The Rowther (anglicised as Irauttar, Rawther, Ravuttar,Ravutta, Ravuthar, Ravuthamar) are a distinct Muslim community living largely in the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.[1] They are descent from the Turkic people who came to settle in chola kingdom for horse trade and cavalry and majorly people who converted to Islam by preacher Nathar Shah in the 10th to 11th century.[2][3][4] Even after conversion they retained their Ravuttar caste name. They were elite cavalrymen of the Chola and Pandya kingdoms.[5] They were traditionally a martial clan like the Maravars,[6] and constitute large part of the multi-ethnic Tamil Muslim community.[7] Rowthers have also been found as Tamil polygars, zamindars and chieftains from the 16th to 18th centuries.[8] The traditional homelands of the Rowthers were in the interior of Southern Tamilakam.[9][10][11][12][13][14]
^More, J. B. Prashant (1997). The political evolution of Muslims in Tamilnadu and Madras, 1930–1947. Hyderabad, India: Orient Longman. pp. 21–22. ISBN81-250-1011-4. OCLC37770527.
^Tschacher, Torsten (2001). Islam in Tamilnadu : varia. Halle (Saale): Institut für Indologie und Südasienwissenschaften der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg. pp. 94, 95. ISBN3-86010-627-9. OCLC50208020.
^Hiltebeitel, Alf (1988). The cult of Draupadī. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 13. ISBN0-226-34045-7. OCLC16833684.
^Singh, K. S., ed. (1998). People of India: India's communities. New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press. pp. 3001–3002. ISBN0-19-563354-7. OCLC40849565.
^Hiltebeitel, Alf (1988–1991). The cult of Draupadī. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 13–14, 102. ISBN0-226-34045-7. OCLC16833684.