Pillai
Encyclopedia
Pillai, Pillay, Pulle , Pilli or Pillaimar (Tamil
:பிள்ளை,பிள்ளைமார்) is a popular title used by land owning caste of Tamil
- and Malayalam-speaking people of India and others living in Sri Lanka
, Singapore
, Malaysia, South Africa
and Fiji
, mostly from Vellalar
and Nair
communities.
Though it started as a Hindu
title, today Pillai is also found amongst Christian
s both as a surname
and a given name
.
South African Tamils
use the spelling Pillay, whereas some Sri Lankan castes may also use Pulle or Pilli.
, this title or surname is mostly used by people of the Vellalar
caste among the population of Tamil descent (particularly in southern districts), and the Nair
caste population of the Malayalam-speaking immigrant population. The usage of the title is prevalent, though to a lesser extent, among Paraiyar
, and Tamil Yadavas. The Elur Chetty
community in South Tamil Nadu and Kerala also use this surname.
Saiva Pillai
Saiva Pillai or Pillai are the forward caste peoples from Tamil Nadu. Many live in Tirunelveli
, Tanjore, Salem, Tiruchirapalli
and Kanyakumari
. Their main occupation is agriculture as they are called as merasthars (landlords) in areas around Trichy. Some are elected as Panchayath union heads in villages. Other Saiva Pillais work in professional roles and government jobs in Tamil Nadu.
s and Pattaryas of North Travancore
. The title of Pillai was bestowed through a formal ceremony known as Thirumukom
Pidikkuka, i.e. holding the face of the King, and included the payment of a fee known as Adiyara to the King. A person thus bestowed with this title now secured the honorific title of Pillai suffixed and the distinctive title of Kanakku (meaning accountant in Tamil language
) prefixed to his name. However, Kanakku and Pillai were never used together; a person named Krishnan would be referred to as Krishnan Pillai or Kanakku, followed by his maternal uncle's name, and Krishnan. The latter style was used in royal writs and communications. So important were the privileges granted by this title that as late as in 1814 a Brahmin
, Sanku Annavi, sometime Dewan
of Travancore
, obtained the same from the Maharajah. Prominent among the Pillais of medieval Kerala
were the Ettuveetil Pillamar
of Travancore
.
of Travancore
. The individual whom it was the king's pleasure to honour was first taken in a procession by the nobles and ministers of the state, atop an elephant, around the main four streets of the city of Trivandrum and then received in the palace by the Prime Minister and seated next to him. The ceremony concluded by treating him to Paan Supari. A person thus honoured prefixed Kanakku, followed by Chempakaraman instead of the name of his maternal uncle, followed by his own name, e.g. Kanakku Chempakaraman Krishnan.
community uses Pilla as a title, whereas the Aaraama Dravidulu
community uses Chellapilla. The same surname is used by many other castes like mala, kapu etc.
).
Amongst some Tamil communities the name is also now used as a caste
name or signifier, though without any real historical basis.
Others
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
:பிள்ளை,பிள்ளைமார்) is a popular title used by land owning caste of Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
- and Malayalam-speaking people of India and others living in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Malaysia, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, mostly from Vellalar
Vellalar
Vellalars were, originally, an elite caste of Tamil agricultural landlords in Tamil Nadu, Kerala states in India and in neighbouring Sri Lanka; they were the nobility, aristocracy of the ancient Tamil order and had close relations with the different royal dynasties...
and 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...
communities.
Though it started as a 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...
title, today Pillai is also found amongst Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s both as a surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
and a given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
.
South African Tamils
Tamil South Africans
-External links:**...
use the spelling Pillay, whereas some Sri Lankan castes may also use Pulle or Pilli.
