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Vanniar
The Vanniyar, formerly known as the Palli, are a community or ''jāti'' found in the northern part of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Vanniyars were historically considered a lower caste, although some were peasant-warriors in the 14th century. They have been trying to gain a higher socio-religious standing since the 19th century, using the Sanskritisation process to promote a myth of origin that they are related to the ancient Agnikula deity, born from the flames of a fire sacrifice. Etymology Several etymologies for ''Vanniyar'' have been suggested. Alf Hiltebeitel suggests that the caste name derives from ''vahni'', a Sanskrit word thought to be the root for the Tamil word ''vanni'' (fire), which is also a Tamil name for an important tree. The connection to the sage (Jambumuni) leads to further associations with mythological legends. Other etymologies include derivation from the Dravidian ''val'' ("strength"), or the Sanskrit or Pali ''vana'' ("forest"). The term ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Burton Stein
Burton Stein (1926 – April 26, 1996) was an American historian, whose area of specialization was India. Life and career Stein was born and grew up in Chicago, Illinois and served in the Second World War, before commencing tertiary study at the now disused Navy Pier facility that in 1945 was the Chicago campus of the University of Illinois. Stein was an unusual case in that he never completed a bachelor's degree. He was admitted directly into a Master of Arts program at the University of Chicago, finishing his masters in 1954 under the supervision of Robert Crane. He wrote his Ph.D. dissertation in 1957 on the economic functions of South India's medieval Tirupati temple. Upon the completion of his PhD, Stein was appointed to a teaching post at the University of Minnesota, where he stayed until the end of 1965. He then married the author Dorothy Stein and moved to the University of Hawaii where he stayed for 17 years until 1983. He held visiting professorships at the University o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Konar (caste)
Konar is a Hindu caste found in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They are traditionally a pastoral community involved in cattle herding and cultivation. They are a part of the Yadav community, and are also known as ''Ayar'' and ''Idaiyar'', and appear in the ancient Sangam literature as occupants of the Sangam landscape, Mullai (forest region). Etymology According to Alf Hiltebeitel, Konar is a Tamil caste who can trace their origin to Yadava, the caste to which Krishna belongs. Several Vaishnavite texts associate Krishna with the Aayar caste, or Konar, most notably the Thiruppavai, composed by goddess Andal herself, most notably referring Krishna as the “Aayar kulathu mani vilakke”. The caste name is interchangeable with the names ''Konar'' and ''Kovalar'' being derived from Tamil word ''Kōn'', which can mean "king" and "herdsmen". The word might be derived from the from Tamil language, Tamil word ''kōl'', a herdsman's staff. The Tamil language, Tamil word ''kōl'' also ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Draupati Amman
Draupadi (), also referred to as Krishnā, Panchali and Yajnaseni, is the central heroine of the ancient Indian epic ''Mahabharata''. In the epic, she is the princess of Panchala Kingdom, who later becomes the empress of Kuru Kingdom. She is the common wife of the five Pandava brothers—Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva—and is renowned for her beauty, courage, devotion, intelligence and rhetorical skills. She is also described as ''sakhi''—a close friend—of the god Krishna. Draupadi, along with her twin brother Dhrishtadyumna, emerges fully grown from a ''yajna'' (fire sacrifice) organized by King Drupada of Panchala. Draupadi’s marriage is determined through a ''svayamvara'' (self-choice ceremony), structured as an archery contest of great difficulty. Arjuna succeeds in the challenge and wins her hand. However, their mother, Kunti, unknowingly instructs her sons to share whatever they had brought home, resulting in Draupadi becoming the common wife ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pallava Dynasty
The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The Pallavas played a crucial role in shaping in particular southern Indian history and heritage. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana Empire, whom they had formerly served as feudatories. The Pallavas became a major southern Indian power during the reign of Mahendravarman I (600–630 CE) and Narasimhavarman I (630–668 CE), and dominated the southern Telugu region and the northern parts of the Tamil region for about 600 years, until the end of the 9th century. Throughout their reign, they remained in constant conflict with both the Chalukyas of Vatapi to the north, and the Tamil kingdoms of Chola and Pandyas to their south. The Pallavas were finally defeated by the Chola ruler Aditya I in the 9th century CE. The Pallavas are most noted for their patronage of Hindu Vaishnava temple architecture, the fine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Women In Hinduism
Diverse views on women and their roles exist within Hinduism. The Devi Sukta hymn of the Rigveda declares feminine energy to be the essence of the universe, the one who creates all matter and consciousness, the eternal and infinite, the metaphysical and empirical reality (Brahman), the soul (supreme self) of everything. The woman is celebrated as the most powerful and empowering force in some Hindu Upanishads, Sastras and Puranas, particularly the Devi Upanishad, Devi Mahatmya and Devi-Bhagavata Purana.C. Mackenzie Brown (1990), The Triumph of the Goddess, State University of New York Press, ISBN , page 77Thomas Coburn (2002), Devī Māhātmya: The Crystallization of the Goddess Tradition, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 138, 303-309 Ancient and medieval era Hindu texts differ in their positions on the duties and rights of women. The texts describe eight kinds of marriage, including consensual arranged marriage (Brahma or Devic), unceremonial marriage by mutual agreement (Gan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Invented Tradition
