Nair Warriors - 1

Nair was a well-known martial community in previous centuries. Even the European travellers who had visited Kerala in the olden times had praised the Nair warriors. In the Sangam era, the Nairs were known as Nāka. Nāka is the Tamil word for Nāga or Nāgavanshi. In Tamil alphabets 'Ga' is not included. For example, the name Ganapathi in Tamil is called Kanapathi. In the Sangam scriptures, Nāka is mentioned as caste of Serpent-worshippers. Some people claim that Nairs are related to the Naga tribe of Assam which is not true. The caste name of the Assamese tribe Naka comes Burmese word 'No-Ka' which means 'people with pierced earlobes.' 
The Sangam era scriptures were written in Vattezhuthu script. One of the mentions about Nākas or Nāgas is as follows, "Hail the Nākas the ones with big moustaches, broad chest, powerful physiques, sacred ash-bearing forehead, hands powerful enough to smash the skull of a lion in one blow, who are masters in martial arts, extremely proficient in archery and use of swords, and so acrobatic that they can spring to great heights and do somersaults in air, capable of single-handedly driving back a herd of elephants, adepts in use of fatal slingshots, and agile and trained enough to escape shots coming their ways, experts in slitting the necks of war-horses with a knife tied to their shins, who wrench out the tongues of the ones who utter untruths and so truthful themselves, God-fearing and respectful towards sagely figures and having sages, who shine like precious stones, among themselves." One of the manuscripts describe Nākas thus:
'Fortitude-personified are the Nākas
Stupendously strong of arms are the Nākas
Annihilators of evil-minded are the Nākas
Competent and complete swordsmen are are the Nākas
Wielders of sharp swords are the Nākas
Of good and widespread repute are the Nākas
Mystics and self-realized are the Nākas
Masterful in archery are the Nākas
Who win the wars with their skills are the Nākas
Who sacrifice supremely are the Nākas
Who prostrate before the saintly souls are the Nākas
The embodiments of righteousness are the Nākas
Righteousness is the only way known to the Nākas
Righteousness is their very mind for the Nākas
Righteousness is the soul itself for the Nākas
Righteousness is God Supreme for the Nākas
Righteousness is the only knowledge for the Nākas
Righteousness is their very world for the Nākas'
In short, the picture about Nākas emerging from the records written in old Tamil is that they were able-bodied warriors, with good expertise in martial arts, Marmashastra, acrobatics and usage of weapons. They were well-informed in matters connected with elephants, horses etc and were truthful, spiritually inclined and intelligent. They never condoned or forgave the act of indiscipline, infidelity and untruthfulness. They were teetolaters, strictly moral, especially so, in their behaviour with women, and were devotees of Lord Shiva. And there were among them men of high spiritual attainments like self-realised sages.  
The Sangam texts also mention that the Nāgas were always armed with noose (I think it's Urumi or Nāgapāsham), they had well-built cities and they were a civilized people. The speech of Nāgas was not Tamil, but it was not impossible for a Tamil man to master it. During the Chera-Chola war Nairs were important warriors. From there they began to be called "Lokar" and "Malokar" meaning the great people. These titles were not given to any other non-Brahmin or non-royal caste. In 'Social History of India', Shri. S. N. Sadasivan has mentioned that the Pulayas and Parayas used to address the Ezhavas as Malor (Malokar or Mahalokar). In none of the ancient scriptures it is given that the Ezhavas were also given the titles Lokar and Malokar. Once I read on website that Lokar and Malokar are the surnames of Gaud Saraswat Brahmin community. I don't if it's a correct information or not. 
The origin of Nāgavansha is from Kashmir. Later their empire expanded to northern Pakistan and northern Afghanistan. The Naga kingdom of northern Pakistan was known as Takshashila and the Naga kingdom of northern Afghanistan was known as Gāndhāra. In Kalhana's Rājatarangini, we find frequent references to Gāndhāra and its Brahmins. It is recorded that Mihirakula the Ephalite Hun King of Kashmir settled thousands of Gāndhāran Brahmins in Kashmir. He also tells us that young warriors of Gāndhāra were in great demand for the army of Kashmir. 
In the Mahabharata time, Gāndhāra was ruled by King Shakuni and Princess Gāndhāri was his sister. The southern part of Travancore region was known as Anantapura in ancient times. It was too a kingdom ruled by the Nāgavanshi kings. I think it had some connection with Gāndhāra because in Thiruvananthapuram there is a Temple called Shree Gāndhāri Amman Kovil. The main deity of this Temple is a Goddess. I personally believe that the Idol of the Goddess of this Temple was brought by the Nāgavanshis of Afghanistan. Similarly, in Kollam, there is a Temple dedicated to King Shakuni. Kānthāri Mulaku (कांतारि मुळक) is typical chilli found in Kerala and is similar to Afghan chillies. I think its real name was Gāndhāri Mulaku. 
Ahichhatra (अहिछत्र) in India is the place from which Brahmans are said to have been brought into Malabar by King Mayura Varma. Ahichhatra was evidently a stronghold of the Nagas, chief among whom were the Madras, the Gāndhāras, and the Bahlikas. Once I saw on the internet that in Rajasthan there is a beautiful ancient fort called Ahichhatragarh (अहिछत्रगढ़) and it was built by the Nāgavanshis. So, the word Ahi has some connection with Nāgavansha. In the Rigveda the term Ahi (अहि) is applied to the Asuras or Dasyus.
A legend of the Mahabharata relates how Princess Kadru compelled Garuda to convey her sons across the sea “to a beautiful country, in a distant region, which was inhabited by Nagas”. After encountering a violent storm and great heat, the sons of Kadru were landed in a place called Ramanika (रमणिका) in Ahidesha. Ahidesha (अहिदेश) is the territory of the serpents (Nagas or Asuras in ail probability). According to some historians, Ahidesha is Kerala. Below are some verses taken from ancient Malayalam scriptures.
"എങ്കിലോ അക്കടലുടയവർ നാകത്താന്മാരല്ലൊ ആകുന്നതു, 
അവർക്കല്ലൊ ആദികാലത്തെ വരുണൻ ഒരു നൂറ്റെട്ട് കാതം കൊണ്ടു തറമുഴുവതും കൊടുത്തു എന്ന് ചൊല്ലിയതു. 
കൈത്തടിമെ കരുവാന നാകത്താരെ 
മെയ്ത്തടിമെ മെനിയാന നാകത്താരെ 
പൊയിത്തിടരെ പൊടിയാക്കും നാകത്താരെ 
എത്തിശൈയും പൂക്കൾ കൊണ്ട നാകത്താരെ
ചിത്തി മുത്തി കൈ കണ്ട നാകത്താരെ 
വില്ലാളി വീരനാന നാകത്താരെ
വിരുതു കെട്ടി പടൈ വെല്ലം നാകത്താരെ
പുല്ലനെ വെല്ലാം തുറക്കും നാകത്താരെ"  
I got its translation as shown below. Please forgive me if the translation is incorrect.  
"Isn't it the Nagas who own the sea, 
they were given 108 units of land by Lord Varuna (of Rigveda).
O Nagas, who have strong hands.
O Nagas, who are true men. 
O Nagas, who crush the villains. 
O Nagas, who are adorned with flowers. 
O Nagas, who are best in Siddhi and Mukti.
O Nagas, who are brave archers. 
O Nagas, who are honoured and whose army is like a flood.
O Nagas, who easily remove barriers."  
The Nagas were called Nāgara in ancient Malabar. It is assumed that it was during the third century B. C. the Buddhism came to Kerala. The language of Buddhism is Prakrit (प्राकृत्). In Prakrit, the word for Nāgara is Nāyara. So, when Kerala became a Buddhist region the word Nāgara got replaced with Nāyara. I was surprised when I read on the internet that Armenia was known as Nairi in ancient times and the people of Nairi used to worship particular stone sculptures which they called Vishapakar. Vishapakar means serpent-stones. This made me think that perhaps Nagavanshis might have lived in Armenia for some considerable time. An Armenian king is described as being so strong that he could "seize two bulls by horns, and break them off with his bare hands." Another king taken prisoner by the Byzantines was thrown to the beast in the arena of Constantinople. He overpowered the bear and lion that attacked him. In reward, he was pardoned and released. 
The martial art practiced by Nairs was Kalaripayattu. It was taught to their ancestors by Shree Parashurama, who is a warrior sage and one of the Holy Chiranjeevis (those who are blessed by God to live till the end of the Kaliyuga) according to Hinduism. Shree Parasurama, in his fight with Kshatriyas, was assisted by Nāgas. This martial art got passed from one generation to another and hence it became one of the traditions of the Nair community. The Nair warriors used Kalaripayattu only to protect and defend, never as aggressive combat or for evil purposes. In some of their ceremonies including weddings the Nairs used to perform sword play. 
The Kalari system of Kerala is based on the concept of awakening of Kundalini, or the Serpent power and it was zealously maintained. The original Nairs were ardent serpent-worshippers from ancient times. The warlike propensity of Nairs was attested by the employment of implements of war in their household ceremonies, by their isolated mode of living in the midst of fenced gardens and by establishment to each Thara or field of a Kalari where in the gymnasium section their youth were taught to accustom themselves to the use of arms. Nair ballads are too abound with stories of martial achievement of the Nair warriors. 
The Nairs were always greedy after the prey. They were all bred to the war, even from the seventh year of age, when they used to anoint their limbs with certain ointments to render the nerves pliable, which made them very active and nimble, and the best wrestlers in the world. They were not only well acquainted with the use of bows and arrows, but also with musquets and great cannon. They made their own gun-barrels, gun-powder and matches. Being very nimble they often turned their backs, but soon returned to the charge, when they find the little opportunity of having an advantage against their enemies. On the hilts of their swords they wore certain pieces of metal, which made a noise as they moved, served them for a certain Musick: They were very dexterous in defending their bodies with their shields, and consequently were better at handy blows. Among the Nairs those who called themselves Amok, were the worst, being a company of desperadoes, who engaged themselves and their families by oaths to revenge such Injuries as are done them. 
The power of the Kings of Kerala was generally esteemed by the number of the Nairs under their jurisdiction. If any of their Kings got murdered, they used to sacrifice all to revenge his death. One can find the mention about Nairs in the scriptures of the time of King Rama Varma Kulasekhara (1020 - 1102) of the second Chera dynasty. When the Chera empire was attacked by Cholas the Nairs fought forming suicide squads or Chavers against the invading force. The Naduvazhi was the military chief and it was his duty to be present at the" battle field with his fighting men whenever requisitioned by the Princes. The Nairs formed a huge militia, and, till regular standing armies were organised, were entrusted with the protection of the land. While not fighting, they engaged themselves in agricultural and other occupations. The Thara was the Nair territorial unit of organisation for civil purposes, and was governed by representatives of the caste, who were styled Karanavars or elders.
Though a military race, the lives of the Nairs, from start to finish, seem to be invested by religion. From birth to death, every act and rite of theirs is touched by it. When they settled down and began to till and toil for livelihood. When the necessity for common shrines for the community, settled in different centres, was felt, these were established, and were called Kāvu. A Kāvu is a sacred place that consists of a small platform which will be maximum two or three feet high with a deity or some deities installed on it and this platform is surrounded by a lot of trees and plants which makes this place look like a forest. There are even now 108 Durgālayas in Malabar. They are Kāvus dedicated to Goddess Durga. They have a history behind them. Durgālaya means The Abode of Goddess Durga or The Temple of Goddess Durga. In the verses taken from Malayalam scriptures, mentioned above, it is given that the Nāgas were given 108 units of land by Lord Varuna of Rigveda. I think the Nāgas had built Temples for Goddess Durga in each unit of the land and those Temples are known as sacred 108 Durgālayas today. 
The position of the Nairs in spiritual matters is evidenced by the prominent part they played in the establishment and management of Temples. If the chronicles of the Temples of Kerala are ransacked, it will be found that many of them were either owned or managed by the Nairs. In a Sanskrit work called Kerala Kshiti Ratna Mala (meaning: A garland of gems of the land of Kerala) the author says “Some of them (the Nairs) are superior warriors even amongst warriors. All the Gods take to them" (verse 115). 





