History: Where do we fit (4)

The Avarnas were not allowed to use the roof tiles till 1903 (only coconut leaf thatches were to be used) or to build upstairs or a gateway to their houses. They should wear not more than a single cloth around the waist which too shouldn’t fall below the knees. They were not allowed to stand before the doorway of their own family or community shrine. Bowing the deity directly was a taboo for the out-castes.

Caste segregation was strict. Many absurd customs were prevailing in the light of such strict separation of the society. One good example of such aggressive segregation was the existence of the dreaded custom - Pulappedi and Mannappedi - in the medieval period. According to this custom if a member of the slave castes like Pulaya, Paraya or Mannan happened to see a high caste woman alone after dusk she would be expelled from her caste. It was enough for the woman to be excommunicated, if the Mannan or Pulaya threw a stone or a stick at her or called out that he had seen her. He could take her with him. This custom prevailed till around 1696 A D.

Strictly followed rules and regulations were maintained such as 

1. keeping prescribed distance (which is different according to the status of the castes) in order not to pollute the person from superior caste 
2. removing the cloth covering the shoulders and the head, 
3. using standardized self-denouncing servile expressions in conversation and 
4. asserting bodily. 

Higher caste men when walking along the road utter a warning grunt or hoot to person of any lower castes who thereupon should retire to the prescribed distance. The minimum penalty to those who violated the law was excommunication or often death.

History: Where do we fit (3)

After flourishing during the 4 – 8 Centuries AD the Jain and Buddhist influence was present in Kerala society until they completely disappeared by the 12 C. The famed Kodungallore temple itself is said to be a deconsecrated Buddhist shrine. Some have claimed that the Parampan Tali, situated at Mullassery (a few kilometers east of Padoor) to be a surviving ancient Tali temple (Tali temples were originally Buddhist, before the 8th century). 

That makes the Paramban Tali (or Parambamthali) Temple as perhaps the oldest surviving religious shrine around the area. The temple is situated in a hilly area; which conforms to the hypothesis that the earliest people were residing in the hills and higher terrains.

The emergence of Southern Indian Brahmanism has led to the introduction of caste system, altering the social, ritual and political positions within the society. The system was prevailing until the mid-part of the 20^th Century. Although the system was named chathurvarnya (four castes system) a three tier caste system existed in Malabar. The Brahmins themselves, the ruling chieftains as kshathriyas and the Nair warriors as shudras. The third tier of vanikas were absent. All others were reduced to the position of Avarnas or Mlechas.

History: Where do we fit (2)

During the 14^th and 15^th Centuries B. C. the Zamorins  (Samuthiris or the Nediyirippu Swaroopam) extended their authority to whole of Malabar area. Villages in our area (up to the Enamakkal Lake) appear to have been formed the most secure boarder (at the south) of the Zamorin’s Kingdom for a long time.

Under the Zamorins a feudal set up was evolved out between political administration, religious activities and temple centered Ara and Tura political power structure. Zamorins implementation of all types of ruling factors was based on temple set up. The largest administrative unit called Cherikkal is an almost equivalent to the present-day taluk. Cherikkals were subdi­vided into  Desom, Tara, Angadi etc. for maintaining the revenue system, toll collections, local law and order, village army system (Lokar) and village treasuries (Ara). There were Koymas, Talakkappu nayar, Patanayar and numerous other officials to collect tolls, revenue and to look after law and order. All these official duties were distributed to a large number of aristocratic families living far and wide in the kingdom. These families with the right to collect revenue, maintain local army men, look after law and order and administer the temples enabled them to centralize money, land, control of religious activities and customs to themselves.