Villavar
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Villavars[1] were the primary rulers among the Dravidians who once ruled the whole of India. Villavars were archers or Bowmen who once emerged from the hunting clans of India. The Bhil tribals,The Billavas of Tulunadu of Karnataka,The Villavar Clans of Kerala who founded the Chera Kingdom all are Villavars. The Nadars or Nadalvars of the Pandyan kingdom is either a sub group of Villavars or a closely related group. The Ezhavas or Illavas of Kerala also could be a Villavar tribe. The Villavars of Kerala and Illavars of Sri Lanka after whom Eeelam or Heladipa is named were relatives. Alwar, Alvar, Aluvar or Alva are the titles shared by all the Villavar tribes.
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[edit] Chera Kingdom
The Chera king had the title Villavar Kon indicating Villavar clans founded the ancient Chera Kingdom. The Emblem on the flag of Cheras was Bow and Arrow.
[edit] Pandyan Kingdom
The Minavars of Pandyan Kingdom was the allies of the Villavars. The Minavars ( fishermen) had some role in the founding of the Pandyan kingdom at Korkai.The Mara Nadars or Nadalvars who were the main dynasty of the ancient Pandyan kingdom could be of Villavar stock too.The flag of the Pandiyan kingdom had fish as the emblem. Nadavas or Nadavars (Nadalvars) of Karnataka may have their origins from the Tulu Pandyan dynasty.The alupas (aluvar) a later day Tulu Pandyan kingdom had double fish as emblem.
[edit] Villavars and Meenavars (minavar)
The Kalitokai an ancient Tamil work mention about the association of the Villavars and their allies Meenavars (fishermen)who fought a fierce battle (around 500BC to 1000 BC) against Nagas. The Nagas though Non Aryan lived in the North India and had heavy Aryan mixture. When the Villavars and Minavars were defeated by the Nagas in the Central India, the Present day Maharashtra, Chatthisgarh and Madyapradesh area was lost to the Villavars and Nagas occupied it. In the later days, Naga hordes moved southwards and infiltrated Southern India. [2]
[edit] The Nagas
{{main|Naga people} Nagas are Non Dravidians and Non Aryans and among the early inhabitants of India.They could be people from the Nairi or Naharin kingdom who migrated to India before thousand year BC. They differed culturally from the Classical Dravidians though they might have looked dark. Nagas founded numerous kingdoms in the North India who were friendly with the Aryans in the ancient times. Nahusha who became Indra,the king of Devas or Aryans was a Naga. However the Nagas,the proud rulers of ancient North India lost their position in the Aryan dominated areas, after they became Buddhists and were pushed to the lower echelons of the society. After the defeat of Villavars and Minavars at the Central India by Nagas some clans of Nagas moved into south India and got assimilated by the Dravidians.
[edit] Maravar, Eyinar, Oliyar, Oviyar, Aru-Valur and Parathavar
Maravar, Eyinar, Oliyar, Oviyar, Aru-Valur and Parathavar are believed to have Naga origins. Some Nagas founded kingdoms in Sri Lanka which was in turn renamed Nagadipa.They colonised Greater India, Indo China and South Asian countries and moved as fare as Phillipines while establishing numerous kingdoms. Nagas seem to be more related to the Kalabhras or Kalapirars or Kalavar who invaded the Pandyan kingdom around 350 a.d.
[edit] Scythian Connection of the Nagas
After the Saka or Indo-Scythian people who invaded India in the second century BC some Nagas mixed with the Scythians especially at North India. They adopted the Matriarchy, Polyandry and other Scythian customs. Naga-Scythian tribe of Ahichatra, in Uttarpradesh near Nainital was invited by King Mayuravarma of the Kadamba dynasty in 345 ad along with their Brahmin overlords to settle down at Shimoga in the North Karnataka. During the Rashtrakuta invasions of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the eighth and ninth centuries the same Naga tribe, the Nairs or Nayars found firm roots in Kerala. Keralolpathi, Keralamahatmiyam and Kerala Purana state the story of Naga migration from north to south in the first millennium.
[edit] The Villavars of Kerala
After the arrival of Nagas the Villavar culture who cherished Patriarchy and Monogamy was replaced by Matriarchy with Polyandry as the norm. Soon around the 12th century the Chera dynasty came to an end when the last Chera King along with his relatives became a Muslim. In the later periods the Nagas dominated Kerala while the Villavar tribes were pushed down to occupy a lower stratum.
[edit] The North Indian Villavars
Rajputs regard the Bhils though tribals one among them. The North Indian Villavar clans might have been assimilated by the Rajputs. Until recently during the coronation of Rajput princes their foreheads had to be smeared by the blood drawn from the thumb of a Dravidian Bhil tribal to authenticate their authority.
[edit] Fate of the Meenavars
Meenavars might have mixed with Parada or Paratarajas or Parvata Raja Kulam, a Indo-Scythian clan and got alienated from the Villavar and Nadalvar (Nadar) clans. Mudirajus or Mutharaiyar a Kalabhra aristocracy who once ruled Chera, Chola and Pandyan kingdoms as Muvendars regard Paratas as one of their own clan. Parataraja
[edit] References
- ^ V., Kanakasabhai (1997). The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 8120601505.
- ^ Villavar
