Nalavar () is a
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 ...
caste found in
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
. They were traditionally occupied in
palm tree
The Arecaceae () is a family of perennial, flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are colloquially c ...
climbing and
toddy tapping.
Etymology
According to a folk etymology is the name Nalavar a corrupted form of ''Naluvinavar'' (those who decamped), which they gained after withdrawing from a battle field.
Another theory suggest the name is derived from ''Nalua'' meaning to climb, in reference to their traditional occupation.
It has also been proposed that the name is derived from ''Naravar'' (from ''Naravu,'' ancient
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 ...
term for
toddy).
History
According to
Yalpana Vaipava Malai were the Nalavars originally called ''Nambis'' who originally
Vanniar chieftains and served as
bowmen. A former subdivision among them were known as ''Kottai Vayil Nalavar'' i.e. "Nalavars in service of the
fort
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...
".
Under the
Dutch Ceylon
Dutch Ceylon (; ) was a governorate established in present-day Sri Lanka by the Dutch East India Company. Although the Dutch managed to capture most of the coastal areas in Sri Lanka, they were never able to control the Kingdom of Kandy locate ...
was the
Thesavalamai
Thesavalamai is the traditional law of the Sri Lankan Tamil inhabitants of the Jaffna peninsula, codified by the Netherlands, Dutch during their colonial rule in 1707. The Thesawalamai is a collection of the Customs of the Malabar Inhabitants of th ...
law codified. This law allowed landlords to have slaves, and the Nalavars were also employed as
agriculture labors, and were classified along with the
Pallar under the term ''Adimai'' (slave).
Customs
The badge and
cattle brand mark of the Nalavars is the
bow and arrow
The bow and arrow is a ranged weapon system consisting of an elasticity (physics), elastic launching device (bow) and long-shafted projectiles (arrows). Humans used bows and arrows for hunting and aggression long before recorded history, and the ...
. The Nalavar along with the
Pallar worship ''Annamar'', their
caste deity.
See also
*
Caste system in Sri Lanka
The caste systems in Sri Lanka are social stratification systems found among the ethnic groups of the island since ancient times. The models are similar to those found in Continental India, but are less extensive and important for various reasons. ...
References
{{Sri Lankan Tamil people
Sri Lankan Tamil castes
Brewing and distilling castes