96-653: Central Division or Central Travancore , sometimes referred to as the Quilon Division was one of three (or four) administrative subdivisions of the princely state of Travancore in what is now Kerala . It was administered by a civil servant of rank Diwan Peishkar equivalent to a District Collector in British India and consisted of 8 taluks — Karthikapally , Thiruvalla , Pathanamthitta , Ambalappuzha , Chengannur , Kunnathur , Karunagappalli , Adoor , Mavelikkara , Quilon and Kottarakara . The headquarters
192-571: A Subsidiary alliance with the East India Company in 1795. The Prime Ministers ( Dalawas or Dewans ) started to take control of the kingdom beginning with Velu Thampi Dalawa (Velayudhan Chempakaraman Thampi) (1799–1809) who was appointed as the divan following the dismissal of Jayanthan Sankaran Nampoothiri (1798–1799). Initially, Velayudhan Chempakaraman Thampi and the English East India Company got along very well. When
288-449: A barrel of gunpowder inside the Dutch garrison, and the resulting fire destroyed the entire rice supply of the stockade. Consequently, the Dutch were forced to surrender on 7 August. While the Dutch records mention the date of the surrender as 7 August, some later sources give different dates for the Dutch surrender: The court chronicle ( Rajyakaryam Churuna ) of Marthanda Varma simply states
384-663: A large number of muskets and some cannons from the Dutch garrison at Colachel. They imprisoned 24 Europeans, who were imprisoned at the Udayagiri Fort in Puliyoorkurichi . Later, Marthanda Varma gave them their weapons back, and asked them to join the Travancore army. Several European prisoners, including Eustachius De Lannoy and Duyvenschot accepted the offer and served Marthanda Varma. Twenty-eight high level Dutch officers, including Admiral D'lennoy, were captured. The defeat of
480-528: A meeting of his supporters at Allan Memorial Hall, Nagercoil on 8 September 1947. In that meeting it was declared that they must achieve their objective through their political organisation, the T.T.N.C. And T.T.N.C started gaining strength and momentum in Kalkulam – Vilavancode Taluks. T.T.N.C won in 14 constituencies in the election to the State Legislative Assembly. Mr. A. Nesamony was elected as
576-526: A minimum of 1 kazhanch (78.65 gm) of gold. In 1848 the Marquess of Dalhousie , then Governor-General of India , was apprised that the depressed condition of the finances in Travancore was due to the mahādanams by the rulers. Lord Dalhousie instructed Lord Harris , Governor of the Madras Presidency , to warn the then King of Travancore, Martanda Varma (Uttram Tirunal 1847–60) , that if he did not put
672-509: A number of Rayasoms or clerks along with Kanakku Pillamars (accountants). Individual districts were run by Sarvadhikaris under the supervision of Diwan, while dealings with the neighbouring states and Europeans was under the purview of the Valia Sarvahi , who signed treaties and agreements. His heir is Revathi Thirunal Balagopal Varma – the titular Elayaraja ( Crown Prince ) (born 1953). (Monarch) Body (1948–49) In 1856,
768-411: A place near the port with wooden posts and garrisoned a portion of the Dutch force in it. The rest proceeded and attacked the Travancore out-posts on the coast, such as Thengapattanam , Midalam , Kadiapattinam and advanced to Eraniel . On 29 November, the Dutch commander van Gollenesse announced a complete blockade of the Travancore coast around Colachel, directing his forces to seize all ships bound for
864-591: A section of the Travancore army mutinied in 1805 against Velu Thampi Dalawa , he sought refuge with the British Resident Colonel (later General) Colin Macaulay and later used English East India Company troops to crush the mutiny. Velu Thampi also played a key role in negotiating a new treaty between Travancore and the English East India Company. However, the demands of the East India Company for
960-531: A stamp on 6 Nov 1991, commemorating the reforms that marked his reign in Travancore. The State of Kerala came into existence on 1 November 1956, with a governor appointed by the president of India as the head of state instead of a king. The king was stripped of all political powers and of the right to receive privy purses , according to the twenty-sixth amendment of the Indian constitution act of 31 July 1971. He died on 20 July 1991. Tamils lived in large numbers in
1056-545: A stop to this practice, the Madras Presidency would take over his state's administration. This led to the cessation of the practice of mahādanams. All Travancorean Kings including Sree Moolam Thirunal conducted the Hiranyagarbham and Tulapurushadaanam ceremonies. Maharaja Chithira Thirunal was the only King of Travancore not to have conducted these rituals as he considered them extremely costly. In Travancore,
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#17330855040341152-480: A union of feudal lords and establishing internal peace, he expanded the kingdom of Venad through a series of military campaigns from Kanyakumari in the south to the borders of Kochi in the north during his 29-year rule. This rule also included Travancore-Dutch War (1739–1753) between Travancore and the Dutch East India Company, which had been allied to some of these kingdoms. In 1741, Travancore won
