Agamudayar Mudaliar During Colonial Era

Edgar Thurstons Account on Agamudaya Mudaliar 

Agamudayar is a community whose members are prevalent in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.] Agamudayar have been using the title of Mudaliar since the 13th century. The Agamudayars actually belong to the Mukkulathor community. These three castes are together known as Mukkulathor. Agamudayar who generally use Thevar as title also use the title of Mudaliar in Northern Tamil Nadu. Servai, Udaiyar, Pillai and Reddy are their other titles used in various parts of the state of Tamil Nadu.

VELLALA/AGHAMUDIAR/THULUVA VELLALA
The Aghamudiar identify themselves as Aghamudi Mudaliar. Aghamudi literally means a person who stood steadfast with pride. Mudaliar is one who is in the forefront. Mudaliar, Mudali and Reddy are their titles. Mudaliar also denotes a headman or the chief. The community has several synonyms, viz., Tuluva Vellala, Arcot Vellala, Arcot Mudali, Aghamudian, Agamudi Vellalar, Agamudi Reddy and Agamudi Mudaliar. They claim to be the original inhabitants of the Tulu country, on the western coast from where they migrated and settled in the ancient Pallava country. Thus the name ‘Tuluva Vellala’, which literally means the cultivator of the Tulu country. The names Arcot Vellala and Arcot Mudali are derived from the place, Arcot, located in the Tamil country, from where they migrated to their present habitat. Their ancestors are believed to have migrated to Chittoor District, during the reign of the Lingayat Rajas of Punganur some 200 years back. Some of them had served in the capacity of village munsiffs during the British period and post-Independence period and hence they style themselves as ‘Aghamudi Reddy’, since ‘Reddy’ is the title for the village munsiff in the Telugu country. It is also the title of the agricultural Kapu. The Aghamudian claim to be the descendants of one of the sons, born to Ahalya, wife of Gautama rishi and Indra.

The detailed account of the origin and culture of the Aghamudiar is described in Thurston (1909). It is said that their ancestor stood before the sage Gautama, without any fear. Hence his descendants are known as ‘Aghamudiar’. They trace their historical past to the Pallava dynasty. Many of them have served in the armies of Vijanagar kings of the 15th Century and the Ballala Rajas. Till recent times, they served the Punganur rulers, in the army as well as in the palace. They are concentrated in the northern districts of Tamil Nadu and are also distributed in the Chittoor and Nellore districts of Andhra Pradesh. They speak Tamil language among themselves and Telugu with the natives. Some of them are conversant with Dakkani Urdu and Kannada also. They use Tamil and Telugu scripts. Telugu is the medium of instruction in schools. The educated people converse in English. Their dress pattern resembles that of the local people. Men wear a dhoti, shirt and headgear. Women wear blouse, sari and other modern dresses. Their women anoint vibhudhi (sacred ash) mark below the vermilion mark (kumkum bottu) on their forehead. The mukuthi (nose-stud) and grasshopper- shaped thali (marriage locket) worn by their women are the identification markers of the community.

The Aghamudiar are non-vegetarian, who avoid beef and pork. Rice and ragi are their staple cereals besides bajra and wheat. They take all the locally available roots and tubers, vegetables and fruits. They consume all varieties of pulses and oilseeds like sesamum, niger and groundnut seeds. Groundnut oil is their cooking medium. Some of the men consume locally available liquor, like kallu, sarai and other intoxicants occasionally. They take coffee, tea, fruit juice, butter-milk, regularly. They use milk and milk products. Some men smoke either beedis or cigaretts. Both men and women chew betel leaves along with tobacco and arecanut.

