Konar is a Hindu caste found in the Indian state of

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 a

pastoral The pastoral genre of literature, art, or music depicts an idealised form of the shepherd's lifestyle – herding livestock around open areas of land according to the seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. The target au ...

community involved in cattle herding and cultivation. They are a part of the

Yadav Yadavs are a grouping of non-elite, peasant-pastoral Quote: "The Yadavs were traditionally a low-to-middle-ranking cluster of pastoral-peasant castes that have become a significant political force in Uttar Pradesh (and other northern states l ...

community, and are also known as ''Ayar'' and ''Idaiyar'', and appear in the ancient

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 ...

as occupants of the Mullai (forest region).

Etymology

According to

Alf Hiltebeitel Alfred John Hiltebeitel (April 10, 1942 - March 12, 2023) was Columbian Professor of Religion, History, and Human Sciences at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., US. His academic specialism was in ancient Sanskrit epics such as the ' ...

, Konar is a Tamil caste who can trace their origin to

Yadava The Yadava (), not to be confused with Yadav, were an ancient Indian people who believed to have descended from Yadu (legendary king), Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage. The community was formed of various clans, being the #T ...

, the caste to which

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

belongs. Several Vaishnavite texts associate Krishna with the Aayar caste, or Konar, most notably the

Thiruppavai The ''Tiruppavai'' () is a set of Tamil Hindu hymns attributed to the female poet-saint Andal. The ''Tiruppavai'' consists of thirty stanzas referred to as ''pasurams'' in praise of Perumal. It is a part of the ''Nalayira Divya Prabandham'', a ...

, composed by goddess

Andal Andal (ISO 15919: Āṇḍāḷ), also known as Godhai, Nachiyar, and Godha Devi, is the only female Alvars, Alvar. (Orthodoxy posits the number of Alvars as ten, though there are other references that include Andal and Madhurakavi Alvar, ...

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 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 ...

word ''kōl'', a herdsman's staff. The

word ''kōl'' also means a king's sceptre. The word ''Ayar'' might be derived from the Tamil word ''Aa'', meaning ''cow''. The term ''idai'' (middle) might refer to the '' Mullai'' region, being an intermediate zone between two other Sangam landscapes called ''

Kurinji ''Strobilanthes kunthiana'', known as Kurinji or Neelakurinji in Tamil language and Malayalam and Gurige in Kannada, is a shrub of the bear's breeches family (Acanthaceae) that is found in the shola forests of the Western Ghats in Kerala, Karn ...

'' (hilly region) and '' Marutham'' (cultivation region), but probably reflected their intermediate socio-economic status. ''Idaiyar'' remains the most commonly used word in Tamil for a cow-herder, and another name for Ayars was ''pothuvar'', meaning ''common''.

History

According to medieval inscriptions the Konars are mentioned as Nandaputras of

lineage. Conclusion pages 103: "We also get several instances of the patronage extended to Krsna temples by the shepherd class (manradi or Konars ) In one inscription they are significantly called Nandaputras and Tiruvaypadi Nattar of Tondaimandalam" Historically some of them have held positions such as kings and chieftains. Gingee Fort Hill view from road

The

Gingee Fort Gingee Fort or Senji Fort (also known as Chenji, Chanchi, Jinji or Senchi) in Tamil Nadu, India is one of the surviving forts in Tamil Nadu, India. It is popularly known as Great Wall of South India. It lies in Villupuram District, from the st ...

was originally built by Ananta kon of the Konar Dynasty, around 1190 A.D. and was later fortified by Krishna Konar. It was later modified in the 13th century to elevate it to the status of an unbreachable citadel to protect the small town of saenji. It was also the headquarters domination in northern Tamil Nadu. The fort was built as a strategic place of fending off any invading armies. The Gingee Fort complex is on three hillocks: Krishnagiri named after Krishna Kon to the north, Rajagiri or Anandagiri named after Ananda kon to the west and Chandrayandurg to the southeast. The three hills together constitute a fort complex, each having a separate and self-contained citadel.

References

Notes Citations {{Portal, Tamils, India, Hinduism Herding castes Social groups of Tamil Nadu Indian castes Agricultural castes Ethnic groups in India

Etymology

History

See also

References