What is "vellalar"

Vellalars (also, Velalars, Vellalas) were, originally an elite caste of Tamil agricultural landlords in Tamil Nadu, Kerala states in India and in neighbouring Sri Lanka; they were the aristocracy of the ancient Tamil order ( Chera/ Chola/ Pandya/ Sangam era) and had close relations with the different royal dynasties. The Vellalar were during ancient and medieval period landlords and part of the elite caste who were major patrons of literature. During the Chola period the Vellalar community was the dominant secular aristocratic caste, providing the courtiers, most of the army officers, the lower ranks of the bureaucracy and the upper layer of the peasantry.

Vellala or Vellalar may refer to:

• Vellala, a village from the Andhra Pradesh state of India
• Vellalar, a caste originating in Tamil Nadu
• Sri Lankan Tamil Vellalar, the dominant caste of Sri Lankan Tamils
• List of Vellalar sub castes, a list of sub castes