What is the history of Nair?
What is the history of Nair?
Nair is the name of a Hindu Kshatriya caste in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Nairs are an integral part of Kerala’s culture and have a long history. The Nair caste was a martial nobility, similar to the Samurai of Japan and figure prominently in Kerala History. There is also a belief that the Nairs are Nagas.
Where does the name Nair come from?
Indian (Kerala): Hindu (Nayar) name denoting membership of the Nayar community, which is from Malayalam nayar ‘leader’, ‘lord’, ‘soldier’ (from Sanskrit naya(ka) ‘leader’ + the honorific plural ending -r). The Nayars were regarded as protectors of the land.
Is Nair a high caste?
The Nambudiri Brahmins were at the top of the ritual caste hierarchy and in that system outranked even the kings. They regarded all Nairs as Shudra. Likewise, a Nair could approach but not touch a Nambudiri.
Is Nair and Pillai same?
Pillai can be considered as an honorific surname conferred to some subsects among Nairs, a forward caste. In Kerala, Pillais are a subset of Nairs just like Unnithan, Valiyathan, Kaimal, Thampi, Kartha, Menoki, Menon, Panickar, Kurup, Nambiar etc. Pillais were the henchmen of the erstwhile kings of Travancore.
Who are the ancestors of Nair?
“Those including Veluthedathu Nair, Chakkala Nair and Vaniyar are all commonly known as Nairs in our period. The Nairs here are those belonging to the Adivasi tribes of Paniya and Kurichya. Then they became the Nayakans of the army of the Brahmins and later Nairs.”
Are Menons Kshatriyas?
Varmas, Samanthan Nairs etc, are Kshatriya-function Nairs, who were born via alliances with male brahmins and female Nairs. MENONS, Pillai, Nambiar, Panicker etc make the next level, who also had alliances – Sambandham and were local chieftains, Kalari teachers, military commanders etc.
Are Pillai’s Nairs?
Their family names were derived from the areas they administered. According to Mark de Lannoy, at one time, prominent Pillais included six Nairs, a Brahmin (Pillai Idathara Potti) and a Kshatriya (Pillai Ilampel Pandarathil).
Is Pillai a Malayali?
PILLAI/PILLAY is an upper caste name used in both Kerala & Tamil Nadu. There is an ancestral connection between the Vellalars of Tamil Nadu and with the Vellalars of Kerala and the Vellalars that assimilated into the Nair/Nayar communities.