Moopil Nair

Last updated

Moopil Nair, also transliterated Mooppil and Muppil is an elite subgroup of the Nair caste. They were vazhunnors, naduvazhis and desavazhis of small feudal polities on the Malabar, present-day Kerala state, South India, typically owing at least nominal allegiance to a superordinate Raja, despite frequently aggregating lands and political powers of sufficient scale so as to establish them as essentially autonomous monarchs in their own rights. Although Moopils frequently simply styled themselves as 'the' name of swaroopam/tharavadu Nair, virtually all were entitled to higher titular Nair rank, most saliently that of Nambiar, but also Nayanar and Mannadiyar, among others.

Contents

Among them was Kavalappara Moopil Nair, who ruled the small kingdom of Kavalappara Swaroopam, and a nominal feudatory of the Vellattiri Raja of Valluvanad, himself a sometime Moopil Nair. [1] [ page needed ] Kavalappara holdings spanned some 155,358 acres of allodially freeheld jenmi lands, rendering them among Malabar's foremost jenmimars, alongside fellow Moopil Nairs such as the Mannarghat Nair, a feudatory of the Vallabha Velattiri Raja of Valluvanad, whose peak estates subsumed some 180,000 acres of Malabar lands, and Koothali Nair, whose total holdings are unknown, but whose rump holdings along as escheated to Malabar state amounted to some 53,000 acres.

EXAMPLES

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palakkad district</span> District in Kerala, India

Palakkad is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. It was carved out of the southeastern region of the former Malabar District on 1 January 1957. It is located at the central region of Kerala and is the second largest district in the state after Idukki. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram district, on the southwest by the Thrissur district, on the northeast by Nilgiris district, and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The district is nicknamed "The granary of Kerala". Palakkad is the gateway to Kerala due to the presence of the Palakkad Gap, in the Western Ghats. The 2,383 m high Anginda peak, which is situated in the border of Palakkad district, Nilgiris district, and Malappuram district, in Silent Valley National Park, is the highest point of elevation in Palakkad district. Palakkad city is about 347 kilometres (216 mi) northeast of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Valluvanad</span> Independent chiefdom in present-day central Kerala

Valluvanad was an independent chiefdom in present-day central Kerala that held power from the early 12th century to the end of the 18th century. Prior to that, and since the late 10th century, Valluvanad existed as an autonomous chiefdom within the kingdom of the Chera Perumals. The disintegration of the Chera Perumal kingdom in early 12th century led to the independence of the various autonomous chiefdoms of the kingdom, Valluvanad being one of them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kottakkal</span> Municipal town in Kerala, India

Kottakkal is a major municipal town in Malappuram district in Kerala, southern India having 32 wards. it is a part of Malappuram metropolitan area and a growing city in Kerala. The town is best known for the Arya Vaidya Sala, one of the top Ayurvedic health centres of the world. Kottakkal is also a major growing commercial, educational, and healthcare hub in South Malabar. The town lies on Mumbai–Kanyakumari National Highway 66.

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

Attappadi (HQ:Agali) is a tribal taluk in Kerala state covering an area of 735 km2 (284 sq mi). It is carved out from Mannarkkad taluk in Palakkad district in February 2021. Attappadi Reserve Forest is a protected area comprising 249 km2 of land area in the western parts of Attappadi. It is one among the reserved forests and protected forests of India. Attappadi valley in Palakkad district along with the neighbouring Chaliyar valley of the Nilambur region in Malappuram district is known for natural Gold fields which are also seen in the other regions of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

<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">Mannarkkad</span> Municipality in Kerala, India

Mannarkkad, formerly known as Mannarghat, is a major municipal town in Palakkad district of the Indian state of Kerala. The Silent Valley National Park and the Attappadi Reserve Forest are located in Mannarkkad Taluk. Mannarkkad is situated 36 km away from district headquarters Palakkad on National Highway 966. It is the traditional seat of the Mannarghat Moopil Nair.

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

Kadathanadu, also rendered Kadathanad, Katattanad, and, academically, Kaṭattanāṭǔ; alternately known as Vatakara or Badagara, was a kingdom in North Malabar just north of the Korappuzha River, ruled by the Porlathiri dynasty after their dispossession from their native realm of Calicut and Polanad. Its ruler was known as Vazhunnavar, often rendered 'Boyanore', until 1750, whereupon their prior titulature of Raja was resumed.

Jenmi or Janmi, plural Jenmimar, is the Malayalam term used to refer to the landed aristocracy of Kerala who traditionally held their lands as absolute and allodial owners, with such lands known as Jenmom or Janmam. They formed the landowning nobility as well as the landed gentry of the region in colonial times, and the majority of the estates and feudal properties were owned by this community. They predominantly belonged to the Nambudiri and Nair castes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nambudiri</span> Malayali Brahmin caste from Kerala, India

The Nambudiri, also transliterated as Nampoothiri, Nambūdiri, Namboodiri, Namboothiri and Nampūtiri, are a Malayali Brahmin caste, native to what is now the state of Kerala, India, where they constituted part of the traditional feudal elite. Headed by the Azhvanchery Thamprakkal Samrāṭ, the Nambudiris were the highest ranking caste in Kerala. They owned a large portion of the land in the region of Malabar, and together with the Nair monarchs, the Nambudiris formed the landed aristocracy known as the Jenmimar, until the Kerala Land Reforms starting in 1957. Naturalized Tulu Brahmins who took up Nambudiri customary ways are known as Embranthiri Brahmins.

