HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE - Forgotten Books

HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE

THE EARLIEST TIMES,

Sawp b u u n i ,

’

4 H t H ,

H

RSHUNGUONN Y MENOM,

Demm Peishcar of Travancore.

M AN Y ILJL U S T RAT IO N S

Fullmany agem ofpurest my serene,The dark unfathomed caves of oceanb ear

Full many a.flow er is b ornto b lush unseen,Gnnr.

janat asHIGGINBOTHAM AND 00 .

Ba spt t w l fippnintmmt to h is Boga!h ighw ays iat imt ofmalts,muWlisbm to tb zmamas auihmitg.

1878 .

(AH r i gh t s M ou n d . )

DEDICATED

P E RL/11 8 S IO N

j is 3mm G raci ous S hannen

SBE E PADMANABHADASAVAN JIPALARAMAVURMAH

KULASEKHARAKIREETAI’ATHIMUNNAY SULTAN

M AR“ RAJAHRAMARAJAH BAHADURSHAMSHEERJUN G

MAHARAJAH OF TRAVANCORE,

KN IGHT GRAN D com unnn or mi: 110 81 EXALTED

ORDEROF THE STAROF INDIA,

HIS VERY HUMBLE,LOYALAND GRATEFUL SERVANT,

TH E fi U T H o a.

PREFACE.

v urcoan, th e southernmost State inIndia,w as w ell know nin early t ime s . N evertheless, its early h istory, ex tent of its

territory,and o ther particulars are mostly b uried inob scurity,ow ing to th e non-ex istence ofacorrect and detailed history of

the kingdom. The ex is tence of the king dom going b ack topre -historic t imes,no historical facts are found recorded illus

trating its ant iquity.

1 8 scarcely akingdom onthe fac e of the earth,w hose

dynasty cont inued to ex ist inan unb rokenline of succession,from the t ime of its foundat ion to the present day.

The mo th er-country of Travancore w as the Mandalakingdom Chera, w hich once covered the b est port ion of

SouthernIndia, and w hich underw ent various changes duringthe four Y ugas according to the Pursuit: accounts . In the

present age , Kali Y uga, it was gradually reduced to the

present Travancore w ith its area of 6653} square miles,situated b e tw eenthe 8th and l oth degree of north latitude .

In this reduced state, Travancore b ecame more stronglyprotected b y natural b oundaries, the south and the w es t

b ein b ounded b y the IndianO cean, the eas t, b y the rangeof t 9 h igh ghauts, and the northern parts b e in mostlycovered w i th b ack-w aters, rivers, lakes,&c . Thus t e situa

t ionofTravancore b eing unfavourab le for the march of horsesand elephants that formed the b est portion of an army inthose days,saved it from the incursions of foreigninvaders .

When maritime pow ers b egan to rise, Travancore findingitself too w eak to resis t them,made alliance w ith them and

pursued its original po licy of commerce,thus avoiding quarrels .

Travancore is perhaps the only kingdom in India w hich

preserves its original caste , re ligion, customs,manners, institutions, &c ., and the compiler of the Travancore recordsis perfect ly right in saying that Travancore is one of thevery fe w remainin

gspecimens ofapure Hindu G overnment,

the inst itutions 0 w h ich have never b een affected b y theMahomedanconquest .”

The peculiar class of Numb oory Brahmans w hom ParasuRama new ly organized, re tain w ithout any change w hat

PRE FACE .

ever,all their Brahmanicalday. The four cas tes introd

quently multiplied to seventy-tw o b y SankaraAcharyar, asshown in the Kerala Ulppathy, are stillflourish ing inTravancore,as w ill b e seen from the Travancore Census Report,recently pub lished.

The Chera characters, the Tamil and G randha, are the

national letters in Travancore, and the former is still the

character in w h ich the G overnment records are w ritten.

From its original state, as Chera Mandalam. the largest ofthe three Mandala kingdoms, covering the b est portion of

South ernIndia, it w as reduced to a small province, b oundedb y Canara, Coimb atore, Tinnevelly and the Indian O cean.

Sub sequently w e find that itflourished under it s present nameTravancore,and cont inued trib utary t o the Rayers of Vijayana gur, w henVisw anatha Naicker assumed the G overnmentof adura. Under the Rayer dynasty, Travancore w as still

reduced and humil iated b y b eing degraded to the low posit ionof afeudatory ch ief. TheRev .W. Taylor, in his translationof Historical manuscripts,page 161, ob serves that during thesw ay of Thirumali Naicker of Madura, the Malayalam, N eu

jenaudRajah (King of Travancore) w as included among the

seventy-tw o Palliyams (feudal chiefs) appointed to guard theb astions of the Pandiancapita

From the position of a feudatory State, Travancore rose

again, slow l b ut surely, and recovered many of its lostpossessions, o th inthe east and inthe north .

