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The Kingdom of Travancore, also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor or later as Travancore State, was kingdom that lasted from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At its zenith, the kingdom covered most of the south of modern-day Kerala and the southernmost part of modern-day Tamil Nadu with the Thachudaya Kaimal's enclave of Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikyam temple in the neighbouring Kingdom of Cochin. However Tangasseri area of Kollam city and Anchuthengu near Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram were parts of British India.
The Nair also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom historically bore the name 'Nair'. These people lived, and many continue to live, in the area which is now the Indian state of Kerala. Their internal caste behaviours and systems are markedly different between the people in the northern and southern sections of the area, although there is not very much reliable information on those inhabiting the north.
Menon is an aristocratic hereditary title of the Nair community bestowed by various kings of Kerala, most saliently the Zamorin of Calicut and Maharaja of Cochin, upon eminent Nairs. The recipient of the title held it lifelong, and the male members of the family held it in perpetuity in the matrilineal line.
The caste system in Kerala differed from that found in the rest of India. While the Indian caste system generally divided the four-fold Varna division of the society into Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras, in Kerala, there existed only two varnas: Brahmins and Shudras, out of these four, while others were classified as Avarna. The Malayali Brahmins formed the priestly class. Brahmins labeled all other castes as "Sat-sudra", "Shudra" and "Avarna" based on their origin and ritual rank. The exception to this were Kings in Kerala like of Travancore and Cochin, who were ritually promoted to the status of Kshatriya by means of the Hiranyagarbha ceremony.
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.
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.
Marar is the name given to the caste of hereditary temple musicians of Travancore, Cochin and Malabar region in the state of Kerala, whose primary duty was to provide the traditional temple Sopanam music. They belong to the Ambalavasi caste.
The Nair Brigade was the army of the erstwhile kingdom of Travancore in India. Nairs were a warrior community of the region. The personal bodyguard of the king Marthanda Varma (1706–1758) was also called Thiruvithamkoor Nair Pattalam. The Travancore army was officially referred as the Travancore Nair Brigade in 1818.
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.
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.
Vaikom Satyagraha, from 30 March 1924 to 23 November 1925, was a nonviolent agitation for access to the prohibited public environs of the Vaikom Temple in the Kingdom of Travancore. Kingdom of Travancore was known for its rigid and oppressive caste system. The campaign was conduct and led by Congress, leadersT. K. Madhavan, K. Kelappan, K. P. Kesava Menon. Other notable leaders who participated in the campaign include George Joseph, E. V. Ramasamy "Periyar" and it was noted for the active support and participation offered by different communities and a variety of activists.
The total population of the Nair community is disputed, since there has been no caste-based census since 1931. However, various sources cite figures ranging from 12% to 15%. There is also the practical difficulty of certain Nair subcastes considered as independent castes. Out of the citizens eligible to vote in Kerala, around 12% or 15% belong to the Nair community. The most reliable population figures comes from two sources. The BCRC estimated Nair population at 14.47% of the total population of Kerala based on a statewide sample survey conducted for the reservation of seats in educational institutions.
Padamangalam Nair or Padamangalakkar, is an Ambalavasi or temple servant caste found mostly in southern Kerala. They were considered as auxiliary subcaste of Nair community in Southern Kerala, India.
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.
Chakkala Nair, also known as Vattakkat Nair, and Vaniya Nair is one of the intermediate subcastes of the Nair community. They are distributed throughout Kerala. In Travancore, they are known as Chakkala, while in Cochin and Malabar they are Vattakattu and In the extreme north of Malabar they are called Vaniya
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".
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.
The Latin Catholics of Malabar Coast, also known as Malabar Latin Catholics or Latin Christians of Kerala are a multi-ethnic religious group in Kerala adhering to the Roman Rite liturgical practices of the Latin Church, on the Malabar Coast, the southwestern coast of India. Ecclesiastically, they constitute the ecclesiastical provinces of Verapoly and Trivandrum. They are predominantly Malayali people and speak the Malayalam language, though a subgroup of Luso-Indians speaks the Cochin Portuguese Creole. They trace their origins to the evangelization of Malabar Coast by the Dominican, Franciscan, Jesuit and Carmelite missionaries, mainly French and Portuguese.
References
- 1 2 The Internal Structure of the Nair Caste C. J. Fuller
- ↑ Coomar, Palash Chandra (1987). Polyandry in India: Demographic, Economic, Social, Religious, and Psychological Concomitants of Plural Marriages in Women. Gian Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-212-0105-6.
- 1 2 Fawcett, F. (1 February 2004). Nâyars of Malabar. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 978-81-206-0171-0.
- ↑ Education, Kerala (India) Department of; Menon, A. Sreedhara (1962). Kerala District Gazetteers: Cannanore. Superintendent of Government Presses.
- ↑ General, India Office of the Registrar (1965). Census of India, 1961. Manager of Publications.