Pillai, (Malayalam:[piɭːai̯]) meaning Prince,[1] is a title of nobility which can either refer to a ruling chief, members of the nobility, or junior princes of the royal family and was mostly used by the upper-caste Nairfeudal lords who were historically ranked as or immediately below the king.[2] The oldest lineages of Pillais include not only Kshatriyas[3] but also brahmins[4] who took up the sword. From the early modern period, the title also came to be bestowed upon Savarna subjects by the Kings for services military or political, most of whom were of Nair origin.[5][6]The Nair Pillai caste is unrelated to other Pillais. It is important not to confuse them with the Vellala Pillai, Chetti Pillai, illathu Pillai (Eelathu Pillai), etc. Some of them also use 'Pillai' surname in some parts of Kerala, they have distinct identities and no relation with Kerala title "Pillai".
Etymology and Origin
According to epigraphic records, it is an ancient title that goes back to the Sangam Era, given to junior members of the royal family.[7] Originally a title meaning "royal child", it came to be given to administrators of temples; often holding large estates on behalf of the latter.[8]
Early English records also address these hereditary ruling chiefs as the princes of Kerala ranking below the monarch. The most well known are the Pillais of the Eight Nair Noble Houses, the Ettuveettil Pillamar of Travancore, were extremely influential in the past, often had greater power and influence than the Raja.[9][10][11]
Originally, they were royalty of Kerala related to one another from amongst the swaroopams of Travancore, and in the course of time, some of these families became extinct or were superseded by the elite families of their large Nayar retainers. After the arrival of the refugee princes of Northern Malabar fleeing the invasion of Tipu Sultan, this practice was minimized, and the refugee princes were raised to the status of Koyi Thampuran and granted estates belonging to these deposed Chiefs. [12]
The Pillais of Kerala held authority over their own regions and had the right to pass judgment in provincial disputes, even more so than the kings. They were royal governors of the place and collected taxes. In wartime, they led the king's armies. Some desoms were grouped together under a Prince into larger units that represented earlier independent kingdoms. Many Pillais originally functioned essentially as royal governors.[13][14]
Their absolute powers declined since the seizure of power and the creation of the state of Travancore under royal authority by King Marthanda Varma in the 1750s. The consolidation of Travancore was effected at the expense of the power of the ruling chiefs. Marthanda Varma also awarded the forfeited estates to new owners, as in the case of Kilimanoor, and also went on to create new titles to reward his friends and allies for military or political service rendered.[15]
In 1891, the Malayali Memorial, a memorandum signed by more than 10,000 people including Muslims and Christians, was submitted to the Maharaja Sree Moolam Thirunal by the barrister Parameswaran Pillai on behalf of the people of Kerala, demanding administrative reforms, primarily better representation of the former ruling castes of Kerala in the new administrative machinery of the state.[16]
In 1948, shortly after Indian Independence and Travancore's accession to the Indian Union, a people's government was formed by the State Congress party under Thanu Pillai, who had for over two decades agitated for responsible government. One of the first modifications they made to the erstwhile Government House and Secretariat was to install a statue of Velu Thampi in the forecourt.[17]
Despite the changes in political power, a loose connection between Pillais and desoms remained for a long time after authority had moved over to the peishcars (those who assumed responsibility for the collector/magistrate/police superintendent) and proverticars (village officers). An official defining characteristic of a Pillai still consisted of the receipt of the revenues of justice of a desom, which later became a fixed sum. Many still held large estates that were absolute tax-free freeholds.
Usage
Medieval Kerala
Pillais (Dukes), Madampis (Barons) and Naluvitans (Minor- Barons or Baronets) of venad held the title of Pillai. They held their titles in perpetuity along with their family names rather than with their personal names. Their family names were derived from the areas they administered.[18]
According to Mark de Lannoy, at one time, prominent Pillais included six Nairs, a Brahmin (Pillai Idathara Potti) and a Kshatriya (Pillai Ilampel Pandarathil).[19] The most influential among them were Ettuveettil pillamar. The Queen of Travancore would take husbands from among these Lords.[10]
The hierarchy or order of titles of Venad 1. Varma - Members of a royal family or King 2. Pillai - Governors of land and one who has rights to collect tax 3. Madampi - Jenmi or landlords 4. Naluvitan - Rulers of small regions under the Madampi
The Padmanabhapuram Palace was constructed by a king named Iravi Pillai Iravi Varma Kulasekhara Perumal in A.D. 1601[20]
Kurup, Kaimal, and Kathav are other similar titles that held significance in various medieval Kerala kingdoms, and were also present in some parts of Venad.
