Pillai (surname)

[7] A minority population of Tamil Pillais, including Vellala, Chetti and Rowther, have migrated and can be found in some parts of Kerala and Karnataka.

According to epigraphic records, Pillai is an ancient title back to the Sangam Era that was used as a suffix and given to junior members of the royal family.

[9] During the Venad era, Pillai was the title given to Nair Landlords and Provincial governors, and those who had taxation power over Quilon and Trivandrum regions.

The Pillai surname was given to those who were part of the Royal service, which includes advisors, bureaucrats, administrators, military commanders, etc., most of whom were of Nair and Brahmin origin.

[3][11] The Pillai surname of Venad and Travancore is fully reserved for savarna subjects, most of whom are equivalent to Kshatriyas and Brahmins in the northern caste system.

[14] Vellalar, a dominant landowning caste in Tamil society, possess a unique origin myth that emphasizes their elevated status and connection to divine purity.

On the other hand, Pillai is also a lordly title historically associated with landowning castes in southern Tamil Nadu, a region from which the majority of the Vellalar are believed to have originated.

[15] As recorded by Arunachalam (1964), a branch of the Vellalar, who were traditionally regarded as the ruling caste of Tamil Nadu, claimed to have received grain and agricultural knowledge from the Earth Goddess Parvati.