Tulu people

Tulu people, ethnolinguistic group native to the southwestern coastal region of India called Tulu Nadu. This region encompasses parts of the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka and parts of the Kasaragod district in northern Keralam. The Tulu people, also known as Tuluva, speak the Tulu language and have distinct cultural traditions, including unique religious customs and performing arts.

Geographic distribution

The Tulu people are native to Tulu Nadu and are concentrated in the coastal areas of southern Karnataka and northern Keralam. Many Tulu-speaking communities are also found in major Indian cities, including Bengaluru and Mumbai.

The Tulu people have also migrated to several countries over the years, and their diaspora constitutes a large portion of their population. A significant overseas population lives in Gulf Arab states such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Others live in Europe and North America.

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History

Some of the earliest mentions of the Tulu people and Tulu Nadu can be found in Sangam literature, a body of early Tamil writings dating from about the 1st to the 4th century ce. There is also evidence that the region had maritime contacts with the Mediterranean world. For instance, Greco-Egyptian geographer Ptolemy mentioned the word Olokhoira in his works, which some scholars believe is a reference to the region and the Alupa dynasty (2nd–15th century ce), one of the longest-reigning dynasties of Tulu Nadu. Historically, Tulu Nadu comprised the regions of Haiva and Tuluva. During the medieval period, parts of the region also came under the Ballal chiefs of Sullia.

The Vijayanagara empire (14th–17th century ce) had deep roots in Tulu culture. Krishnadevaraya, its most celebrated ruler, was part of the Tuluva dynasty (the third dynasty of the Vijayanagara empire). Afterward, Tulu Nadu came under the control of multiple rulers and empires, including the kingdom of Mysore under Hyder Ali and, later, Tipu Sultan; following Tipu Sultan’s defeat in 1799, the region was controlled by the British Empire.

Tulu Nadu formed part of the Madras Presidency under British administration and later part of the Madras state after India gained independence in 1947. In 1956, following the enactment of the States Reorganisation Act (1956), the region was divided between Mysore state (renamed Karnataka in 1973) and Kerala (renamed Keralam in 2026)..

Sections of the Tulu community have advocated for the creation of a separate Tulu Nadu state. However, such proposals have not yet received approval from the Government of India. Tulu organizations have also campaigned for adding Tulu to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India, a move that would grant the language constitutional recognition.

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Language

The Tulu language is one of the Dravidian languages, a family that includes Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu. Spoken by an estimated two million to three million people, Tulu was traditionally written in the ancient Tigalari script. Today the language is more commonly written in the Kannada script. Much of Tulu literature and folklore has been preserved through oral tradition, especially epic ballads called paddanas. Tulu is taught in educational institutions in Karnataka, and various organizations continue to advocate for its preservation and inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

Society and culture

Tulu society is organized into several castes and communities, including Billavas, Shivalli Brahmins, Bunts, and Mogaveeras. Several Tulu communities traditionally practiced a system of inheritance called Aliyasantana, a matrilineal system under which inheritance passed through the female line. While most Tulu people are Hindus, there are many Christian, Jain, and Muslim communities. Many Tulu religious practices are rooted in indigenous rituals such as Naga Aradhane (Tulu: “serpent worship”) and Daiva Aradhane, also known as Bhuta Kola (Tulu: “spirit worship”). Bhuta nritya, or spirit dance, is a popular mode of devotional worship.

Yakshagana, a dance-drama of southern India associated with Karnataka, is a popular performing art among the Tulu people. Kambala, a traditional buffalo race held in flooded paddy fields, is another distinctive cultural tradition of Tulu Nadu.