Moopil Nair

Moopil Nair is the term used to denote Nair Naduvazhis (rulers of nads or city states) and Desavazhis (rulers of desams) of tiny feudal kingdoms on the Malabar Coast, present day Kerala state, South India. Moopil Nairs belonged to the Samanthan Nair subcaste of the Nair caste in the Hindu Caste system. After the fall of the Mahodayapuram Cheras in 12th century, Malabar Coast was fragmented into numerous feudal city states called nads (swaroopams), ruled by Naduvazhis. These Nads were again divided in to desams ruled by the Desavazhis or Moopil Nairs.

The most famous royal dynasty of the Moopil Nairs were Valluvakkonathiris, who ruled Valluvanad, based on present day Angadippuram. Other important royal dynasties were that of Kavalappara Moopil Nair (of Kavalappara Swaroopam), Kuthiravattathu Moopil Nair (near Kozhikode, commanded Samoothiri of Calicut's cavalry forces), Mannarkad Moopil Nayar (ruled the area in and around Attappady) and Kuppathode Moopil Nair (ruled Pulpally).^[1][2]

References

1. ^ Kavalappara Kottarathil Kochunni Moopil Nayar vs. The State of Madras and Ors. (04.03.1959 - SC)
2. ^ Velluva, Sanathanan (2004). "Developmental Effects on Livelihood Strategies of Tribespeople in Attappady, Kerala". Kerala Research Programme on Local Level Development. pp. 15–18. Archived from the original on 2007-08-18. http://web.archive.org/web/20070818025429/http://krpcds.org/publication/downloads/99.pdf.