Chekavar

Last updated

Chekavar (Also known as Chekon or Chevakar, Cekavar) were the warriors belonging to Hindu Thiyya community in Malabar of Kerala. [1] [2] [3] Many Thiyya families today trace their roots to this Chekavar lineage. [4]

Contents

Warrior role

Exceptionally talented Thiyya practitioners of Kalaripayattu were known as title chekavar or chekon, and each local ruler had his own militia of chekons. The chekons were lined up for combats and duels, representing the rulers in disputes. In short, they were warriors who fought and died for the empire in wars, protecting the country and it's people's life. Chekavar formed the army of the Chera Empire.Some of the Chekavar families migrated from Malabar to Southern parts of Kerala at the invitation of kings, to train soldiers and lead war. [5] [6]

Some of these heroes are remembered and worshipped even today through folk songs like Vadakkan Pattukal; for example, the 19th century Kuroolli Chekon who fought against the British is remembered through folk songs while the Sangam age hero Akathooty Chekavar, Commander-in-chief of the Chera army, was adopted into Theyyam forms and is worshipped as a war deity today. [7] [8]

Etymology

Chekavar is derived from the Sanskrit words Sevakar, Sevakan or Sevaka, which mean soldiers in service or soldiers in royal service. [9] [10]

Origin

Hero stones found in Kerala depict Chekavar engaged in combat, often on behalf of a lord. On the stones, Chekavar are generally depicted by an image of an armed man along with a Shiva Linga.[ citation needed ]

History

The Malabar chekavars was a warriors. [11] [12] that inhabited present day Malabar and Tulu Nadu. [13] They had their own style of martial arts, although it was influenced by the martial arts of the Chera Empire. [14] [15]

Jacob Canter Visscher's Letters from Malabar says: 'They may be justly entitled soldiers, as by virtue of their descent they must always bear arms. In spite of the fact that Thiyyas were also practitioners of payatt and had a unavoidable presence in the militia of the ruler, they were allowed in the military services.' [5]

Hendrik van Rheede, governor of Dutch Malabar between 1669 and 1676, wrote about Chekavar in Hortus Malabaricus : "[Chekavas] are bound to war and arms. The Chekavars usually serve to teach nayros (nair) in the fencing in kalari school". [16]

According to Indudara Menon, "The songs of the Vatakkan pattu (northern ballads) are about a clan of martial Chekavars who were Thiyyas and masters of the martial arts". [17] According to David Levinson, "The Chekavar families played an important role in the practice of Kalaripayattu in the Malabar District". [18]

According to historian A. Sreedhara Menon:

Northern songs are represented in Malabar where the Unniyarcha and Aromal Chekavars of the Puthuram Veettil house are an important Thiyyar family known for their martial arts. The area of their activities comprised the medieval principalities of Kolathunad, Kadathanad and Kottayam. [2]

Notable people

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalaripayattu</span> Indian martial art from Kerala

Kalaripayattu is an Indian martial art that originated in Kerala, a state on the southwestern coast of India during the 11th–12th century CE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kodungallur</span> Municipality in Kerala, India

Kodungallur is a historically significant town situated on the banks of river Periyar on the Malabar Coast in Thrissur district of Kerala, India. It is 29 kilometres (18 mi) north of Kochi (Cochin) by National Highway 66 and 38 km (24 mi) from Thrissur. Kodungallur, being a port city at the northern end of the Kerala lagoons, was a strategic entry point for the naval fleets to the extensive Kerala backwaters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theyyam</span> Ritual form of worship from Kerala, India

Theyyam is a Hindu religious ritual practiced in northern Kerala and some parts of Karnataka. Theyyam is also known as Kaḷiyāṭṭaṁ or Tiṟa. Theyyam consists of traditions, rituals and customs associated with temples and sacred groves of Malabar. The people of the region consider Theyyam itself as a channel to a god and they thus seek blessings from Theyyam.

Venad was a medieval kingdom lying between the Western Ghat mountains and the Arabian Sea on the south-western tip of India with its headquarters at the port city of Kollam (Quilon). It was one of the major principalities of Kerala, along with kingdoms of Kannur (Kolathunadu), Kozhikode (Nediyiruppu), and Kochi (Perumpadappu) in medieval and early modern period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malabar District</span> Administrative district of Bombay and later Madras from 1792 to 1956

Malabar District, also known as Malayalam District, was an administrative district on the southwestern Malabar Coast of Bombay Presidency (1792–1800), Madras Presidency (1800–1937), Madras Province (1937–1950) and finally, Madras State (1950–1956) in India. It was the most populous and the third-largest district in the erstwhile Madras State. The historic town of Calicut was the admisnitrative headquarters of this district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Kerala</span>

The term Keralam was first epigraphically recorded as Cheras (Keralaputra) in a 3rd-century BCE rock inscription by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka of Magadha. It was mentioned as one of four independent kingdoms in southern India during Ashoka's time, the others being the Cholas, Pandyas and Satyaputras. The Cheras transformed Keralam into an international trade centre by establishing trade relations across the Arabian Sea with all major Mediterranean and Red Sea ports as well those of Eastern Africa and the Far East. The dominion of Cheras was located in one of the key routes of the ancient Indian Ocean trade. The early Cheras collapsed after repeated attacks from the neighboring Cholas and Rashtrakutas.

