NAMATHU MUNNORGALIN SAMUTHAYAP PANI

நமது முன்னோர்கள் குசராத் மாநிலத்தில் உள்ள சௌரட்டிர நாட்டிலிருந்து புலம் பெயர்ந்து தெற்கு நோக்கி வந்த பயணத்தை நான் ஏற்கனவே சொன்னேன்.  இப்படி புலம் பெயர்ந்ததால் சில இடங்களில் பல்கார் என சில இடங்களில் பட்டுநூல்காரர் என சில இடங்களில் சௌரட்டிரர் என கர்நாடகத்தில் ஒரு சிறப்புப் பெயருடன் இப்படி பல இடங்களில் பல பெயர்களுடன் உள்ளார்கள்.   பல ஊர்களில் சௌரட்டிர தெருக்கள் உள்ளன.  உதாரணத்திற்குச் சொன்னால் திருப்பதியில், பெரியகுளத்தில் உள்ளன.  ஆங்கிலம் தெரிந்தவர் வசதிக்காக நமது சரித்திரத்தை H N RANEDE  மற்றும் சில அறிஞர்கள் கூறியவற்றைக் குறித்த ஒரு கட்டுரையை தருகிறேன்.
Equivalent of Saurashtra in the Linguistic Survey has been

recorded as Saurashtri which is yet another name of Patnuli
dialect of Gujarati spoken by the silk weaving community of
Madurai who are considered to have migrated from Gujarat
to the south several centuries ago. On the basis of current
preference for the name of their mother tongue, we have,
however, adopted the name ‘Saurashtra’ and not Saurashtri.
On account of several generations of association in the
Dravidian Language area, the speech is supposed to have
been strongly affected by Dravidian traits. We preferred to
call that dialect of Gujarati with such traits as Saurashtra.
Regarding Saurashtra, however, some interest has been
shown, of late, on the technical aspects of this variety while
the inclination to affiliate it with Marathi is also visible
among some scholars.
In any case, some authoritative work on this variety of
language remains to be done.
Pending the same, however, we have to keep it under Gujarati according to the Linguistic Survey.
"Saurāshṭra Language certainly appears to belong to the Gujarati-Rajasthani linguistic type; but although it has
some forms such as causative in -ḍ- and passive in –ā- which connect it specifically with Gujarati, its inflections are not those of Gujarati and its basic vocabulary is predominantly Marathi. For these reasons, it is not possible to
regard it as a dialect of Gujarati. Sourāshtran publications are sufficient proof that it is an adequate medium for
literary expression" vide 'The Saurashtrans of South India, By Dr.H.N.Randle, Plate VIII, published in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, London October, 1944'.vide Dr.H.N.Randle’s article on The Saurashtras of Southern India "Sourashtras"/ "Palkaars refer to a community of people who had their origin in Saurashtra Region of present
Gujarat. Oral tradition says that they have migrated on the fall of 'Somanath Temple' when Gazni Mohammed
invaded and plundered Hindu Temples. It is said they lived for about two centuries in Devagiri and later moved to
Vijayanagar Empire at the invitation of the Kings. They manufactured fine silk garments for the use of Kings and
their families and were engaged in Silk trade.
When Nayak Kings started to rule Madurai, they were invited by the Madurai Nayak Kings and were given
accommodation around Thirumalai Nayak Palace, Madurai, where even now there are many Sourashtra families
living. The migration might have taken place in various groups at different times and they settled in many places in
Tamil Nadu. Later Hyder Ali invited some families from Thanjavur to settle in Srirangapattanam in Karnataka.
Those people are now in Bangalore after the fall of Srirangapattanam and they are called as 'Jamkhaanadavaru'.
Similarly some families went to Andhra and settled in Tirupati. Because of lack of frequent communications, there
are so many dialect variations in this Language. The majority of people a sizeable number are settled in Madurai
and it is considered as the Headquarters of this Community.
Other major Towns of their settlement are Ambur, Ammapettai, Ammaiyappan, Arani, Arantangi, Ariyalur,
Ayyampettai, Banglore, Bhuvanagiri, Chennai,Chamarajanagara,Dindigul, Darasuram,
Kanchipuram,Kottar,Kumbakonam,Kurinjipadi,Madras Chennai,Melamangalam,Mysore, Namakkal, Nilakottai,
Palani, Palayamkottai,Paramkudi,Parampur,Parmathi,Pasikkadai, Periyakulam,Pondicherry,Pudukottai,Pudukudi,
Ramanathapuram,Rasipuram,Salem,Shevvapet,Thanjavur,
Tiruchi,Tiruvappur,Tirubhuvanam,Tuvarankurichi,Uraiyur, Vathalakundu.Vellankuzh,Vellore, Viravanallur,
Walajapettai,Yamaneswaram etc.
Now hundreds of families have migrated to the USA, UK, in Arab area such as Dubai, and East Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore etc
In history they are referred to as Patkar, Pattegar, Patvekar and Patnulkarar. In Tamil the weaving community is referred to as ‘Kaikkolar’.
In Tamil Nadu State they are called Sourashtra Patnulkarar or merely Palkar. Edgar Thurston refers this Community as Pattunulkaran. The details about Sourashtra community are discussed by A.J. Saunders 1.
A History of the Sourashtras in Southern India by the Sourashtra Literary Societies of Madura and Madras was
published on 17th January, 1891 under the Chairmanship of Sri T.M.Ramaswamaiyo, the Secretary being Sri
K.V.Subbaiyo. In that book, it is stated that the following books were consulted:
Dr.Balfour Encyclopedia of India, Ramesh Chander Dutt's Ancient India, Alexander Cunnigham's Ancient Geographyof India, Tod's Rajasthan, Professor Lassen on Prakrita Languages, Bombay Gazeteer, Researches of the Asiatic Society, A Grammar of the Gondian Languages.
Sourashtra, also known as Palkar, Sowrashtra, Saurashtram, sometimes Sourashtri is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in parts of the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu. The Ethnologue puts the number of speakers at 310,000 1997 IMA, although the actual number could be double tor even three times this figure or even more
because many people wrongly stated their mother tongue as Tamil in census enumeration as it is not taught in
school and it remained mainly a spoken language, though Literatures are available in Sourashtra, Telugu, Tamil,
Kannada, Roman and Devanagari Scripts. Now Journals in Sourashtra script is published. They are Bhashabhimani,
Zeek,Jaabaali, Sourashtra Mithran etc.
நமது சமுதாய வரலாறு மற்றும் மொழி வரலாறு ஓரளவுக்கு புரிந்திருக்கும் என்று நினைக்கிறேன்.  இவை எல்லாம் நமது இளைய தலைமுறையினருக்குப் போய்ச் சேரவேண்டும்.