Tamil Nadu usage
In Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, this title or surname is mostly used by people of the Vellalar
Vellalar
Vellalars were, originally, an elite caste of Tamil agricultural landlords in Tamil Nadu, Kerala states in India and in neighbouring Sri Lanka; they were the nobility, aristocracy of the ancient Tamil order and had close relations with the different royal dynasties...
caste among the population of Tamil descent (particularly in southern districts), and the 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...
caste population of the Malayalam-speaking immigrant population. The usage of the title is prevalent, though to a lesser extent, among Paraiyar
Paraiyar
Paraiyar, Parayar, and Sambavar, anglicised by Europeans as Pariah are a social group found in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and in Sri Lanka . In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, though they have been enumerated under three different caste names, they have generally been referred to as...
, and Tamil Yadavas. The Elur Chetty
Elur Chetty
' is a Tamil speaking Hindu community in South India. They are said to have migrated from Kaveripoompattanam in Thanjavur District and settled in Kanyakumari District...
community in South Tamil Nadu and Kerala also use this surname.
Saiva Pillai
Saiva Pillai or Pillai are the forward caste peoples from Tamil Nadu. Many live in Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
, Tanjore, Salem, Tiruchirapalli
Tiruchirapalli
Tiruchirappalli ) , also called Tiruchi or Trichy , is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli District. It is the fourth largest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu and also the fourth largest urban agglomeration in the state...
and Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is a town in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is also sometimes referred to as Cape Comorin. Located at the southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, it is the geographical end of the Indian mainland. The district in Tamil Nadu where the town is located is called Kanyakumari...
. Their main occupation is agriculture as they are called as merasthars (landlords) in areas around Trichy. Some are elected as Panchayath union heads in villages. Other Saiva Pillais work in professional roles and government jobs in Tamil Nadu.
Kerala usage
Pillai is a subdivision or clan of the Nair community of Kerala. Pillai was one of the most common titles of dignity held by the Hindu caste of the NairNair
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...
s and Pattaryas of North 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...
. The title of Pillai was bestowed through a formal ceremony known as Thirumukom
Thirumukom
Thirumukom meaning respected or sacred face, was a form of address used by common people while referring to their king in Kerala state, South India. The term was also used in the ritual of Thirumukom Pidikukka, which was the main part of the ceremony of bestowing the title of Pillai on the Nairs of...
Pidikkuka, i.e. holding the face of the King, and included the payment of a fee known as Adiyara to the King. A person thus bestowed with this title now secured the honorific title of Pillai suffixed and the distinctive title of Kanakku (meaning accountant in Tamil language
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
) prefixed to his name. However, Kanakku and Pillai were never used together; a person named Krishnan would be referred to as Krishnan Pillai or Kanakku, followed by his maternal uncle's name, and Krishnan. The latter style was used in royal writs and communications. So important were the privileges granted by this title that as late as in 1814 a Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
, Sanku Annavi, sometime Dewan
Dewan
The originally Persian title of dewan has, at various points in Islamic history, designated various differing though similar functions.-Etymology:...
of 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...
, obtained the same from the Maharajah. Prominent among the Pillais of medieval 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....
were the Ettuveetil Pillamar
Ettuveetil Pillamar
The Ettuveetil Pillamar were a group of nobles from eight Nair Houses in erstwhile Venad in present day Kerala state, South India. They were associated with the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram and the Ettara Yogam. They were known by the villages in which they resided and all of them...
of 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...
.
Chempakaraman Pillai
A title superior to the ordinary Pillai was that of Chempakaraman Pillai, an innovation of Maharajah Marthanda VarmaMarthanda 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...
of 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...
. The individual whom it was the king's pleasure to honour was first taken in a procession by the nobles and ministers of the state, atop an elephant, around the main four streets of the city of Trivandrum and then received in the palace by the Prime Minister and seated next to him. The ceremony concluded by treating him to Paan Supari. A person thus honoured prefixed Kanakku, followed by Chempakaraman instead of the name of his maternal uncle, followed by his own name, e.g. Kanakku Chempakaraman Krishnan.
