KURUMBAR or Kurubar. CAN. A shepherd, from Kuru, a sheep ; a shepherd race who occupy the elevated plateau in the centre of the Peninsula of India. They are an ancient people, the earliest known occupants of Dravida Desam, the modern Carnatic, and Coromandel. They seem to have established numerous petty principalities over the whole Peninsula, which were ultimately absorbed in the Chola empire. Numeross sites attributed to this race, and still called Kurumbar Kot, are to be met with. Small communities of the Kurumbar tribe to this day wander with their flocks, and occupy the less accessible hills and forests of many parts of the Peninsula.
Arcot town, about G5 miles W. from Madras, takes its name from two Tamil words, Arakada, the jungle on the river Paler. It is the Arkatou Basileon, of the Greeks, and the capital of the nomado Sorai (Zrpar), and once formed the centre of the Chola kingdom, tho whole of the neigh bouring territory for several centuries after the Christian era having been occupied by wan dering Kuriunbar.
On the Neilgherry Hills, above the Irular, at heights varying from 1000 to 2000 feet, in the clefts of the mountains and little openings in the woods, with which at this elevation they are girt, live a race calling themselves Kurumbar. They occupy the highest range bordering on the Neil gherrics. The Toda do not consider the Irular :LS forming a part of the inhabitants of the hills, but they allow this designation to the Kurumbar, whom they call Curb, and from them they receive certain services.
The Kurumbar of the Wynad forests have two sections,—the Jani and the Mulli ; and Gurchea, Panniar, and Puliar races live along with them. The Jani Kurumbar live entirely in the forest ; they are the only axe-men, and without them it would be difficult to work a forest, and the wood contractor and planter alike employ them. They
are very docile, quick of imitation, and slavishly submissive to their Mudali or headman. This individual, like a patriarch of old, exercises undis puted power over his own family, numerically containing about twenty or thirty beings. Those employed by the coffee planters are a little civilised, appreciating the comforts of life in a slight degree higher than their more savage brethren. They erect rude huts for the habitation of themselves and Mr. Campbell (p. 31) described the Kurumbar, Irular, Puliar, and Yoder as in the lowest stage of life, mere men of the woods, of very diminutive stature, with thickly - matted locks and supple limbs, living under trees, in caverns, or in the rudest wigwams, keeping sheep or collecting forest produce, very stupid, but also very mild and inoffensive, though reputed as sorcerers and believers in demons. But such a character is only applicable to the secluded families who have been forced into the forests and mountains. The Kurumbar who herd their vast flocks from the Godavery to Cape Comorin, are tall, slender, graceful men, with skins blackened by their food and the great heat ; and, travelling over all the swelling lands of the interior, these self-reliant men are to be seen engaged in their lonely avoca tion. They wear only a coarse blanket or kamli. They appear to be a wholly different race from the Idayan or pastoral branch of the Tamil speaking people, who take the honorific appellation of Pillay or son, to distinguish them from the Vallalar, who are styled Mudali or first man. The nomade shepherd is called Kurtunbar-Idaan.— 1Vilson's Gloss.; Gape. Harkness, Neilgherry hills; Mr. G. Campbell; Rennell's Memoir, part xxi. pp. 265-328.