Origin of the Vanniyars
The Vanniyar Puranam traces the origin of the Vanniyars to the ancient fire god Agni, who is also known as Vanni in Tamil. According to the text, Agni had two sons, Vilvalan and Vatapi, who were born as asuras or demons. They were powerful and wicked, and they oppressed the devas or gods. They also worshipped Brahma, the creator god, and obtained boons from him that made them invincible. They conquered the earth and ruled it with tyranny.
The devas sought the help of Sambu Maharishi, a sage who was performing a yagna or fire sacrifice. Sambu Maharishi invoked Shiva, the destroyer god, and asked him to save the world from the asuras. Shiva agreed and sprinkled water from his third eye on the yagna fire. From the fire emerged a group of warriors called Vanniya Rayas or Vanniya Kula Kshatriyas, who were armed with horses and weapons. They were led by Rudra Vanniya Maharaja or Veera Vanniyan, who was the son of Shiva and Parvati. He had five sons, who became the ancestors of the five branches of the Vanniyars.
The Vanniya Rayas fought against Vilvalan and Vatapi and defeated them. They liberated the earth from their tyranny and established a righteous rule. They also spread across various regions and founded many kingdoms and dynasties. They were loyal to Shiva and worshipped him as their supreme deity.
Migration of the Vanniyars
The Vanniyar Puranam also narrates the migration of the Vanniyars from their original homeland to different parts of India and abroad. According to the text, some of the reasons for their migration were natural calamities, foreign invasions, internal conflicts, religious persecutions, and trade opportunities. The text mentions several places where the Vanniyars settled and established their presence.
Some of the Vanniyars migrated to northern India and became part of the Gupta empire. They were known as Pallavas or Palavas there. They later moved to Andhra Pradesh and founded their own kingdom with Kanchipuram as their capital. They ruled over Andhra and northern Tamil Nadu for several centuries and patronized art, architecture, literature, and religion. They built many temples and monuments, such as the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram.
Some of the Vanniyars migrated to southern India and became part of the Chola empire. They were known as Chozhiyas or Cholas there. They later moved to Thanjavur and founded their own kingdom with Thanjavur as their capital. They ruled over southern Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and China for several centuries and expanded their maritime trade and naval power. They built many temples and monuments, such as the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur.
Some of the Vanniyars migrated to western India and became part of the Rashtrakuta empire. They were known as Rashtrakutas or Rattas there. They later moved to Karnataka and founded their own kingdom with Manyakheta as their capital. They ruled over Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Orissa, Bihar, Bengal, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives for several centuries and patronized art, architecture, literature, and religion. They built many temples and monuments, such as the Kailasanatha Temple at Ellora.
Some of the Vanniyars migrated to eastern India and became part of the Pala empire. They were known as Palas or Palavas there. They later moved to Bengal and founded their own kingdom with Pataliputra as their capital. They ruled over Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, China for several centuries and promoted Buddhism and education. They built many temples and monuments, such as the Somapura Mahavihara at Paharpur.
Some of the Vanniyars migrated to Sri Lanka and became part of the Sinhala kingdom. They were known as Sinhalas or Sinhalese there. They later moved to Anuradhapura and founded their own kingdom with Anuradhapura as their capital. They ruled over Sri Lanka for several centuries and patronized Buddhism and culture. They built many temples and monuments, such as the Ruwanwelisaya Stupa at Anuradhapura.
Some of the Vanniyars migrated to Southeast Asia and became part of the Khmer empire. They were known as Khmers or Kambujas there. They later moved to Angkor and founded their own kingdom with Angkor as their capital. They ruled over Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia for several centuries and patronized Hinduism and Buddhism. They built many temples and monuments, such as the Angkor Wat at Angkor.
Some of the Vanniyars migrated to other parts of the world, such as Africa, Europe, America, Australia, and Oceania. They were known by different names and adapted to different cultures and religions there. They contributed to the development and diversity of those regions.
Achievements of the Vanniyars
The Vanniyar Puranam also narrates the achievements of the Vanniyars in various fields of human endeavor. According to the text, the Vanniyars excelled in politics, religion, culture, literature, and warfare. The text mentions several examples of their achievements.
