Kaimal

2026-04-05T19:08:09Z

172.64.215.17:

{{short description|A title given to cheifs from Nair caste}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}}
'''Kaimal''' is a title that was historically used by chiefs from the [[Nair]] caste in the [[History of Kerala|feudal period]] of what is now the Indian state of [[Kerala]].The Kaimals were one of the highest caste of Hindus in Kerala and were considered as a part of Kiriyathil Nair subcaste.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Dutch Power in Kerala, 1729-1758 |first=M. O. |last=Koshy |publisher=Mittal Publications |year=1989 |isbn=978-8-17099-136-6 |page=ix |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ro8SLhyAc9AC&pg=PR10}}</ref> Various families used it thus, including the Kaimals of Koratti, Angi and Koddachery.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Dutch Power in Kerala, 1729-1758 |first=M. O. |last=Koshy |publisher=Mittal Publications |year=1989 |isbn=978-8-17099-136-6 |pages=45, 49 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ro8SLhyAc9AC&pg=PA45}}</ref>

==Portuguese ascendancy==
The [[5th Portuguese India Armada (Albuquerque, 1503)|Fifth Portuguese India Armada]] under [[Afonso de Albuquerque]] arrived in 1503, just in time to save the [[Kingdom of Cochin|Cochin king]] from the [[Zamorin of Calicut]]. The Portuguese then turned their attention to the chieftains who had fought against the Cochin and committed many atrocities where they killed inhabitants in large numbers and indiscriminately burnt downtowns and villages.<ref>{{cite book |title=Kerala District Gazetteers, Eranakulam |first=A. Sreedhara |last=Menon |year=1965 |pages=120–121}}</ref>

The Portuguese impressed upon the king the need to deal with his chiefs and entered into a treaty with the Anchi Kaimals whereby they accepted the overlordship of the Cochin throne.<ref>{{cite book |title=Kerala District Gazetteers, Eranakulam |first=A. Sreedhara |last=Menon |year=1965 |page=121}}</ref>

==Dutch in Cochin==
On 26 October 1662, the [[Dutch East India Company|Dutch]] re-engaged the Portuguese and with the help of the Anchi Kaimals took complete possession of Cochin from the Portuguese.<ref>{{cite book |title=Kerala District Gazetteers, Eranakulam |first=A. Sreedhara |last=Menon |year=1965 |page=153}}</ref>

T. I. Poonen says {{quote|it may be mentioned that one of the important causes of Dutch success in Cochin was the loyal co-operation they received from the AnchiKaimals or five lords of whom the most important was Cheranellular Kartha.<ref>{{cite book |title=A survey of the rise of the Dutch Power in Malabar |first=T. I. |last=Poonen |pages=106–107}}</ref>}}

==Dynasty==
The name Kaimal is derived from Kai which means hand in Malayalam, signifying power. Earlier Kaimals were recognized chieftains. Major areas of Vaikom, Niranampetti, Irinjalakuda, Ranni, Koratti, Niranampetti, Angi and Koddachery were under control of Kaimal Naduvazhis. Old name of [[Eranakulam]] was Anjukaimalnadu (The land of the Anjukaimals).

== Chiefs of Cochin ==
KP Padmanabha Menon in his ''History of Kerala, Vol 2'' mentions the Anji Kaimals whose Chief was the Cheranellur Kartha as owning all of Eranakulam. In fact, Eranakulam is known as Anji Kaimal in the early maps of Kerala. See Dutch in Malabar (Dutch Records No 13), 1910 shows a map from [[Common Era]]1740 that shows the area of AnjiKaimal as almost twice as large as the Cochin State. The other chiefs he mentions quoting Gollennesse (Dutch East India Company) is the 1) Moorianatt Nambiar 2) Paliath Achan (mentioned above), 3)Codacherry (Kotasseri) Kaimal, 4) Caimalieone (female Kaimal) of Corretty, 5) Changera Codda Kaimal, and 6) Panamoocattu Kaimal (Panambakadu Kaimal). The last four Kaimals are known as the Kaimals of Nandietter Naddu. The Kaimals of Nandietter Naddu had Nayar troops of 43,000 according to Heer Van Reede of the Dutch East India Company from 1694.<ref>Page 241 and 242</ref>The Kaimal royal members had moved to Goa during the Portuguese era.

