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Kerala has a polygenetic community, with members belonging to a variety of ethnic groups. There are traces of Arab, Jew, British, Portuguese and Dutch cultures. The main roots of Malayalis stem from:-
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Negritos –The foremost inhabitants of Kerala were this group of people belonging to the Negroid race. They are characterized by dark brown curly hair, dark skin with a height less than 1.5 meters. The members of this group are still residents of mountain regions of Kerala.
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Australoids – Proto-Australoids or the Austrics reached this place after the Negritos. Medium height, dark complexion, long heads and flat noses are their peculiarities. They laid the foundation for the practice of snake worship in Kerala.
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Dravidians – The Dravidians spread not only in Kerala but over the whole of India by 700 B.C. Together with absorbing the beliefs of Negritos and Austrics, Dravidians were true worshippers of the Mother Goddess and they also imbibed the belief systems of the Negritos and Australoids. The major portion of Keralites are descendants from this group.
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Aryans –The Aryans migrated to this region by 300 B.C. The fair skinned Brahmins belong to this group and Aryans are the people who introduced caste system in Kerala.
Some of the present ethnic communities of Kerala are:-
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Namboodiris –This orthodox group of Malayali Brahmins perform rituals in the temples of Kerala. Most of them are priests, teachers and administrators and lived mainly by temple revenue.
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Nairs – are said to be the descendants of Newars of Nepal. The Nairs followed matrilineal system and have proved their presence in education, medicine, government services, law and a variety of other fields.
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Ezhavas –In north Kerala, Ezhavas are called Thiyyas. They are experts in ayurveda, kalari and trading. They mainly followed the system of joint family.
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Ambalavasis –are temple attendants who perform temple arts and music. Ambalavasis are a combination of a number of Hindu groups such as Chakyar, Ilayath, Kurukkal, Warrier, Nambiar, and Pisharody.
Kerala is home to a number of other communities and tribal groups primarily engaged in agricultural works. They include the Pulaya, Eravallan, Palleyan, Paniyan, Kadar, Ulladan, Mannan, Urali, and Kurumba groups.
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