Talk:Chekavar

Query re revert

Doug Weller, regarding this edit. Where is the incorrect spelling? And how does (presumably) a single incorrect spelling justify keeping unsourced info? Am I missing something? - Sitush (talk) 16:01, 2 September 2019 (UTC)

Actually ignore my edit summary when I just reverted, when I looked at my watchlist you hadn't edited, I should have refreshed it. I thought I was reverting . Doug Weller talk 16:08, 2 September 2019 (UTC)

No probs, Doug Weller. I'm not in the best frame of mind at the moment otherwise might have realised what you had done - Sitush (talk) 00:26, 3 September 2019 (UTC)

Vanity presses

I have just reverted yet another attempt in the recent onslaught of Thiyyar POV-pushing that is happening across several related articles. This time, a citation was provided but it was to a book written by a medical practitioner and published by Notion Press. He has no expertise in the issue and has published via a vanity press, which makes him utterly unreliable as a source. - Sitush (talk) 11:42, 5 September 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 15 December 2019

I would like to edit this page as this page has been changed recently edited by someone with some intention and the edit was not based on the fact,So I would like to have your kind help to revert the change also.The user is also purposefully protected the page recently to prevent undo . So I would like to undo the edit and revert to the changes as of as of 02:30, 29 November 2019. Please see the change history below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chekavar&action=history

Please let me know if you have any clarification. I can also provide the facts and evince to support this. Rhist (talk) 12:44, 15 December 2019 (UTC)

 Not done. It's already been reverted further back than that. If you want to reinstate your changes, please achieve consensus for doing so first before making an edit request. –Deacon Vorbis (carbon • videos) 16:45, 15 December 2019 (UTC)

Ezhavas Vadakkan Pattukal

Vadakkan Pattukal describe the exploits of many communities, not just Ezhavas. For example, Tacholli Otheyanan was a Kshatriya (Kurup). So please rectify this. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A02:C7F:463B:B800:554A:799:EB1:EAE9 (talk) 12:22, 13 May 2020 (UTC)

Thiyya

Chekavar is subcaste Thiyya. Chakavar not ezhava. Cyscoss (talk) 08:53, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

chekavar

Thiyyar family sure name is chekavar.ezhava chekavar wrong decision ezhava — Preceding unsigned comment added by Cyscoss (talk • contribs) 09:01, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 27 December 2020

There's an error in the Etymology section, the meaning of Sevakar, Sevakan or Sevaka is "servant". The cited source itself says "the term has its origin in Sanskrit sevakan, meaning a servant", which is correct, see , it is also the same meaning in Malayalam and Hindi . The second sentence also has mistranslation, Hermann Gundert's dictionary gives "a servant, soldier".

In the Origin section (the section should be retitled Depictions), the statement Hero stones were erected to commemorate men who had fallen in battle or cattle raids and were traditional during the Sangam period is incorrect and misleading, because Sangam period was in 300 BCE - 300 CE, the source clearly says "The hero stones from the period we are considering—9th to 13th centuries—generally bear ...". 2409:4073:28F:7BBF:BD91:9035:85F6:A3A3 (talk) 07:05, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Opal|zukor^(discuss) 12:38, 19 January 2021 (UTC)

Opalzukor: Change "Chekavar is derived from the Sanskrit words Sevakar, Sevakan or Sevaka, which means soldiers in service or soldiers in royal service" TO "Chekavar is derived from the Sanskrit words Sevakar, Sevakan or Sevaka, which means servant". First paragraph in Origin section should be removed. It is not clear whether it is about Chekavar or actual servants. 2409:4073:9:3C2C:9A1:80AF:9232:A11F (talk) 16:50, 19 January 2021 (UTC)

Chekavar not Ezhava

Chekavars are not Ezhavas....They are thiyyas...Ezhavas low caste to us.....not good... please correct it Vinay Chekavar (talk) 10:11, 10 April 2021 (UTC)

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 7 July 2021

George Mathews' source is not trustworthy. It says that Ezhavas are the Chekavars of the Vadakkan Pattukal, but in fact the Vadakkan Pattukal are related to the Theeya caste as well. This author's book was recorded as Thiyya centuries ago, and most books are written as Thiyya. Therefore, the source of George Mathew's should be removed and this source should be added. A Sreedhara Menon says, "One group of songs known as Puthuram Pattukal relate to the family of the Tiyya hero, Aromal Chekavar, his sister Unniarcha and son of the latter, Aromalunni," ― page.81, Added the same part.106.208.9.158 (talk) 05.45 , 07 July 2021 (UTC)

 Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{edit extended-protected}} template. Run n Fly (talk) 14:42, 10 July 2021 (UTC)

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 7 July 2021

This part is given in the first part: "Ezhava, also known as Thiyyar is a major caste division in Kerala, a state on the southwestern coast of India. It is estimated that roughly 25% of Keralites are from this community. They are also known as Chovan or Chekons".Remove the given and add it: Nisha P.R says, "exceptionally talented Thiyya kalaripayatt practitioners were given the title chekavan / chekon, and each local ruler had his own militia of chekons" Add this to the first part.] 106.208.9.158 (talk) 05.45 , 07 July 2021 (UTC)

 Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{edit extended-protected}} template. Run n Fly (talk) 14:42, 10 July 2021 (UTC)

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 7 July 2021

Add this too ,

Orgin is 106.208.9.158 (talk) 05.45 , 07 July 2021 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Run n Fly (talk) 14:47, 10 July 2021 (UTC)

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 10 July 2021

Eazhavas are not chekavar, The phot of above eazhava girl is not eazhava becouze they are not permitted to cover their breasts.Some one who stolen the history of thiyya community and published it as eazhava Kerala Facts (talk) 07:25, 10 July 2021 (UTC)

 Not done: There is currently no image in article Run n Fly (talk) 14:44, 10 July 2021 (UTC)

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 10 July 2021

Why no one answered my questions ..?@54nd60x:, @Heba Aisha:, George Mathews' source is not trustworthy. It says that Ezhavas are the Chekavars of the Vadakkan Pattukal, but in fact the Vadakkan Pattukal are related to the Thiyya caste as well. This author's book was recorded as Thiyya centuries ago, and most books are written as Thiyya. Therefore, the source of George Mathew's should be removed and this source should be added. A Sreedhara Menon says, "One group of songs known as Puthuram Pattukal relate to the family of the Tiyya hero, Aromal Chekavar, his sister Unniarcha and son of the latter, Aromalunni," ― page.81, Added the same part.106.208.9.158 (talk) 05.45 , 07 July 2021 (UTC)

But the same A.Sreedhara Menon introduced Thiyyas as Ezhavas of malabar in his work A Survey of Kerala history at page no 56.Please check it.

 Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{edit extended-protected}} template. Run n Fly (talk) 14:46, 10 July 2021 (UTC)

Thiyya is found in almost every history book and even the oldest book. If it is written like this even in the history book, shouldn't it be written like that? That's what Wikipedia is all about. So Ezhava needs to be corrected. All the books currently on this page are taken from other old documents, all of which appear to be theatrical. The two are the same category, so in some books it looks like Ezhava, but most of what is in the book should be added to Wikipedia, otherwise it would not be trustworthy to Wikipedia readers.. . . Read more, write and correct the correct sentence.106.208.9.158 (talk) 16.38 , 10 July 2021 (UTC)

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 13 August 2021

In Etymology section, change "Chekavar is derived from the Sanskrit words Sevakar, Sevakan or Sevaka, which means soldiers in service or soldiers in royal service" to "Chekavar is derived from the Sanskrit words Sevakar, Sevakan or Sevaka, which means servant". The cited source says "the term has its origin in Sanskrit sevakan, meaning a servant". For additional cross checking, see , it is also the same meaning in Malayalam and Hindi .

Change "Hermann Gundert's English-Malayalam Dictionary, defines the term as militiaman and warrior" to "Hermann Gundert's English-Malayalam Dictionary, defines the term as servant or soldier", source: .

In Origin section, the sentence "Hero stones were traditionally erected during the Sangam period to commemorate men who had fallen in battle or cattle raids" should be removed as it is incorrect or improperly understood from the reference. Sangam period was between 300 BCE - 300 CE, the source clearly says The hero stones from the period we are considering—9th to 13th centuries—generally bear .... This is 9 - 13 century hero stone. 2409:4073:41D:EF20:94CC:7581:548A:77A6 (talk) 16:25, 13 August 2021 (UTC)

 Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{edit extended-protected}} template. It does not appear that there is consensus for this change. ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 12:30, 31 August 2021 (UTC)

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 13 August 2021 (2)

