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114-516: 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
228-530: A 12-day period and which Frits Staal and Robert Gardner claim to be one of the oldest known rituals, was maintained by Nambudiri Brahmins until at least 1975. Although it may have largely died out elsewhere in India and thus be symptomatic of the community's resistance to change, David Knipe notes that it is still performed regularly in Andhra Pradesh and has been for centuries. Traditionally, they wore
342-524: A 3rd-century BCE rock inscription by emperor Ashoka of Magadha . It was mentioned as one of four independent kingdoms in southern India during Ashoka's time, the others being the Cholas , Pandyas and Satyaputras . The Cheras transformed Kerala into an international trade centre by establishing trade relations across the Arabian Sea with all major Mediterranean and Red Sea ports as well those of
456-790: A dispute involving communities who were not Ezhava. The Thiyya Mahasabha (a sub-group of the Ezhava in Malabar) has also opposed the SNDP's use of the Thiyya name at an event. In February 2013, the recently formed Thiyya Mahasabha objected to the SNDP treating Ezhavas and Thiyyas as one group, rather than recognising the Thiyyas in Malabar as being distinct. The SNDP was at that time attempting to increase its relatively weak influence in northern Kerala, where
570-464: A general name for Kerala . Earlier, the term Malabar had also been used to denote Tulu Nadu and Kanyakumari , which lie contiguous to Kerala in the southwestern coast of India, in addition to the modern state of Kerala. The people of Malabar were known as Malabars . The term Malabar is often used to denote the entire southwestern coast of India. Additionally, European traders and scholars referred to Tamils of Sri Lanka as Malabars . In
684-430: A liquor manufactured from the sap. Arrack was another liquor produced from the palms, as was jaggery (an unrefined sugar). In reality, most Ezhavas were agricultural labourers and small-time cultivators, with a substantial number diverging into the production of coir products, such as coconut mats for flooring, from towards the end of the 19th century. The coastal town of Alleppey became the centre of such manufacture and
798-408: A living by manual labour and petty trade." A. Aiyappan , another social anthropologist and himself a member of the caste, noted the mythical belief that the Ezhava brought coconut palms to the region when they moved from Ceylon. Their traditional occupation, or avakasam , was tending to and tapping the sap of such palms. This activity is sometimes erroneously referred to as toddy tapping , toddy being
912-654: A patrilineal system but partible property. These arrangements were reformed by legislation, for Malabar in 1925 and for Travancore in 1933. The process of reform was more easily achieved for the Ezhavas than it was for the Nairs, another Hindu caste in Kerala who adopted matrilineal arrangements; the situation for the Nairs was complicated by a traditional matrilocal form of living called taravadu and by their usually much higher degree of property ownership. That said, certainly by
1026-570: A red towel round the head, red silk around the waist and bells round the ankles form the costume. This is a combination of snake worship and Kalarippayattu . Poorakkali is a folk dance prevalent among the Ezhavas of Malabar, usually performed in Bhagavathy temples as a ritual offering during the month of Meenam (March–April). Poorakkali requires specially trained and highly experienced dancers, trained in Kalaripayattu. Standing round
1140-486: A relationship between a Brahmin man and a Nair woman meant that the woman was unable to live with her husband(s) in the Brahmin family and so remained in her own family. The children resulting from such marriages always became Nairs. K. M. Panikkar argues that it is this type of relationship that resulted in the matrilineal and matrilocal system. It has also been argued that the practice, along with judicious selection of
1254-596: A result of such unions, many kings and ruling chiefs in Kerala would be the offspring of Nambudiri fathers. These arrangements allowed the Nambudiris to gain political power in addition to religious and cultural dominance. The Nambudiri's grip on land was maintained through the practice of strict primogeniture and patrilineal inheritance. Despite their younger members having hypergamous relationships with Nairs , whose caste traditions were matrilineal , Nambudiri families remained aloof from general society. Although
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#17327829745231368-512: A revolutionary and civil rights activist, and with a famous temple at Vaikom as the focal point. Although it failed in its stated aim of achieving access, the satyagraha (movement) did succeed in voicing a "radical rhetoric", according to Nossiter. During this movement, a few Akalis —an order of armed Sikhs —came to Vaikom in support of the demonstrators. After the eventual passing of the Temple Entry Proclamation, some of
1482-551: A similar rank by colonial and subsequent administrations. Ezhava dynasties such as the Mannanar existed in Kerala. They are also known as Ilhava , Irava , Izhava and Erava in the south of the region; as Chovas , Chokons and Chogons in Central Travancore ; and as Thiyyar , Tiyyas and Theeyas in the Malabar region . Some are also known as Thandan , which has caused administrative difficulties due to
1596-508: A simple cloth around the waist called a thorthu (or thortumundu ), in domestic settings. When they had to travel, they wore two sets of cloth in addition known as a vasthram. Nambudiris wore their traditional hair tufts ( kuṭumi or śikhā ) on the front like the Dikshitars of Tamil Nadu. Nambudiri Brahmin families practised a more strict version of primogeniture than Brahmin communities elsewhere in India. Under this custom, only
1710-545: A traditional lamp, the performers dance in eighteen different stages and rhythms, each phase called a niram. Ezhavas adopted different patterns of behavior in family system across Kerala. Those living in southern Travancore tended to meld the different practices that existed in the other parts of Kerala. The family arrangements of northern Malabar were matrilineal with patrilocal property arrangements, whereas in northern Travancore they were matrilineal but usually matrilocal in their arrangements for property. Southern Malabar saw
