Muthuraja (also known as Mutharaiyar) is a Tamil and Telugu speaking community found in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Etymology
The etymology of the community name is unclear. The names Muthuraja and Muthuraiyar may be derived from two words, the Tamil name muthu meaning "pearl" and raja or raiyar both meaning "king". Muttaraiyar may also be derived from mundru meaning "three" and tharai meaning "earth".
Titles
Their title Ambalakkarar is derived from the Tamil word ambalam meaning panchayat or "village council", as they served as the heads of these councils.
Demographics
The Tamil Speaking Muthuraja are densely distributed in the Tiruchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Karur, Madurai, Dindigul, Perambalur and Sivagangai districts of Tamil Nadu.
The Telugu speaking Muthuraja Naidu comparatively fewer in number are mostly distributed in the Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Viluppuram and Cuddalore districts of northern Tamil Nadu.