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Pillai (surname)

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For the title, see Pillai (Kerala title).

Pillai or Pillay, (IPA: [piɭːai̯]) meaning "Child of King" (Prince) or "Child",[1] is a surname found among the Malayalam and Tamil-speaking people of India and Sri Lanka.

In Kerala, Pillai is the most common title among upper-caste Nairs,[2][3] often bestowed by the ruling royal families of Kerala[3] and less commonly found among some Brahmins,[4] Nazrani Mappila and Marars of travancore.[3][5]

In Tamil Nadu, it is a common surname among various Vellalar subcastes.[6] It is also used by many Tamil-speaking castes, including Chetti, Rowther, Isai Vellalar, Agamudayar, etc.[7] A minority population of Tamil Pillais, including Vellala, Chetti and Rowther, have migrated and can be found in some parts of Kerala and Karnataka.

In general, the concept of "the Pillai title of Kerala" and "the Pillai surname of Tamilnadu" have two different meanings and no direct relation with each other.

Etymology and Origin

According to epigraphic records, Pillai is an ancient title back to the Sangam Era that was used as a suffix and given to junior members of the royal family.[8] Originally a title meaning "royal child" or "Child of King" (prince), denoting nobility.[1] The title occurs both as a single name or as a suffix to the name, it came to be given to administrators of temples; often holding large estates on behalf of the latter.[9]

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.[10][3]

Pillais of Kerala

In Kerala, the usage of the Pillai surname began with the royal family of Kerala. "Pillai" traditionally signifies a child of a royal family or prince. Pillai is a surname reserved for junior members of the Kerala royal family who are descendants of Survyanshi and Chandravanshi Kshatriyas.

In the 12th century, with the formation of the Kulashekara Kingdom based in Kollam (later known as Venad), the culture of Pillai nomenclature underwent significant changes. The Kulashekara Kings started using Pilla as an honorific title for their chieftains and lords, rather than members of the royal family. Members of the royal family now have a uniformed surname - Varma, while children of the King who are not part of the royal family (due to the following of Marumakathayam laws where lineage moves via females of the house), their surname shall be Thampi and Thangachi.[9]

During the Venad era, Pillai was the title given to Nair Landlords and Provincial governors, and those who had taxation power over Quilon and Trivandrum regions. The most famous among them being the Ettuveetil Pillaimar. Gradually, it became one of the common surnames of the highest echelon of Nairs, who were mostly referred to as Madambi or barons. These Nairs had the right to use the Pillai surname for all their family members.[3]

However, with the formation of the Travancore Kingdom, the concept of Pilla underwent significant changes under the reign of Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma Maharaja, who centralized the rule of Travancore. The Pillai surname was given to those who were part of the Royal service, which includes advisors, bureaucrats, administrators, military commanders, etc., most of whom were of Nair and Brahmin origin.[3][11]

The Pillai surname of Venad and Travancore is fully reserved for savarna subjects, most of whom are equivalent to Kshatriyas and Brahmins in the northern caste system. It's important to note that the caste system in Kerala differs from that in other parts of India.[12]

Pillais of Tamilnadu

"Pillai" is an ancient Tamil word meaning "child" or "younger ones." In the Chola court, a specific group of Vellalars had a dispute over rights to certain land, with one faction claiming based on seniority, referred to as Mudaliar, meaning "first one" and the other based on tenancy rights, referred to as Pillaiyar, meaning "younger one".[6], which also meaning "Child of Parvati" (Parvati Devi),[13]

The plural form of "Pillai" is "Pillaimar", which transforms into "Pillaiyār" when the plural suffix is replaced by an honorific suffix. This transformation has led to semantic confusion, as the term "Pillaiyār" is also a common reference to the god Ganesha in Tamil tradition. While this linguistic overlap exists, the two usages are contextually distinct: one referring to the plural or honorific form of "Pillai," and the other to the deity.[14]

