🏹Villavar(Cheras)

Chera dynasty#History

[godsavetheking]

Villavar was a tribe of hunters lived in Tamilakam, the southern part of ancient India. The word villavar derives from the Dravidian word for bow (vil). The villavars lived in hill tracts and forests [1]. Chera kings used the title villavan[2][3] Kulasekhara Alwar the founder of the later Chera dynasty called himself "Villavar Kon", king of Villavars, in a Tamil work written by him known as Perumal Thirumozhi.[4].

Sri Lanka was named Ezham or Ezha Theevu in ancient times or Heladiva in Sinhalese. Ezham was named after Ezhinar a Villavar people of Sri Lanka. The other ancient names of Sri Lanka such as Taprobane[4] or Tamraparni, Serendib or Cheran Divu indicate the influence of other Villavar kingdoms such as Pandyan Kingdom and Chera Kingdom over Sri Lanka.

The Villavar of Chera Kingdom, Illava or Ezhavas of Chera Kingdom with origins at Sri Lanka, Billavas of Karnataka. In north India Villavar and Meenavar are Bhil Meenas of Rajastan, Meenas of Rajastan and Bhils of North India who form the Rajput Kshatriya clans.

[godsavetheking]

Chera Kingdom

The Chera king had the title Villavar Kon indicating Villavar clans founded the ancient Chera Kingdom. The Emblem on the flag of Cheras was Bow and Arrow. The Chera kingdom was founded by the integration of various Villvar tribes such as Vanavar, Velliar and Pazhuvettaraiyars. After the arrival of Nagas the Villavar(Ezhava) culture who cherished Patriarchy and Monogamy was replaced by Matriarchy with Polyandry as the norm. Soon around the 12th century the Chera dynasty came to an end when the last Chera King along with his relatives became a Muslim. In the later periods the Nagas dominated Kerala while the Villavar tribes were pushed down to occupy a lower stratum.

[malayali]

Ezhavas or Illavar were more related to Villavar Chera kings

The Chera Kingdom of Kerala has recorded history from few centuries before Christ. The history of Chera people could extend to many thousand years in the prehistory. Among the Dravidians two tribes of warlike people dominated the ancient period extending into prehistory. They were Villavars (Bowmen or Archers)and their allies Minavars or meenavars(fishermen)who formed kingdoms from Pakistan to Sri Lanka. Villavars of the Chera Kingdom Kingdom, Illavars, Billava, Bhils (Rajput) all belong to the Villavar tribes.The main title of the Villavars was Azhvar or Alvar. The Villavars or archers had Bow and arrow in their flag. Chera kingdom was a Villavar kingdom while their relatives Illava ruled the Sri Lanka before Sinhalese from Orissa arrived Sri Lanka in 500 BC. In the prehistory Sri Lanka had been ruled by Villavars tribes belonging to Chera and Pandya Kingdoms. Serendib (Cheran Theevu in Tamil) is even now the official name for Sri Lanka. During the early Tamil era Sri Lanka was named Illavam or Ezhavam or Eelam after the Illavar tribe. Sinhalese called it Heladipa. The Villavars were jains with a Dravidian influence but adopted Buddhism too. Elangovadikal the Chera prince in his Epic book Cilappatikaram depicts the story of Jain Chera kingdom and the Kannaki a Dravidian who was deified by the Jains.Jain Chera kingdom and the Kannaki a Dravidian who was deified by the Jains. Kannagis daughter Manimekalai went to Sri Lanka which was called Mani Pallavam, after converting to Theravada Buddhism.Aruhakkadavul (Arhatta) was a Buddhist or Jain god of Villavars. In the laterdays after 500 BC these early Tamil Dravidians were assimilated by the Sinhalese but not the Sri Lankan Tamils of Sri Lanka who migrated in a much laterday in the later Chola period around 1000 Ad. The arrival of northern invaders belonging to Naga Scythians from Ahichatra in the eighth century during the Rashtrakuta invasions, led to the eclipse Chera Kingdom itself in 1120 ad. Eventually the Villavars of Kerala completely disappeared possibly by the assimilation by the Illavas. In the laterdays illavars were forced to occupy a lower position in the social hierarchy while the Aryans and Nagas dominated the scene. Still the Illavas martial tradition, the Kalari and many of their customs survived.

[godsavetheking]

Villavar was a tribe of hunters lived in Tamilakam, the southern part of ancient India. The word villavar derives from the Dravidian word for bow (vil). The villavars lived in hill tracts and forests [1]. Chera kings used the title villavan[2][3] Kulasekhara Alwar the founder of the later Chera dynasty called himself "Villavar Kon", king of Villavars, in a Tamil work written by him known as Perumal Thirumozhi.[4].

Sri Lanka was named Ezham or Ezha Theevu in ancient times or Heladiva in Sinhalese. Ezham was named after Ezhinar a Villavar people of Sri Lanka. The other ancient names of Sri Lanka such as Taprobane[4] or Tamraparni, Serendib or Cheran Divu indicate the influence of other Villavar kingdoms such as Pandyan Kingdom and Chera Kingdom over Sri Lanka.

The Villavar of Chera Kingdom, Illava or Ezhavas of Chera Kingdom with origins at Sri Lanka, Billavas of Karnataka. In north India Villavar and Meenavar are Bhil Meenas of Rajastan, Meenas of Rajastan and Bhils of North India who form the Rajput Kshatriya clans.