Paliath Achan or Paliyath Achan : is the name given to the oldest male member of the Paliam family (പാലിയം), a Nair

Nair

Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...

 family from the India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n state of Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 that figured prominently in the history of the region.

Overview

The Paliath Achans were hereditary prime minister

Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...

s to the Raja

Raja

Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...

h of Kingdom of Cochin (Kochi) from 1632 to 1809 and second only to the Rajah in power and wealth in the central Cochin area during that period. He was also a considerable land owner, one of the largest in the state. Historical records show that the Paliath Achans became major players in Kerala history with the arrival of the Portuguese

Portuguese people

The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....

. In recognition of the Paliath Achan's services, the Kochi Rajah granted him Vypin Island. At about the period, the land of Villarvattom came into his possession as well. In 1681, the Kochi Raja conferred upon him, the title of Sarvadhyakshan (literally translated, "Supreme presider over all affairs"), and in 1731, the Paliath Komi Achan was appointed to the post of Prime Minister of the Kochi Raja. Around 1775, the position of the Paliath Achan was recorded by the Dutch as follows:
Paliath Achans have also figured in many battles against colonial rulers such as the British, and staged numerous rebellions for the benefit of the downtrodden in society.

The family home Palace (tharavadu

Tharavadu

Tharavad is a system of joint family practised by people in Kerala, especially Nairs. Tharavadu was a legal entity like a Hindu Undivided Family as per Indian Income Tax laws, and was entitled to own properties. The others, like Namboothriris, Ezhavas, Christians and Muslims also now refer to...

) is located in the village of Chendamangalam, in Ernakulam district

Ernakulam district

-Economy:Agriculture constitutes the most important segment of the district’s economy and it is the biggest source of employment. Of the geographical 235319 hectares, crops are grown in 0 hectares. Coconut is the principal crop followed by rubber, paddy, and tapioca...

. After the passing of the Land Reform Ordinance, the family lost a lot of land that it owned. The ordinance set a ceiling on how much land an individual or family could own. As a result, the family wealth and property was partitioned in 1952. The number of members at the time of partition was 213 and the deed was registered in 1956. In addition to being the largest Joint-Hindu family, the deed was the biggest partition deed of Travancore-Cochin/Kerala.

As of 1999, there were 443 members. The family follows the marumakkathayam

Marumakkathayam

Marumakkathayam is a matrilinear system of inheritance which was followed by all Nair castes including of Royal Families, some of the Ambalavasis, Arayars, Ezhava, some tribal groups and Mappilas in North Malabar of Kerala state, South India. Unlike other Brahmin families, Payanoor Nambootiris...

, or matrilineal system. Female members of the family are wed primarily to Namboothiri Brahmins, members of the Cochin Royal family

Cochin Royal Family

The Cochin royal family were rulers of Cochin, or Kochi, India. They were also known as Perumpadapu Swaroopam or Kuru Swaroopam.-Tradition of Perumpadapu Swaroopam:...

, members of other Royal Families of erstwhile Travancore

Travancore

Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...

 and Malabar areas, and members of other prominent Nair tharavads.

Palakkad royal family head was also known by the title Achan.

Origins

The origins of the Paliam family are not very clear. One view is that the Paliam family is descended from the Villarvattom Royal family in Chendamangalam. The family traces its lineage to Kunjikaavu and Kochukutty, two sisters from the town of Elankunnapuzha who were married into Villarvattom. All members of the Paliam family fall into one of two lineages. The other view is that the Paliam family is linked to the Cochin royal family or Perumpadappu Swarupam

Cochin Royal Family

The Cochin royal family were rulers of Cochin, or Kochi, India. They were also known as Perumpadapu Swaroopam or Kuru Swaroopam.-Tradition of Perumpadapu Swaroopam:...

