Caste, Nationalism and Ethnicity: An Interpretation of Tamil Cultural History and Social Order

19th century Agamudayans amman goddesses amman temples anthropologist Aryan Balija Naidu Bebedel Brahmanical priesthood Brahmin British called caste system century A.D. ceremonies chastity Chettiar conceptual cultural boundary customs deities distinctive Draupathi-amman temple Dravidian movement Dutch economic emblems endogamy ethnic identity systems fishing hamlets Harijan hierarchy Hindu household identified jati groups jati identity jati names jati titles Kannagi karppu king Kshatriya Labbay labels leaders Madras mother goddess Mudaliar Muruga Muslim nadu veadu non-Brahmin jati groups official language panchayat particular Pattanava performed political symbols priesthood and Sanskritic Pulicat proper pure Tamil reference regional religion Rengen rites ritual purity sacred Saliar Sanskritic Sanskritic scriptural authority scholars shamans social order Srinivas status symbols of cultural Tamil civilization Tamil country Tamil culture Tamil ethnic identity Tamil language Tamil literary tradition Tamil literature Tamil Nadu Tamil territory Tamilakam Telugu Thuluva Vellalas tion trade Vanniar varna varna categories village worship