1248-544: A whole." He made the famous Temple Entry Proclamation on 12 November 1936, which opened all the Kshetrams (Hindu temples in Kerala) in Travancore to backward communities. This act won him praise from across India, most notably from Mahatma Gandhi . The first public transport system (Thiruvananthapuram–Mavelikkara) and telecommunication system (Thiruvananthapuram Palace–Mavelikkara Palace) were launched during his reign. He also started
1344-451: Is buried in the Udayagiri Fort , also known as Dillanai kottai (D'lennoy's fort). De Lannoy organized the Travancore army on European standard introduced gunpowder and firearms, hitherto not used in the kingdom, and increased the regiments and improved defence fortifications significantly. Captain De Lannoy was a skilled military strategist. His military skills, combined with the tactics of
1440-517: The Dewan of Travancore, Ramayyan Dalawa , and statesmanship of Maharaja Marthanda Varma proved very effective in the future military exploitations and annexations of the Northern kingdoms up to Cochin over a period of time. They defeated and annexed Quilon , Kayamkulam , Kottarakkara , Pandalam , Ambalapuzha , Edappalli, Thekkumkoor and Vadakkumkoor with Travancore . The Dutch threat to Travancore
1536-510: The English East India Company in military conflicts. During Dharma Raja 's reign, Tipu Sultan , the de facto ruler of Mysore and the son of Hyder Ali , attacked Travancore in 1789 as a part of the Mysore invasion of Kerala . Dharma Raja had earlier refused to hand over the Hindu political refugees from the Mysore occupation of Malabar who had been given asylum in Travancore. The Mysore army entered
1632-664: The Malabar Coast between Alappuzha in the south and Kasaragod in the north. The region around Coimbatore was ruled by the Cheras during the Sangam period roughly between the first and the fourth centuries CE and served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the Malabar Coast and Tamil Nadu. However the southern region of the present-day Kerala state
1728-609: The Third Anglo-Mysore War in 1791 AD till the British East India Company joined the war in support of Travancore. Donadi ended up as an officer in the Travancore army and it seems that the rest of the Dutch prisoners took up service with the Maharajah's forces and their descendants were present up to 1878 in Travancore. Another direct outcome of the event at Kulachal was the takeover of the black pepper trade by
1824-547: The Thovalai , Agastheeswaram , Sengottai , Eraniel , Vilavancode , Kalkulam , Devikulam , Neyyattinkara , Thiruvananthapuram South and Thiruvananthapuram North taluks of erstwhile Travancore State. In the Tamil regions, Malayalam was the official language and there were only a few Tamil schools. So the Tamils met many hardships. The Travancore state government continued rejecting
1920-533: The Travancore army withdrew to check an invasion by Chanda Sahib of Arcot in the south, the allies achieved further military successes. However, the Dutch decided to wait for reinforcements from Ceylon before waging further war against Travancore. In November 1740, the Dutch command in Malabar asked for reinforcements from Ceylon, and launched a second campaign against Travancore. The Travancore force turned against
2016-689: The 12th century, two branches of the Ay dynasty, the Thrippappur and Chirava, merged in the Venad family, which set up the tradition of designating the ruler of Venad as Chirava Moopan and the heir-apparent as Thrippappur Moopan . While the Chrirava Moopan had his residence at Kollam, the Thrippappur Moopan resided at his palace in Thrippappur, nine miles north of Thiruvananthapuram, and was vested with authority over
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#17330855040342112-642: The Battle of Colachel against the Dutch East India Company , resulting in the complete eclipse of Dutch power in the region. In this battle, the Dutch Captain, Eustachius De Lannoy , was captured. He later defected to Travancore. De Lannoy was appointed captain of His Highness' bodyguard and later Senior Admiral ("Valiya kappittan") and modernised the Travancore army by introducing firearms and artillery. From 1741 to 1758, De Lannoy remained in command of
2208-505: The Chera king, Rama Varma Kulasekara, to shift his capital to Kollam. Thus, Rama Varma Kulasekara, the last emperor of the Chera dynasty, was probably the founder of the Venad royal house, and the title of the Chera kings, Kulasekara , was thenceforth kept by the rulers of Venad. Thus the end of the Second Chera dynasty in the 12th century marks the independence of Venad. In the second half of
2304-722: The Cochin kingdom from Coimbatore in November 1789 and reached Thrissur in December. On 28 December 1789 Tipu Sultan attacked the Nedunkotta (Northern Lines) from the north, causing the Battle of Nedumkotta (1789) , and the defeat of the Mysore army. On Dharma Raja 's death in 1798, Balarama Varma (1798–1810), the weakest ruler of the dynasty, took over at the age of sixteen. A treaty brought Travancore under
2400-681: The Company Government at Batavia could not spare any reserve forces because of the Java War . Faced with an acute shortage of Dutch soldiers in Malabar, Van Gollenesse requested at least 300-400 men from the Dutch Ceylon , and meanwhile, sent a section of the Dutch army to Kanyakumari to attack Travancore. The Marakayars Played a major role in defeating the Dutch East India company entering into colachal port. The De Lannoy's research text from
