Ayar

Ayar was a ethnic group of Konar of India. The word Ayar is derived from the Dravidian word "A" meaning cow. They were possibly related to the people mentioned as the yadava in puranic history., In the early sangam literature the ayars are described as having occupied the mullai or forest region. They are also known as kon, konar and idaiyar. In the Tamil land they were also called as Pothuvar or Commons (from the Dravidian word podhu meaning common) apparently because they possosed friendship to the nagas and Tamil alike. Originally they appear to have had their own petty kings, in the Chola country, but Karikal- Chola os said to have exterminated their line of kings. The Ayar in the Pandyan domminion had a tradation that they came into the Tamil land, along with the founder of Pandyan family.

Dr. V. Manickam in his path-breaking work Kongu Nadu gives an expanded version of his doctoral thesis submitted to the university of Madras as follows, "It was noted that the pastoral people (Ayar) of the mullai land in Kongu formed the major component of the velir clan. However, We come across references to Idaiyar of Kiranur, alias Kolumam Konda Cholanallur (SII : 5:283), Kon from the same place (SII : 5: 265,267,269), and Yatavar in two epigraphs from Chevur (Eye Copy 94,98). Further, there are also references to Tiruvayappadi nattar, which indicate the supra-local activities of the herdsmen discussed in chapter 15. The presence of the herdsmen, with the titles as found in the macro region, may be explained as survivors of the pastoral people of the pre-chola period who were reluctant to integrate themselves in the new setup or new additions.