Muthiriyar history
History
The ancient King Mandhata, whose reputation spread far and wide throughout India and whose stories of valor and yajna were described in the stone carvings of Mohenjo Daro, belonged to this tribe. The king was a great warrior ( Mahan joddha )and the city's original name " Mahan-Joddha-Oor" seems gradually modified to Mohenjodaro. The author of the Ramayana, Valmiki, is from this community. This is way they are known as Valimikis in some parts of India. Shabari, who offered Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana half-eaten 'ber' when they were searching for Sita Devi in the forest was a Bhil. Sri Rama appears in a Bhil myth where there has been a flood that wiped out humanity and Rama suggests how it can be repopulated . Veda Vyas, the writer of great epic Mahabharata was son of Satyavathi of Koli community and a Brahmin Rishi. The first wife Ganga Mata and the second wife Satyavathi of Shantanu of Mahabharata were the daughters of Kolis chiefs. Thus the great warrior Bheeshma, Pandavas and Kauravas were part Bhil. This was the hidden reason why Arjuna could hit a fish with his arrow to win Draupadi in swayamvara. (This theory if true does not explain why the other Kaurava princes who tried to hit the fish with the arrow were unsuccessful. Had this theory been true, then all the Kauravas and Pandavas should have been able to achieve the same feat. The achievement of Arjuna as known from the Mahabharata, was possible due to his extreme devotion to his perfecting his skills and to the humility he showed. The Mahabharata notes that only one other - 'Karna' - was capable of showing similar prowess, but however he is thwarted by Draupadi who slights him saying that she will not marry a 'Sootaputra' - charioteer's son. Point to be noted, Karna having the potency to perform the same task as Arjuna, has no claims to being a part Bhil.) The Ganges and fish are the symbols that are related to Kolis. The Mahabharata tells the story of Eklavya, a Bhil who surpassed the skill of Arjuna only to be supressed by his guru. Lord Gautama Buddha's mother and wife belong to Koli community. Maharishi Matanga was another Hindu sage that became a Brahmana. Sant Kabir, a weaver by trade, ended several of his 'bhajans' as 'kahet kabir kori' was a self-confessed Koli. Purandara das, who was one of the greatest Carnatic singers and poets of Karnataka, was from Kabbaliga caste. The Kabbaligas claim that they are Mudiraj people settled in Karnataka. Their main profession is fishing and are also known as Bestha / Gangaputra. They are a variant of Kolis of Karnataka / Maharashtra. The story of Purandara Das reveals that he migrated from Maharashtra to Hampi and belonged to Koli (Naik) community.
1. Alternative names
2. Etymology
Kalabhras
It is believed that the Mudiraja or Muthuraja kings were the descendants of Kalabhra Kings of South India, who conquered the Cholas, Pallavas, and the Pandyas and ruled from 300 to 600 AD.
Kalabhra interregnum is called as 'dark period' by earliest Pallava and medieval Pandya sources as Kalabhra rule paved the way to put an end to the primacy of Tamil culture and language. The Kalabhras were anti-Brahmins and anti-Sanskrit, believed to have been Buddhists and helped spread their religion in their newly acquired state. In Buddhist writings mention a certain Achyuta-Vikranta of Kalabhra-kula who is referred to as "ruling the earth." It describes at length his works, the prosperous cities of Kaveripattanam and Bhutamangalama in Chola-ratha in each of which there is said to have been a great monastery. By about the end of the sixth century AD the Kalabhras seems to have been driven out of the Tamil land, and the Pallava and Pandya copper-plate grants speak of the re-establishment of their power under Simhavishnu and Kadungon respectively. The Pallava rule was revived by Simhavishnu, a scion of the Pallava ruling family and was firmly established at Kanchi. The area round Thanjavur was under the sway of chieftains known as the Muttaraiyuar whose inscriptions are found at Sendalai and Niyamam, who ruled either independently or as vassals of the Pallavas. One such chief was Kataka-Muttaraiyan mentioned in theVaikuntha-Perumal temple inscriptions at Kanchipuram as a Pallava subordinate in the reign of Nandivarman II. No. 18 of the "Pudukkottai Inscriptions" refers to a Muttaraiyar chief called Videlvidugu Muttaraiyan as a feudatory under Dantivarman.
