Nelliyalam | |
|---|---|
Town | |
  Nelliyalam Location in Tamil Nadu, India Show map of Tamil Nadu Nelliyalam Nelliyalam (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:11°29′50″N76°22′33″E / 11.49722°N 76.37583°E /11.49722; 76.37583 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Region | Kongu Nadu |
| District | The Nilgiris |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 44,590 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Tamil |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
Nelliyalam is amunicipality inThe Nilgiris district in theIndianstate ofTamil Nadu. As of 2011, the town had a population of 44,590.
The taluk headquarters ofPandalur andDevala (located inGudalur taluk) are part of Nelliyalam municipality.
The Gudalur and Pandalur taluks of Nilgiris district one time together constituted the SoutheastWayanad. The total area of Gudalur and the neighboring town of Pandalur is approximately 124,800 acres. In medieval times, before the arrival of the British, the area was divided between three rulers: Vallavanoor, the leader of thePanniyas, Nelliarasi, another adivasi ruler, and theNilambur Kovilakam, a kingdom based in present-dayKerala. Subsequently, the Kovilakam decided to expand its borders by conquering the other two areas. Vallavanoor was killed and Nelliarasi kidnapped and forced to hand over her lands. Despite some resistance from Vallavanoor's community, the Kovilakam succeeded in subjugating the area and taking approximately 100,000 acres under its control. Gudalur was actually a part ofKerala andMalabar District until 1877. In 1877, it was transferred toNilgiris district only because of the heavy size ofMalabar District and small size ofNilgiris district. Actually Gudalur was the southeastern region inWayanad during the British rule. Though thisMalayalam majority region was transferred to Nilgiris, the court and official language in this region continued to beMalayalam. In modern times, the recognized extent of the Kovilakam's holdings was 80,087 acres under the Malabar Tenancy Act, until 1969. This area is known as 'janmom' land. Kovilakam constructed a temple named Nambalakottai and handed over to Moundadan Chetty community. Chetty community is one of the oldest community in Gudalur where most of their community still have 'Rani Patta' as a proof of oldest community. They have their own tradition and languages.
Historians believe that the human settlements existed in these parts for at least ten centuriesbefore Christ. Much evidence ofNew Stone Age civilisation can be seen in the hills throughout the present day Wayanad district. TheEdakkal Caves has 6000-year-old rock engravings from the Neolithic age. The recorded history of this district is available only from the 18th century. In ancient times, this land was ruled by the Rajas of the Veda tribe.[2]
In the earliest part of the recorded history of Gudalur region, Wayanad District, Kasaragod-Kannur-Wayanad-Kozhikode Districts in the northern part of present-day Kerala were ruled by the Nannans (Mushika dynasty) who later came to be known as theKolathiris.[3][4] Politically the area was part of theEzhimala Kingdom with its Capital atEzhimala in present dayKannur district. The most famous King of Ezhimala was Nannan whose Kingdom extended up toGudalur, Nilgiris and northern parts ofCoimbatore. It is said that Nannan took refuge at Wayanad hills in the 5th century CE when he was lost toCheras, just before his execution in a battle, according to theSangam works.[1] Wayanad was a part of theKarkanad which included the eastern regions of Ezhimala kingdom (Wayanad-Gudalur areas including part ofKodagu (Coorg)).[1]Karkanad along withPoozhinadu, which contained much of the coastal belt wedged betweenMangalore andKozhikode was under Ezhimala kingdom with the headquarters atEzhimala.
The Mooshaka Kings were considered descendants of Nannan. By the 14th century,Mooshaka Kingdom was known as Kolathirinad and the Rulers asKolathiris. The Kolathunad Kingdom at the peak of its power reportedly extended from Kasaragod in the north toKorapuzha in the south with Arabian Sea on the west andKodagu hills on the eastern boundary.[5]
TheKolathiri Dominion emerged into independent 10 principalities i.e.,Kadathanadu (Vadakara),Randathara or Poyanad (Dharmadom),Kottayam (Thalassery),Nileshwaram, Iruvazhinadu (Panoor),Kurumbranad etc., under separate royal chieftains due to the outcome of internal dissensions.[1][6] TheNileshwaram dynasty on the northernmost part ofKolathiri dominion, were relatives to bothKolathunadu as well asZamorin ofCalicut, in the early medieval period.[7] The origin ofKottayam Royal Family (the Kottayam referred here isKottayam-Malabar nearThalassery, not to be confused withKottayam in Southern Kerala) is lost in obscurity. It has been stated that the Raja of Kottayam set up a semi-independent principality of his own at the expense of Kolathiris. In the 10th century AD, the region comprised erstwhile Taluks of Kottayam, Wayanad and Gudallur was calledPuraikizhanad and its feudal lordPuraikizhars. TheThirunelly Inscriptions refer to the division of Puraikizhar Family into two branches viz., Elder (Muthukur) and Younger (Elamkur) in the beginning of the 11th century. In 17th centuryKottayam-Malabar was the Capital of Puraikizhanad (Puranattukara) Rajas. It was divided into three branches i.e., Eastern, Western and Southern under separate dignitaries known as Mootha, Elaya and Munnarkur Rajas. The Kottayam Rajas extended their influence up to the border ofKodagu. By the end of the 17th century, they shared the area ofThalassery Taluk with the Iruvazhinadu Nambiars and were in possession of North Wayanad and the small Village ofThamarassery which formed the Eastern portion of the present Vadakara, Quilandy and Thamarassery Taluks.[8]
In 930 AD, emperor Erayappa ofGanga Dynasty led his troops to south west of Mysore and after conquering, called itBayalnad meaning the land of swamps. After Erayappa, his sons Rachamalla and Battunga fought each other for the new kingdom of their father's legacy. Rachamalla was killed and Battunga became the undisputed ruler of Bayalnad. In the 12th century AD, Gangas were dethroned from Bayalnad byKadamba dynasty[9] of North Canara.[10] In 1104 AD Vishnuvardhana ofHoysala invaded Bayalnad followed byVijayanagara dynasty in the 16th century. In 1610 AD, Udaiyar Raja Wadiyar of Mysore drove out Vijayanagara General and became the ruler of Bayalnad and the Nilgiris. Bayalnad is the present Wayanad.