1824-467: Is South Malabar aka Kozhikode it's included present kozhikode and Thamarassery taluk , south wayanad it's included present kalpetta and sulthan battery places, Eranad Taluk which comes under present Malappuram District, Palakkad District and Chavakkad taluk of Thrissur district. During the British rule , the Malabar's chief importance laid in producing pepper , tiles , and Coconut. In
1938-685: Is a ritual art performed by Ezhava men and is prevalent in the Bhagavathy temples of south Kerala, mainly in Kollam , Alappuzha and Kottayam districts. The ritual is also called "Mayilpeeli Thookkam" because the costume includes a characteristic garment made of mayilppeeli ( peacock feathers). This garment is worn around the waist in a similar fashion as the "uduthukettu" of Kathakali . The various dance movements are similar to kalarippayattu techniques. The performers have their faces painted green and wear distinctive headgears. The all-night performance of
2052-762: Is called the Coromandel Coast . In ancient times the term Malabar was used to denote the entire south-western coast of the Indian peninsula. The region formed part of the ancient kingdom of Chera until the early 12th century. Following the breakup of the Chera Kingdom, the chieftains of the region proclaimed their independence. Notable among these were the Zamorins of Kozhikode , Kolathunadu , Perumbadappu Swaroopam , Venad , Kingdom of Valluvanad of Kingdom of Valluvanad . The name Malabar Coast
2166-872: 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. The Nambudiris have traditionally lived in ancestral homes known as Illams and have been described by anthropologist Joan Mencher as, "A wealthy, aristocratic landed caste of
2280-462: Is sometimes used as an all-encompassing term for the entire Indian coast from Konkan to the tip of the subcontinent at Kanyakumari. This coast is over 845 km (525 mi) long and stretches from the coast of southwestern Maharashtra , along the region of Goa, through the entire western coast of Karnataka and Kerala, and up to Kanyakumari . It is flanked by the Arabian Sea on the west and
2394-938: Is the South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests . Climate-wise, the Malabar Coast, especially on its westward-facing mountain slopes, comprises the wettest region of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden Southwest monsoon rains. The Malabar rainforests include these ecoregions recognized by biogeographers : The Monsooned Malabar coffee bean comes from this area. The Malabar Coast featured (and in some instances still does) several historic port cities. Notable among these were/are Naura , Vizhinjam , Muziris , Nelcynda , Beypore and Thundi (near Ponnani or Kadalundi ) during ancient times, and Kozhikode (Calicut), Kollam , Ponnani , Kannur (Cannanore), and Cochin in
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#17327829745232508-412: Is the first known writer to use the name Malabar . Authors such as Ibn Khordadbeh and Al-Baladhuri mention Malabar ports in their works. The Arab writers had called this place Malibar , Manibar , Mulibar , and Munibar . Malabar is reminiscent of the word Malanad which means the land of mountains . Until the arrival of the British , the term Malabar was used in foreign trade circles as
2622-654: Is the highest peak in India outside the Himalayas , is at an elevation of 2,695 m (8,842 ft). The chain's forests are considered to be older than the Himalaya mountains. Malabar's western coastal belt is relatively flat compared to the eastern region, and is criss-crossed by a network of interconnected brackish canals, lakes, estuaries , and rivers known as the Kerala Backwaters . The Kuttanad region, also known as The Rice Bowl of Kerala , has
2736-572: The Azhvanchery Thamprakkal bought Athavanad- Tirunavaya region in present-day Tirur Taluk and gave Palakkad to Palakkad Raja s ( Tarur Swaroopam ) who were originally from Athavanad region. Many of the oldest Nambudiri settlements of Kerala are situated around the River Bharathappuzha . The Kingdom of Tanur , Kingdom of Valluvanad , Perumpadappu Swaroopam , and the kingdom of Palakkad , located around
2850-691: The Basel German Evangelical Mission . Most of their converts were from the Ezhava community. The Congregationalist London Missionary Society and the Anglican Church Mission Society were also prominent in the movement for religious conversion, having established presences in the Travancore region in the early 19th century. The lowly status of the Ezhava meant that, as Thomas Nossiter has commented, they had "little to lose and much to gain by
2964-716: The Battle of Thrissur in 1763. Despite fierce resistance, the Zamorin's troops retreated, leading to their eventual evacuation from Cochin Territory. In pursuit of peace, the Zamorin agreed to indemnify Travancore for war expenses and vowed perpetual friendship, marking a triumph of strategy and valor led by Pillai. After the Dutch were defeated by Travancore king Marthanda Varma , the British crown gained control over Kerala through
3078-674: The Dutch , French and the British East India companies took centre stage during the colonial wars in India. Travancore became the most dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerful Zamorin of Kozhikode in the battle of Purakkad in 1755. Paliath Achan of Cochin and Travancore united to expel the Zamorin of Calicut from Kochi territories. Under Martanda Pillai's leadership, Travancore's Nair forces , with General de Lannoy's guidance, successfully captured Thrissur in
3192-698: The Edakkal Caves , in Wayanad date back to the Neolithic era around 6000 BCE. The Malabar Coast has been a major spice exporter since 3000 BCE, according to Sumerian records and it is still referred to as the "Garden of Spices" or as the "Spice Garden of India". Kerala 's spices attracted ancient Arabs , Babylonians , Assyrians and Egyptians to the Malabar Coast in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE. Phoenicians established trade with Malabar during this period. Arabs and Phoenicians were