Andhra Pradesh usage
The GavaraGavara
Gavaras or Gavara Naidu are one of the many small communities or caste of Andhra who live mostly in the north coastal districts. Large concentrations of Gavara population are distributed in and around Anakapalle in Visakhapatnam district...
community uses Pilla as a title, whereas the Aaraama Dravidulu
Aaraama Dravidulu
Aaraama Dravidulu is a sub-sect of Telugu Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh in South India. They primarily reside in East Godavari and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh, though they can found all over Andhra Pradesh and other parts of India and world now...
community uses Chellapilla. The same surname is used by many other castes like mala, kapu etc.
List of castes using the title
- PattariyarPattariyarPattariyar is a community found in South India. They are one of the principal weaving castes of South India. The titles of the community are Pillai, Mudaliar or Shetty-Etymology:...
- Padmasaliya
- Elur ChettyElur Chetty' is a Tamil speaking Hindu community in South India. They are said to have migrated from Kaveripoompattanam in Thanjavur District and settled in Kanyakumari District...
- Illathu Pillai(EzhavaEzhavaThe Ezhavas are a community with origins in the region presently known as Kerala. They are also known as Ilhava, Irava, Izhava and Erava in the south of the region; as Chovas, Chokons and Chogons in Central Travancore; and as Tiyyas, Thiyas and Theeyas in Malabar...
r) - Isai VellalarIsai VellalarIsai Velalar is a caste from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They are also known as Melakkarar. Isai Vellalars predominantly use the title of Pillai, with some using the title of Mudaliar.-Origin of name:...
- Kaaralavellala Pillai
- Karai Kattu Pillai
- Karkarthar Saiva, KarkartharKarkartharKarkathar is a Forward caste in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a sub-caste of the grater Vellalar community. Karkathar are also known as Karalar.-Etymology:Karkathar means protector of clouds in Tamil...
Vellalar - MuthurajaMuthurajaMutharaiyar or Muthuraja are a community of landowners who ruled over Kaveri Delta Region before the Cholas. Mutharaiyar earlier were a line of kings and were for a long time feudatory to the Pallavas, ruling part of Tamil Nadu in Southern India...
- NairNairNair , 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...
- Nangudi Vellalar
- Nanjil Nattu Vellalar
- Saiva Pillai
- Saiva Vellalar
- Sozhiya Vellala Pillai also called as Chozia Vellalar
- Tirunelveli Saiva
- VellalarVellalarVellalars were, originally, an elite caste of Tamil agricultural landlords in Tamil Nadu, Kerala states in India and in neighbouring Sri Lanka; they were the nobility, aristocracy of the ancient Tamil order and had close relations with the different royal dynasties...
- Yadava
- MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
of South Travancore
History of the title
"Pillai" was historically used throughout the medieval period as an honorific title bestowed on high functionaries serving in various royal courts in south India. Although traditionally bestowed on members of high status and aristocratic castes, the name became adopted as a surname by a broad layer of the Tamil peasantry during the 19th and 20th century. With the extension of tenancy rights, the growth of the market economy and with new opportunities for middle class employment, members of cultivator communities, starting with the peasantry, began adopting the name as both a form of upward social mobility and as a means of differentiating themselves from the broader peasantry. Those adopting it for this reason included communities considered historically oppressed (see ParaiyarParaiyar
Paraiyar, Parayar, and Sambavar, anglicised by Europeans as Pariah are a social group found in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and in Sri Lanka . In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, though they have been enumerated under three different caste names, they have generally been referred to as...
).
Amongst some Tamil communities the name is also now used as a caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
name or signifier, though without any real historical basis.
Notable people named Pillai
Social leaders- V. O. Chidambaram Pillai (1872–1936), Indian freedom fighter
- Mannathu PadmanabhanMannathu PadmanabhanMannathu Padmanabhan was a social reformer and a freedom fighter from the State of Kerala, India. He is recognised as the founder of the organisation called the Nair Service Society. This organisation represents the Nair community which constitutes almost 14.5% of the population of the state...
Pillai (1878–1970), founder of Nair Service SocietyNair Service SocietyThe Nair Service Society is an organization created for the uplift and welfare of the Nair community. It was established under the leadership of Mannathu Padmanabhan... - Pattom A. Thanu PillaiPattom A. Thanu PillaiPattom A. Thanu Pillai was a participant in the Indian independence movement who later served as the Chief Minister of Kerala from 22 February 1960 to 25 September 1962....
