{{Short description|Tamil caste found in Indian state Tamil Nadu}} {{pp-extended|small=yes}} {{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}} {{Infobox caste | caste_name = Pattanavar | classification = | subdivisions = <ref name=":1"/>{{unbulleted list | Periya Pattanavar | Chinna Pattanavar | Karaiyar | Padaiyachi }} | languages = Tamil | religions = Hinduism, Christianity | related = Tamil people, Karaiyar, Karava }}
{{Tamils}}
'''Pattanavar''' (also spelled ''Pattinavar'') is a Tamil caste found in Tamil Nadu, India.
They are a maritime community dominating Chennai, Kanchipuram, Cuddalore, Villuppuram, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam districts of the Coromandel Coast, who have traditionally been involved in fishing, shipment, navy, and trade.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AiyBAAAAMAAJ|title=Knowledge of the Sea: Some Maritime Communities in India|last1=Sudarsen|first1=V.|last2=Selvaraj|first2=B.|last3=Raj|first3=A. Xavier|date=1995|publisher=PPST Foundation|pages=4|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cgluAAAAMAAJ|title=The State and Society in Medieval India|last1=Grewal|first1=J. S.|last2=Culture|first2=Project of History of Indian Science, Philosophy, and|date=2005|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780195667202|pages=206|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
== Etymology == The term ''Pattanavar'' literally means inhabitant of a ''Pattinam.'' The term Pattinam means "sea-port town" which is often seen as a suffix among prominent harbors such as Nagapattinam, Kaveripoompattinam and Chennaipattinam.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fb4LAAAAIAAJ|title=Tamil culture in Ceylon: a general introduction|last=Raghavan|first=M. D.|date=1971|publisher=Kalai Nilayam|pages=141|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iHwOAAAAYAAJ|title=A Survey of the Sources for the History of Tamil Literature|last=Kōvintacāmi|first=Mu|date=1977|publisher=Annamalai University|pages=93|language=en}}</ref> They are among other divided as Periya Pattanavar and Chinna Pattanavar. The term ''Periya'' means "big" and the term ''Chinna'' means "small", where the Periya Pattanavar are considered socially superior to the Chinna Pattanavar.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lw9NAQAAMAAJ|title=Birthing on the Threshold: Childbirth and Modernity Among Lower Class Women in Tamil Nadu, South India|last=Hollen|first=Cecilia Coale Van|date=1998|publisher=University of California, Berkeley with the University of California, San Francisco|pages=23|language=en}}</ref>
The Pattanavars are also colloquially known as ''Karaiyar'' in the Thanjavur district, which is also the term of one of the sub-caste of the community.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uw9uAAAAMAAJ|title=Coromandel fishermen: an ethnography of Paṭṭaṇavar subcaste|last=Pārati|first=Paktavatcala|date=1999|publisher=Pondicherry Institute of Linguistics and Culture|isbn=9788185452098|pages=7|language=en}}</ref> Karaiyar means "coast people", which is also term for a dominant maritime caste in Sri Lanka.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LkcrDwAAQBAJ|title=Cultural Encounters in India: The Local Co-workers of Tranquebar Mission, 18th to 19th Centuries|last=Liebau|first=Heike|date=2017-07-06|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=9781351470667|pages=485|language=en}}</ref> The earliest mention of this term is made by 2nd century AD Greek writer Ptolemy, mentioning them with the corrupted term ''Kareoi''s''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2vhIAAAAIAAJ|title=The History of the Pearl Fishery of the Tamil Coast|last=Arunachalam|first=S.|date=1952|publisher=Ananamalai University|pages=34|language=en}}</ref>'' The subcaste's name ''Padaiyachi'' means literally "ruler of army".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qwnrAAAAIAAJ|title=Padayachi Dialect of Tamil|last=Ramasamy|first=K.|date=1978|publisher=Annamalai University|pages=i|language=en}}</ref>
