About Thiyya Community

    The thiyya community of malabar are one among the largest communities in kerala. The Thiyya community is widely prevalent in the Malabar region of Kerala, is one of the largest ethnic groups of Kerala.

    The Thiyya community had a long tradition of being seafarers and merchants. As they were mostly involved in maritime trade and commerce, they had a monopoly on overseas trade for centuries before the British arrived in the region. The thiyya community was historically seen as warriors who protected their land and its people from invaders. The thiyya community is one of the martial traditions of Kerala.  They were known to be skilled in different types of weapons like swords, spears, bows and arrows etc.,  The British colonial policies led to significant economic and social changes in Kerala. The traditional occupations had been destroyed by this time. In order to adjust to these changes, many members from this caste took up other professions such as toddy tapping or weaving baskets out of coconut leaves for a living. With economic growth post independence, many.

    The history of India has had a long and complicated relationship with martial arts. The British period, for example, saw the rise of several martial arts styles which are now very popular in India. One such style was Thiyya Kalari - a tradition that derives from Kerala’s Malabar region. It is one of the few martial traditions that continue to exist today among communities in Kerala's hinterland areas. 

    Thiyya Kalari is a Kerala traditional martial art that is believed to be over 3000 years old. The original form of the kalari traces its roots to a time when the Indian subcontinent was not yet dominated by Hinduism. It is one of the most popular art forms in Kerala with youngsters and old people alike, irrespective of caste and religion. This art has now become an international sport. The word "Kalari" means courtyard, which is where this martial art was developed. 

    The Thiyya community of Malabar region in Kerala is one among the ancient ethnic communities that still cling to their traditions and customs.

ORIGIN

The Thiyya are one of the oldest communities in Kerala, India. The community is also known as the 'Thiyyas' or 'Thiyyar', found in the Malabar region of Kerala in India. They are one of the groups in Kerala, who follow the matrilineal system.

The Thiyya community is an ethnic group, when they settled down and became cultivators, they started to follow a matrilineal custom. The males and females would inherit property from their mother's family. This custom has been a part of their society for centuries. In Kerala’s society, where males are seen as head of the family and males are usually responsible for carrying out rituals related to birth marriage and death; it is quite an odd

They have a long standing history in Malabar region. It is believed that they have migrated from Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent in pre-historic times. The Malabar region of India is home to the world's oldest human civilization. This region has long standing history and evidence points to them migrating from Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. The region is rich in minerals, forests, water resources and more. The terms ‘Thiyya’, ‘Thiyya Community’, and ‘Malabari’ are used interchangeably when referring to this group. Malabar region is a place where a lot of Planted trading happened. The region also has a huge number of descendants from Thiyya community. The Thiyya people have traditionally been traders and merchants. They have traditionally been involved in the spice trade with the Middle East, Europe, and Africa; they were also involved in other business activities such as banking, manufacturing, money-lending, fishing, tea cultivation and river transport. There are various theories about the origin of these people.

According to the scientific findings of Dr.Nelliate Shayamalan's ,the migration of Thiyyar took place in the late Iron Age .The ancestors of author's father carried the gene from North Africa through the Caucasus region to Central Asia ,Kyrgistan,and North Malabar.That is the general Thiyya DNA ,traced back several generation into the past. The language spoken at this time was a Latin script mixed with greek.(Scientific DNA studied in Thiyya Caste published in the Book 'North Africa to North Malabar' by Dr.N.C.Shyamalan)

Illam (Clans) System of Thiyyas

Illam:Illam /ˈɪləm/ is a Malayalee lineage system used for classification and identification of castes in Kerala, South India. There are mainly two castes which used Illam as their house. They are Thiyyars and Namboothiris. The House of Namboothiries (the Brahmins of Kerala) are also called the Brahmaalayam or Mana. The house is built according to the canons of Vaasthusaasthram, meaning architecture in Sanskrit language.In Thiyyar system there are 8 illam from where their origin are believed to be from . The well acclaimed history book "Castes and Tribes of Southern India" by Edgar Thurston (1855-1935) clearly describe the eight illams of Thiyya . Eight illams of Theeyars in North Malabar, as per this book, are:-

1  Nellikka 
2  Pullanhi 
3  Vangeri 
4  Koyikkalan 
5  Padayamkudi 
6  Tenamkudi 
7  Manankudy 
8  Vilakkan Kudi

There are local variations in names of these illams at certain regions of North Malabar.Thiyyars belong to any of the eight clans (Illams).Thiyyar illams are not home, it represents Tree or Herbs name . Marriage between individuals of same illam is prohibited and it is still strictly followed in North Malabar.  Illam culture is based on Matrilineal followers.Nair community follow Matrilineal same like Thiyyar community . The word illam using North Tamil Nadu is their home . Ezhavas have no such illams.

Myth 

    According to mythology once upon a time there were seven heavenly damsels, who used to bath every day before dawn in a lake situated in a forest. Siva found this out, and appeared as a fire on the bank, at which the girls warmed themselves. Having thus lured them, the God made all of them mothers. Seven beautiful boys were born, and Siva presented them to Parvati, who treated them as if they were her own sons. They were taken to mount Kailasa, and employed in preparing toddy for the mysterious and wonderful Sakti worship. Daily they brought the toddy at the moment when it was required for the golden pot. Parvati embraced the boys all at once, and they became one. 

    On a certain day, this boy sent the sacred toddy in charge of a Brahman, who became curious to know the virtues of the mysterious liquid. As he rested on a river bank thinking about it, he drank a little, and filled the vessel up with water. Then he reached Kailasa too late for the daily worship. Siva was angry, and ordered the Saundika boy (Parvati's name for him) to be brought before him. But the boy had been told what had happened, and cut off the head of the Brahman, who had confessed to him. Seeing the boy coming along carrying a Brahman's head, Siva was astonished, and commanded him to approach nearer. The boy explained that it was not a heinous crime to cut off the head of one who had prevented the Sakti worship. Siva said that the killing of a Brahman was the worst of crimes, and put the perpetrator out of caste. He would lol THIYYAN not listen to the boy, who replied that whoever prevented Sakti worship was a Chandala, and condemned him. The boy asked for death at Siva's hands. The request pleased the God, who forgave him. The boy had to remain out of caste, but was initiated into the mysteries of Sakti worship as the surest means of salvation, and to him was given the exclusive privilege of performing Sakti worship with liquor. He was commanded to follow, and imitate the Brahmans in everything, except in the matter of repeating the sacred mantrams. By tantrams (signs with the hands) he eventually obtained the merit of making puja with mantrams. He was the first Thiyyan. 

    It is pretty safe to say that all the ideas of the Tiyans connected with pure Hinduism — the Hinduism of the Vedas — and of tradition, of which we see very little in Southern India, and which in Malabar is more perverted in confused ideas than perhaps elsewhere, those relating to re-birth, karma, pilgrimages to Benares and distant temples are borrowed from the Brahmans, In the ceremonies which have been described, notably in those connected with marriage and death, we have seen the expression of many Hindu ideas.