Lead sentence fails MOS:LEADSENTENCE. Where is the description for Chekavar? Instead, it talks about something else. I suggest rewriting it as "Chekavars were warriors trained in Kalaripayattu who were the loyal servants of naduvazhis (chieftains) and landlords. The disputes between these nobles were settled in a payattu (duel), where chekavars representing them fought to the death. Generally, Ezhavas were employed as chekavars". . 2409:4073:41D:EF20:94CC:7581:548A:77A6 (talk) 17:16, 13 August 2021 (UTC)

 Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{edit extended-protected}} template. ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 12:49, 17 August 2021 (UTC)

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 7 November 2021

Add a brief description of the subjecr in the beginning of the article. Right now, it begins with a description of the Ezhava / thiyya caste not of the subject. The earlier version, "The Chekavar (also Chekava, Chekavan, Chekon, chevakar) were an martial group within the Thiyya caste, predominantly located in the Indian state of Kerala." can be used. 141.72.239.107 (talk) 09:15, 7 November 2021 (UTC) 141.72.239.107 (talk) 09:15, 7 November 2021 (UTC)

 Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{edit extended-protected}} template. This has been reverted many times in the past. Please gain consensus for this change. ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 12:26, 10 November 2021 (UTC)

But the article should begin with some description of the subject, right? As of now, the article starts with a completely irrelevant sentence. Add something that describes the subject please.141.72.239.107 (talk) 08:28, 12 November 2021 (UTC)

Is consensus really needed? This pretty clearly goes against MOS:LEADSENTENCE I don't want to just put back the suggested sentence if there was an issue with it, does anyone know why it as removed? Signed, I Am Chaos (talk) 05:54, 13 November 2021 (UTC)

Can you point out which revision (from the page history you would like to revert back to. Thanks, SSSB (talk) 10:41, 13 November 2021 (UTC)

May be just add this sentence in the lead, "The Chekavar (also Chekava, Chekavan, Chekon, chevakar) were a martial group in the Indian state of Kerala." This will not have any objection as no caste name is mentioned here. You can use the reference from above. Thanks. 141.72.239.107 (talk) 14:21, 20 November 2021 (UTC)

 Done Tol (talk | contribs) @ 20:17, 20 November 2021 (UTC)

References

tag

The citation is approximate, so the tag is removed. 42.109.129.136 (talk) 06:45, 24 December 2021 (UTC)

Link to the Ezhava page

If you read the lead portion of the Ezhava page, it mentions that, "They are also known as Ilhava, Irava, Izhava and Erava in the south of the region; as Chovas, Chokons and Chogons in Central Travancore; and as Thiyyar, Tiyyas and Theeyas in the Malabar region. It appears, according to all of the sources on the Ezhava page, that the Chekavars are a sub-caste of the Thiyya community, who themselves are Ezhavas. Perhaps it would be advisable to mention that in the lead of this page, especially since the current lead is just 1 sentence long. 61.2.121.45 (talk) 07:24, 5 October 2022 (UTC)

Chekavar is just a surname. Many historians who visited India said that they were a warrior class. It is true that there are such people among the Thiyya, but many who have visited India make it clear that the term Chekavar means a distinct race. Chekavar means the title of serving or a soldier. At the end of the name, this word was used as title. Currently there is no need to link to that page. A special family known as Chekavar is mentioned. That's why they are names. References

2402:3A80:19E4:57C7:6097:A30D:EB7A:471 (talk) 14:02, 5 October 2022 (UTC)

References

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 1 November 2022

in the first sentence it is written 'commen' and please correct the spelling to common 2606:69C0:5120:310D:6D4E:BB75:30A8:CBDF (talk) 14:12, 1 November 2022 (UTC)

 Done ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 16:25, 1 November 2022 (UTC)

photo

can you add this photo?

AI-Generated Painting of a Kalari Warrior, Chekavar, in His Traditional Warrior-cum-Yogic Attire, Depicting a Traditional Kalari Warrior.