== History == The Pattanavar are one of the communities who traditionally inhabited the Sangam landscape ''Neithal,'' the littoral landscape.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gfW1AAAAIAAJ|title=Caṅkaṟukkum enkaḷ kulam|last=Pālaṉ|first=Je|date=1982|publisher=Neytal Patippakam|pages=8|language=ta}}</ref> They have inhabited the Coromandel Coast since ancient times where they possess a strong system of self-governance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321432808|title=Qualities of self-governance and wellbeing in the fishing communities of northern Tamil Nadu, India - the role of Pattinavar ur panchayats|last1=Bavinck|first1=Maarten|last2=Vivekanandan|first2=Vriddagiri|website=ResearchGate|series=Maritime Studies|language=en|access-date=2019-02-05}}</ref>
The Pattinavar merchants were organized in trader guilds such as the Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavolu and the ''Patinenvisayattar''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CSduAAAAMAAJ|title=Tarangampadi (Tranquebar) excavation & conservation report, 2001-2002|last1=Subramanian|first1=T.|last2=Kannan|first2=R.|last3=Archaeology|first3=Tamil Nadu (India) Dept of|date=2003|publisher=Dept. of Archaeology, Govt. of Tamilnadu|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title=Forms of labour in ancient and medieval South India (up to the thirteenth century)|journal = Studies in People's History|volume = 1|issue = 2|pages = 153–162|last=Subbarayalu|first=Y.|language=en|doi=10.1177/2348448914549896|year = 2014|s2cid = 130462838}}</ref> They were reputed for oversea trading with other South Asian countries.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} The Pattinavars served additionally as naval mercenaries under the Tamil kings.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Pa.|first=Balakrishnan|title=Caṅka Kāla Neytal Nila Makkaḷiṉ Vāḻviyal Muṟaikaḷ (சங்க கால நெய்தல் நில மக்களின் வாழ்வியல் முறைகள்)|url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/179322/10/10_chapter4.pdf|journal=Caṅka Ilakkiyattil Neytal Nilapapṇpum Nākarīkamum (சங்க இலக்கியத்தில் நெய்தல் நிலபப்ண்பும் நாகரீகமும்)|language=ta|publisher=Manonmaniam Sundaranar University|volume=4|quote=பட்டினவர் தொழில்களாக கடல் ஓடுதல், கடல் வாணிபம் செய்தல், கடற்படை வீரர்களாக அரசபடைகளில் வணிக கணங்களின் கடற்படையில் பணி செய்தார்கள்: The Pattinavar were occupied in seafaring, maritime trade and were naval mercenaries of imperial armies.|via=Sodhganga}}</ref> According to some historians like Hermann Kulke, the Pattinavar community may have played a significant role in the organization and exploits of the Chola navy.<ref>{{cite book|title=Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa: Reflections on the Chola Naval Expeditions to Southeast Asia|author=Hermann Kulke, K Kesavapany, Vijay Sakhuja|publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2009|pages=92–93}}</ref>
== Traditions ==
=== Governing systems === The Pattanavar possess a strong system of self-governance. Their Panchayati raj is controlled by their hereditary leaders known as ''Nattar''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321432808|title=Qualities of self-governance and wellbeing in the fishing communities of northern Tamil Nadu, India - the role of Pattinavar ur panchayats|website=ResearchGate|language=en|access-date=2019-02-07}}</ref>
The Pattanavar follow a traditional system known as ''Padu''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lfx_AAAAMAAJ|title=Traditional Marine Tenure and Sustainable Management of Marine Resources in Asia and the Pacific: Proceedings of the International Workshop, 4th-8th July, 1994|date=1994-01-01|publisher=International Ocean Institute - South Pacific|isbn=9789820102415|pages=29|language=en}}</ref> The term ''Padu'' means "fishing ground" or "fishing site".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oI8mAQAAMAAJ|title=Journal of the Inland Fisheries Society of India|date=1970|publisher=The Society|others=Inland Fisheries Society of India|pages=13|language=en}}</ref> According to Matthew, the Padu system is a "traditional system of granting entitlements to eligible members of a particular community to undertake specific fishing activities in certain designated fishing grounds during specified seasons." The system is hereditary where only those of the ''Periya Pattanavar'' subcaste can participate.