3306-518: The Far East . The dominion of Cheras was located in one of the key routes of the ancient Indian Ocean trade . The early Cheras collapsed after repeated attacks from the neighboring Cholas and Rashtrakutas . During the early Middle Ages , Namboodiri Brahmin immigrants arrived in Kerala and shaped the society on the lines of the caste system . In the 8th century, Adi Shankara was born at Kalady in central Kerala. He travelled extensively across
3420-587: The Himalayas , lies parallel to the Malabar Coast on the Western Ghats . The region parallel to the Malabar Coast gently slopes from the eastern highland of Western Ghats ranges to the western coastal lowland. The moisture-laden winds of the Southwest monsoon, on reaching the southernmost point of the Indian subcontinent , because of its topography, divide into two branches; the " Arabian Sea Branch" and
3534-496: The Indian subcontinent founding institutions of the widely influential philosophy of Advaita Vedanta . The Cheras regained control over Kerala in the 9th century until the kingdom was dissolved in the 12th century, after which small autonomous chiefdoms, most notably the Kingdom of Kozhikode , arose. The 13th century Venetian explorer, Marco Polo , would visit and write of his stay in the province. The port at Kozhikode acted as
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3648-557: The janmi system increased over many centuries and, according to Moser and Younger, they "established landholding temples and taught the people the rules of caste". The Nambudiris have been described to be responsible for the Sanskrit influence on Malayalam , a Dravidian language, due to the Nambudiri Brahmin's mixing of Sanskrit and the local Tamil language. Medieval Kerala has been characterised as an oligarchy which
3762-409: The lowest altitude in India . The country's longest lake Vembanad , dominates the backwaters; it lies between Alappuzha and Kochi and is about 200 km (77 sq mi) in area. Around eight percent of India's waterways are found in Kerala. The term Malabar Coast is sometimes used as an all-encompassing term for the entire Indian coast from the western coast of Konkan to the tip of
3876-592: The princely state of Travancore, asking for government recognition of the Ezhavas' right to work in public administration and to have access to formal education. Around this time, nearly 93 per cent of the caste members were illiterate. The upper caste Hindus of the state prevailed upon the Maharajah not to concede the request. The outcome not looking to be promising, the Ezhava leadership threatened that they would convert from Hinduism en masse, rather than stay as helots of Hindu society. C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer , realising
3990-566: The " Bay of Bengal Branch". The "Arabian Sea Branch" of the Southwest monsoon first hits the Western Ghats, making Kerala the first state in India to receive rain from the Southwest monsoon. The Malabar Coast is a source of biodiversity in India. According to William Logan , the word Malabar comes from a combination of the Dravidian word Mala (mountain) and the Persian / Arabic word Barr (country/continent). The first element of
4104-583: The "lower polluting castes", such as the Pulayars and Paraiyars . The Nairs and, where applicable, the Mapillas ranked socially and ritually higher than the polluting castes. From their study based principally around one village and published in 2000, the Osellas noted that the movements of the late 19th- and 20th centuries brought about a considerable change for the Ezhavas, with access to jobs, education and
4218-534: The 1880s, the Ezhavas appear increasingly to have tried to adopt Nair practises in a bid to achieve a similar status. Robin Jeffrey notes that their women began to prefer the style of jewellery worn by Nairs to that which was their own tradition. Further, since Nairs cremated their dead, Ezhavas attempted to cremate at least the oldest member of their family, although cost usually meant that the remainder were buried. Other aspirational changes included building houses in
4332-438: The 18th century, J. P. Fabricius described his Tamil-English Dictionary as the "Dictionary of Malabar and English". The term Malabar Coast , in historical contexts, refers to India's southwestern coast, which lies on the narrow coastal plain of Karnataka and Kerala between the Western Ghats range and the Arabian Sea . The coast runs from south of Goa to Kanyakumari on India's southern tip. India's southeastern coast
4446-536: The 4th centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap , the principal trade route between the Malabar Coast and Tamil Nadu . The Azhvanchery Thamprakkal , who were the titular head of all Nambudiri Brahmins of Kerala, originally had right over parts of present-day Palakkad Taluk. Later they moved westwards along the River Bharathappuzha and settled around the river. Finally
4560-473: The 8th-century AD. This argues that the Jains needed protection when they arrived in the area and recruited local sympathizers to provide it. These people were then distinguished from others in the local population by their occupation as protectors, with the others all being classed as out-caste. Pullapilly describes that this meant they "... were given kshatriya functions, but only shudra status. Thus originated
4674-462: The 9th century, as attested by grants of land given to them by ruling families. According to the historian Romila Thapar , local kings and chiefs encouraged them to move to the area by offering such tax-exempt land grants in return for them officiating in Vedic rites that would legitimise the grantors' status as rulers. They also gained land and improved their influence over the socio-economic life of
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4788-572: The Akalis remained. They attracted some Ezhava youth to the concepts of the Sikhism, resulting in Ezhava conversions to that belief. Between the Travancore census of 1875 and 1891, the literacy of Ezhava men had been increased from 3.15 percent to 12.1 percent. The 1891 census showed that there were at least 25000 educated Ezhavas in Travancore Dr. Palpu had support from Parameswaran Pillai who
