Nair

Nair (Malayalam: നായര്, and sometimes spelt Nayar) is the name of a Hindu caste from the southern Indian state of Kerala. The Nair caste was a martial nobility, similar to the Samurai of Japan. The Nairs figure prominently in the history of Kerala and were feudal lords and warriors long before the arrival of the Namboothiris.

Origins and history

Ancient South Indian history, historians, and foreign travelers refer to the Nairs as a dignified martial nobility. The origin of the Nair caste is uncertain. Some anthropologists are of the view that the Nairs are not indigenous to Kerala, as many customs and traditions distinguish them from other Keralites. Some examples are their own form of inheritance (Marumakkathayam), warfare (Kalaripayattu), Gods and Goddesses (Nagas or serpents, and Bhadhrakali), and numerous sub-castes and surnames. There is also a belief that the Nairs are Nagas. The Travancore State Manual states that there were indeed serpent-worshipping Nagas in Kerala who fought with the Namboodiris till they reached a consensus. The affinity of the Nair community with serpents and serpent worship is indisputable and might have given rise to their reputation of having a Naga origin. Naga worship might have also given rise to the mythical version of Nairs being Kshatriyas belonging to the Serpent dynasty (Nagavansham) who removed their sacred thread and migrated south to escape the wrath of a vengeful Parasurama. According to Chatambi Swamigal, who interpreted old Tamil texts, the Nairs were Naka (Naga or Snake) Lords who ruled as feudal lords in the Chera kingdom.

Another theory is that Nairs are actually the descendants of the Newars of Nepal, who migrated to Kerala. There are many facts to support this view. The first is the lighter complexion, and sharper features of Nairs. The second is the distinct pagoda-like architectural style of Nair Tharavaadus and Temples. Finally, there is the Marumakkathaayam system of inheritance (a similar system is also practiced by the Newars). One finds mention of the Nairs during the reign of the King Rama Varma Kulashekhara (1020-1102) of the second Chera dynasty, when the Chera Kingdom was attacked by the Cholas. The Nairs fought by forming suicide squads (Chavers) against the invading force. It is not clear whether the Cheras themselves were Nairs, or if the Cheras employed the Nairs as a warrior class.

File:LakshmiPillaiKochama.jpg

Nair Lady (Panapilla Amma Srimathi Lakshmi Pilla Kochamma of the Chempakaraman Arumana Ammaveedu Family of the Thampi clan and wife of Visakham Thirunal Maharajah of Travancore

The Nairs lost their supremacy gradually after the collapse of the second Chera kingdom while the Namboothiris gathered affluence and power. However, Nairs continued to be feudal lords and owned large estates till the time the Land Reforms Ordinance was enacted by Kerala State Government, which set a ceiling on the land holdings that a person or family could posess. It is also contended that the Nairs were migrants from Tulu Nadu. Manual of Madras Administration Vol II (printed in 1885) notes that the Nadavas are the same people as the Nairs of Malabar and the Bunts of Southern Tulu nadu.

Nairs dominated the civil, administrative and military elite of the Pre-British era in Kerala.

Etymology

The word Nair is derived from either the Sanskrit word Nayaka which means leader, or Naga (Serpents), which the Nairs worshipped. The word Nair also occurs in other parts of the world - although no direct linkages with the Nairs in Kerala have been established.

Typical Nair last names

Nair surnames are carried through matrilineality. The surname Nair is commonly used by all sub-castes belonging to Nair caste. However, there are surnames which are reminders of the honours conferred upon individuals by the powers that be from time to time in acknowledgement of exceptional acts of valour, erudition and scholarship, or excellence in chosen field of endeavour. The families of these individuals inherited the titles. It is also possible that in the majority of cases, such honours were bestowed by the Royalty in return for services rendered and in recognition of a display of loyalty. In general, the system of conferring honours points to the ruling Monarch's dependence on the Nairs who provided them with military and administrative support. While most of these are ranks and positions in a feudal set up (similar to the Mughals' Mansabdari system), such royal patronage was crucial to the development and promotion of strikingly singular forms of dance and drama such as Kathakali of which, the Nairs were exponents.

