Ankam is a Malayalam word meaning combat or battle. It may refer either to a duel or a larger scale war. In medieval Kerala, ankam served as a way to settle disputes between districts and nobles. The duellists, called Chekavar or Ankachekavar, were trained in the kalari to fight as militiamen in service of a lord. When a dispute arose between two local rulers, each side would engage warriors to fight for them in organised single combat at a fixed place and time. Each local ruler was represented by one Ankachekavar. The ankam were usually fought to the death, and the ruler represented by the surviving Ankachekavar was considered the winner.
References
- Communal Road to a Secular Kerala.Page 30. Concept Pub.Co, 1989. 1989. ISBN 81-7022-282-6. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
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- Religion and Social Conflict in South Asia.Page 27. BRILL publications ,1976. 1976. ISBN 90-04-04510-4. Retrieved 2007-12-28.{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - Sadasivan, S.N. (2000). A social history of India. APH Publishing. p. 344 and 122. ISBN 81-7648-170-X.
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