2496-476: The Congress government for not showing enough care the struggle of the Tamils, T.T.N.C had broken away from the coalition and the Congress government lost the majority. So fresh elections were announced. In 1954 elections, T.T.N.C gained victory in 12 constituencies. Pattom Thanu Pillai was the chief minister for Thiru – Kochi legislative assembly. He engaged hard measures against the agitations of Tamils. Especially
2592-672: The Dutch in Colachael was the turning point of the Travancore-Dutch War. D'lennoy went on to serve the Travancore kingdom for the next two decades and was promoted to the post of the Valiya kappithan (Senior Admiral) of the Travancore forces. He modernised the Travancore army, and built the Nedumkottai, a line of fortifications in the north of the kingdom, which held up the army of Tipu Sultan in 1789, during his invasion of Travancore . De Lannoy
2688-479: The Dutch possessions, captured Dutch out-posts in Travancore, attacked the factories, and took possession of the goods stored. While matters were thus in the north, small reinforcement force of 105 and 70, which the Dutch Governor called from Ceylon, effected a landing at Colachel . On 26 November, the Dutch sent two large ships and three sloops to Colachel , bombarding the coast. The Dutch soldiers fortified
2784-616: The Dutch signed a peace treaty with Travancore and later sold their forts which were incorporated by De Lannoy into the Northern Lines (the Nedumkotta ) that guarded the northern border of Travancore. The Travancore military that De Lannoy was instrumental in modernizing, went on to conquer more than half of the modern state of Kerala, and the Nedumkotta forts De Lannoy had designed, held up the advance of Tipu Sultan 's French trained army during
2880-540: The Dutch terms were not accepted, but Marthanda Varma dismissed the threat, and replied that he had been thinking about invading Europe some day. In late 1739, the Dutch command at Malabar declared war on Travancore, without obtaining permission or waiting for reinforcements from Batavia. The Dutch deployed a detachment of soldiers from Ceylon against Travancore, under the command of Captain Johannes Hackert. They and their allies achieved several military successes in
2976-465: The Dutch tried, the 'mukkuvars' did not betray the Travancore king. As the Dutch approached the shore, the Travancore army had made a retreat, and the locals fled the area. It was not enough for the Dutch to bombard a place and then barge in. To continue the war they required fortifications, trenches, and makeshift sheds and storerooms. The Dutch captain wanted his generals to talk to the Mukkuvar community in
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3072-527: The East India Company and was exiled to Madras and later to Benaras . The Company defeated forces under Velu Thampi Dalawa at battles near Nagercoil and Kollam, and inflicted heavy casualties on the rebels, many of whom then deserted and went back home. The Maharajah of Travancore, who hitherto had not openly taken any part in the rebellion, now allied with the British and appointed one of Thampi's enemies as his prime minister. The allied East India Company army and
3168-452: The East India Company undertaking to serve the Rajah in cases of external and internal aggression. The Rajahs of Travancore had been conditionally promoted to Kshatriyahood with periodic performance of 16 mahādānams (great gifts in charity) such as Hiranya-garbhā , Hiranya-Kāmadhenu, and Hiranyāswaratā in each of which thousands of Brahmins had been given costly gifts apart from each getting
3264-583: The English to Travancore . In the course of time, the Ay clan , part of the Chera empire, which ruled the Thiruvazhumkode area, became an independent kingdom, and the land was called Aayi Desam or Aayi Rajyam , meaning 'Aayi territory'. The Aayis controlled the land from the present-day Kollam district in the north, through Thiruvananthapuram district to Kanyakumari district in the south. There were two capitals,
3360-572: The Indian Union; subsequently, an attempt was made on his life, following which he resigned and left for Madras, to be succeeded by Sri P.G.N. Unnithan . According to witnesses such as K. Aiyappan Pillai , constitutional adviser to the Maharaja and historians like A. Sreedhara Menon , the rioters and mob-attacks had no bearing on the decision of the Maharaja. After several rounds of discussion and negotiation between Sree Chithira Thirunal and V.P. Menon ,
3456-569: The Jesuit church in Colachel was bombarded by the Dutch. A priest was killed, and three were abducted and taken to a Dutch ship to be tortured. The second reference reveals how members of the 'mukkuvar' community delayed Dutch reinforcements from reaching Colachel. A small mail boat with an officer and a few mukkuvar men was sent to the Kanyakumari Dutch camp to fetch reinforcements. De Lannoy writes that
3552-535: The Maharaja, was in conspicuous evidence. [1] In the early 18th century, the Malabar Coast region of present-day Kerala was divided among several smaller kingdoms. In the 1730s, Marthanda Varma , the ruler of Travancore , adopted an expansionist policy, and conquered several territories from these small states. This threatened the interests of the Dutch East India Company 's command at Malabar , whose spice trade depended on procurement of spices from these states. Marthanda Varma and his vassals refused to honour