Afv12e (talk) 03:29, 28 July 2023 (UTC)

 Not done: that's not a photo and I frankly, given its low quality and the fact that it's unsourced, i don't see what value it would add to the article. M.Bitton (talk) 11:35, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

This article need an immedite correction

I checked most of the sources , and vast majority of the sources have nothing to do with what is is written , i wonder why it is not corrected . The claim that "chekavar formed chera dynasty"  ?? And the reference is a newsoutlet of india that too which says that "this person said , that person said etc ?? This claim is already remived from the page ezhava , you cannot make such a claim about a very old dynasty Bilgiljilll (talk) 08:40, 13 November 2023 (UTC)

Vatil thira patt

It is not vettila thura but vathil thura , songs of Krishna and rukshmini. Tagbw (talk) 14:23, 21 November 2024 (UTC)

can you identify a source? will remove information in question for now - it was added by someone that got blocked Drew Stanley (talk) 16:02, 21 November 2024 (UTC)

Extended protection edit request

The edits which i made in the prominent figures and personalities were reverted by @Vndlrvrt who didn't provide any citations or academic justification but just on baseless allegations. The entire section on prominent figures and lineages is propagating pseudo history and the section of poothat tharavadu is based on a random interview of a person which came in hindu and it is not at all from an academic source.The entire section about it follows a pseudo history which not accepted by any genuine academic source and it entirely follows a caste based pov. Similarly the part about koodan gurunathan is based on an excerpt from a theyyam page which makes such level of fake claims that bekal fort was under the control of the bahmani sultanate in 1360 when the kasargod area never came under any sultanates rule till the mysorean invasions in 1756. The user @Vndlrvrt again only alleges that it's a coordinated disruption when he fails to provide any citations or academic sources for the claim levelled. He fails to provide justification for revertion when it's clear that the entire section is based on pseudo-historical claims with no academic backing and he alleges me of coordinative disruption when he himself joined 4 months ago and he is stopping any valuable academic discourse .I do believe that this user also part of this sockpuppeting farm which is running such non academic caste pov edits. I don't want to make any allegations or fight,but please do provide the sources (citations based on academic sources) for the reverting rather than relying on personally targetted attacks.any user having a academic background in keralan history can understand the level of pseudo histories propagated in the section and the coordinated sockpuppeted users who are preventing any valuable edits.I hope the user provides valuable citations based on academic sources on the reverted section rather than just reverting such caste based pseudo history povs and justifying it by making non academic level of allegations. Uruk889john (talk) 20:36, 27 January 2026 (UTC)

 Done @Vndlrvrt The sources in this section were a travel blog, a dictionary entry, and this dead link . If you restore these sections/paragraphs, you must provide reliable sources. Drew Stanley (talk) 17:22, 28 January 2026 (UTC)

@Drew Stanley

The page is locked because of the disruption from the id just created 2 hours back. The same type of id creation and directly coming to pages like Kalaripayattu and removing long standing talk consensus section removal is repeated in this article also.

This been a long standing disruption against chekavar and Kalaripayattu pages target against particularly chekavar history.

The section of koodan Gurukkal I can find a better source than a travel vlog, as of now I agree to remove koodan Gurukkal.

but request to keep the ‘poothat tharawad’ section as it is published in a lead news paper. Sources need not be always a scholarly research article backed by academia on Wikipedia.

Articles published in lead news papers can be added.

The ‘poothat tharawad’ section is important as it represents an example of how chekavar were dealt politically in Kerala and how they incorporated to various social domains and in colonial times. Vndlrvrt (talk) 21:44, 28 January 2026 (UTC)

The link is dead. I did not say it needed to be academic. Drew Stanley (talk) 18:08, 29 January 2026 (UTC)

Manipulated quotes, fake sources, and unverifiable statements

Issues concerning WP:FAKE, WP:INTEGRITY, WP:OR, and WP:SYNTH

Content: Exceptionally talented Thiyyar practitioners of Kalaripayattu were known as title chekavar or chekor. The chekons were deployed in wars, lined up for combats and duels. In short, they were warriors who fought and died for the empire in wars, protecting the country and it's people's life. Chekavar formed the army of the Chera Empire.Some of the Chekavar families migrated from Malabar to Southern parts of Kerala at the invitation of kings, to train soldiers and lead war.'

Problems:

1. Source 1 (Nisha, pg no.42): Fails verification. Nothing in it.
2. Source 2 (WP:TIMESOFINDIA): Zero verifiability for the content. It's about one NC Shyamalan making the discuss the disputed claim that Thiyyas are not Ezhavas.
3. Source 3 (TH): Seriously? It is about the 1961 film Unniyarcha.
4. Source 4 (Chandrababu & Thilagavathi): Hoax source. Only mentions about Unniyarcha.

Content: Many Thiyyar families in Malabar today trace their roots to this Chekavar lineage.

Problems:

1. Fails verification. Nothing in the given source supporting the claim.

Content: Hendrik van Rheede, governor of Dutch Malabar between 1669 and 1676, wrote about Chekavar in Hortus Malabaricus: "[Chekavas] are bound to war and arms. The Chekavars usually serve to teach nayros (nair) in the fencing in kalari school".

