Demographics of Nair community

2025-10-28T03:51:33Z

157.46.5.146: added lead further and updated info

{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}
The total population of the [[Nair]] community is disputed, since there has been no caste-based census since 1931. However, various sources cite figures ranging from 12% to 15%.<ref>[http://www.ucip.ch/rp/ina/tj.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707004409/http://www.ucip.ch/rp/ina/tj.htm|date=7 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://nzdl.sadl.uleth.ca/cgi-bin/library?e=d-00000-00---off-0edudev--00-0--0-10-0---0---0prompt-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0-0-11-1-0utfZz-8-00&cl=CL3.55&d=HASH01aa95e38a1ea7557754f5ea.13&x=1 |title=Kerala: Radical Reform as Development in an Indian State (FF, 1994, 140 p.): 11. Women and the Kerala reforms |publisher=Nzdl.sadl.uleth.ca |accessdate=2011-06-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706211240/http://nzdl.sadl.uleth.ca/cgi-bin/library?e=d-00000-00---off-0edudev--00-0--0-10-0---0---0prompt-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0-0-11-1-0utfZz-8-00&cl=CL3.55&d=HASH01aa95e38a1ea7557754f5ea.13&x=1 |archivedate=2011-07-06 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-48081.html |title=Kashmir terror trail vanishes in Kerala's political sands .:. newkerala.com Online News |publisher=Newkerala.com |date= |accessdate=2011-06-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UpOl35r8UHQC |title=India: development and participation - Google Books |isbn=9780199257492 |accessdate=2011-06-13|last1=Drèze |first1=Jean |last2=Sen |first2=Amartya |year=2002 |publisher=Oxford University Press }}</ref> There is also the practical difficulty of certain Nair subcastes considered as independent castes. Out of the citizens eligible to vote in [[Kerala]], around 12% or 15% belong to the Nair community.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yInZdHn-pKoC |title=India votes: Lok Sabha & Vidhan ... - Google Books |isbn=9788176256476 |accessdate=2011-06-13|last1=Rana |first1=Mahendra Singh |year=2006 |publisher=Sarup & Sons }}</ref> The most reliable population figures comes from two sources. The BCRC estimated Nair population at 14.47% of the total population of Kerala based on a statewide sample survey conducted for the reservation of seats in educational institutions.

The Nair population historically and currently remains concentrated in the capital districts. The Nair population in [[Thiruvananthapuram district|Thiruvananthapuram]] and [[Ernakulam district|Ernakulam]] districts has been increasing since the beginning of 19th century.<ref name=":02">{{cite book |last=Blair |first=Harry W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EzeaAAAAIAAJ |title=The Census in British India: New Perspectives |publisher=Manohar |year=1981 |isbn=9780836408478 |editor-last=Barrier |editor-first=Norman Gerald |location=New Delhi |page=154 |chapter=Caste and the British Census in Bihar: Using Old Data to Study Contemporary Political Behavior |accessdate=2011-08-28}}</ref> The Nair population has been declining in Kerala, with some districts having only a small percentage of Nairs. For example, [[Malappuram district|Malappuram]] has a Nair population of 1.8%, and [[Kasaragod district|Kasargode]] has about 2.1%.<ref>{{cite book |title=Dynamics of migration in Kerala: dimensions, differentials, and consequences |first1=Kunniparampil Curien |last1=Zachariah |first2=Elangikal Thomas |last2=Mathew |first3=Sebastian Irudaya |last3=Rajan |publisher=Orient Longman |isbn=978-81-250-2504-7 |year=2003 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D497alRZPcoC}}</ref>

==Population estimates (Forward Subcastes)==
===[[Travancore]] (south Kerala)===
[[File:Higher caste Nair population in Travancore.png|thumb|right|350px|Higher caste Nair population in [[Travancore]] based on old surveys]]
[[Illathu Nair|Illam Nairs]] constituted more than 70% of the total forward caste Nair population. [[Pillai (Kerala title)|Pillai]], [[Kurup of Travancore|Kurup]], [[Thampi and Thankachi|Thampi]], and [[Meenachil Kartha]]v, are the common surnames used by Illam Nairs were gifted by the [[Venadu kingdom|Venadu]] and [[Travancore royal family|Travancore royal families]] to affluent [[Nair]]s.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shungoonny Menon |first=P. |url=https://archive.org/details/ahistorytravanc00menogoog |title=A history of Travancore from the earliest times |date=1878 |publisher=Madras, Higginbotham |others=University of California}}</ref> They were the major aristocratic warrior class, Naduvazhi and Deshavazhi in Travancore before the 19th century and considered as highest of all Nairs.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Fuller |first=C. J. |date=December 1975 |title=The Internal Structure of the Nayar Caste |journal=Journal of Anthropological Research |language=en |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=283–312 |doi=10.1086/jar.31.4.3629883 |s2cid=163592798 |issn=0091-7710}}</ref><ref name="Barrier 1981">{{Cite book |last=Barrier |first=Norman Gerald |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EzeaAAAAIAAJ&q=The+Census+in+British+India |title=The Census in British India: New Perspectives |date=1981 |publisher=Manohar |isbn=978-0-8364-0847-8 |language=en}}</ref>

[[Swaroopathil Nair]]s formed the second-largest forward caste Nair population in Travancore, accounting for more than 22% of the total Nair population. They were found only in Travancore and were a major military caste who mostly soldiers of Illam Nair landlords and administrators in Swaroopams.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jeffrey |first=Robin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tCpamOZ0oZwC |title=The Decline of Nair Dominance: Society and Politics in Travancore, 1847-1908 |date=1994 |publisher=Manohar |isbn=978-81-7304-065-8 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2" />

Approximately 5.5% (25,164) of the population is recognized as [[Kiryathil Nair|Kiriyam Nairs]], who rank between the Illam and Swaroopathil Nairs in Travancore.