• Achan
• Adiyodi
• Asan
• Eradi
• Ilayidam
• Kaimal
• Karnavar
• Kartha
• Kitavu
• Kurup
• Mannadiar
• Menokki
• Menon
• Nambiar
• Nayanar
• Nedungadi
• Padanayar
• Pallee
• Panicker
• Pandala
• Pillai
• Thampi
• Thampan
• Thankkal
• Thirumulpadu
• Unnithan
• Valiathan
• Vallilath
• Vazhunnor
• Vellodi

Nair customs and traditions

Nairs have a number of unique customs.

Tharavadu

Main article: Tharavadu

Tharavadu refers to the joint-family system, possibly unique to the Nairs. It refers as well to the abode or family of a Nair. Under this system, the entire family lived together in a Naalukettu or Ettukettu, the latter in the case of a larger and more prosperous establishment.The family comprised of the matriarch,her brothers,younger sisters and the children excluding those of the brothers. (These latter belonged to another Tharavadu!). The eldest brother was known as the Karnavar.He was the head of the household and managed the family estate. Lineage was traced through the mother according to the Marumakkathayam system, and the children "belonged" to the mother's family. All family property was jointly owned. In the event of a partition, the shares of the children were clubbed with that of the mother. The Karnavar's property, which he earned for his Tharavadu, was inherited by his sister's children (known as "anathiravar", meaning the inheritors) and not by his own children. His children, in turn, would inherit property from their mother and maternal uncles.

A Tharavadu encompassed, in general, a Kulam (fresh-water pond) and a Sarpakaavu (a sacred spot with trees and thick foliage for worship of the "Nagathaan" (Serpents). The water body served the purpose of ritual baths, followed by Tantric worship in the "Sarpakavu", phased out into rituals and ceremonies that repeated in cycles of days, months, and years often accompanied by feasts that witnessed a grand assembly of kin.

A typical Nair Tharavad

The Tharavadu system is not viable any more and has declined in tune with the social and cultural changes which have taken their toll on many old institutions. Social reforms spread with modern education.In other words, Nairs switched over to the patriarchal model of kinship and inheritance.The partition of Tharavadus into individual shares (Alohari Bhaagam) followed the enactment of Land Reforms that stipulated upper limits on land holdings. Many Tharavadus, already bursting at the seams with internal dissensions and strife, collapsed under the pressure. The matrifocal system disintegrated. Fathers took charge of their sons and daughters and husband and wife started living together with their offspring. The Marumakkathayam Law which sanctioned dismantling of the Tharavadus and the partition of property, came into vogue in the year 1933. 32,900 families were partitioned in Travancore alone by 1938. The Tharavadu system of living became a thing of the past by the 1940s. Naalukettu and Ettukettu structures began to collapse, or were sold off.^[1]

Marumakkathayam

Main article: Marumakkathayam

Nairs followed the Marumakkathayam (Matrilineal) system of inheritance. It is exceptional in the sense that it was one of the few traditional systems that gave women liberty, and the right to property. Under this system, women enjoyed respect, prestige and power. An exception is the community of Mannadiars of Palakkad, since they follow the patrilineal system. Some historians believe that the Marumakkathayam system started after the Chera-Chola wars during the second Chera empire, as the Nairs lost most of their men during the war.

The Marumakkathayam system is not very common in Kerala these days for many reasons. Kerala society has become much more cosmopolitan and modern. Nair men seek jobs away from their hometown and take their wives and children along with them. In this scenario, a joint-family system is not viable. However, there are still a few tharavadus that pay homage to this system. In some Nair families, the children carry the last name of their mother instead of the father, and are considered part of the mother's family, and not the father's. Nairs connect to and trace their lineage to a tharavadu - not to a member of the family. Tharavadu names are quite an important element of social reckoning - though decreasing in importance these days. The Kerala rulers also followed the Marumakkathayam system.

Kalam by M.T. Vasudevan Nair, Ayalkkar by P. Kesava Dev and Kayar by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai portray the many facets of the Marumakkathayam system and how it had to dismantle itself in modern times.

