Isai Velalar is a community found in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

. They are traditionally involved as performers of classical dance and music in

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...

s and

court A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and Administration of justice, administer justice in Civil law (common law), civil, Criminal law, criminal, an ...

s of the patrons. The term "Isai Velalar" is a recent community identity, people of

minstrel A minstrel was an entertainer, initially in medieval Europe. The term originally described any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool; later, from the sixteenth century, it came to mean a specialist enter ...

occupation from various castes such as, Melakkarar, Nayanakkarar and Nattuvanar come under this term. Isai Vellalars are a micro community. Out of all the divisions, Melakkarars are the predominant Isai Vellalars.

Edgar Thurston Edgar Thurston (1855– 12 October 1935) was the British Superintendent at the Madras Government Museum from 1885 to 1908 who contributed to research studies in the fields of zoology, ethnology and botany of India, and later also published ...

noted that the community had two linguistic sects within the state; being

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

and

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

. Tamil-speaking Melakkarars traditionally performed both ‘Chinna Melam’( nautch music) and/or ‘Periya Melam’(

nadaswaram The ''nadaswaram'' is a double reed wind instrument from South India. It is used as a traditional classical instrument in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala and in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka. This i ...

), while Telugu-speaking Melakkarars of Tamil Nadu performed only ‘Periya Melam.’ and has nothing to do with dancing, The chinna melam tamils are dancing at its core,Telugu Melakkarars had surname like ‘Reddi’ and ‘Naidu’, while the Tamil sect used ‘Pillai’ and 'mudali' title. The Tamil speaking melakkarars are shaivites. There are also other sects like Nattuvanar, naayanakkarar, devaradiyar etc. under Isai Vellalar label. Some from this community were made

devadasi In India, a devadasi is a female artist who is dedicated to the worship and service of a deity or a temple for the rest of her life. The dedication takes place in a ceremony that is somewhat similar to a marriage ceremony. In addition to taki ...

s until its abolition.

Social status

They come under MBC (Most Backward Classes) category in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Etymology

The term Isai Vellalar derives from the Tamil words ''Isai'' meaning "music" and vellar a generic term roughly meaning "cultivator", thus translates as "cultivators of music". This term was introduced after the legal abolition of the

Devadasi In India, a devadasi is a female artist who is dedicated to the worship and service of a deity or a temple for the rest of her life. The dedication takes place in a ceremony that is somewhat similar to a marriage ceremony. In addition to taki ...

system as a result of the reform and anti-

nautch The nautch (, meaning "dance" or "dancing" from Hindustani: "naach")Scott A. Kugle, 2016When Sun Meets Moon: Gender, Eros, and Ecstasy in Urdu Poetry p.230. was a popular court dance performed by girls (known as "nautch girls") in later Mug ...

movement in 1947.

History

The Isai Velalar communities were originally

nomad Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pa ...

Bard In Celtic cultures, a bard is an oral repository and professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's a ...

ic traditions are referred in early

Sangam literature The Sangam literature (Tamil language, Tamil: சங்க இலக்கியம், ''caṅka ilakkiyam''), historically known as 'the poetry of the noble ones' (Tamil language, Tamil: சான்றோர் செய்யுள், ''Cā ...

and well into the early

Pallava The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of South India, the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The Pallavas played a crucial role in shaping in particular southern Indian history and heritage. The ...

and

Pandya The Pandya dynasty (), also referred to as the Pandyas of Madurai, was an ancient Tamil dynasty of South India, and among the four great kingdoms of Tamilakam, the other three being the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Cheras. Existing sinc ...

periods. These were primarily ritualistic and defensive in nature. The artistic side of music and dance came to be strengthened during the

Chola The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...

and

Vijayanagara Vijayanagara () is a city located in Vijayanagara district of Karnataka state in India.Vijayanagara

period. Early
Chola The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...
inscriptions mentions Tevaratiyar as recipients of food offering and ritual performers of the temples, and was a term carrying honorific and high connotations. Inscriptional evidences indicates devadasis to have been independent professionals who enjoyed property (made large land donations to temples) and a respectable position in the society. The 11th-century inscription of
Rajaraja I Rajaraja I ( Middle Tamil: ''Rājarāja Cōḻaṉ''; Classical Sanskrit: ''Rājarāja Śōḷa''; 3 November 947 – January/February 1014), also known as Rajaraja the Great, was a Chola emperor who reigned from 985 to 1014. He was known fo ...
states that the Tevaratiyar were invited to serve the
Brihadisvara Temple Brihadishvara Temple, called Rajarajesvaram () by its builder, and known locally as ''Thanjai Periya Kovil'' () and ''Peruvudaiyar Kovil'', is a Shaivite Hindu temple built in a Chola architectural style located on the south bank of the Cau ...
and were given land near the temple. Under the patronage of the
Nayaks of Tanjavur The Thanjavur Nayak dynasty (or Thanjavur Nayak kingdom) were the rulers of Thanjavur in the 15th and 17th centuries founded by Sevappa Nayaka. The Nayaks, who were Telugu Balijas,* * * * * * * * * were originally appointed as provin ...
and Thanjavur Maratha kings,
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
musicians and
Devadasi In India, a devadasi is a female artist who is dedicated to the worship and service of a deity or a temple for the rest of her life. The dedication takes place in a ceremony that is somewhat similar to a marriage ceremony. In addition to taki ...
s from
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
and
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
migrated to the Thanjavur region. The Melakkarars of Thanjavur are therefore divided in two distinct linguistic groups – the Tamil and Telugu Melakkarar. With the entry of
Colonial India Colonial India was the part of the Indian subcontinent that was occupied by European colonial powers during and after the Age of Discovery. European power was exerted both by conquest and trade, especially in spice trade, spices. The search for ...
, great loss of temple patronage resulted the Tevaratiyar to perceive other ways of income which degraded their social status. The
Devadasi In India, a devadasi is a female artist who is dedicated to the worship and service of a deity or a temple for the rest of her life. The dedication takes place in a ceremony that is somewhat similar to a marriage ceremony. In addition to taki ...
system was legally abolished in 1947 after the campaigns of the social reformers Moovalur Ramamirtham and
Muthulakshmi Reddi Muthulakshmi Reddy (also spelled Reddi in some British Indian sources; 30 July 1886 – 22 July 1968) was an Indian medical practitioner, social reformer and Padma Bhushan award recipient. Muthulakshmi Reddy was appointed to the Madras Legisl ...
. The entry of
Tamil Brahmin Tamil Brahmins are an ethnoreligious community of Tamil-speaking Hindu Brahmins, predominantly living in Tamil Nadu, though they number significantly in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana in addition to other regions of India. The ...
s in music and dance was seen as a threat to the traditional performers of these art forms. This led communities traditionally associated with music and dance to start forming a politicized non-Brahmin caste association which they coined as "Isai Velalar Sangam" and thereby created a political unified identity.