Reference: Four Wishes: Selected Writings of Sri Chatambi Swamikal By S.Jagathsimhan Nair, Sri Chatambi Swamikal,  Folklore of Kerala by Shri. Kavalaṃ Narayaṇappanikkar, Racial Synthesis in Hindu Culture By S.V. Viswanatha, History of the Tamils: From the Earliest Times to 600 A.D. By P. T. Srinivasa Iyengar, Mapping Place Names of India By Anu Kapur, The Penguin Food Guide to India. Author: Charmaine O' Brien, Aliens and the Multi-Paradox of Reality by Peter J Miele, A True and Exact Description of The Most Celebrated Coast of The Malabar and Coramandel, As Also of The Isle of Ceylon by Philip Baldeus, Social Change in Malabar by Shri. M. S. A. Rao, Manual of the Administration of the Madras Presidency, in Illustration of the Records of Government & the Yearly Administration Reports, Volume 2 by E. Keys, The Eastern Anthropologist, Volumes 12-13, Some Aspects of Nayar Life by Shri. K. M. Panikkar, Performing Arts of Kerala - Page 129 by Sushri. Mallika Sarabhai, Malabar and Anjengo Vol 1, Armenia Food: Fact, Fiction & Folklore by Irina Petrosian and David Underwood, Culture and Political History of Kashmir, Volume 1 by Shri. P. M. K. Bamzai. 