Kalarippayattu

Main article: Kalarippayattu

The Vadakkan, or northern, style of Kalarippayattu is associated with the Nairs. In earlier times, Kalarippayattu was an essential component of education for Nairs. Nair men and even women learned the art of Kalaripayattu at an early age and used their skills in war and combat. From Kalaripayattu, comes Marma Adi. Marmam shastra was an advanced way to temporarily or permanently disable or kill an opponent through a tap with a finger on a specific nerve. Marma Adi capitalised on the knowledge of acupuncture points. In recent times, however, Marmam shastra and Marma Adi have been used only for therapeutic purposes. The Nair subcaste Kurup were the first Kalari teachers.

Marriage

Vivaham (Older Form)

The marriage ceremony among Nairs has changed considerably over the past two hundred years. Originally, the process started with the examination of the horoscopes of the bride and bridegroom to see if their respective stars agree astrologically. This is still done today in some conservative Nair families. If the stars do not match, families may go so far as to cancel the marriage and seek another prospective bride or groom. If the astrological predictions are favourable, further examination is undertaken to appoint an auspicious date and time for the ceremony. During the celebration, there would be a presentation of danom (wealth or alms) to Brahmins, and a sadhya (feast). The bride and bridegroom would meet in the central room of the house, rice would be sprinkled on their heads. This was the essence of a basic Nair marriage about two hundred years ago. In addition to these general ceremonies, there are local variations.

In North Malabar (Northern Kerala), there is a Podamuri or Vastradanam ceremony. In this ceremony, the initial examination of horoscopes takes place at the house of the bride in the presence of the bride's and bridegroom's families. The astrologer writes his calculations and opinion on a piece of palmyra leaf and hands it over to the bridegroom's relations. If the horoscopes match, a day is fixed for the ceremony. This date is also written down and handed to the bride's Karnavar and to the bridegroom's relations. The astrologer and the bridegroom's party are then invited to a feast in the bride's house. The astrologer also receives gifts in the form of money or cloth.

Three to four days prior to the wedding date, the bridegroom visits his Karnavars and caste-elders to receive permission to leave for the wedding. The bridegroom presents them with betel leaves and areca nuts and obtains formal sanction for the wedding. The bridegroom then proceeds, accompanied by a number of his friends to the house of his bride. He is received at the gate of the house by the bride's relations and is led with his friends, to seats provided in the thekina (southern hall) of the house. The bridegroom distributes gifts to all the Brahmins present. After this, the whole party is invited to take part in another sadhya. The astrologer then announces the auspicious hour that has been fixed and leaves after receiving his dues. The bridegroom is then taken by one of his friends to the padinitta (principal/western room of the house, where religious ceremonies are conducted). New clothes, betel leaves and areca nuts brought by the bridegroom's party are placed in this room. The room is decorated and turned into a bedroom for the occasion. In this room are placed a number of lamps as well as the ashtamangaliyam (eight articles symbolizing mangaliyam or marriage). These are rice, paddy, the tender leaves of the coconut tree, an arrow, a looking glass, a well-washed cloth, a burning fire, and a small rounded wooden box called a cheppu. The bridegroom with his groomsman enters the room through the eastern door, while the bride, dressed in beautiful clothes and jewelry, enters the room through the western door accompanied by her aunt or another elderly lady of the family. The bride stands facing east with the ashtamangalyam and lamps in front of her. The groomsman hands over to the bridegroom a few pieces of the new cloth and the bridegroom puts them into the hands of the bride. After this, the lady who accompanied the bride sprinkles rice over the lit lamps and over the heads and shoulders of the bride and bridegroom. The bridegroom then leaves the room to go to the thekina to present his elders and friends with cakes, betel leaves and areca nuts. After the guests have left, the bride and bridegroom retire to the bedroom. Next morning, the vettilakettu or salkaram ceremony is conducted and the bridegroom's female relations take the bride to the husband's house, where a feast is held in honour of the occasion. After marriage, the bride remains in her tharavaadu, and her husband will often visit her, while remaining a member of his own tharavaadu. The children, of course, will belong to their mother's tharavaadu in accordance with the marumakkathaayam system.

