It was the era of the king Thirumalai Naickar at Madurai (1623-1659 AD). A group of people called ‘Pattunool kaararhal’ had migrated to Madurai from the Saurashtra region, at the invitation of the king, for weaving silk-cloth for supplying the royal needs. They claimed that they were ‘Saurashtra Brahmins’; they were wearing the cross-threads called ‘sacred’ threads.
Brahmins opposed intrusion into Brahmin-fold
But the local Brahmins were enraged. They opposed the Brahmin-status claimed by Sourashtrians and the dispute was raging for years. When the Saurashtrians were performing Upakarma on the banks of the river Vaihai, the Brahmins lodged a complaint with the king and saw that the Saurashrians “were arrested and presented in Nayakkar’s court. Local Brahmins claimed that Sourashtra people were doing same kind of rituals as Brahmins and they wanted to understand how ritual they were. Thirumalai Nayakar ordered a debate to test their knowledge on Vedas and Upanishads. Without any doubt, Sourashtra Brahmins were able to answer all questions with rich explanations and Nayakar ordered a Pattayam stating that Sourashtras were considered as Brahmins and they had right to use Iyers and Iyengars surname. This Pattayam is still found evident in Sourashtra Club, Madurai.” (Saurashtra: A Language, Religion, Culture & Community - Dr. Vrajlal K. Sapovadia). The Sourashtrians had, thus, established on the basis of merit, that they were Brahmins and were experts in their knowledge of Vedas and Upanishads. But the local Brahmins were not the ones who would recognise and respect merit. They did not want the Sourashtrians to be recognised as Brahmins. They, therefore, brought tremendous pressure on the king to derecognise them. The king, therefore, struck a compromise. He recognised them as Brahmins but took away the right of the Sourashtra Brahmins to officiate as priests and perform religious rites. The Brahmins were satisfied. Because, they could continue to make money from the gullible Non-Brahmins in the name of rites, Vedas, Upanishads, etc., The Sourashtrian Brahmins, although better-learned in Vedas, would not pose any threat to their making easy money. Significantly, the fact that the Sourashtrian Brahmins were permitted to wear the ‘sacred’ thread did not matter anymore for the local Brahmins. (“After hearing the Vedic pundits elaborately as to the law on the point, the king decided that though the Saurashrians were Brahmins and could even wear the holy threads, they were not entitled to perform religious rites as the original Brahmins do, such as officiating at marriage, etc.,” - Page16 – According to law we are still Shudras: But how?- P.R.Kuppuswamy – Emerald Publishers).
Brahmanical Apartheid
This incident would prove that the local Brahmins were really interested in protecting their business-turf. They were happy that the Sourashtra Brahmins who were more knowledgeable in Vedas were not permitted to conduct upakarma and other Vedic ceremonies. They knew that the formality of wearing the cross-thread was not really serving any of their religious or sacred or spiritual purpose. They were more concerned with the temporal areas they had reserved for themselves in the society and were afraid of elevating others to their status as the ‘others’ may also demand, among others, a share in the pie, the dakshina. The history of the sub-continent has seen many such poignant scenes because of that cross-thread.
A cotton thread converted, thus, into a cross-thread attains status of various kinds depending on the trunks on which it is worn. So many insults were heaped on the suppressed people, so many disputes and so many litigations. All, because the common people were not knowledgeable enough to extricate themselves from the evils brought on them by the concept underlying that cross-thread and the chaturvarna social order imposed on them but were trying to elevate themselves to as higher a status as possible.