Fabricating stories to subjugate a community

I respect all the communities in the world. But it seems like some people are trying to bring my community under their control and it's very distressing. When I was writing on a new topic, I noticed that I had received some comments on one of my previous blogs titled 'Kaniyars were not the preceptors of Kalaripayattu'. Those people claimed that they belong to a caste called "Kalari kurup/Kalari panicker" and their ancestors were the preceptors of Nairs, etc. They were trying hard to convince me that what they were saying is true. But there is no genuine evidence for what they said. Until recent years, this caste was known as the sub-caste of Kaniyar community but now some members of this caste are saying that they are a different caste and are not related to Kaniyar community. I deleted all their comments and disabled comments for the blog. I never wanted to write a post like this. Because the disturbance from some members of some non-Brahmin communities has become unbearable, I decided to write it. Few months ago, I noticed that an article called 'Kalaripayattu (stick fighting)' is posted on Wikipedia and details about weapons were exactly the way I have written on the post with title Kalaripayattu. It seemed like someone had copied them from my blog. I felt very sad but I ignored it. I always write posts by referring books. Some posts I have written based on the rituals and traditions of my family. I never write on blog anything created in my imagination. 
Few days ago I saw that someone has written on the internet, "Nesamani is a famous freedom fighter but why the caste name Nair got so famous and became known to all." I don't know what problem this person has with the fame of Nair community. The Nair community is famous from centuries. The European travelers of ancient India have noted about all the castes of Malabar in their books. The most famous among the Malabari castes were, Brahmin, because of their Satvik and pious lifestyle, Kshatriya, because they were royalty and Kiriyathil and Illathu Nairs, because of their martial art skills. The men of Hindu royal familes too were experts in martial arts. From one of the videos about Kung-fu on YouTube I came to know that Kung-fu was actually brought to China by a Prince from southern India whose name was Shri. Jayavarman. In my opinion, the Cochin Royal Family are the descendants of Prince Janamejaya, the great grandson of Prince Arjuna of Kuru kingdom and Princess Subhadra of Dwāraka kingdom. Once I read on the internet that they are Chandravashi Kshatriyas and the other name Cochin Royal Family is Kuru Swaroopam. King Kuru was a Chandravanshi Kshatriya and the ruler of Kuru Kingdom. Pandavas and Kauravas were his descendants. The martial art teacher of Pandavas and Kauravas was Guru Dronacharya, who belonged to the Brahmin community and was the descendant of Maharshi Angirasa. Guru Dronacharya had learned martial arts from Lord Parashurama. The Guruvayur Shree Krishna Temple actually belonged to the Cochin Royal Family. At that time the name of the Temple was Kuruvayur. There is a belief that Prince Janamejaya had visited this Temple and prayed to Lord Krishna to forgive the sins of Sarpasatra. Later, a war happened between the King of Cochin Royal Family and the King of Samoothiri Royal Family (Zamorin Royal Family). The King of Samoothiri Royal Family captured a large area of Cochin kingdom which included Guruvayur and hence the King of Samoothiri Royal Family got authority over the Shree Krishna Temple of Guruvayur. 
Duarte Barbosa in his book, A Description of the coasts of East Africa and Malabar in the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century, has mentioned in the section about Nairs as follows, "In these fencing there is much agility and science. And there are very skillful men who teach this art, and they are called Panicars. These are captains in war. These Nairs when enlist to live with the King bind themselves and promise to die for him." Panicars mentioned in the section about Nairs are Nair-Panickers and not other Panickers. Kurup means teacher and it was a title given to the teachers of Kalaris or martial art schools. When a Nair man became an expert on Kalarippayattu, he was given the title Panicker which means master and was appointed as the head of the soldiers in the kings' armies. But if he was appointed as the teacher in Kalaris, he was given the title Kurup. Kurup, Panicker, Menon, Nambiar, Pillai, Thampi, Kaimal, Kartha were the titles given to men of Kiriyathil and Illathu Nair community. Today these titles are used by the members of all castes of Hindu and Christian communities. 
The caste called Kalari kurup/Kalari panicker is found in Kerala and Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts of Tamil Nadu. Some members of this community who are born and raised in Kerala speak Tamil very well like native speakers. They claim that it was their ancestors who taught Kalaripayattu to the ancestors of all other castes in Kerala. They say that Kurup and Panicker are their castes and not titles given by the kings. The people of this caste used to call the martial art of Kerala 'Kalari', which is incorrect. Kalari means institution and the name of the martial art is Kalaripayattu.  
In Keralolpaththi it is mentioned that Nairs are Nāgavanshis who came from a kingdom called Ahichchathra. But there is no information about the history of Kalari kurup/Kalari panicker caste. I think the members of this caste too don't know about their ancestry. In the scriptures of Sangam era Nāka (Nāga) are mentioned as a martial tribe who were serpent worshippers and whose mother tongue was not Tamil. Whereas there is no mention about a martial tribe called Kalari kurup/Kalari panicker in these scriptures. 
There is a Malayalam movie song based on the communist way of thinking. The song is called "Parashuraman mazhu erinju nediyathalla (meaning: Lord Parashurama didn't obtain by throwing axe)." According to Hindu beliefs, Kerala was formed when Lord Parashurama threw axe in the sea and the sea went backwards till the point just after where the axe fell. 
I think the members of Kalari kurup/Kalari panicker caste have a false belief that once their ancestors had a good position in society and it is because of the ancestors of Nairs their ancestors lost their position. They may argue that the kings and the Brahmins suppressed their ancestors because they never allowed their women to have Sambandhams with them. My answer for this argument is as follows,
1) Sambandham was like a normal marriage. The only difference was Thaali or Mangalsutra was not tied in Sambandham. Upper caste Nair women were not polyandrous. In Mahabharata there is a mention about a sage called Shree Āstika whose father was Brahmin and mother belonged to Nāgavansha. In one of my previous posts, Nāgavanshis of Kanchipuram, I have shared some information given in the scriptures of Sangam era which says that the kings and princes of those era used to marry Nāgavanshi women. So the hypergamous marriage existed in Nair community from ancient times but it was not polyandrous. The caste of the children born from hypergamous marriages were decided according to the caste hierarchy. I personally believe that the kings and the Brahmins never married women of other non-Royal and non-Brahmin castes because their ancestries had no relation with the ancestries of those castes. 