Vivaham (Newer Form)

These days, a number of the individual ceremonies have been abandoned or condensed. However, one can still see elements of the older ceremonies in the new ones. Families may observe all or part of the following ceremonies. The first ceremony is the Vivaha Nischayam or simply Nischayam. In this ceremony, an astrologer is consulted to set an auspicious date for the wedding. Horoscopes may or may not be compared depending on the wish of the individual or their families. After both families consent to the marriage, the couple visits the bride's home. This meeting may be a simple affair, or a large celebration. During the celebration, there may be a mothiram mattal (ring exchange) ceremony. This ceremony may also be conducted later, during the actual vivaham ceremony. If it is done at bride's house, it is usually done around a lit nila vilakku (brass oil lamp).

On the evening before the wedding the families of both the bride and the broom, gather in their respective homes to bless them. On the day of the wedding, the bride and the groom will separately visit a temple near their homes. The temple can belong to any God except Lord Ayyappan or Lord Hanuman as they are bachelors. The bride's parents carry the mangalyasutram or taali, a necklace that is a symbol of eternal union, to be blessed by the priests. Upon returning home, the bride and groom touch the feet of the elders of the family and receive blessings. This is called Namaskaaram.

The actual wedding may take place in a kalyana mandapam (a hall rented for the occasion), temple, or hotel. The bride's family receives the groom's family at the entrance of the venue to the tune of nadaswarams (long wind-instruments) and the beats of the thayli (large drums beaten with curved sticks). The groom stands on a wooden plank while the bride's younger brother washes his feet. The bride's aunts perform aarti for the groom with a thaali (platter), on which are arranged wicks made of twisted cotton. The groom is then escorted to the mandapam (platform constructed to perform the wedding rites) by two rows of young girls. One girl carries the changala vatta (sacred oil lamp), while another carries the ashtamangaliyam. The girls following the first two, carry the taala phuli (platters of rice, turmeric, and flowers on which oil lamps made of coconut shells are placed). With his parents on either side, the groom follows the girls around the mandapam and seats himself on the right side of the canopy, which is decorated by flowers, fabric, palm fronds, and banana stalks. The bride is then escorted by her aunt to the mandapam to the sound of the nadaswarams and thaylis. All those who are present on the mandapam stand when the bride arrives. She stands facing to the east, with the groom facing her. At the auspicious moment set by the astrologer for the muhurtham (the most auspicious time), the groom ties the thali around the bride's neck to the beating of drums. He is assisted by the bride's uncle because on no account should the thaali be allowed to fall. In some Nair communities, the traditional thaali is a gold pendant strung on a yellow thread. The bride has to wear this for three days after the wedding ceremony. After the three days have passed, the thread is replaced by a golden chain.

After the tying of the thaali, the groom gifts the bride a sari and a blouse on a platter. This signifies that he will now assume the responsibility of providing for her. The groom's mother also gifts the bride with some jewelry at this time. The couple then exchange garlands accepting each other as life partners. The bride's father then places the bride's hand in the groom's, thus handing over his daughter to the groom in holy matrimony. The couple is then escorted to a room by their older relatives, who bless them. After the marriage ceremony, the bride gets a send-off from her house. The couple leaves for the groom's house escorted by a few people from the bride's family. The groom's mother and older female relatives perform aarti with an oil lamp (which rests on a platter heaped with rice mixed with turmeric) and receive them at the entrance. Both bride and groom enter the house, right foot forward. The bride is then required to kick over a large pot containing rice, symbolizing prosperity.

After the wedding ceremony a wedding reception may be performed if the families so wish.

Kettu Kalyanam

The Kettu Kalyanam ceremony was not so much a marriage ceremony as it was a "rite of passage" ceremony marking the onset of puberty in a Nair woman. In this ceremony, a woman is "wedded" to a man on the first day, and to mark this, a thaali is tied. On the fourth day, the thaali is cut and the Kettu Kalyanam is over. Bride and groom have no further obligations to each other. This ceremony marks the eligibility of a woman for marriage. The Kettu Kalyanam ceremony used to be observed by all Nair women. It was essentially a religious ceremony which every Nair girl was supposed to undergo before puberty, on pain of excommunication. This practice has died out over the years, and due to the emphasis on social reforms, has been abandoned.

