an ▁literally ▁means ▁the ▁holder ▁of ▁document ▁of ▁R aja ▁( Th ar ak an ▁: ▁Common ▁letter ▁or ▁document ▁of ▁R aja , ▁G undert ' s ▁dictionary ). ▁They ▁are ▁so ▁called ▁because ▁they ▁were ▁the ▁recip ients ▁of ▁' Th ar aku ' ▁or ▁writ ▁of ▁social ▁privile ge ▁issued ▁to ▁them ▁by ▁the ▁r uling ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁Zam or ins ▁of ▁Cal icut . ▁ ▁Th ar ak an ▁is ▁an ▁honor ific ▁title ▁possessed ▁by ▁ancient ▁trad ers . ▁The ▁word ▁is ▁root ed ▁from ▁T amil ▁word ▁Th ar aku / Th ar av u - which ▁means ▁bro k ering ▁or ▁commission . ▁The ▁word ▁is ▁also ▁linked ▁with ▁placing ▁an ▁order , ▁tax ▁or ▁tar iff ▁and ▁comm od ity ▁trade . ▁Sometimes ▁the ▁word ▁is ▁also ▁related ▁to ▁l ending ▁money . ▁In ▁T amil ▁to ▁denote ▁a ▁bro ker , ▁people ▁use ▁Th ar ak ar ▁or ▁Th ar agar . ▁So ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁assumed ▁that ▁a ▁th ar ak an ▁is ▁the ▁one ▁who ▁inter medi ates ▁between ▁manufact urer ▁and ▁bu yer . ▁ ▁Goth ram ▁Th ar ak ans ▁belong ▁to ▁K sh atri ya ▁group ▁and ▁are ▁Sa iv ites . ▁Th ar ak an ▁trace ▁their ▁origin ▁from ▁Ch ola ▁mand al am ▁and ▁claims ▁that ▁they ▁belong ▁to ▁K ann aki ’ s ▁community ▁( h ero ine ▁of ▁T amil ▁ep ic ▁Ch il app ath ik aram ). ▁Mann adi yar , ▁Gu