Udaiyar Caste History

It is noted in the Madras Census Report.
1 89 1, that "the four Tamil castes Nattaman, Malaiman,
Sudarman (or Suruthiman), and Udaiyan are closely
connected. The last is probably a title rather than a
caste, and is the usual agnomen of the Nattamans,
and
Malaimans, Sudarmans, as also of the potter caste
(Kusavan). Nattaman means a man of the plains,
Malaiman a man of the hills, and Sudarman one who
does good, a hero. Nattampadi is another form of
Nattaman. Tradition traces the descent of the three
castes from a certain Deva Raja, a Chera king, who had
three wives, by each of whom he had a son, and these
were the ancestors of the three castes. There are other
stories, but all agree in ascribing the origin of the castes
to a single progenitor of the Chera dynasty. It seems
probable that they are descendants of the Vedar soldiers
of the Kongu country, who were induced to settle in the
eastern districts of the Chera kingdom. Additional
evidence of the important position they once held is
afforded by the titles Pandariyar, Pandarattar (custodians
of the treasury), which some of them still use. Some of
them again are locally styled Poligars (Palayakkaran) by the ordinary ryots, and the title Kavalgar is not
infrequent."