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#REDIRECT ]
''']''' (Also known as ''']''' or ''']'''), is the name of a Hindu ] from the Southern Indian state of ]. The Nair community as of 19th century was divided in to close to 200 subcastes.


{{R to section}}
The ] listed a total of 128 Nair subdivisions in the Malabar region and 55 in the ] region, as well as a further 10 in the ] area but outside Malabar. There were 44 listed in Travancore in the census of 1901.<ref name="Fuller1975">{{cite journal |title=The Internal Structure of the Nayar Caste |first=C. J. |last=Fuller |journal=Journal of Anthropological Research |volume=31 |issue=4 |date=Winter, 1975 |pages=283-312 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/3629883}}{{subscription required}}</ref>

==Hierarchy==
The caste hierarchy within the 20{{Clarify|reason=there are 21 listed|date=May 2011}} major divisions among the Nairs has been described being:<ref name="Fuller1975"/> (ordered from the highest ranked subcaste to the lowest):
*Royal Subcastes
** ] (], ], ].etc) - ]
** ] (], ], Thampurans, ], ], ].etc) - Malayala Kshatriya
*Other Kshatriya Subcastes
** ] & ] (Nambiār, ], ].etc) - Malayala Kshatriya
** ] (], ], ].etc) - Malayala Kshatriya
** ], ] & ] .etc) - Malayala Kshatriya
** ] - Malayala Kshatriya
** ] - Malayala Kshatriya
** ] - Malayala Kshatriya
*Lower ranking Subcastes
** ] ''(except in Malabar)'' - ]
** Vātti (Vātti Kuruppu, Pattu Kuruppu & Nantunni Kuruppu), Daivampāti (Brahmani), Pulikkal Nāyar & Payyampāti - ]
** Chempukotti Nair - ]
** Otattu Nair - Malayala Sudra
** Puliyath Nair & Matavan Nair - Malayala Sudra
** Kalamkotti Nair & Anduran Nair - Malayala Sudra
** ] & ] - Malayala Sudra
** Asthikkuracchi Mārār & Chitikan Nair - Ambalavasi Brahmin
** ], ], Taraka, Vaniya Nāyar & Ravāri Nāyar - ]
** ] - Malayala Sudra
** Maniyāni Nayar - ] ]
** Veluthedathu Nair - Malayala Sudra
** Vilakkithala Nair - Malayala Sudra

==Population==
{|class="wikitable"
!]
!Social Grouping
!]
!] Pop(1901)
!] Pop (1891)
!] Pop (1891)
|----
!rowspan=19|]
|All ]
|All ]
|537,430
|102,768
|396,492
|----
!rowspan=12|]
|Total ]
|478,940
|82,994
|318,789
|----
|]
|1,575
|803
|1,500
|----
|]
|436
|274
|1,225
|----
|]
|25,164
|23,017
|115,125
|----
|]
|326,208
|23,279
|42,429
|----
|]
|104,639
|28
|0
|----
|]
|0
|9,096
|109,396
|----
|]
|0
|0
|32,446
|----
|]
|6,175
|0
|0
|----
|]
|258
|0
|0
|----
|]
|2,277
|18,568
|16,668
|----
|]
|12,208
|7,929
|NA
|----
!rowspan=5|]
|Total ]
|38,117
|13,008
|44,669
|----
|]
|22,944
|0
|0
|----
|]
|15,168
|3
|0
|----
|]
|5
|8,452
|30,980
|----
|Asthikkuracchi
|0
|4,553
|13,689
|----
|Unknown / Other
|Total Others
|20,373
|6,797
|33,034
|----
|}

==Historical evidence==
It may be noted that the earlier ''Keralamahatmayam'', an ''Upa Purana'' of the Bhoogola ] ], does not make mention of any subcastes among the Nairs but only states them to be the military caste of ]. But the 17th century '']''<ref name = "Gundert">Dr. Hermann Gundert, Keralolpathiyum Mattum, (Band 4, Hermann Gundert Series, Eight works published during 1843-1904) (Kottayam: Current Books, 1992), p 185</ref> which is a work purported to be written with the ulterior motive of promoting Brahminical supremacy mentions different subdivisions of Nair caste. While Kiriyathil Nayars were considered prominent in Malabar and Cochin, Illathu Nairs were prominent in the hierarchy in the Travancore.<ref>{{cite book | title = The tribes and castes of Cochin Volume II| author = L.K. Anantha Krishna Iyer| publisher = London: Luzac and Co| year = 1912 | pages = 15–16}}</ref> In fact, Kiriyathil Nayars are confined mainly to the northern and central part of Kerala.

Considering the unnecessary rancour created by the different subdivisions among the Nairs, social reform movements such as Nair Service Society (NSS) campaigned strongly against such divisiveness. Eventually, stratification among the different Nair subcastes has become non-existent in the present day, with individuals and families usually identifying themselves simply as "Nairs".

==See also==
* ]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nair Subcastes}}
]

Latest revision as of 18:59, 14 March 2021

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