Kannavath Sankaran Nambiar

Kannavath Sankaran Nambiar (c. 1760 – 27 November 1801) was the prime minister, or Sarvadikaryakar, of Pazhassi Raja in what is today India. Sankaran led rebel forces against the British East India Company in two campaigns before he was captured and executed.

The word "Kannavath" means "that which is associated with Kannavam". Kannavam is a village in Thalasseri taluk of Kannur district in the State of Kerala. However, "Kannavam" is also the name of the dominant feudal Nair (Nambiar) clan resident to this village.^[1] The Kannavath Nambiars were vassals of Kottayam Raja. They were once the richest landlords in Northern Malabar. Sankaran was born into this feudal clan.^[1]