4902-650: The Buddhists to propagate their beliefs. The Buddhist tradition of the Ezhavas, and the refusal to give it up, pushed them to an outcaste role within the greater Brahminic society. This tradition is still evident as Ezhavas show greater interest in the moral, non-ritualistic, and non-dogmatic aspects of the religion rather than the theological. The Ezhava used to work as agricultural labourers, small cultivators, toddy tappers and liquor businessmen; some were also involved in weaving and some practised Ayurveda . An upper section, by reason of wealth and/or influence, came into
5016-623: The Elder mentioned that Limyrike was prone by pirates. The Cosmas Indicopleustes mentioned that the Limyrike was a source of Malabar peppers . In the last centuries BCE the coast became important to the Greeks and Romans for its spices, especially Malabar pepper. The Cheras had trading links with China , West Asia , Egypt , Greece , and the Roman Empire . In foreign-trade circles
5130-706: The Ezhava community under the leadership of a spiritual leader. He embraced this advice and associated with Sree Narayana Guru and formed the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (S.N.D.P), registered in March 1903. By mid 1904, the emerging S.N.D.P Yogam, operating a few schools, temples, and a monthly magazine announced that it would hold an industrial exhibition with its second annual general meeting in Quilon in January 1905. The exhibition
5244-412: The Ezhavas may share a common heritage with the Nair caste. This theory is based on similarities between numerous of the customs adopted by the two groups, particularly with regard to marking various significant life stages such as childbirth and death, as well as their matrilineal practices and martial history. Oral history, folk songs and other old writings indicate that the Thiyyas were at some point in
5358-506: The Ezhavas were the progeny of four bachelors that the king of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) sent to what is now Kerala at the request of the Chera king Bhaskara Ravi Varma, in the 1st century CE. These men were sent, ostensibly, to set up coconut farming in the region. Another version of the story says that the king sent eight martial families at the request of a Chera king to quell a civil war that had erupted against him. It has been suggested that
5472-597: The Malabar Coast including the western coastal lowlands and the plains of the midland may have been under the sea in ancient times. Marine fossils have been found in an area near Changanassery , thus supporting the hypothesis. Pre-historical archaeological findings include dolmens of the Neolithic era in the Marayur area of the Idukki district , which lie on the eastern highland made by Western Ghats . Rock engravings in
5586-608: The Nair tharavad style and making claims that they had had an equal standing as a military class until the nineteenth century. Polygamy was practised in within certain parts of Ezhava community, but has since died out. There are several proposed arguments for this, the Valiyagraman Ezhavas argue that they practised it for economic reasons, the argument that the older brother would marry first, and share his wife with his younger brother(s) until they could afford to marry. It
5700-472: The Nairs." The Ezhavas, not being among the group protecting the Jains, became out-castes. An alternate theory states that the system was introduced by the Nambudiri Brahmins. Although Brahmin influences had existed in the area since at least the 1st century CE, there was a large influx from around the 8th century when they acted as priests, counsellors and ministers to invading Aryan princes. At
5814-644: The Nambudiris which led to the formation of the Yogakshema movement in 1908 in order to agitate for the marriage of all the junior males within the community itself. It also focused on popularising the English language study and abolishing the Purdah system among the Nambudiri females. The Nambudhiri Brahmins are a super-minority community in Kerala. According to the 1901 Census reports, they represent 0.47% of
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#17327829745235928-660: The Phoenicians. According to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea , a region known as Limyrike began at Naura and Tyndis . However, the Ptolemy mentions only Tyndis as the Limyrike ' s starting point. The region probably ended at Kanyakumari ; it thus roughly corresponds to the present-day Malabar Coast. The value of Rome's annual trade with the region was estimated at 50,000,000 sesterces . Pliny
6042-415: The Tamil Iyers . According to T.P Mahadevan, the Nambudiris brought with them a very early recension of the Mahabharata which became the basis of the Malayalam language version of the epic. There are lots of theories as to how Nambudiri Brahmins came to settle in Kerala, the commonly accepted point of view is that they moved in from North India via Tulu Nadu or Karnataka . Another theory based on
6156-402: The Thiyya community and were excluded from it. Most of these women and children became Christians. The Thiyyas in northern Malabar generally had a better relationship with colonisers than the Hindus in other parts of the country. This was due in part to the fact that the British would employ Thiyyas but local princes would not. Some Ezhavas converted to Islam from around the 9th century, due to
6270-424: The Victorian concept presumed an industrialised economy. The organisation lost members to various other groups, including the Communist movement, and it was not until the 1950s that it reinvented itself as a pressure group and provider of educational opportunities along the lines of the Nair Service Society (NSS), Just as the NSS briefly formed the National Democratic Party in the 1970s in an attempt directly to enter
6384-445: The Western Ghats on the east. The southern part of this narrow coast is referred to as the South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests . Malabar is also used by ecologists to refer to the Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests of southwestern India (present-day Kerala). Geographically, the Malabar Coast can be divided into three climatically distinct regions: the eastern highlands; rugged and cool mountainous terrain,
6498-418: The Western Malabar Coast, thus accessing the marine route through Arabian Sea . The first railway line of Kerala from Tirur to Beypore in 1861 was laid for it. With India's independence, Madras presidency became Madras State , which was divided along linguistic lines on 1 November 1956, whereupon Kasaragod region was merged with the Malabar immediately to the north and the state of Travancore-Cochin to
