Vellalar caste
Vellalars (also, Velalars, Vellalas) were, originally, an elite caste of Tamil agricultural landlords in Tamil Nadu, Kerala states in India and in neighbouring Sri Lanka; they were the nobility, aristocracy of the ancient Tamil order (Chera/Chola/Pandya/Sangam era)[1][2][3] and had close relations with the different royal dynasties.[4][5][6] Literary, archeological sources trace the origin of the Vellalars to a group of royal house chieftains called Vel or Velir.[7][8][9] According to old Hindu, Tamil texts, the Velirs were warriors from the Yadu Kshatriya clan (Chandravanshi lineage);[10][11][12] they came to south from the city of Dvārakā in north India under the leadership of the Vedic sage Agastya.[13][14][15] They have been described as Upper Shudras or Sat-shudras[16][17][18] in the Brahmanical Varna system. The Vellalar community however never accepted this classification and they have challenged the Brahmins who described them as shudras.[19][20][21] The actual Vellalar caste is made of different sub castes which do not intermarry; many of these sub castes have nothing to do with the original Vellalars.[22] The Vellalar are found amongst the Tamil diaspora around the world; although they were originally associated with the landed gentry, today they are found in all walks of life.