Kaitheri Edam
Encyclopedia
Kaitheri Edam is a famous Nambiar
clan from which Kaitheri Makom (wife of Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja) as well as a number of other prominent Nair
rebels like Kaitheri Ambu Nambiar, Kaitheri Eman Nambiar and Kaitheri Kammaran Nambiar hailed from. The family deity of this clan is situated in the Sri Kaitheri Edam Bagavathi temple, which is located about 3 km from the town of Kuthuparamba
. The deity here is the goddess Sree Porkali (Adi Parasakthi) and the goddess Siva Sakthi ponmakal (Badra Kali). Kaitheri Edathil Jayarajan Nambiar is the current administrator of the temple.
Kaitheri Makom was the wife of Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, as well as the sister of Kaitheri Ambu Nambiar, who was his right hand man. While both Pazhassi Raja and Ambu were killed during the rebellion, Makom was taken prisoner by the British.
The clan is usually shortened to "KE" nowadays and is related to the other prominent Nair clans in the area such as Kaitheri Keloth (KK), Ammal Kaithery (AK), Kaitheri Ramath (KR), Kaitheri Manikoth (KM), Kaitheri Kandoth (KK), Kaitheri Madam (KM), Iringal Kaitheri, Meethale Veetil Kaitheri.
Lion share of the population are Thiyyas in Kaithery. They have many Kavu (Temples) to worship of their God's
Raja persuaded him to marry his younger sister Unni Amma to another fellow Karyakar named Pazhayavittil Chandu Nair also known as by his nick name Pazhayamviden. Afterwards, Ambu married his youngest sister Makom to Raja himself.
His active role in assaults and plunder on Mysore army earned him great enmity of Mysore troops who did all to hunt him down. Soon war with Mysore army took severe toll for Ambu at personal level - his wife had to commit suicide to escape capture and dishonor by Mysore troops.
Ambu played a crucial role in Raja's first war with British. Once British took over Malabar, they ousted Pazhassi Raja and appointed his wicked uncle Vira Varma as Raja of Kottayam. By this time his brother in law Pazhayamviden joined hands with Vira Varma to undermine Pazhassi Raja - because British and Vira Varma promised Pazhayamviden huge sum of money.
Vira Varma and Pazhayamviden imposed heavy tax on people of Kottayam and Moplay mercenaries of Pazhayamviden ill treated people who did not pay the heavy tax. Thus peasant discontent became large scale in Kottayam.
Wicked Vira Varma and traitor Pazhayamviden then decided to dismiss Ambu from service as he was Pazhassi Raja's man. This provoked Raja himself who was already planning action to stop illegal tax collection by Vira Varma's men. So he asked Ambu to organize people's boycott of Vira Varma's rule. Ambu with help of Kannavath Sankaran organized mass resistance to tax collectors of Vira Varma.
Tax boycott was so successful that for 3 years no tax collection was done in Kottayam. In 1796, open war broke out between British and Raja and Ambu was declared an outlaw by British and reward was announced for his head. Ambu and his men defeated British in many daring engagements in forested mountains around Manatana and Kannavam in 1797.
During peace talks, British asked Ambu to sign a paper that made him liable for Raja's "good behavior" in future - but Ambu bluntly refused.
How ever, after British made peace with Pazhassi Raja in 1797, Ambu once more returned to his job of Karyakar. In 1799, once more Pazhassi Raja went to war with British as they tried to capture Wynad.
But this time Ambu did not join rebels. Instead as per secret order of Raja himself, he continued his work as Karyakar and he was one of the "principal Nairs" consulted by Wellesley for advice for his effort to defeat Pazhassi Raja. But Ambu took care to secretly inform Raja about moves made against him by British command.
But greedy and treacherous Pazhayamviden told British that he was a spy of Raja and so Ambu fled to forests where he joined Raja. In hope of more bribes from Wellesley, Pazhayamviden then revealed all secrets of Raja's military force to Wellesley. This proved to be the beginning of end for Raja.
Ambu who learnt about this treachery of Pazhayamviden vowed to punish him for this betrayal. He and his men slayed Pazhyamviden during rebel siege of British outpost at Pazhassi in 1803.
Once in forests with Raja and men, Ambu once more took part in war with British. In 1805, British who spotted Raja's camp swiftly moved to arrest Raja. As time was limited Ambu asked Raja and men to flee as he himself along with a force of hand picked men will fight a delaying action.
Ambu successfully drove back the British pursuers but was himself seriously wounded. Another band of Raja's rebels carried him away from battlefield but he soon breathed his last.
Undoubtedly one of the shrewdest and boldest of Pazhassi Raja's partisan, British detested him as they saw him as the master-mind behind the serious disturbances that disrupted British control of Kottayam.
Ambu remained loyal to Raja till his death. He refused to join British side and steadfastly supported the cause of independence and honor of his Raja and country.
