Ettuveetil Pillamar

The Ettuveetil Pillamar (Lords of the Eight Houses) (Malayalam:എട്ടുവീട്ടിൽ പിള്ളമാർ) were a group of nobles from eight Nair Houses in erstwhile Venad in present-day Kerala state, South India. They were associated with the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram and the Ettara Yogam. Their power and wealth grew until Marthanda Varma (1706–1758), the last king of Venad and the first king of Travancore, defeated them in the 1730s.

The Ettuveetil Pillamar were known according to the villages in which they resided and all held the title of Pillai. The Eight Lords were Kazhakoottathu Pillai, Ramanamadhom Pillai, Chempazhanty Pillai, Kudamon Pillai, Venganur Pillai, Marthandamadhom Pillai, Pallichal Pillai and Kolathur Pillai. Kazhakkoottam and Chempazhanthi lie to the north of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city, while Venganoor lies to the south, between Balaramapuram and Kovalam.

Ettuveetil Pillamar were the leaders of the land and ‘tharakootams’ known as ‘Arunootavar’. (the military setup of Nairs) established for maintaining law and justice in Venad. They were the Governors of provinces of the country. They had the power to exercise control over the king also. They gradually grew from ordinary landlords to powerful chiefs and allied themselves with the Ettara Yogam. The Ettara Yogam ('Council of Eight and Half' or 'King's Council of Eight'), an association consisting of the Pushpanjali Swamiyar, seven Potti families, one Nair noble and the King of Venad administered the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple of Thiruvananthapuram. The lands and properties of the temple were divided into eight parts and each was placed by the Yogam under one of the Pillai as governor. They soon started opposing the king openly and bringing more and more Madampis or nobles under their influence.

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