Nayak, Nayaka, Nayakar, or Naik was historically a

honorific An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an Honorary title (academic), h ...

title conferred on a

Kshatriya Kshatriya () (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority"; also called Rajanya) is one of the four varnas (social orders) of Hindu society and is associated with the warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

upon achieving a successful

military expedition Expeditionary warfare is a military invasion of a foreign territory, especially away from established bases. Expeditionary forces were in part the antecedent of the modern concept of rapid deployment forces. Traditionally, expeditionary forces we ...

in various feudal states of the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

, as a derivative of the ancient Sanskrit word Nāyaka. The

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be ins ...

often came with a

prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

in the form of a

palayam Palayam may refer to: * ''Palayam'' (film), a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language film * Palayam, Kanyakumari, a village in Neyyoor town panchayat, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India * Palayam, Perambalur, a village in Perambalur district, Tamil N ...

jagir A jagir (), ( Hindustani: जागीर/جاگیر, ''Jāgīr''), ( Marathi: जहागीर, ''Jahāgīrá'') also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar ( Zamindar ...

zamindar A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous feudal lord of a ''zamindari'' (feudal estate). The term itself came into use during the Mughal Empire, when Persian was the official language; ''zamindar'' is the ...

i, or similar grant of a

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

carved out of the newly annexed territory. Today, they are also used as surnames by the descendants of the original recipients and as the modern military rank of Naik, while the film industry has co-opted the term with

Katha Nayagan ''Katha Nayagan'' (; ) may refer to these Indian films: * ''Katha Nayagan'' (1988 film), a Tamil-language film * ''Katha Nayakan'' (1997 film), a Malayalam-language film * ''Katha Nayagan'' (2017 film), a Tamil-language film See also * Prota ...

and

Kathanayakudu ''Kathanayakudu'' () may refer to: * ''Kathanayakudu'' (1969 film), Indian Telugu-language film * ''Kathanayakudu'' (1984 film), Indian Telugu-language film * ''Kathanayakudu'' (2008 film), Indian Telugu-language film * '' NTR: Kathanayakudu'', 2 ...

. The title is closely related to the Telugu

Nayakudu Naidu (also spelled as Nayudu, Naidoo) is a Telugu title commonly used by various Telugu castes. 'Nayudu/Naidu' is a contraction of the Telugu word 'Nayakudu' meaning leader, chief, headman. Telugu castes such as the Kapu/Balija Kamma, Gavara, ...

, Nayudu, or

Naidu Naidu (also spelled as Nayudu, Naidoo) is a Telugu language, Telugu title commonly used by various Telugu people, Telugu castes. 'Nayudu/Naidu' is a contraction of the Telugu language, Telugu word 'Nayakudu' meaning leader, chief, headman. Telugu c ...

, the Malayali

Nair The Nair (, ) also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom hi ...

, and the Tamil Nayakar,

Nayakan ''Nayakan'' ( ) is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language epic crime drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam. Produced by Muktha Srinivasan, the film stars Kamal Haasan and Saranya (in her feature debut) in the lead, with Janagaraj, Karth ...

, Naicken and Naicker. Nayaks are mostly

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

with a few Sikhs.

As a title

Today, the title is used by various

castes A caste is a fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system. Within such a system, individuals are expected to marry exclusively within the same caste (endogamy), foll ...

and

ethnic groups An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, rel ...

across India as a matter of tradition and custom. * Nayak and Naik are surnames used by

Koli Koli may refer to: People * Koli people, Indian caste group * Koli Christians, a Christian subgroup * Muslim Kolis, Muslim community * Koli (surname), Indian surname * Koli Sewabu (born 1975), Fijian rugby union footballer Places * Koli, Fin ...

caste A caste is a Essentialism, fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system. Within such a system, individuals are expected to marry exclusively within the same caste (en ...

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

. The Princely State of

Jawhar Jawhar is a city and a municipal council in Palghar district of Maharashtra, Maharashtra state in Konkan division of India 130km Away from Mumbai .Jawhar was a capital city of the erstwhile Jawhar State, princely state of Jawhar. Situated in th ...

was founded by a

Nayak

Jayaba Mukne The Jayaba or Jaideoraoji Mukne, also known as ''Paupera'' and ''Jagappa Nayak Mukne,'' was first Koli ruler of Jawhar State. His name was also spelled as ''Jayaba Mukne'', ''Jayaba Mookna'', ''Jayab Mookney'', ''Joya Mookney'', ''Jayab Mukne'', ...

around 1300. The

Maval Maval (also known as Andhar Maval) is a tehsil in a subdivision of the same name, in the Pune district of Maharashtra, India. Description The word Maval is derived from a Marathi word ''Maval'', meaning the direction in which the sun sets. Th ...

region was known as Koli country of fifty two

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

s in

Maratha Confederacy The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent Maratha states under the nominal leadership of the former. ...

. Each valley was controlled by a

Nayak and the Sirnayak, or head chief, lived at

Junnar Junnar (Marathi pronunciation: ͡ʒunːəɾ is a city in the Pune district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city has history dating back to the first millennium. The nearby fort of Shivneri was the birthplace of Maratha king Shivaji ...

, and presided over the gotarni, or caste council. the

Fort A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...

