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==Historical evidence== ==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. 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.


==See also== ==See also==

Revision as of 17:55, 27 May 2011

Nair (also known as Nayar), is the name of a Hindu forward caste from the Southern Indian state of Kerala. The Nair community as of 19th century was divided in many subdivisions.

The 1891 Census of India listed a total of 128 Nair subdivisions in the Malabar region and 55 in the Cochin region, as well as a further 10 in the Madras area but outside Malabar. There were 44 listed in Travancore in the census of 1901.

Hierarchy

The highest levels of the caste hierarchy among the Nairs have been described being: (ordered from the highest ranked subcaste to the lowest):

Population

Race Social Grouping Caste Travancore Pop(1901) Cochin Pop (1891) Malabar Pop (1891)
Nair All Nair All Nair 537,430 102,768 396,492
Malayala Kshatriya Total Malayala Kshatriya 478,940 82,994 318,789
Samanta Kshatriya 1,575 803 1,500
Samanthan Nair 436 274 1,225
Kiryathil Nair 25,164 23,017 115,125
Illathu Nair 326,208 23,279 42,429
Swaroopathil Nair 104,639 28 0
Purathu Charna Nair 0 9,096 109,396
Akathu Charna Nair 0 0 32,446
Padamangalam Nair 6,175 0 0
Tamil Padam Nair 258 0 0
Pallichan 2,277 18,568 16,668
Nair (Unspecified) 12,208 7,929 NA
Nair Inferior Total Nair Inferior 38,117 13,008 44,669
Itasseri Nair 22,944 0 0
Chakkala 15,168 3 0
Vattakkatan 5 8,452 30,980
Asthikkuracchi 0 4,553 13,689
Unknown / Other Total Others 20,373 6,797 33,034

Historical evidence

The 17th century Keralolpathi 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. In fact, Kiriyathil Nayars are confined mainly to the northern and central part of Kerala.

See also

References

  1. ^ Fuller, C. J. (Winter, 1975). "The Internal Structure of the Nayar Caste". Journal of Anthropological Research. 31 (4): 283–312. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)(subscription required)
  2. Dr. Hermann Gundert, Keralolpathiyum Mattum, (Band 4, Hermann Gundert Series, Eight works published during 1843-1904) (Kottayam: Current Books, 1992), p 185
  3. L.K. Anantha Krishna Iyer (1912). The tribes and castes of Cochin Volume II. London: Luzac and Co. pp. 15–16.
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