Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai - Governance For The People

Governance For The People

It was at this difficult juncture that Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai took control of the kingdom. He was not a starry-eyed idealist. His mission was to make Ramnad strong and her people comfortable. He had to pay tribute to the Nawab. Shrewd statesman that he was, he realised that while he paid his tributes, he must also keep the British happy for the Nawab was no more than a puppet on their stings.

The quote from the Gazetteer of India continues thus: "He realized that he should placate the British in order to bring effective internal reforms, since the British were having the leading strings of the Nawab in their hands."

More information about this minister can be found in the Ramnad Manual that can be accessed in the Tamil Nadu Government Archives. It has this to say: "This Pradani had the direction of everything. Unlike his predecessors, it was his firm belief that the best chance of improvement of the country was by internal reform and a hearty cooperation with the British who were now becoming the virtual rulers of the Karnatic. He paid the tribute punctually. He improved the revenue and account system of the country as will be noticed in its proper place. He built several chattrams along the main roads of the pilgrimage. Roads were opened through the forests. Immense sums were spent on the restoration of the Pagodas which were falling into ruins, the splendid Chockattan Mantapam or the cloistered precincts of the temple at Rameshwaram being finally completed by this minister ..."

In 1789, he undertook a study about a possible supply of water to the Vaigai River from the Periyar River. Nothing was done about it at the time due to a paucity of funds. Over a century later, the British implemented his plan as the Mullaperiyar Dam in 1895.