Siviyar (, also written ''Chiviar'' and ) is a caste found in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n state of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
and
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. They were traditionally
palanquin bearers. They are a single community in
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, but are however a subcaste of the
Idaiyar caste in
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
. According to Srinivasa Aiyangar “The Siviyar (palankeen bearers) and the Agattu-Charna sub-division of the Tamil ldaiyan caste are note-worthy, as affording a connecting link between them and the
Samantas and
Nayars of Malabar.
Etymology
The name is derived from the
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nati ...
word'' Civikai'' meaning "palanquin" and the suffix -ar denoting honorific plural. The headmen of them were known as ''Kūriyan'', meaning "proclaimer", in reference to his proclaiming or announcement of the titles of the person whom he carries before the palanquin.
History
Siviyar of Jaffna
The Siviyars were royal palanquin bearers for the kings of
Jaffna Kingdom
The Jaffna Kingdom ( ta, யாழ்ப்பாண அரசு, si, යාපනය රාජධානිය; 1215–1624 CE), also known as Kingdom of Aryachakravarti, was a historical kingdom of what today is northern Sri Lanka. It came i ...
. After the fall of
Jaffna Kingdom
The Jaffna Kingdom ( ta, யாழ்ப்பாண அரசு, si, යාපනය රාජධානිය; 1215–1624 CE), also known as Kingdom of Aryachakravarti, was a historical kingdom of what today is northern Sri Lanka. It came i ...
, during
Dutch Ceylon
Dutch Ceylon ( Sinhala: Tamil: ) 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 Kandyan ...
they served as palanquin bearers, woodcutters and
water carriers for the Commander and
Dissava, and were a influential class in
Jaffna
Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th most ...
. In a census taken in 1760 by Dutch in Jaffna there were 3 who held
Mudaliyars
Thuluva Vellalar (Thondamandala Tuluva Vellalar), also known as Agamudaya Mudaliars and Arcot Mudaliars, is a caste found in northern Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh and southern Karnataka, India. They were originally significant lando ...
title. Wouter Schouten described them “As a rule they are fairly intelligent and strong” and “so low-minded that they do not serve anybody cheerfully, but only those whom they believe to be men of consequence”. Dutch Predikant Baldaeus called them “Very proud on the score of being government servants and will bear no other persons, but such as are of some consequence” and compared them to “Gibeonites subsequently termed Nethinim”. Gibeonites were residents of Gibeon, a great city, as one of the royal cities and all the men thereof were mighty. When Israelites under Joshua about to conquest their city, they convinced the Israelites that there were from far land by wearing old clothes and shoes and taking old bread and wine. They entered a treaty with Joshua saying that they were their servants. When it was discovered that they were not from far land, Israelites were not happy that the princes entered a treaty with them. The princes said that since they swore oath on them let them live but let them be woodcutters and water carriers . Gibeonites evolved into Nethinim, the temple assistants. It is Portuguese who captured Jaffna before Dutch. Baldeus here probably inferring here that Siviyars “deceived” Portuguese by saying that they were just servants of Kings of Jaffna. When Portuguese invaders captured Jaffna, they exiled the Royalty to Goa and ensured that "all those who so much as have a royal smell about them" should be as far away from Jaffna as possible so it’s probable that Siviyar escaped Portuguese wrath by pretending to be just servants. While Baldeus made biblical justification for the status of Siviyars during the colonial period, the British did not make such pretentions when they captured Kandyan Kingdom. British made the palanquin bearers of the Kandyan kings to carry the palanquin of the British high officers, a non-compliance with this regulation will subject the offending party to censure, fine or imprisonment.
All service castes in
Jaffna
Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th most ...
served them. They held ancestral (paraveni) land free of land tax (renda) and paddy tax (areatane). Its customary to allocate land to palace officials, including royal palanquin bearers, for their service. An 1153 AD pillar inscription found in Mankanay, Trincomale, refers to the service tenure land granted to Mintan Korran (திருப்பள்ளி சிவிகையரில் கண்காணி மிந்தன் கொற்றனேன்), the Superintendent among the Palanquin bearers attached to the palace, a functionary of the royal court and in that capacity was a dignitary of considerable influence. This land was subsequently to granted to a Buddhist religious institution. There were local elite group called "parumuka" mentioned in Srilankan brahmi inscriptions. Among the pramukas there was one called Sivika adeka, Superintendent of palanquin bearers. They were connected with
Velirs
The Velir (also known as Vellalar) were a royal house of minor dynastic kings and aristocratic chieftains in Tamilakam in the early historic period of South India. They had close relations with Chera, Chola and Pandya rulers through ruling a ...
of Tamil Nadu. Palanquin bearers were also known as Pokis/Bogis in Tamil (Bhogin in Sanskrit). The terms Bhogin, bhogika appear in many Indian inscriptions, referring to village head of a district, collector of the State's share of the produce of lands taken in kind, a village proprietor, Jagirdar or Inamdar, groom of horse-keeper and palanquin bearer but the meanings may have been derived from “Bhoga”, originally meant enjoyment but then property, as these people appear to have enjoyed rent-free land for their services.
