There are some popular beliefs in kerala .even historians are not free from these prejudices .one such prejudice is nairs were the sole warriors or soilders in kerala during the earlier period.can it be true by any means.actually answer is no.one european person who were in kerala during the middle of 1700s wrote that ,there were some 15 lakh soilders in kerala.he gives the army strength of each princely states eg 50000 regular army in travancore,another 1lakh using traditional weapons.samudhiri had some 50000 to 75000.kochi had 35000 and palakkad raja had 20000etc.this goes on and on.even that list was not complete.but we know even in the census taken in the last decades of 1800s ,the total savarna population was less than 10%.to sustain a 15lakh army is not easy.even india in 21st century find it too expensive.and population strength is one main concern.any country can rise a army which will be some 5% to 10% of its youths population.may be the kerala armies were not regular armies.still 15 lakh soilders is not so easy to be formed from a section of the society which forms only a minority of the society.but we shall better look at the records and make an understanding of the actual fact.
palace records does not use the word nair army.samudiri granda varikal never refer to nair army.the word used is lokar.why would they have not used the word nair pada,if it the usual usage or the pada was actually consists of nairs.they should have used it surely .but the reason is evedent the then army was not consists entirely of nairs.samudhiri letters have also been found.in it also he never used the word nair pada.there also he used the word lokar.the famous naval battles fought during that time was betteen portugeese and naval army of samudhiri led by marakkar .the naval army was mainly consists of mappilas.
there is one incidant,once a portugeese army group invaded calicut and marched upto samudiris palace.samudiri was not there ,nor his army.lokar or people around the place or in the city got alert and attacked the portugese.many portugeese were wounded and some killed ,portugese were forced to return to their ships,never again they dare to do such a thing.majority of people in calicut city are ezhavas or thiyyas,even now.if there is another major group its the muslims.(mukkuvar or deevara are also there.but lesser in beech area compared to more southern and norther parts.also muslims were converted from ezhava and deevara families for serving in navy. )the greatest lord (or family )in calicut that time was a ezhava having granded many titles and positions from samudiri.when haider attacked calicut this lord came to see haider ali and presented gifts before him and requested to spare the people of calicut.while samudhiri family and many brahmin familes fled to travancore.
there is a place in malappuram near the boarder to kozhikode where kadalundi puzha joins the sea.its name is kottayil.there is a hill near by and a fort.also a palace or kovilakam and a devi temple ,kottayil devi shetram.at the top of the hill a smaller temple also is there.monkeys dominate there.a very large number.the main temple walls are painted with ramayana stories.samduris family members liv...ed in the palace till 1921.at that time samudiris sister was living there.during the mappila lehala ,the mappilas came ,surrounded the palace,closed all the doors from outside,shuting all inside-mainly ladies and set fire to the house.then they left.the people inside cannot find a way to escape nor a way to open the doors.they prayed to kottayil devi.suddenly with trembleing sound,the doors opened and everyone ran outside,thanking to devi.thus they all survived.because of these incidents people have great faith in this temple.
this is a strategical place in terms of military.there is a family named karippara near this place.during samudhiri rule,they were the most trusted family of samudhiri.the military and the administrative responsiblity was entrusted them.the fort cheif was from this family.when army moves to malappuram or to bharatha puzha during mamangam or when samudhiri forces move towards palakkad or kochi,the logistics was controlled from here.ship movemnts can be watched from the near by hill.another family named dharmoth was also held key roles in military in these area.even now karippara family have some privilages in the temple now understaken by samudhiri and malabar devasom.these two families are thiyyas.many of the thiyya families held key roles in military in samudhiris reign.kolathiri or chiraykyal swaroopam was ruling in kannur and many if not all of their military commanders were ezhava or thiyya.still now ezhava are the majority in kannur.please also note that chaver pada is not a nair army.it could never be.it was a offensive group formed amoung the army ,to fight against the chola rule.
