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BULLETIN OFTHE MADRAS GOVERNMENT MUSEUM EDITED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE NAYADIS OF MALABAR By A. AIYAPPAN, M.A., NEW SERIES - General Section, Volume II, No.4 © COMMISSIONER OF MUSEUMS PUBLISHED BY COMMISSIONER OF MUSEUMS GOVERNMENT OF TAMILNADU 2002 BULLETIN OFTHE MADRAS GOVERNMENT MUSEUM EDITED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE NAYADIS OF MALABAR By A. AIYAPPAN, M.A., NEW SERIES - General Section, Volume II, No.4 © COMMISSIONER OF MUSEUMS PUBLISHED BY COMMISSIONER OF MUSEUMS GOVERNMENT OF TAMILNADU 2002 First Edition 1937 Reprint 2002 © Commissioner of Museums Government ofTamilnadu Price: Rs.70/- Printed at: Smart fOnts UNIT OF: ANUGRAHA EDUCATIONAL & CONSULTANCY SERVICES P. LTD. 17/8, (Plot No. 391), 8th East Street, Kamaraj Nagar, Chennai-600 041. Ph: 492 6712 /4928700 Cover Page Print of 1937 B"ULLETIN OF THE MADRAS GOVERNMENT MUSEUM EDITED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE NAY ADIS OF MALABAR BY A. AIYAPPAN, M.A. NEW SERIES-General Section, Volume 1/, No. 4 MADRAS PRINTED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT, GOVERNMENT PRESS PRICE RS.3-2-O) 1937 4 SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE NA YA DIS OF MALABAR BY A. AIYAPPAN, M.A., Government Museum, Madras. (Published December 1937) Dr. R. KANNAN, Ph.D., I.A.S., Off : 8261578 Phone { Res: 4341209 Commissioner of Archaeology and Museums, Fax: 8218735 Government Museum, Egmore, Chennai-600 008. FOREWORD Dr. Edgar Thurston, then Superintendent of the Madras Government Museum first initiated eth'lographic studies of South Indians. As a sequel to the monumental outcome of the ethnographic survey, several Anthropolog!sts like Van -Furer Haimendarf, Prof. A. Aiyappan and Thiru K. Rangachari have contributed a lot in this direction. Prof. A Aiyappan, the then Superintendent of the Madras Government Museum, undertook several ethnographic studies of both tribal and caste groups of South India, in general and in Tamilnadu, in particular. His monograph entitled ·Soclal and Physical Anthropology of the Nayadis of Malabar" published quite sometime ago remains till date the role model for ethnographers who ventured to carry out a social anthropology study of any ethnic group. This monograph is conveniently divided into three parts wherein Part I is devoted to the Social Anthropology of the Nayadis, Part II is devoted to the Physical Anthropology of the Nayadis while Appendices and the Index form Part III. In this monograph, the Nayadis, a caste group of the erstwhile Malabar (of present Kerala State) was studied both extensively and intensively by Prof. A. Aiyappan. His scholarship is revealed vividly when he deals with the various spheres of ethnography of the Nayadis such as their ·Social Organisation", ·Religious Organisation" etc. under the Social Anthropology of the Nayadis. Prof. A. Alyappan proves himself as an Action Anthropologist as he deals in this monograph with "the measures for the development of the people under study. This is in contrast to the present approach of preserving ethnic diversity in the process of development. The 'Anthropometric data' collected on the Nayadis and the 'Glossary of Malayalam terms' used in the text are listed in Appendix I and II respectively. The Index part of this monograph will be of definite help to the readers to locate the desired aspects of their study easily. It is hoped that this reprinting will fill the overt lacuna existed in the field