The Aghamudiar are divided into two main sects, namely, Saiva gotram and Vishnu gotram, based on their religious affiliations. They have clans named after the deities, and prefix the ancestral place names as surnames, e.g., Balagulam, Kattamanchivaru, Katpadivallu, Aranivallu, Arcotvallu, Chittoorvaru, Vellorevallu, Amburvallu, Punganurvallu etc. These regulate their marital alliances and indicate their ancestry. They claim equal social status with the local Kapu/Reddy communities. The community’s self-perception in terms of its social status at the regional level, in the local social hierarchy, is medium. Traditionally, they do not have surnames, but they have adopted the ancestral place names as surnames like the Telugu communities after their immigration. Traditionally, ‘Mudaliar’ is the community’s title, but some families have adopted the ‘Reddy’ title, as their ancestors were holding posts as village munsiffs. They are aware of the varna system and recognise their place as Sudras.

The aghamudiar follow community endogamy and surname exogamy. Marriage with one’s own father’s sister’s daughter, mother’s brother’s daughter and sister’s daughter is the custom. They practise adult marriages. The age at marriage for girls varies between 16 and 20 years, while for males it ranges between 20 and 25 years. The general mode of acquiring a mate is through negotiations by their elders. Marriage by mutual consent and by exchange of sisters are also practised occasionally. Monogamy is the norm. Polygyny is allowed in case of infertility and with the consent of the first wife and elder. Kumkum (vermilion),toe-rings (mettelu),thali and mukhuthi (nose-stud) are the symbols of married women. They observe the kanyadanam ritual during marriage. The earlier practice of bride-price (parisa panam or oli) of three and a half rupee to the girl’s parents, has been replaced by dowry. They generally follow the patrilocal rule of residence after marriage. Divorce can be obtained with judicial approval, on the grounds of maladjustment, cruelty by the in-laws, and adultery, to either party. Children are the liability of both parents. Remarriages for widowed or divorced women are prohibited. A male divorcee or a widower can remarry. Junior sororate is allowed in case of infertility, whereas levirate is prohibited. There has been an increase in the age at marriage of both males and females. Changes have been noticed in divorce and remarriage rules due to modernisation.

The nuclear family predominates among the Aghamudiar. Very few joint families exist. An avoidance relationship between mother-in-law and son-in-law existed earlier. Joking relations are allowed between cross-cousins, maternal uncle and niece, with wife’s younger brothers and sisters and with one’s own grandparents. Sharing of property is the main reason for conflicts within the household. Only sons inherit equally the ancestral property. Daughters can claim the jewels and other valuables of the mother, after her death. In the absence of male heir, they can claim the parent’s property. The eldest son succeeds his father as the head of the family. Due to modern laws and amendments, the women also have a right to share ancestral property, nowadays.

The Aghamudiar women participate in agricultural operations, like sowing and weeding, besides animal husbandry. Some of them work as casual labourers in construction, road laying etc. Some are vegetable vendors, and others involved in petty business. A few are employed as teachers and clerks, in public and private institutions. Though they participate in social, ritual and religious spheres they enjoy a lower status than their men. They contribute to the family income and control family expenditure.

Seemantham, a pre-deliverry ritual, is performed for the expectant Aghamudiar mother during her fifth, seventh or ninth month of pregnancy by her parents, who resent gifts and perform arathi rituals. They invite perantalu (married women) and distribute gifts, coconut, flowers, kumkum and bangles. They conduct the delivery either at home by an experienced elderly woman (mantrasani) or at nursing homes. The expenses towards first and second deliveries are borne by the woman’s parents. Post-delivery pollution is observed for eight days, followed by a purificatory bath to the mother and child (purudu) and punyaham (sacred water mixed with cow-dung) is sprinkled in the house to remove pollution. The naming ceremony is also observed the same day. The mother has to observe postnatal restrictions for about a month. They feed cooked cereals to the child after it attains six month age. The tonsure ceremony is performed for both boys and girls at their family deity shrine in the first, third or fifth year of age. The maternal uncle of the child formally cuts a tuft of hair and the barber completes the job.

The Ahamudiar observe sadangu (puberty rites) for females on attaining menarche. She is secluded for seven days in a corner of the house, or in a specially erected pandal. The final purificatory bath is given on the seventh or ninth day, after which she is admitted into the kitchen.