3648-571: The Singarathoppu jail, where the jailor Appaguru ended up as a disciple of Vaikundar. Vaikundar was later set at liberty by the King. After the death of Sree Moolam Thirunal in 1924, Sethu Lakshmi Bayi became regent (1924–1931), as the heir apparent, Sree Chithira Thirunal was then a minor, 12 years old. In 1935, Travancore joined the Indian State Forces Scheme and a Travancore unit
3744-562: The Tamils at Devikulam – Peermedu regions went through the atrocities of Travancore Police force. Condemning the attitude of the police, T.T.N.C leaders from Nagercoil went to Munnar and participated in agitations against the prohibitive orders. The leaders were arrested and an uncalm atmosphere prevailed in South Travancore. On 11 August, Liberation Day celebrations were held at many places in South Travancore. Public meetings and processions were organised. Communists also collaborated with
3840-566: The Travancore forces and was involved in annexation of small principalities. Travancore became the most dominant state in the Kerala region by defeating the powerful Zamorin of Kozhikode in the battle of Purakkad in 1755. Ramayyan Dalawa , the prime minister (1737–1756) of Marthanda Varma, also played an important role in this consolidation and expansion. On 3 January 1750, (5 Makaram , 925 Kollavarsham ), Marthanda Varma virtually "dedicated" Travancore to his tutelary deity Padmanabha , one of
3936-551: The Travancore soldiers camped in Pappanamcode, just outside Thiruvananthapuram . Velu Thampi Dalawa now organised a guerrilla struggle against the company, but committed suicide to avoid capture by the Travancore army. After the mutiny of 1805 against Velu Thampi Dalawa, most of the Nair army battalions of Travancore were disbanded, and after Velu Thampi Dalawa's uprising, almost all of the remaining Travancore forces were also disbanded, with
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4032-639: The University of Leiden in Netherlands has records of Marakayar community and their people who played the Major role in defeating the Dutch Ships and taking hostage of Dutch soldiers. When Marthanda Varma reached Kalkulam , he adopted measures to arrest the progress of the Dutch who being, at the time, in possession of almost all the- villages between Colachel and Kottar , and are intended to attack Padmanabhapuram ,
4128-469: The agitation programmes. Police opened fire at the processions in Thoduvetty (Martandam) and Puthukadai. Nine Tamil volunteers were killed and thousands of T.T.N.C and communist sympathizers were arrested in various parts of Tamil main land. At the end, Pattom Thanu Pillai's ministry was toppled and normalcy returned to the Tamil regions. The central government had appointed Fazal Ali Commission (1953 dec) for
4224-578: The aspects of the Hindu God Vishnu with a lotus issuing from his navel on which Brahma sits. From then on the rulers of Travancore ruled as the "servants of Padmanabha" (the Padmnabha-dasar). At the Battle of Ambalapuzha, Marthanda Varma defeated the union of the kings who had been deposed and the king of the Cochin kingdom . Marthanda Varma's successor Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma (1758–1798), who
4320-408: The capital had been moved in 1601 to Padmanabhapuram , near Kalkulam. The Chera empire had dissolved by around 1100 and thereafter the territory comprised numerous small kingdoms until the time of Marthanda Varma who, as king of Venad from 1729, employed brutal methods to unify them. During his reign, Thiruvithamkoor (Anglicized as Travancore) became the official name. The Kingdom of Travancore
4416-515: The capital of Travancore. The Raja raised a levy of 2000 Nairs reinforced the regular infantry already in service in that part of the country. Marthanda Varma strongly remonstrated with the Dutch Governor of Cochin and wrote to the Government in Batavia a letter of remonstrance and complaint. King Marthanda Varma asked for help from the local Mukkuvar leaders to aid them in the war. They agreed on
4512-469: The caste system was more rigorously enforced than in many other parts of India up to the mid-1800s. The hierarchical caste order was deeply entrenched in the social system and was supported by the government, which transformed this caste-based social system into a religious institution. In such a context, the belief in Ayyavazhi , apart from being a religious system, served also as a reform movement in uplifting
4608-522: The coast, with the exception of the English ships carrying goods to Edava . On 13 January 1741, the Dutch ship Maarseveen was sent southwards, to be anchored between Thengapattanam and Colachel. On 10 February, another Dutch expedition comprising seven large ships and several smaller vessels landed just north of Colachel. To effectively control the newly conquered territories, the Dutch were expecting reinforcements to arrive from Ceylon and Batavia , but
4704-436: The colonisation project. As a victory of the Colonisation project done by post-independence Travancore, these two Taluks and a larger portion of Cardamom Hills retained in the state of Kerala , after States Reorganisation Act, 1956 . Under the direct control of the King, Travancore's administration was headed by a Dewan assisted by the Neetezhutthu Pillay or secretary, Rayasom Pillay (assistant or under-secretary) and
