https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Kiryathil_NairKiryathil Nair - Revision history2026-07-31T13:14:58ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Kiryathil_Nair&diff=478625&oldid=prev172.64.215.17 at 19:05, 5 April 20262026-04-05T19:05:25Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}<br />
{{Infobox Ethnic group<br />
|image =<br />
|caption =<br />
|group = Kiryathil Nair<br />
|pop =<br />
|popplace = Mostly in [[Malabar (Northern Kerala)|Malabar]] and [[Kingdom_of_Cochin|Cochin]], also in [[Travancore]].<br />
|languages = [[Malayalam]]<br />
|religions = <br />
|related = [[Nair]]s<br />
}}<br />
'''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.&nbsp;293. ISBN&nbsp;<bdi>978-8121200509</bdi>. <br />
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<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.<br />
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==Social status==<br />
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><br />
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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><br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[Kaimal]]<br />
* [[Nambiar (Nair subcaste)]]<br />
* [[Nayanar (Nair Subcaste)]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070901154501/http://www.chaf.lib.latrobe.edu.au/dcd/main.htm#content#content Digital Colonial Documents (India)]<br />
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[[Category:Nair]]</div>172.64.215.17