One of the canards is that the present prosperous community of Nadar, are from Sri Lanka, they were mere hunters, toddy tappers and were at the bottom of the caste system in India.
IT is spread that Nadars were Chanars, சா ணா ர் and later became Nadars.
That they were from the Ezhava community of the present Kerala.
That they were denied equal status with other Castes.
I am unable to find any authentic reference to the word Chanars in Tamil linking Nadars to them.
Etymological lyrics speaking, Chanars means one who sharpens weapons and Ironmonger.
There is no evidence of Nadars being involved in this activity.
Secondly Nadars are called as people who were tree tappers, Palm Tree tappers for native Drink, Kal, கள்.
IT is also stated that they occupied the mountainous region called Kurinji, குறிஞ்சி and were hunters.
If this is wholly true, then they should have been in நெய்தல், Sea and adjoining areas, as classified in Tamil Classics.
Even today we find Nadars in the coastal region around Thiruchendur, Thoothukudi and areas not too far from the sea, like விருதுநகர்.
One does not find their concentration in the hilly regions at all.
The whole misinformation was started by Robert Caldwell, an Irish Missionary to divide Hindus along caste lines.
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நாடார் பற்றி கால்டுவெல்
கால்டுவெல் சாணார்கள் பிறப்பிலே பழங்குடியினர் என்கிறார். மேலும், சாணார் சமூகத்தவர்கள் இலங்கையிலிருந்து பனையேறிப் பிழைப்பதற்காக வந்தவர்கள் என்றும், இந்து சமயத்தின் உயர்ந்த நிலையில் இருந்ததேயில்லை என்றும், சிறுதெய்வ வழிபாட்டினையே பின்பற்றி வருகிறார்கள் என்றும் கூறுகிறார். ஒடுக்கப்பட்ட சாதிகளில் உயர்ந்த அடுக்குகளைச் சேர்ந்தவர் என்றோ, மத்திய ஜாதிகளில் கீழடுக்கைச் சேர்ந்தவர்கள் என்றோதான் இவர்களை வர்ணிக்க முடியும் என்கிறார் கால்டுவெல்.’
கால்டுவெல்.’
There is no history evidence to suggest that Nadars being called as Chanars before Caldwell.
They could have been a part of Ezhava of present Kerala, whose history is also distorted.
Kerala was a part of Tamil Kingdom, Chera.
Ancient Tamil lands were forty nine and they were called Nadu.
One who rules Nadu, land was called Nadan.
IT became Nadar with R was used instead of Nadan, as a term of respect.
These people after Tsunami seems to have stayed back in Dravida Desa , while Vaivaswatha Manu left for North.
His son Ikshvaku founded the Surya Vamsa , Solar Dynasty, while his daughter Ila stayed back in the South, Dravida Desa.
Her dynasty if Chandra Vamsa, Lunar Dynasty, named after her husband.
The word Elam that denotes Tamil land was derived from Ila.
One would find the surname, names Ellala , Ella in Lanka.
The Elamite civilization sprung from Ila dynasty.
Nadar seem to have stayed back in the south, serving Kings.
The small kingdoms under the three Tamil Kingdoms of Cherala Chola and Pandyas had Palm Tree in their Flags.
For instance Pazhuvettarayars under King Rajaraja Chola.
There is a view that Pazhuvettarayars could be Vanniars.
After the flood, there was migration to other areas and owing to diminishing power of Nadar after Pallavas, these people might have taken the profession of Tree Tapping as Palm was abundant in the areas where they settled.
As Kerala was earlier part of Tamil Kingdom and Ezhavas were Tamils in the ancient days, and Tamils had settled in Lanka, it is incorrect to say that Nadar are from Lanka.
They are a part of Tamil polity since Lunar Dynasty
They were a sub clan of Pandy as and மகாவம்சம் records Nadar as Fighters in the army and also administrators .
