Vellalar

English

Etymology

From Tamil வேளாளர் (vēḷāḷar). Vellalar denotes Landlords and the Ruling classes. வேள் (vēḷ, “land, velir class, petty chiefs, and rulers”) + ஆளர் (āḷar, “lord, authority, the one belonging to”).

Noun

Vellalar (plural Vellalars)

1. An aristocratic caste who claims the origin of Velir
2. An Elite class of Landlords and Landed gentry.
3. Traders and Land-owning Agriculturists.

See also

• kshatriya
• vaishya

Further reading

• Digital Dictionaries of South Asia
• The origin of the vellalas(1)
• Journal studies of Tamil (2)
• Ancient Indian History and Civilization(3)