Kerala - Kottayam   

Mannan tribe gets new king

KOTTAYAM: Ariyaan Raja Mannan will succeed Thevan Rajamannan as the ‘Raja’ of the Mannan community in Idukki district. He is the nephew of Thevan Raja Mannan, who died following a heart attack on December 16.

The 26-year-old ‘king’ is the 16th Raja of the community and is the youngest to ascend the throne.

The new leader was selected at a meeting of the community at its headquarters at Koilmalai, near Adimali, on Sunday. The day also marked the end of the week-long mourning for Thevan Raja Mannan.

The selection is a complex process involving ‘psychic revelation’ and acceptance among the ‘Kaanis,’ leaders of various Mannan ‘kudis’ (villages) who play a pivotal role in the administration of the Mannan community, which follows the matrilineal system.

Ariyaan Raja Mannan (Rameshan) is the son of the youngest sister of Thevan Raja Mannan. He lives at Labbakandom, near Kumily, with his wife and a daughter. The new king will be assisted by a nine-member council of Kaanis.

Ariyaan Raja Mannan is considered to be one of the two Adivasi Rajas in the country, the other being in Tripura. He is the latest in a string of chieftains who led the once powerful Mannan community. The community held its domain over the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border with its headquarters at Mannan Kotai before coming to the present area along with their mentor, the Raja of Poonjar, who used them to cultivate large tracts of land adjoining the thick forests in the Western Ghats. However, their fight with another powerful community, Maravas, was a major blow and the Raja of Poonjar retreated to the forests.

When the Poonjar principality acceded to Travancore during the period of Marthanada Varma, the right over the Mannan community passed on to the Maharaja of erstwhile Travancore who gave them special titles and the right to wear bangles and carry a cane as mark of their position. When they were with Travancore, they had the sole right over harvesting wild cardamom and other spices and hill produces, which were the key sources of income for the kingdom.

The deceased Thevan Raja Mannan had played a key role in the success of the Eco-Development Societies formed by the Department of Forests and Wildlife.

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Mannan tribe gets new king

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