of Ethnography of South India for a long span of time and will remain as a useful work of reference for the academicians, administrators, planners and researchers in the years to come. !l~-/ CHENNAI-600 008 15-3-2002 AD (Dr.R.Kannan, Ph.D., I.A.S.) CONTENT S. PART I-SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY. PAGE INTRODUCTION Scope of Study Ethnographic Method 2 The Nayadi Country and its Cultural History 2 The Terms "Tribes," "Castes," and "Outcastes" 5 Census Figures 6 Nayadis and Ulladans 7 Previous References to Nayadis 8 LEGENDS OF ORIGIN 13 SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT- Meaning of the word "Nayadi" Caste Setting in Villages IS Cherumans and Nayadis 16 Iravans and Nayadis Nayars and Nayadis ... 17 Non~Hindu Neighbours 17 Distance Pollution 18 Ambivalence of Upper Caste Attitude towards the N ayadis 20 Strange Notions about the Nayadis 20 NAYADI SETTLEMENTS AND MATERIAL CULTURE- A Bird's-eye View of Some Settlements 22 Huts Domestic Goods 25 Mannu 26 Industries 26 Fire-making 27 Rat-traps 28 Agriculture and Li vestock 29 SOCIAL ORGANIZATION- Territorial Division 29 Clans (Illams) 29 Joint Family... 32 Inangu, Sesham, and Bandhu 32 Relationship Terms ... 34 Morphology of Relationship among Nayadis and other Lower Castes of Malab:tr- Father and Mother • .. 11 CONTENTS PAGE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION-cont. Morphology of Relationship among Nayadis and other Lower Castes of Mala.ba.r-cont. Brother and Sister 36 Father's Brother, Mother's Sister, and their Children 36 Mother's Brother, Father's Sister, and their Children 36 Relationship Attitudes in the Nayadi Family- Parents and Children 38 Husband and Wife 38 Application of the Genealogical Method 39 ~~~ ~ BEGGING- Charity and the Begging Castes 41 Methods of Begging and Giving Charity 42 Death-Gift 43 Divination at the Time of the Death-Gift 44- Comparative Data on the Death-Gift 4S HUNTING- Nayadis as Hunters ... 45 Hunters' Gods 46 Manner of Trapping and Hunting... 46 Distribution of the Kill 47 Hunters' Songs 48 Nayattuvidhi or the Rules of the Chase 49 DIET- Sources of Food Material 51 Vegetable FOQd 51 Animal Food ... 52 Spices 53 Drinks 53 Intoxicants 53 Betel Chewing .... 54 Consumption of Food 54 DOMESTIC CEREMONIES AND CUSTOMS Marriage 55 Puberty '9 .. Pregnancy and Child-Birth '" 60 ~ Naming and Rice-Giving 61 Hair-Cutting and Ear-Boring 62 Death-Rites ... 62 RELIGION AND MAGIC Gods and Ancestors ..• Kalam CONTENTS PAGE RELIGION AND MAGIC-cont. Nayadi Pantheon Beliefs Magic Evil Eye and Evil Tongue Mattal PERSONAL DECORATION Dress 85 Changes in Fashion 86 Hair-Dressing 87 Use of Oil 87 Tattooing 88 Nose Ornaments 88 Ear Ornaments 88 Neck and Breast Ornaments, etc. 89 RECLAMATION OF THE NAYADIS Early Work of the Basel Mission 90 Occasional Conversion 90 Colony Scheme in Cochin State 91 Colony Schemes for Malabar Nayadis 92 The Olavakkot Colony 93 Iravan Reformers' Work at Kuzhalmannam 94 The Manjeri Colony 96 Nayadis as Labourers on a Government Farm 97 Establishment of Civic Rights 98 Employment in Public Service and in Factories, et~. 99 Conclusion 100 PART II-PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY. INTRODUCTION ••• 102 GENERAL CONCLUSIONS 103 MEASUREMENTS ••• 104 INDICES 109 ANALYSIS OF NON-MEASURABLE CHARACTERS 113 SEXUAL DIFFERENCES IN BODILY CHARACTERS 118 PART III-APPENDICES AND INDEX. GENERAL TABLES OF STATISTICAL CONSTANTS, AND OF PERSONALIA, MEASUREMENTS, INDICES AND OBSERVATIONS 123 GLOSSARY OF VERNACULAR WORDS 136 INDEX 139 B