Pillai surname has created a lot of confusion. Many non Nair-Pillais were mistaken as upper caste Nair-Pillais. Upper caste Nair-Pillais have no relation with other Pillais. Illam Nair-Pillais or Illathu Nair Pillais are purely Malayali Nairs. They don't have Tamil Pillai ancestry. It is believed that the title Pillai was given to some upper caste Nairs by Kings. From the 9th century to 13th century most of the Southern part of India and Sri Lanka was ruled by Tamil Chola Kings.
There is a caste called Illathu Pillai. They are Vellalars and not Nairs. Illathu Pillais of Kerala and Kanyakumari are sometimes mistaken for Illathu Nair Pillais because they speak Malayalam very well.
In the website of Jaffna Royal family of Sri Lanka, it is written that "Pillai was a Tamil title, conferred by the Arasan upon prominent Vellalar chieftains and Feudal lords during the time of Chola and Pandya Kingdoms."
The Ettuveetil Pillamar (Lords of the Eight Houses) were a group of nobles from upper caste Nair families in erstwhile Venad in present-day Kerala state, South India. They were associated with the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram and the Ettara Yogam.
Until recently, some Tamil Pillais of Travancore region claimed that they are Nairs. In Kerala, Tamil Pillais are found in Travancore region and in Palakkad district of Malabar region. Some Tamil Pillais of Kanyakumari district speak Malayalam very well. Tamil Pillais are entirely different from upper caste Nair-Pillais. For example, Tamil Pillais practice avunculate marriage. Whereas avunculate marriage is considered a taboo in upper caste Nair community. Tamil Pillais are actually Vellalars. Once I read in a Website that there is a community called Izhuva in Tamil Nadu, they are similar to Ezhava community of Kerala and Vellalars belong to the Izhuva community.
Some people of Konar caste or Idaiyan caste also use the surname Pillai. I think many years ago some of them had migrated to Kerala, settled there and later changed their caste name to Idachery Nair/Ittassery Nair. Profession of both these castes, that is Idaiyan caste and Idachery Nairs, was supplying milk and dairy products.
In Born to Dance By Harriet Ronken Lynton it is written that "Pillai is a caste name belonging to a community which in old days taught Bharatanatyam in Tamil Nadu, mainly in Thanjavur. Some families in Kerala have nothing to do with dance also use the surname, Pillai."
Some data were collected from Wikipedia, www.jaffnaroyalfamily.org and Caste, Nationalism and Ethnicity: By J. Pandian
There is a caste called Illathu Pillai. They are Vellalars and not Nairs. Illathu Pillais of Kerala and Kanyakumari are sometimes mistaken for Illathu Nair Pillais because they speak Malayalam very well.
In the website of Jaffna Royal family of Sri Lanka, it is written that "Pillai was a Tamil title, conferred by the Arasan upon prominent Vellalar chieftains and Feudal lords during the time of Chola and Pandya Kingdoms."
The Ettuveetil Pillamar (Lords of the Eight Houses) were a group of nobles from upper caste Nair families in erstwhile Venad in present-day Kerala state, South India. They were associated with the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram and the Ettara Yogam.
Until recently, some Tamil Pillais of Travancore region claimed that they are Nairs. In Kerala, Tamil Pillais are found in Travancore region and in Palakkad district of Malabar region. Some Tamil Pillais of Kanyakumari district speak Malayalam very well. Tamil Pillais are entirely different from upper caste Nair-Pillais. For example, Tamil Pillais practice avunculate marriage. Whereas avunculate marriage is considered a taboo in upper caste Nair community. Tamil Pillais are actually Vellalars. Once I read in a Website that there is a community called Izhuva in Tamil Nadu, they are similar to Ezhava community of Kerala and Vellalars belong to the Izhuva community.
Some people of Konar caste or Idaiyan caste also use the surname Pillai. I think many years ago some of them had migrated to Kerala, settled there and later changed their caste name to Idachery Nair/Ittassery Nair. Profession of both these castes, that is Idaiyan caste and Idachery Nairs, was supplying milk and dairy products.
In Born to Dance By Harriet Ronken Lynton it is written that "Pillai is a caste name belonging to a community which in old days taught Bharatanatyam in Tamil Nadu, mainly in Thanjavur. Some families in Kerala have nothing to do with dance also use the surname, Pillai."
Some data were collected from Wikipedia, www.jaffnaroyalfamily.org and Caste, Nationalism and Ethnicity: By J. Pandian
