Thuncahathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan was eminent poet in Malayalam. He is considered as the father of the Malayalam language. His words are very devotional and extremely popular. 

He was born in the 17 th century in Tirur. Now Tirur in Malappuram district, Kerala. The birth place is known as Thunjan Parambu. He was born in a Chakkala Nair community; it is a community into the Nair society in Hindu. Some archeological reports said that Ezhuthachan’s father was a Namboodiri. A noted historian, Dr A C Burnell stated that he belongs to the Ezhuthachan caste only. F W Ellis published an article in 1878 stated:
"A Brahman without a father must be born of an unmarried female of that tribe, whose celibacy ought to have been inviolate: he is considered, therefore, illegitimate, and has scarcely an assignable place in society. Elutt' Achan, or the 'Father of Letters', was a Brahman without a father, and on that account has no patronymic....The Brahmans envied his genius and are said to have seduced him by the arts of sorcery into the habit of ebriety.....he enriched the Malayalam with the translations, all of which, it is said, he composed under the immediate influence of intoxication...."
Malayalam poet Ulloor S Parameswara Iyer writes Ezhuthachan as either Chakkala Nair of Vattekkattu Nair. K Balakrishna Kurup written in his book, Viswatheinte Kanappurangal, Ezhuthachan belongs to Ezhuthachan caste. Some historians believe Ezhuthachan himself stated he was a Sudra caste.
His real name is unknown. He was known as Thuncahathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan or Ramanujan, most often simply Ezhuthachan. Ezhuthachan means a male schoolmaster. The female school teacher was known as Ezhuthamma in southern India.
He had written many popular poems, including Keerthanas, Namam and Japam. His famous work is Adhyathmaramayanam. It is holy book of Kerala’s Hindu religion. They keep a single copy of the book in their house and read all days in the month of Karkidakam. The book is translation of the Ramayana. And he translated Mahabharata to Malayalam, Mahabharatham. His other chief contributions are Keralolpathi, Hari Nama Keerthanam, Ganapatistavam, Kerala Natakam, Devi Mahatmyam.
1 comment:
Ezhuthachan belongs to Ezhuthachan caste only. "South Indian paleography" written by Emininent linguist, DR AC Brunnel says that Ezhuthachan belongs ezhuthachan caste only( Page 14).Ezhuthachan community migrated to Malabar coast only in 1428 January 5(According to Prof K V Krishna Aiyar- Zamorins of Calicut)This is according to chronogram" Kadukathyakthastheyal"
Kalidina vakya.In 16th, 17 th , 18th centuries ,Nair community have no intellectual power to produce such an eminently scholarly poet like Ezhuthachan. This thesis was attested by eminent historian Mr K P Padmanabha Menon in his "Cochirajyacharithram".
Ezhuthachan himself stated this fact in describing Sudra dharma,categorically in his Mahabharatam in canto Santhiparvam.
No Nair would write like this "Jathinamdhikalkkalla,Gunagana bhedhamennathre...Budhanmarude Matham" in either in 16th or 17 th century.
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