Sambandham

Main article: Sambandham

Originally, the word sambandham conveyed the same meaning as the verb "marry" in the English language. It essentially described the union of a man and woman as husband and wife. Sambandam was the Malayalam equivalent of vivaham in Sanskrit. A sambandham could be had by a Nair woman only after her Kettu Kalyanam. Though viewed by European commentators as immoral, or a form of polyandry, or even prostitution, sambandham was nothing of the sort. Sambandham essentially gave a Nair woman the power to initiate, consent to, or terminate a marital relationship with any man. This was unheard of in the patriarchial European societies.

This kind of relationship was customary among the other matrilineal groups like Kshatriyas, and Ambalavasis and even among the Moplah Muslims of Malabar as well. The husband mostly had the right of cohabitation only. The food and care of the women and children would be the responsibility of the Karnavar of the family. The alliance starts with the ceremonial gift of a Mundu or cloth to the lady by the prospective bridegroom.

Sambandham suited the matrifocal system. It also suited the system of Namboothiri Brahmins in which only the eldest male was allowed to marry among the same caste. So the younger Namboothiris took to sambandhams with Kshatriya, Ambalavasi or Nair women. In literature,the Namboothiri sambandham was criticised for the first time in the pioneering novel Indulekha (1889) by O. Chandu Menon, and in Sammanthaval (1889) by Unnattiri. Also see Lalithambika Antherjanam, Cast Me Out If You Will: Stories and Memoir, translated from the Malayalam by Gita Krishnankutty, (Calcutta: Stree, 1998). ISBN 81-85604-11-8.

Other customs

Seemantham: Seemantham or Pulikudi is performed when a woman is six months pregnant. On an auspicious day, after being massaged with home-made ayurvedic oil, the woman has a customary bath with the help of the elderly women in the family and then the family deity is worshipped, invoking all the paradevatas. After that a concoction of herbal medicines prepared in the traditional way is given to the woman. The woman is dressed in new clothes and jewelry (used for such occasions). The family then holds a feast for all the relatives. Medicines and routines are prescribed for the woman, to be followed till child-birth.

Jananam: The newborn is given a ritual bath,a few days later. Honey and gold (gold rubbed on a stone with honey) with Vayampu (a herbal medicine) are applied on the tongue of the newborn.

Thulamasakkuli: Traditionally All the women and girls in the family bathe in the river or family ponds before sunrise throughout the Malayalam month of Thulam (October-November), . They will then perform rituals of worship at home or visit a temple for Nirmalyam (viewing the deity for the first time in the day.)

Thiruvathirakkali: A form of dance performed by women mainly on the night of Thiruvathira (Ardra) day in the month of Dhanu (December-January) either in the courtyard of the nalukettu or in the courtyard in front of the house. The songs in accompaniment (Thiruvathirapaattu)are written in Malayalam and are set in a specfic meter. It is also called Kaikotti Kali and isperformed during the Onam celebrations.

Quotes about Nairs

Here are some quotes from the works of foreign travelers in Kerala regarding the Nairs:

1510 — "The first class of Pagans in Calicut is called Brahmins. The second are Nair, who are the same as the gentlefolk amongst us; and these are obliged to bear sword and shield or bows and lances." — Ludovico Varthema

1755 — "The king has disciplined a body of 10,000 Naires; the people of this denomination are by birth the Military tribe of the Malabar Coast." — Orme

1661. — "Olive colored they (Nair Women) grow their ears long and consider it fashionable, they wear gold and silver ornaments in the big ear holes... They grow hair and tie it in a peculiar fashion on the head. Chewing betel leaf is common and their teeth are thus often black in color. From a very early age they get military training, though fierce they are also well behaved, which is the custom here... These Nairs rarely laugh... They are born in Noble families and are adept warriors. They come out with sword in one hand and shield in the other. They are a proud and arrogant people." — Logan (Malabar Manual)

