चावेट्टुपट

{ cāveṭṭupaṭa }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

CĀVEṬṬUPAṬA   (CĀVERU). (Paṭa = army). A particular division of the army which in olden days used to come forward to lay down their lives in the service of the country. When defeat in war was almost certain for their king an army division under royal leadership was formed of heroes, who took their last leave of their homes and people. The soldiers left their homes with their head and eyebrows shaved, and people gave them a hearty send-off. Either victory or death in battlefield was their slogan. This system originated in Kerala. Imitating Kerala, Turkey and Egypt formed their own division of Cāveṭṭupaṭa in the 15th century. The Cāveṭṭupaṭa of Turkey called the Janissary was formed out of poor Christians captured in war, and that of Egypt called Mamaluk was formed out of slaves. But, the Cāveṭṭupaṭa of ancient Kerala was self-organised out of burning love for their king and country. The families of those warriors of the pata who died in fight were allotted royal favours. Even before, in the 14th century A.D. there existed in Kerala this system of Cāveṭṭupaṭa. From A.D. 1090 to 1111 A.D. many fierce wars were fought between Kerala and the Cola country, and it was perhaps during this period that this system of fighting came into vogue. Certain inscriptions of the period go to prove that Rāmavarmakulaśekhara Cakravarti who ruled Kerala during the above period drove out the Colas from Quilon and captured places up to Koṭṭar. Foreign writers have also referred to the Cāveṭṭupaṭa. “Amouces” and “Amochi” used in the ‘Rise of Portuguese power in India’ indicate the Cāveṭṭupaṭa. “In the war between Cochin and Calicut in 1504 three princes of Cochin were killed, one of them being the nephew of the ruling monarch. On his death 200 Cāveṭṭu warriors who formed the body-guard of the nephew rushed to the field after shaving their heads and eyebrows and killed all the enemies they saw.”