Koravar

The Korava were one of the tribes of the Madras Presidency during the British Raj in India. They were primarily involved in the salt trade. In 1913 they were classed as a criminal tribe by the British authorities. Today there are an estimated 1.2 million (12 lakh) Korava in Tamil Nadu. Mainly this tribe was found in Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Tiruchirapalli, Karur, Perambalur and Pudukottai Districts of Tamil Nadu.

Ethnonym

People of this community are called with different names in different parts of South India. They are called as Yerukula in Andhra Pradesh (derived from the tradition of fortune telling by the women),[1] Korama, Korachas in Karnataka, Kaikadi in Maharashtra, and Sidanar in Kerala.The gothras among all these communities is the same, i.e. Kavadi, Sathupadi, Maanupadi and Mendraguthi. They are also known as Malai Kuruvans, Kuravans, Thalaiyaris, Kavalkara koravars, uppu koravars, Dabi Koravars(simbu koravars), Gandarvakottai Koravars, Inji Koravas, Koravas, Kalinji Dabikoravas, Kala Koravas, Monda Koravas, karuvapillai koravas, Thogamalai koravas, mel nadu and kel nadu koravas, Kathukuthi koravas, Pachai kuthi Koravas, sidanars, Panikers, vedars, vettuvars,[2]

Caste politics

In 2006 the Koravar applied to gain Scheduled Tribe status.[3]

Recently many Koravar activists have protested the Tamil-language film Paruthiveeran on the grounds that it demeans their culture and even more specifically their women.For further reference see "The encyclopaedia of Dravidian tribes"- Volume 3 about Konanki Kuravar, Bommayya Kuravar, Nanchil Kuravar of Nagercoil region of Tamil Nadu.

Sources
  1. Chaudhuri, Sarit Kumar; Chaudhuri, Sucheta Sen, eds. (2005). Primitive tribes in contemporary India: concept, ethnography and demography. 2. Mittal Publications. p. 263. ISBN 81-8324-026-7.
  2. Protest demo against 'Paruthiveeran'
  3. The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Tirunelveli News : `Koravar' community people seek ST status
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