I went through hundreds of pictures before I could collect the below images. I am no way related to them, but these are my favorite either because I love their pose or their jewels or their features. Hope its as interesting as it was to me…

The following images have been collected over the last few days from various sources. Unfortunately all sources could not be identified.

• Archaeological Survey of India Collections
• Old Indian Photos collected by Piyal
• ebay
• Google Images

P.S: The last picture is from Rajasthan!

Young Girl

Smiling Face of an Indian Woman

Portrait of a young South Indian woman from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections – Madras (Chennai) 1867

Indian Lady in Sari – c1880s

Portrait of a seated girl wearing jewellery, from Madras in Tamil Nadu, taken in 1872

Mysore Noble Woman

Malabar Woman – 1915

South Indian Jewelry and clothes

South Indian Jewelry and clothes – Goan Saree Style

Very Rare Photo of Pernem Baroness of Goa, India

Photograph of a South Indian woman and child, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections – 1867

Two South Indian Woman and a Girl – Madras (Chennai) 1867

Two South Indian Women and a Child – 1867

Two Devadasis from Chennai, India 1920s

South Indian Tailoring and Embroidery

Tamil Brahmin Couple Circa 1945

Indian Prince c.1890′s

The Shop Stopper – Kishan Singh, Maharaja of Bharatpur, Rajasthan – 1902

Disclaimer: The information has been collated purely based on my little knowledge, data collected from the internet or word of mouth. I have no evidence for anything mentioned below. I have no intentions in discriminating against other caste, religion or creed.

Etymology

Nanjil refers to the Nanjil Nadu –Nagercoil, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India.

Look for the mouse!

Most literatures refer to us as ‘Vellalars’. This name is derived from,

• ‘Vellam’ which means ‘water’ in Malayalam – ‘Floods’ in Tamil and ‘Alar’ which means Ruler.
• Vellalan is derived from ‘Vellam’ and ‘Anamai’(Management) meaning Cultivation/Farming
• The word ‘Vel’ – spear/plough gives it an entirely different meaning – ‘The People of Spear’ 

According to Sangam Literature, Vellalars were the controllers of the flood, irrigated their fields when the rivers were in flood, and raised the rice-crop on damp rice-fields while the Karalar, ‘Lords of the Clouds’ were controllers of the rain, who looked up to the sky for watering their fields and stored the rain water in tanks.

Origin

Nanjil people are Tamil speaking community living in an around Kanyakumari district. They are basically farmers, land owners and scholars.

They have been famous for their mathematical skills and proficiency in accounting. Hence they joined as officials/ Accountants at Palayakaras and assumed the title ‘Kanaku Pillai’ (Kanaku – Maths). With a good reputation and skills they reached as high as treasurers and accountants for the Kings.

It is said that the Scholars had high reputation with the king for their sincerity and hence they received lot of cultivating land as appreciation. They moved from Thirunelveli to Nanjil Nadu (Thovalai District, Nagercoil) for agricultural activities. Some say that though they were into farming though they never cultivated their own lands with their hands. They had enough managerial skills to recruit farmers to do their work.

Living in the Kanyakumari district for hundred of years, Nanjil people merged the culture that was brought and the one that they lived in. After the destruction of Chettiar lands around Kaveri poompattanam by the floods the Nattukottai Chettiar lost most of their women and children. Karaikudi or Nattukottai Chettiar moved south to Thirunelveli and Kanyakumari, inter-married Thirunelveli Saiva Vellalars and remained vegetarians. After marriage with Thirunelveli Vellalars, they followed their vattara vazhakku (dialect). This is one of the main reasons why we refer our grandmothers as ‘Aachi’, have culinary taste and style, wedding rituals, seedhanam concept (dowry)  and lifestyle like the Chettiars of the Karaikudi district.

Nanjil people have the highest literacy rate in Tamil Nadu as Kanyakumari was under Travancore samasthanam till 1956. Kingdom of Travancore, the Princely state, in current day is the southern districts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Marthanda Varma  inherited the kingdom of Thrippappur, and expanded it into Travancore during his reign 1729–1758. During this Princely rule, Nanjil people worked for the king’s samasthanam and they absorbed some of their culture and traditions too.

Nanjil families followed Makkal vazhi and marumakkal vazhi after the Travancore influence. The rulers of Travancore were Malayala Kshatriyas followed a matrilineal system of inheritance known as “Marumakkathayam”. Makkal vazhi is the standard system of the son inheriting the father’s property whereas in the Marumakkal vazhi, his nephew (Sister’s son) usually acquires the property as the true heir of the family. Women got the property rights due to Travancore influence in Kanyakumari district. This is no more the legal system in South India but this is the origin of women having equal rights in the inheritance.

