Zamindar of Ariyalur

• Zamindars of Ariyalur

Zamindars were the feudal royals in British India. They belong to the privileged ruling class and their families carried suffixes of lordship. The title was hereditary, they had rights of succession of the Zamindari *.

Zamindars paid a fixed tribute (kappam) to the British government and in return, Zamindars was allowed to collect the tax from the lands and peasants of their territory.

Ariyalur Zamindari is situated to the east of Trichinopoly District and north of the river Kollidam.

When the Ariyalur region came under the English rule, the province became a settled estate (Zamindari) under permanent sanad* in AD 1817 (*Sanad was a deed granted to the rulers of native princely states in British India confirming them in their ruling position in return for their allegiance to the British Raj).

*territory of zamindar

• The following are the villages under the Zamindari of Ariyalur:

In 1817 AD, the first Zamindar of Ariyalur was Vijaya Oppillatha Malavarayar Nainar, he belonged to the Vanniya Padayachi community. Later, during the reign of Kumara Vijaya Oppillatha Malavaraya Nainar, the Zamin faced serious threats of disintegration owing to the debts of the zamin.

Between 1871 to 1873 AD, the entire estate (57 villages) of Ariyalur Zamindari was sold by orders of the civil court in satisfaction of debts incurred by the Zamindar Kumara Vijaya Oppillatha Malavaraya Nainar. [1] [2]

Thavasumuthu Nadar of Porayar bought the Ariyalur Zamindari in the court auction and became the first Nadar Zamindar of Ariyalur. [3] [4] [5]

After his death, his son T. Rathinasamy Nadar succeeded him as the Zamindar of Ariyalur. During his period, Udaiyarpalaiyam Zamindar (father-in-law of Kumara Vijaya Oppillatha Malavaraya Nainar) purchased 7 villages of Ariyalur Zamindari from Rathinasamy Nadar and gave it to K.V.O.M Nainar. [6]

T. Gurusamy Nadar became the Zamindar of Ariyalur in 1912 and ruled it till his death in 1920. T.V Balaguruswamy Nadar succeeded as Ariyalur Zamindar for a short stint, he was the last Zamindar from Poraiyar Nadar Estate.

Poraiyar Nadar Estate has held the title of Zamindar of Ariyalur for almost half a century. [7]

List of Zamindars of Ariyaur from Porayar Nadar Estate:

• V. Thavsumuthu Nadar – 1873 – 1885 AD
• T. Ratnaswamy Nadar – 1885 – 1912 AD
• T. Guruswamy Nadar – 1912 – 1920 AD
• T.V. Balaguruswamy Nadar – 1920 – 1922 AD

Simultaneously, Nadar estate was the Zamindars for two other minor zamins: [8]

• Ulagamadevi zamin
• Karapidagai zamin