It appears that Siviyar retain their Hindu identity during the Portuguese and Dutch period, a period all Hindu practices were prohibited in Jaffna. Baldaeus called them impious and profligate race verifying the adage “the nearer Rome, the worse the Christian”. In late 19th century, they played a major role in Hindu revivalism in Jaffna. They retained Hindu names, Don Philip Vannia singa sekara kooriyan, Don Swam Gopala Ethirvanniya singa kooriyan, Kanaga sekara kothanda kooriyan, Arasa Soeria Nillajtta Koeriaan, Wirazamalliga Koerrian, Poeden Moddelllie Chidenberan, Oetten Arian during the Portuguese and Dutch period. “Don” is an honorific title given to the important persons by the Portuguese. The names "Chidenberan" and "Arian" are noteworthy. Jaffna hindus consider
Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram as important pilgrimage place.
Arumuka Navalar
Arumuka Navalar (; 18 December 1822 – 5 December 1879) was a Sri Lankan Shaivite Tamil language scholar, polemicist, and a religious reformer who was central in reviving native Hindu Tamil traditions in Sri Lanka and India.
Navalar's bir ...
, the Hindu reformist from Jaffna established a school there. His ancestor Gnanapiragasar built a tank there now known as Gnanapiragasar Tank. The Kings of Jaffna,
Aryacakravarti dynasty had titles such as aryacakravarti, singaiaryan, aryarkoman etc.
They are in Jaffna mainly concentrated in
Ariyalai where they are divided in subcaste or labour groups; ''adikke'', ''uppu'','' and arisi ''Siviyar''. ''Theadikke-Siviyar are involved in ingraining wheat and
curry
A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included.
There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in tradit ...
-powder. The uppu-Siviyar are involved in salt making, and the arisi-Siviyar in rice cultivation.'' ''
Several from the Siviyar caste were strongly represented in the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; ta, தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள், translit=Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, si, දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි, t ...
.
Royal palanquin bearers
The palanquin bearers of
Kingdom of Kandy
The Kingdom of Kandy was a monarchy on the Sri Lanka, island of Sri Lanka, located in the central and eastern portion of the island. It was founded in the late 15th century and endured until the early 19th century.
Initially a client kingdom ...
were from patti division. They were also in charge of king’s bath. King was preceded by them, when he went in state. Their duty, besides taking care of the bath, was to pour water on the king and those of the best families might touch him. They were also king’s cowherds. John Davy classified them as Wiessia (
Vaishya
Vaishya (Sanskrit: वैश्य, ''vaiśya'') is one of the four Varna (Hinduism), varnas of the Hinduism, Hindu social order in India. Vaishyas are classed third in the order of caste hierarchy.
The occupation of Vaishyas consists mainly ...
). Madras census report of 1891 notes of a Pondan “caste”. “These are the palanquin-bearers of the
Zamorin
The Samoothiri (Anglicised as Zamorin; Malayalam: , Arabic: ''Sāmuri'', Portuguese: ''Samorim'', Dutch: ''Samorijn'', Chinese: ''Shamitihsi''Ma Huan's Ying-yai Sheng-lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' 433 Translated and Edited by ...
. They are in dress, manners, customs, and language entirely Tamilians, and while the Zamorin is polluted by the touch of any ordinary Tamilian, these Pondans enjoy the privilege of bearing him in a palanquin to and from the temple every day. Now there is a sub-division of Idaiyans by name Pogondan, and I understand that these Pogondans are the palanquin-bearers of the Idaiyan caste. It seems probable that the founder or some early member of the Zamorin family obtained palanquin-bearers of his own caste and granted them, privileges which no other Tamilians now enjoy”. One should not take too much into such colonial characterisation of South Asian society in terms of purity and pollution. Proximity to King enabled the palace servants to wield enormous power. To alleviate potential thread to King, a caste, one which was small, politically unimportant and yet not of low status was chosen.
