The Samanta Kshatriya are a community resident in Kerala, India. The Samanta Kshatriyas make up a part of the former royal families of the Hindu kingdoms and princely states that existed until the creation of the Republic of India. Since most of the members of the Samanta Kshatriya community were royalty, their residences are still called Swaroopams or kottaram or kovilakams which all mean palace in Malayalam. Members of this community hold the surname Koil Thampuran, Varma and Raja.
Unlike most Kshatriyas (warriors) found in India, Samanta Kshatriyas rarely took an active part in warfare, relying instead on their cousins like the Kiryathil Nairs and Illathu Nairs to command armies. The Samanta Kshatriya also followed a matrilineal system of inheritance known as Marumakkathayam.