Historizising the Ancestral Kani Tribal Roots
Abstract
Kanikkaran (kāikkāra) or Kani (kāi) is an isolated scheduled tribal community with unique physical, cultural, social, and tribal living stature residing in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The present research, “Historizising the Ancestral Kani Tribal Roots”, attempts to record the forgotten history of the Kani Tribe, which is on the verge of extinction. The present research is intended to document the historical traditions existing through orality of the Kani tribe, as they do not have a written form of language. Tribal discourses on the oral inscriptions of the Kani tribe decipher the latent ethnic-specific culture, tradition, myths and other rituals encrypted in the oral texts. The study’s objectives are to map out the ethnographic history of the Kani people by deciphering the latent discourse and socio-linguistic concepts and grasping the different social, cultural and totemic aspects of the Kani tribe. It also enquires about the corpora of oral texts, decodes Kani’s traditional messages and social discourse, and provides recommendations to the government and policymakers to restore the conventional and ethnographical means of the Kani tribes in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
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136 £UP® kupah fiy kw;Wk; mwptpay; (kfspu;) fy;Y}up> jpUney;Ntyp gz;ila tuyhWk; jkpou; gz;ghLk; Historizising the Ancestral Kani Tribal Roots Dr. S. Sushma Jenifer (Former - ICSSR - Post Doctoral Research Fellow) Principal, Maria Arts and Science College for Women Valliyoor, Tamil Nadu, India Abstract Kanikkaran (kāikkāra) or Kani (kāi) is an isolated scheduled tribal community with unique physical, cultural, social, and tribal living stature residing in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The present research, “Historizising the Ancestral Kani Tribal Roots”, attempts to record the forgotten history of the Kani Tribe, which is on the verge of extinction. The present research is intended to document the historical traditions existing through orality of the Kani tribe, as they do not have a written form of language. Tribal discourses on the oral inscriptions of the Kani tribe decipher the latent ethnic-specific culture, tradition, myths and other rituals encrypted in the oral texts. The study’s objectives are to map out the ethnographic history of the Kani people by deciphering the latent discourse and socio-linguistic concepts and grasping the different social, cultural and totemic aspects of the Kani tribe. It also enquires about the corpora of oral texts, decodes Kani’s traditional messages and social discourse, and provides recommendations to the government and policymakers to restore the conventional and ethnographical means of the Kani tribes in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Introduction TheKanikkaran(kāṇikkāraṉ)orKani(kāṇi)areaScheduledTribalcommunity livingintheruggedandmountainousWesternGhatsregionsofTamilNaduand Kerala.TheKanipeople,whoinhabitedTamilNaduandKerala,knewtheyowned andguardedtheWesternGhats.TheyareaProto-Australoidminoritytribewitha distinctivetribalculturethatsetsthemapartfromotherpeople’sperceptionsand assumptions.Thesocialconstructionofcultureishowasocietydefinesitself.It canbeviewedasapredeterminedwayoflivingthatdefinesaclan’soraperson’s identity.ItiscrucialtocomprehendthattheKanikkarcommunity’sdemographics candifferbetweenthesetwostates.ThedemographyofKanikkarinTamilNadu and Kerala is reported based on population, language, livelihood, and social structure. Aim of the Study The study aims to explore the Kani historical documentations and oral traditionsthathasbeenremainedsilent. Objectives of the Study The present study dwells on the Kanikkar’s historical understanding. It determines to unearth the forgotten historical footsteps of the tribal Kani community. ©»º: 13 ]Ó¨¤uÌ: 2 ©õu®: ö\¨h®£º Á¸h®: 2025 P-ISSN: 2321-788X E-ISSN: 2582-0397 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/ zenodo.17311613