6612-493: The adherence to Śrauta ritualism , the Pūrva-Mīmāṁsā school of Hindu philosophy and orthodox traditions, as well as many idiosyncratic customs that are unique among Brahmins , including primogeniture . Cyriac Pullapilly mentions that the dominating influence of the Nambudiris could be found in all matters related to Kerala , including religion, politics, society, economics and culture. Operating from their illam houses, Nambudiris' ownership of agricultural land under
6726-403: The central mid-lands; rolling hills, and the western lowlands; coastal plains. The Western Ghats mountain range lie parallel to the coast on the eastern highland and separate the plains from the Deccan Plateau . These mountains recognised as one of the world's eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity and is listed among UNESCO World Heritage Sites . The peak of Anamudi in Kerala
6840-421: The creation of the Malabar District in northern Kerala and by allying with the newly created princely state of Travancore in the southern part of the state until India was declared independent in 1947. The state of Kerala was created in 1956 from the former state of Travancore-Cochin , the Malabar district and the Kasaragod taluk of South Canara District of Madras state . After the Anglo-Mysore wars,
6954-404: The dance is usually presented solo or in pairs. Makachuttu art is popular among Ezhavas in Thiruvananthapuram and Chirayinkizhu taluks and in Kilimanoor , Pazhayakunnummal and Thattathumala regions. In this, a group of eight performers, two each, twine around each other like serpents and rise up, battling with sticks. The techniques are repeated several times. Sandalwood paste on the forehead,
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#17327829745237068-412: The economic and social changes of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries". They sought the right to be treated as worthy of an English education and for jobs in government administration to be open to them. An early Ezhava campaigner and their "political father", according to Ritty Lukose, was Padmanabhan Palpu . In 1896, he organised a petition of 13,176 signatories that was submitted to the Maharajah of
7182-450: The educational and employment discrimination found elsewhere, nor indeed were the disadvantages that they did experience strictly a consequence of caste alone. The Ezhavas were not immune to being manipulated by other people for political purposes. The Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924–1925 was a failed attempt to use the issue of avarna access to roads around temples in order to revive the fortunes of Congress , orchestrated by T. K. Madhavan ,
7296-518: The eldest son could marry a Nambudiri woman and thus produce an heir to the family property. Younger sons were restricted to sambandam relationships with non-Brahmin women, whom the Nambudiris considered to be concubines and whose offspring could not inherit. This tradition limited the extent of marriage within their own caste and led to the practice of hypergamy with the Nair community. Kathleen Gough notes that: These hypergamous unions were regarded by Brahmans as socially acceptable concubinage , for
7410-412: The export trade, causing a reduction in price and in wages even though production increased, with the consequence that during the 1930s many Ezhava families found themselves to be in dire financial circumstances. Some Ezhavas were involved in weaving and ship making. Some Ezhava served in army of local chieftains and local rulers such as of Kadathanad and Kurumbranad of Kerala, who were privileged in
7524-493: The first caste association in the region. This was named after Narayana Guru , who had established an ashram from where he preached his message of "one caste, one religion, one god" and a Sanskritised version of the Victorian concept of self-help. His influence locally has been compared to that of Swami Vivekananda . One of the initial aims of the SNDP was to campaign for the removal of the restrictions on school entry but even after those legal barriers to education were removed, it
7638-416: The first to enter the Malabar Coast to trade Spices . The Arabs on the coasts of Yemen , Oman , and the Persian Gulf , must have made the first long voyage to Malabar and other eastern countries . They must have brought the Cinnamon of Malabar to the Middle East . The Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BCE) records that in his time the cinnamon spice industry was monopolized by the Egyptians and
7752-429: The gateway to medieval South Indian coast for the Chinese , the Arabs , the Portuguese , the Dutch , and finally the British . In 1498, Vasco Da Gama established a sea route to Kozhikode during the Age of Discovery , which was also the first modern sea route from Europe to South Asia , and raised Portuguese settlements, which marked the beginning of the colonial era of India. European trading interests of
7866-432: The government of Kerala, arguing that the Ezhava in Malabar (locally known as Thiyyar) are a separate caste. They have campaigned for the right to record themselves as Thiyya rather than as Ezhava when applying for official posts and other jobs allocated under India's system of positive discrimination. They claim that the stance of the government is contrary to a principle established by the Supreme Court of India relating to
7980-423: The highest ritual and secular rank." Venerated as the carriers of the Sanskrit language and ancient Vedic culture, the Nambudiris held more power and authority than the kings and were "above and outside the political systems of the kingdoms." Nambudiri mythology associates their immigration to Kerala from the banks of Narmada , Krishna , Kaveri rivers with the legendary creation of Kerala by Parashurama ,
8094-438: The historian E. K. Pillai has claimed that the Nambudiris from the 1100s enforced matrilineal polyandry on the previously patrilineal communities of the area, sociologist Randall Collins thinks it is unlikely that such a change could be imposed and says that "more probably it was the result of a process of marriage politics spread by emulation in the decentralised situation of status competition." Some other scholars believe that