An important feature inthe h istory of Travancore, is,thatevenafter b e ing reduced to afeudatory State, its sovere ignsw ere ab le to ex tend their dominions to its present e x tent,solely at the point of the sw ord, through the b ravery of

Travancore’s sons alone, unaided b y any ex ternal agencies,

till the b eginning of the present century, thus show ing that

the natives of Travancore are quite compe tent for the administration of the country, in itsRevenue, Civil,and M ilitaryb ranches. This history w ill shew how the sovere igns andthe Statesmanof Travancore dist inguished themselves inthegovernment of the kingdom, w hen w estern enlightenmentand civilizationw ere unknown inIndia.

This remarkab le native State,b eing situated at the southernmost ex tremity of the Indianempire, had not b eenb roughtforw ard prominently b efore the pub lic inearl t imes, nay,nott ill the assumpt ionof the G overnment ofIn is b y the Brit ishCrow n and consequently,it is not surprising that its originalhistory remained in ob scurity. In the ab sence of a correct

PRE FACE .

m erroneousancmg com

'

There are some short accounts of M ilitary Operat ions andother po liti cal events concerning this country, emb odied inmodernw orks pub lished at various t imes, b ut noth in intheformof afull and true history has hitherto appearedintheEnglish language .

In th e M alab ar year 1043, a small w ork in the shape ofaMalayalam pamphle t compiled

gyone Pachu M oo thathu of

Vycome,a Sanscrit scholar and a at ive Practit ioner,attach edto the palace of His Highness the M ahaRajah of Travancore,appeare d at Trevandrum. This w ork, how ever, short andab ridged and b ased upon erroneous dataon certainimportantpoints,contains many trustw orthy and real accounts connectedw ith th e progress of the kingdom,under the present dynastyand th e good and memorab le administrationof the sovere ignsas w ell as the meritorious lab ours ofmany of the ab le M inisters of th e State . G reat credi t is due to the author of that

pam b le t,as he w as the first personw ho made such aprai sey attempt . I have b een in a measure b enefited b y

reference to this w ork,inw riting this,inw h ich my spare t imehas b een spent for many years .

I w ould have, lon ago, b rought th is w ork b efore the

pub lic ; b ut w henIha fini shed the first five chapters in 1870,Ilearnt that the then Dew anof Travancore, Sir T. MadavaRow , had commenced w riting aHistory of Travan

core,and,therefore,Inaturally dropped mypen,as my w ork,if completed,w ould not compete w ith that of th is eminentState sman.

In the year 1873,a M alayalam translation of Sir Madava

Row ’s History of Travancore a peered in print, b ut it con

siste d only an account of the istory of tw o re igns . As acomple te history of the country from his ab le pen cannotb e e xpected at present, I resumed my w ork. For w ant ofsufi cient and trustw orthy materials,the progress w as very slowfor some t ime,b ut His M ost G racious Highness the presentMahaRajah,very kindly gave direct ions to th e Palace O fficials,to furnish me w ith all necessary informat ionfrom the ele ce

archives,and also to render me every assistance t ow ar s the

complet ion of my lab ours . Backed b y such indulgences,Ib

PRE FACE.

proceeded onw ith my w ork,and have now b rought it to aclose .

Almost all the illustrations, this w ork contains, w ere oh

tained from the Palace Gallery w ith the e x cept ion of a

few , w hich w ere draw naccording to tradi tional accounts b yKilimanoorRevi Vurmah Ko il Thumpuran, the artist w ho

gained medals in the Madras and Calcut ta Fine Arts Ex hib it ions . To th is ab le and ingenious artist my most sincerethanks are specially due .

It w ould b e necessaril difi cult to ofier my thanks indiv idually t o every one w 0 has rendered assistance in this

useful undertaking,and so,Iacknow ledge generally my ob li

gation to all, from w homany aid had b eenob tained tow ardsthe comple t ion of this w ork, w hich Ihope w ill prove usefuland acceptab le to the pub lic .

The b est availab le hands inMadras w ere procured for theLithographs, ye t Icanno t say that the w ork has b e ensat isfactorily accomplished . The great amount of t ime taken b ythe Li thographers has caused the delay inthe appearance ofthe b ook .

The heading of Chapte r II has b een printed Re ign ofBass Vanji Pala MarthandaVurmah Kulasekhara Perumal”

through anoversight,it ough t to b e properl Re ign of SriPadmanab ha Dasa Vanji Pals Marthanda urmah KulasekharaPorumul.”

Smnnrsmr m Travancore,

N ovemb er 1878 .

CO N TEN TS.

CHAPTERI.