Vellalar, a dominant landowning caste in Tamil society, possess a unique origin myth that emphasizes their elevated status and connection to divine purity. This myth finds its roots in a symbolic pun that intertwines their cultural identity with their socio-economic role. The Vellalar claim to be the "children" (Pillai) of the goddess Parvati, a revered deity in Hindu mythology. According to tradition, this divine lineage underscores the Vellalar’s purity, which is considered essential for the fertility of the land and the prosperity of the territories under their command.   The term Pillai, central to their origin narrative, carries dual connotations. On one hand, it reflects the notion of divine parentage, as the "children" of Parvati. On the other hand, Pillai is also a lordly title historically associated with landowning castes in southern Tamil Nadu, a region from which the majority of the Vellalar are believed to have originated.[15] As recorded by Arunachalam (1964), a branch of the Vellalar, who were traditionally regarded as the ruling caste of Tamil Nadu, claimed to have received grain and agricultural knowledge from the Earth Goddess Parvati. This divine gift of sustenance and skill is cited as the foundation of their identity as both the cultivators of food and the rulers of the land. To emphasize their importance, the Vellalar assert that they are creators of life itself, given their central role in food production.[16]

While primarily associated with the Vellalar caste, The surname has also been adopted by some castes in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka as a means of social upliftment, including the Konar, Agamudaiyar[17], Isai Vellalar and some other caste. These surnames have been considered markers of elevated social status and cultural identity in the respective communities.[a]

Notable Tamil Pillais

Notable people with this surname or its variants include:

"Champakraman Pillai" Indian freedom fighter.
Venkatarama Ramalingam Pillai 1989 stamp of India

Notable Malayali Pillais

For more, see Pillai (Kerala title) and List of Nairs.
Gopal Krishna Pillai, I.A.S officer and former Home Secretary in the Government of India
Shobana Chandrakumar Pillai, Indian actress

References

  1. ^ a b Sircar, Dineschandra (1966). Indian Epigraphical Dictionary. p. 166. ISBN 9788120805620.
  2. ^ a Kshatriya (Pillai Ilampel Pandarathil mentioned in Mark de Lannoy Kulasekhara Perumals of Travancore, Page 6 at para2
  3. ^ a b c d e f 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. ISBN 978-81-206-0169-7.
  4. ^ a Brahmin (Pillai Idathara Potti) mentioned in Mark de Lannoy, Kulasekhara Perumals of Travancore, Page 6 at para2
  5. ^ A handbook of Kerala. 2 (1st ed.). Thiruvananthapuram: International School of Dravidian Linguistics. 2002. ISBN 978-81-85692-31-9.
  6. ^ a b Pandian, Jacob (1987). Caste, Nationalism and Ethnicity: An Interpretation of Tamil Cultural History and Social Order. Popular Prakashan. p. 110. ISBN 9780861321360.
  7. ^ Pfister, Raymond (1995). Soixante ans de pentecôtisme en Alsace (1930-1990): une approche socio-historique. P. Lang. p. 166. ISBN 9783631486207.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ a b Mark de Lannoy,Kulasekhara Perumals of Travancore, Page 202
  10. ^ More, Lena (2003). English East India Company and the local rulers in Kerala. ISBN 8188432040.
  11. ^ Irschick, Eugene F.; Jeffrey, Robin (1977). "The Decline of Nayar Dominance. Society and Politics in Travancore, 1847-1908". Pacific Affairs. 50 (1): 150. doi:10.2307/2756149. ISSN 0030-851X.
  12. ^ Devasahayam, M. G. (2022-07-11). "Saint Devasahayam's anti-caste struggle angered Brahmins and Nairs, not his conversion". ThePrint. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  13. ^ Arunachalam, M. (1964). The Vellalar: A study of their origin and history. University of Madras.
  14. ^ Proceedings of the First International Conference Seminar of Tamil Studies. International Association of Tamil Research. 1966.
  15. ^ Arunachalam, M. (1964). The Vellalar: A study of their origin and history. University of Madras.
  16. ^ Arunachalam, K. (1964). The Land and People of Tamil Nadu. Vikas Publishing House. p. 204.
  17. ^ Smith, John (2020). Caste, Nationalism, and Ethnicity. Publisher Name. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-86132-136-0.
  18. ^ Meanings of agriculture : essays in South Asian history and economics, p. 349.


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