Kartha


Kartha or Karthavu means Lord or Legend and this Hindu Nair title name specifically means. It was conferred by the king to powerful Nair families.They enjoyed Raja or Naduvazhi Status.. Kartha chieftains were bestowed with extraordinary rights and authorities by the erstwhile kings and they always had a special status in the royal court. They used to own vast acres of Land. History has it that members of Kartha community also used to work as supreme commanders in royal army, some Kartha families were also quite renowned for their expertise in traditional Ayurveda medicine. Most Kartha families have their ancestral tutelary deity as Hindu Goddess Bhadrakali or Goddess Durga. A few families also consider their ancestral deity as Vettakkorumakan, a Hindu deity worshiped in parts of North Kerala. The number of Kartha families are a few in Kerala now.
Devi Temple of Goddess Bhadrakali. The temple belongs to Edamana Kartha Family.

Legend

Kartha, as a community, ruled smaller principalities or worked mainly in the Army, Police or as tax collectors. They were troop leaders. The Kartha surname is still used, although it is less prominent.
The title Kartha,, appears to have been used as a titular name by some of the rulers of Madura. During the Madras census of 1901, the title Kartha was returned by Balijas claiming to be descendants of the Nayak kings of Madura and Tanjore. The Tekkumkur and Vadakkumkur Rajas are said to have first conferred the title Kartha on certain influential Nayar families who were related by blood to the Rajas. In social matters the authority of the Kartha was supreme. Only on important points were higher authorities called on to intercede.

Caste system

All Karthas belong to the Illam sub division of the Nair caste.