Kamarajar History
Nadars are one of the earliest inhabitants of India. Their origin was in the South, known as "Komari Land" probably related to the southern tip of India - Kanya Kumari. There are records which establish their links with the Chaldeans, Syria, Cambodia, Java, Sumatra, China, etc., and it is well established by historians.
The Nadars who until the last quarter of the 19th century were known as "Shanas" or "Shanars" were originally based in the two southernmost districts of Tamilnadu- Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari. The word " Nadar" may have been derived from what many modern Nadars believe to have been the highest of the original Shanar Jatis the Nadans, with the honorific "-ar" ending added. Some Nadars claim that the Nadans were petty local chieftains, who were the heirs of the fallen Pandya dynasty.e ancient
The ancient historian Herodotus tells us that in 400BC. the palmyra-tappers (who are now called as nadars) were Valinat Fighters and good tradesmen,dealing with inter-continental trade.They made settlements in Syria and taught the art of writing to the Greeks. They also spread the culture of burial of dead to the world. They exported processed palm-juice to countries like Egypt, for purification and preservation of the dead-bodies(mummies). The history of the aboriginal ancient nadars, with many branches, has been tarnished, modified and fabricated as time swept by. Mostly these changes have been made fter the Muslim invasions, with the support of Brahmins. The fallof the Nadars began afterwards. tanjore, one of the strong holds of the Tamil Nadars,were defamed. Valamkaimaalai, one of the Palm-leaf records with the nadars, speaks about their history. History proves that major of the nadars were once jains and buddhists.
By the 15th centuryAD, Nadars were weakened by the Nayaks because of the in-flights and dis-unity among the nadar brothers.Prior to the northward migration, the bulk of the Shanar population was concentrated in the arid sandy regions or "teris" of Tiruchendur in Thirunelveli district. The shanar economy centered on the Palmyra palm, then the only commercial viable crop in the region.
From the 16th to 19th century AD, the Nadars had to struggle under the new caste system imposed by the Aryans Agents and had to fight hard to come up socially,economically and politically.
With the coming of the british to the southern Districts, roads were improved and better security emerged.There were six primary settlements: Sivakasi, Virudhunagar,Sattangudi, Tirumangalam, Palauampatti and Arupukottai.