Kammalas. What a strange fitting of these non-Aryan tribes to the procrustean bed of the Brahmanical caste system!
Turning once more to the early Tamil literature and inscriptions, we find the following names of occupational castes mentioned:—Ambattan, Izhavan, Kammalan or the five artizans, Kani or Kaniyan, Kaviti, Kusavan, Marayan, Navisan, Panan, Panikkan, Pidaran, Sekkan, Sakkai (Mal. Chakkian), Uvaichan, Vannan, Vannattan, Valluvan, Variyan and Velan. All these castes now exist in Malabar though their occupations have since undergone slight change; while in the Tamil districts Kani, Kaviti, Marayan, Sakkai, Vannattan, Variyan and Velan have altogether disappeared. Most of these occur in the Tanjore inscriptions of Rajaraja Chola (A. D. 985—1013). Kani or Kaniyan was an astrologer; Kaviti, an accountant (but formerly a minister); Marayan, a title conferred on the royal musician of a temple; Pidaran is the reciter of the Devara-hymns, and it corresponds to the present day O'duvan; Sakkai is a temple actor; Vannattan is a high class washerman; Variyau an overseer in temples; and Velan a dancer in honour of Subrahmanya the hill deity; Ambattan was a medicine man and now a barber; Panan was a low caste minstrel and now a tailor; Panikkan was a teacher or instructor in gymnastics and now the name of a more advanced section of the Izhava or Shanan caste to which also belonged Enâdi Nâyanar the famous Saiva saint and athletic
