MayraBarnett41 at 17:05, 11 March 2026

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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}

'''Kadathanadu''' ({{IPA|ml|kɐɖɐt̪ːɐnaːɖə̆|lang}}), also rendered '''Kadathanad''', '''Katattanad''', and, academically, '''Kaṭattanāṭǔ'''; alternately known as '''[[Vatakara]]''' or '''Badagara''', was a [[Realm|kingdom]] in [[North Malabar]] just north of the [[Korapuzha|Korappuzha River]], ruled by the [[Porlathiri]] dynasty after their dispossession from their native realm of [[Calicut]] and [[Polanad]]. Its ruler was known as [[Vazhunnavar]], often rendered 'Boyanore', until 1750, whereupon their prior titulature of Raja was resumed.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mole |first=Gregory T. |date=2015-06-23 |title=Mahé and the Politics of Empire: Trade, Conquest, and Revolution on the Malabar Coast |url=http://journals.openedition.org/lrf/1294 |journal=La Révolution française |issue=8 |doi=10.4000/lrf.1294 |issn=2105-2557}}</ref>

[[File:Kerala in the Late Middle Ages.jpg|thumb|Kerala in the Late Middle Ages]]

The establishment of the kingdom dates to the flight of the [[Porlathiri]], fleeing the [[Zamorin|Zamorin's conquest of Calicut]], to seek asylum in [[Kolathiri]] territory; where a chance lakeside encounter led to a Kolathiri prince of the Southern Regency scandalously espousing the Porlathiri heiress, who traditionally would only have [[hypergamy|hypergamously]] contracted [[sambandham]] with a [[Nambudiri|Nambudiripad Brahmin.]] The dynamics of the marriage led to significant carveouts from the Southern Regency, with the hereditary governance matrilineally vested in the line of the [[Porlathiri]] princess and her Kolathiri groom.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rao |first=M.S.A. |date=July 1982 |title=Book Reviews : BALAKRISHNAN AND R. LEELA DEVI, Mannathu Padmanabhan and the Revival of Nairs in Kerala, New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, 1982, pp. 122, Rs 60 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/001946468201900309 |journal=The Indian Economic & Social History Review |volume=19 |issue=3–4 |pages=397–398 |doi=10.1177/001946468201900309 |issn=0019-4646|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Geographical location==
Geographically, Kadathanadu is situated to the south of [[Thalassery]] and north of [[Koyilandy]] on the Malabar coast, beside the historical Kottakkal river. The area roughly six kilometers from [[Vatakara]] is known as Kadathanadu. The place is now part of [[Puduppanam]] in Vatakara.

Kadathanadu is also the site of the famous [[Hinduism|Hindu]] [[Lokanarkavu]] temple.

==History==
The erstwhile princely state of Kadathanadu was ruled by Rajas of Kadathanadu, who were of [[Nair]] origin and was feudatories to the [[Kolathiri]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hasan|first=Mohibbul|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hkbJ6xA1_jEC&q=Nair+principalities&pg=PA372|title=History of Tipu Sultan|date=2005|publisher=Aakar Books|isbn=978-81-87879-57-2|language=en}}</ref> Around 1750, the ruler of Kadathanadu had adopted the title of Raja, with the explicit consent of the Kolathiri. Harivihar is the 150-year-old residence of the Kadathanadu royal family. Legend has it that the sons of the Kadathanadu rulers were sent to [[Kozhikode|Calicut]] to be educated in institutions set up by the [[Zamorin]] of Calicut, and hence a city house was built for the young princes.

During [[Malayalam Era]] 965, corresponding to 1789–90, [[Tipu Sultan]] crossed over to Malabar with his army. A small army of 2000 Kadathanadu Nairs resisted the invasion from a fortress in [[Kuttippuram|Kuttipuram]] near [[Nadapuram]] for a few weeks.
This land, whose Sanskrit name is Ghatolkachakshiti, mainly included parts of the present Vadakara taluk. The king of Katthannad was addressed as Vazhunnor.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Feudal states of Kerala}}
{{Malabar}}

[[Category:Kingdoms of Kerala]]
[[Category:History of Kozhikode district]]

Kadathanadu - Revision history

MayraBarnett41 at 17:05, 11 March 2026