Gounder

Gounder is a title used by various communities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.^[1] It may refer to various communities such as Kongu Vellala Gounder, Vanniyar, Vettuva gounder, Thuluva Vellalar,^[2] Urali Gounders,^[3] Kurumba, Tamil Vokkaligas.^[4][5]

Etymology

There are a number of derivations for the title. One theory derives it from the Tamil word Kaamindan, meaning "noble protector of the country", later modified as Kavundan or Gounder.^[6]

According to S. N. Sadasivan, some of these Vellalars branched off from the Vokkaligas and both might have a common origin from the Kurumba.^[7]

History

During the British Raj era, some Gounders migrated to Malayan rubber plantations as Kanganis to manage the coolies.^[8]

References

1. "Gounder consolidation could pose headache to major parties". The Times of India. 21 May 2009. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012.
2. Haswell, M. R. (2013), "Dusi (North Arcot District)", Econ Dev Village India Ils 59, Routledge, pp. 32–39, doi:10.4324/9781315888736, ISBN 978-1-315-88873-6
3. Evans, Harold (12 October 2004). They made America : From the steam engine to the search engine. Little, Brown. ISBN 0-316-27766-5. OCLC 999370982.
4. Chennakrishnaiah, Shilpa (2011). Analysis of Y-chromosome Diversity in Lingayat and Vokkaliga Populations of Southern India (Thesis). Florida International University. doi:10.25148/etd.fi11072506.
5. List of subcastes (PDF) (Report). Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
6. Madhvan, Karthik (2 August 2008). "Steeped in history". Frontline. Chennai, India: The Hindu Group. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
7. Sadasivan, S. N (2000). A social history of India. New Delhi, India: APH Pub. Corp. p. 254. ISBN 9788176481700. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2021. In all probability the Tamil Kavandans or Goundans might have branched of from them and both might be descendants of Kurumbas of yore.
8. Basu, Raj Sekhar (2011). Nandanar's Children: The Paraiyans' Tryst with Destiny, Tamil Nadu 1850 - 1956. SAGE. p. 137. ISBN 978-81-321-0679-1.