Nambiar (Nair subcaste)
Regions with significant populations | |
---|---|
Mostly in North Malabar. | |
Languages | |
Malayalam | |
Religion | |
Hinduism | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Vermas, Kurups, Nayanars, |
The NambiÄr, also known as NambiyÄr, is an Indian caste who were historically the landlord clans in the North Malabar region of Kerala.[1] The Nambiars are in many ways similar to Nair, due to different ethnic origin. In a broader sense, term "Nambiar" is used to cover all those Samanthan Nair clans of North Malabar.[2]
Position in society
SthÄnam holders (dignities)
NambiÄrs like other NÄyars in north MalabÄr, until the early twentieth century held a prejudice that they were superior to their counterparts in South Malabar. In earlier days, NambiÄr women, like most women of NÄyar clans of north Malabar would not unite herself to NÄyar men of South Malabar, nor to NÄyarr men from central and south Kerala. Therefore such superior-clan NÄyar woman of North MalabÄr (NambiÄr women being no exception), could not pass the hills to the eastward and the Elathur River to the south. It was a taboo and breach of which involved forfeiture of caste.[3][4]
However in the early twentieth century, wives of government employees (stationed outside north MalabÄr) began to accompany their husbands and such customs and prejudices died out in due course.
Customs and practices
NambiÄrs followed the Marumakkathayam (Matrilineal) system of inheritance with both uxorilocal and virilocal marriages and lived in units called Tharavadus (matrilineal joint-family). General Nair customs and practices like pulikudi, irupethiettu, choroonu, KÄthukuthu, VidyÄrambham, TÄlikettu, ThirandukalyÄnam and pudamuri among NambiÄrs were practised. Kolathiri Royal family was also Nambiars. As Nambiars were the top-most- Nair clan, they never did marriage alliance with Nambuthiries.
NambiÄrs take part in extensive Serpent / (NÄga), Vettakkorumakan and Daivathar worship along with the worship of Shiva, Durga and Vishnu as their clan-deities (Kula Daivam).
See also
References
- ↑ Coward, Harold (1 January 1993). Hindu-Christian Dialogue: Perspectives and Encounters. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. pp. 192–. ISBN 978-81-208-1158-4. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
- ↑ Gough, E. Kathleen (1961). "Nayars: Central Kerala". In Schneider, David Murray; Gough, E. Kathleen. Matrilineal Kinship. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-02529-5.
- ↑ Miller, Eric J. 1954. Caste and Territory in Malabar. American Anthropologists 56(3):410–420
- ↑ Miller, Eric J. 1955. Village Structure in North Kerala. In M.N. Srinivas ed. India's Village. Bombay: Media Promoters & Publishers