[8][9] From 1921 until India's independence in 1947, the Nilambur rulers had a diminished role in governing the land and were finally removed from power following the dissolvement of the kingdom in 1947.

It is known that the kingdom came into existence during the mid-13th century AD when the Samoothiri Raja, at the time the most powerful ruler in Kerala, appointed an Eradi prince from his own family to rule over his wealth and estates in nearby Nilambur, which is located about 60 kilometers from Calicut.

The prince and his descendants served as vassal kings to the Zamorins, with their capital located 25 kilometers north of Manjeri in present-day Malappuram district.

During the 1921 Malabar Rebellion, this decision would prove fatal, as the Nilambur rulers did not have the army to prevent the uprising that would eventually lead to the downfall of the ruling house.

[10] During the 1921 Malabar rebellion, more than a dozen royal family members were murdered by the rioting Moplahs, causing the British officers stationed in Malappuram to intervene.

[11] The palace of Pootheri Illam, constructed in 1917 by the rulers of Nilambur Kovilakam, was abandoned during the early 1990s and the members of the royal family dispersed to various parts of Kerala and other countries.