Talk:Kartha

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Shri.Meenachil Sankaran Kartha

In the historical texts of Kerala Meenachal Kartha is a person not a community. His full name was Shri.Meenachil Sankaran Kartha. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 61.3.247.151 (talk) 07:50, 23 February 2019 (UTC)

Vellalar Kartha

There is another type of Kartha called Vellalar Kartha. They belong to Vellalar community and they perform Pithru-Tarpanam or Bali-Tarapanam ritual for Vellalars."

Kartha

Kartha’s, like all Nairs, followed the matriarchic (Marumakkathayam) system. There were no marriages (kalyanams), only arraignments (sambandam) till the beginning of the last century. This system was more tilted towards the female and the power of finance and property rested with the females.

In this system, a girl will get into a sambandam with a male but continue to live in her own house. Her husband will only be a visitor (most times coming only in the nights!) and the male of her house will be her brother. Her children will carry her name (not her husbands) and the family property will be hers and her daughters.

Kartha’s owned a lot of land, were Kshatriya (the warrior class) by caste and most often the sambandam of girls took place with higher caste males – like Brahmins.

My great grand mother (father’s, father’s mother) had her sambandam with a Iyer – a priest who was in charge of a temple in their own property! She had three sons and all carried her surname – Kartha. Her 3rd son, my granddad, used to say that he hardly ever saw his father. This priest spent most of the time in the temple (which was over 3 hours walk from the house – all inside their own property!) and came home only in the nights. He would again leave early in the mornings, so his sons only knew their dad had come when they see the burnt remains of the dried coconut leaves which were used as a natural torch in those days (called surut).

Well, my granddad’s name was P.E.G.Kartha – Pattatil Eravi Gangadara Kartha. Now Pattaatil is the house name, Gangadara was his name and Eravi, I am told, was a title given to this family by the maharaja of Travancore (may be Martanda Varma) over 10 generations before his time.

This title was actually given by the King to his commander in chief for doing a very daring deed. The CinC is supposed to have carried out a guerilla raid into the Kochi kingdom and caught the Kochi king by surprise. The story goes that he actually managed to cut the king’s head and carried it with him as proof. He was of course chased by the Kochi palace guards and the CinC had to dive into a pond covered with weed to escape being caught. Since the place was swarming with the soldiers, this guy had to keep himself under water (he used the hollow stem of a weed to breath) for over 24 hours! He came out only the next night and by that time his whole body was totally covered with leaches (a black coloured blood sucking insect).

The Travancore King was so pleased that he gave him this title and a quarter of his kingdom! All male members of the family carried this title (till my granddad), but they could not give it to their sons! In fact my dad was not supposed to be even be a Kartha (according to the Matriarchic system) but granddad had been to England (after his sambandam) and then settled, for a couple of years, in Karachi on his voyage back. (That is another story).

He then had his wife (who was again a mixed blood and not a Kartha) & son brought to Karachi and there he decided that his son would carry his name! (After all everyone in the north had their father’s name!) So my dad became V.G.Kartha – Vishnu (his name) Gangadara Kartha!

Now not many people would be there in kerala who would question how I carry this surname, but my dad was asked, when he was growing up, by the old timers – how did you become a Kartha??!! After all his mother was not a Kartha!

Times have changed. I am now Balaji Kartha & my son is Rohit Kartha! I myself grew up in MP & UP and had to always face the joke – kya kartha?! My mother’s mother (whose family came from Kochi – the Ambadi Menon family) always looked down on my dads’ linage! Like all northerners, she thought people from Travancore were uncultured, compared to people from Kochi!

And she also said that the Karthas were actually tax collectors & jailors of the Kings and over the generations they got all the curses of the people and that is why this clan always only has misfortunes (!) and has now all but disappeared! Now the present Karthas, like me, are not actually supposed to be Kartha at all!

Meenachil Karthas

Well, let me tell you that there is nothing to "look down" at Kartha title. I am also from a Kartha lineage (though my surname is now "Nair"). Most of the Karthas were chieftains and Kings. They were not ordinary Nairs or Soldiers. My great grandfather belonged to "Meenachil Kartha" family. They had a title called "Damodara Simhar" and they were rulers of a small kingdom called "Meenachil" which is today's Palai (Kottayam district). They originally were Rajputs who migrated to Madurai in the 14th century (the reason for their exodus or their roots in Rajasthan are still not known). They settled in Madurai (which was a great cultural centre and capital during that time). Later they migrated to Kerala (the reason for which is stated as outbreak of an epidemic in Madurai) and settled in this place "Meenachil" which was named after "Meenakshi" of Madurai.

There are also many other attributes which make them distinct from the normal Nair folks. "Simhar" (Singh) family deity (Bhavai instead of Bhadrakali) and family name was Mevada (Mewar).They also used to have very colorful funeral processions.They were pure vegetarians though they had no sacred threads (poonul).Also, they followed "Marumakkathayam"

They ruled Meenachil taluk and were instrumental in promoting the X'ian settlement in this place.Later they were defeated by the travancore army of Dharma Raja (successor of Marthanda Varma)and their kingdom was annexed to travancore (the ruling king committed suicide). All their male folks including boys were slaughtered,however,the ladies were spared. Also, the travancore king gave them pension. The family had a successor only after a very long gap due to this genocide by the travancore.These children were born of Namboothiris. My grandfather was the first to be born and he had a younger brother and a sister.I have seen only my grand father who was only a king on books who used to enjoy the previe purse (royal pension given to displaced royalties).