http://www.shanlaxjournals.com 137 £UP® Shanlax International Journal of Arts, Science and Humanities Methodology The research is based on the original oral descriptions collected from the Kani tribal people and the secondary sources of information. To illustrate the findings, secondary sources are gathered from the library, books, journals,papers, otheronlinesources,andallthedataarescrutinized. Need for History Theword‘History’comesfromtheGreekterm ‘ἱστορία’,historia,signifying‘inquiryorknowledge obtained through investigation’. It focuses on examiningthepast,especiallyasitpertainstohuman beings.Historyisrecognizedasanacademicfield thatisusedtotellastory,exploringandevaluating the order of past occurrences while objectively identifying the causative factors that shape them. Historians occasionally engage in discussions about the essence of history and its significance, contemplating the study of the field as a goal in its own right and as a means to offer alternative viewpointsoncontemporaryissues.Authorsutilize historyintheirworksasaninclusivetermtoconnect past occurrences, the recollection, exploration, gathering,organization, display,and interpretation of information about those events. Events that took place before the advent of written records arereferredtoas‘prehistory’.Theexaminationof historyisdeemedsignificantbecauseitisthrough pastexperiencesthatindividualscanlearnhowto navigate life appropriately. Notable authors have demonstrated remarkable skill in portraying life throughthelensofhistoryandliterature. Historical Background of Kani TheoriginoftheKanisettlementdatesbackto 4000years,evenbeforetheDravidianandtheAryan settlers.Kanienclavesarefoundinthedenseforest oftheWesternGhatsathigh-altitudehillsthatare alooffromtheinlandpeople.Shyam,inhisresearch article AspectsofLifeandLanguageofKanikkarTribal Community of Kerala – A Study, addressesKani as Proto-Australoid. Ethnographically, Kanikkar belongs to Proto-Australoid group. Some of them liveintheinteriorpartsoftheforest,especiallyinthe Podiyam,Mukkothivayal,Chonampara,Erumbiyad, Pothod, and Plath regions in the Agathiyar and KotturForestrangesintheNedumangadTalukof Trivandrum district. Around 27 settlements are identifiedintheseregions.(364) Ershad Ali, in her research article Ethnic Composition of Indian Population, informs the Proto-Australoid as a, group considered the second oldest racial group in India characterised by dolichocephalic head, broad and flat nose (platyrrhine nose) which is depressed at the root. They are further short in height, dark brown to nearly black in skin colour. The hair is wavy or curly. Supraorbital ridges are prominent. These features are found among almost all the tribes of CentralandSouthernIndia.(09) AstudyontheKanicommunityculturereveals that their cultural practices have been responsible forenablingthemtoleadagood,meaningful,and dignified life associated with nature. Their living heritage has helped the community maintain its values,tradition,andidentity,developself-esteem, andsurviveadversesocialandeconomicconditions. Settlement History of Kani Tribals are nomadic people with a migratory history that influenced their social and cultural aspects. Kani people lived in the wooded places of the Western Ghats for ages. They establish a closerelationshipwithnatureanddependuponthe resourcestheareaprovidesthemforsurvival.The Kaniisasemi-nomadictribethatmovedaboutthe WesternGhatsinsearchoffood,water,andsuitable habitats. They engaged in shifting cultivation, commonlydescribedasslash-and-burnagriculture, which involves removing small portions of forest for cultivation before relocating to new locations afterafewyears.AstheKanipeoplegrewcloser totheWesternGhatsthroughtime,theystartedto constructpermanentsettlements. They acquired a thorough knowledge of the forests, their rich biodiversity, medicinal plants, and other resources. The Kani people have social and commercial relationships with the areas where the Malayalis of Kerala and the Tamils of Tamil Nadu reside. Language influences, cultural interactions, and social relationships contributed to the increased complexity and profundity of the
