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Aasaan

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Gurukkal praying before puttara CVN Kalari, Ettumanoor

Aasaan or Asan is a Tamil word meaning teacher or guide.[1]

Etymology

It is a corrupted form of Sanskrit word Acharya. The honorific suffix n is added with a phonetic change in pronounce mutates it in to Aasaan [2] It was used by locals as an alternative colloquial term to address teachers in Kerala and Tamil Nadu[3]

Traditions

Generally the Kaniyar or Ganaka people of Kerala in India, particularly from southern region were held this title Asan by virtue of their past vocation as Kalari teachers [4][5] They acted as the media for sanskritisation and literacy to Non-Brahmins[6] Ezhuthuassan was another name in which they were known at certain regions of Kerala. Till the second half of twentieth century the AsanKalari or Ezhuthu Kalari or Ezhuthu palli (village schools) were common in each village as it was conducted in many families of Ganaka in Travancore[7][8] The female members of Ganaka were generally addressed as Asatti or Asaatti, because they too had engaged in teaching 3Rs to pupil.[9][10] In the past, Kaniyar Panicker or Kalari panicker s of central Kerala too were known by the title Asan by virtue of their past profession as teachers of martial art (Kalaripayattu) to Nair youths.

For the last two centuries, it has not been uncommon to adopt this title by many learned people from other castes (Nair, Ezhava, Thiyya, Christian Nadar) as well. Eventually, the common usage of the term Asan gradually lost its original meaning as a venerated symbolic representation for teachers, as it is found used in every parlance without any significance to its meaning.

Notable persons

  • Ay palli Aasaan (Ayyapilli) The author of Ramakathapattu
  • Netumpayil Kochu-krishnan ASan (Krashnadasa) (1756-1812) The Author of astrological treatise Kanakkusara,and Bhasha Jakapadhathi
  • Kumaran Asan one of the truimvirate poets of Modern Kerala

References

  1. ^ Sadguru Sivaya, Subramaniyaswami (1998). Loving Gaṇeśa: Hinduism's Endearing Elephant-faced God. Madras: Motilal Banarsidass Publ. pp. 623–624.
  2. ^ Thomas A, Green (2001). Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIOlocation=Madras. pp. 225–226.
  3. ^ Luijendijk, Dick (2008). Kalarippayat. Lulu.com=Thiruvananthapuram.
  4. ^ Thurston, Edgar; Rangachari, K. (1909). Castes and tribes of Southern India. Vol. 2. Madras: Government Press. pp. 178–179.
  5. ^ Mathew, George (1989). Communal Road To A Secular Kerala. Madras: Communal Road To A Secular Kerala. pp. 30–31.
  6. ^ Gough, Kathleen (2005) [1968]. "Literacy in Kerala". In Goody, Jack (ed.). Literacy in traditional societies (Reprinted ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 155. ISBN 0-521-29005-8.
  7. ^ Studies in Indian history: with special reference to Tamil Nādu by Kolappa Pillay, Kanaka Sabhapathi Pillay, page 103
  8. ^ Ranjit Kumar Bhattacharya, Nava Kishor Das. Anthropological Survey of India: Anthropology of Weaker Sections, 1993, p. 590
  9. ^ Raja, Dileep.G (2005). "Of an old school of teachers". Thiruvananthapuram: The Hindu.
  10. ^ A, Ayyappan (1965). Social revolution in a Kerala village: a study in culture change. New Delhi: Asia publication house. pp. 26–27.
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