<i>Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha</i> 1989 Indian Malayalam film by Hariharan

Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language epic historical drama film directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Balan K. Nair, Captain Raju and Madhavi. The film won four National Film Awards (1989) including Best Actor (Mammootty), Best Screenplay, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design and eight Kerala State Film Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mushika dynasty</span> Malayalam dynasty

Mushika dynasty, also spelled Mushaka, was a minor dynastic power that held sway over the region in and around Mount Ezhi (Ezhimala) in present-day North Malabar, Kerala, India. The country of the Mushikas, ruled by an ancient lineage of the Hehaya clan of the same name, appears in early historic (pre-Pallava) south India and it is believed that Mushika dynasty has their descents from Heheya Kingdom. Early Tamil poems contain several references to the exploits of Nannan of Ezhimalai. Nannan was known as a great enemy of the pre-Pallava Chera chieftains. The clan also had matrimonial alliances with the Chera, Pandya and Chola chieftains. The Kolathunadu (Kannur) Kingdom, which was the descendant of Mushika dynasty, at the peak of its power, reportedly extended from Netravati River (Mangalore) in the north to Korapuzha (Kozhikode) in the south with Arabian Sea on the west and Kodagu hills on the eastern boundary, also including the isolated islands of Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea.

Panicker was an honorary title conferred by the King of Travancore in Kerala to distinguished Hindu individuals. This title was given to prominent Nair, Syriac Orthodox Christians, Kaniyars and Ezhavas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ezhava</span> Hindu community of Kerala, India

The Ezhavas, also known as Thiyya or Tiyyar in the Malabar region, are a community with origins in the region of India presently known as Kerala, where in the 2010s they constituted about 23% of the population and were reported to be the largest Hindu community. The Malabar Ezhava group has claimed a higher rank in the Hindu caste system than the other Ezhava groups but was considered to be of a similar rank by colonial and subsequent administrations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unniyarcha</span> Indian warrior and heroine

Unniyarcha (ഉണ്ണിയാർച്ച) is a legendary warrior and heroine from the 16th century, mentioned in the Vadakkan Pattukal, a set of historical ballads from northern Kerala, a state in southwestern India. She was a member of a Thiyyar community family called Puthooram Veed in Kadathanad. Her father's name was Kannappa Chekavar. She is believed to have lived in the northern part of Kerala during the 16th century. She is a popular character in Kerala's folklore and is remembered for her valour and skills in Kerala's native martial art, Kalaripayattu. According to legend, Unniyarcha was mostly known for her deadly skill with the whip-like urumi, a unique type of sword that originates from Kerala. Like most traditional Kalaripayattu practitioners, she began training at the kalari at the age of seven.

Vadakkan Pattukal are a collection of Malayalam ballads from the medieval period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Itty Achudan</span>

Itty Achudan , was an Indian Herbalist, Botanist and Physician. He belonged to an Ezhava family in Kerala who practised pre-Ayurvedic systems of traditional medicine. The Kollatt family are natives of Kadakkarappally, a coastal village, north-west of Cherthala town, in Kerala, South India. Itty Achudan was the most remarkable Indian figure associated with Hortus Malabaricus, the botanical treatise on the medicinal properties of flora in Malabar, in the 17th-century. It was compiled by the Dutch Governor of Malabar, Hendrik van Rheede, and Itty Achudan was Van Rheede's key informant who disclosed the pre-Ayurvedic traditional knowledge about the plants of Malabar to him. Hortus Malabaricus was published posthumously in Amsterdam between 1678 and 1693. The preface to Hortus Malabaricus includes a mentioning about Itty Achudan and a testimony revealing his contribution in his own hand writing. Itty Achudan was introduced to Van Rheede by Veera Kerala Varma, the then ruler of the erstwhile state of Kochi.

Kalari Panicker / Kalari Kurup is an ethnic group belonging to the Hindu religion, who live in the Malabar and central parts of the Indian state of Kerala. They were known as the masters of Kalari tradition, having their Nalpatheeradi Kalari. They are the people who propagated and practiced Kalaripayattu, the martial art form of Kerala. The National Commission of Backward Classes lists Kalari Kurup or Kalari Panicker under the list of OBCs.

