172 



ON THE CASTES 



IV. 



ON THE CASTES OF MALABAR. 



I.— ON THE NAMBURIS. 



The narrow strip of land extending from Q-okarnam in 

 North Canara to Cape Comorin is known by the names of 

 Malabar, Keralam, and Malay alam. The word Malabar in 

 its modern application is restricted to that part of the land 

 which lies between Native Cochin and Canara. The origin 

 of this word is disputed. ( l ) Diversity of opinion exists 

 with regard to the origin of the word Kerala also.( 2 ) 

 "We may make two suggestions as to the origin of this word. 

 It may be either from Keralan, one of the Perumals who 

 ruled this land as a viceroy of the king of the adjacent 

 country called Ghera or Sera to which Keralam was subject, 

 or it may be from Chera itself ; for we see from old authorities 

 that this ancient kingdom of Chera extended from Banvasi 

 (modern Avanasi) to Kumari (modern Comorin), and 

 that Malabar formed a part of this great kingdom. The 

 word Kerala was known under various names such as Keralam, 

 Seram, Gheralam, Cheram, Keram, &c. 



(1) According to one author it is derived from Male, the name of a port 

 on this coast of India celebrated in times of yore for its commerce in pepper. 

 The existence of this port is mentioned by Cosmas Indicopleustes, an Egyp- 

 tian merchant who traded with India in the time of the Emperor Justinian. 



Colonel Yule in his travels of Marco Polo gives at length in Vol. II, pp. 

 326, 359, and 360 the various names of Malabar and their origin. Infor- 

 mation about this subject is also found in Bishop Caldwell's Comparative 

 Grammar of the Dravidian Languages, p. 27, and in Lassen's Archaeology of 

 India. 



(2) Dr. Day and others say that the word is derived from Keram, which is 

 an abbreviation of Nalikeram, meaning cocoanut, and that the word Keralam 

 was applied to this coast of India on account of its producing large numbers 

 of cocoanut trees. 