. It is thought that when the last Perumal departed, the Chera

Chera dynasty

Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...

 kingdom of Mahodayapuram split with one segment leaving for Vanneri near Chowghat. It is thought that the powerful feudal chieftain, Paliath Achan also left with this segment. Until recently, a "Paliam Parambu" (Paliam Grounds) was found there. Quite possibly, Paliath Achan moved with the Perumpadappu Swarupam to Thiruvanchikulam

Thiruvanchikulam

Thiruvanchikkulam was the capital of the Chera kingdom. Thiruvanchikulam is situated near the modern city of Kochi in the Kerala Province of modern India south to Mahodayapuram and north to former Muziris, the famous sea port on the Malabar coast...

 due to the Zamorin's invasion. The flood of 1341 brought the Perumpaddappu Swaroopam to Kochi, and Paliath Achan may have moved with them as well.

The tharavadu Palace

The main family tharavadu

Tharavadu

Tharavad is a system of joint family practised by people in Kerala, especially Nairs. Tharavadu was a legal entity like a Hindu Undivided Family as per Indian Income Tax laws, and was entitled to own properties. The others, like Namboothriris, Ezhavas, Christians and Muslims also now refer to...

 (Naalukettu

Naalukettu

Nālukettu is the traditional homestead of old Tharavadu where many generations of a matrilineal family lived. These types of buildings are typically found in the Indian state of Kerala. The traditional architecture is typically a rectangular structure where four halls are joined together with a...

) is approximately 450 years old, and is maintained by the Paliam Trust. The Kovilakam (palace) houses a large number of artifacts including ancient documents, religious sacraments, swords, rifles, and gifts brought by foreign dignitaries. Several other buildings, like the Paliath Achan's Kovilakam (which was built by the Dutch, and also known as the Dutch palace) exist adjacent to the tharavadu. The buildings in the area date anywhere from 60 to 300 years.

Significance in Kerala history

The Zamorin invaded Cochin in 1757. Due to the diplomatic efforts of the Paliath Achan, the Kingdom of Cochin was saved. During Hyder Ali

Hyder Ali

Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...

's conquest of the south of India in 1776, the Paliath Achan was able to effect a treaty between Hyder Ali and the Cochin Raja.

In 1808, the British

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....

 were trying to create divisions between the Raja of Kochi's men. They had succeeded in getting the support of Nadavarambu Kunhikrishna Menon. Paliath Govindan Achan was provoked by this. He took with him 600 Nair soldiers and attacked the Head Quarters of Colonel Macaulay, the British Resident, who was forced to flee. Following the attack, Paliath Achan and his men broke open the jails and set free prisoners. The Paliath Achan later joined the Travancore

Travancore

Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...

 alliance of Velu Thampi Dalawa

Velu Thampi Dalawa

Velayudhan Chempakaraman Thampi was the Dalawa or Prime Minister of the Indian kingdom of Travancore between 1802 and 1809 during the reign of His Highness Maharajah Bala Rama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal...

. During 1809 and 1810, Paliath Achan, allied with Velu Thampi Dalawa

Velu Thampi Dalawa

Velayudhan Chempakaraman Thampi was the Dalawa or Prime Minister of the Indian kingdom of Travancore between 1802 and 1809 during the reign of His Highness Maharajah Bala Rama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal...

, fought the British on Travancore soil. However, the British Divide and Rule

Divide and rule

In politics and sociology, divide and rule is a combination of political, military and economic strategy of gaining and maintaining power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into chunks that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy...

 policy succeeded in isolating him from the rest of the alliance. His family threatened by the British, and due to his defeat, the Paliath Achan was forced to surrender, and defected to the British side. After the rebellion, the British deported him to Madras, where he was kept prisoner at Fort St. George for 12 years. He was then taken to Bombay and remained a prisoner there for 13 years, finally passing away at Benares

Varanasi

-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...

 1832. Paliath Govindan Achan was the last Paliath Achan to occupy the position of Prime Minister in the Kingdom of Cochin.

