TAMIL AS SPOKEN IN KARNATAKA

TAMIL AS SPOKEN IN KARNATAKA.

Tamilnadu is bordering Karnataka on the East and South geographically. There must have been lots of migration from both states into one another.
As I know the first migration of Tamils from Srirangam happened by the followers of Acharya Ramanuja due to the atrocities committed by the Saivaite Kings on non Saivaites. Ramanuja was followed by many of his Brahmin followers and also
other community people who were devoted to Bhagavad Ramanuja. I believe that there was a migration of Tamils from the Present Shenkottah region by the present day Sankethi Brahmins due to a curse pronounced by a chaste lady by name Thayaramma.
Later on during the period on Sri Vedantha Desika there was a migration of Tamilians who suffered due to the atrocities that were committed by the Mallikafurand his army.

During the period of Bhagavad Ramanuja he converted lots of people who liked the Vishistadvaitha tenets into his followers. For eg the present day Hebbar Iyengars were originally smartha Brahmins . Even now there is a section of Hebbar smartha’s who are
the disciples of Sringeri Shankara Mutt
I feel that the Sankethis’ were the first set of Tamil Brahmins who migrated from Tamilnadu. They were well versed in ancient scriptures and Vedas , culturally and socially well advanced good musicians and also good agriculturist. Even now they follow this tradition.
During the period of Bhagavad Ramanuja’s visit many of them voluntarily became Vaishnavites. It appears that some of the village Brahmins enmass got converted to Srivaishnava fold and changed the Temples in their control for worship on the lines of Srivaishnavism..
We can find from history that Bhagavad Ramanuja had more than 40 simhasanadhipathis and except for a few who were allowed to remain in the temple town of Srirangam I believe that the entourage of Bhagavad Ramanuja was quite impressive and large along with simhasanadhipathis and their followers.
Many of the old followers were allowed to marry the new entrants in to the srivaishnava fold from Karnataka. These old followers tried their best to teach the day to day routine of srivaishnava household and also the various rituals connected with different festivals.
So these new entrants got the initiation into amalgamation of the Tamil Brahmins of that period.
Due to different regional influences the tamil as spoken got itself its own accent and some of the habits were also integrated which was a ;mixture of Karnartaka culture and
Srirangam Brahmin culture.
There was a migration of Tamil speaking Muslims from Tamilnadu from the areas surrounding Ranipet,Vaniambadi and Dindigul. It is not as to why they migrated. . As I know they settled in Gargeswari, Naripuram and surrounding areas of T Narasipur taluk of Mysore Dist, Kalkuni in Malavalli taluk of Mandya dist. These muslims were hard working and were doing labour at a cheaper rate. They also did not indulge in social evil like drinking or gambling. Their women folk very rarely worked in others field. In due course these muslims were also employed as tax collectors by the Inamdars of T Narasipur taluk . if any one fails to remit tax these muslims will go to the house of the defaulter and they will sit in the pial and start cooking in the pial and also pass leud remarks . if anyone objects they will say that if they do not collect tax the Inamdar will take them to task. And some times it is said that they will spit on the threshold of the house so that house owner do not step on it and had to jump over it. This is because the hindu householders considered the muslim spittle as pollutant.!!!.
These muslims had their own Idgah where they were in majority. They also had a very small mosque. They used to get moulvi from tamilnadu giving him enough pay.
Most of these muslims did not know Urdu. They only knew tamil and kannada as they lived in the environs of kannada.
As I know these are the types of Tamils that are still spoken even to this day.
These Tamil speaking people are we can say the earliest settlers or migraters
!) Tamil as spoken by Sankethis of Bettadapura (Mysore Dt)
2) Tamil as spoken by Sankethis of Koushika (Hassan Dist)
3)Tamil as spoken by Sankethis of Muttoor (Shivamogga dist)
4) Tamil as spoken by the Sankethis who have settled in north karnataka
5) Tamil as spoken by Iyengars of Ramanathapura(Hassan Dt)
6) Tamil as spoken by the Iyengars of Aghalayam(Hassan Dt
7) Tamil as spoken by the . Iyengars of Hemmige (Mysore Dt)
8) Tamil as spoken by the Mandayam Iyengars (Mandya dt)
9) Tamil as spoken by the Hebbar Iyengars (hassan and chickmagalur dist)
10) Tamil as spoken by the Iyengars of Lakshmipuram (Bangalore dist)
11)Tamil as spoken by the Iyengars of Kalkunte (Bangalore dt)
12)Tamil as spoken by the Iyengars of Kolar dt
13) Tamil as spoken by the Iyers who immigrated long back.(they have settled in all parts of Karnataka and much is not known to me about them)
14) Tamil as spoken by Mudaliars who also migrated from Tamilnadu long back.
15)Tamil as spoken by the Christians who migrated from Tamilnadu.
16)Tamil as spoken by dalits who migrated from Tamilnadu long back.
17) Tamil as spoken by the Iyers of Palaghat who migrated from palakkad of present Kerala state.
18)Tamil as spoken by the OIL extractors who migrated from coimabatore dt of Tamilnadu(these people migrated long back)
19) Tamil as spoken by the Chettiars (these Tamilians entered Karnataka purely for business purposes and late entrants. They are mostly from Coimbatore dist.

Tamil as spoken by the immigrants about whom much is not known

20) Tamil as spoken by the Labbai muslim group of Mysore dist.

Now let me take up the issue of Tamil speaking group.
There are people who came to Karnataka after the fall of Tippusultan. The earliest Srivaishnavites were known as Kilnattars (people belonging to the lower land)
Later on there was a rush of people who came to Karnataka to earn their living due to the good climatic conditions and also due to good job opportunities. Among these immigrants the Srivaishnava Brahmins are known as “Kanavakilu” that is people who came thorough valley. Mostly they settled in villages and they had grants from the King or got attached to temples or Mutts.

There tamil was different from the local tamil
21) Tamil as spoken by Kilnattar Iyengars.
22)Tamil as spoken by Kanavakilu Iyengars
The spirit of maintaining the language and culture is to be appreciated.
This happens in any language or culture.
The progeny or say the descendents who are now speard all over the world of the above 22 tamil type speakers themselves are trying their utmost to keep their own type of spoken language alive and are still continuing.
There was also a type of highly cultured or say very high respect giving language among Srivaishnavites which is known as Srivaishnava Paribhasai. This type of speech is not common even among the Brahmins of Tamilnadu. This is now almost dead and gone in Karnataka and if anyone speaks in that type of language there is hardly any one who can understand.
Even in English language there are so many variations. Even in Gt Britain the English spoken by Englishman, Scotsman, Welshman and eirishman are different.
I do not have time enough to spend on all the Tamils spoken and write a thesis.
Any tamil as spoken by any one may appear corrupt. But it is not so.. Let us welcome the spirit behind the maintaining the individuality and let us welcome the different tamils/ and tamil language for its own beauty .