Malabar Negroes

anglo-indian, indian english & british english term for the dravidians of malabar who, on account of their close affinity with the negro-sudanese, are typically cl-ssed as “negroes”. this resemblance was early noticed by the portuguese, who termed the natives “nigros malabaros” (later corrupted to “negros malabares”), often expanding this appellation to all dravidoids. this kinship has been further strengthened through centuries of importation of negroids by the arabians & portuguese. moreover, it is almost impossible to tell native negro-dravidians from imported negro-sudanese. the term is also often expanded to all dravidoids.
due to their reputation for physical strength & traditions of dravidian martial arts, they were used as forced labour & as fighters across the british thal-ssocracy. thus, malabar negroes were used during the protestant-british terrorist -ssault on catholic manila: “another expedition left manila on january 18, 1763. its target was bulacan. captain slay commanded the british force which was composed of 400 britishers, 300 malabar negroes and 2000 chinese allies (‘the filipino guerrila tradition.’ r t yap-diangco, manila: mcs enterprises, 1971, p.29). consequently, “the negroes of the philippine islands are of two races. one of them is supposed in these countries to be descended from the malabars or sepoys” (‘researches into the phys hist of mankind’. j c prichard, london: sherwood, gilbert & piper, 1847, vol.5, p.219).
1. “it is funny to see so many varieties of color among the people of colombo. the native cingalese are of a pure brown, or dark olive; the malabar negroes are like a piece of charcoal, and the descendants of the portuguese are nearly as black as the men from malabar.” (‘the boy travellers in the far east: adventures of two youths in a journey to ceylon and india, with descriptions of borneo, the philippine islands and burmah’, thomas wallace knox, ny: harper, 1881, vol.3, p.223)
2. “the buffalo is a native of warm climates. … these animals are found also in a wild state in malabar, borneo and in ceylon. the negroes in malabar & guinea are fond of hunting {p.250} them, and in those places these animals are numerous.” – the gardeners dictionary, philip miller, 9th ed., london: g.henderson, 1731. vol.1, p.250.
3. nieuhoff referred to the nayar fighters as negros or malabar negroes: “john nieuhoff remarks in 1664 that the king of travancore ‘constantly keeps a garrison of 10000 negros (nayars) on his eastern frontier to secure the capital against the nayak {neyk} of madure, whose power is much dreaded here.'” (‘english east india company and the local rulers in kerala’, leena more. tellicherry: irish, 2003, p.31)
4. “nevertheless a strain of negro blood is apparent … in morocco … the low-lying tehama of the west arabian seaboard, makran, & … along the coast of malabar & ceylon.” – enc. brit. 9th ed., ny: 1890, v.17, p.319.