Affinity Bloc: South Asian Peoples

Overview: The Vanniyan claim to be descendants of the fire races (agnikula) and the name derives from the Sanskrit word meaning fire. Vanniyan communities are distributed in the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and the union territory of Pondicherry. Agriculture is their traditional occupation.

  -- K. S. Singh, People of India, Volume VI. India's Communities N-Z. Delhi: Oxford University Press (1998), pp. 3599-3603

Peoples within this cluster: Vanniyan

Countries where they are found: India