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Panicker was an honorary title conferred by the King of Travancore in Kerala to distinguished individuals. This title was given to prominent Nair, Saint Thomas Christians, Kaniyars and Ezhavas. [1]
Kalaris in Kerala were established during different periods. The formation of Kerala is interlinked with the story of Parashurama. It is believed that Parashurama established 108 kalaris across Kerala. [2] Several kalaris were established during the reign of Kulasekharas. [3] In the 12th century towards the end of Perumal era, the present state of Kerala was divided into small autonomous provinces called Nadus and ruled by its Kings. During the Kulasekhara rule and later the kings of Nadus brought in warriors from Tulu Nadu.
The Portuguese traveller Duarte Barbosa said that "They are the skillful men who teach this art Kalarippayattu, and they are called the Panickers: these are the captains in war." [4] In Journal of the Epigraphical Society of India it, is given that "The teachers of martial arts in order to distinguish themselves from other Panikkars, named themselves as Vanma, Varma Panikkars, Other titles include a middle name of "Kalarikkal" (literally, 'of the kalari') generally following the name of the respective 'kalari' to which he/she belongs to. [5] [6]
Kalari Panicker is a different caste in Kerala and should not be confused with Nair panicker. The National Commission of Backward Classes lists Kalari Panicker under the list of OBCs. [7]
"Meloot is a prominent varma family in kerala (descendant of Chera dynasty ). During their dynasty period, the Meloot family branched themselves into two formations - Ruling authority and Military authority. Henceforth the military authority Meloot Varmas were acknowledged as Panickers (warrior) and upheld the kingdom's shield and administration. [3] Varmas received principal royalty status from The Kingdom of Travancore Since 1827 for their service . They are chiefly known as Meloot Varma Panickers or Meloot Panickers." [8] [3] At present, Kalaripayattu is not practiced or followed in some of the Meloot families, yet they keep their tradition and heritage very close to them.
See also Panikkar
Malayalam, the lingua franca of the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puduchery, is one of the six classical languages of India. Malayalam literature comprises those literary texts written in Malayalam, a South-Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala. The first travelogue in any Indian language is the Malayalam Varthamanappusthakam, written by Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar in 1785. Malayalam literature has been presented with 6 Jnanapith awards, the second-most for any Dravidian language and the third-highest for any Indian language.
Pillai or Pillay, meaning "Child of King" (Prince) or "Child", is a surname found among the Malayalam and Tamil-speaking people of India and Sri Lanka.
The Niranam poets, also known as the Kannassan poets, were three poets from the same family by the names of Madhava Panikkar, Sankara Panikkar, and Rama Panikkar. They hailed from Niranam, a small village in southern Kerala, India, near the town of Thiruvalla. Their works mainly comprised translation and adaptation of Sanskrit epics and Puranic works and were for devotional purposes. They lived between 1350 and 1450 C.E.
The culture of Kerala has developed over the past millennia, influences from other parts of India and abroad. It is defined by its antiquity and the organic continuity sustained by the Malayali people. Modern Kerala society took shape owing to migrations from different parts of India and abroad throughout Classical Antiquity.
Kavalam Narayana Panikkar was an Indian dramatist, theatre director, and poet. He has written over 26 Malayalam plays, many adapted from classical Sanskrit drama and Shakespeare, notably Kalidasa's Vikramorvasiyam, Shakuntalam (1982), Bhasa's Madhyamavyayogam (1979), Karnabharam, Uru Bhangam (1988), Swapnavasavadattam, and Dootavakyam (1996). He was the founder – director of theatre troupe, Sopanam, which led to the foundation of Bhashabharati: Centre for Performing Arts, Training and Research, in Trivandrum.
Panikkar is a variation of the Panicker title used in India, specifically in the state of Kerala, which roughly comprises the former (British) Madras Presidency district of Malabar and the princely states of Cochin and Travancore. This title was usually conferred by the kings of Travancore on those individuals who are proficient in Kalaripayattu, and the majority of them belonged to the Nair community.
Kavalam Madhava Panikkar, popularly known as Sardar K. M. Panikkar, was an Indian statesman and diplomat. He was also a professor, newspaper editor, historian and novelist. He was born in Travancore, then a princely state in the British Indian Empire and was educated in Madras and at the University of Oxford.
Naduvazhi were feudatory Nair princes who ruled over microstates that are now administrative parts of Kerala, India. They constituted the aristocratic class of Nairs within the Hindu caste system and were either kings themselves or nobility in the service of the kings of Kerala.
Kumara Varma is an Indian theatre director. To date, he has directed at least thirty-six Indian and Western plays during the past five decades, including Raja Oedipus, Urubhangam, Mattavilasam, Abhijnana Shakuntalam, Ashadh Ka Ek Din, Baaki Itihas, Uddhwast Dharmashala, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Death Watch, Agg De Kaleere and Leedli Nagari ki Neeti Katha.
Mooloor S. Padmanābha Panicker (1869-1931) was a poet and a prominent social reform activist from the Travancore region of present-day Kerala.
Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker, also known as Kallisseril Velayudha Perumal, was a 19th-century social reformer and warrior, known for his fight against many social evils prevalent in the state of Kerala. He was born into an affluent Ezhava family known as Kallisseril, in the small independent province called Mangalam, near Haripad in Alappuzha district.
Malayalam poetry is poetry written, spoken, or composed in Modern, as well as Old and Classical, Malayalam.
Kaniyar is a caste from the Indian state of Kerala. There are regional variations in the name used to define them. They are listed under the Other Backward Communities (OBC) by the Kerala Government.
Kiryathil Nair or Kiriyath Nair also known as Vellayama Nairs is a Kshatriya subdivision of the Nair caste of martial nobility, who performed the functions of Kshatriyas in Kerala, India. They were also involved in business, industry, medicine and accounting, but as they were the Kshatriya sub-division, their main occupation was governing the land. They constituted the ruling elites (Naduvazhi) and feudal aristocrats (Jenmimar) in the regions of Malabar and Cochin.
Pillai, meaning Prince, is a title of nobility which can either refer to a ruling chief, members of the nobility, or junior princes of the royal family and was mostly used by the upper-caste Nair feudal lords who were historically ranked as or immediately below the king. The oldest lineages of Pillais include not only Kshatriyas but also brahmins who took up the sword. From the early modern period, the title also came to be bestowed upon Savarna subjects by the Kings for services military or political, most of whom were of Nair origin. The Nair Pillai caste is unrelated to other Pillais. It is important not to confuse them with the Vellala Pillai, Chetti Pillai, illathu Pillai, etc. Some of them also use 'Pillai' surname in some parts of Kerala, they have distinct identities and no relation with Kerala title "Pillai".
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.
Kurup of Travancore, meaning "Guru" in Sanskrit was a title used by Nairs in the Kingdom of Travancore, many among them were powerful warlords, also serving as warriors and army generals. Additionally, a segment of the Nair Kurup belonged to the "Naaduvaazhi" and landlord class in Venad until the 17th century and they mostly belongs to the Illam and other subcastes in Travancore Nair caste. Kurup is also the title of Kiriyath Nairs in Malabar and Cochin. The Nair Kurup caste is unrelated to other Kurups. It is important not to confuse them with the Kurup Caste, Kalari Kurup, etc., as they have distinct identities.
