International Journal of Research ISSN NO:2236-6124 KERALA MUDALI: A WEAVER - A STUDY K. Baby Ph.D. Research Scholar (Reg. No.12005) Post Graduate and Research Department of History, Women’s Christian College, Nagercoil – 629 001. Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli – 627 012, Tamil Nadu, India. Dr. D. Rani Mila Assistant Professor (Research Supervisor) Post Graduate and Research Department of History, Women’s Christian College, Nagercoil – 629 001. Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli – 627 012, Tamil Nadu, India. ------ Abstract The Kerala Mudali of Kanyakumari District say that they are the Original inhabitants of Kaviripoompattinam (Poompuhar) the ancient port city, in Thanjavur District, from where they migrated to the south after the fall of the Cholas Kingdom and settled Permanently in the Travancore state, the major portion of which is part of the present Kerala state and the rest part of Tamil Nadu. The Muthaliyars are also believed to have come from the Gangetic plain. They were known as Vellalar, Karalar, Karkadar and Karakattar. They have been an influential people with landed wealth, commanding also considerable success in trade. Key words: Kavithies, Mudaliyar, Ur. Kaikolans. INTRODUCTION Mudali and Mudaliyar have the same meaning and are derived from the same root as ‘mudanmai’ the ‘ar’ in mudaliyar is only the person who is first in rank or dignity, hence the chief man in a community or village and town at Mattancheri. The raja of Cochin appears to have appointed a chieftain among them with the title of Mudaliyar apparently a revival of privilege granted to Joseph Rabban by Bhaskara Ravi Varma. During the early part of the 17 th century, Kanyakumari district was attacked by Alakapa Mudali and Ariyanada Mudali a group of people were given the responsibility of administrating the war expenses of these Mudalis (Alakapa and Aryanada). They snatched away the riches of the former Nanchil Nadu. On their return those people were in charge of finance left behind. They did not continue their journey with the Mudaliyar leaders. They were given the title Kavithies. They selected the remote villages which were inaccessible to the police. Most the places they selected were for away from the town area. One such place was Amsi. Very near to sea Volume VIII, Issue IV, April/2019 Page No:429 International Journal of Research ISSN NO:2236-6124 shore Thenkaipattanam. Another place they selected was one Venkode, for away from the town area in Vilavancode Taluk without any access likewise they selected another remote village Pootteiti. Still another one was Kannanvilai. All these are in Vilavancode taluk. Still they had their settlements in Ananchikode, Palliyadi, Palapallam, Valathotam and Colachel. In all these centers they formed their settlements. Each settlement had constant touch with other settlements whenever they occupied these places they purchase the lands in the name of the group of Kavithies and not in the personal names. The documents executed in these settlements were in the name of community. Each member of the Kavithy group was allotted lands according to the numbers of the members in the family. The members who got these lands built houses. They had the right to live. But they had no right to sell the house. In order to manage the particular settlement each settlement formed administrative units. The members of the settlements met under a tree and elected their council members. The administrative unit was known as Ur . The elected body was known as Ur council . Each council had a President Secretary, Treasurer and Councilors. For administrative convenience and to meet out the expenditure caused the councilors collected money from the members of the Ur. This collection of money was known as Ur vari (village tax). Each male member had to pay one Chakkaram as Ur vari for whole a year. No vari was collected from the women. The office bearers of the Ur councils looked after the welfare of the Ur. As each settlement had consent touch with other settlement they wanted to strengthen their position. The representatives of the Ur council are consisting of all the representatives from all these settlements. For the common cause of all the settlements they needed a head quarter. All the representatives of all the Ur councils decided that Amsi should be the headquarters of the Kavithy community and at the same time they decided to change the name of the community also. In this group there were many professional weavers to weave cloth and supply those cloths to the soldiers. They began weaving as their main profession in their settlements. They wove dhotis, towels, saris, and bed sheets of finer varieties and the textile products reduced by them were sold throughout their erstwhile Travancore state. They got a lot of income through weaving and many persons in this settlement became master weavers. The