Notable people

Historical personalities
*
Muthu Thandavar Muthu Thandavar (1525–1600 CE) (Tamil:முத்துத்தாண்டவர்) was composer of Carnatic music. He lived in the town of Sirkazhi in Tamil Nadu. His contributions to Carnatic music have been largely forgotten and not m ...

Social activists
* Moovalur Ramamirtham *
Muthulakshmi Reddi Muthulakshmi Reddy (also spelled Reddi in some British Indian sources; 30 July 1886 – 22 July 1968) was an Indian medical practitioner, social reformer and Padma Bhushan award recipient. Muthulakshmi Reddy was appointed to the Madras Legisl ...

Politicians
*
MK Stalin Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin (born 1 March 1953) is an Indian politician and former actor serving as the 8th and current chief minister of Tamil Nadu since 2021. He is the third son of the former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, his son Udhayan ...
*
Udhayanidhi Stalin Udhayanidhi Stalin (born 27 November 1977) is an Indian politician, film producer and former actor who has been the 3rd and current deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu since 2024, serving under Chief Ministe ...
*
M Karunanidhi Muthuvel Karunanidhi (3 June 1924 – 7 August 2018), also known as Kalaignar (Artist), was an Indian writer and politician who served as List of chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for almost two decades over five t ...
*
Murasoli Maran Murasoli Maran (17 August 1934, Thirukkuvalai – 23 November 2003) was an Indian politician and leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, which was headed by his maternal uncle and mentor, M. Karunanidhi. A Member of Parliament fo ...
* S. S. Thennarasu * MK Azhagiri * Dhayanidhi Maran

Business personalities
*
Kalanithi Maran Kalanithi Maran (born 24 July 1964) is an Indian billionaire media proprietor. He is the chairman and founder of Sun Group, one of India's largest media conglomerates. He owns multiple television channels, newspapers, weeklies, FM radio station ...
* Kavya Maran

Arts
*
Thanjavur Quartet ''Thanjavur Quartet'' were four brothers, Chinnayya, Ponnayya (1804-1864),https://www.karnatik.com/co1375.shtml Sivanandam and Vadivelu, who lived during the early 19th century and contributed to the development of Bharatanatyam and Carnatic mu ...
* R Muthukannammal * T. N. Rajarathnam Pillai *
Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai (1910–1991) was an Indian Bharatanatyam dance teacher and choreographer. Early life Vazhuvoor Bagyathammal Ramaiah Pillai was born in 1910 to Parthiban and Bagyathammal in Vazhuvoor. He learned the arts of Nattuv ...
* Kumbakonam Rajamanickam Pillai *
Veenai Dhanammal Veenai Dhanammal () (1867–1938) was a highly accomplished Carnatic musician, and the torchbearer of the school of Carnatic music that goes by her name. She was both a vocalist and a performer on the Saraswati veena. The prefix "Veenai" in her ...
* T. Brinda * T. Muktha * Valayapatti A. R. Subramaniam * P. R. Thilagam * T. K. Swaminatha Pillai *
Namagiripettai Krishnan Namagiripettai K Krishnan (2 April 1924 – 30 April 2001) was a Carnatic musician who played the Nadaswaram. He was born in Namagiripettai village and lived in Sendamangalam, Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu, India. He gave many performances acr ...
* Thiruvarur Bakthavathsalam * S. Somasundaram * Balasaraswathi

Cinema
*
Sivakarthikeyan Sivakarthikeyan Doss (born 17 February 1985), also known by the initialism SK, is an Indian actor, playback singer, lyricist, film producer and television presenter, who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. In 2021, he won the Kalaimamani Awar ...
* Arulnidhi

References
{{Portal, Tamils, India, Hinduism Social groups of Tamil Nadu Indian castes Indian castes by profession South Indian communities Other Backward Classes Social groups of Kerala Social groups of Karnataka Ethnic groups in South Asia