The Aghamudiar celebrate marriage rituals only for one day, instead of three to five days in the past. They perform munidevara to the clan deity, before the commencement of marriage. Animals are sacrificed to appease the deities and ancestors, and invoke their blessing. Traditionally, rituals are conducted at the bride’s residence. They keep ariveni pots and god’s images in the marriage pandal, if they follow puranic rites, whereas a homam is set up, if they perform with vedic rites. The Brahman purohit officiates.Kanyadanam, kankana dharana, pradhanam, nischitartham, basingam dharana, Ganga puja, muhurtham etc., are the main marriage rituals. Expenses are borne by the bride’s parents. The nuptial ceremony is conducted at the bride’s residence.

The Aghamudiar generally bury their dead but the eldest born child, after death is cremated. They use a red cloth to cover the body. The eldest son is the chief mourner in the case of a father’s death. The deceased is buried in a lying position, with the head towards the south. Death pollution is observed for ten to fifteen days, initial obsequies on the third day, and final obsequies either on the 11th or 16th day. The Mala, Jangama and Sathani play the mourning music. The Brahman conducts the final obsequies. Annual shraddha rituals are observed in memory of the ancestors and offerings are made on the Mahalaya Amavasya day or on Pongal or Sankranthi festive days. The Sathani attends to the death rites for the Vaishnavites, while the Jangama or Pandaram attend to the Saivites.

Most of the Aghamudiar are small and marginal farmers, who cultivate paddy, betel leaves, mulberry, sugarcane, groundnut and vegetables. A few of them cultivate other’s lands on a sharecrop basis (koru) or on lease basis (gutha). Some of them work as agricultural or casual labourers. Some are in government and private institutions as teachers, clerks, etc. Child labour also exists.

The traditional community councils or village councils of the Aghamudiar have become defunct. The statutory gram panchayats and the recent Mandal panchayats, plan and implement welfare and development programmes, like sanitation. They approach the judiciary to resolve disputes over land and water, rape, theft, etc., cases.

The Aghamudiar profess Hinduism and belong to both Saivite and Vaishnavite sects. They worship all the Hindu gods and goddesses. Lord Ganesh is the patron deity for both the sects. Lord Venkateswara, Perumal, Ayyanar, Anjaneya, Lakshmi Narasimha, Varadarajaswamy, Sri Ranganatha etc., are the family deities for the Vaishnavites, while Iswara, Puliar, Subramanya, Muneswara, Bharava, Murugan, Veerabhadra, Palaniswamy etc., are the family deities for the Saivites. Mariamma, Boyakonda Gangamma, Ankalamma, Yellamma, Dharmaraja etc., are their village deities. They visit Tirupati, Tiruttani, Srikalahasthi, Srisailam, Palani, Kancheevaram, Vellore, Tiruvanmayur, Srirangam, Thanjavur, Guruvayur etc., sacred centres for pilgrimage. They observe all the Hindu festivals which are of socioreligious significance.

The Aghamudiar maintain traditional inter community linkages in economic and socio religious activities with other communities. They accept water and cooked food from castes like the Brahman, Vysya, Komati, Chettiar and Raju and with equal ranking groups like the Kapu (Reddy), Kamma (Naidu), Balija and Yadava 9golla), agricultural communities. All the lower castes like the Odde, Boya, Chakali, Mangali, Kummara and Gandla; the Scheduled Castes like the Mala, Madiga, Thoti, Parayan, Asadhi, Relli and Pambala; and the Scheduled Tribes like the Korava, Yerukula, Koracha, Sugali and Yanadi accept water and food from their hands.

The Aghamudiar favour various development programmes launched by the Government. They have a positive approach towards education for their children, who are usually educated upto higher secondary level and a few upto postgraduate level. They avail of modern health and medicare facilities to a moderate extent. They favour family welfare schemes, adopting modern methods of birth control. They avail of modern civic amenities.