Devasahayam Pillai (Neelakanta Pillai; 23 April 1712 – 14 January 1752) was born into an affluent Hindu Nair family in Nattalam in the present-day Kanyakumari District on 23 April 1712. His father, Vasudevan Namboodiri, who was a Namboodiri Brahmin from Kayamkulam in present-day Kerala state, was a priest at the Adikesava Perumal Temple in Thiruvattar, in present-day Kanyakumari district of neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Neelakandan's mother, Devaki Amma, hailed from Thiruvattar in Kanyakumari District.
In accordance with the Nair matrilineal traditions of the day, Neelakandan was raised by his mother and father in the household of his maternal uncle, and was inculcated with Hindu beliefs and traditions early on. Neelakandan's family had much influence in the royal palace of Maharaja Marthanda Varma, king of Travancore and went into the service of the royal palace as a young man. His capabilities and enthusiasm did not go unnoticed in the palace, as he was soon put in charge of state affairs as an official under Ramayyan Dalawa, the Dewan of Travancore.
In 1741, Captain Eustachius De Lannoy, a Dutch naval commander, was sent on command of a naval expedition by the Dutch East India Company with the objective of capturing and establishing a trading port at Colachel, a port under the control of Travancore. In the ensuing Battle of Colachel, fought between the Travancore forces and the Dutch, the Dutch were defeated. De Lannoy's men were either killed or captured. Eustachius De Lannoy and his assistant Donadi surrendered and were imprisoned.
De Lannoy and the Dutchmen were later pardoned by the king, on condition that they serve in the Travancore army. In the course of time, De Lannoy earned the trust of the king and went on to become the commander of the Travancore army, the very forces that had earlier defeated him. He trained the Travancore forces on European lines and introduced new weaponry and gunpowder. As military commander, he won many battles for Travancore, resulting in the annexation of various neighbouring territories to Travancore.
It was during their influential roles under the King of Travancore that Devasahayam Pillai and De Lannoy became well acquainted. De Lannoy's Christian faith interested Devasahayam ; thus, De Lannoy enlightened him on the faith, leading to Devasahayam Pillai's conversion in 1745. At this point, he took the name "Devasahayam" ("help of God"), which is the translation into Malayalam of the name 'Lazarus.'
It is widely believed that Devasahayam Pillai was executed by the then Travancore Kingdom for upholding his Christian faith. In contrast, there are few others who believe that Devasahayam Pillai was accused of treason for divulging some of the state secrets to enemies and rivals.
Places visited : Aralvaimozhi Prison, Kattadimalai, place where Devasahayam Pillai was killed, Peruvilai, Nattalam, Kottar and Puliyoorkurichi.
Also, covered an Interview with the descendents of Devasahayam Pillai.
(Video Release Date: March 13,2016)
(Video Release Date: March 13,2016)
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