Pillai (Kerala title)

Pillai

പിള്ള
Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Regions with significant populations
Travancore
Languages
Tamil, Malayalam
Religion
Hinduism

Pillai, meaning Prince, is a title of nobility which can either refer to a ruling chief, members of the nobility, or junior princes of the royal family historically ranked immediately below the king or an early modern title bestowed on Savarna subjects by the ruling families of Kerala for services military or political, most of whom were of Nair 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.

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 Noble Houses, the Ettuveettil Pillamar of Travancore. It is from these Chiefs that the matriarchal heads of Travancore Royal Family took their consorts from. After the arrival of the refugee princes of Northern Malabar fleeing the invasion of Tippu Sultan, this practice was dropped and the refugee princes were raised to the status of Koyi Thampuran and granted estates belonging to these deposed Chiefs.

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 like 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. The Ruling Chiefs created before the new state of Travancore was formed 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.

Medieval Desavazhis of South Travancore who were the Chiefs of Desams (Principalities) possessed this title. They were the rulers of Desams and heads of the Desa-kootams (Principal Councils) descended from the Valanjiars. Desoms were further divided into Tharas or Karas in South Travancore with a presiding councils called Thara-kootams (Village Councils). In every Desom were four families (Thara-vads or manor-houses) traditionally connected with the administration known by their called Naluvitans (of the four manors). They were considered as the highest subdivision among Nairs of Travancore equal to Samantas/ Kiriyam Nairs of Malabar. They held the rights of seignory and overriding interests with different occupational groups useful to the manor such as the Kammalar in their respective estates.