4800-419: The date as Āḍi 916 ME, without mentioning any specific day. Historian A. P. Ibrahim Kunju takes the Dutch date (7 August 1741 CE) to be correct. The Dutch soldiers at Colachel surrender on the condition that they would be allowed to go to Kanyakumari with their weapons. However, Marthanda Varma did not honour the agreement, and imprisoned them as soon as they came out of the fort. The Travancore forces captured
4896-449: The destruction of the Dutch East India Company's designs in the Malabar coast, the capture of the leaders of the expedition, Eustachius De Lannoy and his second in command Donadi, was very beneficial to the kingdom of Travancore. When De Lannoy and Donadi were paroled, they took up service with Travancore and modernized the Travancore Army (which, till then, had been armed mainly with melee weapons) into an effective fighting force. De Lannoy
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#17330855040344992-449: The downtrodden of society, both socially and religiously. The rituals of Ayyavazhi constituted a social discourse. Its beliefs, mode of worship, and religious organisation seem to have enabled the Ayyavazhi group to negotiate, cope with, and resist the imposition of authority. The hard tone of Vaikundar towards this was perceived as a revolution against the government. So King Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma initially imprisoned Vaikundar in
5088-617: The first time, an Art Advisor to the Government, Dr. G. H. Cousins. He also established a new form of University Training Corps, viz. Labour Corps , preceding the N.C.C, in the educational institutions. The expenses of the university were to be met fully by the government. Sree Chithira Thirunal also built a beautiful palace named Kowdiar Palace , finished in 1934, which was previously an old Naluektu , given by Sree Moolam Thirunal to his mother Sethu Parvathi Bayi in 1915. A famine in 1943 claimed approximately 90,000 lives in Travancore. However, his prime minister, Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer ,
5184-423: The fisherman toppled the boat and took the officer to the Travancore camp. The fishermen were also instrumental in tricking many unsuspecting Dutch soldiers who were shipped in as reinforcements to march straight into the mouth of the Travancore army. It were some of these trapped Dutch soldiers who gave the Travancore army tips about Dutch strategy. On 5 August, a cannonball fired by the Travancore army fell into
5280-504: The industrialisation of the state, enhancing the role of the public sector. He introduced heavy industry in the state and established giant public sector undertakings. As many as twenty industries were established, mostly for utilizing the local raw materials such as rubber, ceramics, and minerals. A majority of the premier industries in Kerala even today, were established by Sree Chithira Thirunal. He patronized musicians, artists, dancers, and Vedic scholars. Sree Chithira Thirunal appointed, for
5376-409: The initial campaign. In November, the allied army forced the Travancore army stationed near Kollam to retreat, and advanced up to Tangasseri . The British East India Company chief at Anchuthengu congratulated the Dutch on their victory, and requested them to leave their establishment at Edava in peace. By early December, the Dutch and their allies marched towards Attingal and Varkala . When
5472-407: The king agreed that the Kingdom should accede to the Indian Union on 12 August 1947. On 1 July 1949 the Kingdom of Travancore was merged with the Kingdom of Cochin and the short-lived state of Travancore-Kochi was formed. On 11 July 1991, Maharaja Sree Chithira Thirunal suffered a stroke and was admitted to a hospital, where he died on 20 July. He had ruled Travancore for 67 years and at his death
5568-445: The kingdom covered most of the south of modern-day Kerala ( Idukki , Kottayam , Alappuzha , Pathanamthitta , Kollam , and Thiruvananthapuram districts, major portions of Ernakulam district , Puthenchira village of Thrissur district ) and the southernmost part of modern-day Tamil Nadu ( Kanyakumari district and some parts of Tenkasi district ) with the Thachudaya Kaimal 's enclave of Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikyam temple in
5664-451: The kings demand, and many sea divers in Mukkuvars were used to sink the few Dutch ships which were anchored in Colachel at night. After the victory of the Colachel war, a local fishing village was named Marthandam Thura, and King Marthanda Varma helped to construct a new church there. De Lannoy's research text from the university of Leiden in Netherlands had references about the Mukkuvar in Colachel. First, he made it clear that however much
5760-400: The land of proper Malayalis . The former state of Venad at the tip of the Indian subcontinent, traditionally ruled by rajas known as the Venattadis. Until the end of the 11th century AD, it was a small principality in the Ay Kingdom. The Ays were the earliest ruling dynasty in southern Kerala, who, at their zenith, ruled over a region from Nagercoil in the south to Thiruvananthapuram in
5856-419: The legislative leader of the party. Then under his leadership, the awakened Tamil population was prepared to undergo any sacrifice to achieve their goal. In 1950, a meeting was held at Palayamkottai to make compromises between state congress and T.T.N.C. The meeting met with failure and Mr. Sam Nathaniel resigned from the post of president of T.T.N.C Mr. P. Ramasamy Pillai, a strong follower of Mr. A. Nesamony