8208-493: The husbandman (householder) from Eelam". The Sangam literature Paṭṭiṉappālai , mentions Eelattu-unavu (food from Eelam). One of the prominent Sangam Tamil poets is known as Eelattu Poothanthevanar meaning Poothan-thevan (proper name) hailing from Eelam . ( Akanaṉūṟu : 88, 231, 307; Kuṟuntokai : 189, 360, 343; Naṟṟiṇai : 88, 366). The Tamil inscriptions from the Pallava & Chola period dating from 9th century CE link
8322-582: The imminent danger, prompted the Maharajah to issue the Temple Entry Proclamation , which abolished the ban on lower-caste people from entering Hindu temples in the state. Steven Wilkinson says that the Proclamation was passed because the government was "frightened" by the Ezhava threat of conversion to Christianity. Eventually, in 1903, a small group of Ezhavas, led by Palpu, established Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) ,
8436-460: The influence of Arab traders. These people, and other Muslim converts in the region, are now known as Mappillas . A sizeable part of the Ezhava community, especially in central Travancore and in the High Ranges , embraced Christianity during the British rule , due to caste-based discrimination. In Kannur , Protestant missions started working in the first half of the 19th century, notably
8550-539: The introduction of a judicial system that would have a significant impact on the landholdings, inheritance customs and marriage arrangements of both the Nambudiris and Nairs. The traditional basis of life was challenged by these and other changes, affecting also the other major ethnic groups of the area, such as the Ezhavas and the Syrian Christians . Like others, the desire for social reform went strong among
8664-470: The majority of Ezhava beneficiaries receive less than one acre each, although 2% of them took at least 40% of the available land. There was subsequently a radicalisation and much political infighting within the leadership as a consequence of the effects of the Great Depression on the coir industry but the general notion of self-help was not easy to achieve in a primarily agricultural environment;
8778-407: The man who tied the thali , formed a part of the Nair aspirational culture whereby they would seek to improve their status within the caste. Furthermore, that: ... among the higher-ranking Nayars (and Kshatriyas and Samantans) in contradistinction to the "commoner" Nayars, no two subdivisions admitted to equal status. Thus the relations set up by the tali-rite [ie: the thalikettu kalyanam ] and
8892-640: The matrilineal customs predate the period entirely and cite the queens of the Pandyan dynasty as evidence for this. The unwillingness of Nambudiris to adapt to changes in wider society persisted until the early years of the 20th century but Susan Bayly believes that their decline in significance can be traced to the period 1729-1748 when Marthanda Varma established the Kingdom of Travancore and chose to use Iyer and Deshastha Brahmins from Tamil Nadu in his civil service. She believes that decision undermined
9006-567: The medieval period, and have served as centers of the Indian Ocean trade for millennia. Because of their orientation to the sea and to maritime commerce, the Malabar coast cities feel very cosmopolitan , and have been home to some of the first groups of Jews (known today as Cochin Jews ), Syrian Christians (known as Saint Thomas Christians ), Muslims (presently known as Mappilas ), and Anglo-Indians in India. A substantial portion of
9120-577: The name is first attested in the Topography written by Cosmas Indicopleustes (6th century CE), which indicates that Arab sailors call Kerala Male already at that time. The Topography mentions a pepper emporium called Male , which clearly gave its name to Malabar ('the country of Male'). The second part of the name is thought by scholars to be the Arabic word barr ('continent') or its Persian relative bar ('country'). Al-Biruni (AD 973 - 1048)
9234-596: The old administrative records of the Madras Presidency , it is recorded that the most remarkable plantation owned by Government in the erstwhile Madras Presidency was the Teak plantation at Nilambur planted in 1844. The District of Malabar and the ports at Beypore and Fort Kochi had some sort of importance in the erstwhile Madras Presidency as it was one of the two districts of the Presidency that lies on
9348-504: The parts of the Malabar Coast, those became British colonies, were organized into a district of British India . The British district included the present-day districts of Kannur , Kozhikode , Wayanad , Malappuram , much of Palakkad (Excluding Chittur taluk), some parts of Thrissur ( Chavakkad Taluk), and the Fort Kochi region of Ernakulam district , besides the isolated islands of Lakshadweep . The administrative headquarters
9462-462: The past members of the armed forces serving various kings, including the Zamorins of Calicut and the rulers of the Kingdom of Cochin . Cyriac Pullapilly has said that only a common parentage can explain some of these issues. A theory has been proposed for the origins of the caste system in the Kerala region based on the actions of the Aryan Jains introducing such distinctions prior to
9576-654: The patronage of Ptolemy VIII , king of the Hellenistic Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. Roman establishments in the port cities of the region, such as a temple of Augustus and barracks for garrisoned Roman soldiers, are marked in the Tabula Peutingeriana , the only surviving map of the Roman cursus publicus . The term Kerala was first epigraphically recorded as Ketalaputo ( Cheras ) in
9690-712: The political arena, so too in 1972 the SNDP formed the Social Revolutionary Party. They were considered as avarna (outside brahmanical varna system) by the Nambudiri Brahmins who formed the Hindu clergy and ritual ruling elite in late medieval Kerala. Kathleen Gough says that the Ezhavas of Central Travancore were historically the highest-ranking of the "higher polluting castes", a group whose other constituents included Kanisans and various artisanal castes, and who were all superior in status to