Another notable Paliath Achan includes Komi Achan I. Komi Achan I resisted the attempts by the Portuguese to impose their power on the Cochin Family. He allied himself with the Dutch

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, travelling to Colombo

Colombo

Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

 to sign a treaty with them. He also supported the Dutch against the Portuguese. In recognition of his efforts, the Dutch built him a palace (the Kovilakam) at Chendamangalam.

Between 1730 and 1740 the status of the Cochin kingdom dwindled due consolidation of power in Travancore under Marthanda Varma

Marthanda Varma

Marthanda Varma , was the founder of the Indian Hindu feudal kingdom of Travancore from Venad SwaroopamHe ruled from 1729 till his death in 1758, having succeeded his maternal uncle Dharma Raja.King Marthanda Varma is usually credited as the "founder of Kingdom of Travancore" from...

 combined with the waning influence of the Dutch and a large-scale invasion by the Zamorin from the north. Using his amicable relationship with the Travancore Kingdom to his advantage, Paliath Komi Achan was able to effect a treaty between the Cochin and Travancore Kingdoms. This treaty facilitated the defeat of the Zamorin.

Chendamangalam, under the Paliath Achans, was a model of religious tolerance. It is the only place in the world where places of worship from the four major religions (Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism) exist within a one kilometer radius. Paliath Komi Achan donated land in the Vallarpaddom area to the Christians there, after their church was destroyed in the flood of 1676. He also provided a sanctuary lamp that has been lit daily for over 300 years. The oil for the lamp was provided by the Paliam family until 1947 after which the practice was stopped due to the aftereffects of the Land Reform Ordinance. The practice was re-established in 1994, when senior members of the Paliam family visited the church to rekindle the 300-year old lamp. The Chendamangalam Jews sing "The Song of Paliathachan" in which they mention the mention "Nayar Noblemen" who bestowed upon the Jews "gifts and books to all those who come, and titles to foreigners".

The Paliath Achans (and other members of the Paliam family) were also literary patrons. The Vishnu Vilasa Mahakavya

Mahakavya

Mahākāvya , also known as sargabandha, is a genre of Indian epic poetry in classical Sanskrit literature. The genre is characterised by ornate and elaborate descriptions of scenery, love, battles and so on — in short, everything that tests a poet's skill at description...

, written at the close of the 18th century by the poet Ramapanivada says in its closing verse that the poem was written under the patronage of Ramakubera, Valiyachan of Paliam:

ശ്രീമദ്‌ രമകുബേര നാമ സുമതി ശ്രീപാലിയ ശ്രീപതി-

പ്രീതി സ്ഫിത തമോദ്യമേന കലിതം കേനാപി നാനാരസം

കാവ്യം വിഷ്ണുവിലസനമ കമലാജാന: കഥാവര്‍ണ്ണനം

പൂര്‍ണ്ണം ഹന്ത ജയന്തമംഗല ഹാവിഷ്ണോ: ക്യവനുഗ്രഹാല്‍

Sreemad ramakubEra naama sumathi SreepAliya Sreepathi-

preethi sfitha thamOdyamEna kalitham kEnApi nAnArasam

kAvyam vishnuvilasanama kamalAjAnaha kathhAvarNNanam

poorNNam hantha jayanthamamgala mahAvishnO: kyavanugrahAl

In the Vishnuvilasam Hamsappattu, a Malayalam poem about the life of Vishnu (as spoken by a swan), the poet (Kunjan Nambiar) makes a reference to a Paliath Achan named Kuberan:

ശ്രീ കുബേരാഖ്യഗനം പാലിയാധീഷരന്റേ

ശ്രീ കുലാഡംബരം ചെമ്മേ വരൊത്തൊന്ന

ശ്രീ കാന്തദേവന്‍ ജയന്താലയേശ്വരന്‍

ശ്രീ കണ്ഠ്സേവിതന്‍ ശ്രീന്യസിംഹാക്യതി

ശ്രേയസ്സു നല്‍കും നിനക്കിന്നു ഹംസമേ!