2) There are proofs for Ramayana and Mahabharata. Also, in these scriptures there is a mention about a warrior tribe called Nāga. At the same time, there is no mention about a community called Kalari kurup/Kalari panicker. 
3) If their ancestor were great warriors, why there is no mention about them and a caste called Kalari kurup/Kalari panicker in the ballads of Kerala? They also claim that their ancestors had good knowledge of astrology and medicine. If that is true, which are the books based on astrology and medicine written by their ancestors? In which language their ancestors wrote the astrological calendars if their ancestors knew to read and write?
The oldest civilization in this world is Harappan civilization or Sindhu-Saraswati civilization. The Mantras of Rigveda are written in the walls of the houses of Harappan civilization. Vedas were written by the ancestors of Brahmins. Rigveda is the oldest religious text in the world. In ancient times Astrology was the profession of Brahmins only. Brahmins are the descendants of Maharishis. Some of the oldest books based on astrology were written by Maharishi Bhrigu and Maharishi Parashara. Similarly, some of the oldest books based on medicine are Sushrutasamhita and Charakasamhita. Dhanurveda, the Veda about martial arts, was written by Maharishi Vashishṭha. The Maharishis were very religious, they had very pious lifestyle and because they chanted Mantras daily and worshiped God with strong devotion through rituals like Pooja,Yagna and Homa, they developed sixth sense using which they learned about astronomy, astrology, medicine, martial arts and various other types of sciences. There is no information about from where the ancestors of Kalari kurups and Kalari panickers learned astrology, medicine and martial arts. Shri. L. Anantha Krishna Iyer has mentioned in his book, in the section about this caste that "Some curious old weapons of war covered with rust were seen by me in their schools, but they would not part with them (തുരുമ്പുകൊണ്ട് പൊതിഞ്ഞ ചില പഴയ യുദ്ധായുധങ്ങൾ അവരുടെ കളരികളിൽ ഞാൻ കണ്ടു, പക്ഷെ അവർ പങ്കെടുക്കുമ്പോൾ അത് ഉപയോഗിക്കാറില്ല)." The rusted weapons might be the ones abandoned by Kshatriyas and Nairs. It is very impolite or disrespectful to keep rusted weapons in Kalaris because in Kalaris the Goddess and other Deities are installed and only after bowing to them with folded hands the practice is begun. Kalari is not a place only for practicing martial arts. The worship of Goddess and other Deities are also performed in Kalaris.
Some words are common in more than one language but they have different meanings. For example, in Tulu language the word Nāyar means plough. Similarly, In Tamil the word Kaḷari (களரி) means gallery and Panikkar (பணிக்கர்) means worker. So, in Tamil the name Kalari Panicker could mean gallery worker. The name Kalari kurup might be later adopted by some members of this caste to raise their social status, the way Kadupattans did. Kadupattan was a caste of salt-workers. Later they changed their caste name to Ezhuthachan to raise their social status. But no one had any objection in Kadupattans changing the name of their caste. They were treated like normal people and they never had to face any problem from the society. 
Nairs have only one caste organisation, and that is Nair Seva Samajam or Nair Service society (NSS). Today many organisations have been made using the name of Nair caste. For example, Samastha Nair Samajam. As far as I have seen, many members of this organisation are non-Nairs of Tamil and Telugu origin. There are many non-Nairs in NSS too. One user on YouTube once told me that some members of NSS are secretly following Christianity. 
Some Non-Brahmin castes have a misconception that their caste is related to Nair. At the same time, some other non-Brahmin castes are creating fabricated stories and are trying to establish that those fabricated stories are true. These story-inventors have mainly targeted three communities in Kerala, the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas (castes of Royal families) and the Nāgavanshi Nairs (Kiriyathil and Illathu Nairs). The most painful and unforgivable thing is that some of these story-inventors are trying to have marital relations with members of these three communities by deception. 
Shri. Chirakkal T. Sreedharan Nair had written a book on Kalaripayattu in which he had mentioned the name of Shri. C. V. Narayanan Nair as "C V Narayanan Nair Gurukkal". This could be the reason why some members of Tamil-Gurukkal community migrated to Kannur (the hometown of Shri. C. V. Narayanan Nair) and began to pretend that they belong to Nair community. Maybe, they had a misconception that Nair community has a sub-caste called Gurukkal. In Kerala the word Gurukkal means teacher. It was used by the students to call their teachers and it is not the name of a caste. The members of Tamil-Gurukkal caste, settled in Kerala, changed their caste name to Nair-Gurukkal. I have seen some of their profiles on the matrimonial websites. But after their misconceptions were cleared no issues with this caste have been reported yet. 
Last year, I think, a person commented on one of my posts and I chatted with him by giving replies. He tried to pretend that he belongs to my community. When I asked him about the details of his family, I felt like he is becoming nervous. Finally, I found that he doesn't belong community and when I asked him why did he lie, he said "I am also a Nair. I don't care what you think about me." How rude! isn't it? Because he knows very well that my community has strict rules. I thought, doesn't he feel shame to look down on his own community and think lowly of his ancestors.
Subdivisions are not there only in Hindu community. For example in the Muslim community, there are subdivisions like Sunni, Shia, Salafi, etc. Similarly, in the Christian community there are subdivisions like Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, etc. I think most of the castes of the Hindu community were migrants who were not Hindus before and this could be the reason why in ancient times the members of migrant communities were not allowed to enter Hindu Temples. The indigenous castes of India have a great respect for their their ancestry, rituals and traditions and because of that most of the members of indigenous castes marry according to their caste rules only. 
I have seen some people writing nonsense about Nair community on the internet. When I see such cooked up contents, I think what the writers of these items are trying to prove. If you don't know about a community, you should not write about it. For example, if someone asks me about the rituals of Brahmin community, I would frankly say that I don't know. Because only those who are born and raised in Brahmin community can tell correctly about its rituals. Have you ever seen in my blogs the matters of other castes written with a lot of interest? Also, I have never invented stories about other castes in my life. I have a lot of books based on the history of Kerala and I refer those books to write posts. The Internet is like a blessing from God. Today it is one of the most needed thing in a person's life. Writing genuine contents will help a lot of people around the world to gain more knowledge.