Word of Mouth

One of my grandmothers says that we migrated from a place Karaikudi, some 350 years ago due to drought and war. We fled to the southern parts of Tamil Nadu to escape from being looted, converted or harassed. We carried our God idols, jewels and money across and settled down in the local area. The two idols made of brass are at the entrance door at the ‘Theroor’ temple is said to have been brought down by my forefathers who migrated from Karaikudi in the 1750s.

Origin of ‘Vellalar’

The famous Tamil Literature ‘Tholkappiam’ talks about four groups; these groups cannot be equated to castes until later periods. There were Brahmins, Vellalar (Cultivators), Chettiars (Businessmen), Warriors (Thevar, Kallar, Vanniar) and the rest of them. The caste system was based purely on occupation and discrimination was not encouraged.

Origin of Vellalars has different theories. According to old Hindu Texts, the Vellalar tribe from North India migrated to South because of the Gods congregation on Mount Meru as the Earth titled raising the southern corner. Vedic sage Agathiar or Agastya (Who is said to have created the language Tamil on orders from lord Skanda) visited Dvaraka (Legendary birth place of Krishna destroyed by the sea) led 18 families to south where they settle down clearing forest and cultivating the land.

According to historical sources, scholars, Vellalars are the scions of the Velir chieftains who belonged to the Yadu Kshatriya clan. In Hindu texts, the Yadus are often described as an agro pastoral warrior clan.

There two basic people, Saiva Vellalar and Asaiva Vellalar Pillai. It is said that some section of Vellalars gave up meat eating and became vegetarians- they were called “Saiva Vellalars”

Although the Tamil word Vellalar means the cultivator, some data indicates that the original Chera, Chola and Pandiya Kings were Vellalars. This may or may not be true. Today Vellalars in Tamil Nadu is a small minority in southern districts. They are less than 7% of population.

Etymology and Origin ‘Pillai’

Pillai is a title given to people out of respect. It means Sir/ Mr. Pillai is not a caste name in Old Tamil Nadu. It is a common title to indicate people from a socially upgraded and respectable trade.

Marasaari (Maram is Tree) Pillai are carpenters, Aasaari are Goldsmith/Silversmith, Kannaku (Mathematics) Pillai are accountants and Illathu Pillai are house makers/contractors. They are individual families with different thali (food platter), styles and cultures.

Some of the sub-castes are

• Arunattu Vellalar
• Cherakula Vellalar
• Karkarthar
• Musuguntha Vellalar
• Nanjil Vellalar
• Nattampadi Vellalar
• Pandiya Vellalar
• Paiyur kottai Vellalar
• Chozia Vellalar
• Saiva Velallar
• Veerakodi Vellalar

The community is distributed throughout Tamil Nadu and also in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Burma and Singapore. However, they form a significant proportion of population in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.

Historical and Modern Personalities

Literature

Namalvar – One of the twelve alvars who were well known for their hymns on devotion to Lord Vishnu, was identified as a child prodigy as he depicted divinity after sixteen years of silence.
Thirnavukkarasar (Thiru – Shri (Lord/Sir), Navu(Tongue), Arasar (King) – King of Speech – Popularly known as Apar, one of the sixty three nayanars, famous for returning to Shavisam (oldest section of Hinduism) from Jainism after a severe illness.

Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai, Eminent Tamil poet translated works of Omar Khayyam.

Freedom Fighters

Maruthanayagam Pillai (1725–1764) Commandant for the British East India Company later became Administrator for Madurai. Muhammed Yusuf Khan
V. O. Chidambaram Pillai (1872–1936), famous Indian freedom fighter, the man who first supported a Scheduled Caste sage Swami Sahajaanantha, Founder of first Indigenous Ship Company against British rule.

Entertainment and Politics

N. S. Krishnan, Legendary Comic actor

Nanjil Manoharan, Politician

Nanjil Nadan, writer

References:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillai_(community)
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vellalar
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Vellalar_sub_castes
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanyakumari
• http://dino-latchmi.tripod.com/id12.html
• http://pasug.blogspot.com/2005/06/vellala-pillais-how-to-become-great.html
• http://www.scribd.com/doc/8511719/Who-Are-Vellalas
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ettuveetil_Pillamar
• http://www.nanjilvellalar.com/