138 £UP® kupah fiy kw;Wk; mwptpay; (kfspu;) fy;Y}up> jpUney;Ntyp gz;ila tuyhWk; jkpou; gz;ghLk; Kanicommunity.WhenEuropeancolonialpowers like the British entered India, it had a profound effectonthewayoflifeoftheKanipeople.Their customary life methods were disrupted, and their ancestrallandsweredestroyed.Whenforestswere declared reserved zones and boundaries were set for settlement, Kani’s movement into the woods wasrestricted.Multipletheorieshighlightdifferent versions of the migration history of the people. Stephen,inhisbookKokkarai:LifeandCultureof theKaanikaarar,observesthattheKanipeopleonce livedtothewest...on theKeralasideofSouth India‘swestcoast-andtheywereforciblysentto themountainregionsbyDravidiansandAryans(1). AyyanarandIgnacimuthu,intheirresearcharticle, TraditionalknowledgeofKaniTribalsinKouthalai of Tirunelveli Hills, Tamil Nadu, India, claim that,“theKanipeoplemayhavecometotheTamil sidethroughtheCourtallampass”(247).Tharmaraj, in his Folklore of the Kani Tribe, “perceives that Kanipeopleoncelivedtotheeast...ontheTamil Plains...andmigratedwestwardfromTirunelveli DistrictthroughKalakadu”(63). Kani’s legendary story about theTwo Sisters‖ claims that the Kani people migrated westward fromTirunelveliDistrict.Accordingtoalegendary talefromancienttimes,theKanipeoplelivedon theplainsoftheeastofthemountains.TwoSisters werelivingon the mountain.The eldersister had four sons, and the younger had three sons.These twogroupsofyoungmenquarrelled,andasaresult, the Kani people divided with the younger sister’s children and went westward to the mountains to live in the forest.The elder sister’s children went eastward to the Tamil coast to be a sea-fishing community‖ (299). The forests and mountainous regionsofKeralaandTamilNaduplayasignificant role in the migration history of the Kanikkar or Kani. The history ofthe Kani people’s migration is the result of social, cultural, environmental, psychologicalandpersonalreasons. Demography of Kani KanilivesinTirunelveliandKanyakumari,the southerndistrictsofTamilNadu.InTamilNadu,the Kanipeopleareconsideredasmalltribalgroup.Those whoidentifyasKaniinKeralaareprimarilylocated intheeasternhillyregionsofthestate,specifically inthedistrictsofThiruvananthapuram,Kollam,and Pathanamthitta.KaniinKeralaisestimatedtohave apopulationof5,000–7,000individuals.TheKani tribe, sometimes known as Kanikkarans, inhabit largeandsmalltownsinornearforestland.InTamil Nadu,thereare52settlements,andinKerala,there arearound70settlements.GraceVarchese(2018), whoinvestigatedthesocioculturalaspectsofKani, states: Kannikars inhabit the hills of Neyyaattinkara andNedumangadutaluksofTrivandrumdistrictand alsoliveintheadjoiningdistrictofQuilon/Kollam inKeralastate.Theyareshort,long-necked,flaring nostrils, prognathous jaw and brachicep-halic heads.Theircoloursvaryfromlighttodarkbrown. Individualsofbothsexesgrowlonghairandknotat thebackofthehead.(45-46) Bourdillion’s “Report on the Forest of Travancore” is a report on the socio-economic status of the Scheduled Tribes Development Department,preparedbytheGovernmentofKerala in the year 2013, reports that, There are 5872 Kanikkaran families spread over 48 local bodies insevendistricts.Astheirpopulationis19455,the familysizeoftheKanikkarancommunityis3.31. Thepopulationconsistsof9212malesand10243 females.Therefore,thesexratiois1000:1112,which ishigherthantheKeralastate’saveragepopulation. Kanikkar’scommunityismainlydistributedineight GramaPanchayathsintheThiruvananthapuramand Kollamdistricts.(30) Thereportsshowtheavailabilityofaconsiderable population living in the Kani settlements on the WesternGhatsofTamilNaduandKerala.Krishna Iyer, in his book, Travancore Tribes and Castes, states that the “Kanikkars are a prominent group among the tribals in Kerala mostly found in the hillsofSouthernpartofKerala.Theyarethelargest number of tribal people in Kerala‖ (1). Adabiya, in her research article, “Culture and Traditions of KanikkarsinKerala-AnAnalysis”,addressesthe Kanipeopleas,“honestandtruthfulandarethesons ofthejungle.Kanikkarscansurvivethechallenges inthehighterrainsofdeepforestsandthedangerous wildanimals‖(740).