Use of palanquin
![Plate-5-vidyaranya-taken-in-procession](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Plate-5-vidyaranya-taken-in-procession.jpg)
Use of palanquins within the capital cities was restricted to Kings only. kings had the authority to grant permission to travel in a palanquin with bended pole as only Kings were entitled for it. In colonial period high officials continue to exercise this authority. Sir Thomas Maitland issued a warrant to the head brahmin entitling him to make use of a palanquin with a crooked bamboo, the highest that can be conferred on him. In early 19thcentury Jaffna, a man was flogged for the alleged crime of travelling in a palanquin. It was justified by a clause which rendered the headmen and other inhabitants liable to be imprisoned for causing themselves to be conveyed through the country in palanquins with a crooked pole except such as had permission from the Governors and commanders of Jaffna.
Palanquin bearing was considered as a privilege in olden days and not restricted to any particular caste. According to a legend when
Govigama palanquin-bearers of the rulers in Kurunagala refused to render their hereditary raja-kariya because the new king was an arab lady’s offspring, Prince Vattimi’s arab advisers promised to bring brahmins, men of far better caste than the goyigama people, to take the place of the proud palanquin men. The medieval Telegu poet
Allasani Peddana
Allasani Peddana (15th and 16th centuries CE) was a famous Telugu poet and was ranked as the foremost of the '' Ashtadiggajalu'', the title for the group of eight poets in the court of King Krishnadevaraya, a ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire.
...
was borne in a palanquin by Emperor
Krishnadevaraya
Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Empire, reigning from 1509 to 1529. He was the third monarch of the Tuluva dynasty, and is considered to be one of the g ...
. When king of Travancore went in public procession in his state palanquin his little son walked holding on by a corner of the royal palanquin for assistance. The Tanjore Maratha King Serfjoi II donated land, annual stipend of 50 gold coins and a palanquin to the vellala protestant convert Vedanayagam pillai, his former classmate and friend. The men who carried Vedanayagam pillai's palanquin, in order to maintain his ritual purity and the palanquin. would not allow their own shadows to cross the shadows of whatever 'alien' people of ceri they would encounter. There are references in Tamil literatures on vellalars who acted as palanquin bearers. The Saiva saint
Appar
Appar, also referred to as ( ta, திருநாவுக்கரசர்) or Navukkarasar, was a seventh-century Tamil Śaiva poet-saint. Born in a peasant Śaiva family, raised as an orphan by his sister, he lived about 80 years and is ...
carried the palanquin of saint
Sambandar. Amirthakadaieeshwarar temple's tower sculpture depics Appar holding
Sambandar's palanquin. The rest of the palanquin bearers seems to be brahmins.
colonialism and creation of castes
Nicholas B. Dirks, in his book title "Castes of Mind" detailed how under British domination caste became a single term capable of naming and above all subsuming India’s diverse forms of social identity and organization. When European colonised South Asia, they employed many communities as palanquin bearers. Vellalars were forced to act as coolies and palanquin bearers during Portuguese time in Ceylon. Baldaeus noted inferior Dutch officers were carried by the coolies who are to be found all over the place in Jaffna. In colonial period, taking to palanquin bearing was a “simple question of wages and not a matter of caste or tradition”. The Siviyars of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
migrated from
Mysore region to Tamil Nadu during the reign of
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He int ...
. The name Siviyar was given to them by the Tamils. Many oriental writers started classifying palanquin bearers as a "caste". While many simply ignored the contradicting status in colonial records about palanquin bearers, Robert Percival reconciled the differences by making some of palanquin bearers as descended from "higher order". Simmon casi chetty, on the other hand, played with transliteration of Tamil words into English. Citing
Constanzo Beschi's Sadur agaradi as his source, he classified the Vasiyas as Tan Vaisiyas or merchants, Poo Vaisiyars or husbandmen and Ko vaisiyas or herdsmen. He included Sivishar Ideiyer as one of the sub-divisions of Ko Vaisiyas. The proper name of this division is siviyar idaiyar as noted earlier. He also included Siviyar (palanquin bearers) as Sudras. He resolved his contradiction by changing the spelling of the siviyar sub-division of idaiyar caste as sivishar, though there is no such word in Tamil language.
See also
*
Caste system in Sri Lanka
References
{{reflist
Sri Lankan Tamil castes
Social groups of Tamil Nadu