| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka | |
| Languages | |
| Tamil |
Mudaliar (alternatively spelled: Mudhaliar, Muthaliar, Mudar, Mudhar, Muthar, Mudali, Mudhali, Muthali or Moodley) is a title used by people belonging to various Tamil castes.[1] Castes using the title speak Tamil as their native language. The title was mostly used among Tamils from Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, and was given to a high-ranking military officer.[2]
The title was primarily used by the communities like the Agamudaiyar, Karaiyars, Sengunthars and Vellalars.[3][4][5][6] Other communities adopted it as means to present themselves as superior to the social status which they actually held.[3]
Etymology
The title is derived from the Tamil word muthal or muthar meaning first with the suffix yaar denoting people.[7] The title is used in the same sense as simply meaning headman.[8]
See also
- Ceylonese Mudaliyars
- List of Mudaliars
References
- ^ Barnett, Marguerite Ross (2015). The Politics of Cultural Nationalism in South India. Princeton University Press. p. 236. ISBN 9781400867189.
- ^ Silva, Chandra Richard De (2009). Portuguese Encounters with Sri Lanka and the Maldives: Translated Texts from the Age of Discoveries. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 225. ISBN 9780754601869.
- ^ a b Ramaswamy, Vijaya (2017). Historical Dictionary of the Tamils. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 229. ISBN 978-1-53810-686-0.
- ^ Pandian, Jacob (1987). Caste, Nationalism and Ethnicity: An Interpretation of Tamil Cultural History and Social Order. Popular Prakashan. p. 109, 114. ISBN 978-0-86132-136-0.
- ^ "Mudaliar title usage" (PDF).
- ^ M, S, A, Vijaya, Kanthimathi, Ramesh (2 August 2008). "Genetic study of scheduled caste populations of Tamil Nadu". Journal of Genetics. 87 (2): 171–4. doi:10.1007/s12041-008-0026-2. PMID 18776647. S2CID 32841661 – via Indian Academy of Sciences.
- ^ Barnett, Marguerite Ross (2015). The Politics of Cultural Nationalism in South India. Princeton University Press. p. 236. ISBN 9781400867189.
- ^ Katz, Nathan (2000). Who Are the Jews of India?. University of California Press. pp. 47–48. ISBN 978-0-52021-323-4.