Kiryathil Nair
Encyclopedia
Kiryathil Nair or Kiriyathil Nair is a subcaste of the Nair
community who traditionally lived in the region now known as Kerala
, India. The 17th century Keralolpathi
states them to be descendants of warrior Nāga
tribes who came to Kerala
from the north along the western coast. It may be noted that the earlier Keralamahatmayam, an Upa Purana of the Bhoogola Hindu
Purana, does not make mention of any subcastes among the Nairs but only states them to be the military caste of Kerala
. The name Kiryathil is derived from Kiryam (Griham = House).
s and Iyer
s). These were exceptionally high privileges in Kerala during the pre-British era.
Nair
Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...
community who traditionally lived in the region now known as 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. The 17th century Keralolpathi
Keralolpathi
The Keralolpathi is a Malayalam work that deals with the origin of the land of Kerala. Shungunny Menon ascribes the authorship of this work to Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, a 17th century scholar of the Malabar region of India. The Keralolpathi is mostly an expansion from an earlier Sanskrit...
states them to be descendants of warrior Nāga
Naga
Naga or NAGA may refer to:* Nāga, a group of serpent deities in Hindu and Buddhist mythology.-People:* Nayan / Nayar/Nair people of Kerala Society* Naga people, a diverse ethnic identity in Northeast India...
tribes who came to 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....
from the north along the western coast. It may be noted that the earlier Keralamahatmayam, an Upa Purana of the Bhoogola Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Purana, does not make mention of any subcastes among the Nairs but only states them to be the military 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....
. The name Kiryathil is derived from Kiryam (Griham = House).
Caste system
The Kiriyathil Nairs were one of the highest classes of Nairs. They enjoyed special privileges such as the right to partake food with Nambuthiris (which was not allowed even for other Brahmins like AmbalavasiAmbalavasi
Ambalavasi is a generic name for a collection of castes among Hindus in Kerala who render temple services.-Etymology:The term Ambalavasi is derived from two Malayalam words, being Ambalam and Vasi...
s and Iyer
Iyer
Iyer is the title given to the caste of Hindu Brahmin communities of Tamil origin. Most Iyers are followers of the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankara...
s). These were exceptionally high privileges in Kerala during the pre-British era.