`   ==Chekavar== I see some similarities between Thiyyas and Ezhavas interms of the title Chekavar. Initially I thought it was a surname used only by Thiyyas of Malabar. But I see many examples of Ezhavas (of south) having the same surname in the past.. Please take a look at wiki page Chekavar .   chekavar means slaves of warrior nair  ==Ezhavas and Tiyyas (by K K Kusaumam)== http://www.newindpress.com/sunday/sundayItems.asp?id=SET20021221042249&eTitle;=Think+Piece&rLink;=0  == Ezhava and thiyya pls anzr me==  Some say Ezhavas and thiyyas are different races.But this is hidden agenda by some vetsed interest to divide the community.The word Ezhava have derived from izham and Thiyya derived from dweep both pointing to island. If so, why are there no ezhavas in north kerala but in karnataka with the names billava and idiga which echos similar to word ezhava? Why idigas is karnataka also called deevaru ? Why edigas is ``AndhraPradesh`` also called Dhiyaramakkalu, name resembling ezhava and thiyya? How come both have same surname like thandan, thandar, chekavar? Why both have same traditional resposibilities/Jobs in the society, like toddy shopping, Ayurvedic business, martial art? If one set of people from Europe then their mother tongue might be completely different from those in kerala. Then, why those people not using that language, now? Atleast they should have still using some of the words of that language. (Its also remember that kerala's current population's history doest go back beyond 2000 years. Konkani community who started settlement in kerala around 1500 years back still using their mother tongue.) There is a place called ``Ezhavathuruthi`` in Malappuram Ditrict of kerala. Still ezhavas are called thiyyas there, why? In maladives history, it says the original inhabitants of islands were theevarus and they left the islands to cape camrin in india when 'outsiders' attacked the island.   Also there is shocking refence in old British travalogue which calls Thiyya as shanan? Actually shanans are old name nadars in tamil nadu. see a link here  http://krpcds.org/report/Ganesh.pdf   How can you compare wrt complexion? how can you say ezhavas are darker than thiyya couterparts? Both have fair and darker people.  one of the most beatiful malayali actress Ranichandra was born in south. So the case Kr vijaya, Mukesh, Rathish, devan, chippi etc... If yopu have seen Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran few years back you might have exclaimed. he was born in Mullakkara(kollam) http://www.kerala.gov.in/government/mullaka.htm.  I am not telling all are fair in south but there both dark and fair skinned people in north awa south not just in thiyya/ezhava, but in vast majority communities.    Daya anjali   : I think the problem here is with the wrong perception of some Thiyyas about Ezhavas, that Ezhavas were merely toddy tappers and laborers. But that's not the fact. Ezhavas too have martial, Ayurvedic traditions, Aristocratic families, landlords etc. My family had acres of agricultural land in the 19th.  : I have also seen comments saying ``don't allign with us for glory``.. What glory? I don't know if that was written by a thiyyan or an outsider. Whatever it be, I personally know people who think both (E n T) are two different castes and someothers (my thiyya relatives) think both are the same. : Regarding skin color, it's a fact that thiyyas are fairer on an average. That doesn't mean they migrated from Tiyan mountian. Some famous Thiyyas like Srinivasan, Azheekode, Pappu doesn't look caucasian as stated in the book Lanka Parvam (by Damu). I think the book was written out of imagination and lack proper study. Someone commented above ``We just don't have that paandi look``.. Please understand we all are descendands of dravidians. Tamilians are darker because there were no race mixing. They are purer than us.   I have seen Ezhava-thiyya differences only in these forums. If you are outiside kerala like Bangalore, chennai, Mumbai,coorg, Gulf etc u wont notice differences. Marriage between from ezhavas of SOUTH KERALA AND PLACES LIKE KANNUR  are very common in these areas and its very difficult identify them as by their local names.    ==Ezhava Follows Patriarchal family systems - A tottally wrong articulation==  The upper class ezhavas in south kerala always followed Matriarchal family systems while lower class followed Patriarchal family systems.  All channar, Chekavar, panicker, vaidyar, thampi(ezhava), Thandar families followed Matriarchal family systems only. Some families which follows are listed here http://www.alummoottil.com/Heritage/Radhakrishnan/