Chirakkal Raja - Territory and Administration

Territory and Administration

The old Kolathunad, ruled by Kolathiris, extended from Kora river in the south to Nethravathi river in the north and the Arabian Sea in the west to Kudagu Mala in the east. The domain of Kolathiri had at various periods roughly covered present-day Kasaragod and Kannur districts of Kerala, South India, along with some adjoining areas of Northern Kerala and Tulunadu, and some periods parts of Tamil Nadu, Kodagu and Mysore.

The original kingdom of Kolathiri was partitioned (Kurvazhcha) among the five matrilinial-divisions of the Kolathiri family namely Kolathiri, Tekkalankoor, Vadakkalankoor, Nalamkoor, and Anjamkoor.

Kolathunad was not consolidated well and lacked a degree of political centralization like the rest of feudal states in Malabar. Consistent with this lack of political centralization, the Nairs of North Malabar were not divided into sects based on administrative and occupational functions. Most of the Nair Naduvazhis (rulers of nadus, such as Kolathunad, Kottayam etc.) and Desavazhis (rulers of desams, under a Naduvazhi) of North Malabar belonged to the Nambiar caste. Desavazhis were directly appointed by king (Naduvazhi) and had administrative powers in their respective desams.

As a further consequence of the lack of political centralization in Kolathunad, Naduvazhi and Desavazhis often fought one another and within themselves and frequently allied themselves with different royal houses as suited their needs of the moment.