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.
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.[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]
According to epigraphic records of
Sangam era, define the direct meaning of Pillai as "Child of King" (prince), denoting nobility.[11] The title occurs both as a single name or as a
suffix to the name.
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.[8]
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. However, in the 17th century, a civil war occurred between Nair lords and Marthanda Varma. Marthanda Varma feared Ettuveettil Pillais and their power. He then carried out a horrific destruction through betrayal of nearly 72 Nair Barons and Madampis across Venad, and Several
Nambuthiri Brahmins who supported Nairs were exiled from Venad as a form of punishment. [12]
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.[13][14]
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.[15]
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".[16]
In Tamil Nadu, the surname "Pillai" holds a respected status from earlier times and is commonly found among Vellalars, who were primarily engaged in landlordship, trade, high-ranking military service, aristocracy and agriculture. The surname "Pillai" is prevalent across various subcastes among Vellalars, with diverse origins.
Vellalar or
Vellalar pillai pursued different occupations such as warriors and landlords, comparable to the Kshatriya Varna and professional class in the northern caste system.[17][18]
Unlike the traditional Indian caste system that divided society into Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, Vellalars did not strictly adhere to this four-fold Varna division. They had diverse professions.
The Tamil surname "Pillai" was also recently adopted by many Tamil-speaking communities in
Tamil nadu and
Srilanka, including
Maravar,
Isai Vellalar, and Eelathu Pilla (
ezhavar), with the meaning "child". Other communities adopted it as means to present themselves as superior to the social status which they actually held.[19]
Notable Tamil-speaking Pillais
Notable people with this surname or its variants include:
Ashan Pillai (born in Sri Lanka, 1969), British violist and academic
Gooty Kesava Pillai (1860–1933), Indian journalist and freedom-fighter. Delegate from Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh at the first session of the Indian National Congress.
^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.
^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.
^A handbook of Kerala. 2 (1st ed.). Thiruvananthapuram: International School of Dravidian Linguistics. 2002.
ISBN978-81-85692-31-9.
^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.
^
abMark de Lannoy,Kulasekhara Perumals of Travancore, Page 202
^More, Lena (2003). English East India Company and the local rulers in Kerala.
ISBN8188432040.
^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.
^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.
^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.
This page lists people with the
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