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The Rowther (, also known as Irauttar, Rawther, Ravuttar, Ravutta, Ravuthar, Ravuthamar) are a distinct Muslim community living largely in the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. They are a native warrior clan population who converted to Islam under the influence of saints like Nathar Shah in 10th–11th centuries. Even after conversion they retained their Ravuttar caste name. they were one of the earliest Muslim communities in India. They were elite cavalrymen of the Chola dynasty and Pandya dynasty.Torsten Tschacher (2025). 9783860106273, Institut für Indologie und Südasienwissenschaften der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg. ISBN 9783860106273 They were traditionally a martial clan like the , and constitute large part of the multi-ethnic Tamil Muslim community. (1998). 9780195633542, Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195633542 Rowthers have also been found as Tamil , and chieftains from the 16th to 18th centuries.Hiltebeitel, Alf9780226340456, University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226340456 The traditional homelands of the Rowthers were in the interior of Southern Tamilakam.
They have their own distinct culinary traditions which notably include Rowther Biryani., which is made of Jeera Samba rice, and desserts like Dumroot, a cake-like dish made out of semolina. Mutton is the preferred meat for special occasions like wedding events, house warming ceremonies, etc.
Much like other Muslim communities, Drinking culture is non-existent due to Islam's stance regarding consumption of Khamr. As is the consumption of pork and usage of products derived from pigs. Due to following Hanafi rulings, they also might abstain from consuming shellfish like prawns, shrimps, crabs, lobsters, etc.due to them being deemed Makruh in the Hanafi madhab.
The Elderly Men wear solid white Vēṭṭis (unstitched) or solid white Lungi (stitched) for formal occasions. For more informal settings, a colored and patterned (checkered or striped) kayili is worn, usually as Casual wear, regardless of age group and social standings. Religious Clerics or men who might be devout in their beliefs wear a Kurta, often paired with a kayili. For special occasions, men might wear a waistcoat. Men usually get married wearing either a Suit or a Sherwani. They wear a white skullcap as headgear, especially if they are devout. Other headgear include the Turban and the Fez, which aren't worn as frequently as everyday headgear as how the white skullcap might be, usually reserved for special occasions.
Women's traditional attire is the sari, serving as a Wedding dress and for other formal occasions. Elderly women usually wear the sari as an everyday attire, regardless of the occasion. Over the decades, both as formal and informal wear, as is the case with the rest of the Indian subcontinent, the Shalwar kameez has become more prevalent, especially among working women and among the younger generations. The older generations used to wrap around an unstitched and white over-sheet by the name of
Both men and women might dye their hair (and beard, in the case of men) with Henna, in compliance with a Sunnah. Women also apply Henna as Mehndi and for other special occasions. Applying Surma as an eyeliner is another Prophetic tradition, as it is also a local cultural practice, especially more prevalent among women. Men might refrain from wearing silk garments and gold accessories due to a religious dictate of gold and silk being Makruh for men.
The community also celebrates a festival called Chandanakudam every year.
Later, Chola kings too invited Horse traders from the Seljuk Empire who belonged to the Hanafi school. During 8th-10th centuries, an armada of Turkish traders settled in Madurai, Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Tharangambadi, Nagapattinam, Muthupet, Koothanallur and Podakkudi.
These new settlements were now added to the Rowther community. There are some Anatolian and Safavid Iran inscriptions found in a wide area from Thanjavur to Thiruvarur and in many villages. These inscriptions are seized by the Madras Museum. Some Turkish inscriptions were also stolen from the Big Mosque of Koothanallur in 1850.
There are two factions of Rowthers in Tamil Nadu, Tamils cavalry warriors covers majority of Tamil Nadu while Seljuk Turkic clan remains in Chola Nadu and some Pandya Nadu districts and Kerala. Both now Tamil and Turkish Hanafi expanded with population and some circumstantial evidence in historical sources that the Rowthers are related to Vellalar converts.Tschacher, Torsten (2025). 9783860106273, Institut für Indologie und Südasienwissenschaften der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg. ISBN 9783860106273 Rowthers worked in the administration of the Vijayanagar Nayaks. (2025). 9788183794688, Palaniappa Brothers. ISBN 9788183794688
| English | Rowther's Tamil/Malayalam |
| Father | Aththaa or Atthaa/ Vappichi |
| Mother | Amma/ Buva |
| Elder Brother | Annan |
| Younger Brother | Thambi |
| Elder Sister | Akka |
| Younger Sister | Thangai/ Thangachi |
| Paternal Grandfather | Atthatha/Ayya/Appa/Radha |
| Paternal Grandmother | Aththamma/Radhima or Thathima |
| Maternal Grandfather | Ayya/Appa or Ammatha/Nanna |
| Maternal Grandmother | Mooma/Ammama/Nannimma |
| Father's Elder Brother/ Husband of Mother's Elder Sister | Periyatha or Periyavaapa |
| Mother's Elder Sister / Wife of Father's Elder Brother | Periyamma or Periyabuva |
| Father's Younger Brother | Chaacha/Chinnaththa |
| Mother's Younger Sister | Khalamma/Chinnamma/Chiththi |
| Maternal Uncle | Mama |
| Maternal Aunt | Maami |
| Cousins | Machan & Machi |
| Elder Brother's Wife | Madhini/Machi |
Their adherence to the Hanafi school
Being Hanafi adherents, Rowthers tend to subscribe to the Deobandi movement, which is a reformist movement that arose during the 19th century in North India. The aim of this movement is to eradicate religious innovations and other practices that the movement might deem 'heretical' or 'deviant', all of which might have crept within the subcontinent's Muslims and their practices over the centuries.
In contrast, they can also be part of the Barelvi movement ( Sunnat Jamaath), which also began in North India during the late 19th century. The Barelvi movement emphasise more on retaining the centuries of religious traditions and practices, and encourages visiting the resting place () of Awliyas and seeking Tawassul.
The major festivals celebrated are Puthandu, Pongal, Eid al-Fitr, Chandanakudam, and Eid al-Adha.
This shows the religious harmony of Rowthers and Shaivism in early Tamilakam till now.
There were Tamil Rowthers working in the administration of the Vijayanagara Empire in the Khurram Kunda. The inscription details the dedication of the land by the Rowther to a Kartikeya temple in Cheyyur. Muththaal Ravuttar (meaning Muslim Rowther is a Prakrit derivation from raja-putra) figures as Tamil male deities who protect Tamil land.
The community gives importance to education. Due to Globalization and the 1991 Economic Reforms, a lot of societal and cultural shifts have taken place. The aftermath has resulted in women being more active participants of the workforce and an increase in their participation in higher education and academia. Grants and scholarships have been established by numerous Muslim minority institutions to make education easier for women to seek and access. Thus, women today, are encouraged and emphasised to pursue and excel in secular education as much as it might be encouraged for them to excel in religious education.
Due to easier and better access to religious resources and more religious awareness, the community has also gradually begun to allow women to pray in Mosque, particularly during the occasions of Friday prayer and Eid prayers, and make them more active participants in masjid activities (hosting seminars, workshops, and classes). Historically, in the Indian subcontinent, due to societal and cultural reasons, more so than any religious mandate, women were discouraged to attend, pray, and participate in masjids.
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