TheKavalappara is an princelyIndianNairtharavad orswaroopam, whose estates and powers vested in the matrilineally-mediated succession to and from eachKavalappara Nair, who headed the family and held the rank ofMoopil Nair. InmedievalKerala, they served as part of thejenmi, or allodiallylanded nobility, and were sworn to the service of therajas of the area, first that of Palghat and then later that of Cochin. Based at Kavalappara Desam in Karakkat, Valluvanada, their holdings extended to areas such as Kailiad and Panayur, ultimately compassing some 155,358 acres ofjenmom estates, and ranking preeminent among thejenmimars of Malabar.[1]
The Kavalappara Moopil Nayar, also known as theKarakkattu Kumaran Raman, were one of the four chiefly dynasties orperumpata nayar of ancientNedunganad.[2] They became independent from the chieftainship of Nedungethiri in the 15th century, soon after the arrival of theZamorin of Calicut to Nedunganad. Based at Eruppe Desam near Karakkat,Nedunganad, their holdings included some ninety-six villages.[3]
Nedunganad, one of the seventeen districts during theChera regime[4] ofKodungallur, was situated betweenKalladikkodan hills to the seashore villages ofPonnani-Purang. The chieftain of Nedunganad, known as Nedungethirippad, was an inefficient ruler. Kavalappara Nayar with other three (Thrikkateeri Nayar, Vattakkavil and Veettikkad nayars) became more powerful than Nedungethiri. Nedungethiri asked the help of theZamorin ofCalicut.[5] The procession of the Eralppad was known askottichezhunnallathu. The Zamorin built a palace at Karimpuzha. This was happened soon after 1487. It was the same Zamorin who, later, in 1498, met withVasco da Gama. When the Zamorin's procession reached Karimpuzha, the three Nayar chiefs of Nedunganad, came and received him. Kavalappara refused to attend the meeting of the Eralppad at Karimpuzha. He declared independence and asked the help of Cochin. He was so fortunate, because his land was situated on the banks of River Nila, adjacent to the boundary of the King of Cochin.
The family areMoopil Nairs and claim to be descendants of Karakalamma, a child ofVararuchi, aBrahminsaint, and aPulayar woman. Through this association, they also share kinship with theKadambur Brahmins and the two communities recognise their shared ancient heritage in occasional rituals. The Kavalapparas also claim to have been independent chieftains from the later stages of theChera dynasty until the arrival of theZamorin of Calicut in 1748, although this is not historically accurate.K. K. N. Kurup, a historian of theMalabar region, notes that absence of their name from highly detailed documents of the period indicates that they were no more than "dependent landed aristocracy", variously of the rajas ofPalghat and ofCochin. They werenaduvazhi of the raja of Palghat, meaning that they were a form offeudatory governor who inherited their role, which included some political powers, but were subservient to him.[6][7]
During the period when clashes between the Zamorin of Calicut and the king of Cochin were common, which coincided with the arrival of Europeans in the area, the Kavalapparas were able to exploit the uncertainty and unrest to their advantage. They successfully fought in an alliance with forces from thekingdom of Travancore against the Zamorin and by around 1760 they[8]had reached a deal with the kingdom whereby they gained independence from interference in return for ceding to it a monopoly of thepepper growing on family properties. Unhampered by the objections previously raised by the Zamorin and by the raja of Cochin, they constructed akottaram as a physical symbol of their independence. This residence took a form common to the royal family of Travancore and thus different from thekovilakam palaces that traditionally belied the status of Malabar rulers. Thereafter, the Kavalapparas and the royal house of Travancore retained close ties and it was to Travancore that the family fled when theMysorean occupation of Malabar dispossessed them of their properties.[9]
The Kavalappara joined withKesava Pillai and forces of theEast India Company (EIC) in theThird Anglo-Mysore War, supplying both soldiers and grain. In recognition of this, Pillai, who wasDiwan of Travancore and acting for theBombay Presidency, reinstated their position as chieftains. A dispute arose because this arrangement contradicted one made around the same time between the king of Cochin and theMadras Presidency, which allowed for the king to have control of the Kavalappara territories. In 1792, the Kavalappara chieftain — who was seeking reinstatement in Kavalappara itself and in Edatara,Kongad andMannur — was given a one-year reinstatement in a subordinate role by a Joint Commission instituted by the EIC in the Bombay Presidency. This was challenged by the king of Cochin, who said that the Kavalappars were his "acknowledged dependent[s]" and paidtribute to him, but the arrangement was continued with some financial amendments in 1793.[10]
The traditional system of landtenancies and land ownership in Malabar, known asjanmi, had resulted in a small number of families owning most of the land. The EIC had determined to use a slightly modified form of the existingjanmi administrative processes to collect revenue. Under this modified system, thejanmis were granted leases on land and were responsible for collecting revenue — almost entirely based on a proportion of agricultural produce — on behalf of the EIC. Thejanmis, such as the Kavalapparas, sublet to tenants known askanakkarans, who had somesecurity of tenure, and both could sublet toverumpattakkars, who weretenants-at-will.[8][a] Thus, in 1794, the EIC granted the Kavalappara family a quinquennial lease on lands but it also disbarred from the feudal privileges of collecting death taxes from theMappilas and some festival offerings from theryots. All revenue collecting responsibilities were lost in 1796 when they were transferred to direct control of the EIC, although the EIC did return a portion of the funds collected by the system ofmalikhana that recognised the loyalty of certain ruling families. In common with many of his peers, the Kavalappara chieftain had amassed considerable arrears in revenue monies that he was supposed to hand over and as a result of the transfer of revenue collection he now became nothing more than a landed aristocrat without political influence. Some feudal rights were retained, notably of control over some temples, but by the end of the nineteenth century the family estates were being administered by theCourt of Wards and remained so until 1910.[10]
Today the traditional eight-acre palace complex that was long the seat of the Kavalappara Nair is mostly in ruin, with many core palace structures demolished or destroyed by storms. The present complex retains only theOottupura or ceremonial banqueting hall, theAgraśālā, and the 'stepped mansion' complex, all of which are in derelict condition.
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