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#17330855040345952-407: The major one at Kollam ( Venad Swaroopam or Desinganadu ) and a subsidiary one at Thrippapur ( Thrippapur Swaroopam or Nanjinad ). The kingdom was thus also called Venad . Kings of Venad had, built residential palaces in Thiruvithamcode and Kalkulam . Thiruvithamcode became the capital of the Thrippapur Swaroopam, and the country was referred to as Thiruvithamcode by Europeans even after
6048-424: The merger of Tamil regions in Travancore with Tamil Nadu. During the election campaign, clashes occurred between the Tamil Nadar community and the Malayali Nair community in Kalkulam – Vilavancode taluks. The police force suppressed the agitating Nadars. In February 1948 police opened fire and two Tamil-speaking Nadars were killed. In the working committee meeting of Tamilian congress at Eraviputhur on 30 June 1946,
6144-568: The monopoly contracts that the Dutch had with the states annexed by Travancore, adversely affecting the Dutch trade in Malabar. In January 1739, Gustaaf Willem van Imhoff , the Dutch Governor of Ceylon , visited Kochi, and in a July report, he recommended military action to save the Dutch colonization of Malabar. Later that year, the Dutch organised an alliance of the rulers of Kochi, Thekkumkur , Vadakkumkur, Purakkad , Kollam, and Kayamkulam . Van Imhoff personally met Marthanda Varma to negotiate peace, threatening to wage war against Travancore if
6240-406: The most peaceful manner, and get them to their side. They wanted the 'mukkuvars' for the work on the fortifications, and also for local support. Pots of money was offered. The fishermen refused. The Dutch then approached the local Jesuit priests to get the fishermen on board. De Lannoy writes that the Jesuits told the Dutch point blank that the fishermen would not betray their king. In retaliation,
6336-495: The name of the political party was changed to Travancore Tamil Nadu Congress (T.T.N.C). T.T.N.C was popular among the Tamils living in Thovalai and Agateeswaram taluks. Ma. Po. Sivagnanam ( Ma.Po.Si ) was the only leader from Tamil Nadu who acted in favour of T.T.N.C. After the independence of India, State Assembly elections were announced in Travancore. As a consequence, T.T.N.C improved its popularity among Tamils. A popular and leading advocate from Vilavancode, A. Nesamony organised
6432-411: The neighbouring Kingdom of Cochin . However Tangasseri area of Kollam city and Anchuthengu near Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram were parts of British India . Malabar District of Madras Presidency to the north, Madurai and Tirunelveli districts of Pandya Nadu region in Madras Presidency to the east, the Indian Ocean to the south, and the Arabian Sea to the west. Travancore
6528-403: The north. Their capital during the first Sangam age was in Aykudi and later, towards the end of the eighth century AD, at Quilon (Kollam) . Though a series of attacks by the resurgent Pandyas between the seventh and eighth centuries caused the decline of the Ays, the dynasty was powerful until the beginning of the tenth century. Sulaiman al-Tajir , a Persian merchant who visited Kerala during
6624-411: The oldest available inscription written in Old Malayalam. Later, the northern regions of Thiruvananthapuram , Kollam , Alapuzha , and Pathanamthitta districts became proper Malayalam-speaking populations in Kerala , while the other districts showed influences from Arabic , Tamil and Kannada languages. During the period of Pattom Thanu Pillai , Travancore was referred to as Malayalam state or
6720-492: The payment of compensation for their involvement in the Travancore-Mysore War (1791) on behalf of Travancore, led to tension between the Diwan and Colonel Macaulay. Velu Thampi and the diwan of Cochin kingdom, Paliath Achan Govindan Menon, who was unhappy with Macaulay for granting asylum to his enemy Kunhi Krishna Menon, declared "war" on the East India Company. The East India Company army defeated Paliath Achan's army in Cochin on 27 February 1809. Paliath Achan surrendered to
6816-470: The presence of the Western Ghats mountain ranges lying parallel to the coast, the population and language spoken in Kerala differed from those in neighboring states such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka . According to the religious text " Keralolpathi " by the Nambudhiri Brahmins , the region from Gokharna to Kanyakumari district was created when Parashurama threw his axe and claimed this land, known as Parashuramakshetra. The Chera dynasty governed
6912-513: The present-day Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu . The region had many small independent kingdoms. Later, at the peak of the Chera - Chola - Pandya , this region became part of the Chera Kingdom (except for the Ay kingdom, which always remained independent). When the region was part of the Chera empire , it was still known as Thiruvazhumkode . It was contracted to Thiruvankode , and anglicised by
