Kingdom of Valluvanad
Valluvanad, or the 'Arangottu Swarupam', was a medieval state that exerted considerable influence in the region corresponding to present-day north-central Kerala, south India, from the early 12th century until the close of the 18th century CE.
Attested as early as the late 10th century CE as a constituent chiefdom of the medieval Chera kingdom of Kerala, Valluvanad emerged as a sovereign state following the kingdom's dissolution in the early 12th century CE. It was traditionally ruled by a Samanthan family known as Vellodis, similar to the Eradis of the neighboring Eranad. The rulers of Valluvanad held the title of Valluvakonathiri or Vellattiri.
The state was disestablished in 1793, with the East India Company taking over its administration directly, and the hereditary ruling family settling for a pension arrangement.
Name variations
Valluvanad, also known by various transliterations such as Valluvanadu, Valluvanatu, Valluvanat, Walluvanad, and Walluvanatu, was alternatively referred to as the Arangottu Swaroopam.The rulers of Valluvanad held the titles of Valluvakonathiri or Vellattiri, with variations such as Vellatiri, Velatra, and Velnatera. In official treatises with the Company, the state was recognized as the kingdom of Vellattiri, and the official title of the ruler was "Vallabha Raja".
The Sanskrit name for the state was "Vallabhakshoni". The hereditary title of the ruler was Rajasekhara, sometimes written as Rayaran, Irayira Chekaran, or Irayiravar in medieval Malayalam. For instance, Rajasekhara, the ruler of Valluvanad, and his son, Vellan Kumaran, are mentioned in an inscription from Tiruvottiyur, while Rayaran Chathan, the udaiyavar of Valluvanad, is noted in the Jewish Copper Plates from around 1000 CE.
Territorial extent
Headquarters
The headquarters of Valluvanad was Angadipuram, a suburb of present day Perinthalmanna, which is renowned for the Thirumandhamkunnu Temple. The traditional guardian deity of the Valluvanad royal family was Thirumandhamkunnu Bhagavati, the presiding goddess of the temple.Geographical boundaries
The geographical boundaries of medieval Valluvanad are difficult to determine from available sources, and they varied significantly over time. Traditionally, it has been described as the region between the knolls of the Pandalur Hills and Ponnani on the Arabian Sea. It probably extended from the Bharathapuzha basin in the south to the Pandalur Hills in the north. To the west, it was bounded by the Arabian Sea at the port of Ponnani, and to the east, perhaps by the Attappadi Hills.In the 12th century, Valluvanad likely included parts of present-day Nilambur, Eranad, Tirur, and Ponnani Taluks, with the port of Ponnani serving as the primary access to the sea.
During this period, a significant portion of the Chaliyar and Kadalundi River basins may have been under the rule of the Valluvakonathiri. At its maximum extent, the northern boundary likely reached Thrikkulam at Tirurangadi in Tirurangadi Taluk, while the southern border extended to Edathara near Palakkad.
A large portion of the present-day Eranad region was originally part of the kingdom of Valluvanad before its conquest by the Zamorin of Calicut. It is believed that the Valluvakonathiri had also annexed a significant part of Nedunganad, which had been under the rule of the Nedungathirippad. However, Nedunganad was likely incorporated into the Calicut kingdom during the 15th century CE.
Political history
Within the medieval Chera state
Valluvanad was one of the constituent chiefdoms of the Chera kingdom in Kerala. The chieftains of Valluvanad, one among the several nadu-udayavar, legitimized their authority through claims of hereditary lineage and ancestral descent. The family initially appears to have exercised suzerain rights over a large territory in north-central Kerala.The primacy of Valluvanad within the Chera state, compared to other chiefdoms, is evidenced by its leading role in supporting the Cheras militarily. Vellan Kumaran, son of "Rajasekhara", the ruler of Valluvanad, was sent by the Cheras to northern Tamil country to aid the Cholas in their battles against the Rashtrakutas. He commanded an entire contingent of Kerala military personnel under the Chola prince Rajaditya.
An inscription at the Shiva temple in Thiruvotriyur, describing the life of Vellan Kumaran, states that he, the son of Rajasekhara, chieftain of "Vallabha Rashtra" in Kerala, went to the Chola country after completing his education in his boyhood and became a loyal subordinate of prince Rajaditya. Another record from Gramam, South Arcot, mentions that he was born at "Nandikkarai Puttur" in Malai Nadu. He was probably one of the few Chola commanders to have survived the battle of Takkolam in 948/49 AD.
The "Hundred" organization of Valluvanad was known as the "aru-nurruvar". A 10th-century temple inscription from the Irinjalakuda Temple, which declares its protection by the Valluvanad Six Hundred, notably reflects the undefined territorial limits of the Hundred's jurisdiction. Rayiran Chathan, the chieftain of Valluvanad, is mentioned as a witness in the Jewish copper plates of Cochin issued by the Chera ruler of Kerala.
