Topic started by Nivek (@ 213.86.0.211) on Wed Feb 27 11:20:17 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Hi

I am a blissfully ignorant Tamil South African who is curious as to the origination of my paternal surname. My maternal surname was Archary and an info in this regard would be appreciated.

Regards.

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: krishna (@ london-hse-ppp3539653.sympatico.ca) on: Thu Sep 12 00:30:48
  
  "Is there a possibility to organize a International Vanniar (i.e.Padayatchi and others) Network?"
  Why, in heaven's name, do you want to organise something like this ? Surely, most thinking people would want differences you're apparently attempting to perpetuate in an "International Vanniar Network" (Good Lord!!) to eventually disappear?
  Ethnicity, within ethnicity, within ethnicity, ..., a horrible spiral into chaos.
  
  
• From: R (@ h66-59-174-253.gtconnect.net) on: Thu Sep 12 09:43:18
  
  Krishna,
  
  That is the logical outcome of Indian political culture. Ethinicity within ethinicity within ethinicity. Although India strength lies in the fact that it is divided into so many numerous pressure groups that one would cancel the other thus leading to one really dominating it but its weakness too.
  
  I think a fundamental retooling as to how to go forward is needed for the sake of India and its neighbors and I don’t see it in the horizon yet.
  
  
• From: krishna (@ london-hse-ppp3540787.sympatico.ca) on: Fri Sep 13 22:22:29
  
  Dear R,
  I am aware of Indian political culture and the various divisive forces that run through the political landscape - divisive, but at the same time strangely binding.
  I was objecting to the establishment of an "International Vanniyar Network" - surely this forum serves that purpose and much more. Isolation leads to inbreeding, and inbreeding, to weakness.
  The "numerous pressure groups", in India, that you talk about, exist in a lot of societies. Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc., all have them. The famous "lobby groups" in the United States are but one example.
  
  It is those societies and ideologies that try to wipe out "pressure groups" and muzzle opposition that tend to sink into chaos. An enforced homogeneity can lead a people into despair and madness. Just read the sections on Iran and Pakistan in Naipaul's "Beyond Belief".
  I'm not, for a moment, suggesting that this is what you're advocating; however, I just can't resist pointing out the obvious!
  
  
  
• From: R. ARUL (@ 61.1.205.252) on: Sat Sep 14 13:57:00
  
  Dear Friends
  
  Our mother Earth is one, India is one nation, but One people, One culture, One ethnicity all are TERRIBLE. We need diversity.
  
  
• From: R (@ h66-59-174-253.gtconnect.net) on: Mon Sep 16 09:34:05
  
  "retooling as to how " -> I meant the re distribution of wealth based on caste, such as reservations etc which needs to looked at because as long as caste is a governing factor India will only have multiplicity of pressure groups solely based on caste. Ideology, class and everything else is secondary which binds other nation states together. I did not mean one race, one nation a la Hitler!!!
  
  
• From: kuben (@ netcache1-ctn.is.co.za) on: Sat Oct 26 13:35:08
  
  i learnt quite a bit from these posts and found them interesting. i must add that at the same time there is a contributer that has taken the liberty to add my e-mail to to every sub in the universe. i do not appreciate this rude behaviour and hope others did not have to endure this too. if i see more subs for me i will post the persons name here for all to see who the person is. :(
  
  
• From: krishna (@ london-hse-ppp3539633.sympatico.ca) on: Mon Oct 28 22:34:01
  
  Dear Kuben,
  "if i see more subs for me i will post the persons name here for all to see who the person is."
  If you do have concerns, please submit them to the administrators of this Forum Hub.
  
  
• From: kuben (@ netcache1-ctn.is.co.za) on: Tue Nov 5 13:05:28
  
  krishna
  
  thank you.
  
  
• From: kumaran (@ athena.wits.ac.za) on: Sun Nov 17 07:25:17
  
  south african tamils are far better off not knowing what castes their parents can lay claim to. the truth is there is very little 'caste purity' among south african tamils - when the indentured folk first came here, the men outnumbered the women almost 4 to 1. and most of the women who did come were from the backward and scheduled communities. there was either the choice of running back to india and finding a same caste girl, marrying across the caste line or remain a celibate for life. the vast majority chose cross caste marriages. very few communities like the kammavaru naidus came in sufficient numbers to remain a closed caste community and maintain endogamy with other naidus.
  
  smaller numbers of vellalars came but i think many married with other castes. eg. my great grandad who was a saiva vellala pillai, came initially as a passenger with his wife, who died a few years later, after which he remarried a lady who was not a saiva vellalar.
  
  between 40 and 45% of all the tamils in this country are probably descended from vanniyars using the names like naicker, govender, padayachee and even pillay, moodley, reddy, naidu etc.
  about 30% are SCs like pallan, paraiyan.
  the remaining 25-30 % are mukkuluthors (kallar, maravar, agamudaiyar), and chettiyars, vellalars and other castes.
  
  tamil brahmins did not migrate to south africa in any significant numbers, and the few that are here are 1st generation having arrived after 1960-1970, mostly priests from SL.
  
