[7] The term "Mudali" (or "Mudaliar") is an honorific historically associated with the Vellalars, a group of agrarian communities, particularly in the Tondaimandalam region.
Sengunthars, traditionally held a prominent place as skilled weavers and textile merchants in the Tamil region and served as soldiers and commanders in Chola Empire .
[11]During the rule of Imperial Cholas, the Sengunthars were warriors and were given the title "Sengunda-Mudali", indicating an evolution in their social status within Tondaimandalam society.
An early Tamil tradition states that a king known as Ādonda Chakravarthi, a feudatory of Karikala Chola brought a large number of agriculturists (now known as the Tuluva Vellalas) from the Tulu areas in order to reclaim forest lands for cultivation in Thondaimandalam during late 2nd century CE.
[23] Senguntha Kaikola Mudaliar is a caste commonly found in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and the neighboring country Sri Lanka.
[28] A Dutch minister of the 17th century, Philippus Baldaeus, described the Karaiyars, Madapallis and Vellalars among the influential classes of the Christians.
[30][31][32] For centuries have the Karaiyars had sea-trade relations with India but also Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam Malaysia and Indonesia, which has been heavily restricted since British rule.