The
Zamorin invaded Cochin in 1757. Due to the diplomatic efforts of the Paliath Achan, the Kingdom of Cochin was saved. During
Hyder Ali's conquest of the south of India in 1776, the Paliath Achan was able to effect a treaty between Hyder Ali and the Cochin Raja. In 1808, the
British East India Company was trying to persuade the Raja of Kochi's men to defect their side. They had succeeded in getting the support of Nadavarambu Kunhikrishna Menon. Paliath Govindan Achan was provoked by this. He took with him 600 Nair soldiers and attacked the headquarters of Colonel Macaulay, the local British Resident, who was forced to flee. Following the attack, Paliath Achan and his men broke open the local jails and set free any prisoners found inside. The Paliath Achan later joined the
Travancore alliance of
Velu Thampi Dalawa. During 1809 and 1810, Paliath Achan, allied with
Velu Thampi Dalawa, fought the British on Travancore soil. Achan engaged the
British East India Company troops in battle, and was defeated. After this defeat, Achan surrendered to the British East India Company and defected to their side in the conflict. After the rebellion, the
British authorities deported him to Madras, where he was imprisoned at Fort St. George for 12 years. Between 1730 and 1740 the status of the Cochin kingdom dwindled due to the consolidation of power in Travancore under
Marthanda Varma combined with the waning influence of the Dutch and a large-scale invasion by the Zamorin from the north. Paliath Komi Achan was able to effect a treaty between the Cochin and Travancore Kingdoms. This treaty facilitated the defeat of the Zamorin. The Chendamangalam
Jews sing "The Song of Paliathachan" in which they mention the mention "Nayar Noblemen" who bestowed upon the Jews "gifts and books to all those who come, and titles to foreigners". In the
Vishnuvilasam Hamsappattu, a Malayalam poem about the life of Vishnu (as spoken by a swan), the poet (
Kunjan Nambiar) makes a reference to a Paliath Achan named Kuberan: :
ശ്രീ കുബേരാഖ്യഗനം പാലിയാധീഷരന്റേ :
ശ്രീ കുലാഡംബരം ചെമ്മേ വരൊത്തൊന്ന :
ശ്രീ കാന്തദേവന് ജയന്താലയേശ്വരന് :
ശ്രീ കണ്ഠ്സേവിതന് ശ്രീന്യസിംഹാക്യതി :
ശ്രേയസ്സു നല്കും നിനക്കിന്നു ഹംസമേ! :
SrI kubErAkhyaganam pAliyAdhIsharantE :
SrI kulADambaram chemmE varoththonna :
SrI kAnthadEvan jayanthAlayEaSvaran :
SrI kantEsavithan SrInyusimhAkruthi :
SrEyassu nalkum ninakkinnu hamsamE! Kochu Sankaran Muthat of Vatakketam in
Triprayar was a student of Manorama Thampuratti of
Calicut. He lived at Paliam, teaching students there. He wrote a commentary named
Prasika, on the eleventh book of the
Bhagavad Gita, based on earlier commentaries of his student, Paliath Achan: :
നിജശിഷ്യ പാലിയേശ- :
പ്രാര്ത്ഥനയാ ശങ്കരഖ്യ ശിവവിപ്ര: :
ദാഗവതൈകാദശഗാ: :
പ്രാക്തനവിവ്യതീ: സമുച്ചിനോമ്യദ്യ :
nijaSishya pAliyESa- :
prArththhanayA Sankarakhya Sivavipraha :
dAgavathaikAdaSagAha :
prAkthanavivyathIha samuchchinOmyadya The Paliam family had a rich collection of manuscripts in Sanskrit and Malayalam. At the time of family partition, this collection was donated to the
Kerala University Manuscript Library and the
Tripunithura.
Paliam Satyagraham Paliam satyagraha was a
movement in 1947–48 to allow entry for
Hindus of
lower castes in the roads surrounding the Paliam family home in Chendamangalam and the temples. The success of this and similar movements led to the temples in Kochi being opened for all Hindus in 1948. ==See also==