Problems:

1. Wrong page number and and URL given. Page no. is 50 and URL is .
2. Wrong quote source. The quote is actually from van Rheede's "memorandum of 1677", not Hortus Malabaricus.
3. No explicit mention of "kalaripayattu". Words inside a quote should not be altered, that's why it's called a "quote". Interpretation of words silgos and nayros as chekavars and nairs are WP:OR. Need additional citations by academics evaluating it.
4. Actual quote: The first among them (in this caste the Shudra) are the tree-climbers, otherwise called silgos, who are also bound to war and arms. These people usually serve to teach the nayros in the fencing school; further their occupation is to tap the coconut tree [...]

Content: Jacob Canter Visscher's Letters from Malabar says: 'They may be justly entitled soldiers, as by virtue of their descent they must always bear arms. In spite of the fact that Thiyyas were also practitioners of payatt and had a unavoidable presence in the militia of the ruler, they were allowed in the military services.

Problems:

1. Wrong page number and URL. Page no. is 45 and URL is .
2. Visscher's quote is about Nairs, NOT Chekavars/Thiyyas. His quote starts and ends as: They may be justly entitled born soldiers, as by virtue of their descent they must always bear arms.
3. The statement that followed (not in quotes), In spite of [...] military services, is made by the author Nisha P. R. as a reaction to Visscher's quote, and not a part of Visscher's quote.
4. Nisha stated that Thiyyas "were NOT allowed in the military services".

Content: According to David Levinson, "The Chekavar families played an important role in the practice of Kalaripayattu in the Malabar District"

Problems:

1. Fake quote. The original quote (page no. 615) is: Kalarippayattu was traditionally practiced primarily by Nayars, Kerala's martial caste, as well as by a special sub-caste among Kerala's Brahmans, the Yatra Brahmans; lower-caste practitioners known as chekavar drawn from among special families of Tiyyas; Muslims (especially Sufis in northern Kerala); and Christians.

Content: Northern songs are represented in Malabar where the Unniyarcha and Aromal Chekavars of the Puthuram Veettil house are an important Thiyyar family known for their martial arts. The area of their activities comprised the medieval principalities of Kolathunad, Kadathanad and Kottayam

Problems:

1. WP:SYNTH of material. No such single quote exists in the given source.

Content: The Malabar chekavars was a warriors.'

Problems:

1. No mention of Chekavars in the first reference.
2. No mention of Chekavars in the second reference.

Content: They had their own style of martial arts, although it was influenced by the martial arts of the Chera Empire.

Problems:

1. Among the two sources, Wollok and Folklore, the former does not even mention Chekavars, let alone the above claims.
2. What Wollok says: The ancient Indian martial art of kalaripayit (or kalarippayattu) is still practiced in Kerala in southwestern India as well as adjoining regions, and in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. It is especially associated with the Nair and Thiyya warrior castes. A complex system of training involving many different weapons as well as techniques of unarmed combat, ...
3. What Folklore says: A careful study of the Puthuram songs reveals that a section of Tiyya community known as the Cekavar belongs to the warrior class.

Content: Some of these heroes are [...] a war deity today.

Problems:

1. Unreliable source, and also not accessible. Based on the editor's history of adding WP:FAKE content, it should be removed as soon as possible as a dubious content.

Content: Historians and political analysts attribute [...] believed to have emerged.

Problems:

1. Content is an excerpt from a book by short-story writer N. Prabhakaran, not historians and political analysts. He refutes the belief that Kadathanadan and Chekavar culture had influenced the political violence in Kannur. His argument is that kalaripayattu does not promote violence.

Teegarden's Star b (talk) 15:48, 19 February 2026 (UTC)

Several of the sources are added without giving regards to WP:HISTRS. Teegarden's Star b (talk) 17:31, 19 February 2026 (UTC)

Teegarden's Star b, how much of this have you addressed in your editing? I'm wondering if this might need additional opinions from people who are knowledgeable in this area. Thebiguglyalien (talk) 23:44, 5 April 2026 (UTC)

Thebiguglyalien, I have removed almost all of the unverified claims listed above. It is now mostly clean. I have not verified the lead and Etymology section though. Even in the cleaned sections, existing references like Indudhara Menon's book may not be reliable enough. Need an additional round of verification.--Teegarden's Star b (talk) 07:23, 6 April 2026 (UTC)