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Kaimal is a title of the Indian nobility. The term is derived from Kai which in the Malayalam language means hand, signifying power. Earlier Kaimals were either recognised chieftains, including the Kaimal of Vaikattillam, Kaimal of Karancheril, Kaimal of Niranampetti, the ''Anchu'' or five Kaimals of Cochin and Thachudaya Kaimal of Irinjalakuda Temple. Others were in charge of the treasury, which according to custom could not be seen even by the kings except in their presence. The counsel of the Kaimals was sought in all matters by their king or rajah.〔 ==Derivation== Historian K. P. Padmanabha Menon suggests that the term is derived from a Malayalam word, noting: "Perhaps from Kai = hand meaning power; cf. Kai, Kan,and Kalpana = 'the hand', 'the eye' and 'the order' said to be the distinguishing prerogatives of the Nair caste according to the 17th century ''Keralolpathi'', a work dealing with the origins of the land of Kerala .Another definition is koima +alu Koima(Dominant) Alu(Person) 'The person who dominates' .They were the feudal chiefs of the Malabar Kings and are often mentioned by Portuguese writers such as Barbosa, Castenheda and others. These writers mention that between the death of the Zamorin of Calicut and the swearing in of his successor, the government of the country was conducted by Kaimals. It was at one time their prerogative that one of them should always be in exclusive charge of the treasuries of the Malabar Rajas, the Rajas themselves having no power over them except through the Kaimal in charge. "Neither could they" says Barbosa "take anything out it (treasury ) without a great necessity and by the council of this person." Linguist Captain Alexander Hamilton also speaks of the same effect applying to the Chirakkal Rajas. The Kaimals were feudatories that had independent governments of their own, and were obliged only to follow the Rajas into the field of battle with an allotted number of fighting men.〔 Some of them were Village kings /Naduvazhis ex: Angi kaimal,Vakkayil kaimal, Korattyil kaimal,Ranniyil kaimal etc. The wives of Kaimals used the honorific title Kunjamma, indicative of their greater status among the Nair community, where ladies unanimously used the title of Amma. The title Kunjamma is an honorific used commonly by all the royal families of Kerala. The Gazetteer of India's entry on Eranakulam for 1965 in discussing an adoption of the Koratty Kaimal refers to the sister of the Koratty as princess and the male member of the Murianattu Nambiar (a noble) as prince.〔 As a result, Kunjamma can be translated as princess. The Kaimals in history books are referred to as "fifth Kaimal of Kodasseri, or the third Kaimal of Panamukkat."〔 The ''Keralolpathi'' says that the title of Kaimal was given to the sons of Kolathiri, rulers of Kannur whom Keralolpathi addressed as Cheraman Vadakkan Perumal. According to the book, Kolathiris were the descendents of a Tulu prince brother of Tulu king Kavi Rajasinghan who established the Kolathiri dynasty in the 12th century at Valapattanam near Kannur. The matriarchal dynasty closely followed the customs of Bunt (community), including matriarchy, which was not practised by the earlier Tamil rulers of the Chera Dynasty. The Tulu invader sent as Viceroy of Kerala by Krishnaraya of Rashtrakuta dynasty, declared himself as Cheraman Perumal. The sons of this first Tulu Cheraman Perumal were called Ner Ninta Kaimal (The straight Kaimal) and Chuzhanuu Vanna Kaimal (The Kaimal who came in a twisted way). The son born of a Kshatriya queen was called Straight Kaimal while the descendent of Vellala (agriculturist) was called Twisted Kaimal according to Keralolpathi. Thus the Kaimal title is equivalent to the Thambi title of Travancore. Explorer Tome Pires, in his Portuguese translation of an account dating to 1512–15 notes - "Going from Mangalore to Comorin, the following are the kings in the province of Malabar, the king of Kottayyam, King of Cannannore, the King of Calicut, the King of Tanor, King of Kayamkulam, the King of Quilon, the King of Travencore, King of Comorin. There are great Kaimals in this country, some of whom are greater than many of these kings, though they have not the title of king. Some of them are Brahmans and some of them Nayars (). .. The ports of Ponnani, Veleankode, and Chetwayi with the land belonging to each, are ports with ships and merchants and goodly towns. They belong to a Brahman lords and Kaimals. ... No one is allowed to roof his house with tiles unless it is a turicol or mosque or by special privilege, the house of some great Kaimal and this is to prevent them from becoming too powerful in the land. The kings of Malabar enforce this very firmly. They are called Kaimals in the same way we say dukes, marquises, counts and other titles, because they are lords possessing much land and vassals; there are some Kaimals in Malabar with then thousand Nayars (vassals), and there are others with hundred or two hundred Nayars."〔 Historian A. Sreedhara Menon in his ''Survey of Kerala History'' says "Ernakulum and suburbs were in the possession of five powerful Nair nobles known as Anchi Kaimals (cognte with Anchu Kaimal) of whom the most important was Cheranellur (Cherally) Kartha. These nobles frequently changed alliances from the Zamorin to the Cochin Raja and vice versa. Beside the Anchi Kaimals there several other powerful Nair Chieftains to the north of Ernakulum. Of these the most important were the Muriyanattu Nambiar, the Paliath Achan, Naikaruveetil Achan, Koratti Kaimal, Chanagaram Kotha Kaimal and the Panambukattu Kaimal. These Nair nobles exercised immense powers within their domains, though they nominally owned allegiance to the Raja of Cochin."〔 These Kaimals and their descendants are very much alive and prevalent in Ernakulum, Kerala, India, and worldwide. The best known Kaimal family in Central Kerala is Vettikulangara Kaimal centered at Kottayam District. Aithihyamala of Sri Kottaram Sankunni refers to Vettikulangara Kaimal family and their prominence.It is believed and narrated in the aithihyamala that, Goddess Karthyayani of Kiliroor Devi Temple is shifted to present Devi temple from Vettikulangara Family. Vettikulangara Kaimals played major role in building this major temple. Other noted Kaimal families include the Anchu Kaimals of Eranakulam. During the reign of the Kaimal lords, Eranakulam was called Anchu Kaimal. The chief of the Anchu Kaimals were the Cheranellur Kartha and this family is still prevalent in Cheranellur today. When the Cochin King signed a treaty with the Portuguese, the Anchu Kaimals signed a treaty with the Dutch. A 1740 Dutch map of South Malabar shows that Angi Kaimal is about twice the size of the Cochin State. Ref 10, page 1. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Kaimal」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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