Ezhava is a caste that fell outside the traditional four-fold caste system among the Hindu community in India. Ezhavas are mainly based in India's southern state of Kerala. They are the major community in Kerala, making up about 25% of the population. Until the end of Royal rule, they were considered a backward community, because of their position outside the Hindu four-fold caste hierarchy.
Origin and history
In the northern districts of Kerala, Ezhavas are also known as Thiyyas . "Thiyya" is a corrupted form of "dweepan", meaning "person from an island", as Ezhavas are believed to have come from Sri Lanka. They live all over Kerala, working primarily as traders and agriculturists. Traditionally, they are connected with the growing and tapping of coconut trees; however, today, only a minuscule percentage of Ezhavas choose to pursue the vocation of "toddy tapping" (collecting juice from coconut trees). Ezhavas traditionally belonged to the working class and they were treated as untouchables. Despite this, there have been several Ayurvedic physicians among the Ezhavas notably Itty Achuthan who wrote the text for the monumental work "Hortus Malabaricus" . This was published from Amsterdam in 1678 by Henry Van Rheede in 12 volumes and is a treatise on the plant wealth of Malabar . Another Ezhava Physician, Kayikkara Govindan Vaidyar translated the Ashtanga Hridaya Samhita to Malayalam from Sanskrit
Sree Narayana Guru and SNDP Yogam
Narayana Guru (1856-1928), who was born into an Ezhava family, was a great sage and social reformer of India. He transformed the social face of Kerala. He founded SNDP Yogam , a social movement in Kerala for the upliftment of the Ezhava community.
Ezhavas today
Ezhavas are now fast improving, gaining strength economically, culturally and politically. They are also considered one of the major Dravidian communities of India.
Related Links
List of famous ezhavas
References
- William Logan: Malabar Manual
- Robin Jeffrey: The Decline of Nayar Dominance
External links
- [[1]] Official website of Sivagiri Mutt
- [[2]] SNDP.org
- [[3]] Yahoo Group for Ezhavas
- [[4]] Origin of Ezhavas
Last updated: 08-19-2006 14:43:24
