Kartha(कर्ता) means manager. The title 'Kartha' was given to some influential Nair families of Kiriyam subdivision(Kiriyathil Nairs) by Rajas of Malabar in ancient times. Today this surname is used by many communities. Three main types of Karthas are Nair Karthas, Meenachil Karthas, and Vellalar Karthas. I don't know if there are non-Kiriyathil Nairs in Kochi and Malabar who use the surname Kartha. Kiriyathil Nair Karthas have no relation with other Karthas.
About six centuries ago, parts of Kerala were governed by several petty local chiefs. Two such neighboring chiefs were the Kodassery Kartha and the Koratty Kaimal.
Shri.Cheranalloor Kunju-Karthavu was a magician in the eighteenth century. He belonged to Cheranalloor Tharavadu.
I have never heard that Illathu Nairs were also given the title Kartha. There is a typical community in Travancore region called 'Meenachil Kartha' who claim that they are Rajputs but there is no evidence for it. In the Rajput community, there are four types of Vanshas, they are Suryavansh, Chandravansh, Agnivansh, and Nagavansh. There is no information about the Vansha of Meenachil Karthas. Also, on the website of Mewar Royal family, there is no mention about Meenachil Karthas.
In Encyclopaedia of the Madras Presidency and the Adjacent States by Vuppuluri Lakshminarayana Shastri it is written that "The Meenachil relics show that the Kuttanadu Rajah, who governed it then, had under him 16 Madambimars, who formed his military council. The descendants of the Awalur Panicker, the commander of the forces at Aryad, still draw a pension from the Government. The Alwaye archives disclose that Pularkat Kaimal, Chennat Padanair and Kalathil Kartha were the military leaders at the time."
Data were collected from Census of India, 1961: Kerala by India. Office of the Registrar General, In Kerala - Volume 1 - Page 1115 by Shri.Kumar Suresh Singh, T. Madhava Menon and D. Tyagi and Tales Once Told: Legends of Kerala Adapted from Kottarathil Sankunni's Aithihyamala by Abraham Eraly.
About six centuries ago, parts of Kerala were governed by several petty local chiefs. Two such neighboring chiefs were the Kodassery Kartha and the Koratty Kaimal.
Shri.Cheranalloor Kunju-Karthavu was a magician in the eighteenth century. He belonged to Cheranalloor Tharavadu.
I have never heard that Illathu Nairs were also given the title Kartha. There is a typical community in Travancore region called 'Meenachil Kartha' who claim that they are Rajputs but there is no evidence for it. In the Rajput community, there are four types of Vanshas, they are Suryavansh, Chandravansh, Agnivansh, and Nagavansh. There is no information about the Vansha of Meenachil Karthas. Also, on the website of Mewar Royal family, there is no mention about Meenachil Karthas.
In Encyclopaedia of the Madras Presidency and the Adjacent States by Vuppuluri Lakshminarayana Shastri it is written that "The Meenachil relics show that the Kuttanadu Rajah, who governed it then, had under him 16 Madambimars, who formed his military council. The descendants of the Awalur Panicker, the commander of the forces at Aryad, still draw a pension from the Government. The Alwaye archives disclose that Pularkat Kaimal, Chennat Padanair and Kalathil Kartha were the military leaders at the time."
Data were collected from Census of India, 1961: Kerala by India. Office of the Registrar General, In Kerala - Volume 1 - Page 1115 by Shri.Kumar Suresh Singh, T. Madhava Menon and D. Tyagi and Tales Once Told: Legends of Kerala Adapted from Kottarathil Sankunni's Aithihyamala by Abraham Eraly.
