Chekavar

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For the film, see Chekavar (film).

Chekavar (Also known as Chekon or Chevakar, Cekavar) was a

Thiyya community in Malabar of Kerala.[1][2][3] Many Thiyya families today trace their roots to this Chekavar lineage.[4]

Warrior role

Exceptionally talented Thiyya practitioners of

Chera Empire.Some of the Chekavar families migrated from Malabar to Southern parts of Kerala at the invitation of kings, to train soldiers and lead war.[5][6]

Some of these heroes are remembered and worshipped even today through folk songs like

Commander-in-chief of the Chera army, was adopted into Theyyam forms and is worshipped as a war deity today.[7][8]

Etymology

Chekavar is derived from the Sanskrit words Sevakar, Sevakan or Sevaka, which mean soldiers in service or soldiers in royal service.[9][10]

Origin

Linga.[citation needed
]

History

The chekavar community was a warrior caste.[11][12] that inhabited present day Malabar and Tulu Nadu.[13]

They had their own style of martial arts, although it was influenced by the martial arts of the Chera Empire.[14][15]

Jacob Canter Visscher's Letters from Malabar says: 'They may be justly entitled soldiers, as by virtue of their descent they must always bear arms. In spite of the fact that Thiyyas were also practitioners of payatt and had a unavoidable presence in the militia of the ruler, they were allowed in the military services.'[5]

Hendrik van Rheede, governor of Dutch Malabar between 1669 and 1676, wrote about Chekavar in Hortus Malabaricus: "[Chekavas] are bound to war and arms. The Chekavars usually serve to teach nayros (nair) in the fencing in kalari school".[16]

According to Indudara Menon, "The songs of the Vatakkan pattu (northern ballads) are about a clan of martial Chekavars who were Thiyyas and masters of the martial arts".[17] According to David Levinson, "The Chekavar families played an important role in the practice of Kalaripayattu in the Malabar District".[18]

According to historian A. Sreedhara Menon:

Northern songs are represented in Malabar where the Unniyarcha and Aromal Chekavars of the Puthuram Veettil house are an important Thiyyar family known for their martial arts. The area of their activities comprised the medieval principalities of Kolathunad, Kadathanad and Kottayam.[2]

Notable people

References

  1. ISBN 978-1-000-48139-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-81-264-3782-5
    . Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  3. ^ Kurup, K. K. N. (1985). "History of the Tellicherry Factory, 1683-1794".
  4. ISBN 9789353051051
    .
  5. ^
    ISBN 9780190992071
    .
  6. ^ "Seventh sense: Night Shyamalan is from Africa | Chennai News - Times of India". The Times of India. 15 January 2012.
  7. ^ Vishnumangalm Kumar, "Kuroolli Chekon: Charithram Thamaskaricha Kadathanadan Simham" (Keralasabdam, 2007-9-2),Page 30-33, ISBN 96220924
  8. ^ "Theyyaprapancham".
  9. ISBN 81-7022-282-6
    .
  10. ISBN 90-04-04510-4
    .
  11. ISBN 9781000078718
    .
  12. ISBN 9789004180215
    .
  13. S2CID 191468000
    .
  14. ISBN 9780275984885
    .
  15. ^ Folk-Lore (1975). Folk-Lore. p. 96.
  16. ISBN 9781351441070
    .
  17. ISBN 9780429663123
    .
  18. ISBN 9780874368192
    .


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