What is my caste?

Question

I am exceptionally confounded by my caste and lineage. From what I gather, I am a Vellala Pillai. So does that make me a Brahmin, Kshatriya, , Vaishya or a Shudra? Does it make me Dravidian or Aryan? Thank you so much for all your help in advance.

Thank you for those who have answered no matter how irrelevant some of your answers are. I would like to point out a few details. I am a Malaysian; we do not use the caste system here, which is why I am intrigued by the inner workings of this classification. I do not feel as passionately about the degradation faced by some by this system simply because it is not in my immediate culture. I do understand your frustration at this subject but let me assure my questions are purely out of curiosity. I am female for those who called me Mr. Pillai. Oh and thank you lotusmoon01 but I am a Tamil not a malayalee. Right, I suppose that is settled. I hope for more answers as I am genuinely perplexed. Thank you all again.

Answer 1

Pillai, Pillay, Pulle or Pilli is a popular title of Tamil and Malayalam speaking people of India and others living in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, Fiji.
In Tamil Nadu, this title or surname is predominantly used by Vellala caste population among the Tamil descent population.Vellalars are a dominant caste of agriculturalists of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Sri Lanka. Ritually they were considered by Brahminical literature as Shudras like all dominant peasant or cultivator castes in South and East India (see Vokkaliga, Velama, Maratha, and Bunts).

Historically few elite sub-castes had proclaimed Sat Shudra or Good Shudra status that has no current ritual or social relevance. Currently few of the sub castes self proclaim Kshatriya status in the age old tradition of Sanskritisation where as others do not care about the so called Shudra status and identify with their Jāti without any relationship to the Varna.
Historically the title Pillai was used throughout the medieval period as an honorific title bestowed on high functionaries serving in various royal courts in south India. Although traditionally bestowed on members of high status and aristocratic castes, the name became adopted as a surname by a broad layer of the Tamil peasantry during the 19th and 20th century. With the extension of tenancy rights, the growth of the market economy and with new opportunities for middle class employment, members of cultivator communities, starting with the Vellalar peasantry, began adopting the name as both a form of upward social mobility and as a means of differentiating themselves from the broader peasantry.
Throughout the last two centuries the name became increasingly adopted as a surname by broader layers of the lower-middle and lower strata Tamil peasantry for purposes of social mobility including by those communities considered historically oppressed ( Maravar and Adi Dravida). The phenomena was particularly notable amongst members of the Tamil diaspora in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, Fiji, a diaspora created in part by the export of indentured agricultural labour at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.
It would make you a dravidian, a true Indian. I hope this answers your query.

Answer 2

Pillais are of the same caste as Nairs. There are two schools of thought on that. 1) We are Vaishyas or 2) we are kshatriyas. I'm really not sure, it's sort of hazy, the Malayalee caste system.

Answer 3

Pillai surname is common in south of India...

Answer 4

Mr. pillai, Castes are irrelevent in today's world.

Answer 5

I think you are a real MAN.
Who cares of caste !!!
By origin you must be Dravidian - the true Indian.

The Aryans are outsiders invaded India 5000 years beck.

Answer 6

You are humanbeing and belong to the mammal caste.

Answer 7

You are of the same species like the rest of us,we all come from the same source. namaste

Answer 8

U R A HUMAN BEING!