Mannadiar

This article is about the Nair caste. For the Tamil caste of the Palani Hills, see Mannadiyar.

Mannadiar is one of the subclan of the Nair community among Keralites. The title "Mannadiar" was awarded by the Maharajah of Cochin to those Nairs who excelled in warrior skills. They are mostly found in the Central Kerala region. The most famous of the Mannadiars might be Champattil Mannadiar, who gave the plot of land near the banks of the Shokanashini river to Thunjathu Ezhuthachan.^[1]

In popular culture

The Mannadiar caste has been made famous by the Malayalam film Dhruvam, in which Mammootty played the lead role as Narasimha Mannadiar. The film Mannadiar Penninu Chenkotta Checkan, in which Mukesh played the lead role also featured the Mannadiar community. The dialogue by Narasimha Mannadiar in Dhruvam attained cult status in Kerala:

"Marannum poruthum jeevikkan Mannadiar Shudrano Vyshyano Brahmanano onnum alla... Mannadiar Kshatriyan aanu.... Kshatriyan...."

(To forgive and forget anything and everything Mannadiar is not a Shudra or a Vaishya or a Brahmin. Mannadiar is a Kshatriya" ^[2]

Caste organisation

Although sociologists like Logan has classified Mannadiar as a full fledged sub caste of Nair, most of the Indian authors list Mannadiar merely as a subdivision within the Kiryathil Nair subcaste.^[3]

Notables

• Ambat Sivarama Menon, the first elected minister of an Indian state^{[when?][where?]}
• Champattil Mannadiar

See also

• Nair
• Kiryathil Nair
• Madampi (Nair title)
• Kandam Kandath house

External links

1. ^ http://c-radhakrishnan.info/ulloor.htm
2. ^ http://www.forumkerala.com/malayalam-cinema/19376-super-dialogues-world-cinema-malayalam-particular-144.html
3. ^ Malabar, Volume 1 By William Logan p.134