Nambiar (Nair subcaste)
Nambiār, alternatively spelled Nambiyār -the royal family - is a honorific title dignifying certain endogamous royal clans in the North Malabar region, defined as north of the Korapuzha river, of Kerala...
clan from which Kaitheri Makom (wife of Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja) as well as a number of other prominent Nair
Nair
Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...
rebels like Kaitheri Ambu Nambiar, Kaitheri Eman Nambiar and Kaitheri Kammaran Nambiar hailed from. The family deity of this clan is situated in the Sri Kaitheri Edam Bagavathi temple, which is located about 3 km from the town of Kuthuparamba
Kuthuparamba
Kuthuparamba is a town and a municipality in Kannur district in the Kerala state of the country India.-Geography:Kuttuparamba has an average elevation of ....
. The deity here is the goddess Sree Porkali (Adi Parasakthi) and the goddess Siva Sakthi ponmakal (Badra Kali). Kaitheri Edathil Jayarajan Nambiar is the current administrator of the temple.
Kaitheri Makom was the wife of Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, as well as the sister of Kaitheri Ambu Nambiar, who was his right hand man. While both Pazhassi Raja and Ambu were killed during the rebellion, Makom was taken prisoner by the British.
The clan is usually shortened to "KE" nowadays and is related to the other prominent Nair clans in the area such as Kaitheri Keloth (KK), Ammal Kaithery (AK), Kaitheri Ramath (KR), Kaitheri Manikoth (KM), Kaitheri Kandoth (KK), Kaitheri Madam (KM), Iringal Kaitheri, Meethale Veetil Kaitheri.
Lion share of the population are Thiyyas in Kaithery. They have many Kavu (Temples) to worship of their God's
Kaitheri Ambu Nambiar [mid 1700's to 1805]
During Pazhassi Raja's warfare with Mysore army, he was aided by a number of young noblemen of his country of whom one of the most significant man was Kaitheri Ambu Nambiar. Raja was impressed by his audacity, brilliance, loyalty, patriotism and determination. So Raja appointed him as one of his Karyakar [ministers] whose jurisdiction covered the whole of kingdom minus Wynad district.Raja persuaded him to marry his younger sister Unni Amma to another fellow Karyakar named Pazhayavittil Chandu Nair also known as by his nick name Pazhayamviden. Afterwards, Ambu married his youngest sister Makom to Raja himself.
His active role in assaults and plunder on Mysore army earned him great enmity of Mysore troops who did all to hunt him down. Soon war with Mysore army took severe toll for Ambu at personal level - his wife had to commit suicide to escape capture and dishonor by Mysore troops.
Ambu played a crucial role in Raja's first war with British. Once British took over Malabar, they ousted Pazhassi Raja and appointed his wicked uncle Vira Varma as Raja of Kottayam. By this time his brother in law Pazhayamviden joined hands with Vira Varma to undermine Pazhassi Raja - because British and Vira Varma promised Pazhayamviden huge sum of money.
Vira Varma and Pazhayamviden imposed heavy tax on people of Kottayam and Moplay mercenaries of Pazhayamviden ill treated people who did not pay the heavy tax. Thus peasant discontent became large scale in Kottayam.
Wicked Vira Varma and traitor Pazhayamviden then decided to dismiss Ambu from service as he was Pazhassi Raja's man. This provoked Raja himself who was already planning action to stop illegal tax collection by Vira Varma's men. So he asked Ambu to organize people's boycott of Vira Varma's rule. Ambu with help of Kannavath Sankaran organized mass resistance to tax collectors of Vira Varma.
Tax boycott was so successful that for 3 years no tax collection was done in Kottayam. In 1796, open war broke out between British and Raja and Ambu was declared an outlaw by British and reward was announced for his head. Ambu and his men defeated British in many daring engagements in forested mountains around Manatana and Kannavam in 1797.
During peace talks, British asked Ambu to sign a paper that made him liable for Raja's "good behavior" in future - but Ambu bluntly refused.
How ever, after British made peace with Pazhassi Raja in 1797, Ambu once more returned to his job of Karyakar. In 1799, once more Pazhassi Raja went to war with British as they tried to capture Wynad.
But this time Ambu did not join rebels. Instead as per secret order of Raja himself, he continued his work as Karyakar and he was one of the "principal Nairs" consulted by Wellesley for advice for his effort to defeat Pazhassi Raja. But Ambu took care to secretly inform Raja about moves made against him by British command.
But greedy and treacherous Pazhayamviden told British that he was a spy of Raja and so Ambu fled to forests where he joined Raja. In hope of more bribes from Wellesley, Pazhayamviden then revealed all secrets of Raja's military force to Wellesley. This proved to be the beginning of end for Raja.
Ambu who learnt about this treachery of Pazhayamviden vowed to punish him for this betrayal. He and his men slayed Pazhyamviden during rebel siege of British outpost at Pazhassi in 1803.
Once in forests with Raja and men, Ambu once more took part in war with British. In 1805, British who spotted Raja's camp swiftly moved to arrest Raja. As time was limited Ambu asked Raja and men to flee as he himself along with a force of hand picked men will fight a delaying action.
Ambu successfully drove back the British pursuers but was himself seriously wounded. Another band of Raja's rebels carried him away from battlefield but he soon breathed his last.
Undoubtedly one of the shrewdest and boldest of Pazhassi Raja's partisan, British detested him as they saw him as the master-mind behind the serious disturbances that disrupted British control of Kottayam.
Ambu remained loyal to Raja till his death. He refused to join British side and steadfastly supported the cause of independence and honor of his Raja and country.