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நாடார்களின் தோற்றம் குறித்த தொன்மக்கதை, தேவகன்னிகளுக்கும் சத்திரிய மகரிஷிக்கும் பிறந்த ஏழு குழந்தைகளைப் பத்திரகாளி அம்மன் எடுத்து வளர்த்ததாகவும் அவர்களிலிருந்தே நாடார் சமூகம் தோன்றியதாகவும் சொல்கிறது. இதன் அடிப்படையில் நாடார்களைப் பத்திரகாளியின் மைந்தர்கள் என்று அழைப்பது உண்டு. நாடார்களின் தோற்றம் குறித்துப் பலர் ஆராய்ந்து அறிய முயன்றும் தெளிவான முடிவுகள் எதுவும் எட்டப்படவில்லை. 19ம் நூற்றாண்டில் நாடார்களைக் குறித்து ஆய்வு நடத்திய கால்டுவெல், நாடார்கள் வட இலங்கையில் இருந்து குடி பெயர்ந்தவர்கள் என்னும் கருத்தை முன்வைத்தார். ஆனால் இந்தக் கருத்தைப் பலர் ஆதரிக்கவில்லை. குறிப்பாக நாடார் சமூகத்தைச் சேர்ந்த ஆய்வாளர்கள் பலர் நாடர்கள் முன்னர் உயர் நிலையில் இருந்தவர்கள் என்றும், அவர்களின் தோற்றம் அரச குலத்தவரோடு தொடர்புடையது என்றும் கருத்துக்களை முன்வைத்துள்ளனர். மதுரையை ஆண்ட பாண்டியர்கள், இவர்களுள் ஒரு உட்பிரிவினர் எனவும் அவர்கள் கூறினர். மகாவம்சத்தில் காணப்படும் குறிப்புகளும் சேர அரசில் பணிபுரிந்தவர்களின் பல பெயர்களும் நாடார்கள் போர்வீரர்கள் என்பதை உறுதி செய்கின்றன என்பதும் அவர்களது கருத்தாக இருந்தது.
நாயக்கர்களின் படையெடுப்பால் அதிக இன்னல்களுக்கு ஆளான நாடார்கள், தங்கள் பூர்வீக பூமிகளான சிவகாசி, கமுதி, விருதுநகர், மதுரை ஆகிய ஊர்களைவிட்டு வெளியேறி திருச்செந்தூர் போன்ற வறண்ட பகுதிகளுக்கு இடம் பெயர வேண்டியதாயிற்று என்றும், அங்கு பனை மரங்களிலிருந்து பதனீர் இறக்கி வாழ்க்கை நடத்த வேண்டிய நிலை ஏற்பட்டது என்று அவர்கள் கருதினர். பதனீர் இறக்கி வாழ்ந்த காலம் இவர்களின் இருண்ட காலமாகக் கருதப்படுகிறது.
இச்சமுதாயத்தினரைக் குறிக்கும் சாணார், நாடார் போன்ற சொற்கள் சான்றார், சான்றோர், நாடாள்வார் ஆகிய சொற்களில் இருந்து மருவியவை போன்ற கருத்துக்களும் முன்வைக்கப்பட்டன. ஆனால் அதற்குரிய நம்பகமான ஆதாரங்களோ ஆவணங்களோ இல்லை.கால்டுவெல் குறிப்பிட்டது போல் நாடார்கள் தாழ்ந்த நிலையில் இருந்தவர்கள் அல்ல என்றும், பதனீர் இறக்குபவர்கள் மட்டுமன்றி அவர்களிடையே கற்றறிந்தோரும், போர் வீரர்களும், வர்த்தகரும் இருந்தனர்.
இவர்கள் சேர, சோழ மற்றூம்பாண்டிய மூவேந்தர்களின் வழித் தோன்றர்களாக நாடார்கள் கருதப்படுகிறார்கள். நெல்லை மாவட்டம் கல்லிடைக்குறிச்சியில் கிடைத்த 2 தொல்பொருள் ஆவணங்கள் மூலம் சேர, பாண்டிய மன்னர்கள் ஆட்சிக்காலத்தில் இவர்கள் மிகச்சிறந்த நிர்வாகிகளாக திகழ்ந்தது தெரியவந்துள்ளது. அரசின் வரவு- செலவை அவர்கள் கவனித்ததற்கான ஆவணச் சான்றுகள் உள்ளன.
Legend states that Nadar were brought up by Kali.
Many Nadar families have Kali in the form of Village Deities even today.
Reference and Citation.
