As late as the 13th century the Shanans were known as Izhavans, and a tax called the Izha-putchi was levied by Tamil kings on all toddy-drawers. They were surely a polluting caste in those days as now, and it would therefore be absurd to derive it from Sanron, the sun, as the educated section of the Shanar caste is attempting to do. According to a tradition current in Malabar, the toddy-drawers are considered immigrants from Izham or Ceylon. If this theory be correct, they may be regarded as a more civilised section of the Veddahs. And if Izham is taken to mean 'toddy,' the Shanars must be a class of Pallars, allied to the Vedar or Vettuvar, leading the settled life of palm cultivators, while the other continues a nomadic hunting tribe. In either case, it is to be observed that the Pallar and the Shanar castes are most numerous in the Tamil districts which are adjacent to Ceylon-the abode of the Veddah, Yaksha or Naga tribes.
The caste names Valaiyan (net-man), Sembadavan, Pattanavan and Karaivan do not occur in early Tamil books. Sembadavan is a boatman, Pattanavan is an inhabitant of a sa-coast village, and Karaiyan is a man of the beach. The absence of any of these fishing castes from the maritime district of Tinnevelly is noteworthy. Probably they must have returned their caste name as 'Native Christian' in the census of 1911. All these fishing castes form part of the great Naga race who lived on the South Indian sea-board.
