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Sholiyar
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சோழிய க�ல அந�தணர� These group of Brahmins are mainly Purohits, Warriors, Advisers to the King, Landlords, Astrologers , Temple Priests and Many are Carnatic musicians. These group is one of the oldest Pancha-Dravida Brahmins. The term "pancha-dravida brahmins" itself is of probably 19th century origin. We do not find it even in the sangam literature of yore. Dramila or dravida was used to refer to the ancient Tamil country and not to describe any particular race or caste . A mention of brahmins is available in sangam classics like purananuru, perumpaanarrupadai, and porunararruppadai. A brahmin priest called damodaranar is mentioned in one of the sangam classic as having participated in a yaagam of chola king vehparaer peruvirarkilli.The classification term choliyal may be due to their presence in chola territories. The term is of very recent origin, probably of the 16th century and afterwards, due to unwelcome intrusion by dynasties of deccan. No such classification seems to have been prevalent in earlier days. To work alongside those brahmins who were already there, Sivacharyas as well as vaishnavite archakas also came from various parts of subcontinent like Punjab, U.P (Benares) and Kashmir under Chola and Pallava patronage and this migration was constant and continuous. Many people also further migrated to Malaya, Thailand, Vietnam, combodia and Srilanka along with chola/pallava armies. It is also learnt from the life chronicles of tirugnana sambandar and sundarar that those brahmins who were patronized by these ancient chola/pallava kings generally remained loyal to them. Brahmins during those days being referred to as anthanar, chaturvedins, or somayajin, sarvakratuyajin and Nambis or as Brahmarayan and Amatyar for those in military and administrative services of kings. The term "iyer" itself is not found in any of the literature from chola and pallava periods . During the last days of the Cholas and the great Pallava chiefs Kopperunjinga Deva I and II, there were numerous wars (in the 14th century, no worship ceremonies were conducted in Chidambaram and Srirangam for a period of 80 years) due to which many of the residents of Chola territories including a lot of Brahmins in high posts perished. This is particularly true of people who served under the Cholas and Pallavas, who waged frequent wars. Those who did survive consisted mainly of those serving the Pandyan kings, that formed only the upper working class sections(like cooks, temple servants called devakanmis) of that day who may not have posed any threat to anybody. A considerable portion may have migrated to Kerala in the 14th century to become the Nambudiris. By the late sixteenth and seventeenth century A.D, they had become a very small and negligible ancient minority. These brahmins are very few in number and are also rapidly going down in terms of the same. Nowadays, even great temples like Raja Rajeswaram and gangaikonda choleswaram as well as ancient srirangam temple are not being officiated as priests by nambis. The classical Tamil language in which many ancient saints and scholars composed was different both scriptwise and structurewise from modern day Tamil. They are a denominated ancient minority. Soliyars believe themselves to be the kin of . The Smartha brahmins This is one of the prominent groups of brahmins in Tamilnadu in the Chola kingdom especially around Kumbakonam and Trichy. They are further divided into Two. They are Nine villagers (ஓன�பத� கிராமத�தார� ) and Eighteen villagers (18 கிராமத�தார�).These peoples are Advaitic Smarthas.The rare kausheethiki recension of Rigveda is also found among them. Though among those who follow yajur veda the shukla yajurveda(deals with performing yaagams) is more pre-dominant, krishna yajurveda is also found in good numbers. Nine villagers (ஓன�பத� கிராமத�தார� ): Purva Urvat Sikha Choliyal (Munuchikudumi),[ம�ன�உச�சிக�ட�மி]:' Similar to that of some nambudiri brahmins of kerala: *Thillai chidambaram (ம�வாயிரவர�)Dikshitar *TiruvAnaikoil (ஆயிரவர�)Pandithar *Avudayarkoil (ம�ன�னூற�றிஓர�வர�)Nambimaar *uraiyur(virupashipuram in trichy). Urvat Sikha Choliyal ( Uchikudumi),[உச�சிக�ட�மி] *Thirukkatiyoor *Madalur *Visalur *Puthalur *Sengannur It is said that on the desire of Lord Muruga some of these choliyal went to Tiruchendur and Tirupparangundram in the Pandya kingdom. During ancient days, they had also settled in tiruttani(subrahmanya shrine) and tiruvenkadam(next to modern day tirupati, an ancient vaishnava shrine and divyadesam) and cuddapah, which were then a part of Tamil country. The legend has it that Lord Parasurama, settled in the west coast of India some brahmins. A fair part of west coast of India was part of ancient Tamil country. Those People subsequently became (illam Mana) Nambhoodiri during medieval times. They