Nilambur Kingdom

Nilambur Kovilakam, also known as Nilambur Kingdom, was a former vassal kingdom and royal Kovilakam in present-day Kerala, India, situated near the Nilgiri range of the Western Ghats. It was ruled by Samantha Kshatriyas of the Nagavanshi clan who were the family members, relatives and representatives of the Samoothiri Raja (Zamorin) of Calicut. The Nilambur Rajas extended their power and authority by marrying with the Nambudiris. This practise was called Sambandam, and resulted in both Brahmins and Kshatriyas taking turns to rule over the Nilambur Kovilakam kingdom. The Brahmin rulers used the title Namboodiripād while the Kshatriya rulers used the title Thirumulpād. To seal the marriage pacts, they built several aristocratic Illams, such as the Nambudiri stronghold of Pootheri Illam (also called as Pootheri Mana or Pootheri Palace) in Feroke.

Following the collapse of the Zamorin's dynasty in 1806, the Nilambur Rajas continued to rule as independent chieftains until the 1921 Malabar Rebellion, when a group of Mappila Muslims led by Ali Musliyar and other rebels attacked Nilambur Kovilakam along with other royal families in the Malabar region. The uprising was aimed at abolishing the prevailing feudal system controlled by elite Hindus. From 1921 until India's independence in 1947, the Nilambur rulers had a diminished role in governing the land and were finally removed from power following the dissolvement of the kingdom in 1947.