7008-1168: The princely state was sub-divided into three divisions, each of which was administered by a Divan Peishkar, with a rank equivalent to a District Collector in British India. These were the: Battle of Colachel [REDACTED] Dutch Republic [REDACTED] Marthanda Varma 24 officials were taken as POWs Maritime contacts Sangam period Tamilakam Cheras Spice trade Ays Ezhil Malai Confluence of religions Mamankam festival Calicut Venad - Kingdom of Quilon Valluvanad Kolattunadu Cochin Arakkal kingdom Minor principalities Age of Discovery Portuguese period Dutch period Rise of Travancore Mysorean invasion British Period Battle of Tirurangadi Malabar District North Malabar South Malabar Battle of Quilon Communism in Kerala Lakshadweep Economy Architecture The Battle of Colachel (or The Battle of Kolachel )
7104-565: The ranks, eventually becoming the "Valia Kapitaan" (Commander in Chief) of the Tranvancore military and was given the Udayagiri Fort , locally known as the "Dillanai kotta" (De Lennoy's fort), near Padmanabhapuram, to reside. He was one of the commanders of the Tranvancore army during the decisive battle of Ambalapuzha where his erstwhile employers were fighting on behalf of Cochin and her allies. Following Travancore's victory over Cochin and her allies,
7200-552: The reign of Sthanu Ravi Varma (9th century CE), records that there was extensive trade between Kerala and China at that time, based at the port of Kollam. When the Ay diminished, Venad became the southernmost principality of the Second Chera Kingdom . An invasion of the Cholas into Venad caused the destruction of Kollam in 1096. However, the Chera capital, Mahodayapuram , also fell in the subsequent Chola attack, which compelled
7296-546: The requests of Tamils. During that period the Travancore State Congress favoured the idea of uniting all the Malayalam speaking regions and forming a "Unified Kerala". In protest against this idea, many Tamil leaders vacated the party. Tamils gathered together at Nagercoil on 16 December 1945 under the leadership of Sam Nathaniel and formed the new political party All Travancore Tamilian Congress. That party pushed for
7392-531: The small feudal state of Venad in 1723, and built it into Travancore. Marthanda Varma led the Travancorean forces during the Travancore-Dutch War of 1739–46, which culminated in the Battle of Colachel . The defeat of the Dutch by Travancore is considered the earliest example of an organised power from Asia overcoming European military technology and tactics. Marthanda Varma went on to conquer most of
7488-484: The smaller principalities of the native rulers. The Travancore royal family signed a treaty with the British in 1788, thereby adopting British dominance. Later, in 1805, they revised the treaty, leading to a diminution of royal authority and the loss of political independence for Travancore. They had to give up their ruling rights over the common people in 1949 when Travancore were forced to merge with Independent India. The kingdom takes its name from Thiruvithamcode in
7584-412: The soldiers of their ally Deshinganad abandoned them. Travancore's victory at Colachel greatly had decreased the Dutch morale, and in a 26 October report to Batavia, the Dutch command at Kochi mentioned that the native chiefs now believed that the Dutch East India Company could be driven off the Malabar coast. However, by February 1742, the Dutch had captured a small fort near Attingal. In addition to
7680-519: The states reorganisation based on language. It submitted its report on 10 August 1955. Based on this report, Devikulam – Peermedu and Neyyattinkara Taluks were merged with Kerala state . On 1 November 1956 – four Taluks Thovalai, Agastheeswaram, Kalkulam, Vilavancode were recognised to form the New Kanyakumari District and merged with Tamil Nadu State. Half of Sengottai Taluk was merged with Tirunelveli District . The main demand of T.T.N.C
7776-515: The temples of Venad kingdom, especially the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple . In the early 18th century CE, the Travancore royal family adopted some members from the royal family of Kolathunadu based at Kannur , and Parappanad in present-day Malappuram district . The history of Travancore began with Marthanda Varma, who inherited the kingdom of Venad (Thrippappur), and expanded it into Travancore during his reign (1729–1758). After defeating
7872-515: The war thanks to the exceptional military efforts of the Travancore Nair Brigade at sea, along with the leadership of three Nair commanders—Arumukhan Pilla, Nanu Pilla, and Chembaka Raman Pilla—on land. Though in the war with Kayamkulam a regiment of Maravar from Tinnevelly under Ponnan Pandya Tevar also co-operated. It was the same army that defeated the Dutch at Colachel, where also the military genius of Ramayyan, not to speak of that of
7968-405: Was divided into five divisions: Padmanabhapuram , Trivandrum , Quilon , Kottayam , and Devikulam , of which Padmanabhapuram and Devikulam was predominantly Tamil speaking region with small Malayalam speaking minorities. The divisions of Trivandrum , Kollam , Kottayam was predominantly Malayalam speaking region with small Tamil speaking Minority. King Marthanda Varma inherited
8064-558: Was elected as the New President. The first general election of Independent India was held on 1952. T.T.N.C won 8 legislative assembly seats. Mr. A. Chidambaranathan became the minister on behalf of T.T.N.C in the coalition state government formed by the Congress. In the parliamentary Constituency Mr. A. Nesamony was elected as M.P. and in the Rajyasabha seat. Mr. A. Abdul Razak was elected as M.P. on behalf of T.T.N.C. In due course, accusing
