183:, the Vishwakarmas have claimed a higher social status for many years, and believe that the trades which they traditionally follow are superior to the work of a manual labourer because they require artistic and scientific skills as well as those of the hand. According to George Varghese, their claim to high status is "one of the mainstays of Vishwakarma identity" in what is otherwise a fragmented, incoherent community that has often suffered from internal differences of opinion. Their claim has been voiced by Edava Somanathan, a member of the community and its only historian in the written word. Somanathan's works, according to Varghese, "... are written from a pro-community perspective. Therefore, there are a lot of exaggerations and
132:
emperor. In order to defeat the
Vishwakarmas, Karunakaran planted many beautiful women (Brahmin women according to some versions of the legend) in the fort. These women married the Vishwakarmas, thus destroying their spiritual power, and learned the secret that a certain type of poisonous grass could
141:
While many sources refer to the five subgroups of the
Vishwakarma as artisans, historian Vijaya Ramaswamy believes that the Vishwakarma of the medieval period should be distinguished as craftsmen, arguing that "... while every craftsman was an artisan, every artisan was not a craftsman".
151:
were formed and disintegrated. The latter group, who did work in proximity to each other while constructing and embellishing temples, had opportunities for socio-economic advancement but also bore the risks of withdrawal of patronage and changes in religious focus.
191:, pre-dating the arrival of Brahmins and their caste-based division of society. He claims implausible achievements are evidenced in both the arts and sciences during that egalitarian pre-Brahmin era, including the construction of aeroplanes.
146:
differed considerably from that of the various people who banded together as
Vishwakarma and lived a relatively itinerant lifestyle that was dependent on the "temple economy" that waxed and waned as dynasties such as the
133:
be used to burn up the fort. Using this secret, the enemy blew up the fort, and the
Vishwakarmas were scattered in various areas, where they were forced to work as artisans and craftsmen for mortal humans.
273:
is composed of several sub-castes: Kulachar, Uttaradi (goldsmiths), Matachar (founders), Muulekammaras, and
Chikkamanes. Sub-castes do intermarry, and have a hierarchy among themselves.
74:
114:, the five children of the god Vishwakarma served the gods as artisans, and possessed the ability to create things by simply visualising them. They had conserved their
89:(clans) of blacksmiths, carpenters, bell metalworkers (metal casters), stonemasons and goldsmiths. It is not known whether these five subgroups historically practised
716:
560:
106:
85:, Shilpi and Visvajna — and these are believed by the Vishwakarma community to have been the forebears of their five subgroups, being respectively the
37:
or of high-status in the caste hierarchy, although these claims are not generally accepted outside the community. The community comprises five subgroups—
194:
This claim to
Brahmin status is not generally accepted outside the community, despite their assumption of some high-caste traits, such as wearing the
110:, whose original manuscript is undated but was most probably created in the mid-17th or 18th century. According to a popular myth recorded in the
128:, and the enemy weapons thrown at it were stuck to its walls, rendering it invincible. Their chief enemy was Karunakaran, a vassal of the
864:
Rethinking a
Millennium: Perspectives on Indian History from the Eighth to the Eighteenth Century : Essays for Harbans Mukhia
848:
821:
748:
636:
409:
Varghese K., George (8–14 November 2003). "Globalisation
Traumas and New Social Imaginary: Visvakarma Community of Kerala".
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In Andhra they are known as Viswa brahmin or
Viswakarma (Ausula or Kamsali, Kammari, Kanchari, Vadla or Vadra or
686:
388:
361:
73:, who is considered by Hindus to be the divine architect or engineer of the universe. He had five children —
772:. Vol. 1 (Primal Elements: The Oral Tradition). New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
890:
787:
Brouwer, Jan (1987). "The Story of the
Magnetic Fort". In de Ridder, Rob; Karremans, Jan A. J. (eds.).
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Ramaswamy notes that the socio-economic and geographic stability of a medieval village-based maker of
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society by such means with the failure of the Vishwakarma to achieve the same. Their position as a
741:
Rethinking a Millennium: Perspectives on Indian History from the Eighth to the Eighteenth Century
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859:
736:
674:
626:
613:
586:
378:
351:
790:
The Leiden Tradition in Structural Anthropology: Essays in Honour of P.E. de Josselin de Jong
675:"The Latecomers: A case study of caste and sub-caste of goldsmiths in Karnataka, South India"
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219:
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of the Vishwakarma community were first consolidated in the early 18th century, during the
8:
116:
833:
464:
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148:
439:
Ramaswamy, Vijaya (2004). "Vishwakarma Craftsmen in Early Medieval Peninsular India".
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Industrial Transition in Rural India: Artisans, Traders, and Tribals in South Gujarat
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tirades in Kerala". Somanathan argues that the artisanal groups were a part of the
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788:
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Brouwer, Jan (1995). "The Visvakarma Worldview". In Saraswati, Baidyanath (ed.).
