Kalugumalai riots of 1895

Kalugumalai riots of 1895
Part of Shanar - Maravar conflicts
Location	Kalugumalai, Madras Presidency, British India
Date	1895 (UTC+5:30)
Attack type	Inter caste
Deaths	at least 10

Kalugumalai riots of 1895 (commonly referred as Kalugumalai riots) was an inter caste conflict between Nadars (also called Shanars) and Maravars during 1895 in Kalugumalai in Madras Presidency in British India. A total of ten people were killed and numerous people were injured. The temple chariot of Kalugasalamoorthy Temple was also burnt during the riots. The contention of the communities were over the usage of the Car streets round the temple by Nadars, which were opposed by the other communities quoting private ownership and religious sanctity.

There was an elongated Court battle between the Nadars and the Ettaiyapuram Zamindar, who donated the streets to the temple. All the appeals of the Nadar seeking public ownership of the streets were rejected by the courts. The Nadars’ rapid rise as a business community and their conversion to Christianity seeking higher social status lead to the mutual confrontation between the Maravars and Nadars, reaching its peak in 1895, leading to a series of riots.

The Sessions Court convicted two Nadars, named Mahalinga and Karutna and sentenced them to death on 17 August 1895, while others received 3 to 6 months. The appeal in the High Court was made by Caussanel, the French missionary, immediately in favour of the Nadars and he argued that the evidences were not properly examined by the Sessions court. The High Court overruled the verdict of the lower court and set all of the accused free. The Sivakasi riots of 1899 is considered as an aftermath to this riots.

Kalugumalai was a village in Tinnevelly district in Madras Presidency in British India before India's independence in 1947. In modern times, the village is part of Thoothukudi district in the state of Tamil Nadu. The place has a granite hill known for three historic landmarks, namely Vettuvan Koil, Kalugumalai Jain Beds and Kalugasalamoorthy Temple. The former two were commissioned during the rule of Pandya in the 8th century and Parantaka Nedunjadaiya (768-800 CE) respectively. Kalugasalamoorthy Temple is a cave temple, whose halls were expanded during the 18th century. The images of the presiding deity was excavated from the Southwestern corner of Kalugumalai. The images were installed and the leading pillared halls were constructed during the 18th century.

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