Paliath Achan - Significance in Kerala History

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, 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 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, 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.

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. 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, 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

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!

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

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 Hill Palace Museum at Thriponithara.