Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Maps
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The Kaikkoolars of Tamilnadu
- 3 The Kaikkoolars and the iDangkai (left-hand) and valangkai (right-hand) castes
- 4 Kaikkoolar beliefs and the order of their social world
- 5 The naaDu system
- 6 The caste association: the Senguntha Mahaajana Sangam
- 7 Caste, politics, and the handloom weavers' cooperative movement: 1935–1971
- 8 Interpreting the Kaikkoolars today: models of caste, weaving, and the state
- References
- Glossary
- Index
8 - Interpreting the Kaikkoolars today: models of caste, weaving, and the state
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 August 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Maps
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The Kaikkoolars of Tamilnadu
- 3 The Kaikkoolars and the iDangkai (left-hand) and valangkai (right-hand) castes
- 4 Kaikkoolar beliefs and the order of their social world
- 5 The naaDu system
- 6 The caste association: the Senguntha Mahaajana Sangam
- 7 Caste, politics, and the handloom weavers' cooperative movement: 1935–1971
- 8 Interpreting the Kaikkoolars today: models of caste, weaving, and the state
- References
- Glossary
- Index
Summary
The Kaikkoolars are a product of their history. Viewed ahistorically, their Kaikkoolars' customs and status are confusing and ambiguous. If the Kaikkoolars are to be characterized only by their present behavior, they may be ranked relatively high among non-Brahman castes. Beck (1972:159-167) places them seventh among eighteen castes in her study in KonkunaaDu. Moffatt (1979:72) describes their status as “relatively high” and places them fourth in his village of nineteen castes (1979:90). Each finds that in the study area in question, Kaikkoolars rank just below the dominant agricultural caste (Beck 1972:161ff; Moffatt 1979:90). This ranking also corresponds to the status Kaikkoolars are accorded in the Seven-City Territory. However, many of the Kaikkoolars' customs are decidedly low. And although Kaikkoolars are one of the higher non-Brahman castes, they are nondominant and nonagrarian, so that the ambiguity of their status is apparent from their inability to command services from other castes', a circumstance Kaikkoolars sometimes lament.
The Kaikkoolar residential pattern is also confusing. They live in homogeneous communities separated from those of other castes. This pattern suggests low status as we understand the use of social separation of non-Brahmans today. The Kaikkoolars' maintenance of separate temples in their residential areas, even when comparable temples used by other castes are nearby, also suggests low status. Another anomalous feature of the Kaikkoolar community is the relative insignificance of kinship to their social organization. Beck (1972) considers this a reflection of their nonagrarian occupation, but it is also typical of low-ranking and untouchable castes. In contrast, the Kaikkoolars' extensive naaDu organization suggests high status, as does their worship of vegetarian high gods.
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- Information
- The Warrior MerchantsTextiles, Trade and Territory in South India, pp. 143 - 163Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1985