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kiPxAAAAMAAJ|title=Study of territorial use rights in small-scale fisheries: traditional systems of fisheries management in Pulicat Lake, Tamil Nadu, India|last1=Mathew|first1=Sebastian|last2=Nations|first2=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United|date=1991|publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations|pages=5–8|language=en}}</ref> The participants are granted the rights to use ''padu fishing gears'' which include beach seine and stake net. Fishing with gears unregulated by the Padu system are often methods of low yields.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/dlc/handle/10535/1361|title=Survival of the Commons: Mounting Challenges and New Realities, the Eleventh Conference of the International Association for the Study of Common Property|last=Coulthard|first=Sarah|date=2006|website=Digital Library Of the Commons|publisher=Indiana University}}</ref>
== Subcastes == The Pattanavar are traditionally divided into endogamous subcastes which include the ''Periya Pattanavar'', ''Chinna Pattanavar'', ''Karaiyar'' and ''Padaiyachi''. Both Karaiyar and Padaiyachi are traditionally considered subcastes of warrior heritage.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289129865|title=IDENTITY POLITICS, POWER AND RESISTANCE IN DISASTER RESPONSE: A CASE STUDY OF THE 2004 TSUNAMI RELIEF, REHABILITATION AND RECOVERY IN TAMIL NADU|last=Gandhi|first=Kanchan|date=2011|website=ResearchGate|publisher=National University of Singapore|location=Department of Geography}}</ref> The Periya Pattanavar and the Chinna Pattanavar are said to share common ancestor.<ref name=":1" />
== Titles == They use titles such as ''Chetty'', ''Mudaliar'', ''Pillai'', ''Varunakula Mudali'' and ''Kurukulavamsam''.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal|title=Political Emblems of Caste Identity: An Interpretation of Tamil Caste Titles|journal = Anthropological Quarterly|volume = 56|issue = 4|last=Pandian|first=Jacob|pages=190–197|jstor = 3317621|year = 1983|doi = 10.2307/3317621}}</ref> Their headmen were known as ''Yejaman'' and ''Nattamai''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianfisheries.icsf.net/images/stories/indian/pattanavar.pdf|title=Pattanavars|website=Indian Fisheries|publisher=International Collective in Support of Fishworkers}}</ref> The title ''Chetty'', is a generic term used by several Tamil merchant groups.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nwu3AAAAIAAJ|title=Population Review|date=1975|publisher=Indian Institute for Population Studies|pages=26|language=en}}</ref> The Pattanavars who used this title had politicoeconomic power, and gained wealth through maritime trade. Their village headmen were also known as ''Ūr Chettiar'', where the main headman was known as ''Periya Chettiar'' and the assistant headman known as ''Chinna Chettiar''.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Pandian|first=Jacob|date=1983|title=Political Emblems of Caste Identity: An Interpretation of Tamil Caste Titles|journal=Anthropological Quarterly|volume=56|issue=4|pages=190–197|jstor=3317621|doi=10.2307/3317621}}</ref>
The Pattanavar have also been noted to have caste titles such as Varunakula mudali (Varuna clan headman) or Kurukula vamsam (Kuru clan lineage).<ref>Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Vol. 6 of 7, Edgar Thurston https://www.gutenberg.org/files/42996/42996-h/42996-h.htm#pl6-185</ref> These titles are also shared with the Sinhalese Karava and Sri Lankan Tamil Karaiyar who share common origins.
== See also == {{Portal|Tamils|India|Hinduism}}
* Coastline of Tamil Nadu * Timeline of the Kurukulam * Sembadavar
== References == {{reflist}}
Category:Social groups of Tamil Nadu Category:Indian castes by profession Category:Ethnic groups in India Category:South Indian communities Category:Fishing castes