8160-498: Was fought on 10 August 1741 [ O.S. 31 July 1741] between the Indian kingdom of Travancore and the Dutch East India Company . During the Travancore-Dutch War , King Marthanda Varma 's (1729–1758) forces defeated the Dutch East India Company's forces led by Admiral Eustachius De Lannoy on 10 August 1741. The Dutch never recovered from the defeat and no longer posed a large colonial threat to India. Travancore triumphed in
8256-525: Was initially entrusted with the training of a few companies of the Maharajah's bodyguards and he did this with such an excellence that he was entrusted with modernizing the entire Travancore army. De Lennoy modernized the existing firearms and introduced better artillery and, more importantly, trained the Travancore army in the European style of military drill and military tactics. He carried out his orders with such sincerity and devotion that he rapidly rose through
8352-405: Was located at the extreme southern tip of the Indian subcontinent . Geographically, Travancore was divided into three climatically distinct regions: the eastern highlands (rugged and cool mountainous terrain), the central midlands (rolling hills), and the western lowlands (coastal plains). Due to the geographical isolation of the Malabar Coast from the rest of the Indian peninsula, attributed to
8448-498: Was named 1st Travancore Nair Infantry , Travancore State Forces . The unit was reorganised as an Indian State Infantry Battalion by Lieutenant Colonel H S Steward, who was appointed commandant of the Travancore State Forces. The last ruling king of Travancore, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma , reigned from 1931 to 1949. "His reign marked revolutionary progress in the fields of education, defence, economy and society as
8544-636: Was not eliminated after Marthanda Varma's success at Colachel, as is evident by the fact that the Dutch continued to wage war against Travancore in the northern Malabar. They also maintained their position at Kanyakumari, hoping to receive reinforcements from Ceylon. However, a 5,000-strong army dispatched by Marthanda Varma prevented them from advancing towards the capital of Travancore. They also sent 150 soldiers to reinforce their advance posts at Paravur and Ayiroor . The Dutch gave up their position at Kanyakumari only in October. They also abandoned Attingal , after
8640-681: Was one of the few surviving rulers of a first-class princely state in the old British Raj . He was also the last surviving Knight Grand Commander of both the Order of the Star of India and of the Order of the Indian Empire . He was succeeded as head of the Royal House as well as the Titular Maharajah of Travancore by his younger brother, Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma . The Government of India issued
8736-492: Was popularly known as Dharma Raja , shifted the capital in 1795 from Padmanabhapuram to Thiruvananthapuram . Dharma Raja 's period is considered a Golden Age in the history of Travancore. He not only retained the territorial gains of his predecessor, but also improved and encouraged social development. He was greatly assisted by a very efficient administrator, Raja Kesavadas , the Diwan of Travancore. Travancore often allied with
8832-449: Was the first prime minister of Travancore, that they retained in the modern-state of Kerala . Pattom came up with a colonisation project to re-engineer the demography of Cardamom Hills . His colonisation project was to relocate 8,000 Malayalam -speaking families into the Taluks of Devikulam and Peermade . About 50,000 acres in these Taluks, which were Tamil-majority area, were chosen for
8928-560: Was the town of Quilon. Travancore#Administrative divisions The Kingdom of Travancore ( / ˈ t r æ v ə ŋ k ɔːr / ), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor ( Malayalam: [t̪iɾuʋid̪aːŋɡuːr] ) or later as Travancore State , was a kingdom that lasted from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram , and later Thiruvananthapuram . At its zenith,
9024-429: Was to merger the Tamil regions with Tamil Nadu and major part of its demand was realised. So T.T.N.C was dissolved thereafter. Apart from Kanyakumari district , the Taluks of Devikulam and Peermade in present-day Idukki district also had a Tamil -majority until late 1940's. The T.T.N.C had also requested to merge these Taluks with Madras State . However it was due to some decisions of Pattom Thanu Pillai , who
9120-674: Was under the Ay dynasty . During the Ay dynasty, they spoke a language known as Middle Tamil , which differed from Tamil spoken in Tamil Nadu. Later Ay dynasty, conquered and succeeded by the Kulashekara Perumals , based in Kollam (later known as Venad ), during the period of the Chera Kulashekara Perumal (Keralaputras) dynasty, the language evolved into Old-Malayalam . The Quilon copper plates (849/850 CE) are considered
9216-671: Was unpopular among the communists of Travancore. The tension between the Communists and Iyer led to minor riots. In one such riot in Punnapra-Vayalar in 1946, the Communist rioters established their own government in the area. This was put down by the Travancore Army and Navy. The prime minister issued a statement in June 1947 that Travancore would remain an independent country instead of joining
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