Paliath Achan

Paliath Achan or Paliyath Achan is the name given to the male members of the Paliam royal family,[1][2][3][4][5] a royal family from the Indian state of Kerala that ruled over regions that were under the erstwhile Kingdom of Villarvattom including Chendamangalam, Gothuruth, Chathedom, Kallur, Kadalvathuruth, Trikkur, Karumalloor, Neericode, Mulavukad, Nayarambalam, Pallippuram, Vypin, and some parts of Thrissur.[6][7] The family had palaces & forts in these regions but their capital and primary residence remained in Chendamangalam.[8][9] Although, they were Rajas in these areas(collectively known as the Paliam swaroopam)[10] and pledged their obeisance to the Maharajah of Kingdom of Cochin (Kerala), they were placed above the post of the Princes of Kingdom of Cochin.[11] This was because the Achans had held hereditary rights to the prime ministership of Cochin and effected a treaty with the Dutch East India Company(to oust the Portuguese East India Company that had control over the Kingdom of Cochin)[4] which placed him second in position to the Maharajah of Kingdom of Cochin and sometimes exerting more power than the king.[8]

Paliam royal family emblem: Two peacocks holding a shield with their beaks.

Paliam Palace Entrance - sculpture of elephant

The members of the Paliam family were Menon's in caste and had their own royal titles. The boys were called Kuttans, and girls Pillas. Upon attaining adulthood, they graduated to Achans and Kunjamma Thamburatti's. The oldest members of the family were addressed as Valiachans and Valiamma Thamburatti.[17] In the Nalukettu, the Valiamma Thamburatti had an ornate canopy bed, seated on which she settled domestic issues in the family. The Valiachan, on the other hand, stayed in the Kovilakam or palace, which had a platform in the upstairs balcony from where he addressed the common folk.[8]

• Whenever a baby was born, their arrival was recorded by the major-domo. Specific ornaments were given, which belonged to the newborn for life.
• The family was matrilineal in its traditions and followed the marummakkatayam system. The women were married primarily to Namboodiri Brahmins.[18]
• The Namboodiri Brahmin husbands were allotted special buildings and servitors called the Easwara Seva or “worship” building while the Menon wives of the Paliath Achan's were housed in the palace complex in buildings called madhoms.[13]
• Food was to be cooked by Brahmins. Assisting them were dozens of Nair women, chopping and cleaning. There was no inter-dining between the members who were born to the women of Paliam(The Paliath Achan's) and the children of the Paliath Achan's (who were Menon's), a custom which existed in most royal families of Kerala.[18]
• At 16, every Paliam boy had to undergo the mandatory bhajanam — 12 months of rituals as a rite of passage. Till they were 16, the boys were served food in cut plantain leaves; after the bhajanam , they graduated to a full leaf and had to move into the bachelors’ dormitory. The only time thereafter they could go into the main house was during mealtimes. Otherwise, that space was reserved for women and children.
• Men would receive cash and paddy allowances until their mid-20s whereas for the females, everything was provided by the management, including three servants per lady.

The Paliam Naalukettu

Paliam Maalika(Mansion)

The main family Naalukettu is approximately 450 years old and built in the traditional Kerala style Of architecture. It was in this Nalukettu that the Paliam family settled after shifting from Vanneri to Chendamangalam.

The Palace and nalukettu originally extended over 10 acres.[19] This Nalukettu is a self contained double storeyed building with eight bedrooms in the south and kitchen and the well in the northeast corner. It houses the Ara, the strong room, for the safekeeping of the family heirlooms. Interestingly, below the Ara is the concealed nether room with a secret exit which would have been used to escape in case of invasions to the palace. There is a wide courtyard all around the Nalukettu. The Paliam Bhagavathi Thara is just adjacent to the nalukettu.[17]

The complex contained a huge NaluKettu with Nadumittam, Akayi and Purathalam where the family gathered to chat and other recreational activities. There was a common dining hall and a common kitchen. All the family members dined together and lived together under the protection of Valiachan. In this kind of community living, they had no access to money. Rather there was no need for money as everything was provided by the administration. The boys who became adults, had separate bachelor living quarters and after their marriage, they lived in palaces provided by the administration. The infrastructure which housed the Menon wives of the Paliath Achan's in the Palace complex were called as madhoms.[13] This style of 'community living' continued till the partition.[20] The Paliam Palace, a two storey structure with minimum ornamentation made mostly of high quality wood built on the surrounding thick walls, the structure boasts of richly carved wooden staircases and balustrades. The thick walls with splayed openings bear testimony to the Dutch influence. To keep indoors cooler during summer days a circulation channel runs through the inner parts, insulating the interior. So inner portions are cooler than peripheral areas. Kovilakam was the official residence of Valiyachan (Eldest Achan) of Paliam and was meant for only official work. Also used by him are two other places for different purposes - as his offices. The Achan would hold court (Durbar) with people and listened to their grievances or complaints. The durbar hall is at the eastern end of the first floor. Here, he received his subjects and officials.[21]