  
• From: balu (@ lunar-gw.zapsurf.com.sg) on: Mon Nov 18 13:16:50
  
  First of all, i have to say that i find the articles and mail on forumhub most interesting and entertaining. I have been a consatnt reader of forumhub for almost 2 years now although i haven't posted anything yet. I especially found this topic very enlightening since i am a padayachi who wished to find out more about his family history.
  
  My particular point of interest is in the large number of padayachi immigrants to south africa. This is due to the reason that both of my great grand-fathers on my mother's side actually seeked their fortunes in South Africa. Even though they didnt remain on South Africa, i learnt that they made constant trips to the country. One of my great grand-fathers was supposed to have worked in one of the gold mines in johansburg (hope thats the right spelling). He supposedly brought back gold bars to Tamil Nadu and brought more lands and beacme a wealthy man. Thus i would like to know if any of you have any information as to the padayachis working in the gold mines.
  
  By the way, i was born in tamilnadu. But immigrated to Singapore when i was 2 years old since my dad decided to seek his fortune in singapore at that time. Here in singapore, most tamilians do not carry their caste names anymore unlike in South Africa. Well that's all i guess until my next posting.
  
  
• From: dhiren (@ ) on: Wed Sep 1 04:02:14
  
  well all i can say half if not all of u!have issues!ha!to think that i am a south african tamillian makes me feel proud!wat is this class diff between tamil&hindi people!i think if ur indian ur still gods gift to ur parents!i would like to find out more about the padayachee roots!how did the name cum about
  
  
• From: DEVENDRA (@ illchn-static-203.199.220.54.vsnl.net.in) on: Thu Sep 2 06:22:50 EDT 2004
  
  ARUNTHIRAL VEERARKUM PERUNTHIRAL ULAVARKKUM VARUNTHAKAITHAKUM MALLAR YENRU PEYAR "--THIVAKARA NIGANDU.----------- "SERUMALAI VEERARUM THINNIYORUM MARUAD NILA MAKKALUM MALLAR YENBA"-- BINGALA NIGANDU .------------ PALLARS ARE THE REPRESENTATIVE OF MALLARS THE ANCIENT HEROIC TRIBES OF TAMILNADU-----Dr.G.OPPERT(THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF INDIA), Dr. T.K.WNNSION(ENGLISH- TAMIL DICTIONARY), Dr. T.K. VELUPILLAI(TRAVANCORE STATE MANUAL.-----------PALLAR=MALLAR-------------------
  The Mallar were called Pallar only after 15th century by Nayakkars with a view to degrading their social status.Here our grievance is that those Nayakkars were helped by "PAALAI NILA "MARAVAR & KALLAR.
  
  
  
  
  
• From: PalaniSamy (@ ool-4352eeb9.dyn.optonline.net) on: Sat Sep 11 13:23:24 EDT 2004
  
  Hi,
  
  Padayachi is a majority community in north Tamil nadu and a deciding factor for chief minister of TN. They are the Pallava dynasty, a branch of Chola dynasty. You should be proud of your origin. Now they are agricultural family. Tindivanam is also now the PMK's head quarters.
  About 25 million people are Padayachi in Tamil nadu.
  
  Thanks
  
  
• From: scel (@ 210.210.46.61) on: Mon Sep 13 03:15:09 EDT 2004
  
  Hi!, tks.I hope still they r all in starving agriculture,they r so violent.Any how TN has it`s immence potential of wealth than any other states.
  Good manpower,
  Good minerals,
  Well connected by Air,land,water and fiber optic cables. If SEDU SAMUDRAM PROJECT BEEING COMPLEATED WITH SUCCESS, TN will be on top of othr
  states.
  
  
• From: tony azggan (@ dialup-4.234.168.151.dial1.miami1.level3.net) on: Mon Sep 13 05:51:00 EDT 2004
  
  Padayachis in the diaspora have done very well and are a credit to the community especially in South Africa. They are doctors, lawyers and University profs. Padayachis in Tamil Nadu are also proud of keeping their backward dravidian culture and struggling to stay as morons and idiots. They are considered backwards and so are the elite but because of that the brain has not developed. A good example is No Brain Nedun
  
  
• From: J (@ ) on: Wed Jan 5 15:40:39
  
  Good Fellas, It is certainly a surprise to see padayachi is south africa! My grand father's last name was padayachi. Neither Me nor my family members carry padayachi as our lastname. We are from TN. I moved to the US for Post graduation studies 6 years back. There is quite a padayachi community in salem, erode, vizhupuram, dhindivanam, namakkal, thiruchy, chennai, etc. I personally feel more of an Indian. At the same time i dont blame those who carry their padayachi spirits.
  
  
• From: Kuben (@ www.vitagen.co.za) on: Mon Jan 10 10:50:57 EST 2005
  
  Hi,
  
  I am a South African Indian with no idea where my real Indian roots stem. What can you tell me about the surnames Moodley, Pillay and Chetty?
  
  
• From: Link (@ 203.199.213.66) on: Tue Jan 18 02:55:58 EST 2005
  
  www.geocities.com/johnrameshkhan
  
  

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