SrI kubErAkhyaganam pAliyAdhIsharantE

SrI kulADambaram chemmE varoththonna

SrI kAnthadEvan jayanthAlayEaSvaran

SrEyassu nalkum ninakkinnu hamsamE!

Kochu Sankaran Muthat of Vatakketam in Triprayar was a student of Manorama Thampuratti of Calicut. He lived at Paliam, teaching students there. He wrote a commentary named Prasika, on the eleventh book of the Bhagavad Gita

Bhagavad Gita

The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...

, based on earlier commentaries of his student, Paliath Achan:

നിജശിഷ്യ പാലിയേശ-

പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥനയാ ശങ്കരഖ്യ ശിവവിപ്ര:

ദാഗവതൈകാദശഗാ:

പ്രാക്തനവിവ്യതീ: സമുച്ചിനോമ്യദ്യ

nijaSishya pAliyESa-

prArththhanayA Sankarakhya Sivavipraha

dAgavathaikAdaSagAha

prAkthanavivyathIha samuchchinOmyadya

The Paliam family had a rich collection of manuscripts in Sanskrit and Malayalam. At the time of family partition, this collection was donated to the Kerala University

Kerala University

The University of Kerala, formerly the University of Travancore, is an affiliating university located in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India. It was established in 1937, long before the birth of the state of Kerala in India...

 Manuscript Library and the Hill Palace Museum at Thriponithara.

Paliam Satyagraham

Paliam satyagraha was a movement

Satyagraha

Satyagraha , loosely translated as "insistence on truth satya agraha soul force" or "truth force" is a particular philosophy and practice within the broader overall category generally known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term "satyagraha" was conceived and developed by Mahatma...

 in 1947-48 to allow entry for Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

s of lower castes in the roads surrounding the Paliam family home in Chendamangalam and the temples. The success of this and similar movements led to the temples in Kochi being opened for all Hindus in 1948.

P.Jayachandran

Famous South Indian Film Singer Paliyath Jayachandran

Jayachandran

Paliyath Jayachandran, popularly known as P. Jayachandran is an Indian playback singer. He has won one National Award, four Kerala State Awards and four Tamil Nadu State Awards. He has recorded songs in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi languages...

( "melody thampuran" ) belongs to this family.

List of Paliath Achans

Paliath Valiyachans of Paliam (1565 to present date)
Paliath Achan		| From		| To
Itty Kumaran Achan	1565	1585
Iravi Komi Achan	1585	1621
Ittinnan Kumaran Achan	1621	1654
Komi Achan I	1654	1684
Ittini Kumaran Achan	1684	1731
Kunjittinnan Achan	1731	1750
Komi Achan II	1750	1779
Govindan Valiyachan	1779	1825
Raman Valiyachan	1825	1846
Krishnan Valiyachan	1846	1869
Govindan Valiyachan	1869	1898
Raman Valiyachan	1898	1908
Krishnan Valiyachan	1908	1911
Govindan Valiyachan	1911	1915
Raman Valiyachan (Kunjan Kuttan Achan)	1915	1940
Krishnan Valiyachan	1940	1942
Govindan Valiyachan (Kunjunni Achan)	1942	1973
Raman Valiyachan (Kochunni Kuttan Achan)	1973	1980
Krishnan Valiyachan (Unnikrishnan Achan)	1980	1986
Govindan Valiyachan (Pankajakshan Achan)	1986	1994
Krishnan Valiyachan (Appukuttan Achan)	1994	1997
Govindan Valiyachan (Kochupappu Achan)	1997	1998
Raman Valiyachan (Kochaniyan Achan)	1998
Vikraman Valiyachan (Vikraman Achan)

External links

• History of Cochin
• Paliam Online
• Paliam site (Anand paliath)