Greetings. My name is Siva.
I am a native of Rayagiri, Tirunelveli district (Tamil Nadu).
I am preparing for my civil service exams currently.
I was introduced to the Chippiparai dogs by my uncle.
You could call it fervent passion than interest.
When it comes to the subject of native dogs, -
- that is how their patrons are.
They possess an extraordinary level of interest .
This is also dependent on where and whom you learn from (about these dogs).
I got an opportunity in the same manner as well (from my uncle).
This breed piqued my interest some 10-15 years ago.
I began asking my uncle, and since he had immense interest as well, -
- he readily started sharing his knowledge.
Now, if one were to learn about a breed, it is always better to learn the history, -
- the origin of it.
The basic outline of its roots if you will.
So let us delve into that now.
At the time of my new found interest, -
- I tried to learn its history.
And what my guru, and his guru said was, -
that long ago, these dogs had been bought in from overseas, -
- and that they were used here for hunting.
This is what I was generally informed.
When I started asking people, to verify this, -
- about 80% of them said the same.
Whether it was, Mr. Assaithambi (my guru's guru), my uncle Mr. Annamalai, -
- and Mr. Gurusamy Thevar of Rajapalayam, -
- they all repeated the same account.
The search for a valid source however continued, -
- and led me to find appropriate historical records.
It was from the history books, that I learnt that, -
- these hounds had come from the Vijaynagar kingdom.
This piece of information is mentioned in the text: -
'Alexander's East India': Colonial Magazine Vol.10, 1835. This book, -
- specifically mentions who had brought in these dogs, the community they belonged to, -
and the language that they spoke.
Now, let us consider historical proof as one sector.
And the personal accounts that I have heard, as the other sector.
Let us split them into these two now.
Our dogs (Chippiparai/Kanni) had come in from two bases.
The first base was the rise of the Vijaynagar kingdom.
When it spread and moved down south, around the 14th-15th centuries, -
and the dogs that accompanied them.
This was the first segment.
The second segment is comprised of the dogs that the Oothumalai Zamin imported.
Let us look at the first segment now.
If we look at the prominent and wealthy persons in this area, -
- there are but a handful of them.
The most notable of which is Mr. Sangupatti Nadar.
When I approached him with this question, -
- he informed that the had procured a dog from Mr. Kaikuttam Marisamy Nayakar, -
some 60 years ago.
If we look at who he is, -
- he is the realtive of Panchalankuruchi Zamin, Mr. Kattabomman.
If we look at the historic text from that period, -
- mentions of 'Poligar Hounds' can be found.
These are actually Poligar's hounds and not 'Poligar' Hounds
These were the hounds kept by the Poligars.
If we look at who they were, they were military chieftains.
Telugu-speaking military chieftains.
Most of them were Nayaks from Vijaynagar.
These Nayakkars were responsible for introducing the dogs here.
These hounds were in the exclusive possession of these 1st base people.
After which, many dogs were gradually brought down here in (south), -
- and many were entrusted to the Zamins and nobles here
Namely Zamins of Ettayapuram, -
Panchalankuruchi, -
Arasakkanayaganur, -
Saptur, -
Santhaiyur, -
and Devaram etc, were given dogs to keep.
So this was the first base.
The lines of these dogs continued to be developed, in the hands of these few individuals, -
- and with the people who held allegiance with them.
To authenticate this information, we have here a photo of Santhaiyur Zamin.
You can see here, a hound at their feet, which is neither Chippiparai or Kanni.
But it is actually a Rampur Greyhound.
This is also the same Poligar's hound brought in by the Poligars.
These were the first dogs that came to Tamil Nadu from outside.
If we look at what the next base is, -
In the 1940s, -
- the Zamindar of Oothumalai, -
- had imported 3 pairs of Greyhounds.
To help you understand the price range of these three pairs, -
- in the 1880s, the cost of a trained greyhound was Rs.400/-
Whereas, in the 1920s, the rate of a gram of gold was just Rs.7/-
Now a gram of gold stands at Rs. 3,000/gram.
I am saying this, to help you comprehend the money value at that time.
Until now, I have not found anybody having honoured, -
the Zamin of Oothumalai.
Another reason for this, is because he did not get any recognition or even a mention, -
- as the king who popularized the Rampur hound, -
- or the king who helped popularize the Mudhol hound.
As far as I know, this is the first time, his photo is being shown.
The Zamindar of Oothumalai, Mr. N.H.M Pandian.
I learnt that the dogs that were imported, belonged to him.
I got his family's contact information, with the help of Mr. Ramesh.
From the Zamin's Facebook page, he helped me to get in touch, -
with the Zamin's descendant, his grandson, Mr. Durai from Alvarkuruchi.
I contacted him, and confirmed the arrival of the 3 pairs of Greyhounds.
So, the 3 pairs did indeed come in.
The proof that, -
- is a manual that was part of the purchase.
Like a user manual we receive with electrical devices these days.