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184:
199:
161:
101:
860:"Traditional Crafts, Technology, and Society in Pre-colonial Peninsular India"
737:"Traditional Crafts, Technology, and Society in Pre-Colonial Peninsular India"
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Ritual, State, and History in South Asia: Essays in Honour of J. C. Heesterman
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241:, although they prefer to be known as Vishwakarma. They are divided into the
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Essays in Classical and Modern Hindu Law: Dharmaśāstra and related ideas
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198:, and the Brahminisation of their rituals. For example, the sociologist
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The Makers of the World: Caste, Craft and Mind of South Indian Artisans
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659:
587:"Karnataka: Caste, dominance and social change in the 'Indian village'"
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has not aided their ambition. They have been included in the list of
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by being celibates, and lived in a fort on the coast of Ilangapuri (
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207:
90:
61:, the builder and architect of heavenly realm, a Hindu deity.
490:
356:. Bombay: Ramdas Bhatkal, Popular prakasham Pvt Ltd. p. 103.
93:, which is a frequently-found feature of the Indian caste system.
304:
299:
215:
82:
34:
591:
The Modern Anthropology of India: Ethnography, Themes and Theory
25:
community are a social group of India, sometimes described as a
677:. In van den Hoek, A. W.; Kolff, D. H. A.; Oort, M. S. (eds.).
660:"List of Backward Classes approved by Government of Tamil Nadu"
522:"Vijaya Ramaswamy | Jawaharlal Nehru University - Academia.edu"
309:
180:
143:
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Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient
703:"CENTRAL LIST OF OBCs FOR THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH"
547:"CENTRAL LIST OF OBCs FOR THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH"
832:
809:
69:The community claims to be descended from the god
882:
734:
574:Reconfiguring OBC politics in UP - Deccan Herald
508:
496:
484:
380:The Leiden Tradition in Structural Anthropology
618:
589:. In Berger, Peter; Heidemann, Frank (eds.).
717:"Central Government list of OBC - Telangana"
561:"Central Government list of OBC - Telangana"
235:The Tamil Vishwakarmas are locally known as
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377:R.De, Ridder; J.A.J, Karremans (1987).
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210:caste in achieving advancement within
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631:. Scarecrow Press. pp. 107–108.
831:Derrett, John Duncan Martin (1976).
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628:Historical dictionary of the Tamils
104:. These myths were compiled in the
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816:. Delhi: Oxford University Press.
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29:. They prefer the alternate name,
14:
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206:, juxtaposed the success of the
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315:Great Architect of the Universe
269:The Vishwakarma caste of south
202:, who developed the concept of
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277:Andhra Pradesh & Telangana
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769:Prakriti: The Integral Vision
411:Economic and Political Weekly
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57:— claim to be descendants of
33:, and claim themselves to be
7:
681:. BRILL. pp. 442–455.
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225:
10:
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858:Ramaswamy, Vijaya (2008).
625:Ramaswamy, Vijaya (2007).
593:. Routledge. p. 128.
383:. Netherlands: E.J Brill.
261:(sculptor), Vishwa Brahim
136:
862:. In Datta, Rajat (ed.).
735:Vijaya Ramaswamy (2008).
350:Streefkerk, Hein (1985).
222:in some states of India.
189:Indus Valley civilisation
739:. In Rajat Datta (ed.).
453:10.1163/1568520042467154
124:). The fort was made of
474:(subscription required)
866:. Delhi: Aakar Books.
220:Other Backward Classes
808:Brouwer, Jan (1995).
673:Brouwer, Jan (1992).
585:Ikegame, Aya (2013).
509:Vijaya Ramaswamy 2008
497:Vijaya Ramaswamy 2008
485:Vijaya Ramaswamy 2008
322:(Vishwakarma Jayanti)
102:British colonial rule
614:Central List of OBCs
174:Other Backward Class
499:, pp. 287–288.
156:Position in society
112:Vishwakarma Puranam
107:Vishwakarma Puranam
18:Hindu artisan caste
839:. Brill. pp.
149:Vijayanagar Empire
891:Blacksmith castes
850:978-90-04-04475-3
823:978-0-19-563091-6
793:. Leiden: Brill.
750:978-81-89833-36-7
638:978-0-8108-5379-9
417:(45): 4794–4802.
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688:9004094679
644:16 January
531:14 October
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363:0861320670
337:References
295:Bhuee clan
259:Kartatchar
231:Tamil Nadu
51:goldsmiths
39:carpenters
461:0022-4995
271:Karnataka
265:Karnataka
212:Karnataka
166:Telangana
126:lodestone
122:Sri Lanka
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289:See also
283:Vadrangi
238:Kammalar
226:Synonyms
208:Lingayat
91:endogamy
49:smiths,
423:4414253
305:Tarkhan
300:Panchal
255:Tatchar
144:ploughs
137:History
83:Tvastar
35:Brahmin
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247:Kollar
243:Kannar
181:Kerala
117:veerya
87:gotras
47:bronze
843:–46.
465:JSTOR
419:JSTOR
331:Lohar
130:Chola
27:caste
868:ISBN
845:ISBN
818:ISBN
795:ISBN
774:ISBN
745:ISBN
683:ISBN
646:2012
633:ISBN
595:ISBN
533:2020
457:ISSN
385:ISBN
358:ISBN
168:and
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79:Maya
75:Manu
53:and
21:The
449:doi
179:In
160:In
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