Aromal Chekavar, also known as Puthooram Veettil Aromal Chekavar, was a warrior who is believed to have lived during the 16th century in the North Malabar region of present-day Kerala, India. He was a warrior from a Thiyyar community and a paramount chief of the Puthooram family. His sister, Unniyarcha, was also a skilled warrior.

<i>Veeram</i> (2016 film) Indian historical drama film by Jayaraj

Veeram (transl. Valour) is a 2016 Indian historical drama film written and directed by Jayaraj. It is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, and is the fifth installment in Jayaraj's Navarasa series. The film, which also takes inspirations from the Vadakkan Pattukal of North Malabar region in Kerala tells the story of Chandu Chekavar, an infamous warrior in the 13th century North Malabar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathivanoor Veeran</span> Hindu god

Kathivanoor Veeran is a deity worshiped in North Malabar region in Kerala, India. The word 'Veeran' in Malayalam means 'Hero' in English. According to the myths, the Kathivanoor Veeran is apotheosis of Thiyya warrior Mandappan Chekavar. Mandappan's life and his transformation into god are still active in the folklore of Kolathunadu region, and is practiced as theyyam in various temples in present-day Kannur and Kasaragod districts. Kathivanoor Veeran Theyyam is one of the most popular Theyyams in North Malabar. Women of North Malabar region worship Kathivanoor Veeran to get a healthy husband.

References

  1. ↑ P., Girija, K (2021). Mapping the History of Ayurveda : Culture, Hegemony and the Rhetoric of Diversity. ISBN   978-1-000-48139-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 Menon, A. Sreedhara (4 March 2011). Kerala History and its Makers. D C Books. pp. 82–86. ISBN   978-81-264-3782-5 . Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  3. ↑ Kurup, K. K. N. (1985). "History of the Tellicherry Factory, 1683-1794".
  4. ↑ Ullekh.N.p (2018). Kannur:inside India's Bloodiest. Penguin Random House India Private Limited, 2018. p. 201. ISBN   9789353051051.
  5. 1 2 Nisha, P. R. (12 June 2020). Jumbos and Jumping Devils: A Social History of Indian Circus. ISBN   9780190992071.
  6. ↑ "Seventh sense: Night Shyamalan is from Africa | Chennai News - Times of India". The Times of India . 15 January 2012.
  7. ↑ Vishnumangalm Kumar, "Kuroolli Chekon: Charithram Thamaskaricha Kadathanadan Simham" (Keralasabdam, 2007-9-2),Page 30-33, ISBN 96220924
  8. ↑ "Theyyaprapancham".
  9. ↑ Mathew, George (1989). Communal Road to a Secular Kerala. Concept Pub.Co, 1989. p. 30. ISBN   81-7022-282-6.
  10. ↑ Smith, Bardwell L. (1976). Religion and Social Conflict in South Asia. BRILL. p. 27. ISBN   90-04-04510-4.
  11. ↑ James John (2020). The Portuguese and the Socio-Cultural Changes in Kerala: 1498-1663. Routledge. ISBN   9781000078718.
  12. ↑ Binu John Mailaparambil (2011). Lords of the Sea: The Ali Rajas of Cannanore and the Political Economy of Malabar. Brill. p. 36. ISBN   9789004180215.
  13. ↑ Zahira, M. (2014). "Folk performances: Reading the cultural history of the Thiyya community in Kerala". Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance. 19 (2): 159–164. doi:10.1080/13569783.2014.895619. S2CID   191468000.
  14. ↑ Jenniffer G.Wollok (2011). Rethinking Chivalry and Courtly Love. ABC publishing. p. 250. ISBN   9780275984885.
  15. ↑ Folk-Lore (1975). Folk-Lore. p. 96.
  16. ↑ Heniger, J. (2017). Hendrik Adriaan van Reed Tot Drakestein 1636-1691 and Hortus, Malabaricus. ISBN   9781351441070.
  17. ↑ Indudhara Menon (2018). Hereditary Physicians of Kerala: Traditional Medicine and Ayurveda in Modern India. Taylor & Francis, 2018. ISBN   9780429663123.
  18. ↑ David Levinson, Karen Christensen (1996). Encyclopedia of World sport:from Ancient times to the present vol.3. ABC. p. 615. ISBN   9780874368192.
  19. ↑ K. k. N Kurup (1989). Samooham Charithram Samskaram. Poorna Publication. p. 73.
  20. ↑ Singh, Shanta Serbjeet (23 August 2000). Indian Dance: The Ultimate Metaphor. Ravi Kumar. p. 243. ISBN   9781878529657 – via Google Books.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.