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{{Short description|Malayali Brahmin caste from Kerala, India}}
{{redirect|Namboothiri|the Indian artist|Namboothiri (artist)|other uses|Namboothiri (disambiguation) }}
[[File:Varikkassery maa.jpg|thumb|A traditional Nambudiri
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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
[[File:Nambudiri.JPG|thumb|1883 sketch depicting a Nambūdiri man with the traditional ''[[sikha|pūrvaśikhā]]'', or forelock]]
The '''Nambudiri''' ({{IPA-ml|n̪ɐmbuːd̪iɾi}}), also transliterated as '''Nampoothiri''', '''Nambūdiri''', '''Namboodiri''', '''Namboothiri''' and '''Nampūtiri''', are a [[Malayali Brahmin]] caste, native to what is now the state of [[Kerala]], India, where they constituted part of the traditional feudal elite.<ref name=":0">{{cite book | chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-349-12252-3_3 | first1=Robin | last1=Jeffrey | title=Politics, Women and Well-Being | chapter=Old Kerala | year=1992 | series=Cambridge Commonwealth Series | pages=19–33 | publisher=Palgrave Macmillan, London | doi=10.1007/978-1-349-12252-3_3 | isbn=978-0292704176}}</ref> Headed by the [[Azhvanchery Thamprakkal | Azhvanchery Thamprakkal Samrāṭ]], the Nambudiris were the highest ranking caste in Kerala.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/2238183 | title=The Nayars Today |first1=Christopher |last1=Fuller | page=11 | year=1976 |publisher= Cambridge University Press | isbn=978-0-521-21301-1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Krishna Iyer|first=K. V.|url=https://archive.org/details/TheZamorinsOfCalicut|title=The Zamorins Of Calicut|date=1938|publisher=Norman Printing Bureau, Calicut}}</ref> They owned a large portion of the land in the region of [[Malabar Coast|Malabar]], and together with the [[Nair]] monarchs, the Nambudiris formed the landed aristocracy known as the [[Jenmi]]mar,<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3516560 | jstor=3516560 | title=Organized Struggles of Malabar Peasantry, 1934-1940 | last1=Karat | first1=Prakash | journal=Social Scientist | year=1977 | volume=5 | issue=8 | pages=3–17 | doi=10.2307/3516560 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/749941 | title=Slavery in Kerala | last1=Nair | first1= Adoor K.K. Ramachandran | publisher=Mittal Publications, New Delhi | date=January 1986}}</ref> until the [[Land reform in Kerala|Kerala Land Reforms]] starting in 1957.<ref>{{cite journal | title=Land Reforms in Theory and Practice: The Kerala Experience| first=Radhakrishnan |last=P.| journal=Economic and Political Weekly | date=December 1981| volume=16| issue=52 | pages=A129–A137 |jstor=4370526}}</ref>
The Nambudiris have traditionally lived in [[Tharavad|ancestral homes]] known as [[Illam]]s and have been described by anthropologist Joan Mencher as, "A wealthy, aristocratic landed caste of the highest ritual and secular rank."<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://brill.com/view/journals/jaas/1/3/article-p183_3.xml?language=en |title=Namboodiri Brahmins: An Analysis of a Traditional Elite in Kerala |first1=Joan | last1=Mencher | journal=Journal of Asian and African Studies | date=January 1966 | publisher=Brill Publishers | place=Leiden | pages=183–196 |
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===Origin===
Nambudiri mythology associates their immigration to Kerala from the banks of [[Narmada]], [[Krishna River|Krishna]], [[Kaveri]] rivers with the legendary creation of Kerala by [[Parasurama|Parashurama]], the sixth [[avatar]] of [[Vishnu]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1TuPeXFP0WgC |title=Communal Road to a Secular Kerala |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |first=George |last=Mathew |year=1989 | isbn=978-81-7022-282-8 |pages=23–25}}</ref> According to this legend, the region was created when Parashurama threw his axe into the sea<ref>{{cite book |title=The Modern Anthropology of India: Ethnography, Themes and Theory |editor1-first=Peter |editor1-last=Berger |editor2-first=Frank |editor2-last=Heidemann |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sQF5-d9BMqcC&pg=PT169 |publisher=Routledge |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-13406-118-1 |chapter=Kerala: Plurality and Consensus |first1=Heike |last1=Moser |first2=Paul |last2=Younger |page=169}}</ref> Although it is known that the present-day region of Kerala was once governed by the [[Chera dynasty]], little information exists regarding its early ethnography.<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sQF5-d9BMqcC&pg=PT170|title=The Modern Anthropology of India: Ethnography, Themes and Theory|last1=Moser|first1=Heike|last2=Younger|first2=Paul|publisher=Routledge|year=2013|isbn=978-1-13406-118-1|editor1-last=Berger|editor1-first=Peter|page=170|chapter=Kerala: Plurality and Consensus|editor2-last=Heidemann|editor2-first=Frank}}</ref>
Brahmin presence in the Tamil country is attested from the [[Sangam period|Sangam]] period onward. Based on the fact that Nambudiris are Pūrvaśikhā Brahmins wearing the traditional hair tuft on the front, T.P Mahadevan proposes that they are the descendants of these Sangam age [[Brahmin|Brahmins]] who moved west into the