1661. — "... it is strange how ready the soldier of this country is at his weapon...they are all gentlemen and are termed Nayars ... they send their children to (Kalaris) when seven years old and their body becomes so nimble and bends as if they had no bones" — Logan (Malabar Manual)

1603. — "The men of war which the King of Calicut and all other kings have is Nair... each being a gentleman... their women be of great beauty and rare to catch sight of... possessing fine neat features... befitting the noble class" — – John Kanding

"...On the west coast there are a few curious distinctions that indicate, apparently, difference in racial origin. The first of these instances is that of the Nair, the military caste of Malabar. Their traditions point to the north as their native land; they are light in colour, in very great contrast to the rest of the castes of the tract, have retained the custom of polyandry, with a good deal of serpent worship. It appears that they advanced upon their present tract by way of the coast higher up, but how they got there does not appear. As with the Arya, they found a dark race in possession and enslaved them on their estates, where they labour to the present day. In the same tract, too, there is a class of Bráhmans, the Nambudiri, of remarkable fairness of complexion, and noted for their rigid ceremonial puritanism. Then, again, in the track of the Nair's alleged progress, we find a peculiar caste of Brahmans, partly occupied in the cultivation of spices and betel nut, but settled mostly above the Gháts, and not therefore so well sheltered from foreign influences as the Nair, who sought the coast. These Havig or Haiga Bráhmans show their connection with the Túlu country in their speech, and, like the Nairs, attribute to their caste a serpent origin in Rohilkhand, a statement borne out by their title. Between these we have a class of female temple servants of an equally light complexion amidst a universally dark population.."(Jervoise Athelstane Baines (1893), General report on the Census of India, 1891, London, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, p. 184) ↑

"Before quitting the country (Kerala) Hyder Ali Khan by a solemn edict declared the Nairs deprived of all (social and political) privileges and (ordered) not to carry arms. This ordinance was found to make the submission of the proud Nairs absolutely impossible because they would have thought death preferable to such humiliations and degradation. Therefore, Hyder Ali Khan by another ordinance, consented to restore all social and political privileges including carrying of arms, to the Nairs who embraced the Mohammadan religion. Many nobles had to embrace Islam; but a significantly large section (Nairs, Chieftains and Brahmins) chose rather to take refuge in the kingdom of Travancore in the South than to submit to the last ordinance" — Prince Ghulam Muhammad of Mysore

"The Nairs of Malabar who attained much celebrity in warfare....justly entitled born soldiers...by the virtue of their descent they must always bear arms..they constitute the third and the last of the honoured castes....a privilaged people....the Rajahs like the oriental monarchs are fond of exaggerating their importance and boast of the number of Nairs they have in their country and service to impress us (the Portuguese) with the idea of their wealth and power" — The Book, Letters from Malabar

James Lawrence's novel, The Empire of the Nairs, or, The Rights of Women: An Eutopian Romance (London: Thomas Hookham, 1811), while containing a number of factual inaccuracies and romanticisations about the Nairs, was instrumental in introducing many inprtant figures of the Romantic era such as Shelley to the Nairs and their society. Their matrilineal customs were important examples for early critics of patriarchy in support of the idea that patirarchy was not the inevitable order of society.

Notes and references

1. ^ G. Arunima. There Comes Papa: Colonialism and the Transformation of Matriliny in Kerala, Malabar c.1850-1940 , Orient Longman.

1. ^ Digital Colonial Documents (India) http://www.chaf.lib.latrobe.edu.au/dcd/page.php?title=&record=1031

See also

• Forward Castes
• List of Famous Nairs
• Kalari
• Reddys
• Bunts
• Tharavadu
• Martial Race
• Naalukettu
• Kshatriya
• Samanthans
• Sambandham
• Maaran
• Jenmi
• Ettuveetil Pillamar
• Caste system in Kerala

External links

• Nair Social Society of Canada
• Nairs Website
• Eranakulam Karayogam
• Exclusive Nair Website
• Adyar Nair Seva Society
• Nair Group
• Digital Colonial Documents (India)