அகமுடையார்.

அகமுடையார்.

Agamudayar

Agamudayar(Tamil: அகமுடையார்) meaning Landlords are also known as Thuluva Vellalars are one of the three castes that make up the Mukkulathor confederacy. Agamudayars are famously known by their title Servai - "A fearless community show many signs of independence and non-submission to any form of subjugation". They make expert soldiers, warriors and constituted the bulk of Chola and Pandya armies. The legendary Marudu brothers' came from the Agamudayar (Servai) community. The Agamudaiyars also known as Thuluva Vellalars are the original landlords of the Southern Tamilnadu and are related to the Vellalars of Tamilnadu, who migrated out of the Chola country to other parts of the South India. The lands the community owns are actually rewarded for their loyal and valuable service rendered for the cause of the Kings and the nation.


Agamudaiyars are found all over in Southern Tamilnadu in Sivagangai, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanyakumari, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Pudukkottai, Madurai, Trichy, Ariyalur and Tiruvannamalai districts & Also in Karnataka state Hiriyur Taluk, Aranakatte & Maskal matti people are living.

The word Agamudaiyan or Ahamudaiyan is derived from the root Aham which in Tamil means Land and also House. Signifying that Agamudaiyars are Landlords and Householder ; the suffix Udeiyar indicating ownership. The word is also used in another form, Ahampadiyar, derived from another meaning of the same root, i.e., inside. And, in this derivation, it signifies a meaning of a particular profession, whose office it was to attend to the business in the Interior's of the King's Palace or in the Pagoda". The name," Mr. J. H. Nelson writes, "is said by the Rev. G. U. Pope, in his edition of the Abbe Dubois' work to be derived from aham, a temple, and padi, a step, and to have been given to them in consequence of their serving about the steps of temples. But, independently of the fact that Madura pagodas are not approached by flights of steps, this seems to be a very far-fetched and improbable derivation of the word. Or, perhaps, the name comes from aham in the sense of earth, and pati, master or possessor." The ordinary title of the Agamudaiyans is Servaikkaran, . In Pudukkottai, Trichy, Sivangagai, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Thirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanyakumari districts Agamudaiyans are also called Terkittiyar ("Southerners").

The Agamudaiyans are divided into the following sub-sects: Aivali Nattan, Kottaipattu, Malainadu, Nattumangalam, Rajaboja, Rajakulam (Rajakulam and Parvatha Rajakulam), Rajavasal, Kalian, Sani, Thuluva Vaelalar(Tholuva), Maravan, and Servaikkaran. The Agam Udaiyars slowly migrated towards the Northern part of Tamil Nadu, settled there and became Thuluva Vellalars. Thuluva Vellala and Agam Udayar are one and the same and are also classified as same by the Tamil Nadu government, India