There are lots of theories as to how Nambudiri [[Brahmin]]s came to settle in Kerala, the commonly accepted point of view is that they moved in from [[North India]] via [[Tulu Nadu]] or [[Karnataka]].<ref name="askh"/> Another theory based on the retention of ''[[Mahabharata]]'' types as memorized by different [[Brahmin]] communities points to [[Tamil Nadu]] as the base from which they migrated to Kerala via the [[Palakkad Gap]], which is also the largest opening in the southern [[Western Ghats]], and settled around the river [[Bharathappuzha]].<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://crossasia-journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/ejvs/article/view/327/322|title=On the Southern Recension of the Mahābhārata, Brahman Migrations, and Brāhmī Paleography|year=2016|volume=15|doi=10.11588/ejvs.2008.2.327|last1=Mahadevan|first1=Thennilapuram P.|journal=Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies |issn=1084-7561}}</ref> The region around [[Coimbatore]] near [[Karnataka]]- western [[Tamil Nadu]] border was ruled by the [[Chera dynasty|Cheras]] during [[Sangam period]] between 1st and the 4th centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the [[Palakkad Gap]], the principal trade route between the [[Malabar Coast]] and [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name="Trade">{{cite news|last=Subramanian|first=T. S|title=Roman connection in Tamil Nadu|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007012800201800.htm&date=2007/01/28/&prd=th|access-date=28 October 2011|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=28 January 2007|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130919235748/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007012800201800.htm&date=2007%2F01%2F28%2F&prd=th|archive-date=19 September 2013}}</ref> The ''[[Azhvanchery Thamprakkal]]'', who were the titular head of all Nambudiri Brahmins of Kerala, originally had right over parts of present-day [[Palakkad]] Taluk.<ref name="askh">{{Cite book|title='Kerala Charitram|last=Shreedhara Menon|first=A|publisher=DC Books|year=2007|isbn=9788126415885|location=Kottayam|pages=200–201|url=https://keralabookstore.com/book/keralacharithram/11148/}}</ref> Later they moved westwards along the River [[Bharathappuzha]] and settled around the river. Finally the ''Azhvanchery Thamprakkal'' bought Athavanad-[[Tirunavaya]] region in present-day [[Tirur Taluk]] and gave [[Palakkad]] to ''Palakkad Raja''s (''Tarur Swaroopam'') who were originally from [[Athavanad]] region.<ref name="askh"/> Many of the oldest Nambudiri settlements of Kerala are situated around the River [[Bharathappuzha]].<ref name="askh"/> The [[Kingdom of Tanur]], [[Kingdom of Valluvanad]], [[Kingdom of Cochin|''Perumpadappu Swaroopam'']], and the kingdom of [[Palakkad]], located around the river [[Bharathappuzha]], were once strongholds of Nambudiris.<ref name="askh"/> The introduction of [[Grantha script]] which later got evolved into [[Malayalam script]], and the evolution of Malayalam language through [[Sanskritisation]] of [[Middle Tamil]] are highly related to the Brahmins who migrated through the [[Palakkad Gap]].<ref>{{cite book |title=A Short History of Malayalam Literature |author=Dr. K. Ayyappa Panicker |url=https://archive.org/details/ASHORTHISTORYOFMALAYALAMLITERATURE |year=2006 |location=Thiruvananthapuram |publisher=Department of Information and Public Relations, Kerala}}</ref><ref name="askh"/>
Anthropologists [[Heike Moser]] and Paul Younger note that the Nambudiri Brahmin presence predates the 9th century, as attested by grants of land given to them by [[Royal family|ruling]] families.<ref name="moseryounger" /> According to the historian [[Romila Thapar]], local kings and chiefs encouraged them to move to the area by offering such tax-exempt land grants in return for them officiating in Vedic rites that would legitimise the grantors' status as rulers.<ref name="collins">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v39x_fKR-ykC&pg=PA305|title=Weberian Sociological Theory|last=Collins|first=Randall|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1986|isbn=978-0-52131-426-8|page=305|author-link=Randall Collins}}</ref> They also gained land and improved their influence over the socio-economic life of the region by helping rulers during the wars between the [[Chola dynasty|Chola]] and [[Chera dynasty|Chera]] dynasties when Vedic schools were turned into military academies.<ref name="shanmugam">{{cite journal|last=Shanmugam|first=S. V.|date=1976|title=Formation and Development of Malayalam|journal=Indian Literature|volume=19|issue=3|pages=5–30|jstor=24157306}}</ref>
