Mussad caste is surname of many people in southern India. Mussad caste meaning is For the following note on the Mussads or Muttatus of Travancore, I am indebted to Mr. N. Subramani Aiyar. They are known as Muttatus or Mussatus in Travancore and Cochin, and Potuvals (or [120]Poduvals) or Akapotuvals in North Malabar. The word Muttatu means elder, and is generally taken to indicate a community, which is higher than the Ambalavasi castes, as Ilayatu (or Elayad), or younger, denotes a sub-caste slightly lower than the Brahmans. In early records, the word Mupputayor, which has an identical meaning, is met with. Potuval means a common person, i.e, the representative of a committee, and a Muttatus right to this name is from the fact that, in the absence of the Nambutiri managers of a temple, he becomes their agent, and is invested with authority to exercise all their functions. The work of an Akapotuval always lies within the inner wall of the shrine, while that of the Purapotuval or Potuval proper lies outside. The castemen themselves prefer the name Sivadvija or Saivite Brahman. A few families possess special titles, such as Nambi and Nambiyar. Their women are generally known as Manayammamar, mana meaning the house of a Brahman. There are no divisions or septs among the Muttatus.
The origin of the Muttatus, and their place in Malabar society, are questions on which a good deal of discussion has been of late expended. In the Jatinirnaya, an old Sanskrit work on the castes of Kerala attributed to Sankaracharya, it is said that the four kinds of Ambalavasis, Tantri, Bharatabhattaraka, Agrima, and Slaghyavakku, are Brahmans degraded in the Krita, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali ages, respectively, and that those who were so degraded in the Dvapara Yugathe Agrimas or Muttatusand whose occupation is to cleanse the stone steps of shrinesare found in large numbers in Kerala. According to Kerala Mahatmya, another Sanskrit work on Malabar history and customs, these Muttatus are also known as Sivadvijas, or [121]Brahmans dedicated to the worship of Siva, occupying a lower position in Malabar society than that of the Brahmans. One of them, disguised as a Nambutiri, married a Nambutiris daughter, but his real status became known before the marriage was consummated, and the pair were degraded, and allotted a separate place in society. This tradition is not necessary to account for the present position of the Muttatus in Kerala, as, all over India, worship of fixed images was viewed with disfavour even in the days of Manu. Worship in Saivite temples was not sought by Brahmans, and was even considered as despiritualising on account of the divine displeasure which may be expected as the result of misfeasance. It was for a similar reason that the Nambiyans of even Vaishnavite temples on the east coast became degraded in society. The Illayatus and Muttatus have been long known in Malabar as Nyunas or castes slightly lower than the Brahmans, and Avantaras or castes intermediate between Brahmans and Ambalavasis. As, in subsequent days, the Brahmans themselves undertook with impunity the priestly profession in Hindu temples, Saivite as well as Vaishnavite, the Muttatus had to be content with a more lowly occupation, viz, that of guarding the temples and images. According to Suchindra Mahatmyam, eleven Brahmans were ordered by Parasu Rama to partake of the remnants of the food offered to Siva, and to bear the Saivite image in procession round the shrine on occasions of festivals; and, according to the Vaikam Sthalapuranam, three families of Sivadvijas were brought over by the same sage from eastern districts for service at that temple. Whatever may be said in regard to the antiquity or authenticity of many of these Sthalapuranams, corroborative evidence of the Brahmanical origin of the Muttatus [122]may be amply found in their manners and customs. A fresh colony of Sivadvijas is believed to have been invited to settle at Tiruvanchikkulam in Cranganore from Chidambaram by one of the Perumals of Kerala, in connection with the establishment of Saivite temples there. They have preserved their original occupation faithfully enough down to the present day.
The houses of Muttatus are known as illams and mattams, the former being the name of all Nambutiri houses. They are generally built beside some well-known shrine, with which the inmates are professionally connected. The dress of both men and women resembles that of the Nambutiri Brahmans, the injunction to cover the whole of the body when they go out of doors being applicable also to the Manayammamar. Girls before marriage wear a ring and kuzal on the neck, and, on festive occasions, a palakka ring. The chuttu in the ears, and pozhutu tali on the neck are worn only after marriage, the latter being the symbol which distinguishes married women from widows and maidens. Widows are prohibited from wearing any ornament except the chuttu. In food and drink the Muttatus are quite like the Nambutiris.