Was Nagavanshi Nair one of the polyandrous communities of ancient India?

Polyandry was absent in the Sangam Era. But later it became popular among many non-Brahmin communities of southern India. There is no clear evidence about how and when polyandry became popular among these communities. I am not at all interested in writing about the personal matters of other castes. But because some people claimed without any proofs that my own caste was too polyandrous in ancient times, I decided refer the books based on the history of Kerala and and write a blog about this topic. There are mixed opinions about polyandry of Nair community. It might be because Nair is a group of castes. Today, there is a new misconception that Sambandham was a polyandrous marriage. 
Some people, especially those who are staunch communists, argue that in ancient Kerala upper castes used to suppress the lower castes and that is why each and every person in those days had to take his/her traditional occupation for living. It was not so. In 'The Suma oriental of Tome Pires' it is mentioned that, "In Malabar a son cannot be more important than his father, the son has to follow his father's profession." Also, in those days the lifestyles of upper castes and lower castes were entirely different. For example, drinking alcohol was regarded as an anti-social matter among the upper castes. 

In 'De aarde en hare bewoners, volgens de nieuwste ontdekkingen: een werk ter bevordering der kennis van landen en volken en van derzelver voortbrengsels en handel, Volume 16', written by Eberhardt August Wilhelm von Zimmermann in Dutch, published in the year 1824, it is stated that, 
"De kinderen, welke uit deze veelmannerij voortkomen, erven met elkander gemeenschappelijk  van alle mannen der moeder. Volgens sommige berigten, bepaalt zich deze veelmannerij der Malabaren niet tot de Caste der krijgslieden alleen, maar daar de Nairen insgelijks verscheidene lagere Casten, b. v. landbouwers, goudsmeden, en andere handwerkers hebben, strekt zich deze lagere klasfen uit. PENNANT beweert zelfs, dat de Nairen, de klasfe der krijgslieden namelijk, ieder der eene vrouw hebben. Hoe dit zij, deze Polyandrie strekt zich zeker niet verre uit." 
Translation: The children, who come from this many times, inherit together from all the mother's men. According to some people, this malice of the Malabars is not confined to the Caste of warriors alone, but since the Nairs likewise several lower Castes, b. v. farmers, goldsmiths, and other craftsmen, extends these lower grades. PENNANT even claims that the Nairs, the class of warriors, each have a wife. Whatever this is, this polyandry certainly does not extend far."
In 'Handbuch der neuefien Erdbefcheeibung', written in German, published in the year 1822, the authors have mentioned that, 
"Die höchfie Klass der Nairen find die Kirif oder Kirum Nairen, woraus ihre Fürsten und häupclinge absiammen, dann folgen die Sudra's, welche die Krieger ausmachen. Bei den 5 niedern klassen herrscht die Geowohnheit, dab eine Frau mehrere Männer nehmen fann, und es giebt Fälle, daß eine Frau 2, 3 und mehrere Bruder zu Männern hat, die aus diefen Ehen entspringenden Kinder erben das ganze Bermögen fämmtlicber Brüder." 
Translation: The highest class of the Nairs are the Kirif or Kirum Nairs, from which their princes and chiefs descend, followed by the Sudra, which make up the warriors. In the 5 lower classes there is the prevalence that a woman fancies several men, and there are cases in which a woman has 2, 3, and several brothers as men, and the children who spring from these marriages inherit all the wealth of brothers.
Pyrard de Laval, who was is Malabar in 1607, gives a fuller and more accurate account. He says, however, that, the "Nairs may have one wife at the time," which is not correct, while a woman may have three husbands at once, "but a Nair woman of Brahmin race may have one only," which shows a certain confusion between the customs of the Nairs and the Nambudiri Brahmins.