Several inscriptional references provide valuable insights into Valluvanad during this period. One such example mentions Irayira Chekaran, the chieftain of Valluvanad, participating in a temple resolution to take over the village of Tavanur and bring it under the jurisdiction of Sukapuram. In another instance, Irayiravar, a Valluvanad chief, appears in three temple transaction-related inscriptions from Avattiputhur, highlighting his involvement in regulatory functions beyond the borders of his chiefdom. Additionally, an inscription dated to the late 10th century records the establishment of a market center at Irinjalakkuda, known as Bhaskarapuram, where responsibility for protection was entrusted to the "aru-nurruvar" of Valluvanad. This suggests that the Hundred exercised authority beyond the traditional bounds of Valluvanad.
As sovereign rulers
With the dissolution of the Chera kingdom in the early 12th century, the various constituent chiefdoms, including Valluvanad, emerged as independent states. According to traditions, after the fall of the Cheras, the sacred right to preside over the Tirunavaya Mamankam festival — as the "Rakshapurusha" — passed on to the Vellattiris, the rulers of Valluvanad.Valluvanad continued to assert its presence, and a ruler of Valluvanad is next mentioned as a witness in the Viraraghava Copper Plates dated to 1225 CE. In the subsequent period, the Brahmins of Sukapuram are known to have been supporters of the Valluvanad rulers.
Zamorin's encroachments
When the Zamorin, the ruler of Calicut, rose to power and became a dominant force in Kerala, he began making inroads into Valluvanad territory and eventually usurped the sacred Mamankam Rakshapurusha right, along with control over the sacred center of Tirunavaya. As a prelude to this, the Brahmin Raja of the Tirumanasseri country ceded the port of Ponnani to the Zamorin as the price for his protection from Valluvanad and Perumpatappu.According to tradition, in his desperation to succeed at Tirunavaya, the Zamorin even sought divine intervention by propitiating the Tirumandhamkunnu Bhagavati. Key locations such as Malappuram, Nilambur, Vallappanattukara, and Manjeri were also annexed. Kariyur Mussad, the Brahmin minister and general of the Vellattiri, was captured and executed at Pataparamba, and his lands—known as the Ten Kalams and Pantalur—were seized. The Zamorin ultimately extended his influence as far east as Nilambur.
Blood feud with the Zamorins
In retaliation for major losses to the Zamorin of Calicut—most notably the seizure of the port of Ponnani and the sacred Tirunavaya—the Vellattiri began dispatching bands of suicide warriors, known as "Chavers", to ritually challenge and attempt to kill the Zamorin during the Mamankam festival. This commitment was a symbolic effort to reclaim their rightful authority over the ceremony.According to historians, "... the caver of Valluvanatu died fighting to avenge the death or defeat of their master and died fighting regularly at Tirunavaya for a long period. It means that the caver died fighting at Tirunavaya even after many generations. Thus it takes the form of blood feud ..."
In early modern period
The area marked as "Valluvanad Proper" in the East India Company records was the sole remaining territory under the control of the Valluvanad "Raja" in late 18th century AD. By this period, it had become a minor, landlocked state situated in the north-central region of Kerala.Valluvanad Proper comprised a number of amsams that were part of the 1887 Valluvanad and Ernad Taluks. These included Angadipuram, Perintalmanna, Kodur, Kuruva, Pallippuram, Mangada, Arakkuparamba, Chettanallur, Pulakkattiri, Valambur, Karyavattam, Nenmini, Panga, Kolattur, Kuruvambalam, Pulamantol, Elamkulam, Vettattur, Kottapadam, Arakurissi, Tachambara, Anamangad, Paral, Chembrasseri, and Pandikkad.
Certain regions — collectively referred to as "Walluvanad" — had been annexed by the Zamorin of Calicut, from the Vellattiri rulers. These included Tuvur, Tiruvalamkunnu, Tenkara, Kumaramputtur, Karimpula, Tachanattukara, and Aliparamba.
Mysore's invasion
The rulers of Mysore invaded and annexed Kerala in the late 18th century CE. As a result, the ruler of Valluvanad and his family, like other Hindu rulers of Kerala, fled and sought refuge in the southern state of Travancore.The Nedumpuram Palace, located near Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta, was associated with the Valluvanad royal family.
Subsequently, like the rest of northern Kerala, the Nairs of Valluvanad were no longer allowed to retain their land without paying revenue or tribute to the ruler, as per the ancient traditions of the land. Temple properties and Brahmin-owned lands, granted by the rulers, were also confiscated and included in the state revenue.