The Muttatus are the custodians of the images, which they take in procession, and wash the stone steps leading to the inner sanctuary. They live by the naivedya or cooked food offering which they receive from the temple, and various other emoluments. It may be noted that one of the causes of their degradation was the partaking of this food, which Brahmans took care not to do. The Muttatus are generally well-read in Sanskrit, and study astrology, medicine, and sorcery. The social government of the Muttatus rests wholly with the Nambutiris, who enforce the smartavicharam or enquiry into a [123]suspected case of adultery, as in the case of a Nambutiri woman. When Nambutiri priests are not available, Muttatus, if learned in the Vedas, may be employed, but punyaham, or purification after pollution, can only be done by a Nambutiri.
Like the Nambutiris, the Muttatus strictly observe the rule that only the eldest male member in a family can marry. The rest form casual connections with women of most of the Ambalavasi classes. They are, like the Brahmans, divided into exogamous septs or gotras. A girl is married before or after puberty. Polygamy is not uncommon, though the number of wives is never more than four. Widows do not remarry. In their marriage ceremonies, the Muttatus resemble the Nambutiris, with some minor points of difference. They follow two sutras, those of Asvalayana and Baudhayana, the former being members of the Rig Veda and the latter of the Yajur Veda. The former omit a number of details, such as the panchamehani and dasamehani, which are observed by the latter. According to a territorial distinction, Mussad girls of North Malabar cannot become the daughters-in-law of South Malabar families, but girls of South Malabar can become the daughters-in-law of North Malabar families.
The Muttatus observe all the religious rites of the Nambutiris. The rule is that the eldest son should be named after the paternal grandfather, the second after the maternal grandfather, and the third after that of the father. The upanayana ceremony is celebrated between the ages of seven and eleven, and the Gayatri hymn may only be repeated ten times thrice daily. In the funeral rites, the help of the Maran called Chitikan (a corruption of Chaitika, meaning one who is connected with the funeral pyre) is sought. Pollution lasts only ten days.[124]
The Muttatus stand above all sections of the Ambalavasi group, and below every recognised section of the Brahman and Kshatriya communities, with whom they do not hold commensal relations in any part of Kerala. They are thus on a par with the Illayatus, but the latter have their own hierarchy, and lead a social life almost independent of the Brahmans. The Muttatus seek their help and advice in all important matters. The Muttatus are, however, privileged to take their food within the nalampalam (temple courts), and the leaf-plates are afterwards removed by temple servants. The Ambalavasis do not possess a right of this kind. At Suchindram, the Nambutiri by whom the chief image is served is not privileged to give prasada (remains of offerings) to any worshipper, this privilege being confined to the Muttatus engaged to serve the minor deities of the shrine. The washing of the stone steps leading to the inner sanctuary, the mandapa, kitchen, feeding rooms, and bali stones, both inside and outside the shrine, are done by Muttatus at temples with which they are connected. All Ambalavasis freely receive food from Muttatus.
It is further noted, in the Cochin Census Report, 1901, that there is a pithy saying in Malayalam, according to which the Muthads are to be regarded as the highest of Ambalavasis, and the Elayads as the lowest of Brahmans. Considerable difference of opinion exists as to the exact social status of Muthads. For, while some hold that they are to be regarded as degraded Brahmans, others maintain that they are only the highest class of Ambalavasis. In the opinion, however, of the most learned Vydikan who was consulted on the subject, the Muthads are to be classed as degraded Brahmans. They are supposed to have suffered social degradation by their having tattooed their bodies with figures [125]representing the weapons of the god Siva, and partaking of the offerings made to that god.
A correspondent, who has made enquiry into caste questions in Malabar, writes to me as follows. There are several ways of spelling the name, e.g, Mussu, Mussad, and Muttatu. Some people tried to discriminate between these, but I could not work out any distinctions. In practice, I think, all the classes noted below are called by either name indifferently, and most commonly Mussad. There are several classes, viz.
(1) BRAHMAN OR QUASI-BRAHMAN.
(a) Ashtavaidyanmar, or eight physicians, are eight families of hereditary physicians. They are called Jatimatrakaras (barely caste people), and it is supposed that they are Nambudiris slightly degraded by the necessity they may, as surgeons, be under of shedding blood. Most of them are called Mussad, but one at least is called Nambi.
(b) Urili Parisha Mussad, or assembly in the village Mussad, who are said to be degraded because they accepted gifts of land from Parasu Rama, and agreed to take on themselves the sin he had contracted by slaying the Kshetriyas. This class, as a whole, is called Sapta or Saptagrastan.
(2) AMBALAVASI.
(c) Mussad 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. Mussad caste name could indicate the type of work people belonging to the Mussad 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
Mussad 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.
Mussad caste is also known as Mussad 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.