The ancient King Mandhata, whose reputation spread far and wide throughout India and whose stories of valor and yajna were described in the stone carvings of Mohenjo Daro, belonged to this tribe. The king was a great warrior ( Mahan joddha )and the city's original name " Mahan-Joddha-Oor" seems gradually modified to Mohenjodaro. The author of the Ramayana, Valmiki, is from this community. This is way they are known as Valimikis in some parts of India. Shabari, who offered Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana half-eaten 'ber' when they were searching for Sita Devi in the forest was a Bhil. Sri Rama appears in a Bhil myth where there has been a flood that wiped out humanity and Rama suggests how it can be repopulated . Veda Vyas, the writer of great epic Mahabharata was son of Satyavathi of Koli community and a Brahmin Rishi. The first wife Ganga Mata and the second wife Satyavathi of Shantanu of Mahabharata were the daughters of Kolis chiefs. Thus the great warrior Bheeshma, Pandavas and Kauravas were part Bhil. This was the hidden reason why Arjuna could hit a fish with his arrow to win Draupadi in swayamvara. (This theory if true does not explain why the other Kaurava princes who tried to hit the fish with the arrow were unsuccessful. Had this theory been true, then all the Kauravas and Pandavas should have been able to achieve the same feat. The achievement of Arjuna as known from the Mahabharata, was possible due to his extreme devotion to his perfecting his skills and to the humility he showed. The Mahabharata notes that only one other - 'Karna' - was capable of showing similar prowess, but however he is thwarted by Draupadi who slights him saying that she will not marry a 'Sootaputra' - charioteer's son. Point to be noted, Karna having the potency to perform the same task as Arjuna, has no claims to being a part Bhil.) The Ganges and fish are the symbols that are related to Kolis. The Mahabharata tells the story of Eklavya, a Bhil who surpassed the skill of Arjuna only to be supressed by his guru. Lord Gautama Buddha's mother and wife belong to Koli community. Maharishi Matanga was another Hindu sage that became a Brahmana. Sant Kabir, a weaver by trade, ended several of his 'bhajans' as 'kahet kabir kori' was a self-confessed Koli. Purandara das, who was one of the greatest Carnatic singers and poets of Karnataka, was from Kabbaliga caste. The Kabbaligas claim that they are Mudiraj people settled in Karnataka. Their main profession is fishing and are also known as Bestha / Gangaputra. They are a variant of Kolis of Karnataka / Maharashtra. The story of Purandara Das reveals that he migrated from Maharashtra to Hampi and belonged to Koli (Naik) community.
1. Alternative names
- Mudiraj
- Muthuraj
- Mudduraju
- Mutharacha
- Mutharasa
- Muttarsa
- mutharasi
- Mudduraja
- Muddhuraju
- Muddhuraja
- Muddhuraj
- Mutharasi
- Muthuraja
- Muthuraja
- Muthuracha
- Mutharayar
- Mutharaiyar
- Mutharasan
- Mutharayan
- Mutharaiyan
- Muttiriyar
- Muthiriyar
- Muthariyar
- Muttiris
- Muthuraja
- Muthuraya
- Muthurayar
- Mutharaya
- Mutharayar
- Muthrayar
- Mutharaiyar
- Muthurayan
- Mutharayan
- Muthrayan
- Muthurajan
- Muthurasa
- Muthurasar
- Muthuracha
- Kudiyanavar
2. Etymology
- Muthu means " Pearl" and Raja means "King", so Mudhiraj means king of pearls;
- Koli means a spider (One who spins a web or one who weaves a net, and hence the fisherman, who weaves the net, is also called a Koli. It also means fisherman, presumably because the fisherman makes and uses a net to catch his prey as a spider his web).
- Bil means bow, which describes their superiority in archery.
Kalabhras
It is believed that the Mudiraja or Muthuraja kings were the descendants of Kalabhra Kings of South India, who conquered the Cholas, Pallavas, and the Pandyas and ruled from 300 to 600 AD.
Kalabhra interregnum is called as 'dark period' by earliest Pallava and medieval Pandya sources as Kalabhra rule paved the way to put an end to the primacy of Tamil culture and language. The Kalabhras were anti-Brahmins and anti-Sanskrit, believed to have been Buddhists and helped spread their religion in their newly acquired state. In Buddhist writings mention a certain Achyuta-Vikranta of Kalabhra-kula who is referred to as "ruling the earth." It describes at length his works, the prosperous cities of Kaveripattanam and Bhutamangalama in Chola-ratha in each of which there is said to have been a great monastery. By about the end of the sixth century AD the Kalabhras seems to have been driven out of the Tamil land, and the Pallava and Pandya copper-plate grants speak of the re-establishment of their power under Simhavishnu and Kadungon respectively. The Pallava rule was revived by Simhavishnu, a scion of the Pallava ruling family and was firmly established at Kanchi. The area round Thanjavur was under the sway of chieftains known as the Muttaraiyuar whose inscriptions are found at Sendalai and Niyamam, who ruled either independently or as vassals of the Pallavas. One such chief was Kataka-Muttaraiyan mentioned in theVaikuntha-Perumal temple inscriptions at Kanchipuram as a Pallava subordinate in the reign of Nandivarman II. No. 18 of the "Pudukkottai Inscriptions" refers to a Muttaraiyar chief called Videlvidugu Muttaraiyan as a feudatory under Dantivarman.