In politics, the Vanniyars produced many kings, queens, chieftains, poligars, zamindars, ministers, governors, generals, soldiers, rebels, freedom fighters, leaders, activists, politicians who ruled over various regions and fought for various causes. Some of them are Veera Vanniyan, Narasimhavarman, Mahendravarman, Rajasimha, Nandivarman, Dantivarman, Rajaraja Chola, Rajendra Chola, Kulothunga Chola, Vikrama Chola, Rajadhiraja Chola, Amoghavarsha, Krishna III, Indra III, Govinda IV, Dhruva Dharavarsha, Gopala I, Dharmapala, Devapala, Mahipala I, Ramapala, Vijayabahu I, Parakramabahu I, Nissanka Malla, Jayavarman II, Suryavarman II, Jayavarman VII, Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Marudhu Pandiyar brothers, Velu Nachiyar, Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, Periyar E.V.Ramasamy, C.N.Annadurai, M.G.Ramachandran, J.Jayalalithaa etc.
In religion, the Vanniyars produced many sages, saints, gurus, acharyas, bhaktas, poets, scholars, reformers, missionaries who propagated various faiths and philosophies. Some of them are Agastya, Sambu Maharishi, Thirumoolar, Thirugnana Sambandar, Sundarar, Manikkavasagar, Appar, Thirunavukkarasar, Thirumangai Alvar, Nammalvar, Kulasekhara Alvar, Andal, Ramanuja, Madhva, Vedanta Desika, Ramananda, Kabir, Nanak, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Vallabha Acharya, Nimbarka Acharya, Sankaradeva, Basava, Akka Mahadevi, Allama Prabhu, Continuing the article: - In culture, the Vanniyars produced many artists, musicians, dancers, sculptors, painters, architects, designers, craftsmen, jewelers, weavers, potters, carpenters, metallurgists, agriculturists, horticulturists, floriculturists, herbalists, perfumers, chefs, confectioners, brewers, distillers who created various forms of art and culture. Some of them are Mamallan (the king who built Mahabalipuram), Rajaraja Cholan (the king who built Thanjavur), Rajendra Cholan (the king who built Gangaikonda Cholapuram), Suryavarman II (the king who built Angkor Wat), Jayavarman VII (the king who built Bayon), Nataraja (the cosmic dancer), Durga (the goddess of power), Murugan (the god of war), Ganesha (the god of wisdom), Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth), Saraswati (the goddess of learning), Kamakshi (the goddess of love), Meenakshi (the goddess of beauty), Karpagambal (the goddess of prosperity), Thiruvalluvar (the author of Thirukkural), Ilango Adigal (the author of Silappathikaram), Kamban (the author of Ramavataram), Sekkizhar (the author of Periyapuranam), Tiruttakkatevar (the author of Civaka Cintamani), Pampa (the author of Vikramarjuna Vijaya), Ponna (the author of Santipurana), Ranna (the author of Gadayuddha), Banabhatta (the author of Kadambari), Kalidasa (the author of Abhijnanasakuntalam), Bharavi (the author of Kiratarjuniya), Magha (the author of Sisupalavadha), Jayadeva (the author of Gita Govinda), Vidyapati (the poet who wrote in Maithili), Chandidas (the poet who wrote in Bengali), Jayasi (the poet who wrote in Awadhi), Tulsidas (the poet who wrote in Hindi), Surdas (the poet who wrote in Braj Bhasha), Mirabai (the poet who wrote in Rajasthani), Tansen (the musician who sang in Hindustani classical music), Tyagaraja (the musician who sang in Carnatic classical music), Syama Sastri (the musician who sang in Carnatic classical music), Muthuswami Dikshitar (the musician who sang in Carnatic classical music), Swati Tirunal (the musician who composed in Sanskrit and Malayalam), Muthiah Bhagavatar (the musician who composed in Telugu and Tamil), Purandara Dasa (the musician who composed in Kannada), Kanaka Dasa (the musician who composed in Kannada), Annamacharya (the musician who composed in Telugu), Bhadrachala Ramadasu (the musician who composed in Telugu), Narayana Teertha (the musician who composed in Telugu and Sanskrit), Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar (the musician who composed in Kannada and Sanskrit), Bharatanatyam (the classical dance form originated from Tamil Nadu), Kuchipudi (the classical dance form originated from Andhra Pradesh), Odissi (the classical dance form originated from Orissa), Manipuri (the classical dance form originated from Manipur), Kathakali (the classical dance form originated from Kerala), Mohiniyattam (the classical dance form originated from Kerala), Kathak (the classical dance form originated from North India), Bhangra (the folk dance form originated from Punjab), Garba (the folk dance form originated from Gujarat), Lavani (the folk dance form originated from Maharashtra), Dandiya Raas (the folk dance form originated from Gujarat), Ghoomar (the folk dance form originated from Rajasthan), Chhau (the folk dance form originated