Kerala was once a Buddhist region. Prakrit was the language of early Buddhism. Nāyara is the Prakrit word for Nāgara. The Mahabodhi Temple is situated in the banks of river Lilajan. This river is also known as Nairanjana which means 'the sea of snakes'. Some people claim that the word Nair actually came from the word Nāyaka, which means leader, but there is no proof for it. 
In the pre-independence era, Nagavanshi Nairs or Kiriyathil and Illathu Nairs were known as 'Uyarnna Nayarmar' (उयर्न्न नायरमार, meaning: upper caste Nairs). Rest of the sub-castes were known as lower castes Nairs. These lower caste Nairs were migrants from the neighbouring presidencies and later assimilated to the original Nair community. Today they are called Non-Nagavanshi Nairs. Inter-marriage and inter-dinining was forbidden between and Nagavanshi Nairs and Non-Nagavanshi Nairs. Because the Nagavanshi Nairs never accepted Non-Nagavanshi Nairs as the members of their community. Even today, though all the castes socialize with each other inter-caste marriages are very rare. Because religious Hindus marry according to their caste rules only.
Nagavanshi Nair was once such a blessed community that all the families belonging to this community were very rich and wealthy. Men of this caste were known for their martial arts skills and in 4th century B.C. the fame of this caste reached Europe through the writings of Megasthenes. Both 'Kiriyam' and 'Illam' means house. Nagavanshi Nairs were cleanly and respectable people, residing in their own houses, on the banks of rice fields which they owned, and cultivated by the aid of the low caste labourers. Nagavanshi Nairs were careful to pay much respect to the aged relatives. Nephews never sat down in the presence of their uncles. When meeting Brahmins, they used to adore them by folding both hands and the Brahmins in return conferred their blessings by holding left hand to chest and closing the fingers. In 'Asiatic Journal, Volume 25', published in the year 1828, the author has stated that "Nair is a civilized and even polished caste of people." 
Some historians are of the opinion that all Nair families used to practice non-fraternal polyandry in ancient times and one of the reasons for the non-fraternal polyandry may be connected with the military profession of the Nairs. There is no connection between military profession and polyandry. Nairs are Hindu by religion. There are lots of good advises for women in Hinduism. One of them is to remain pure and chaste until marriage and to sincerely love the husband after marriage. No Hindu law book supports polyandry. According to the information given by the historians, most of the polyandrous communities in ancient India were non-warrior communities. In none of the Hindu scriptures it is mentioned that Nagavanshis used to practice polyandry. 
Nair Ballads and poetry contain many passages where polyandry is spoken as of a barbarous and unknown custom. The northern ballads, which is known as Vadakkanpattukal (वडक्कन्पाटुकळ्) in Malayalam, provide numerous instances of polygamous alliances. One of the famous Nair warrior Shri.Thacholi Othenan Kurup had several wives, the most prominent of them being Smt. Chathothu Cheeru, Smt. Karuthenidam Kunhikanni and Smt. Koomundamatam Kunhitheyi.
Dance (for women) and polyandry, both were forbidden in Kiriyathil and Illathu Nair castes. In the Census of the 1960s, members of Tamil Padam caste (which belongs to the Maravar community of Tamil Nadu) reported their caste as Kiriyathil Nair. Women of Tamil Padam caste were Devadasis and they used to work as dancers in Temples and Palaces before independence. As they began to pretend that they are Kiriyathil Nairs, people who knew very little about Nair community began to believe the Nagavanshi Nair women of previous generations were Devadasis. I have a huge respect for worship dances and devotional songs of Hinduism. But it is true that in Kiriyathil and Illathu Nair castes dance was forbidden for women. Only Kaikottikkali, which is performed on the day of Onam and Thiruvathira, was allowed for them. And they performed it in front of their family members only. Some Non-Nair castes later divided their caste into Kiriyam and Illam sub-divisions, which created another misconception that these castes are related to Nair community.
Edgar Thurston in his book 'Castes and Tribes of Southern India', published in the year 1909, has stated as follows, "I have not known an admitted instance of polyandry amongst the Nairs of Malabar at the present day, but there is no doubt that, if it does not exist now (and I think it does here and there), it certainly did not long ago." About his travels in Kerala, Swami Vivekanada said on July 15, 1895 at the Thousand Island Park: "In Malabar, although of course polyandry does not obtain there, women lead in everything. Exceptional cleanliness is apparent everywhere and there is the greatest impetus to learning. When I myself was in that country, I met many women who spoke good Sanskrit, while in the rest of India not one in a million can speak it. Mastery elevates and servitude debases. Malabar has never been conquered either by Portuguese, or by Mussalamans."
Shri. K. M. Panikkar had argued that Travancore Nair women were never polyandrous. Those non-polyandrous Nair women were Illathu Nair women. I don't know exactly how many castes in Kerala practiced polyandry in ancient times as I know very little about other castes. But I am 100% sure that polyandry never existed in Kiriyathil and Illathu Nair castes. The Kings and Princes of Hindu Royal families of Kerala used to marry the women from Kiriyathil and Illathu Nair castes. After marriage, women of these castes were allowed to stay in the palaces.  
Except the Nambuthiri or Malayali Brahmin, the Nagavanshi Nairs had no other priestly, spiritual or religious instructor. Kettukalyanam or mock marriage was a ritual conducted for Nair girls below the age of ten. This ritual was conducted so that the Nair girl can add the word 'Amma' with her name. That is, after Kettukalyanam or mock-marriage ritual, a Nair girl was allowed to add 'Amma' as a suffix with her name. Sambandham was the principal Malayalam word for marriage as Vivaham is in Sanskrit. Its synonyms are Pudamuri and Vasthradaanam. In Nair Sambandhams, the bridegroom was a man of a real Brahmin caste or a Hindu Royal Familiy or a man of an equal or a higher Nair caste. But if the bridegroom is a Brahmin, he can't eat with his Shudra wife and therefore he was unable to join in the wedding feast (Sadya). Divorces were almost unheard of, or were extremely rare. In most cases the Sambandham lasted for life. Re-marriage was allowed in Nagavanshi Nair community but polyandry was strictly forbidden. According to the Mahabharata, Princess Ulupi was the widowed daughter of the Nagavanshi King Kauravya. She was given in marriage by her father to the Prince Arjuna. 
Nair women were never engaged as laborers. They had no role in the collection of fuel. They had to fetch water for their family. They were solely responsible for the entire domestic chores, including cooking and serving food, rearing children etc. A Nair woman offending against the law of their sect (caste) was sold to Moors and Christians if the King knows it before her male relatives. If the male relatives knew it before the King, they shut her up and killed her with a dagger or spear, saying that, if they do not do so, they would remain greatly dishonoured. And the King used to hold this to be well done." 

