Samantha Kshatriya
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2012) |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Kerala | |
| Languages | |
| Malayalam, Sanskrit | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Nair, Namboothiri |
The Samantha Kshatriya are a community of Kerala, India, who were historically ruling elites and feudal land owners in the Kingdom of Cochin and Kingdom of Travancore as well as the Malabar. Their residences are still called Kottaram or Kovilakams, all of which mean palace in Malayalam. Members of this community hold the titles like Thampuran and Varma. There were clans of Samanta Kshatriyas who wore the sacred thread (yajnopaveetham) as well as those that didn't.
Unlike most Kshatriyas (warriors) found in India, Samantha Kshatriyas rarely took part in warfare, relying instead on their cousins, the Kiryathil Nairs and Illathu Nairs to command armies. The Samantha Kshatriya also followed a matrilineal system of inheritance known as Marumakkathayam.
See also
- Kingdom of Tanur (Vettathunad)
- Upanayanam
References
- Hindu Kingship and the Origin of Community: Religion, State and Society in Kerala, 1750-1850 Susan Bayly Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 18, No. 2 (1984), pp. 177–213