Nayanar | |
---|---|
Classification | aristocracy |
Religions | Hinduism |
Languages | Malayalam |
Region | Kannur district |
Related groups | Nair |
Nayanar (meaning "the Nayar") is an honorific title used by sub-castes of the Nair community from North Malabar, India. The word Nayanar is believed to have originated from the word "Nayanmar" (Nairs), which is a title of nobility. The Nayanar title is mostly given to prominent Nambiar families by the Chirakkal Raja. Their position lies between Samantha Nairs and Kiriyathil Nairs. They sometimes have interchangeable surnames like Nambiar, Kurup, and Nair. Nayanar families are mostly seen north of the river Korapuzha. Like other North Malabar (Kannur and neighboring districts) Nairs, Nayanars earlier claimed a higher status to Nairs of South Malabar (Kozhikode and neighboring districts). [1]
Samantha Nairs of South Malabar, Kaimals of Cochin, and Pillais of Travancore are considered similar castes to Nayanars. [2]
The Nayanars were Samanthans , Kiryathils , illathu nairs and Naduvazhi (chiefs of chiefdoms and aristocrats) and Jenmimar (landed gentry). [3]
Erambala Krishnan Nayanar was an Indian politician who served as the 9th chief minister of Kerala from 1980 to 1981, 1987 to 1991 and again from 1996 to 2001. He served in that position for a total of 10 years, 11 months and 22 days, thus making him the longest-served Chief Minister of Kerala. He was a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Kannur is one of the 14 districts along the west coast in the state of Kerala, India. The city of Kannur is the district headquarters and gives the district its name. The old name, Cannanore, is the anglicized form of the Malayalam name "Kannur". Kannur district is bounded by Kasaragod District to the north, Kozhikode district to the south, Mahé district to the southwest and Wayanad District to the southeast. To the east, the district is bounded by the Western Ghats, which forms the border with the state of Karnataka. The Arabian Sea lies to the west. Paithalmala is the highest point in Kannur District (1,372m). Enclosed within the southern part of the district is the Mahé district of the Union Territory of Puducherry. The district was established in 1957.
Kanhangad is a major town, located in the Kasaragod District, state of 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.
Kolattunādu (Kola Swarupam, as Kingdom of Cannanore in foreign accounts, Chirakkal (Chericul) in later times) was one of the four most powerful kingdoms on the Malabar Coast during the arrival of the Portuguese Armadas in India, along with Zamorin, the Kingdom of Cochin and Quilon. Kolattunādu had its capital at Ezhimala and was ruled by the Kolattiri royal family and roughly comprised the North Malabar region of Kerala state in India. Traditionally, Kolattunādu is described as the land lying between the Chandragiri river in the north and the Korappuzha river in the south. The Kolathunadu (Kannur) Kingdom at the peak of its power, reportedly extended from the Netravati River (Mangalore) in the north to Korapuzha (Kozhikode) in the south with the Arabian Sea on the west and Kodagu hills on the eastern boundary, also including the isolated islands of Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea.
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.
Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar was a Malayali essayist and short story writer, and a prominent landlord of Malabar district.
Edakkad is part of the Kannur Municipal Corporation in Kannur District of Kerala state, in India.
Korapuzha, also known as Elathur River, is a short river of 40 km (25 mi), with a drainage area of 624 km2 (241 sq mi), flowing through the Kozhikode district of Kerala state in India. It is formed by the confluence of two streams, Akalapuzha and Punoor puzha which originate in the mountains of Wayanad district. The Korapuzha empties into the Arabian Sea at Elathur. The river and its main tributaries become tidal as they near the Arabian Sea. There is heavy boat traffic over the last 25 km (16 mi) of its course. It forms part of the West Coast Inland Navigation System.
Nelliyalam is a panchayat town in The Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As of 2011, the town had a population of 44,590.
Kaimal is an aristocratic title or position granted by various Rajas to powerful Nair families in Kerala.
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.
Nambiār, also known as Nambiyār, is a sub-group of the Indian Nair caste. Many were jenmi landlords in the Malabar region.
Kayyur is a village in Kasaragod district in the state of Kerala, India.Nearest town is Cheemeni.
North Malabar refers to the geographic area of southwest India covering the state of Kerala's present day Kasaragod, Kannur, and Wayanad districts, and the taluks of Vatakara and Koyilandy in the Kozhikode District of Kerala and the entire Mahé Sub-Division of the Union Territory of Puducherry. Traditionally North Malabar has been defined as the northern portion of the erstwhile Malabar District which lies between Chandragiri River and Korapuzha River. The region between Netravathi River and Chandragiri River, which included the portions between Mangalore and Kasaragod, are also often included in the term North Malabar, as the Kumbla dynasty in the southernmost region of Tulu Nadu, had a mixed lineage of Malayali Nairs and Tuluva Brahmins.
Melathu Veettil Raghavan was a veteran Communist leader and a former Minister in Kerala state of India. He was the General Secretary of the Communist Marxist Party, an alliance partner in the UDF. Prior to the formation of the CMP he was a prominent leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Gudalur taluk is a taluk of Nilgiris district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The headquarters of the taluk is the town of Gudalur.
Kiryathil Nair or Kiriyath Nair also known as Vellayama Nairs is a Kshatriya subdivision 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.
Madampi(equivalent to Lord in English) is an aristocratic title given to the uppermost subdivisions of Nairs in Kerala, by the Maharajahs of Travancore and Cochin. Usually, it was given in addition to the Pillai title. Madampis served as Jenmis or landlords during the pre-independence era. Their power was severely reduced after the Communist government passed the Land Reforms Ordinance. The title Madampi was also used in Cochin, to denote the 71 Nayar chiefs who ruled under the Maharajah of Cochin. A few Nambuthiri landlord families, most notable of whom being those in Vanjipuzha and Makilanjeri, were also given the Madampi title. In Cochin, the Madampis had their own armies, but seldom numbered more than 100. Their power was only a little bit higher than that of the Desavazhis. Madampis supplied chieftains along with soldiers in times of war to the King.