Demography
According to the 2001 Census, the Pulayan population in Kerala stands at 1,041,540 forming 3.27% of the total population of Kerala. However, during earlier times, the Pulayan community constituted for a larger share of population in Kerala. For example the 1891 Census recorded 515,000 Pulaya Hindus comprising 8.68% of the total population. In Malabar, Pulayar comprised 12% of population in 1856 (the year when slavery was abolished), and in 25 years (1881) only 2% of population was Pulayar. The rest were converted to Islam as the status of a low-class Muslim was near Hindu Tiyar (Izhava) caste. But no large scale conversion of lower castes occurred during the 20th century.
In Travancore, the Hindu Pulaya population increased by 15% during the 1901–41 period, while the total population grew by 105.6%. Along with the conversion to Christianity, low birth rates might have caused the decrease in population share. According to 1941 Census, Ezhava and Nair women had an average of 3.84 and 3.61 children respectively, while Pulaya women had 3.43 children and the Paraiyar had 3.13 children.
Read more about this topic: Pulayar