gounder
{{short description|Title used by certain communities in Tamil Nadu, South India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
Gounder is a title used by various communities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.{{cite news| url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Gounder-consolidation-could-pose-headache-to-major-parties/articleshow/4557663.cms | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104013919/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-05-21/chennai/28179309_1_poll-observers-assembly-polls-poll-eve | url-status=live | archive-date=4 November 2012 | work=The Times of India | title=Gounder consolidation could pose headache to major parties |date=21 May 2009 }} It may refer to various communities such as Kongu Vellalar, Vettuva, Vanniyar, Kurumba, Thuluva Vellalar,{{Citation |last1=Haswell |first1=M. R. |title=Dusi (North Arcot District) |date=2013 |work=Econ Dev Village India Ils 59 |pages=32–39 |publisher=Routledge |doi=10.4324/9781315888736 |isbn=978-1-315-88873-6}} Urali,{{Cite book |first=Harold |last=Evans |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/999370982 |title=They made America : From the steam engine to the search engine|date=12 October 2004 |publisher=Little, Brown |isbn=0-316-27766-5 |oclc=999370982}} Tamil Vokkaligas.{{Cite thesis |title=Analysis of Y-chromosome Diversity in Lingayat and Vokkaliga Populations of Southern India |publisher=Florida International University |first=Shilpa |last=Chennakrishnaiah |year=2011 |doi=10.25148/etd.fi11072506 |doi-access=free }}{{cite report |url=https://drbtheni.net/doc_pdf/subcaste.pdf |title=List of subcastes |publisher=Government of Tamil Nadu |access-date=1 November 2023}}
Etymology
There are a number of derivations for the title. One theory derives it from the Tamil word Kaamindan, meaning "noble protector of the country", later modified as Kavundan or Gounder.{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/fline/fl2516/stories/20080815251611400.htm|title=Steeped in history|last=Madhvan|first=Karthik|date=2 August 2008|work=Frontline|publisher=The Hindu Group|access-date=22 January 2011|location=Chennai, India |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203050939/http://www.hindu.com/fline/fl2516/stories/20080815251611400.htm|archive-date=3 December 2013|url-status=dead}}
According to S. N. Sadasivan, some of these Vellalars branched off from the Vokkaligas and both might have a common origin from the Kurumba.{{cite book|last=Sadasivan|first=S. N|date=2000|title=A social history of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Be3PCvzf-BYC&dq=Kavundans+&pg=PA254|location=New Delhi, India|publisher=APH Pub. Corp|page=254|isbn=9788176481700|access-date=17 November 2021|archive-date=18 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318194726/https://books.google.com/books?id=Be3PCvzf-BYC&dq=Kavundans+&pg=PA254|url-status=live|quote="In all probability the Tamil Kavandans or Goundans might have branched of from them and both might be descendants of Kurumbas of yore."}}
History
During the British Raj era, some Gounders migrated to Malayan rubber plantations as Kanganis to manage the coolies.{{cite book |first=Raj Sekhar |last=Basu |title=Nandanar's Children: The Paraiyans' Tryst with Destiny, Tamil Nadu 1850 - 1956 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4NeGAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA137 |year=2011 |publisher=SAGE |isbn=978-81-321-0679-1 |page=137}}