from Bengal and Jharkhand) etc. Continuing the article: - In literature, the Vanniyars produced many writers, poets, dramatists, critics, editors, translators, publishers, who wrote in various languages and genres. Some of them are Bharathidasan (the poet who wrote in Tamil), Subramania Bharati (the poet who wrote in Tamil), Kalki Krishnamurthy (the novelist who wrote in Tamil), R.K.Narayan (the novelist who wrote in English), Raja Rao (the novelist who wrote in English), Mulk Raj Anand (the novelist who wrote in English), R.K.Laxman (the cartoonist who wrote in English), Premchand (the novelist who wrote in Hindi and Urdu), Rabindranath Tagore (the poet and Nobel laureate who wrote in Bengali and English), Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (the novelist who wrote in Bengali), Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (the novelist who wrote in Bengali), Sharat Babu (the novelist who wrote in Telugu), Gurajada Apparao (the poet and playwright who wrote in Telugu), Viswanatha Satyanarayana (the poet and Jnanpith awardee who wrote in Telugu), Kuvempu (the poet and Jnanpith awardee who wrote in Kannada), Masti Venkatesha Iyengar (the novelist and Jnanpith awardee who wrote in Kannada), Shivaram Karanth (the novelist and Jnanpith awardee who wrote in Kannada), B.M.Srikantaiah (the poet and critic who wrote in Kannada), D.V.Gundappa (the poet and philosopher who wrote in Kannada), Bendre (the poet and Jnanpith awardee who wrote in Kannada), U.R.Ananthamurthy (the novelist and Jnanpith awardee who wrote in Kannada), Girish Karnad (the playwright and Jnanpith awardee who wrote in Kannada and English), Vaikom Muhammad Basheer (the novelist and Padma Shri awardee who wrote in Malayalam), Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai (the novelist and Jnanpith awardee who wrote in Malayalam), M.T.Vasudevan Nair (the novelist and Jnanpith awardee who wrote in Malayalam), O.V.Vijayan (the novelist and cartoonist who wrote in Malayalam and English), Kamala Surayya (the poet and writer who wrote in Malayalam and English), S.L.Bhyrappa (the novelist and Saraswati Samman awardee who wrote in Kannada) etc.
- In warfare, the Vanniyars produced many warriors, commanders, strategists, heroes, martyrs, patriots, rebels, revolutionaries, freedom fighters, soldiers, sailors, pilots, spies, scouts, guerrillas, commandos, snipers, paratroopers, divers, submariners, tankers, gunners, bombers, fighters, aces, generals, admirals, marshals, chiefs, presidents, prime ministers, governors, ministers, ambassadors, diplomats, who fought in various wars and conflicts. Some of them are Veera Vanniyan (the leader of the Vanniya Rayas), Narasimhavarman (the Pallava king who defeated the Chalukyas), Rajaraja Chola (the Chola king who conquered Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia), Rajendra Chola (the Chola king who invaded North India and Central Asia), Vikramaditya VI (the Chalukya king who defeated the Cholas), Krishna Deva Raya (the Vijayanagara king who expanded his empire), Rani Rudrama Devi (the Kakatiya queen who ruled over Andhra Pradesh), Rani Abbakka Chowta (the Tulu queen who resisted the Portuguese), Rani Lakshmibai (the Maratha queen of Jhansi who fought against the British), Tantia Tope (the Maratha general of Nana Sahib), Mangal Pandey (the sepoy of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry), Bahadur Shah Zafar (the last Mughal emperor of India), Tipu Sultan (the ruler of Mysore who fought against the British), Hyder Ali (the father of Tipu Sultan), Haidar Sahib (the ruler of Arcot who fought against the British), Veerapandiya Kattabomman (the poligar of Panchalankurichi who fought against the British), Marudhu Pandiyar brothers (the poligars of Sivagangai who fought against the British), Velu Nachiyar (the queen of Sivagangai who fought against the British), Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy (the leader of the first rebellion against the British), Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar (the leader of the Forward Bloc and the All India Muthuramalinga Thevar Peravai), Subhas Chandra Bose (the leader of the Indian National Army and the Azad Hind government), Bhagat Singh (the revolutionary and martyr of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association), Chandra Shekhar Azad (the revolutionary and martyr of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association), Rajguru (the revolutionary and martyr of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association), Sukhdev (the revolutionary and martyr of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association), Ram Prasad Bismil (the revolutionary and martyr of the