Konar (caste)


Kōnār is an ethnic group from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They were traditionally held to be a pastoral community involved in cattle cultivation, who are otherwise also known as Ayar and Idaiyar, and who appear in the ancient Sangam literature as occupants of the Mullai. However, historically they have held positions such as kings and chieftains.

Etymology

According to Alf Hiltebeitel, Konar is a regional name for Yadava, the caste to which Krishna belongs. The caste name is interchangeable with the names Konar and Kovalar being derived from Tamil word Kōn, which can mean "king" and "herdsmen". The word might be derived from the from Tamil word kōl, a herdsman's staff. The Tamil word kōl also means a king's sceptre.
The word Ayar might be derived from the Tamil word Aa, meaning cow. The term idai might refer to the Mullai region, being an intermediate zone between two other Sangam landscapes called Kurinji and Marutham, but probably reflected their intermediate socio-economic status. Idaiyar remains the most commonly used word in Tamil for a cow-herder, and another name for Ayars was pothuvar, meaning common.