quality of the textiles produced by them earned a good name among the royal family also in due course the Kavithies began to supply silk cloth and saris to the royal family. And these master weavers of the Kavithy group had free access with the royal family of Travancore. They received bulk orders from the royal society. Thus they earned a good name in the royal family of Travancore. Taking advantage of this close association with the royal family the general council members of the Kavithy community approached the government and began to register this community with another name. On the request of the general secretary of the Amsi Kavithy group the government of Travancore, permitted them to register the community and the title Kerala Mudali community this registration was effected in 1943. Since 1943 this Kavithy community came to be register under the company’s Act. And a constitution for the community was drafted which was also brought into fore in 1943 itself. Thus the Kavithy community which served under Ariyanada Mudaliyar came to be termed as Kerala Mudalis and their main profession was weaving. At present, the Kerala Mudali are distributed in the Kanyakumari District. Volume VIII, Issue IV, April/2019 Page No:430 International Journal of Research ISSN NO:2236-6124 In Kanyakumari district the Mudaliyar community is numerically high, spreading in almost all parts of the district. Their role in the public life is very vital. They are of course divided into many subsects like Sengutha Mudaliyar, Thondaimandala Mudaliyar and so on. The Sengunthar, otherwise known as Kaikolar is the principal weaving community in the district, producing large quantities of cotton cloths. The title Mudali is used chiefly by the Kaikolans, and Vellalas. The Vellalas generally take title Mudali in northern, and Pillai in southern districts. By some Vellalas Mudali is considered discourteous as it is also the title of weavers. Mudali further occurs as a title of some Jains, Gadabas, Occhans, Pallis, or Vanniyans and Panisavans. Some Pattanavans style themselves Varunakula Mudali. The Kaikolars particularly of this district, maintain that they were first brought into Thondaimandalam by Adondai, a king who placed them in charge of the various temples that he built in the country. Even among Sengunthars there are several subdivisions. Most of them are Saivites. Tamil is their mother tongue and they employ Brahmins as priests for their religious observance. Murugan is their chief deity of worship. Once they had hereditary headman called Periathandakarar or Pattakarar who was assisted by two subordinates Sangili or Gamani and Ural. The Kaikolars were divided into seventy-two Nadus or Desams which were subject to the authority of four Thisai Nadus which in turn were controlled by the Mahanadu at Kanchipuram, the residence of the patron deity Kamakshiamman. The Sengunthars are good artists at looms and they have earned a name for their products which have a good demand in the market. Some are agriculturists some merchants native Vydhians or physicians and the rest are engaged in minor details of business. they are a loyal and law-abiding people and serious crimes are unknown in the community. From four of our tobacco merchants the government of Travancore derives a melabham revenue of nearly sixty thousand rupees per annum. The name of the community should be changed from sackarathi to sackaravar and that the later designation should be asserted by the members of the sangham as the race name of the community. These resolutions were approved of at a general meeting of the members of the community at Palliyadi on the 21 st April 1918. As community is very backward in point of education the school-going boys and girls of the community should be given the half-fees concession that is granted by the state to the other backward communities. The educationally qualified young men and women of the community should be encouraged in the service of the government. As the vast majority of the community consists of weavers and as the weaving industry in Travancore has reached a crisis owing to the abnormal rise in the price of yarn the government should be pleased to take steps for relieving the distress of the community whose industry entirely benefits the people in north Travancore. Anigramam Mudaliyar as representing the people of Nanchilnad was consulted by the king on many important state affairs. It was this Mudaliyar assisted by a number of Ampalakaras (officials) that collected the revenue from the Ryots of Nanchilnad and paid the same into the royal treasury for a long time in the past. The Nattukkottams or national assemblies were invariably presided over by the senior member of the Vanigaraman family. These meetings Volume VIII, Issue IV, April/2019 Page No:431 International Journal of Research ISSN NO:2236-6124 were announced by tom-toms and bugles throughout the country.