This document discusses the social and political structure of medieval Kerala between the 8th-18th centuries CE based on Vattezhuthu documents. It describes how Kerala was divided into 14 territories or Nadus ruled by chieftains called Naduvazhis. Multiple Nadus together formed a centralized kingdom under the rule of the Perumals with their capital in Mahodayapuram. The document outlines the land ownership systems, including Cherikkal land owned by Naduvazhis, Brahmaswam land owned by Brahmins, and Devaswam land owned by temples which were cultivated by middlemen called Karalar. Over time, land ownership evolved into a Janmam system with agreements like verump
3. Name of the chapter:
Kerala: From Eight to
eighteenth Centaury
Class: 9
4. Vattezhuthu documents
The most important source of information about the
nadus of Kerala the Vattezhuthu documents
Vattezhuthu was a very popular alphabetic system in
Kerala from 9th to 14th centuries.
It was mostly inscribed on rocks or copper plates.
Vattezhuthu was prevalent in Tamilnadu as well
5. Kudi, Ur, Nadu
Kudi: The Kudis were the families of occupational
groups engaged in agriculture. The chief of kudi was
Kudipathi
Ur: Many Kudis constituted the Ur. The chief of Ur is
Uralar.
Nadu: Many Urs constituted a Nadu. The chief of Nadu
were Naduvazhi.
6. Perumals
The Nadus were under the Perumal who ruled Kerala
with their capital t Mahodayapuram (present
Kodungaloor) All the 14 nadus from Kolathunadu in
the north to the Venad in the south accepted the rile of
the Perumals. It was during this period that a
centrailised rule came into being in Kerala for the first
time. Rulers from Rajasekharan to ramakulasekharan
ruled during 800-1122CE with Mahodayapuram as
their capital
7. Characteristics of the rule of the
Perumals
Perumals had Representatives called Koyiladhikarikal.
In the matters of administration the Perumals were
assisted by Naluthali, they council of Brahmins.
Perumals had a militia called Ayiram.
Perumals levied taxes from the Nadus,
Nagaras(towns), Brahmin Gramas, temples,etc
9. Swaroopam
The Swaroopam were the ruling families with the right
of self-ruling and they followed matrilineal system of
inheritance (marumakkathayam).
The Swaroopam had their own military.
Arisippadijanam of Venadu, Padamalanayanmar of
Kolathu Nadu and Lokaru of Nediyiruppu were such
armies
Nadus used to clash with one another and used to join
force against the common enemy
10. Swaroopams
The major Naduvazhi Swaroopams are
Kola Swaroopam (Kolathu Nadu)
Nediyiruppu Swaroopam (Eranadu)
Perumpadappu Swaroopam (Kochi)
Thrippapur Swaroopam (Venadu)
11. Rights on Land
There were three broad type of land based on the
ownership right during the Medieval Period
Cherikkal The land under the control of the Naduvazhis
Brahmaswam The land under the control of Brahmins
Devaswam The land under the control of temples
12. Ooralar, Karalar
Owner of devaswam land were called Ooralar.
the rulers, Brahmins or the people of the temple did
not directly cultivate in this land. They used to give the
land for cultivation to middle men called, Karalar.
Accordingly a power hierarchy was formed with
Naduvazhi at the top, and Ooralars and Karalar below
them
13. Further changes in the land
ownership rights between the 12th
and 18th centuries CE
The rights over the land passed on from one
generation to another and become as Janamam Land
and the people who had the ownership right over
those land as janmis.
A custom called verumpattam become widely
prevalent during this period. The verumpattam land
was the land given to the kudiyans by the Janmis with
the agreement that a predetermined share of the
produce would be given to janmi.
