Menon (subcaste)

Menon (Malayalam: [meːnoːn]) is an honorific hereditary title, often used as an affix to one's name, bestowed by the various kings of Kerala to the members of Nair subcastes.[1] The recipient of the title held it lifelong, and the male members of the family held it in perpetuity along the matrilineal line.

For other uses, see Menon (disambiguation).

Menon
Regions with significant populations
Kerala, mostly in the Malabar, Thrissur and Cochin regions
Languages
Malayalam
Religion
Hinduism

Historically, the Menons were feudal landlords or Jenmimar with some of them being Naduvazhi's. They were often engaged in various administrative and political duties, such as being ministers, accountants and advisors of the Kings of Kerala. Many members of the Menon subcaste are related to the Cochin royal family, Zamorin of Calicut, Paliam royal family, Kodungallur royal family etc. since the members of royal families in central kerala were often married to aristocratic Menon families. Thus, the children of such Rajahs and Maharajahs held the Menon title and passed it to subsequent generations matrilinealy.[2][3][4]

Many royal families also emerged from this subcaste. The famous Paliath Achans from the Paliam Royal family of Cochin and the Shekhari Varmas of the Palakkad Royal family, both belong to this subcaste.[5][6]

Etymology

The title Menon meaning a superior person comes from the tamil words Mel, meaning above and avan, meaning he. "Mel-avan" soon became "Menavan" finally being contracted into the current form of usage of the title, that is, Menon.[7] In the Cochin Kingdom, as Francis Day explains, when the Rajah intends to confer this honour, he salutes the person to whom he means to give it, by the title of Menon prefixed to his name, and should two other persons present, immediately address him in the same terms, the title is confirmed, if not he does not receive it. After becoming a Menon, he is called a Thampuran.[8] As soon as a person was made a Menon, he was presented with an Ola(palmyra leaf) as a writing sheet and an iron style, as symbolic of the office he was expected to fill, i.e. of an accountant.[9] The role of a Menon was connected to supervisory positions or that of a scribe and accountant in Palace or temple, preparing Grantha palm leaf manuscripts. Compared to the foot soldier Nair, these personnel were better educated, was closer in proximity to the ruler and were ordained or titled, with the title passing on through generations, in a matrilineal fashion. Menon's belong to either Kiriyathil nair or Akattu nair castes.

References
  1. Fawcett, F. (1 February 2004). Nâyars of Malabar. Asian Educational Services. p. 217. ISBN 978-81-206-0171-0.
  2. Pradeep, K. (19 June 2015). "The story of a statue". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
  3. Pradeep, K. (25 February 2017). "The dynamics of VRM's genius". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
  4. "Cochin Royal Family Historical Society | Family History". 14 January 2009. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.
  5. "The Paliath Achans of Cochin". Manu S Pillai. 21 September 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  6. Krishnamachari, Suganthy (30 April 2020). "Inscriptions talk of fascinating Kongu connection". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  7. Commissioner, India Census (1903). Census of India, 1901: India (4 v.). Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India.
  8. Day, Francis (1863). The Land of the Permauls, Or, Cochin, Its Past and Its Present. Gantz Bros., at the Adelphi Press.
  9. Commissioner, India Census (1903). Census of India, 1901: India (4 v.). Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India.
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