General Thimmyya and Cariappa were not Keralites. They were from Coorg - Kodagu - a district of Karnataka. The district is nestled in western ghats. They are known as Coorgi's and speak a different language. They were always a martial race and form just about majority of Kodagu district (perticular Coorgi caste). Southern part of Canara districts were always plagued by their raids - they used to regularly raid and loot these parts before the British - and some times after. They were an independent principality at the time of Indian independence and were Type "C" state and later merged with Karnataka (then Mysore). upkamath