[[Adi Shankara]], one of the most revered Vedic scholars of Hinduism, was a Nambudiri [[ascetic]]<ref>{{ cite book | first=Joël André-Michel | last=Dubois | date=2014 | title=The Hidden Lives of Brahman: Sankara's Vedanta Through His Upanisad Commentaries, in Light of Contemporary Practice| publisher= SUNY Press |place=Albany}}</ref><ref>{{ cite book | first=Roshen| last= Dalal | date=2010| title=The Religion of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths| publisher=Penguin Books India}}</ref> who initiated the protocol of permitting only Nambudiris to lead as the Chief Priest at the [[Badrinath Temple]], one of the holiest temples for Hindus.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lochtefeld |first=James G. |url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch |title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M |publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-8239-3179-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/n386 78] |quote=badrinath + buddhist shrine. |url-access=registration}}</ref> Furthermore, the spiritual leader of the Nambudiri Brahmins is given the title [[Azhvanchery Thamprakkal|Azhvanchery Thamprakkal Samrāṭ]], with the word "Samrāṭ" meaning "Emperor" in the [[Sanskrit]] language. Aside from holding rights over the sacred [[Guruvayur Temple]], the presence and blessings of the [[Azhvanchery Thamprakkal]] was a ritual necessity during the coronation of the [[Zamorin]], the [[Nair]] king of [[Kozhikode]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Balakrishna |first1=N. Nair |year=1975 |title=Culture and Society: A Festschrift to Dr. A. Aiyappan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7aoJAQAAIAAJ |publisher=Thomson Press (India), Publication Division}}</ref>
They have historically been distinguished by rare practices such as the adherence to [[Śrauta]] [[Ritual|ritualism]], the [[Purva-Mimamsa|Pūrva-Mīmāṁsā]] school of [[Hindu philosophy]] and orthodox traditions,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=T.P. |first1=Mahadevan |last2=Fritz |first2=Staal |date=2003 |title=The Turning-Point in a Living Tradition somayāgam 2003 |url=http://crossasia-journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/ejvs/article/view/743 |journal=Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=1–29 |doi=10.11588/ejvs.2003.1.743 |issn=1084-7561}}</ref> as well as many idiosyncratic customs that are unique among [[Brahmins]], including [[primogeniture]]. [[Cyriac Pullapilly]] mentions that the dominating influence of the Nambudiris could be found in all matters related to [[Kerala]], including religion, politics, society, economics and culture.<ref name="Pullapilly1976pp26-302">{{cite book |last=Pullapilly |first=Cyriac K. |url=https://archive.org/details/religionsocialco0000unse/page/26 |title=Religion and Social Conflict in South Asia |publisher=E. J. Brill |year=1976 |isbn=978-90-04-04510-1 |editor-last=Smith |editor-first=Bardwell L. |series=International studies in sociology and social anthropology |volume=22 |location=Netherlands |pages=[https://archive.org/details/religionsocialco0000unse/page/26 26–30] |chapter=The Izhavas of Kerala and their Historic Struggle for Acceptance in the Hindu Society |author-link=Cyriac Pullapilly |access-date=9 June 2011 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xNAI9F8IBOgC |url-access=registration}}</ref>
===Early history===
Operating from their ''[[illam]]'' houses, Nambudiris' ownership of agricultural land under the [[janmi]] system increased over many centuries and, according to Moser and Younger, they "established landholding temples and taught the people the rules of caste". The Nambudiris have been described to be responsible for the Sanskrit influence on [[Malayalam]],
Medieval Kerala has been characterised as an oligarchy which was dominated by the Nambudiris, who owned all the temples and their subsidiary villages.<ref name="Prange 2018 p. 167">{{cite book | last=Prange | first=S.R. | title=Monsoon Islam: Trade and Faith on the Medieval Malabar Coast | publisher=Cambridge University Press | series=Cambridge Oceanic Histories | year=2018 | isbn=978-1-108-34269-8 | page=167}}</ref> The Nambudiris had influence with the ruling class through the practice of ''[[sambandam]]'', where younger Nambudiris used to have relationships with Kshatriya women or women from the upper sections of the Nair caste. The children of such unions were not considered Nambudiris, but a part of their matrilocal lineages.<ref name="Prange 2018 p. 167" /> As a result of such unions, many kings and ruling chiefs in Kerala would be the offspring of Nambudiri fathers. These arrangements allowed the Nambudiris to gain political power in addition to religious and cultural dominance.<ref name="Prange 2018 p. 167" />
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===Modern history===
The unwillingness of Nambudiris to adapt to changes in wider society persisted until the early years of the 20th century but [[Susan Bayly]] believes that their decline in significance can be traced to the period 1729-1748 when [[Marthanda Varma]] established the [[Kingdom of Travancore]] and chose to use [[Iyer]] and [[Deshastha Brahmin]]s from [[Tamil Nadu]] in his civil service. She believes that decision undermined the relationship between the Nambudiri Brahmins and royalty in the region, although others have said that Varma's influence was short-lived and that the main cause of change was the influence of British diplomats who worked with the Travancore Maharaja in the 19th century. After the passing of the Charter Acts of 1833 and 1853 in the British Parliament, the British encouraged the work of Christian missionaries, notably in provision of education, and began the introduction of a judicial system that would have a significant impact on the landholdings, inheritance customs and marriage arrangements of both the Nambudiris and Nairs. The traditional basis of life was challenged by these and other changes, affecting also the other major ethnic groups of the area, such as the [[Ezhava]]s and the [[Saint Thomas Christians|Syrian Christian]]s.