|
Koviar (also Koviyar or Covia) is a Sri Lankan Tamil caste of traditional agriculturalists and temple workers. Today they are found in all aspects of the society. They rank today after Vellalars in the caste hierarchy. 〔 (Sri Lankan Tamil Nationalism: Its Origins and Development in the Nineteenth from A. Jeyaratnam Wilson ) 〕 There are number of competing theories as to their origins. ==Origins theories== ;Native temple workers According to primary sources such as Yalpana Vaipava Malai, they were temple workers known as ''Kovilar'' who with time came to be known as ''Koviar''. In Tamil ''Kovil'' stands for a Hindu temple. In South Indian census records ''Koviar'' and ''Kovilar'' as native South Indian castes.〔 ;Assimilated Sinhalese Some historians such as Mudaliar Rasanayagam have speculated that ''Koviar'' are assimilated Sinhalese belonging to the ''Govigama'' caste with the ascendancy of the Jaffna kingdom. Mudaliar Rasanayagma made the speculation based on the fact that ''Koviar'' caste was not found in South India but the census figures for 1881 lists a ''Koviar'' caste in the Madras Presidency in South India.〔(British Colonial census document 1881 Volume 3 page number 7 mentions Koviar in India )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Koviar」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|