Reddiars also Reddiyar or Reddy is caste tile of prominent land owning, farming and mercantile social group of Tamil Nadu and abroad. They are found in all walks of life today.
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Origins
Although they are believed to be derived from various castes or social groups from Andhra Pradesh sporting the title Reddy they are considered as well as self identified as ethnically Tamil today. They are believed to have moved into Tamil Nadu with the expansion of Vijayanagar empire along with other Telugu and Kannada origin social groups.
Amongst the Tamil diaspora
Through emigration, there are now many Reddiars in the Tamil communities of Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa,Fiji,Mauritius and Sri Lanka. Reddiar or Reddy is sometimes used as a surname but they freely intermarry amongst various elements of the Tamil diaspora. The title does not generally mark the person as a Telugu but as an ethnic Tamil along with Naidu or Naidoo, Pillai, Gounder and Chetty as surnames used in the Tamil diaspora.
Reddy versus Reddiars
Reddys predominantly speak Telugu and follow Telugu cultural festivals like Ugadi and follow all other Andhra norms. Where as Reddiars speak primarily in Tamil at home as well as Telugu but identify and follow with fellow Tamils most of the cultural norms of Tamil Nadu or the Tamil community abroad. They celebrate Thai Pongal(also called Shankranthi), Tamil New Year and Ugadi are active in supporting local Temple societies and local political aspirations. Some have become very prominent in Tamil nationalistic causes and are represented in Tamil literary circles as great patrons and scholars of Tamil language.In AndraPradesh Reddys esp.Politicians are called Reddy-Garu with respect,similarly Reddys become "Reddappa" in karnataka and "Reddiar" in TamilNadu and Kerala.
Reddiar in Kerala
Reddiar community in Kerala is derived from Tamil speaking emigrants from south Tamil Nadu. Some of them speak in a unique dialect of Tamil with a mix of Malayalam and archaic Telugu that was in vogue when they left Tamil Nadu many generations ago. Most of the population is based in four cities Trivandrum, Quilon, Kottayam and Allepey. Their roots lie in Tamil villages like Samugarengapuram, Seelathikulam and Pathinalamperi in Tirunelveli district.
Own identity
It can be said that Reddiars are clearly not Reddys anymore even though the name may suggest so. They now have a different identity and a culture. But this really subjective. The reddiars in north of Tamil Nadu are close to Reddys from South of Andhra pradesh, in terms of customs and practices.
See also
References
- Notes on Love in a Tamil family by Margret Trawick, 1992, Berkley Publications
Prominent Reddiars
- Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy - Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
- O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiyar - Chief Minister of Madras Presidency
- Annamalai Reddiyar - Tamil poet
- Muthukomarappa Reddiar - Prominent Pondicherry freedom fighter [1]
- Venkatasubha Reddiar - Former Chief Minister of Pondicherry [2]
- Krishnamurthy Reddiar - Prominent herbal practitioner from Sri Lanka [3]
- Vaithilingam Reddiar - Former Chief Minister of Pondicherry[4]
K.Chengalraya Reddy - First Chief Minister of Karnataka