9804-484: The politics of identity play a lesser role than those of class and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has historically been a significant organisation. Malabar region The Malabar Coast is the southwestern region of the Indian subcontinent . It generally refers to the western coastline of India stretching from Konkan to Kanyakumari . Geographically, it comprises one of the wettest regions of
9918-505: The position to acquire titles such as Panicker from the local rulers. These people lived in Nalukettu, had their private temples and owned a large amount of land. The social anthropologists Filippo and Caroline Osella say that the Ezhavas "... consisted in the mid-nineteenth century of a small landowning and titled elite and a large mass of landless and small tenants who were largely illiterate, considered untouchable, and who eked out
10032-559: The pre-colonial period to have their own private armies. A subgroup of the Ezhavas considered themselves to be warriors and became known as the Chekavars. The Vadakkan Pattukal ballads describe Chekavars as forming the militia of local chieftains and kings but the title was also given to experts of Kalari Payattu. Some Ezhavas had an extensive knowledge of the medicinal value of plants, passed to them by their ancestors. Known as Vaidyars , these people acted as physicians. Itty Achudan
10146-621: The presence of a distinct caste of Thandan in the same region. The earliest use of the word Eelam or Ezham is found in a Tamil-Brahmi inscription as well as in the Sangam literature . The Tirupparankunram inscription found near Madurai in Tamil Nadu and dated on palaeographical grounds to the 1st century BCE, refers to a person as a householder from Eelam ( Eela-kudumpikan ). The inscription reads "erukatur eelakutumpikan polalaiyan", which translates to "Polalaiyan, (resident of) Erukatur,
10260-584: The region by helping rulers during the wars between the Chola and Chera dynasties when Vedic schools were turned into military academies. Adi Shankara , one of the most revered Vedic scholars of Hinduism, was a Nambudiri ascetic who initiated the protocol of permitting only Nambudiris to lead as the Chief Priest at the Badrinath Temple , one of the holiest temples for Hindus. Furthermore,
10374-419: The region was known as Male or Malabar . Muziris , Tyndis , Naura (near Kannur ), and Nelcynda were among the principal ports at that time. Contemporary Sangam literature describes Roman ships coming to Muziris in Kerala, laden with gold to exchange for Malabar pepper . One of the earliest western traders to use the monsoon winds to reach Kerala was Eudoxus of Cyzicus , around 118 or 166 BCE, under
10488-660: The relationship between the Nambudiri Brahmins and royalty in the region, although others have said that Varma's influence was short-lived and that the main cause of change was the influence of British diplomats who worked with the Travancore Maharaja in the 19th century. After the passing of the Charter Acts of 1833 and 1853 in the British Parliament, the British encouraged the work of Christian missionaries, notably in provision of education, and began
10602-489: The retention of Mahabharata types as memorized by different Brahmin communities points to Tamil Nadu as the base from which they migrated to Kerala via the Palakkad Gap , which is also the largest opening in the southern Western Ghats , and settled around the river Bharathappuzha . The region around Coimbatore near Karnataka - western Tamil Nadu border was ruled by the Cheras during Sangam period between 1st and
10716-466: The right to vote all assisting in creating an identity based on more on class than caste, although the stigmatic label of avarna remained despite gaining the right of access to temples. The Ezhavas are classified as an Other Backward Class by the Government of India under its system of positive discrimination . Some in the Ezhava community in Malabar have objected to being treated as Ezhava by
10830-468: The river Bharathappuzha , were once strongholds of Nambudiris. The introduction of Grantha script which later got evolved into Malayalam script , and the evolution of Malayalam language through Sanskritisation of Middle Tamil are highly related to the Brahmins who migrated through the Palakkad Gap . Anthropologists Heike Moser and Paul Younger note that the Nambudiri Brahmin presence predates
10944-406: The sambandham union were always hypergamous. Although it is certain that in theory hypergamy can cause a shortage of marriageable women in the lowest ranks of a caste and promote upwards social movement from the lower Nair subdivisions, the numbers involved would have been very small. It was not a common practice outside the higher subcaste groups and the Nambudiris had mostly stopped the practice by
11058-489: The sixth avatar of Vishnu . According to this legend, the region was created when Parashurama threw his axe into the sea Although it is known that the present-day region of Kerala was once governed by the Chera dynasty , little information exists regarding its early ethnography. Brahmin presence in the Tamil country is attested from the Sangam period onward. Based on the fact that Nambudiris are Pūrvaśikhā Brahmins wearing
11172-432: The south to form the state of Kerala. Before that, Kasaragod was a part of South Canara district of Madras Presidency . Lakshadweep Islands were separated to form a new union territory. Nambudiri The Nambudiri ( Malayalam pronunciation: [n̪ɐmbuːd̪iɾi] ), also transliterated as Nampoothiri , Nambūdiri , Namboodiri , Namboothiri and Nampūtiri , are a Malayali Brahmin caste, native to what
11286-511: The spiritual leader of the Nambudiri Brahmins is given the title Azhvanchery Thamprakkal Samrāṭ , with the word "Samrāṭ" meaning "Emperor" in the Sanskrit language. Aside from holding rights over the sacred Guruvayur Temple , the presence and blessings of the Azhvanchery Thamprakkal was a ritual necessity during the coronation of the Zamorin , the Nair king of Kozhikode . They have historically been distinguished by rare practices such as
11400-401: The subcontinent at Cape Comorin . It is over 525 miles or 845 kilometers long. It spans from the south-western coast of Maharashtra and goes along the coastal region of Goa , through the entire western coast of Karnataka and Kerala and reaches till Kanyakumari . It is flanked by the Arabian Sea on the west and the Western Ghats on the east. The Southern part of this narrow coast
