When did Nairs in Kerala?

He starts thus – The invasion of Kerala by Rajaraja 1 in 988 AD (to 1120) brought an end to the free intercourse between the Brahmins on both sides of the Ghats. Their customs diverged to create the Nampi sri or Nampoothiri. The needs for the wars brought the nayars to the forefront.

Where did Kerala Nairs come from?

“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.”

Is Nair a low caste?

Nair is a forward caste community which comes under the general category of the reservation system. In the caste hierarchy, they are below Brahmins and Kshatriyas and above Ezhavas.

Can a Brahmin marry a Nair?

Among the Nambudhiri’s, the eldest son was only allowed to marry a brahmin woman and make an inheritor to the family’s property. The Brahmins considered this as concubinage because of their paternal lineage and the Nairs however considered this as legitimate marriages because their lineage passed in a maternal line.

Is nairs Scythian?

Nairs are indeed Nagas Scythians who are culturally and ethnically different from Dravidians.

Do nairs eat beef?

Pork was noted as a favourite food of the Nair, and even high-status Nairs were noted as eating buffalo meat. The Nair avoided beef, and many did not eat lamb. In the modern day, alcohol is a component of Nair-dominated festivals in Kerala.

Is Nairs Scythian?

Are Nairs vegetarians?

Sure, all Brahmins, Kshatriyas, temple- retainers (ambalavasi) and some Nairs are traditionally vegetarians, and vegetarians abhor non-vegetarian food, but all non-vegetarians eat everything. In fact, when we buy beef it could be cow’s meat or buffalo’s or a bull’s.

Is Pillai and Nair same?

No. They are not Brahmins. 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.

Are nairs vegetarians?

Why do nairs worship snakes?

Serpents are also considered to be fertility deities in Kerala; childless couples often perform the uruli kamazathu ritual for serpent deities to be blessed with a child. They are considered to be gods of earth, so farmers pray to them for good harvest and rain, conduct pujas and give offerings.

Do nairs eat meat?

It is practised by Jain ascetics and lay Jains. Jain objections to the eating of meat, fish and eggs are based on the principle of non-violence (ahimsa, figuratively “non-injuring”). Jains share this goal with Hindus and Buddhists, but their approach is particularly rigorous and comprehensive.

Were Nairs in Kerala considered as Devadasi Brahmins?

Yes Nairs were Devadasi ( Prostitutes for Namboodiri Brahmins ), those days not only southern Kerala, whole kerala they were following Devadasi Charya they call it as Sambandham do not confuse with marriage. Nair’s were considered as Shudra by Namboodiri and Varma’s as per Chathurvarna system.

What is the history of Devadasi system in India?

The border districts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh do indeed have a history of practising the Devadasi system. Here, girl children who fall sick or cannot be taken care of by their families are offered to the goddess Mathamma, the chief deity of the Arunthathiyar Scheduled Caste community.

When did the Nairs first appear in Kerala?

There are large gaps in the known early history of the Kerala region, which in the 1st-century AD is thought to have been governed by the Chera dynasty and which by the late 3rd-century AD had broken up, possibly as a consequence of a decline in trade with the Romans. There is no evidence of Nairs in the area during this period.

Why are Nairs not part of the caste system?

There is considerable controversy regarding the actual place of Nairs in the caste system. It is understandably, a very touchy subject. One of the main reasons is that the caste system in Kerala is very different from the caste system elsewhere in India.