Travancore era
After Marthanda Varma's execution of more than 70 Barons, Nobles, Chiefs across venad, in 1730.[21] According to a noted historians, the title was demoted and came to be granted more commonly to decorate soldiers upon payment of the "Adiyara" from the time of Maharaja Anizham Tirunal Marthanda Varma who had previously subdued the power of the Pillais of the Eight Houses Ettuveettil Pillamar and annexed their territories.[22] This has resulted in the title being rather common rather than only among the highest echelons of Nair society in modern Kerala. The title of Pillai was then on granted to an individual for life upon payment of a fee known as "Adiyara" whose successors including women would be by courtesy titled Pillais. Inspire of this, to subdue the influence of these nobles, Marthanda Varma was to invent more new titles.[22]
The new hierarchy or order of titles of Travancore 1. Chempakaraman Pilla - Head of Nobles 2. Meleluttu Pillai - Accountant General 3. Rayasam Pillai - Keeper of the Seal 4. Pandara Pillai - Head of the Maharajah's Bodyguard 5. Kaimal Pillai - Chancellor 6. Valia Sarvadhikaryakkar Pilla - Justice General 7. Kurup Pilla - High Steward
The Great Officers of the State Establishment until the latter half of the 19th century consisted of the Meleluttu Pillai (Accountant General), the Rayasam Pillai (Keeper of the Seal), several Rayasams and Kanakku Pillais respectively below them. These often hereditary offices of state were the highest positions below the Royal Household, being the Kaimal (Chancellor), the Kurup of Travancore (High Steward) and the Valia Sarvadhikaryakkar (Justice-General and Prime Minister).[23] Pandara Pillamar : Royal pages; they also formed the primary officers of the Maharajah's Bodyguard before 1730. The brigade existed till 1950 but consisted of European trained officers post 1730.[24]
Managers of these 7 royal Pillais called Kanakku Pilla, who cannot use the Pillai surname, but use Kanakku as Pre-name. The title was bestowed through a formal ceremony known as Thirumukom Pidikkuka i.e. holding the face of the King and included the payment of a fee known as Adiyara to the King. A person thus bestowed with this title now secured the honorific title of Pillai suffixed and the distinctive title of Kanakku (meaning accountant in Malayalam) prefixed to his name. However Kanakku and Pillai were never used together. E.g.: either a person, Krishnan, would be referred to as Krishnan Pillai or Kanakku, followed by his maternal uncle's name, and Krishnan. The latter style was used in royal writs and communications. During the Travancore-Mysore War the forces of Mysore under Tipu Sultan were defeated by a sudden attack under the leadership of General Kali Kutty Nair who was posthumously elevated to the dignity of Pillaidom as Kali Kutty Pillai.
The Ruling Chiefs before the formation of the state of Travancore by Marthanda Varma are known by their family names and those elevated by Marthanda Varma or after use the title as a suffix to their given name.[25] A Pillai (plural Pillamar) has the title Pillai of [X] when the title originates from a placename and Pillai is added as a suffix when the title comes from descent. In either case, he is referred to as Pillai [X]. Women can hold the latter title in their own right and her husband does not have a title (unless he has one in his own right).[26]
The nephews of a Pillai, are entitled to use a courtesy title, usually the highest of his uncle's lesser titles (if any). The heir to a Pillaidom, and indeed any level of aristocratic peerage, is styled Senior (Mootha) Pillai of [X], and successive nephews as Junior (Elaya) Pillai of [X].
[27]
Commoners were to address Pillais as Thampuran or with the suffix Achan "Pillai Achan".[28]
^Mark de Lannoy,Kulasekhara Perumals of Travancore, Page 6,7, 8
^a Kshatriya (Pillai Ilampel Pandarathil mentioned in Mark de Lannoy Kulasekhara Perumals of Travancore, Page 6 at para2
^a Brahmin (Pillai Idathara Potti) mentioned in Mark de Lannoy, Kulasekhara Perumals of Travancore, Page 6 at para2
^Nagam Aiya V., Dewan Bahadur., and Travancore (Princely State). Census Commissioner. Report on the Census of Travancore, Taken by Command of His Highness the Maharajah on 26 February 18791-16th Masy 1066 M.E., along with the Imperial Census of India. 1891. JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/10.2307/saoa.crl.25318674. Accessed 13 Aug. 2020.
^See inscription at Kannankara temple, Trivandrum District. Quoted as Inscription 9/60 in P. Sundaram Pillai's Some Early Sovereigns of Travancore. Page 40-41 He makes the observation that they were in his opinion not men in the royal service.
^Mark de Lannoy,Kulasekhara Perumals of Travancore, Page 202
^Shungoonny Menon, P. (1998). History of Travancore from the earliest times (2nd AES repr. [d.Ausg.] Madras, Higginbotham, 1878 ed.). New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. ISBN978-81-206-0169-7.
^ abMore, Lena (2003). English East India Company and the local rulers in Kerala. ISBN8188432040.
^Tyagi, Vidya Prakash (2009). Martial races of undivided India. Delhi: Kalpaz. ISBN978-81-7835-775-1.
^More, Lena (2003). English East India Company and the local rulers in Kerala. p. 22. ISBN8188432040.
^Mark de Lannoy,Kulasekhara Perumals of Travancore, Page 8
