Pillai (title)

Pillai, Pillay,or Pillaimar (Tamil: பிள்ளை,பிள்ளைமார், Malayalam: പിള്ള) is an upper caste title used by land-owning castes of Tamil- and Malayalam-speaking people of India, Sri Lanka and others living in Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa and Fiji, mostly from the Vellalar community in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka and Nair community in Kerala.

South African Tamils use the spelling Pillay, whereas some Sri Lankan castes may also uses same title.

'Pillai' , is an ancieint honourable surname given to prince of ruling family in Tamil dynasties and to prominent members of Vellalars caste. At recent times been surname of various classes.

Vellalar is derived from tamil word 'Velanmai' means agriculture. Those who practice agriculture i.e 'வேளாண்மை'- Velanmai' in Tamil are called 'வேளாளர்' -Vellalar. Prominent members of Vellalars also hold title 'Vel'.

They are predominantly landlords and agriculturalists and In modern time most of them concentrate on business and trading also.

Vellalars are described as a landed gentry who irrigated the wet lands and the Karalar were the landed gentry in the dry lands.

Numerous poems in the ancient Sangam literature extol these chieftains' charity and truthfulness. Among the most prominent were those known as the 'seven patrons' (kadaiyezhu vallal); Vel-Pari, Malayaman Thirumudi Kaari, Ori, Adigaman, Began, Nalli and Ay Kandiran.

In modern times they entered in various fields.They also influential in the revival of Tamil tradition and literature.

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Vellalars sub castes are formed according to their geographical presence of ancient Tamil Nadu.Following Vellalars sub castes using 'Pillai' surname are Karkathars, Sozhliya Vellalars, Pandiya Vellalars, Aarunattu Vellalars, Veerakodi Vellalars, Nanjil vellalars.

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