Page:Tamil studies.djvu/94

Rh ﻿THE TAMIL CASTES

teacher of a Chola king. Shanan has taken the place of Izhavan in the Tamil districts, for reasons which have not yet been ascertained.

Many of our readers must no doubt be familiar with the tribes enumerated in the regional classification given above. For a better understanding of the process of formation and growth of the numerically strongest Tamil castes which account for more than 80 per cent of the Tamil population, we shall exhibit them in the subjoined table. Original tribes.

Modern castes. (1) Paravan and ( Paravan, Valaiyan, Valaiyan.

Sembadavan, Pattanavan,


 * Karaiyan &c. (2) Mallar (Pallar). Pallan, Shanan, Panikkan. (3) Idaiyan.

Idaiyan. Maravan, Agambadiyan,

Paraiyan, Kaikolan, Kam(4) Maravan and

malan, Kurumban, Palli Eyinan.

or Vanniyan, Kallan, Muttiriyan and Ambalakaran.

( Kuravan, Irulan, Vedan, (5) Kuravan, Irulan,

Villiyan, kadar, Malasar Vedan and Villiyan.)

yane i and minor hill tribes. The other important castes like Ambattan, Vanivan and Vannan were originally occupational guilds, consisting of peoples from various tribes, which have in course of time hardened into distinct castes. Even now in Malabar the Brahmans have their own barbers and washerinen, while the Nayars and Tiyars