distinguish from other groups of namboodiri who are held to have migrated from Karnataka and Andhra pradesh.They have excelled as vedic scholars and artistes. Great saints like TiruGnanasambandar(Considered to be an incarnation of skandar, son of lord sivan)),manikkavasagar,somaasi maarar,sundarar and nambi andar nambi,sandeeswarar(A brahmin nayanar called vichara sharman), were purva sikha/urvat sikha brahmins who lived during the chola/pallava periods. Some accounts hint that the ancestors of saint manikkavasagar may have come from banaras or kashmir.The last of nayanmars lived during 9th century A.D. The hymns of nayanmars called tirumurais are considered to be on par with vedas. Eighteen villagers (18 கிராமத�தார�): Sama veda brahmins , had been found in the Eighteen villages about 400 families of around Cauvery banks of Trichy And Thanjavur during the Chola reign. Later, around 1234 A.D they migrated to Kerala. They are found in the villages of palakkad(palghat), especially in the villages of Kodunthirapully Agraharam, Ahaliyapandiyapuram. A few are also found in Nagercoil and Suchindram. These people are especially Talavakara Sakha of the Sama Veda and they are mainly from Anbil, Kidamangalam, llayattangudi, Sesamulail, Sendalai, Tirunangur. Others who stayed in the banks of Cauvery adopted Srivaishnavam. These people are also Purva sikha brahmins. Saints like nambi aroorar(sundaramurthy nayanar) are known to have been good at this(talavakara) branch of samaveda. They all follow the ancient vedic system. They follow only vedas of divine origin and not any acharyan. Adi sankara himself has recommended against following any acharyan. According to Chandrashekarendra Saraswati, Paramacharaya of Kanchi, in Deivathin Kural Part 5, Adishankaracharya's forefathers came from chola country and was an ancient urvatsikha/purva sikha brahmin.His disciple padmapada is of same origin, having hailed from kumbakonam . Due to their expertise in samaveda, Many of them are Carnatic musicians like chembai. The Srivaishnavas These group that adopted to Srivaishnavam, which is also further divided into Two: One is around the seven villages (�ழூ கிராமம�) of Trichy.These include Puthur, Kariyamanikam, Tiruvellarai,Thitukkotiyur, Papakurichi, Uttamasili and Maanakaal(Anbil). Both PURVA SIKHA and URVAT SIKHAare common. Another is found in seven villages (�ழூ கிராமம�) of around ThirunelveliThese include Villages like Alvar Tirunagari, Tentirupperai (Tenkalai Vaisnavas) and Watrap; and at Karamanai and Tiruvettar near Trivandrum, .These people have PURVA SIKHA. These Brahmanas are mostly Thenkalai and they follow Vishishtadvaita of Ramanuja. This group are Vaishnavites. All Brahmin Alvars, such as Madhurakavaialwar,Uyyakondanar,Thirukottiyur Nambi,Tondar adi podi Alvar were either urvat sikha/purva sikha brahmins who lived during chola/pallava rule. Periya Alwar also known as vishnu chittan of srivilliputhur who was the confidante of pallava emperor kampavarman belonged to ancient urvat sikha/purva sikha brahmins of that era.The woman alwar mystic andal is also held to be a brahmin. Last of alwars also lived during 9th century A.D. Ramanuja's guru Thirukkoshtiyur Nambi is also an ancient urvat sikha/purva sikha brahmin who lived during the final phases of chola rule. Choliyal beliefs All the Choliyal believe in the Arthashastra and the Manusmriti. The Grihya Sutras of Apastamba and Baudhayana are found among Yajur veda; similarly both sutras of Rig veda also found. However the Sama veda has rare Talavakara Sakha, due to which many Caranatic musicians like Chembai are from this group. The common Gotra of choliyal include Bharadvaja, Atreya, Vasishta, Angirasa, Kashyapa,Koushika, Kaundinya, Rowshayadana, Agestaya and Srivathsa. These groups have Urvatsikaor purva sika, which means they have traditional kudumi or hairstyling in the midpoint. The Sozhias have much in common with the Nambudiris (as also the Chidambaram Dikshitars).It is possible that the word nambudiri is derived from the word nambi used to refer to Brahmin priests of both Saivite and Vaishnavite persuasions in ancient days in the Tamil country. The Sozhias, Nambudiris & Chidambaram Dikshitars are all "POORVA SIKHA" ("MUN KUDUMI") Brahmins. Moreover, both the Nambudiris & Sozhias are followers of the JAIMINI or Thalavakara shakha of the Sama Veda whereas other Brahmins follow the Gautuma shakha of the Sama Veda. These peoples also worship GramaDevatha kavaldeivam like Karuppanaaar swamy,Ayyanar(Lord dharma sasta) and also Goddess Pidari to ward off evil. In Tamil there is an old saying: "சோழியன� க�ட�மி சூம�மா ஆடாத� ", meaning a chozhiyan does not do anything without purpose. As with the other brahmins all over India, they are also successful academicians, industrialists and IT professionals. Recently some have also migrated to other parts of the world. 
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