Tharakan

Tharakan is a Hindu caste from the Palakkad district of Kerala, South India. The majority of the Guptans are located in Valluvanad, with major agglomerations around Vayillyamkunnu, Katambazhippuram, Sreekrishnapuram, Mangode, Thiruvazhiyodu, Chethallur and Mannarkkad. Many Sanskrit scholars and popular astrologers originated from this community.

The word Tharakan literally means the holder of document of Raja (Tharakan : Common letter or document of Raja, Gundert's dictionary). They are so called because they were the recipients of 'Tharaku' or writ of social previlege issued to them by the ruling head of the Zamorins of Calicut.

Tharakan is an honorific title possessed by ancient traders. The word is rooted from Tamil word Tharaku/Tharavu-which means brokering or commission. The word is also linked with placing an order, tax or tariff and commodity trade. Sometimes the word is also related to lending money. In Tamil to denote a broker, people use Tharakar or Tharagar. So it can be assumed that a tharakan is the one who intermediates between manufacturer and buyer.

Tharakans belong to Kshatriya group and are Saivites. Tharakan trace their origin from Chola mandalam and claims that they belong to Kannaki’s community (heroine of Tamil epic Chilappathikaram). Mannadiyar, Guptan, Moothan, and Pathukudi are the related ethnic groups.A section of Tharakan community in Angadippuram became Nairs as per the advice of king.

Agriculture and business were their traditional ways of earning a living in times past. They follow Makkathaayam traditions and the after death pollution time (Pula ) for family members is 10 days.

Male members are identified by their family (Tharavad) name and female members move in with their husband's family after marriage and keep the husband's family name. The title "Guptan" is common after middle age. Married female members were earlier addressed as "AkathaaL" (in short as "Thaal" − means the person lives inside the house) and with time, the suffix transformed to "Ammal" and later to Amma and Gupta.

There are some details available about the origin of this community – in 'KOTTICHEZHUNNALLATH' (The first programme used to be conducted by Samoothiri (Zamorin) kings after swearing on ceremony of each Eralppad- second in command − to establish their control over the region.The last KOTTICHEZHUNNALLATH was believed to be held in 1909 ). It points to the era way back to 13th−14th century which says about the asylum of a minister and his men from a local kingdom in the bank of river Kaveri of then Cholamandalam – to the king of Calicut (Kozhikkode) – The dispute arose from the decision of local king to marry the clever daughter of the minister who had found out a solution for a challenging problem which was haunting the king for days together. The legend – The challenge was to make a necklace within 41 days, using a bowl of peculiar pearls which was gifted by some foreign traders to the king. Being curved holes inside, many famous brilliant pandits had tried and failed to make a pearl necklace. However the intelligent teenage daughter of the minister could succeed in finding a solution for the challenge and making the necklace with the help of some ants by using a ghee applied thread making it a pearl necklace.Impressed up on the extraordinary intelligence of the girl who made the pearl necklace the ruling king wanted to marry her. But as the king was inferior in caste, the minister and his related families disagreed. The angry king gave ultimatum for accepting the marriage or all vaishyas to leave the kingdom. Due to this the entire vaishya population in the desom consisting of many sections, around 7200 families, had to travel away from chola-desam and were segregated in groups. Some of the groups traveled towards west to Cheranaadu (presently Keralam).

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