Naik caste is surname of many people in southern India. Naik caste meaning is The word Naik (Nayaka, a leader or chief) is used, by the older writers on Southern India, in several senses, of which the following examples, given by Yule and Burnell,5 may be cited
(a) Native captain or headman. Il sappelle Naique, qui signifie Capitaine. Barretto, Rel du Prov de Malabar.[139]
(b) A title of honour among Hindus in the Deccan. The kings of Deccan also have a custome when they will honour a man or recompence their service done, and rayse him to dignitie and honour. They give him the title of Naygue%Linschoten.
(c) The general name of the kings of Vijayanagara, and of the Lords of Madura and other places. Il y a plusieurs Naiques au Sud de Saint Thomé, qui sont Souverains- Le Naigue de Madure on est un. Thevenot.
Naik, Naickan, Naicker, Nayak or Nayakkan has been returned, at recent times of census, by the Tamil Pallis, Irulas, and Vedans, and also by various Telugu and Canarese classes, e.g.
TeluguBalija, Boya, Ekari, Golla, Kavarai, Muttiriyan, Odde, Tottiyan, and Uppiliyan.
CanareseBedar, Cheptegara, Charodi, Kannadiyan, Servegara, Siviyar, and Toreya. Some Jen Kurumbas (a jungle folk) in the Wynad are also locally known as Naikers.
TuluThe Mogers, in some parts of South Canara, prefer the title Naiker to the ordinary caste title Marakaleru, and some Bants have the same title.
The headman among the Lambadis or Brinjaris is called Naik. Naicker further occurs as a hereditary title in some Brahman families. I have, for example, heard of a Desastha Brahman bearing the name Nyna Naicker.
Naik, Naiko, or Nayako appears as the title of various Oriya classes, e.g, Alia, Aruva, Bagata, Gaudo, Jatapu, Odia, Pentiya, Rona, and Teli. It is noted by Mr. S. P. Rice that the Uriya Korono, or head of the village, appropriates to himself as his caste distinction the title Potonaiko signifying the Naik or head of the town.[140]
The name Nayar or Nair is, it may be noted, akin to Naik and Naidu, and signifies a leader or soldier.6 In this connection, Mr. Lewis Moore writes7 that almost every page of Mr. Sewells interesting book on Vijayanagar8 bears testimony to the close connection between Vijayanagar and the west coast. It is remarkable that Colonel (afterwards Sir Thomas) Munro, in the memorandum written by him in 1802 on the poligars (feudal chiefs) of the Ceded Districts, when dealing with the cases of a number of poligars who were direct descendants of men who had been chiefs under the kings of Vijayanagar, calls them throughout his report Naigue or Nair, using the two names as if they were identical.9
It is noted by Mr. Talboys Wheeler10 that, in the city of Madras in former days, police duties were entrusted to a Hindu official, known as the Pedda Naik orelder chief, who kept a staff of peons, and was bound to make good all stolen articles that were not recovered.
In the South Canara district, the name Naikini (Naik females) is taken by temple dancing-girls.
Naik caste is one of the many castes subcastes of India.
India has thousands of castes and subcastes, they are in existence and practice since the Vedic times. They were created to solve the problem of division of labor. Naik caste name could indicate the type of work people belonging to the Naik caste do or did in earlier times. Many last names in India indicate the place the person originally belongs to. All castes sub castes are primarily divided into 4 categories:
1.Brahmins – The learned or priestly class
2.Khastriyas – The warrior class or those with governing functions
3.Vaishyas – The trader, agriculturalists or cattle rearers class
4.Shudra – The class that serves other three categories
Naik caste belongs to one of the above 4 categories. Indian caste system is the best system to solve the problem of division of labor. In earlier times there was no rigidity in caste system. Indian caste system is still the best solution for the problem of division of labor, the only change that is needed as per changed times is that rather than having a vertical hierarchical system with Brahmins on top and Shudras at bottom, it would be good to have a horizontal socialist system with Brahmins, Khastriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras all at same level.
The caste system of India is in ruins at present. It is also cause of bloody quarrels in certain parts of the rural India. People of backward castes have reservations in government jobs, this facility is widely misused in India. Many of the backward caste people have become rich and still use the facility for their benefit. Many in India believe reservation in jobs should be given on the basis of poverty rather than caste because there are many poors in upper castes as well.
Many criticize the Indian caste system because of bad material condition of lower castes but if they observe in an unbiased way they would find that there are many in upper castes with bad material conditions. The problem lies in power not in castes, power can corrupt anyone be it from upper caste or lower caste.
All cultures, all countries, all religions have caste system in one form or the other. Christians have different churches depending on the region or language or skin color of people. Muslims have a priestly class that tries to control everything. Arab Muslims before the oil boom were so much divided among tribes that if you drank water from a well of a different tribe you could be shot dead. Tribal divisions still exists among Muslims. You can also see the caste system in a different form in your corporate companies. I had seen different food and drinking facilities for people at different levels.
Naik caste is also known as Naik Gotra.
Caste situation is quiet different in urban India, people in urban areas especially youngsters don?t bother about castes. Inter caste, inter religious, inter lingual marriages are quiet common in urban India. Inter caste, inter religious and inter lingual marriages in rural areas attract severe criticism and many times people are expelled from community for not marrying as per religious and caste rules.