The prime minister in time of war or some kind of tumultuous political situation emerging in the kingdom sheltered and shielded the King. During Portuguese invasions, the European explorers made serious threats to the Maharajah of Cochin as he refused to oblige them in their mercantile trade activities in his areas. Paliath Achan took the responsibility of safeguarding the ruler and temporarily shifted his residence to this palace in Chendamangalam. The Kovilakam (palace) houses a large number of artefacts including ancient documents, religious sacraments, swords, rifles, and gifts brought by foreign dignitaries. The Paliath Achan's Kovilakam, which was reconstructed by the Dutch, exists adjacent to the Tharavadu. Guards in khaki with guns were posted around the estate to ensure the rules were not breached. The buildings in the area date anywhere from 60 to 300 years. Till 1956, the complex housed 214 residents, as well as its own doctors, a school, elephants, boats, and a stately car.

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 1806, Paliath Achan, became the virtual ruler of the Kingdom of Cochin since the Maharaja of Cochin was a spiritual and religious scholar and totally disinterested in ruling the State.[22] In 1808, the British East India Company were trying to persuade the Raja of Kochi's men to defect their side. They had succeeded in getting the support of Nadavarambu Kunhikrishna Menon. Paliath Govindan Achan was provoked by this.[23] He took with him 600 Nair soldiers and attacked the headquarters of Colonel Macaulay, the local British Resident, who was forced to flee.[24][25] Following the attack, Paliath Achan and his men broke open the local jails and set free any prisoners found inside.[26] The Paliath Achan later joined the Travancore alliance of Velu Thampi Dalawa.[27] During 1809 and 1810, Paliath Achan, allied with Velu Thampi Dalawa, fought the British on Travancore soil.[28] Achan engaged the British East India Company troops in battle, and was defeated.[29][23][30] After the rebellion, the British authorities deported him to Madras, where he was imprisoned at Fort St. George for 12 years.[28] He was then taken to Bombay and remained a prisoner there for 13 years, finally passing away at Benares 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 Royal 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 re-built him the palace (Kovilakam) at Chendamangalam in Dutch-Kerala style architecture.[31][32]

Between 1730 and 1740 the status of the Cochin kingdom dwindled due consolidation of power in Travancore under Marthanda Varma combined with the waning influence of the Dutch and a large-scale invasion by the Zamorin from the north. Paliath Komi Achan was able to effect a treaty between the Cochin and Travancore Kingdoms.[33][34][35][36] This treaty facilitated the defeat of the Zamorin.[37]

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".[38][39]

In the Vishnugita Hamsappattu,[1] 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. The first line roughly translates to," The narrative of sri Kuberan, the sovereign of Paliam":[40]

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 the Paliam kovilakam, teaching members of the Paliam Royal family there. He wrote a commentary named Prasika, on the eleventh book of the Bhagavad Gita, based on earlier commentaries of his student, a 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 and the Tripunithura.[41]

Paliam satyagraha was a movement in 1947–48 to allow entry for Hindus of lower castes in the roads surrounding the Paliam family complex in Chendamangalam and the temples. Paliyam Satyagraha is the first post-independence Satyagraha organized in the state of Kerala. While the Guruvayur and Vaikom struggles were initiated and led by the progressive sections among the upper caste Hindus, the Paliyam struggle was unique since it was initiated by the Dalits and backward classes against the ban imposed by upper caste sections on the movement of Dalits on the Paliyam roads.

Paliath Achan's fall from sublime was purely the edit of god, not a disgraceful one. He was away from the corridors of power, but his prestige and good deeds would last for eternity surpassing the ex-rulers.  According to a popular Malayalam saying,'' half of Cochin belonged to Paliam. Nearly 12,000 tenants tilled Paliam lands, added to which was the ownership of 41 temples.'' In 1956, the estate was partitioned. All 214 heirs received lands and goods worth a lakh each. Some sold their inheritance and invested elsewhere; those who didn’t lost much in land reforms passed by the Kerala government. Slowly, the Paliam complex grew empty of family, staff, guards and attendants. Paliam family's  glorious days are gone in the shifting sand dunes of time but their memories and contributions are frozen in the museum.

1. Itty Kumaran Achan (1565-1585)
2. Iravi Komi Achan (1585-1621)

• History of Kerala
• History of Kochi
• Cochin Royal Family
• Menon
• Nair

• Paliam official website
• Paliam website