When I searched about polyandry in other castes, I got some details from some books based on the history of Kerala. Before reading that, you should keep in mind that all these details are of the period before the reformation of Kerala which were made by the Hindu spiritual leaders. In 19th century, Thiyyas and Ezhavas were known as "Teer, Teyar, Tiar, Eeyoover and Juver."  They were a caste of toddy-tappers. The women of this caste were polyandous and admitted all comers. In those days they were treated as unclean and were compelled to move from the road when a person of upper caste approached. In Malabar Marriage Commision of 1894, it is stated that, "In early days of British rule the Tiyan women incurred no social disgrace by consorting with Europeans." 
The marriage ties of the Pulaya and Paraya caste in the pre-independence era are described as loose. In these castes, divorce was common, remarriage of widows was permitted, both polyandry and polygyny existed. The Panan caste is known for its striking devil dances and they followed fraternal polyandry.
The artisan castes used to practice fraternal polyandry. Kammalan is one the artisan caste of southern India. When one of the authors of the book 'New Scientist', published in the 1962, asked some Kammalars that why they followed polyandry, he got the same reply which he received from the Toda community. They said, "If there is only one wife there are no quarrels in which women of the drag the men." But Shri. A. Ayyappan in his book 'The personality of Kerala' has written that, "I have come across instances of friction between Ezhava brothers having a common wife and used them as an argument against Russel's view that human sexual jealousy can be fully controlled." Soundikolpatti' is a book written by some Ezhavas of south Malabar in puranic Indian style. This book says about seven brothers who were polyandrous and are the ancestors of Ezhavas. 
Kaniyar was a caste of fortune tellers and umbrella makers. Later it became a caste of astrologers. In ancient times, Panans, Velans and the Kaniyans used to practice magic, probably an inheritance of their ancestors, but astrology was the profession of Brahmins only. Perhaps, after social reformation Kaniyars may have learned astrology from the Brahmins. Kaniyar too was once a polyandrous caste. In the Cochin Castes and Tribes, written by Shri. L. Anantha Krishna Iyer, published in the year 1909, it is stated that, "Among the Kaniyans as well as the Panikkans polyandry largely prevails. The Kaniyans explain their custom of practising polyandry by saying that their caste-men are very poor, and cannot afford the expenses of the large families that there might be, if the brothers married different women and had separate families. The brothers cannot afford to live together for a long time, for they very often go from place to place to earn their livelihood by astrology. Each brother is at home only for few days in each month. If several of them happen to be at home together for a weeks, each in turn associates with the woman in accordance with the directions given by their mother." 



 
Reference: Swami Vivekananda in India: A Corrective Biography by Shri. Rajagopal Chattopadhyaya, Matrilineal Kinship edited by David Murray Schnieder, Kathleen Gough, Native life in Travancore by Samuel Mateer, Conflict and Culture: Sociological Essays by Shri. Thulaseedharan, Hindu-Muslim Relations in North Malabar, 1498-1947 by Theodore P. C. Gabriel, Social and Physical Anthropology of the Nayadis of Malabar by Shri. A. Ayyappan, Iravas and Culture Change by Shri. A. Ayyappan,  Book: Maharashtra, Part 3. Author: B. V. Bhanu, Cyclopedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia, Volume 2 by Edward Balfour, Malabar Marriage Commision 1894, 'Culture, Creation, and Procreation: Concepts of Kinship in South Asian Practice' written by Monica Bock and Aparna Rao, Asian Folklore Studies, Volumes 34-36, India: an anthropological perspective by Stephen A. Tyler,  Studies in Traditional Kerala Society by K. Thulaseedharan, Census of India, 1931, The Development of Democracy in India by K. Rajeswara Row, 1924, Buddhism in Indian Literature by Narendra Kumar Dash, Age of the Nandas and Mauryas edited by Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri. 

Is Nangeli's Story Fictitious?

There is no mention about tax in the Hindu scriptures. But when I searched on the internet that if there is a mention about tax in other religions, I found a verse of Bible as shown below,
"Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honour to whom honour is owed. (Romans 13:7)"
There are also other verses about tax in the Bible. Similarly, there is a mention about Jizya in Hadith. In the Hadith, Jizya is mentioned as a tax that should be collected from free non-Muslims, that is the people who don't worship Allah alone. Traditionally, there were four major forms of taxation levied in Muslim societies: Kharaj or land taxation, Jizya or head tax, Fai or levy on war booty and Zakat, a form of wealth tax. 

In the 19th century, India was under the British rule. Nangeli is believed to be one of the low caste women of this period who lived in Travancore. But Nangeli is a Nambudiri or Malayali Brahmin name, the meaning of which is not clear. In the Cochin Law Reports, one of the names I read was Smt.Nangeli Antharjanam. Antharjanam is the title used by Nambudiri or Malayali Brahmin women. Among the upper castes Brahmin was the highest. In those days, lower castes and upper castes had a different set of names. The names of upper castes were not found in lower castes and vice-versa.  According to Nangeli's story, the people of lower Hindu castes were not allowed to wear upper garments and they were forced to pay taxes for some of their body parts by the Hindu rulers. Breast tax was paid by women between the ages of 16 and 35 and head tax was paid by able-bodied men. The collectors of such taxes used to visit the houses of the people who were obliged to pay it. Once, when the tax collector went to Nangeli's house to collect the breast tax, Nangeli couldn't bear the insult of paying the tax of her body part anymore and instead of paying the tax she cut off her breasts and gave it to the tax collector and requested him to give her permission to cover the upper part of her body and died on the spot. 

