Kartha or Karthavu, meaning "Lord" in the

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...

language, is an aristocratic

Nair The Nair , also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom histor ...

title which traditionally meant, "One who does." It was conferred by the kings of Kerala to powerful Nair families, and as such, they enjoyed

Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...

(regional kings) or

Naduvazhi Naduvazhi ( IAST:''nātuvāḻi''; ) refers to feudal elites, ruling chieftains and descendants of royal kingdoms in various regions that are now administrative parts of Kerala, India. They constituted the aristocratic class within the Hindu cast ...

(feudal chieftains and landlords) status. Kartha chieftains were also bestowed with extraordinary rights and authorities by the erstwhile kings and they held a special status within the royal court. They used these privileges to own vast acres of land (

Jenmi Jenmi is the term used to refer to the landed aristocracy of Kerala. They formed the landowning nobility as well as the landed gentry of the region during Medieval times, and the majority of the estates and feudal properties were owned by this ...

). History has it that some members of the Kartha community also used to work as Supreme Commanders in the royal armies of the king, while other Kartha families were renowned for their expertise in traditional

Ayurveda Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population repo ...

medicine. Most Kartha families have their ancestral tutelary deity as the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Goddess

Bhadrakali Bhadrakali (IAST: Bhadrakālī; ), also known as Mahakali and Kali, is a Hindu goddess. According to Shaktism, she is one of the fierce forms of the Supreme Goddess Shakti, or Adi Parashakti, mentioned in the Devi Mahatmyam. In Vaishnavism, ...

, or the Goddess

Durga Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around co ...

. A few families also consider their ancestral deity as

Vettakkorumakan Vettakkoru Makan () is a Hindu deity worshipped in parts of Malabar District, Northern Kerala. This deity is alternately referred as Kiratha-Sunu (son of Kirata) in Sanskrit.Religion, art and culture, S. Venkitasubramonia Iyer, College Book House, ...

, a Hindu entity worshiped in parts of North Kerala. Pattupurackal Bhagavathy Temple-OwnedBy-Kartha Family-Front

Social Role

The Karthas, as a community, ruled regional principalities and fiefdoms, served in the royal armies or worked as Tax Collectors for the kings. They also served as military commanders and feudal chieftains. The Kartha surname is still used today, although it is less prominent. The title of Kartha ("Lord") appears to have been used as a titular name by some of the rulers of

Madura Madura Island is an Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java. The island comprises an area of approximately (administratively 5,379.33 km2 including various smaller islands to the east, southeast and north that are administrati ...

. During the Madras Census of 1901, the title of Kartha was returned by the Balijas who claimed to be the descendants of the Nayak kings of Madura and

Tanjore Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...

. The Tekkumkur and Vadakkumkur Rajas are said to have first conferred the title of Kartha on certain influential Nair families who were related by blood to the Rajas themselves. In social matters, the authority of the Kartha was supreme. Only on important issues were higher authorities called on to intercede.

Caste system

Most Karthas belong to the Illam subdivision of the Nair caste, while a few were from the higher

Kiryathil Nair Kiryathil Nair or Kiriyath Nair is a martial nobility caste belonging to the Kshatriya varṇa, which forms one of the highest-ranking subcastes of the Nair community along with the Samantha Kshatriyas with whom they share a close history. ...

subdivision.

References

{{Reflist Indian castes Nair

Social Role

Caste system

See also

References