11514-496: The subcontinent, which includes the Kanara region of Karnataka , all of Kerala and Kanyakumari region of Tamil Nadu . Kuttanad , which is the point of the lowest altitude in India , lies on the Malabar Coast. Kuttanad, also known as The Rice Bowl of Kerala , is among the few places in the world where cultivation takes place below sea level. The peak of Anamudi , which is also the point of highest altitude in India outside
11628-401: The time of their arrival the non-aboriginal local population had been converted to Buddhism by missionaries who had come from the north of India and from Ceylon. The Brahmins used their symbiotic relationship with the invading forces to assert their beliefs and position. Buddhist temples and monasteries were either destroyed or taken over for use in Hindu practices, thus undermining the ability of
11742-761: The total population of Nambudiris within Kerala. They are dominant and highly influential in British Malabar , where they account for more than 66% of the total population of Nambudiris in Kerala. Most of them reside in the Palakkad and Kozhikode districts of South Malabar and the Kannur district of North Malabar . A small Population is also found in Cochin and Travancore Kingdom . The following Vedic recensions are attested among them. The ancient Vedic ritual of Agnicayana (the altar of fire), which spans
11856-472: The traditional hair tuft on the front, T.P Mahadevan proposes that they are the descendants of these Sangam age Brahmins who moved west into the region of Malabar during the Kalabhra interregnum, with those remaining behind in what is today Tamil Nadu composing the Śōḻiya Brahmins. This sets them apart from the later Aparaśikhā Brahmin (wearing their hair tufts on the back) migrants to South India such as
11970-435: The union was not initiated with Vedic rites, the children were not legitimized as Brahmans, and neither the woman nor her child was accorded the rights of kin. By the matrilineal castes, however, the same unions were regarded as marriage, for they fulfilled the conditions of ordinary Nayar marriage and served to legitimize the child as an acceptable member of his matrilineal lineage and caste." The disparity in caste ranking in
12084-460: The word with toddy, toddy tapper's quarters ( Eelat-cheri ), tax on toddy tapping ( Eelap-poodchi ), a class of toddy tappers ( Eelath-chanran ). Eelavar is a caste of toddy tappers found in the southern parts of Kerala . Eela-kaasu and Eela-karung-kaasu are refers to coinages found in the Chola inscriptions of Parantaka I . There are myths of origin for the Ezhava. According to some Malayalam folk songs like Vadakkan Pattukal and legend,
12198-484: Was also common for one of the brothers to be away for long periods of time. Following the British settlement in what became Kerala, some Thiyya families in Thalassery were taken as concubines by British administrative officers who were in charge of Malabar District . Children resulted from these relationships and were referred to as "white Thiyyas". These liaisons were considered as "dishonourable" and "degrading" to
12312-631: Was at Kozhikode . Malabar District , a part of the ancient Malabar (or Malabar Coast) was a part of the British East India Company -controlled state. It included the northern half of the state of Kerala and the islands of Lakshadweep . Kozhikode is considered as the capital of Malabar. The area was divided into two categories as North and South. North Malabar comprises present Kasaragod and Kannur Districts, Mananthavady Taluk of Wayanad District and Vatakara and Koyilandy Taluks of Kozhikode District. The left-over area
12426-410: Was dominated by the Nambudiris, who owned all the temples and their subsidiary villages. The Nambudiris had influence with the ruling class through the practice of sambandam , where younger Nambudiris used to have relationships with Kshatriya women or women from the upper sections of the Nair caste. The children of such unions were not considered Nambudiris, but a part of their matrilocal lineages. As
12540-761: Was editing the Madras Standard. He raised the issue of the rights of Ezhavas in a speech at the National Conference in Pune in 1885, which was also editorialized in the Madras Standard. Pillai and Dr. Palpu also raised their questions regarding Ezhavas in the House of Commons in England in 1897. Palpu met with Swamy Vivekanda in Mysore and discussed the conditions of Ezhavas. Vivekanda has advised him to unite
12654-444: Was mostly controlled by Ezhavas, although the lucrative export markets were accessible only through European traders, who monopolised the required equipment. A boom in trade for these manufactured goods after World War I led to a unique situation in twentieth-century Kerala whereby there was a shortage of labour, which attracted still more Ezhavas to the industry from outlying rural areas. The Great Depression impacted in particular on
12768-574: Was probably the best known Ezhava physician: he directly influenced the botanical classification in Hortus Malabaricus , published during the 17th century. Achudan's texts were written in the Kolezhuthu script that Ezhava castes used, for they were prevented from learning the more Sanskritised Aryazuthu script which was the preserve of the upper-castes. Some Ezhavas practiced ayurvedic medicine. Arjuna Nrtam ("the dance of Arjuna ")
12882-536: Was skillful and successful and was a sign of the awakening Ezhava community. The success of the SNDP in improving the lot of Ezhavas has been questioned. Membership had reached 50,000 by 1928 and 60,000 by 1974, but Nossiter notes that, "From the Vaikom satyagraha onwards the SNDP had stirred the ordinary Ezhava without materially improving his position." The division in the 1920s of 60,000 acres (24,000 ha) of properties previously held by substantial landowners saw
12996-469: Was uncommon in practice for Ezhavas to be admitted to government schools. Thus, the campaign shifted to providing schools operated by the community itself. The organisation, attracted support in Travancore but similar bodies in Cochin were less successful. In Malabar, which unlike Cochin and Travancore was under direct British control, the Ezhavas showed little interest in such bodies because they did not suffer
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