Valiathan, alternatively Vallyathan, is a title, and now family name, held by a group of
Nair
The Nair , also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom histo ...
families, all branches along the matrilineal line of the main Valiathan family, who are known as the Vattaparambil Valiathan. According to legend, it is said that the Maharajah
Marthanda Varma
Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (Malayalam: ) was the founding monarch of the southern Indian Kingdom of Travancore (previously Venadu) from 1729 until his death in 1758. He was succeeded by Rama Varma ("Dharma Raja") (1758–98).Subrahman ...
of
Travancore
The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...
sought the help of the Vattaparambil, later Valiathan, family in order to overcome the powerful clan of
Ettuveetil Pillamar
The Ettuveetil Pillamar (Lords of the Eight Houses) were nobles from eight ruling Houses in erstwhile Travancore in present-day Kerala state, South India. They were associated with the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram and the Ettara ...
, the Lords of the Eight Houses. The Maharajah and his heir apparent, the popular Dharmarajah, therefore addressed the oldest, and most powerful, lady of the Vattaparambil House as Valiyamma. Later the lord of the Vattaparambil House died in battle against the Ettuveetil Pillamar, leaving the family without a head figure. When Marthanda Varma finally became king, he gave the title of "Valiathan" to the Vattaparambil family.
The Vattaparambil family is based in
Keerikad (Fort Vattaparambil). They also have branches in
Thiruvalla
Thiruvalla, alternately spelled Tiruvalla, is a town in Kerala and the Headquarters of the Taluk of the same name located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of . It lies on the banks of ...
and
Pandalam
Pandalam is a municipal town in Pathanamthitta district Kerala, India. Pandalam is considered a holy town due to its connection with Lord Ayyappa and Sabarimala. Rightly recognised to be the ''educational and cultural capital of Central Trava ...
. The Thiruvalla branch had marital relations with the
Nedumpuram royal family there while the Pandalam family, known as Thottathil, had relations with the
Royal Family of Pandalam.
Today, these three families, known collectively as the Valiathans, constitute a
subcaste of the Nair community. They are not permitted to intermarry as they are matrilineal branches of the same family under the
Marumakkathayam law.
Notable people
*
M. S. Valiathan (born 1934), an Indian cardiac surgeon
*
V. S. Valiathan (1919–2006), an Indian artist
{{surname
Indian surnames