Invented traditions are cultural practices that are presented or perceived as traditional, arising from people starting in the distant past, but which are relatively recent and often consciously invented by historical actors. The concept was highlighted in the 1983 book ''The Invention of Tradition'', edited by Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger. Hobsbawm's introduction argues that many "traditions" which "appear or claim to be old are often quite recent in origin and sometimes invented." This "invention" is distinguished from "starting" or "initiating" a tradition that does not then claim to be old. The phenomenon is particularly clear in the modern development of the nation and of nationalism, creating a national identity promoting national unity, and legitimising certain institutions or cultural practices. Background A set of practices, typically ritualistic or symbolic, aims to instill values and behavioral norms through repetition, such as saluting a flag before class. These p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chennai
Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and territories of India, state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Census of India, 2011 Indian census, Chennai is the List of most populous cities in India, sixth-most-populous city in India and forms the List of million-plus urban agglomerations in India, fourth-most-populous urban agglomeration. Incorporated in 1688, the Greater Chennai Corporation is the oldest municipal corporation in India and the second oldest in the world after City of London Corporation, London. Historically, the region was part of the Chola dynasty, Chola, Pandya dynasty, Pandya, Pallava dynasty, Pallava and Vijayanagara Empire, Vijayanagara kingdoms during various eras. The coastal land which then contained th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Census Of India Prior To Independence
Census in British India refers to the census of India prior to independence which was conducted periodically from 1865 to 1941. The censuses were primarily concerned with administration and faced numerous problems in their design and conduct ranging from the absence of house numbering in hamlets to cultural objections on various grounds to dangers posed by wild animals to census personnel. The sociologist Michael Mann called the census exercise "more telling of the administrative needs of the British than of the social reality for the people of British India". The differences in the nature of Indian society during the British Raj from the value system and the societies of the West were highlighted by the inclusion of "caste", "religion", "profession" and "age" in the data to be collected, as the collection and analysis of that information had a considerable impact on the structure and politics of Indian society. Administrative background The first modern census in the United Ki ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pondicherry
Pondicherry, officially known as Puducherry, is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of the Puducherry (union territory), Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the southeast coast of India and is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal to the east and the state of Tamil Nadu, with which it shares most of its culture, heritage, and language. History Puducherry, formerly known as Pondicherry, gained its significance as "the French Riviera of the East" after the advent of French colonialisation in India. Puducherry is the Tamil interpretation of "new town" and mainly derives from "Poduke", the name of the marketplace or "port town" for Roman trade in the 1st century, as mentioned in the ''Periplus of the Erythraean Sea''. The settlement was once an abode of learned scholars versed in the Vedas, hence it was also known as Vedapuri. The history of Puducherry can broadly be classified into two periods: pre-colonial and colonial. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Routledge
Routledge ( ) is a British multinational corporation, multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, academic journals, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioral science, behavioural science, education, law, and social science. The company publishes approximately 1,800 journals and 5,000 new books each year and their backlist encompasses over 140,000 titles. Routledge is claimed to be the largest global academic publisher within humanities and social sciences. In 1998, Routledge became a subdivision and Imprint (trade name), imprint of its former rival, Taylor & Francis, Taylor & Francis Group (T&F), as a result of a £90-million acquisition deal from Cinven, a venture capital group which had purchased it two years previously for £25 million. Following the merger of Informa and T&F in 2004, Routledge became a publishing unit and major imprint within the Informa "academic publishing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kathleen Gough
Eleanor Kathleen Gough Aberle (16 August 1925 – 8 September 1990) was a British anthropologist and feminist who was known for her work in South Asia and South-East Asia. As a part of her doctorate work, she did field research in Malabar district from 1947 to 1949. She did further research in Tanjore district from 1950 to 1953 and again in 1976, and in Vietnam in 1976 and 1982. In addition, some of her work included campaigning for: nuclear disarmament, the civil rights movement, women's rights, the third world and the end of the Vietnam War. She was known for her Marxist leanings and was on an FBI watchlist. Early life and education Kathleen Gough was born on 16 August 1925 in Hunsingore, a village near Wetherby in Yorkshire, England, that then had a population of 100, no electricity and no piped water. She had a brother and a half-sister. Her father, Albert, was a blacksmith who became involved in the introduction of agricultural machinery to the area and has been descr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