Sinhagad Sinhagad (''Lion's Fort'') is an ancient hill fortress located at around 28 km southwest of the city of Pune, India. Previously known as ''Kondhana'', the fort had been the site of many battles, most notably the Battle of Sinhagad in 1 ...

was built and ruled by

chief Nag Nayak who resisted the

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

Muhammad bin Tughluq Muhammad bin Tughluq (; ; 1290 – 20 March 1351), or Muhammad II, also named Jauna Khan as Crown Prince, further known by his epithets, The Eccentric Prince, or The Mad Sultan, was the eighteenth Sultan of Delhi. He reigned from 4 February 1 ...

for eight months. the Kolis of Maharashtra revolted against Mughal ruler

Aurangzeb Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...

under their Koli chief Khemirao Sirnaik and in 1769, Kolis revolted against Peshwa of

under their Koli Naik

Javji Bamble The Javjirao Hirajirao Bamble also known as Jivaji Bamble was a Koli Mansabdar of Rajur in the Maratha Empire, was the Deshmukh of 60 villages and chief of the Bamble clan. His family had been Vassals since the time of the Bahmani Sultanate. Af ...

and broken the peace of Konkan and in 1798, Kolis challenged the

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

under their Koli Naik Ramji Naik Bhangria who was father of freedom fighters

Bapuji Bhangare Bapuji Bhangare was a Koli people, Koli Patil (title), Patil of Devgaon, Deogaon and Indian freedom fighter who challenged the British Raj, British Bombay Presidency, government in Maharashtra States and union territories of India, state of Brit ...

and Raghoji Bhangare. * In Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, the Naik and Nayak versions are used by people belonging to

Lambadi Lambadi, Lambani, Lamani or Banjari is a Western Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Banjara people across India. The language does not have a native script. Regional dialects are divided between the Banjara of Maharashtra (written in Devanaga ...

and

Banjara The Banjara are nomadic tribes found in India. Etymology The Gor usually refer to themselves as ''Banjaras'' and outsiders as ''Kor'', but this usage does not extend outside their own community. A related usage is ''Gor Mati'' or ''Gormati'', ...

social groups. Naicker and Naidu titles are also used by Telugu castes, such as

Balija The Balija are a Telugu-speaking mercantile community primarily living in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and in smaller numbers in Telangana and Kerala. In Tamil Nadu, they are known as Gavarais. Etymology Var ...

, Golla and Kamma. Also in

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

and

Telangana Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...

, the Naik surname is adopted as a surname by other communities, including Bedar. * The Muslim

Siddis of Karnataka The Siddis of Karnataka () (also spelled Siddhis) are an ethnic group inhabiting India. Members are descended from Bantu peoples from Southeast Africa that were brought to the Indian subcontinent as slaves by Portuguese merchants. There is a 5 ...

, use the surname Nayaka which they received as a title from the kings of

Bijapur Bijapur (officially Vijayapura) is the district headquarters of Bijapur district of the Karnataka state of India. It is also the headquarters for Bijapur Taluk. Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural importa ...

. *In

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

it is used by some subcastes of the

Vokkaliga Vokkaliga (also transliterated as Vokkaligar, Vakkaliga, Wakkaliga, Okkaligar, Okkiliyan) is a community of closely related castes, from the Indian states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. As a community of warriors and cultivators they have historical ...

Namadhari Naik Namadhari Naik, also known as Hale paika, Namadhari Naik, Namadhari Gowda, is a Hindu warrior community predominantly found in Uttara Kannada, Uttara Kannada of Karnataka State in India, and forms the numerical majority in the region. Traditio ...

communities. * In Maharashtra the surname Nayak and Naik is used by

Marathas The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...

, CKPs,

Saraswat Brahmin Saraswat Brahmins are spread over widely separated regions spanning from Kashmir and Punjab in North India to Konkan in West India to Kanara (coastal region of Karnataka) and Kerala in South India. In places such as western and southern India, ...

and

Deshastha Brahmin Deshastha Brahmin is a Hinduism, Hindu Brahmin caste, subcaste mainly from the Indian state of Maharashtra and North Karnataka. Other than these states, according to authors K. S. Singh, Gregory Naik and Pran Nath Chopra, Deshastha Brahmins a ...

communities. * Nayakkar, Naidu or Naicker is also a surname used by

Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

and

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

speaking people, in some cases as a caste affiliation. Naicker, also spelt as Nayakar, is the Tamil equivalent for the Telugu Naidu and the Sanskrit Nayaka. This title was historically bestowed upon army commanders of the

Vijayanagara empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...

who once ruled present-day Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as Nayakas and Poligars. Many places in Tamil Nadu, which were once fortified palayams like

Palayamkottai Palayamkottai (also Palayankottai) is a neighbourhood in Tirunelveli, Tirunelveli City, incorporated within the Tirunelveli Municipal Corporation, Tirunelveli City Municipal Corporation. It is situated on the east bank of the Thamirabarani rive ...

that were ruled by the local Nayak poligar, have

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

names prefixed by the original ruling poligar's

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, b ...

followed by "naicken and "palayam", such as Narasimhanaickenpalayam, Kamanaicken Palayam, and Thimmanayakanpalayam.

References

{{Reflist Surnames of Indian origin Titles in India