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

Naduvazhi were feudatory princes who ruled over microstates that are now administrative parts of Kerala, India. They constituted the aristocratic class within the Hindu caste system and were either kings themselves or nobility in the service of the kings of Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zamorin</span> Hereditary monarch of historical kingdom in present-day Kerala, India (1124–1806)

The Samoothiri was the title of the erstwhile ruler and monarch of the Kingdom of Kozhikode (Calicut) in the South Malabar region of India. Originating from the former feudal kingdom of Nediyiruppu Swaroopam, the Samoothiris and their vassal kings from Nilambur Kovilakam established Calicut as one of the most important trading ports on the southwest coast of India. At the peak of their reign, they ruled over a region extending from Kozhikode Kollam to the forested borders of Panthalayini Kollam (Koyilandy). The Samoothiris belonged to the Eradi subcaste of the Samantan community of colonial Kerala, and were originally the ruling chiefs of Eranad. The final Zamorin of Calicut committed suicide by setting fire to his palace and burning himself alive inside it, upon learning that Hyder Ali had captured the neighboring country of Chirackal in Kannur.

Nethyaramma, transliterated variously, including Nethiar and Naittiyar, was the title of the consorts of the reigning Maharajas of Cochin and Zamorins of Calicut. It paralleled the style Ammachi Panapillai Amma in Travancore, and Kettilamma or Kovilamma elsewhere in Kerala. Nethiar was further employed by some elite naduvazhis, Moopil Nairs and families of similar ancestry and rank as the default title of all female members of the family, as was customary with the Kavalappara Nair, the Mannarghat Nair and the Ankarath.

Vellinezhi is a small but culturally crucial village located in Palakkad district of Kerala in southern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kavalappara Nair</span>

The Kavalappara is an princely Indian Nair tharavad or swaroopam, whose estates and powers vested in the matrilineally-mediated succession to and from each Kavalappara Nair, who headed the family and held the rank of Moopil Nair. In medieval Kerala, they served as part of the jenmi, or allodially landed nobility, and were sworn to the service of the rajas of the area, first that of Palghat and then later that of Cochin. Based at Kavalappara Desam in Karakkat, Valluvanada, their holdings extended to areas such as Kailiad and Panayur, ultimately compassing some 155,358 acres of jenmom estates, and ranking preeminent among the jenmimars of Malabar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiryathil Nair</span> Sub-caste

Kiryathil Nair or Kiriyath Nair is a Kshatriya subdivison of Nair caste, of martial nobility, having performed the functions of Kshatriyas in Kerala, India. They also did business, industry, medicine and accounting. But as they were Kshatriya sub-division their main occupation was martial nobility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mannarghat Nair</span>

Mannarghat Muppil Nair was the royal title usually given to the eldest male member of Mannarghat Muppil Nair family, in whom the Mannarghat jenmi estates and feudatory obligations to the Velattiri Raja of Valluvanad alike vested.

The Mysore's campaigns against the states of Malabar was the result of the Calicut's attack on Palghat in 1756–1757. This comprised the attacks of the Zamorin of Calicut on the Kingdom of Palakkad, situated east to Calicut. It was a continuation of the attacks on the Kingdom of Valluvanad, the traditional rival of Calicut. In the one sided Valluvanad attacks the Zamorin had captured much of the land from Eranad to Nedunganad. So, this time Zamorin marched against Palakkad and easily occupied Nadvattom which tore the Kingdom of Palakkad right through the middle.

Malappuram is one of the 14 districts in the South Indian state of Kerala. The district has a unique and eventful history starting from pre-historic times. During the early medieval period, the district was the home to two of the four major kingdoms that ruled Kerala. Perumpadappu was the original hometown of the Kingdom of Cochin, which is also known as Perumbadappu Swaroopam, and Nediyiruppu was the original hometown of the Zamorin of Calicut, which is also known as Nediyiruppu Swaroopam. Besides, the original headquarters of the Palakkad Rajas were also at Athavanad in the district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koothali Nair</span>

The KoothaliMoopil Nair or Moothavar, most commonly known as the Koothali Nair and styled Vallabhan Chathan, additionally known as the Koothali Payyormala Nayar and as Vazhunnavar, historically held and controlled an eponymous principality and sthanam of North Malabar, with his hereditary seat in Koothali. Towns and lands subject to the Koothali Moothavar's rule traditionally included Perambra, Changaroth, Cheruvannur, Kuttiady, and adjacent regions, including Kottathara. The Koothali Nair was traditionally one of Malabar's most prominent Naduvazhis, a Moopil Nair and Vazhunnavar, as well as a major Jenmimar, and held the Nair caste rank of Nambiar or Samanta, and the family style of swaroopam.

References

  1. Kurup, K. K. N. (1988). Modern Kerala: Studies in Social and Agrarian Relations. Mittal Publications. ISBN   978-81-7099-094-9.

Further reading