http://www.shanlaxjournals.com 139 £UP® Shanlax International Journal of Arts, Science and Humanities TheKanitribewaspreviouslyatinynomadic, butnow,itisasettledcommunity.Mostmembers cultivate mixed crops such as rubber, areca nut, banana,pepper,and cashew.Almostallthe group members have small huts along with a small gardenattached tothem.The requirementson the tribalcommunitiesbytheForestDepartmenthave increased over the years, adversely affecting their abilitytomakedecisions.Theyconsiderthemselves theguardiansandprotectorsoftheforest.Theirlife, faith, beliefs, language, customs, religion, rituals, ceremonies, lifestyle, and emotions rest in their rustic forest environment. Their close association withtheforesthasmadethemaspure,innocent,and livelyastheforest.Therichculturehiddenintheir communityisalsoassecretiveasthehabitatsofthe woods. Conclusion TheKanikkaran,oftenreferredtoastheKani, occupies a distinctive role within the cultural and demographicframeworkoftheWesternGhats.As a Scheduled Tribal group with Proto-Australoid ancestry, their customs, economic activities, and societal structures set them apart from other groups, while simultaneously demonstrating profoundconnectionstotheirnaturalsurroundings. Understandingthedifferencesintheirdemographic trendsacrossTamilNaduandKeralaiscrucialfor appreciating their identity, resilience, and cultural preservation. This examination of the Kanikkar peoplenotonlyunderscorestheirhistoricalroleas stewardsoftheWestern Ghats butalsohighlights the necessity of safeguarding their heritage amid evolvingsocialandenvironmentalchallenges. Acknowledgment I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR),NewDelhi,fortheirinvaluablesupportand encouragementincarryingoutthisresearchwork. Thefinancialassistanceandguidanceprovidedby ICSSR have been instrumental in facilitating my studyandenablingme topursuethisprojectwith dedicationandfocus. IalsoextendmyheartfeltthankstotheICSSR for fostering academic inquiry and creating opportunities for young researchers to explore, analyze,andcontributemeaningfullytothefieldof socialsciences.Withouttheirgeneroussupport,this workwouldnothavebeenpossible. Works Cited 1. Ayyanar,M.,andS.Ignacimuthu.“Traditional Knowledge of Kani Tribals in Kouthalai of Tirunelveli Hills,TamilNadu,India.” Journal ofEthnopharmacology,vol.10,no.2,2005,pp. 246–55 2. Ali, Ershad. “Ethnic Composition of Indian Population.” ZENODO, https://doi. org/10.5281/zenodo.2657332. 3. Iyer, Krishna. Travancore Tribes and Castes. GovernmentPress,Thiruvananthapuram,2009. 4. Syam, S. K. “Aspects of Life and Language ofKanikkarTribalCommunityofKerala–A Study.”LanguageinIndia,Dec.2017. 5. Stephen,G.Kokkarai:LifeandCultureofthe Kaanikaarar.ThinaiVeliyiidu,Tirunelveli,Tamil Nadu,1997. 6. Tharmaraj.Folklore of the Kani Tribe. South Indian Historical Documentation Publishing House, a division of Translingua Language Centre,Nagercoil,2004. 7. Varghese, Grace. “Socio-Cultural Studies of Tribal Communities of Kerala.” Advance Research Journal of Multi-Disciplinary Discoveries,vol.24,no.1,2018,pp.45–49. 8.