marthanda varma is very famous kerala king ,for he defeated the dutch forces at kulachal in 1744.c.v.raman pillai has written a novel named marthanda varma.in it a hero like character is there.it is ananda padmanabhan valia padathalavan.in the novel he is made a nair ,son of thiru mukattu pilla.but actually he is a historical figure.he was not a nair,he was from a channar family.he was the marthanda varmas very trusted person,was his body guard,his army chief and his closest friend.history books usually try to conceal him.only reference of him will like this---after the death of army cheif ananda padmanabhan,aiyyappan (pillai or nair )was made cheif.---.ananda padmanabhan was treacherously killed.his tomb is till in kanya kumari district.he was actually the strength and brain of modern travancore.without him marthanda varma would have been killed by pillamar in his twenties. also mankoikkal family which is refered in the novel also existed.they too is a channar family.never and not a nair or kuprupp family.this two families exists in kanyakumari district.
marthandavarma trusted ezhava soilders.its wrong that he as a whole distrusted nairs.actually all pillais were not nairs.it was not a caste name but a title position granded by king. Pillai was a lord postion or title given by the king after a ceremony called thirumukkam pidikkuka .the selected person sits on an elephant and is taken around the city ,followed by other lords and important officers.when this procession reaches the palace ,king receives him and the title of pillai is bestowed to him.he can build a big house in that particular place where his lord ship is given.he shall be known with the title of that place with sufixed with pillai eg kazhakutton pillai,chempazhanthi pillai etc.there is a doubt that ramanamadom pillai is a brahmin.in 1830s even during the british rule a brahmin was given the title of pillai,he was the then devan in travancore. its like a lord or prabhu.bhrahimin,muslims and christian pillais were also given pillai position.similar to pillai the title given in kochin was menon and in kannur it is nambyar. menon title were held by ezhava familes and other castes.as it is now belived as a caste name ,they now dont use it nowadays.these were more an administrative postion than a military position.they were entrusted with the duty to collect the tax from land in that locality.for that a small army was allowed to be kept under them.
in north its likely that entire army of kolathiri and majority of zamorins was thiyyas.there is no nair pada mentioned in the records of these kings.actually the word nair and nair pada was repeatedly used by portugese.due to many reasons our earlier historians studied and may be only read their writings ,records,letters etc.thus the wide spread concept of nair pada imprinted in the minds of us.to be frank i never came across a firm evidenace of nair pada ever existed.only one was a battalion in madras regiment.and remember it was one of the first units disbanded or renamed just after independance.by then it was not actually a nair pada as many non nairs were in it.
During the time of velu thampi naval supreme commander of travancore was a ezhava.he was a friend of veluthampi and fought against british.he is also considered as one of the bravest warriors in kerala.when veluthampi began preparations for a war against british ,a rival group formed which opposed the velutampi.they asked kuthira pakshi ,a famous warrior then ,who was also a good fighter well trained in weapons ,to go and meet naval commander,who was in support of velu thampi.if commander does not joins with the rival group he shall be killed by kuthira pakshi.commander was then in his 50s but was a master in arms.kuthira pakshi asked him to meet in a paddy field .when he came he was asked to leave tampi and join the rival group.but he declined.at last kuthira pakshi drawed sword and attacked the commander.but the older commander slipped aside and cut down the kuthira pakshi.kuthira pakshis death stired a general fear amoung the rivals of thampi.which helped him to organose a fight against british.
the naval commander during velu thampi's time was and is a great warrior and brave personalites of kerala.he was the one who made the plan to attack manrove thuruth.after the defeat of velu thampi ,the commander was taken prisoner and brought before manrove.manrove himself conducted the trial at sankumukkam beach.the prisoner was brought before him and was burried upto neck.the british cheif sat before him in a chair.he asked the prisoner "did u fought agianst british" answer was yes.again "did u killed british men" the middle aged naval commander replied "yes i have killed british men.if possible i shall do it again.they are the invaders."monrove was suprised to hear this reply.he did't expected such a reply.he understood the spirit and braveness of the commander ,understood he fought for his mother country and for freedom.so he pardoned the commander and released him.he eventually went back to his house.
one of the stories about sakthan tampuran ,a reference about the vadakkum nadan guarding brigade is said.it was a ezhava army ,its head was also an ezhava.
