles Mead.Ringeltaube a missionary from Brussels, had amazing foresight when he opened these schools. He was followed by Charles Miller and Mault. The first Girls school with Boarding facility of Travancore was established at Nagercoil by Mrs.Mead in 1819. In 1820 the first public school for Hindus was opened for the Hindus, especially Nadars at Nagercoil. The Neyoor Girls Boarding school was established in 1828 under the Neyoor Mission which was situated in an ancient Nadar area. School of Industry (technical) started in 1820 at Nagercoil. This school provided technical education and trades such as printing, bookbinding, tanning, curing of leather etc. It is said that Veluthampi Thalava, who opposed opening of Mylaudy school, gave his consent when Lord Mecaulay who had been the Divan and British Resident exerted pressure. Col Munroe who followed Lord Mecaulay did support the project. These were the first schools of western education in Kerala / Tamil Nadu. The western education did not help Nadars locally since the Government jobs were not available for them. Though they were well educated by mid 19th century, the education was useful only for securing jobs as Kankanis in the British Tea Estates started the same period. Many parts of India still did not have any school in that era. Even at Trivandrum schools were started only after 1936. By 1824 Nagercoil had around 48 schools.

Nadar History
History of Pandiyan kingdom is the history of Nadars. Nadar oral tradition exists among few who were once ruling Pandiyan Kingdom. The Nadar History is scattered in bits of information in the Nadar households starting from Thanjavur to Kanyakumari to Trivandrum. Many records in Palm leaves have decayed and lost in the recent times. A common custom among Nadars is that only the eldest son is told about the ancient history.

Terms linking Nadars to Pandiya
Unless the researcher descends from a Dravida Kshatriya clan, preferably from the ancient Pandiyan dynasty, it will be very difficult to understand Nadar History. For example if one Nadar says I am a Maran or Rayan or Adityan anybody who is familiar with ancient Pandiyan names and traditions and name will recognize that it is related to Ancient Pandiyan Aristocracy while a Non Pandiyan person will be looking for the meaning of Maran in a dictionary. The Name Sivanthi is an ancient Pandiyan title. Seevu (slash cut) – Anthi (till the end) given to the ancient Pandiyan elite suicidal body guards who surrounded the king who fought to the last. It is a title of Nadar nobles. But for a person who is not familiar with Pandiyan titles explained Sivanthi was the name of people who were tapping in the evenings with their Knives. Seevu ( cutting the Palm ) Anthi (Evening) meaning Tapping the Palm tree. Kodimarathar was the title of the elite army who defended the Pandiyan flag post. If the flag is captured by the enemy soldiers the Pandiyan King had to accept defeat. Some times kings chose to sit towards North, fasted and died. A new researcher tried to explain that it was the title of Nadars who cultivated Vettila Kodi ( Betal leaves, Creeper ). Though literally true, it is absurd. Nadars from many important families in Trivandrum , Tenkasi, Sivakasi Madurai, Kanyakumari district and Thanjavur have memories of their Pandiyan origin. But they are not historians. Neither anybody can remember the whole history for generations. Only a minority of Nadars have the memories of their Kshatriya Pandiyan ancestory. Some segments among Nadars don’t have any memory about their Pandiyan past. Perhaps were never part of the ancient Pandiyan Kingdom. Or perhaps they forgot their own history. Likewise like other communities, Nadar community also could be a mosaic, with new inclusions because of local mixings. All the researchers looking for ancient proof for Nadars existence will fail because the name Shanan will not be seen in most of the places as it is the name of the common soldier and agriculturist of Pandiyan era. But Nadar Nadan may be seen occasionally while Maran, Maravarman etc will be seen more frequently in the old inscriptions and records, if anything exists now. Nadalvan is often added to the place name. Eg Tenkasi + Nadalvan = Tenkasi Alvan. Palaces of Pandiyans as well as Temples were called Koils (Ko(King,God) Il ( House)). Hundreds of other Nadar titles might have been lost in the last 10000 yrs of existence. Nammazhvar a Hindu saint otherwise had the name Maran strongly suggesting of Pandiyan descent who might have been an agiculturist. Periazhwar and Perial Maran who converted Nedunchadaya Pandiyan are other saints who have Pandiyan titles.

Nadar Records
Some ancient Palm leaf scripts do exist among many families of southern Kerala and Southern Tamil Nadu. Some of the Nadars' ancient books of Kerala are written in Manipravalam, a Sanskrit mixed language, derived perhaps from the Jain Period of Pandiyan kingdom. After independence the Asan families are not teaching their children this language. So many of these books are lost or not readable. Unless efforts are made to preserve these books, there is a risk of losing all the books of Nadars, which may shed light on the ancient Pandiyan Kingdom.

Progress of Nadars
When the British neutralized the rival Dravidian clans of Naickers , Nairs, Pillais and Maravas Nadars progressed, rather rebounded.
Many Nadars always knew that they originally belonged to Pandiyan dynasty. Like jews they had a group consciousness. Nadars have been living in the familiar ancestral home land which they knew well for thousands of years.
Until recently they were mostly backward with a strong class difference. But, of late, Nadars have been in the forefront in business and education. They are forging ahead – economically and socially.

Descendents of ancient Pandiyan kingdom
Nadars of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Nadava of Karnataka who claim descent from ancient Pandiyan kings.
Some Karnataka Muslims with the surname Nadar who claim to have converted before four hundred years.

Conclusion
On the basis of the foregoing and the records available in many houses in Azhagappauram, it is established that the present-day Nadars of Azhagai are the descendants of ancient Pandiya Kings. Religion-wise, they were all Hindus originally, and most of them embraced Christianity at different points of time, from the 17th century. It is recorded that the first settlers arrived in Azhagappapuram 340 years ago. Others followed at regular intervals.


(Sourced by J. Vensuslaus from recorded history)
June 2007