Kiryathil Nair
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Mostly in Malabar and Cochin, also in Travancore. | |
| Languages | |
| Malayalam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Nairs |
Kiryathil Nair or Kiriyathil Nair is a subcaste of the Nair community, who have traditionally lived in the regions of Malabar and Cochin in present-day Kerala, India.
The Kiryathil Nairs are one of the highest classes of Nairs. In the caste hierarchy, they were considered superior to Illathu Nairs, but inferior to Samanthan Nairs. The caste boundary between Kiryathil Nair and Samanthan Nair is very vague and therefore some families among the Kiryathils in the course of time may be recognized as Samanthan and vice versa. Kiryathil Nairs enjoyed special privileges such as the right to partake food with Nambuthiris (which was a privilege not given to any other caste, not even to Iyers, which is also a Brahmin caste). These were exceptionally high privileges in Kerala during the pre-British era.
Kiryathil Nairs were feudal lords, known as Naduvazhi,and controlled a limited number of militiamen known as Charnavars under their command. These soldiers usually belonged to the Purattu Charna Nair subcaste.
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