===[[Malabar District|Malabar]] (north Kerala)===
[[File:Higher caste Nair population in British Malabar.png|thumb|right|350px|Higher subcaste Nair population in Madras ([[Malabar District|Malabar]]) based on old surveys]]
[[Kiryathil Nair|Kiriyathil Nairs]], also known as Vellayama Nairs, are considered the highest subcaste among forward caste Nairs in [[Malabar District]]s, Kiriyathil Nairs mostly found in the [[Palakkad district]], with a very small population in [[Kannur district]]. Kiriyathil Nairs, along with the recently added corresponding castes [[Nambiar (Nair subcaste)|Nambiar]] (Nair) and related castes, they comprising less than 38% of the total Malabar Nairs and second largest forward Nair subcaste in Malabar districts. They were wealthy Nair families from Malabar.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fawcett |first=F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eF-pMrcqw5UC&q=kiriyathil+nairs |title=Nâyars of Malabar |date=2004-02-01 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=978-81-206-0171-0 |language=en}}</ref>

Illathil Nairs make up around 42,429 (14%) of the total Malabar Nairs. They were warriors and managers of Nambudiri Brahmin landlords. Brahmin-dependent Nair subcaste found only in [[Malabar District|British Malabar]] and [[Kingdom of Cochin|Cochin]].

The [[Swaroopathil Nair|Charnavar]] or Cherna Nairs are the most populous Nair subcaste in British Malabar, constituting around 50% of the total Malabar Nair population. They were the soldiers, accountants, and ministers in Malabar. They were further divided into Akathu Charna and Purath Charna Nairs and were ranked below Kiriyathu and Illathu Nairs.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Schneider |first=David Murray |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qiRL3rnCVfAC&dq=charna+nayar&pg=PA308 |title=Matrilineal Kinship |date=1974 |publisher=University of California Press |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Barrier 1981"/>

===[[Kochi|Cochin]] (central Kerala)===
[[File:Higher caste Nair population in Cochin.png|thumb|right|350px|Higher caste Nair population in [[Cochin]] based on old surveys]]
In Cochin, Illathu Nairs formed 42% of the total Nair population. Kiriyam Nairs made up 41%, while Charnavar Nairs constituted 16%.<ref name="Barrier 1981"/>

==Population estimates (District-wise)==
Household sample surveys conducted by the Kerala Statistical Institute, the last of which were in 2000{{update inline|date=May 2024}}, produced estimates which were:

[[File:N Census.PNG|thumb|right|350px|Distribution of Nairs in Kerala - District-wise.]]
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Distribution of Nair population in Kerala.<ref>{{cite book |title=Dynamics of migration in Kerala: dimensions, differentials, and consequences |first1=Kunniparampil Curien |last1=Zachariah |first2=Elangikal Thomas |last2=Mathew |first3=Sebastian Irudaya |last3=Rajan |page=91 |publisher=Orient Longman |isbn=978-81-250-2504-7 |year=2003 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D497alRZPcoC&pg=PA91}}</ref><ref name=":1">G.O.K 1971: Appendix XVIII : For percentage of Nairs in total population of Kerala, adjusted for decrease due to emigration and low birth rates. Nairs are kshtriya caste.</ref>
!rowspan=2|District
!rowspan=2|Total District Population
!colspan=3|Nairs in District

|-
!Numbers
!% of District Population
!% of Total Nairs in Kerala
|-
|Kasaragod
|1,203,000
|36,000
|3.0%
|0.8%
|-
|Kannur
|2,412,000
|584,000
|24.2%
|13.1%
|-
|Wayanad
|787,000
|152,000
|19.3%
|3.4%
|-
|Kozhikode
|2,878,000
|504,000
|17.5%
|11.3%
|-
|Malappuram
|3,630,000
|80,000
|2.2%
|1.8%
|-
|Palakkad
|2,617,000
|330,000
|12.6%
|7.4%
|-
|Thrissur
|2,975,000
|223,000
|7.5%
|5.0%
|-
|Ernakulam
|3,098,000
|316,000
|10.2%
|7.1%
|-
|Idukki
|1,129,000
|111,000
|9.8%
|2.5%
|-
|Kottayam
|1,953,000
|227,000
|11.6%
|5.1%
|-
|Alappuzha
|2,105,000
|352,000
|16.7%
|7.9%
|-
|Pathanamthitta
|1,232,000
|174,000
|14.1%
|3.9%
|-
|Kollam
|2,584,000
|793,000
|30.7%
|17.8%
|-
|Thiruvananthapuram
|3,235,000
|575,000
|17.8%
|12.9%
|-
!Kerala total
!31,838,000
!4,457,000
!14.9%
!100.0%
|}

== See also ==

* [[List of Nairs]]
* [[Nair ceremonies and customs]]
* [[Nair Brigade]]
* [[Nayanar (Nair subcaste)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demography Of Nair Community}}
[[Category:Nair|*D]]
[[Category:Demographics of India]]

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Demographics of Nair community