==End of power==
P. K. S. Raja gives the following factors for the end of feudalism in Travancore and Cochin:<ref>{{cite book |pages=198–218 |first=P. K. S. |last=Raja |title=Mediaeval Kerala |publisher=Annamalai University |year=1953 |work=Annamalai University Historical Series no 11}}</ref>

*His{{who|date=October 2017}} violation in his dealings with the Etavita Pillamar of the principal custom of Malabar that a Nair lord would not be punished
*His dealing with Raja of Quillon (his own family) where instead of making a conquered chief a subordinate, the Raja was made a state prisoner
*His invitation of Hyder Ali to aid him in suppressing the revolt of the "whole country North of Kayamkulam" who did not appreciate his policies and his treatment of the nobility
*The treaty between Cochin and Travancore and an inserted clause in 1701 that Travancore would aid Cochin in putting down the nobles of Cochin
*Leading nobles of Cochin were brought to Tripunithra and asked to take an Oath of allegiance to the Rajas of Cochin and Travancore. After this, says P. K. S. Raja, the nobles of Cochin like those of Travancore lost their political powers

==See also==
* [[Jenmi]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Indian surnames]]
[[Category:Nair]]
[[Category:Social groups of Kerala]]

Kiryathil Nair

2026-04-05T19:05:25Z

172.64.215.17:

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox Ethnic group
|image =
|caption =
|group = Kiryathil Nair
|pop =
|popplace = Mostly in [[Malabar (Northern Kerala)|Malabar]] and [[Kingdom_of_Cochin|Cochin]], also in [[Travancore]].
|languages = [[Malayalam]]
|religions =
|related = [[Nair]]s
}}
'''Kiryathil Nair''' or Kiriyathil Nair is a high ranking subcaste of the Vratya Kshatriya [[Nair]] community<ref>Vaidya, Chintaman Vinayak (January 1986). ''[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.189154/page/n293/mode/2up?q=Nair+ Downfall Of Hindu India]''. Gyan Publishing House. p. 293. ISBN <bdi>978-8121200509</bdi>.

<q>''This land of Namboodiri Brahmins and Nair Kshatriyas sent out a religious invasion under Sankara which subjugated the whole of India''.</q></ref>, who have traditionally lived in the regions of [[Malabar (Northern Kerala)|Malabar]] and [[Kingdom_of_Cochin|Cochin]] in present-day [[Kerala]], India. They were the defacto martial aristocracy of the Kerala.

==Social status==
The Kiryathil Nair is the highest class among Nairs. In the caste hierarchy, they were considered superior to [[Illathu Nair]]s, but inferior to [[Samantha Kshatriya|Samanthan Nairs]]. The caste boundary between Kiryathil Nair and Samanthan Nair is very vague and therefore some families among the Kiryathils in the course of time may be recognised as Samanthan and vice versa.<ref name="C.Fuller">{{cite journal |last=Fuller |first=Christopher J. |date=1975 |title=The Internal Structure of the Nayar Caste |journal=Journal of Anthropological Research |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=283–312 |doi=10.1086/jar.31.4.3629883 |jstor=3629883|s2cid=163592798 }}</ref>

Kiryathil Nairs were feudal lords, known as [[Naduvazhi]], and controlled a limited number of militiamen known as Charnavars under their command. These soldiers usually belonged to the [[Swaroopathil_Nair|Purattu Charna Nair]] subcaste.<ref name="K.Gough">[[Kathleen Gough|Gough, E. Kathleen]] (1961). "Nayars: Central Kerala". In Schneider, David Murray; Gough, E. Kathleen. Matrilineal Kinship. University of California Press. {{ISBN|978-0-520-02529-5}}. Retrieved 2011-06-09.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Kaimal]]
* [[Nambiar (Nair subcaste)]]
* [[Nayanar (Nair Subcaste)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070901154501/http://www.chaf.lib.latrobe.edu.au/dcd/main.htm#content#content Digital Colonial Documents (India)]

[[Category:Nair]]

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Kaimal

Kiryathil Nair