Arayan
Encyclopedia
Arayan is a Malayali
caste of Kerala
, India
. They inhabit the coastal regions of the state. The main source of income of this community is fishing. Many legends of historical and mythical importance are associated with this community.http://cheriazheekal.org/english/index.htm
This small community endured a great loss due to the Tsunami
that hit the southern states of India following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
.
Traditionally, the naval armies of both Travancore
and Cochin
were headed and manned by Arayans, while they along with the Muslim Marikkars formed the naval forces in Malabar
. The Arayans of Travancore under Velu Thampi Dalawa
and Chempil Arayan
rebelled against the British in 1808, which was the first rebellion against the British in Kerala
.
Some historians treat them as subsect of Mukkuvar
community found across South India
and Sri Lanka
although in caste hierarchy Mukkuvars are considered inferior to Arayans. The Indian spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi was born to an Arayan family.
Malayali
Malayali is the term used to refer to the native speakers of Malayalam, originating from the Indian state of Kerala...
caste of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They inhabit the coastal regions of the state. The main source of income of this community is fishing. Many legends of historical and mythical importance are associated with this community.http://cheriazheekal.org/english/index.htm
This small community endured a great loss due to the Tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
that hit the southern states of India following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
.
Traditionally, the naval armies of both Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
and Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin was a late medieval Hindu kingdom and later Princely State on the Malabar Coast, South India...
were headed and manned by Arayans, while they along with the Muslim Marikkars formed the naval forces in Malabar
Malabar District
Malabar District was an administrative district of Madras Presidency in British India and independent India's Madras State. The British district included the present-day districts of Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad , and Chavakad Taluk of Thrissur District in the northern part of...
. The Arayans of Travancore under Velu Thampi Dalawa
Velu Thampi Dalawa
Velayudhan Chempakaraman Thampi was the Dalawa or Prime Minister of the Indian kingdom of Travancore between 1802 and 1809 during the reign of His Highness Maharajah Bala Rama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal...
and Chempil Arayan
Chempil Arayan
Chempil Anantha Padmanabhan Valiya Arayan Kankumaran, known as Chempil Arayan, was the Admiral of the fleet in the service of Avittam Thirunal Balarama Varma, King of Travancore...
rebelled against the British in 1808, which was the first rebellion against the British in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
Some historians treat them as subsect of Mukkuvar
Mukkuvar
Mukkuvar also Mukkuva are a social group or caste primarily a fishing community, living in the coastal districts of Kerala, south Tamil Nadu in India and also in Sri Lanka. It is a community that has differing ethnic identities based on the state or country of domicile...
community found across South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
although in caste hierarchy Mukkuvars are considered inferior to Arayans. The Indian spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi was born to an Arayan family.