WhenWayanad was underHyder Ali's rule, the ghat road fromVythiri toThamarassery was invented.[11] Then the British rulers developed this route to Carter road.[12] After Hyder Ali, his sonTipu Sultan took control over the territory.
Kundah taluk was transferred from Malabar to Coimbatore in 1860.[1] SoutheastWayanad region ofWayanad Taluk inMalabar District was the regions included in theGudalur andPandalur Taluks of present Nilgiris district. Southeast Wynad was a part of Malabar District until 31 March 1877, when it was transferred to the neighbouringNilgiris district due to the heavy population of Malabar and the small area of Nilgiris.[13] It consisted of the following 3Amsoms.
During the mid-19th century, English companies began mining for gold in the area, mostly inDevala and Pandalur. ALondon-based mining company created a township in Pandalur that began with a church, post office, shops, and a race course. After the gold boom, the mining business gradually fell into decline because the percentage of gold ore was below the average. Even so, mining was continued until the beginning of the 20th century.
Once the British companies had determined that gold mining would not succeed in this area, thus changing to agricultural industries and createdtea plantations on a massive scale. The climate and soil were well suited fortea, which helped to ensure the success of the new industry. Coffee and tea plantation started at Pandalur area in the early eighteenth century during this time many European planters settled in the Nilgiris and Wyanad to establish tea and coffee estates. D.H.McLeod and Henry Atzenwiler are few among them.
Kunjalikutty Haji of Pandalur was one of the leading manpower suppliers for British estates.
He brought a large number of people fromMalabar to work on the estates, and became very close to the British administration, being recognized as Khan Bahadur Kunajalikutty. During this period in India, the non-cooperation movement against the British was in full swing. The Mappila rebels were agitated over theKhilafat issue, and determined to eliminate the people among the community who supported the British Raj. A group of Khilafat rebels went to Pandalur and completely destroyed the shop owned by Kunalikutty Haji, though his life was saved by his friend Malla Gawdar, chief of theBadagas community in Pandalur.
Most of the land in this area was the property of the princely states of Nilambur, Kovilagam, and Mysoor Maharaj. The Nelliyalam Rani administered the region for Mysoor Maharaj and enjoyed the highest rank in society. The remains of the Nelliayalam Ranis fort can still be viewed in the Nelliayalam village.
Pandalur was believed to be a sacred place for the aboriginal communities such as the Paniyas, Kurumbas, and Kattu Nayakkans. It was then dominated by the Gowdar community. In Ponnani, near the village of Nelliyalkam, there is a century-old temple (Sree Maha Vishnu Temple) constructed in the unique Kerala temple architecture.The migration of Malabar people had a major impact on the area, including the social, cultural, economic, and environmental systems.
According to2011 census, Nelliyalam had a population of 44,590 with a sex-ratio of 1,035 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929.[14] A total of 4,717 were under the age of six, constituting 2,371 males and 2,346 females.Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 58.49% and 4.% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the town was 77.99%, compared to the national average of 72.99%.[14] The town had a total of 10729 households. There were a total of 19,320 workers, comprising 101 cultivators, 1,565 main agricultural labourers, 61 in house hold industries, 14,972 other workers, 2,621 marginal workers, 7 marginal cultivators, 367 marginal agricultural labourers, 22 marginal workers in household industries and 2,225 other marginal workers.[15] As per the religious census of 2011, Nelliyalam had 79.85%Hindus, 14.42%Muslims, 5.69%Christians, 0.02%Sikhs and 0.03% following other religions.[16]
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