<ref name="moseryounger"/> Like others, the desire for social reform went strong among the Nambudiris which led to the formation of the ''Yogakshema movement'' in 1908 in order to agitate for the marriage of all the junior males within the community itself. It also focused on popularising the English language study and abolishing the [[Purdah]] system among the Nambudiri females.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Menon|first=A. Sreedhara|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MmIrngEACAAJ|title=A Survey of Kerala History|date=1991|publisher=Viswanathan|pages=314–315|language=en}}</ref>
==Demographics==
[[File:Population and Dominance of Nambudiri Brahmins in Kerala.png|thumb|right|350px|Population and Dominance of [[Nambudiri|Nambudiri Brahmins]] in Kerala based on 1901 census reports]]
The Nambudhiri Brahmins are a super-minority community in Kerala. According to the 1901 Census reports, they represent 0.47% of the total population of Nambudiris within Kerala.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Namboothiris and The 1901 Census Report |url=https://www.namboothiri.com/articles/1901-census.htm |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=www.namboothiri.com}}</ref> They are dominant and highly influential in [[Malabar District|British Malabar]], where they account for more than 66% of the total population of Nambudiris in Kerala.<ref>{{Cite book |last=General |first=India Office of the Registrar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jOEcAQAAMAAJ&q=namboothiri+population |title=Census of India, 1961 |date=1967 |publisher=Manager of Publications |language=en}}</ref> Most of them reside in the [[Palakkad district|Palakkad]] and [[Kozhikode district|Kozhikode]] districts of [[South Malabar]] and the [[Kannur district]] of [[North Malabar]]. A small Population is also found in [[Cochin]] and [[Travancore|Travancore Kingdom]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Namboothiris and The 1901 Census Report |url=https://www.namboothiri.com/articles/1901-census.htm |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=www.namboothiri.com}}</ref>
==Religious customs==
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===Koodiyattam (artform)===
The form of Sanskrit theatre known as [[Koodiyattam]], which is native to Kerala, was traditionally patronised by Nambudiris.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}
==Notable people==
{{see also|Namboothiri (disambiguation)}}
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their OWN article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦--->
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
* [[Rahul Easwar]], Indian public policy commentator.<ref>{{Cite web |last=archive |first=From our online |date=2018-10-02 |title='Rahul Easwar is my grandson and I have firm belief in his thinking' |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/kochi/2018/Oct/31/rahul-easwar-is-my-grandson-and-i-have-firm-belief-in-his-thinking-1892214.html |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Namboothiri (artist)|Namboothiri]], Indian painter and sculptor.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nagarajan |first=Saraswathy |date=2023-07-07 |title=Artist Namboothiri illustrator and artist par excellence leaves behind a legacy of indelible images |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/art/artist-namboothiri-illustrator-and-artist-par-excellence-leaves-behind-a-legacy-of-indelible-images/article67052975.ece |access-date=2024-05-08 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* [[Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri]], Indian writer.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Naha |first=Abdul Latheef |date=2020-09-24 |title=Jnanpith given to Akkitham |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/jnanpith-given-to-akkitham/article32685581.ece |access-date=2024-05-08 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* [[Babu Namboothiri]], Indian actor
* [[M. K. Sankaran Namboothiri]], Musical artist
* [[Unnikrishnan Namboothiri]], Indian actor.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-01-20 |title=Unnikrishnan Namboothiri, the fun grandpa of 'Kalyanaraman,' is no more |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/unnikrishnan-namboothiri-the-fun-grandpa-of-kalyanaraman-is-no-more/articleshow/80368352.cms |access-date=2024-05-08 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
* [[Akkitham Narayanan]], Indian painter.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2012-12-13 |title=The mystery of geometric shapes |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/art/the-mystery-of-geometric-shapes/article4195869.ece |access-date=2024-05-08 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
==See also==
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