PALIATH ACHAN

'Paliath Achan' or 'Paliyath Achan' (Malayalam: പാലിയത്‌ അച്ചന്‍): is the name given to the oldest male member of the 'Paliam' family (Malayalam: പാലിയം), a Nair family from the Indian state of Kerala that figured prominently in the history of the region.

Contents

Overview

Origins

The tharavadu

Significance in Kerala history

List of Paliath Achans

See also

External links

References

Overview

The Paliath Achans were hereditary prime ministers to the Rajah of Kochi from 1632 to 1809^[1] and only second only to the Rajah in power and wealth in the central Cochin area during that period. Historical records show that the Paliath Achans became major players in Kerala history with the arrival of the Portuguese. 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:
''"It goes thus... the affairs of the kingdom as a rule are administered by the Paliath Achan. He is a considerable land owner, permanent Commander-in-Chief and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cochin. He is hereditary Chief of Chennott (Chendamangalam) and of the part of the Island of Baypin (Vypin). In both these places he has palaces of sorts, but he usually resides at Chennott which is near Crangannore (Kodungalloor)... The little old Kingdom of Vilwarvattom also belongs to him. He got this in ancient times from the Raja of Cochin, who had inherited it from a Nair chief. The estate of Mulucarre (Mullurkkara) situated in the east of Tritsur (Trissur) at the northern extremity of the Kingdom of Cochin also belongs to him..."''
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 (''tharavadu'') is located in the village of Chendamangalam, in Ernakulam district. 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, or matrilineal system. Female members of the family are wed primarily to Namboothiri Brahmins, members of the Cochin Royal family, members of other Royal Families of erstwhile Travancore and Malabar areas, and members of other prominent Nair tharavads.

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. It is thought that when the last Perumal departed, the Chera kingdom of Mahodayapuram split with one segment leaving for Vanneri near Chowghat. It is thought that the powerful feudal chieftan, 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 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

The main family tharavadu (''Naalukettu'') is approximately 450 years old, and is maintained by the Paliam Trust. The ''Kovilakam'' 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'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 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 alliance of Velu Thampi Dalawa. During 1809 and 1810, Paliath Achan, allied with Velu Thampi Dalawa, fought the British on Travancore soil. However, the British Divide and Rule policy succeeded in isolating him from the rest of the alliance. His family threatened by the British, 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. 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, travelling to 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.
The Paliath Achans (and other members of the Paliam family) were also literary patrons. The ''Vishnu Vilasa Mahakavya'', 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, 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 Manuscript Library.
Paliam satyagraha was a movement in 1947-48 to allow entry for Hindus 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.

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)'

See also

★ History of Kerala

★ History of Kochi

★ Cochin Royal Family

External links

★ History of Cochin

★ Paliam Online

★ Family Tree Under Construction

References

★ P.J.Cherian : Perspectives on Kerala history – The Second Millennium

★ Akhilavijnanakosam Malayalam encyclopaedia, Vol.4, D.C. Books (1990)

★ Prof. M. Radhadevi : Paliam Family, Saga of Paliam Family

★ Dr. K. Kunjunni Raja : Literary Patronage By Paliam Family, Saga of Paliam Family
1. Synagogue set to showcase history