The story of Karthas getting cursed and they disappearing are just a fallacy.There are kartha families who are settled all around the globe (how fortunate one really is depends on how hard one try !).Most of them are married to Nairs with other Sur names and might have adopted those sur names.

Refs

please specify the page numbers. i do have a copy too 124.125.228.163 10:21, 22 August 2007 (UTC)

Kalathil Kartha

1341 - The great flood. Destruction of muziris (kodungallur) formation of Kochu Azhi (Kochi). Capital of kochi royalty (PERUMPADAPPU SWAROOPAM) shifted to Thripunithura from Mahodayapuram following the destruction of muziris port and frequent attack from Zamorin.

Warlords were secretly hired from kolathunad (Kannoor), for training the kochi nair cadets (mainly to fight Zamorin's army)

Late 14th-15th century-Conflict between Zamorin and Kolathiri Till then the commanders from Kannoor travelled via zamorin's land to the south. Zamorin's conflict with kolathunad hindered the movement of such warlords. New "warlords" began to be hired from palakkad region (south of zamorin's land).

1498-Arrival of portuguese. Zamorin's fight with portuguese. Portuguese joined hands with Kochi.

18th century - Rise of Travancore. Defeat of Portuguese and Dutch. Defeat of Meenachil Karthas(independent rulers of Pala) by Marthanda varma.

Late 18th end century - Zamorins attack on Kochi became frequent. Hyder's attack on malabar. Destruction of Yakkara temple. Warlords (3 families-legand has it that 3 ammas came) who had rights over the temple came to Kochi by late 18th century (Kalathil/Chorakkayath/Vaippan madom Karthas). Kochi accepted them. They trained the Kochi nair cadets against Zamorin. They brought with them their Kalari devatha (Durga). They followed marumakkathyam.

The new commanders settled at Thrikakkara (Thiru kaal kara - related to the Vamana and the Onam legand). This was alongside a major trade route. Frequent attack from zamorin's aids made this location unsafe for defence training. They shifted the 'kalari' (training school) to further interiors of the kingdom.

(Kartha - was the official title conferred up on war lords who trained 3000+ nair cadets - Malabar Manual - W.Logan. Their females are known as kunjamma.)

Kochi saught Travancore's help in its fight against zamorin. This probably could be the first association of Kalathil Karthas with the Travancore kings.

1790's - Tipus attack. Zamorin committed suicide. Construction of Nedumkotta (travancore lines). Tipu reached the banks of Periyar. Destruction of Travancore lines (Nedumkotta). Tipu's army was washed away by a flood in periyar. Attack on Seringapattanam. Tipu's retreat.

Kalathil Karthas later became powerful landlords with administrative and military privilages under the Travancore Kings. The senior most member who enjoyed the status of a "naduvazhi" was known as “Mooppil yajmaan”

Late 19th century. Small pox outbreak-End of first Kalathil Karthas. Legand has it that only a brother and sister survived.

20th century - Later Kartha's.

1942 - Family god Durga (Kalari daivangal) was placed at Kunjattu Bhagavathi temple. (Of the 3 families that came in the later 18th century, only Kalathil Karthas survived. It is believed that only the Kalathil family cared to worship their family goddess.)

Lost the autority over the Aluva Siva temple. CP Ramaswamy Iyer (Travancore diwan) forced the mooppil yajman to confer the temple to travancore devaswam.

1983-84 - Committee to perform the daily adminstration of Kunjattu Bhagavathi temple was formed. Theoretically the seniormost lady of Kalathil puthan kotta is the ultimate authority over this temple matters.

Every male member of our Kalathil family bears the title "IRAVI". The "moopil yajman" who gave away the aluva siva temple (where sivaratri maholsavam is held) was Iravi Raman Kartha.

Another legend has it that the family god is "vettak oru makan" (vettaikkaran) and not durga. And that also make some sence. The vettakaran temple is situated near the remains of the old thadavadu. The proximity suggests that vettakaran could be the family god. Also the cult vettaikkaran is popular in and around palakkad (remember our ancestors came from palakkad region) and durga is a very common kalari devatha (goddess associated with martial arts). Thus it is possible that the durga temple was constructed after coming to Kochi when the Kalari was started...Interestingly it was found that the durga temple was close to the Kalari(Some years back when the land near the temple-now my grand mothers property-was drilled, they found a platform paved with laterite blocks. This is believed to be the remains of an old Kalari). It is also said that the durga is a "vanadurga"...infact most of the nearby temples (which were under our administration) belongs to godesses like "vanadurga", "kurumba","kaali","bhadra","bhuvaneswari" etc...All of them sounds more like pre-historic regional cults....It might be just that our ancestors had built/rejuvenated the temples for these popular local/regional dieties...