Women in Buddhist Kerala

The Nangeli's story says that in ancient Kerala only women of lower castes were not allowed to cover the upper part of their body. This is a fallacy. The Rigveda is the oldest religious text in the world. Rigvedic people had three kinds of garments Uttariya (upper garment), Antariya (lower garment) and Nivi (under-garment). They wore cotton, woollen and silken clothes. Clothes of men and women did not differ much. Clothes were dyed madder or indigo or juice of Lodhra flowers. Clothes of the rich were embroidered with gold thread. Both men and women wore necklaces, earrings, bracelets and anklets. 
Though Kerala consisted of only Hindu kingdoms at the time of the Mahabharata, somehow it later became a Buddhist region. According to the rules of the sect or branch of Buddhism which was followed in Kerala, both men and women, of all castes, were not allowed to wear upper garments. Because those who wore upper garments were considered bad charactered. This same rule was followed in Sri Lanka too. To expel the Buddhist monks from Kerala, a ritual called Bharanippāttu was created. It was observed in the month of Meena on the day ruled by the star Bharani, according to Malayalam calendar. Those who observed the ritual on that day, used to travel to the Temple on foot and on the way they used to sing the songs which were full of abusive words. As the Buddhist monks couldn't bear this ritual, they left Kerala forever and slowly Kerala became a Hindu region again. 
Even though Buddhism ended in Kerala, most of the women in all castes accepted the old way of dressing in that period. It is said that loose-women of those days used to wear upper garments and that's why women of good families never preferred to wear the upper garments. People in those days also had a lot of superstitious beliefs. This tradition was followed for centuries. 

Education at the time of British rule

On March 1835, English was declared as the official language of India. Modern education was introduced in Malabar and Travancore by 1850s. A school in Malabar followed purely British syllabus. In upper castes, only boys were allowed to attend school. Those men who obtained the modern education got government jobs with good salaries. As a part of their job, they also got the opportunity to visit other parts of South Asia. Knowing about other places and learning the lifestyles of the inhabitants there might have made the upper caste Keralite Hindus to give up their superstitious beliefs. Perhaps this would be the reason for the change that happened in the way of dressing of women in that period. There were two types of blouses in that era. Jambar, a long blouse and Rowka, a short blouse. 
But, the people of lower castes used to work in the factories run by the British rulers. Because of which middle class families began to form in their caste. In 'Islamic Reform and Colonial Discourse on Modernity in India' written by Jose Abraham, it is stated that, "The British government never attempted to make education affordable to everyone. Since a large majority of people could not afford school fees, owing to the absence of free schooling, only a limited number of people individuals could pursue modern education in Malabar." But it is said that the people of the lower castes who had converted into Christianity were given a modern education in the schools run by Christian missionaries. The Gospel message that Protestant missionaries had preached to the lower castes and the education that they had imparted to them, attracted many to receive Christianity. 13,763 persons of the Malabar district, described as Mussulamans, and locally known as Nazranis, were classed amongst Roman Catholics. This set of Christians was found in Southern extremities of Malabar. The great bulk of them resided in the States Cochin and Travancore. 
It took a long time for the financial status of the lower castes to become equal to that of the upper caste. In the previous blog, there is a detail of 'Native life of Travancore,' written by Samuel Mateer in 1883, that the Roman Catholic fisherwomen, instead of jackets, used to tie a long a cloth across the chest. So, the way of dressing was according to family income in every community and there were not separate rules on the way of dressing for each Hindu caste in Kerala. 
In '“A” Journey from Madras Through the Countries of Mysore, Canara and Malabar' written by Francis Hamilton, it is stated that, "In Hyder's time there was a great exportation of cloth to Calicut: but the troubles in Malabar have put an end to this branch of commerce. The accompanying price current of the different kinds of cloth made in Bangalore is only applicable to those made for common sale. Persons who wish for particularly fine goods may, by commissioning them, have them made at four times the highest price or at any intermediate value." 

Taxes of British Kenya 

According to Nangeli's story the head tax and breast tax were used to be collected by the Hindu rulers. 'Comparative Religion' written by Jacob Kattackal is available in snippet preview in Google books. In that book, I found a sentence as follows, "Then a special proclamation from the British Resident exempted the Christians from giving the 'head tax and breast tax'." This proves that the taxes of the body parts were not managed by the Hindu rulers and it was not them who imposed it on the poor people of Malabar and Travancore. 
When Kenya was under the British rule, there were two types of taxes. The poll tax, which amounted to 12 shillings per year and breast tax (Igooti Ria Nyondo) another twelve shillings per year. Every man had to pay breast tax for each grown up girl in his family and poll tax on each of his wives. 
In 1900s, the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher attempted to introduce Head tax in Great Britain. A Head tax is fixed payment (say $ 2000 per year) that consumers have to pay as long as they have a head. It is not easy for someone to change the fact that he or she has a head, and so the tax cannot be avoided by changes in behaviour and thus it was truly a lump sum tax without substitution effects. 

Nangeli's story seems to be fictitious. Nangeli is mentioned as a low caste woman, but her name is a Brahmin name, in those days the way of dressing of all Hindu castes was almost same and the taxes of British Kenya. These facts make it difficult to believe that Nangeli's story is true. 



Reference: The Journey of Survivors: 70,000-Year History of Indian Sub-Continent by Subhrashis Adhikari, Social and physical anthropologies of Nayadis of Malabar, Microeconomics: An Intuitive Approach by Thomas Nechyba, Impossible Picturesqueness: Edward Lear's Indian Watercolours, 1873-1875 by Vidya Dehejia, Edward Lear, Allen Staley, The Spirituality of Basic Ecclesial Communities in the Socio-religious Context of Trivandrum/Kerala, India by Selvister Ponnumuthan, The Missionary Herald: Containing Intelligence, at Large, of the Proceedings and Operations of the Baptist Missionary Society by G. Wightman, 1873, History of Resistance in Kenya by Maina WA Kinyatti, A Companion to Muslim Ethics by Amyn Sajoo, Wings Of Rhapsody by Seema K Jayaraman, Swami Vivekananda: A Contemporary Reader edited by Makarand R. Paranjape, Land and people of Indian states and union territories : (in 36 volumes). 14. Kerala edited by S. C. Bhatt and Gopal K. Bhargava, UGC NET/JRF/SET/ History (Paper II and III) by Vinay Gupta.