Samantan
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2012) |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Kerala | |
| Languages | |
| Malayalam | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Illathu Nairs, Kiryathil Nairs, Nambiar |
Samantan Nair or more commonly Samantan (Sama + anta means equal distance or difference, rather risen from the common masses), Samantan was a generic term applied to dignify a collection of sub-clans among the ruling elite and feudal estate owners of Kerala belonging to the Nair community.
Robin Jeffrey, an anthropologist, described the Samantas as "a matrilineal caste ranking between Nayars and Kshatriyas and found in limited numbers in north Travancore. They were more numerous in Cochin and British Malabar."[1]
References
- ^ Jeffrey, Robin (1976). The Decline of Nayar Dominance: Society and Politics in Travancore, 1847-1908. Sussex University Press. p. 248. ISBN 0-85621-054-4.