# Castes and Tribes of Southern India/Naik

​Naik.— The word Naik (Nāyaka, a leader or chief) is used, by the older writers on Southern India, in several senses, of which the following examples, given by Yule and Burnell,* may be cited: —
(a) Native captain or headman. "II s'appelle Naique, qui signifie Capitaine." Barretto, Rel du Prov de Malabar. ​(b) A title of honour among Hindus in the Deccan. "The kings of Deccan also have a custome when they will honour a man or recompence their service done, and rayse him to dignitie and honour. They give him the title of Naygue ". — Linschoten.
(c) The general name of the kings of Vijayanagara, and of the Lords of Madura and other places. "II y a plusieurs Naiques au Sud de Saint Thomé, qui sont Souverains: Le Naigue de Madure on est un ". — Thevenot.
Naik, Naickan, Naicker, Nāyak or Nāyakkan has been returned, at recent times of census, by the Tamil Pallis, Irulas, and Vēdans, and also by various Telugu and Canarese classes, e.g,: —
Telugu — Balija, Bōya, Ēkari, Golla, Kavarai, Muttiriyan, Oddē, Tottiyan, and Uppiliyan.
Canarese — Bēdar, Cheptēgāra, Chārodi, Kannadiyan, Servēgāra, Siviyar, and Toreya. Some Jēn Kurumbas (a jungle folk) in the Wynād are also locally known as Naikers.
Tulu — The Mogērs, in some parts of South Canara, prefer the title Naiker to the ordinary caste title Marakālēru, and some Bants have the same title.
The headman among the Lambādis or Brinjāris is called Naik. Naicker further occurs as a hereditary title in some Brāhman families. I have, for example, heard of a Dēsastha Brāhman bearing the name Nyna Naicker.
Naik, Naiko, or Nāyako appears as the title of various Oriya classes, e.g., Alia, Aruva, Bagata, Gaudo, Jātapu, Odia, Pentiya, Rōna, and Tēli. It is noted by Mr. S. P. Rice that "the Uriya Korono, or head of the village, appropriates to himself as his caste distinction the title Potonaiko signifying the Naik or head of the town." ​The name Nāyar or Nair is, it may be noted, akin to Naik and Naidu, and signifies a leader or soldier.* In this connection, Mr. Lewis Moore writes † that "almost every page of Mr. Sewell's interesting book on Vijayanagar ‡ bears testimony to the close connection between Vijayanagar and the west coast. It is remarkable that Colonel (afterwards Sir Thomas) Munro, in the memorandum written by him in 1802 on the poligars (feudal chiefs) of the Ceded Districts, when dealing with the cases of a number of poligars who were direct descendants of men who had been chiefs under the kings of Vijayanagar, calls them throughout his report Naigue or Nair, using the two names as if they were identical."§
It is noted by Mr. Talboys Wheeler ǁ that, in the city of Madras in former days, "police duties were entrusted to a Hindu official, known as the Pedda Naik or 'elder chief,' who kept a staff of peons, and was bound to make good all stolen articles that were not recovered,"
In the South Canara district, the name Naikini (Naik females) is taken by temple dancing-girls.
* ↑ * Hobson-Jobson.
* ↑ * Wigram: Malabar Law and Customs.
* ↑ † Ibid., 3rd ed., 1905.
* ↑ ‡ A Forgotten Empire, Vijayanagar.
* ↑ § Fifth Report of the Committee on the affairs of the East India Company. Reprint, Higginbotham, Madras.
* ↑ ǁ College History of India, 1888.