(1885–1970), Second Chief Minister of unified Kerala - Paravur TK Narayana Pillai (1890–1971), Indian freedom fighter
- Champakaraman PillaiChampakaraman PillaiChempakaraman Pillai was an Indian revolutionary during the Indian Independence Movement, who went abroad to organise an army to declare war against the British for India's freedom.-Early life:...
(1891–1934), Indian freedom fighter - Namakkal Kavignar Ramalingam Pillai, poet and freedom fighter
- Sir N. R. PillaiN. R. PillaiNarayanan Raghavan Pillai or Sir N R Pillai was the first Secretary of External Affairs, post and office he held from February 6, 1950 until May 13, 1953. He was later the first Secretary General or Cabinet Secretary of the Republic of India...
, first Cabinet Secretary of Independent India - Rao Bahadur P. I. Chinnaswamy PillaiRao Bahadur P. I. Chinnaswamy PillaiRao Bahadur P. I. Chinnaswamy Pillai was the first Municipal Chairman of Palakkad, Kerala, India. The title Rao Bahadur was conferred by the British for his contributions to Palghat Municipality's local administration....
, first Municipal Chairman of Palakkad, Kerala, India - R. Balakrishna PillaiR. Balakrishna PillaiR. Balakrishna Pillai is an Indian politician, a former Minister of the state of Kerala in India, who has held portfolios like Transport, Electricity. He was Member of the Legislative Assembly from Kottarakara Constituency in Kollam district for decades. He is the Chairman of Kerala Congress, a...
(born 1935), former State minister in KeralaKeralaor 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.... - L. D. Swamikannu PillaiL. D. Swamikannu PillaiDiwan Bahadur Lewis Dominic Swamikannu Pillai CIE was an Indian politician, historian, linguist, astronomer and administrator who served as the second President of the Madras Legislative Council.- Early life :...
, Indian astronomer, Speaker of Tamil NaduTamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
Assembly - Navanethem Pillay, South African Judge, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
- A. R. PillaiA. R. PillaiAyyappan Pillai Raman Pillai , also known as A. Raman Pillai or A. R. Pillai, was an Indian expatriate who worked for India's freedom in Germany, journalist, writer and a book publisher in Göttingen in Germany.-Early life:...
, Indian freedom fighter - Nadakkal Parameswaran PillaiNadakkal parameswaran pillaiN. S. Parameswaran Pillai or Nadakkal Parameswaran Pillai is the founder of Indian Coffee Houses in Kerala with the late Communist Leader of Thrissur Advocate T. K. Krishnan....
(born 1931), Leader of Indian Coffee House movement, Author of Coffee Housinte Katha - Pradani Muthirulappa PillaiPradani Muthirulappa PillaiPradani Muthirulappa Pillai , son of Sundra Pandya Pillai, of the 18th century was a famous minister of Ramnad during the reign of Muthuramalinga Sethupathy...
, minister of Ramnad during the reign of Muthuramalinga Sethupathy - G. Parameswaran PillaiRajyasevapraveena G. Parameswaran PillaiG. Parameswaran Pillai , also known as "GP", was the Chief Secretary and Officiating Dewan of the erstwhile Travancore kingdom in pre-Independent India. He started his career as a lawyer, and later became Judge of the Court of Travancore, before joining the administration...
(1890–1963), Dewan of Travancore - P. Govinda PillaiP. Govinda PillaiP. Govinda Pillai, veteran Communist Party of India leader and ideologue from Kerala, India, and former Chief Editor of Deshabhimani, was born on 23 May 1926 at Pulluvazhi, Perumbavoor as the son of Parameswaran Pillai and Parukuttyamma. He graduated with BA Hons...
