Caste System
The Modern Rationalist|June 2021
My dear protectors of castes and caste enthusiasts - through my editorial in the ‘Kudi Arasu’ issue of 16.10.1930, I had made it clear that the castes classified long ago into four grades later multiplied into 4000 castes because of one caste mingling again and again with another caste. Quoting from the caste-related evidence of Brahmins, we had also specified that all such multiplied castes are called the ‘panchamas’. And yet some of our people who call themselves ‘velalars’ (agriculturists) assume identity as ‘Sarsudhras’, though they agree with the four grade classification as Brahmins, kshatriyas, vysyas and sudras.
Kudi Arasu, M.R. Manohar
Caste System

Some others avoid the North Indian names of those four grades and use South Indian names - i) Andhanar ii) Arasar iii) Vanigar and (iv) Vellalar as equivalents for North Indian names.

Fourth Grade Vellalars

They claim that this order of castes existed in Tamil Nadu even before the arrival of the Aryans. They proclaim themselves as the fourth grade people called ‘Vellalars’. They argue that several other castes are formed to serve them and be subservient like slaves to all the four grades. They call those subservient caste people as ‘PalluParai eighteen castes’ (peasants or tenant farmers who work on the lands owned by others). They satisfy themselves by this new arrangement. Irrespective of the truth about these two sects, either as per the North Indian language or the South Indian language, at least it is certain that the ‘Vellalars’ admit that they belong to the fourth grade.

Complex Clasifications

The people who belong to 18 castes according to the Vellalars include general traders, salt sellers, oil merchants, carpenters, washermen, potters, blacksmiths, carpenters, barbers, flower vendors etc; - These types can be found specified in standard Lexicons.

A research work called ‘Abidana Kosam’ says people of these 18 castes arrived as servants from Andhra Pradesh, 18 different names have been given to them by this particular research volume. Thus, there are variations in the sub-divisions of castes.

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