Chekavan

The Chekavar (also Chekava, Chekavan, Chekon) were warriors who commonly belonged to the Thiyya (Ezhava) community.

Chekavar is derived from the Sanskrit words Sevakar, Sevakan or Sevaka, which means soldiers in service or soldiers in royal service.Hermann Gundert's English-Malayalam Dictionary, defines the term as militiaman and warrior.

Sangam literature and hero stones found in Tamil Nadu show that Chekavar were engaged in combat, often on behalf of a lord. On these hero stones, Chekavar are generally depicted by an image of an armed man along with a Shiva Linga. Hero stones were erected to commemorate men who had fallen in battle or cattle raids and were traditional during the Sangam period.

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