Kakori conspiracy), Ashfaqulla Khan (the revolutionary and martyr of the Kakori conspiracy), Roshan Singh (the revolutionary and martyr of the Kakori conspiracy), Rajendra Lahiri (the revolutionary and martyr of the Kakori conspiracy), Khudiram Bose (the revolutionary and martyr of the Muzaffarpur bombing), Prafulla Chaki (the revolutionary and martyr of the Muzaffarpur bombing), Surya Sen (the revolutionary and martyr of the Chittagong armoury raid), Pritilata Waddedar (the revolutionary and martyr of the Pahartali European Club attack), Bina Das (the revolutionary who attempted to assassinate the Bengal Governor), Durga Bhabhi (the revolutionary who helped Bhagat Singh escape from Lahore), Batukeshwar Dutt (the revolutionary who bombed the Central Legislative Assembly with Bhagat Singh), Jatin Das (the revolutionary who died in a hunger strike in Lahore jail), Madan Lal Dhingra (the revolutionary who assassinated Curzon Wyllie in London), Udham Singh (the revolutionary who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in London), Rash Behari Bose (the revolutionary who planned the Delhi-Lahore Conspiracy and founded the Indian National Army), Sachindra Nath Sanyal (the revolutionary who founded the Hindustan Republican Association), Ram Mohan Roy (the social reformer and founder of the Brahmo Samaj), Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (the social reformer and promoter of women's education and widow remarriage), Raja Ram Mohan Roy (the social reformer and founder of the Brahmo Samaj), Some possible continuations are: - Mahatma Gandhi (the leader of the Indian independence movement and advocate of non-violence), Jawaharlal Nehru (the first prime minister of India and co-founder of the Non-Aligned Movement), Vallabhbhai Patel (the deputy prime minister of India and unifier of the princely states), Rajendra Prasad (the first president of India and leader of the Constituent Assembly), Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (the first education minister of India and leader of the Indian National Congress), Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (the second president of India and philosopher), C. Rajagopalachari (the last governor-general of India and founder of the Swatantra Party), B.R. Ambedkar (the chief architect of the Indian Constitution and leader of the Dalit movement), Rajaji Narayanan (the third president of India and scholar), Lal Bahadur Shastri (the second prime minister of India and leader of the 1965 war with Pakistan), Indira Gandhi (the third prime minister of India and leader of the 1971 war with Pakistan), Morarji Desai (the fourth prime minister of India and leader of the Janata Party), Rajiv Gandhi (the sixth prime minister of India and leader of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots), V.P. Singh (the seventh prime minister of India and leader of the Mandal Commission), P.V. Narasimha Rao (the ninth prime minister of India and leader of the economic reforms), Atal Bihari Vajpayee (the tenth prime minister of India and leader of the 1998 nuclear tests), A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (the eleventh president of India and scientist), Manmohan Singh (the thirteenth prime minister of India and economist), Pratibha Patil (the twelfth president of India and lawyer), Pranab Mukherjee (the thirteenth president of India and politician) etc. - In warfare, some other examples are Sam Manekshaw (the first field marshal of India and chief of staff during the 1971 war with Pakistan), K.M. Cariappa (the first Indian commander-in-chief of the Indian Army), Arjan Singh (the first Indian air chief marshal and hero of the 1965 war with Pakistan), Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon (the only Indian Air Force officer to receive Param Vir Chakra, posthumously, for his bravery in defending Srinagar airfield during the 1971 war with Pakistan), Abdul Continuing the article: - In warfare, some other examples are Sam Manekshaw (the first field marshal of India and chief of staff during the 1971 war with Pakistan), K.M. Cariappa (the first Indian commander-in-chief of the Indian Army), Arjan Singh (the first Indian air chief marshal and hero of the 1965 war with Pakistan), Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon (the only Indian Air Force officer to receive Param Vir Chakra, posthumously, for his bravery in defending Srinagar airfield during the 1971 war with Pakistan), Abdul Hamid (the Indian Army soldier who destroyed six Pakistani tanks with a recoilless gun during the 1965 war with Pakistan), Yogendra Singh Yadav (the Indian Army soldier who scaled the Tiger Hill during the 1999 Kargil war with Pakistan), Captain Vik