https://ta.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/நாடார்
Some more information at
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There are great controversy in fixing up the Sangam periods of the Tamils. Three Sangams are recorded in Tamil literatures. Literary reports are found to indicate that there had been five major Uuzhies (Deluges) by which destructions took place to the Tamils and they had to shift their capitals to different places like Ezhuthenganadu, Ezhukurumpanai naadu, Kavaadapuram, Manavoor, Korkai, Then Madurai, Vada Madurai, etc. Tamils consider that Kumari Kandom which was once connected to the African Continent and a vast landscape, now lying submerged under the Oceans, was their ancestral home. The Tamils were lovers of songs and literature. There were several poets in the Courts of the Tamil Kings. In the Sangam period, there was no ‘Caste system’ as we see today. You could find poets of any tribal origin in the King’s Royal Court. Only the land was divided into four types as Marutham (Plain land), Mullai (forests /gracing land), Neithel (Sea-shores) and Paalai (Sandy land). A mixed terrain, Kurunji, was occupied by Vedar or hunters. The land with people was called “Nadu”. The Chief to protect the land was called Naden(Elangulam) Kaalai , Uuran, Kurumpara Naden, Chenon, etc(Elamkulam). When Kingdoms were formed ‘Naden’ was designated as Ko = the King or the ‘Ruler’ otherwise called “Naden”
In the Samgam period there was no such caste-systems. The people used to go for hunting deer, bull or wild animals. They used to go for fishing. They brought the prey into the community, baked it on fire made on ‘Sandalwood’ spreading its good smell all over the village; ate the meat with soft drinks got from short and tall Palm-trees. The strong and courageous used to tap the sweet juice of the Palmyrah palm and cherished it with the meat or other cooked food. The same man may go for hunting, or to catch fishes for his need. The children used to drink Palm-juice in the tender yellow leaf of the Palm-tree, folded as a cup. Their houses were roofed by dry leaves of Palmyrah-Palm or Coconut Palm. The children cherished the tender palm-fruits and later made little carts with them and played around, a practice till followed in the South. They used to climb over the heaps of Paddy stack or run behind the playing deers, or run to the nearby river, taking bath, jumping into the waters, singing songs, or playing flutes. The people were a happy jolly lot living life to its full. Agriculture too was known to them. We find the women folk take cooked rice or porridge for their husbands to the field and also they used to drive away the birds coming to spoil the seeds or crops. There was little difference between the hunter, or the man who ploughed the land, or the toddy tapper who brought the sweet Amrit from the tall heavenly tree or the man who looked after the cattle or the one who made the earthen pots. If they caught a big shark from the Sea, they would eat its meat and take its huge Bone, plant it in the open field and sing songs around it, and even worship it as their lucky god. It was a happy one community for quite a long time. Their ‘Ruler’ rather the ‘Chief’ was called “NADEN” (the present NADAR) or he was also addressed as “KALAI”, all sons of the same soil of the Palmyrah-Culture.
This great Palmyrah-Culture is seen passing through the Ages, all over the globe. It is seen in the National Flag of Bhishmar (flag of Palm-Tree) one of the Martial Heroes (Asans) of the Indian Epics. It is marked in the life of Lord Rama. It is seen with the great god of Indians, the Vrishni-Kula Krishna. The Culture is found depicted in a number of temples of India. It is seen in one way or the other in several kingdoms of India in the South and also among the Rajputs, extending to the North. It is found marked in the Jaina and Buddhist Culture (Depiction found in Java: Art of Indian Asia). It was seen in the great paintings done by King Ravi Varma of Travancore, picturing Shakunthala (18th century AD – unfortunately this palm-tree from his original painting is being hidden in the later reproductions by the killers of history in the recent years – example: the painting now kept at Trivandrum Temple Museum). Even in the early 1700-s, the great Wooden Palace of the world, the Padmanabhapuram, (earlier name, Puthupparakkal Palace) of Kalkulam, in Kanyakumari district was roofed by good Palm-leaves. It was replaced by the modern ‘Ceramic Tiled Roof’ only in c.1870, by C.M.Vaidyanathan Asan (a Nadar) as the Palace Contractor. (Kanyakumari Aspects & Architects). In the ancient Indian Army of the Tamils and the Cholas, there were three Regiments based on the Palm-tree products (History of Cholas).
In the world history also there is a strong reflection of this Palm Culture. The ancient Israel had a settlement of Warrior Class called Palmachin and their commando units were called “Palmach Brigade” (
Introducing Israel). They were dependant on the ‘Date Palms’ equivalent to the Ittanatt branch of the Nadars. According to Herodotus, the originators of the Phoenicians were
The Purple trading Toddy Tapers from South Kerala(Herodotus- 408 BC). They were also called the “Palm-Asians”. These Palmasians were responsible for establishing the ‘Palmyra’ city of Italy (Herodotus-400-408 BC). Symbolical to the ‘Fish-Flag’ of the Tamil Pandya Kings, early Israelites had a “Fish-Gate” for them. Moreover, early history of the Jews shows that along with the seven candle sticks and the Trumpet of their symbols, there was depicted a bifurcated ‘Lulub’ (
Auluvachy – male) ie., the a small branch of the male flower-stalk of Palm-Tree, was attached to it (
St. Thomas in India – A Critical View). So we see in history that the Palmyrah Culture of the great Sangam Period of the Tamils is spread over various Nations of the world and it is not to be ignored at all, whereas it deserves a deeper research in itself. A study of the present NADARS show that they were the Masters of this great Culture in a Multifaceted Arts and Sciences.’
http://www.nadarindia.com/sangamPeriod.php
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