This, is that manual.
If you look closely, you can see the Zamindar's signature here.
Signed by him personally in 1950.
His personal stamp seal is also affixed.
In the next page, his wife's signature can also be noted.
Their family had preserved this book for the last 80 years.
The last 30 of which, it was left in the safekeeping of a professor.
Named Dr. S. Ponnusamy, he had taught in Alwarkuruchi.
It was from him, that I received this book.
Mr. Durai (the Zamin's grandson), was very helpful in getting me this book.
When asked about the three pairs, -
- I was told that these dogs, later were, -
- distributed among their close circle of associates.
They were given away to people in the following places;
Karuvandhaadhi, Kizhakilangal,
Meylakilangal,
Kurundamozhi,
Kurumalai,
and up until Kazhugumalai.
If you have noticed, they (the Zamins here), -
- had not called the dogs as either Chippiparai or Kanni.
Instead, they may have mostly referred to them as either Greyhound or Kurundamozhi Naai.
Because Kurundamozhi was the name of their place.
In Tamil Nadu, the tradition has been to, -
- give the name of the place, where a dog is bred, -
- as the name of the breed itself.
Since many of these hounds were bred in Kurundamozhi, -
the name commonly given to them then became Kurundamozhi Naai.
We can trace the the extent up to which these dogs were distributed, -
- which is, up to Kurumalai.
This was in the 70s.
If you have read Mr. Theordore Baskaran's 'The Book of Indian Dogs', -
- where he had mentioned witnessing a breed named Kurumalai in the 70s.
In fact, Kurumalai is not the name of the breed, but that of the Greyhounds bred there
So, the dogs from the first base were limited to the nobles, -
- but it was the dogs from the second base that reached the common man.
Mr. N.H.M. Pandian is to be credited for the dogs reaching the hands of commoners.
These dogs went to the Zamin's neighbours in Rukmaniapuram, -
- and many other places.
It was these dogs that were bred and developed.
After the 70s, a common link can be observed.
The Zamins then had this tradition, where the Zamings of neighbouring provinces,
- would convene.
And as a result of this, -
- the dogs that were brought from the Vijaynagar, kept by the Nayak Zamins, -
- and these dogs (Greyhounds), were exchanged with each other over a period of time.
I was able to ascertain this, -
- in a place, nearly 3 kms from Chippiparai village named Alamelumangapuram.
There, this exchange was confirmed by Mr. Thavittusaamy Nayakar.
I personally enquired from him.
He is now nearly 80 years old, and his elder brother, -
- Mr. Chakkaiya Nayakar who is about the same age,
- both attested to the fact that the dogs, -
- were exchanged between the two groups in the 70s.
So, all the dogs of this breed (Chippiparai/Kanni), at present, -
- are a combination of all those dogs.
But instead of calling it a mix, it can be better viewed that, -
- this contributed in breed evolution.
The dogs found now, are completely our dogs (Indian), -
- of which we can claim sole exclusivity.
This is a breed, that we created for our own standards, -
- and whose quality we have maintained based on our requirements.
Even in the research that was conducted recently, -
- Greyhounds and Chippiparai have both qualified as universal blood donors.
This is indicative of the similarity.
Even if we still insist that, the dogs of this breed ought to have a slender tail, -
- thick-tailed specimens still appear.
I have mentioned the same in my article. (Link in description)
This is the reason that I have not stressed the standards in my article.
Because people's various requirements, correspond to different standards.
Some people only require bulky dogs.
And some require dogs with muscular loins, -
- while other require only dogs with narrow loins.
So when these two lines of dogs merged, -
- when we expect the snout to be long and narrow, -
- we also tend to expect a tail that is slender, thereby directly proportionate.
So what we have now with us, -
- is a constructive breed, that is unique, -
- and well adapted to our lands.
In this photo, you can see the Oothumalai Zamin here.
In this corner here is a sighthound-looking dog.
This, was one of the Greyhounds, I was told.
The people in the photo were the Zamin's hunting companions.
The dog was also reportedly employed in hunts by these people.
The last place that these dogs were given to, -
- was to an individual named Mr. Singha Reddiar.
After which, many of these dogs were raised by the Reddiar community.
When I looked at where Mr. Singha Reddiar's dogs went, -
they in turn, went and merged with the people from the first base.
Now, if we examine the origin of the breed name Chippiparai, -
- as I had mentioned earlier, -
- the people of the first base, the Nayakkars/Poligars, settled in the villages, -
- around Chippiparai village.
And during that time, the village had, -
- a native livestock guardian dog breed known by the same name.
That breed is now almost extinct.
But since the name was familiar, the Kambalathu Nayakkars around that region, -
- who bred the hunting dogs from base 1, began calling these hounds as Chippiparai.
Even if the original Chippiparai has now almost entirely vanished, -
- all the sighthounds in the region, have come to be known by the name 'Chippiparai'.
* Check back for Parts 2 and 3 of this video series*
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét