Abesh Purkait: adding new data w/ infobox...

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{{short description|Indian caste}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group = Adiyodi
| popplace = [[Kerala]]
| religions = [[Hinduism]]
| related = [[Madampi (Nair title)|Madampi]], [[Samantan|Samantha]]
}}

'''Adiyodi''' is a subcaste of the [[Samantan]] [[Nair]] community found in the [[North Malabar|northern region]] of [[Kerala]], India.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kTNRAAAAYAAJ&dq=unithiri+adiyodi&pg=RA1-PA150 |title=Census of India, 1901 |date=1903 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gundert |first=Hermann |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GbfTg90v_akC&dq=%E0%B4%85%E0%B4%9F%E0%B4%BF%E0%B4%AF%E0%B5%8B%E0%B4%9F%E0%B4%BF+%E0%B4%A8%E0%B4%BE%E0%B4%AF%E0%B5%BC&pg=PP122 |title=Kēralōlpatti: (the origin of Malabar) |date=1874 |publisher=Stolz & Hirner |language=ml}}</ref> It is the same caste to which the king ([[Raja]]) of [[Kadathanadu]] belonged.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fawcett |first=F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eF-pMrcqw5UC&q=adiyodi+samantha+nair |title=Nâyars of Malabar |date=2004-02-01 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=978-81-206-0171-0 |language=en}}</ref>

== Origin and history ==
The Adiyodi caste is believed to have originated from the old [[Samantan|Samantha Nair]] title "[[Pillai (Kerala title)|Pillai]]." The title "Pillai" was traditionally reserved for junior Samanthan family members and junior members of a royal family,<ref>Mark de Lannoy,Kulasekhara Perumals of Travancore, Page 6,7, 8</ref> particularly for children born of unions between the [[Maharaja]] and Nair women. Members of this group were also referred to as Pillayathiri—a compound of Pillai (royal child) and Thiri (a Sanskrit-derived term meaning "sacred one", primarily used as a suffix in [[Northern Kerala]]),<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wilhite |first=Harold |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8uzsAAAAMAAJ&q=thiri+meaning |title=Consumption and the Transformation of Everyday Life: A View from South India |date=2008-07-24 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-0-230-54254-9 |language=en}}</ref> which roughly translates to "sacred royal child." They held a unique social position as lords of landlords, ranking below the king but above the landed gentry. This elevated status gave rise to the title Adiyodi, which can be interpreted as "lord of lords." Women belonging to this group were known as Pillayathiri Amma, maintaining the same sacred undertone. Children born to an Adiyodi were known as Kidavu,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Castes and Tribes of Southern India/Nāyar - Wikisource, the free online library |url=https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Castes_and_Tribes_of_Southern_India/N%C4%81yar |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=en.wikisource.org |language=en}}</ref> which also means "royal child". In certain regions, under the influence of [[Sanskritisation|Sanskritization]], this title evolved into Unnithiri, where Unni also denotes a royal child in the local context.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fawcett |first=F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eF-pMrcqw5UC&q=adiyodi+samantha+nair |title=Nâyars of Malabar |date=2004-02-01 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=978-81-206-0171-0 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Viṣṇunampūtiri |first=Eṃ Vi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GMkOERxsvwQC&q=Pillayathiri |title=Folklore: The Identity of Culture |date=2012 |publisher=Department of Information & Public Relations, Government of Kerala |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bahadur) |first=L. Krishna Anantha Krishna Iyer (Diwan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nPFWAAAAYAAJ&dq=Unnithiri+caste&pg=PA147 |title=The Cochin Tribes and Castes ... |date=1912 |publisher=government of Cochin |language=en}}</ref>

The [[Raja]] of [[Kadathanadu]] is traditionally believed to belong to the Adiyodi caste. Historical accounts suggest that they were originally Samanthan Nair Royal families.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kunhali |first=V. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1xJuAAAAMAAJ&q=adiyodi+kadathanadu |title=Calicut in History |date=2004 |publisher=Publication Division, University of Calicut |isbn=978-81-7748-067-2 |language=en}}</ref> Due to conflicts with the [[Zamorin|Zamorin of Calicut]] (Samoothiri), they were driven out from their lands. Following their displacement, the [[Chirakkal Raja|Raja of Chirakkal]] is said to installed them as lords or vassals under his dominion.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kunhali |first=V. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1xJuAAAAMAAJ&q=adiyodi+kadathanadu |title=Calicut in History |date=2004 |publisher=Publication Division, University of Calicut |isbn=978-81-7748-067-2 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Logan |first=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R5xEAQAAMAAJ |title=Malabar |date=1981 |publisher=Charithram Publications |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Menon |first1=V. K. R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CJVuAAAAMAAJ |title=History of Medieval Kerala |last2=Ramachandran |first2=Rathi |last3=Narayanan |first3=Girija |last4=Ramachandran |first4=Ammini |date=2006 |publisher=Pragati Publications |isbn=978-81-7307-091-4 |language=en}}</ref>

== Caste system ==
Members of the Adiyodi caste were traditionally regarded as socially superior to all type of [[Nair]] subcastes. The Adiyodis were considered to hold a position above the traditional Nair caste and immediately below the king in the social hierarchy. This intermediate status sometimes led to their classification as Antarala Jati, in the traditional [[Caste system in Kerala|Kerala caste structure]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Nair |first1=R. Raman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K-JRfipEdV0C&dq=adiyodi+caste&pg=PA24 |title=Chattampi Swami: An Intellectual Biography |last2=Devi |first2=L. Sulochana |date=2010 |publisher=South Indian Studies |isbn=978-81-905928-2-6 |language=en}}</ref>
Marriages were primarily arranged within the Samantan (Samanthan or Samanthan Nair) communities, reflecting their elevated status. In some instances, they also engaged in [[Sambandam|Sambandham]] with women from the [[Nambiar (Nair subcaste)|Nambiar]], [[Swaroopathil Nair|Purathu Charna]] and [[Kiryathil Nair|Kiriyathil Nair]] subcastes of [[North Malabar]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fawcett |first=F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eF-pMrcqw5UC&q=adiyodi+higher+sambandam |title=Nâyars of Malabar |date=2004-02-01 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=978-81-206-0171-0 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=K. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jHQMAQAAMAAJ&q=adiyodi+and+Unithiri |title=India's Communities |date=1998 |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India |isbn=978-0-19-563354-2 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Moore |first=Lewis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OwkbAAAAYAAJ&q=sambandham+nair+Samantan |title=Malabar Law and Custom |date=1905 |publisher=Higginbotham |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Schneider |first=David Murray |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qiRL3rnCVfAC&q=Malabar+marriage+nair+samantan |title=Matrilineal Kinship |date=1974 |publisher=University of California Press |language=en}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Kenoth G. Adiyodi]], Indian zoologist and author
* [[K. G. Adiyodi]], Indian politician

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adiyodi}}
[[Category:Nair]]
[[Category:Surnames of Indian origin]]
[[Category:Malayalam-language surnames]]
[[Category:Surnames of Hindu origin]]

Adiyodi - Revision history

Abesh Purkait: adding new data w/ infobox...