, a Communist Party of India leader - Ariranga PillayAriranga PillayAriranga Govindasamy Pillay was the Chief Justice of Mauritius until 2007.He was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1972 and is the Chairman of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission of Mauritius. In November 2001, he was elected as an Honourary Bencher of Lincoln's Inn, London...
(born 1945), former Chief Justice and briefly Acting President of Mauritius - Sardar Vedarathinam Pillai, Indian Freedom Fighter - Vedaraniam Salt March
- Velupillai PrabhakaranVelupillai PrabhakaranThiruvenkadam Velupillai Prabhakaran was the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a militant organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka...
(born 1954), founder of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - Thesiga Vinayaka Pillai, Indian freedom fighter, great poet
Others
- Ananda Ranga PillaiAnanda Ranga PillaiAnanda Ranga Pillai , was a dubash in the service of the French East India Company. He is mainly famous for his set of private diaries from the years 1736 to 1761 which portray life in 18th century India.Ananda Ranga Pillai was born in Madras in a well-to-do yadava family...
(1709–1761), a dubash in the service of French East India CompanyFrench East India CompanyThe French East India Company was a commercial enterprise, founded in 1664 to compete with the British and Dutch East India companies in colonial India.... - Changampuzha Krishna PillaiChangampuzha Krishna PillaiChangampuzha Krishna Pillai was a celebrated Malayalam poet from Kerala, India, known almost exclusively for his romantic elegy Ramanan which was written in 1936 and sold over 100,000 copies...
, a writer of Malayalam poetry - Manonmaniam Sundaram PillaiManonmaniam Sundaram PillaiManonmaniyam P. Sundaram Pillai is writer of the famous Tamil drama Manonmaniyam .-History:Born in Alapuzha in Kerala state of India to Perumal Pillai and Madathi Ammal, Pillai studied religious literature such as Devaram thiruvasagam during his childhood. Nagapatinam Narayana Samy Pillai was the...
, eminent writer in Tamil literatureTamil literatureTamil literature refers to the literature in the Tamil language. Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution...
; his poem "Niraarum Kadal Udutha" is the official Tamil Anthem - Nagai Vedachalam Pillai, also known as Maraimalai AdigalMaraimalai AdigalMaraimalai Adigal was an eminent Tamil orator and writer. He was a devout Hindu as a staunch follower of Saivism. He has authored more than 100 books, including works on original poems and dramas, but most famous are his books on his research into Tamil literature. Most of his literary works were...
- Devasahayam PillaiDevasahayam PillaiDevasahayam Pillai was an 18th century convert from Hinduism to Christianity in the southern part of India.He may have been an official in the court of the Travancore king, Maharaja Marthanda Varma, during which time he came under the influence of the former Dutch naval commander, Captain...
(1712–1752), Indian court official, controversial convert to Christianity - Maruthanayagam Pillai (1725–1764), Indian soldier and administrator. Also known as "Muhammed Yusuf KhanMuhammed Yusuf KhanMuhammad Yusuf Khan or Maruthanayagam Pillai was born in Pannaiyur, Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu, India in 1725. From humble beginnings, he became a warrior in the Arcot troops, later Commandant for the British East India Company troops...
" - Subbayya Sivasankaranarayana PillaiSubbayya Sivasankaranarayana PillaiSubbayya Sivasankaranarayana Pillai was an Indian mathematician, well known for his work in number theory. He was from Tamil Nadu....
(1901–1950), Indian mathematician - Thakazhi Sivasankara PillaiThakazhi Sivasankara PillaiThakazhi Sivasankara Pillai was a novelist and short story writer of Malayalam language, spoken in Kerala state, South India. He is popularly known as Thakazhi, after his place of birth. He focused on the oppressed classes as the subject of his works, which are known for their attention to...
(1912–1999), a Malayalam author - K. C. Sreedharan PillaiK. C. Sreedharan PillaiK C Sreedharan Pillai was an Indian statistician who was known for his works on multivariate analysis and probability distributions....
