Kurava

The Kuravas also called Kakkalas is an ethnic Tamil community native to the Kurinji mountain region of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, India.

Etymology

The "Kuravan" is a Tamil word which "guru avar" means "Leader"

Ethnonym

The "Kuravan" is a Tamil word which means "uyarnthavan" or "Thalaivan" means "Leader"
People of this community are called with different names in different parts of South India. They are called as Yerukula in Andhra Pradesh, Korama, Korachas in Karnataka, Kaikadi in Maharashtra, and Sidanar in Kerala.The gothras among all these communities is the same, i.e. Kavadiyar, Sathupadi, Maanipadi and Meluthar. They are also known as Malai Kuruvans, Kuravan, Thalaiyaris, Kavalkara koravars, uppu koravars, Dabi kuravar, Gandarvakottai kuravar, Inji kuravar, Koravas, Kalinji Dabikoravas, Kala kuravar.

History

The word "Kuravan" means "uyarnthavan" or "Thalaivan" means "Leader" and from Tamil Sangam period this community mentioned in many Tamil epics. Examples: Tolkāppiyam, Silapathigaram, Purananuru, Kutrala Kuravanji and more. They were ruling the Mountain lands, Kannapa Nayanar one of the Nayanars, and there are so many poet and warriors who lived in this community.
According to Hindu mythology, Murugan, Tamil god, is a Kuravan, he is the God of the mountains, and his wife Valli also a Kurathi.
Kuravar is an ancient clan mentioned in the Sangam literature, along with Kallar and Maravar. Kuravar were amongst the inhabitants of Kurinji land as "the hunters and the gatherers, the people of foothills" along with Poruppan, Verpan, Silamban, and Kaanavar.
The kula theivam was a clan god in Kurava and was Murugan. it was assumed to be one of the gods of ancient Tamil country. the clan inhabited the mountainous regions of Tamil Nadu and used bamboo grass in large quantities. During their hunting and gathering stage, they used bamboos against animals. In a later Civilized settlement stage, Kuravas also used bamboos as a self-defence weapon which, later was transformed into silambattam of Tamil country. The self-defence art with a silambattam is still considered to be a known and appreciated fighting art of Maravars, Kallars who are the other native people of Tamil country.
During the first quarter of the 12th century AD, areas of Kanyakumari district were brought under the fold of several kings: Konanki Kuravar, Bommayya Kuravar and Nanchil Kuravar.
A classic period of the Kingdom of NanjilNadu started with the accession of a Konanki Kuravar, who was an alchemist establishing his way over Kottar, Suchindram and other places. There are literary evidences that the Kingdom of NanjilNadu was Ruled by "Kurunji Nattan NambiRajan", also called as Naga Raja, a Kurava king. Historical evidences can be traced back from the spots of Idukki District in Kerala. Places like Ramakkalmedu, kuravanmala, Kurinjimala, Idukki arch dam are the places showing the Early ages of Kuravas of South India. They were once travelers on the high roads of freedom, crafting their own destinies as hunters, gatherers, traders, transporters and craftsmen, but exist today in the no-mans-land of the settled world. Nevertheless, they persist. People of this community are called with different names in different parts of South India. In essence, all these communities form a big community from south India. The gothras among all these communities is the same.
The main occupation of the people, who originally belong to the indigenous tribes, is hunting, and making bamboo baskets, brooms and mats. But as they were prohibited entry into the forests to pursue this livelihood, they were forced to take up other alternatives.

Colonial era

During British rule in India they were placed under Criminal Tribes Act 1871, hence stigmatized for a long time, after Independence however they were denotified in 1952, though the stigma continues.
The 1906 publication the Travancore State Manual, of the princely state of Travancore, contains an entry describing the Kuravar:

The Kuravars, a race bearing resemblance to the Vedars or hill-men, form a pretty large community in Travancore, numbering 53,584 according to the last Census. The names of some places and tradition show that they must have been holding sway over some small territories on this coast. They are divided into several groups some of which are the Kunta Kurava, the Pandi Kurava, and the Kakka Kurava. Like the Pulayas they form the chief field labourers in the taluqs in which they live. They are found in the greatest number in Kunnattur, Chirayinkil, and Kottarakara. The Kunta Kurava, the most important sect among the class, resemble the Nayars in several respects. They are divided into Illam, Swarupam, &c, and follow the Marumakkathayam system of inheritance. They also celebrate the Kettu Kalyanam and Sambandham and observe sixteen days' death-pollution like the Nayars.
Today there are an estimated 1.2 million Kuravar in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Politics

The Kuravar community is tribal, but subsequent governments denied that fact and manipulated the reservation mechanism, which systematically oppressed this group of people. This has led to protests and resentment from the community.
However, the Nari-kuravas are not Kuravars, also known as Kurivikar/AKI-PIKI/Narikarar. Narikarar came to South India from Maharastra; they are not a Tamil community and their languages is "Vagiri" there is no similarity or connection between Kuravar and Nari- Kuravar community.
Kuravar community people are living in Kerala and all parts of the Tamil Nadu mostly the districts of Salem, Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Madurai, Thiruvanamalai,vellore, Thanjavur, and Kanyakumari. Most movies and TV programs have manipulated the identity of the Kuravar community, but these biases are slowly being addressed by the Kuravar community through education and public action.