THE DEVAKOTTAI ZAMINDAR

- Kailash PL -

          The Devakottai Zamindar family is considered one of the most notable among the Nattukottai Nagarathars. AL.AR. Ramasamy Chettiar was the first Zamindar of Devakottai.

AL.AR.Ramasamy Chettiar 

As a prominent banker AL.AR. Ramasamy Chettiar was a close friend of King Bhaskara Sethupathi of Ramanathapuram. While the Ramanathapuram Zamin was under court administration, Chettiar provided crucial financial assistance to the minor Bhaskara Sethupathi. Around 1870A.D., he had lent the king approximately three and a half lakh rupees.

​When Bhaskara Sethupathi came of age, one of his relatives filed a case in the Madras High Court seeking a stay order, stating, "Bhaskara Sethupathi is a big spender and has borrowed several lakhs from Ramasamy Chettiar of Devakottai. Therefore, the kingdom should not be handed over to him". When Chettiar was examined as a witness in the case, he stated, "It is our duty to host the king. We will always do so. We have not given him any loan". As proof, he showed his account books in court. The amounts given to Bhaskara Sethupathi were not debited in the king's name but were instead listed as expenditures made in Ramasamy Chettiar's own name. The petition was thus dismissed, and the kingdom was handed over to Bhaskara Sethupathi.

​In gratitude for helping him regain his kingdom, King Bhaskara Sethupathi granted AL.AR. Ramasamy Chettiar, Twenty two and a half villages around Devakottai and and bestowed upon him the official status of "Devakottai Zamindar."

The Devakottai Zamindar Family had banking business and spinning mills. They traded in East Asian countries such as Burma, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam. Notably, A.M.Murugappa Chettiar, founder of the great Murugappa Group, worked as an agent of Zamindar initially.

The Devakottai Zamindars were renowned patrons of temple renovation, undertaking extensive work in numerous sacred places, including Uppur, Rameswaram, Uthirakosamangai, KalaiyarKovil, ThirupandiKodumudi, AvudaiyarKovil, PeriyaNainar Kovil, Vaigal, Madurai, Thirupparankundram, Devakottai, Karaikudi and Koviloor.

​The family also served as trustees for major temples, including the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, the Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy Temple, and the KalaiyarKovil Kaleeswara Temple.

The Devakottai Zamindars were also pioneers in public service. When Rajaji Hospital in Madurai was first constructed during the British era, the Devakottai Zamindar family funded the construction of its very first building. They went on to establish a veterinary hospital, school, and ponds in Devakottai. Notably, they founded Chettinad's first girls' elementary school at their palace in Devakottai.They also provided a large piece of land to the government for the construction of a TB hospital in Somanathapuram.

The Devakottai Zamin has three mansions in Devakottai. The first is their ancestral home, which is about 250 years old. The second, "Swarnavalli Vilas," was built around 1915A.D., and the third, "Lakshmi Vilas," was built in 1928A.D.

This article gives a short history of the Devakottai Zamindars. There are many more historical facts, but i have summarized only a few here.