(1920–1985), Indian mathematician - Dr. Sivathanu Pillai, Head of Defence Research and Development OrganisationDefence Research and Development OrganisationThe Defence Research and Development Organisation is a agency of the Republic of India, responsible for the development of technology for use by the military, headquartered in New Delhi, India...
- Rajmohan PillaiRajmohan PillaiDr. J. Rajmohan Pillai is an Indian businessman, currently the Chairman of Beta Group.-Early life:Rajmohan Pillai was born in Kollam, Kerala, South India, and educated in the state capital Trivandrum.-Beta Group:...
(born 1964), Indian businessman - Dhanraj PillayDhanraj PillayDhanraj Pillay is a field hockey player and former captain of the Indian hockey team. He is currently the manager of the Indian Hockey team...
(born 1968), Indian hockey player - Nisha PillaiNisha PillaiNisha Pillai is a journalist based in London. She is one of the main news anchors with BBC World News.-Early life:Pillai was born in Kolkata, India and grew up in Mumbai. When she was 14, her family moved to London, England...
, Indian-born journalist and BBC news anchor - Rhea PillaiRhea PillaiRhea Pillai is an Indian model. She is a brand ambassador for various products and an instructor for the Art of Living Foundation.-Biography:Her father is Raymond Pillai, a financial controller at IBM Europe...
, Indian model - S. KanapathipillaiS. KanapathipillaiS. Kanapathipillai was a minority Sri Lankan Tamil literary figure and Hindu revivalist in the school of Arumuga Navalar. His father was Sinnathamby Pillai of Madduvil. Kanapathipillai was enrolled at the Navalar Kaaviya Paadasalai, under Kumaraswamy Pulavar, where he pursued higher studies in...
(1899–1986), Hindu revivalist - V. N. Rajasekharan PillaiV. N. Rajasekharan PillaiV. N. Rajasekharan Pillai was the sixth Vice-Chancellor of the Indira Gandhi National Open University or IGNOU, New Delhi and also by default, the Chairman of the Distance Education Council, which looks after the co-ordination of standards, quality, recognition and developmental assistance to all...
, current Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University IGNOU. - Naraina PillaiNaraina PillaiNaraina Pillai was a social entrepreneur and businessman, who spent most of his life in Singapore during the colonial period. Of Tamil origins, he greatly contributed to the Tamil community in Singapore....
, a social entrepreneur and businessman - Marimutthu PillaiMarimutthu PillaiMarimutthu Pillai was a composer of Carnatic music and along with Arunachala Kavi and Muthu Thandavar was one of the pioneering Tamil Trinity of Carnatic music. He was a contemporary of Arunachala Kavi....
, a musician - C. W. ThamotharampillaiC. W. ThamotharampillaiC.W. Thamotharampillai also sometimes the initials are used as S.V , devoted his energies to the work of editing and publishing some of the oldest works of classical Tamil poetry and grammar.Pillai along with his contemporaries such as U. V...
, publisher of ancient Tamil texts - Arumuka NavalarArumuka NavalarArumuka Navalar was one the early revivalists of native Hindu Tamil traditions in Sri Lanka and India. He and others like him were responsible for reviving and reforming native traditions that had come under a long period of dormancy and decline during the previous 400 years of colonial rule by...
, born as Kandar Arumugam Pillai, a Hindu reformer - M. P. Narayana PillaiM. P. Narayana PillaiM. P. Narayana Pillai , affectionately known as Nanappan, was a journalist and prolific short story writer in Malayalam. His also wrote a novel Parinamam that won the Kerala Sahithya Academy Award in 1992...
, a Malayalam writer - K. C. Pillai, Doctor of DivinityDoctor of DivinityDoctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
, (1900–1970) a BishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
-at-large of the Indian Orthodox ChurchIndian Orthodox ChurchThe Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, also known as the Indian Orthodox Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church centred in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the churches of India's Saint Thomas Christian community, which traces its origins to the evangelical activity of Thomas...
, Antiochean Succession, ChennaiChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
(Madras), IndiaIndiaIndia , 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...
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External links
- A Pillai Who's Who, saivaneri.org