Anc ient names of th e prov ince—Ti tle s of i ts Sovereigns ex plainedEarly ment ion of Travancore in t he Puranas—The Puranas ash is toric records—Brief descript ion of the 18 Puranas-flThe

Ramayana, Bharatha and Harivamsa—The M adura TempleTh e 56 kingdoms ofBharatha—Boundaries of anc ient ChoraEarl emperors—Ance stral l ine of the Chera d nas ty—Keralaor alayalam recovered from the sea—The expoi ts of Parasu

Rama—Th e Kerala Mahatmyam—U daya Vurmah, the head of

t h e ColaRoyal family—Lis t of kings in the Kali Y ugamKulasekhara Perumal, the great Vaishnava devotee and oet

Th e era of Vicramad ithya Kongakings—Cas te of the ongaand Chera kings—Chem incorporated w ith Travancore— O ldinscript ions—Acopper sasanum—KeralaUlppathy—Pachu M oo

t hathu’s account of Travancore—Cheraman Perumal— Sanscrit

scholars inKers lam—Further proof of the ant iquity of the Travancore dynasty—Astronomical calculat ions—TheTravancore andCoch inRoyal families—Difi erence b e tw e enSamanthaand Samanther -False no t ions ab out HirannyaGarb ham—Brief account ofth e ceremonies Thnlapurusha danam and E irann a Garb hadanam—The N umb oory community —The renow ned edanth is tSankara Acharyar—Rules for pro tect ing female chast ity—TheDevasw ams—The M ili tary systemadopted b Travancore kingsTravancore co ins—Th e end of the Perumal i ceroyalty

—O rigm ofthe Coch inRajah and the Zamorinof Calicut— The five Sw arooams—Anew e raintroduced b yking U dayaMarthandaVurmahe PanthalamRajah—The Coch inRajah e x tends h is sovere ignty

—Mahomedan invasion— Short no t ices of some Travancore k ings—E ccle s ias t ical syst em organised

—Consp iracy against kingAdi th iyaVurmah—AMahomedanSirdar force s,M ab omedancus

toms—Bat tle b e tw een Ke ralaVurmah and th e Sirdar—Victoryof the former w ho is sub se uent ly assassinat ed

—Adopt ionof amemb er into th eRoyal fami y— Prince MarthandaVurmah andh is ex plo i ts—Treaty w i th t h e M adura G ove rnment—Inte rcoursew ith Europeans inearly t imes

CHAPTERII.

King Ramah Vurmah’s succe ssor—Stat e of the kingdom—Hisefiort s t o improv e iv—Difiicnlt ie s w i th th e PandyanG o vernment—Raising of aMaraver army—Withdraw al of the Trich inopoly

CO N T E N T S.

Page.

cont ingent—Aconfederacy—D'

utesabout the throne—Rebuilding of the Trevandrum Pagoda y the Rajah—Works of publicut ility undertaken—Papu Thamb plo ts agains t the RajahDestruct ionof PapuThamb y and is party—War w ith Kayemkulam w hose Rajah sues for peace—Annexation of TerritoryDis utes be tw een Travancore and Dutch East IndiaCompanyA ntch de tachment defeated by the Travancore army—Dutchre inforced fromCeylon—Travancore treats w i th the G overnmentofPondicherry—Bat tle ofColachel—Treatment ofDntch Prisoners—Eustat ious D

’LanoyandBonadi—The siege ofKilimancor

Fall of Cottayam—Ad in of theRajah’s w arl ike movementsCcnfederacyofPetty Chic s—Treaty w ith the Dutch—The AmbalapulayRajah defeated and takenprisoner—Capture of Chunganacherry—Renew ed struggle w ith Cochin—Some of the MalabarPrinces re b el—Travancore comes incontact w ith HyderAli—ThoN ab ob

’s Viceroy at Trichinopoly, declares h is independence

Mahomed Ali and the English alliance w ith h im—O s ture ofKalacaud fort—Defeat of the Zamorin of Calicut

’Lanoyappo inted Commander-in-Chief of the Travancore arm —M ea

sure s taken to pro tect Travancore—The reform of i ts dministrat icn and the promo t ion of the w elfare of i ts people—Animportant council h eld—Ce le b rat ion of the first MurajapomAnact ofReligious Devo t ion—U seful PublicWorks carried out—The death ofRamaIyenDalaw ah—The las t instruct ions of theMahaRajah—Provident ial interposit ion—Review of the MahaRajah'

s

CHAPTERIII.

Rama Vurmah - Travancore divided—The Zamorin of Calicut

Construct ionof Fort ificat icns—War w ith Maphnz KhanSah ibY usufi Khan reb els—The Madras G overnment interfere sKasava Pillay—Treaty be tw een H

ider Ali and the Madras

G overnment—Ambassador sent to ysore—Survo of Travan

core—War w ith Hyder Ali—Death of D’Lanoy ilgrimage toRamesw aram—Intercourse w i th Europeans—Prosperous state of

Travancore—Kasava Pilla —Tip 0 0 invades Malabar—Englishofficers and SirArch ibald umphs l—N egot iat ionw ith the Dutch—The Madras G overnment remonstrates—War w ith TippooMadras G overnment declare w ar w ith Tippoo—Contrib ut ions tothe w ar—TheMalabarPrinces— 1mprovement ofAlleppey—ForestConservancy—Pub lic Works - Re vised Treaty w ith Brit ishG overnment—Death of the MahaRajah—His acts. .

CHAPTERIV.

BalaRamaVurmah—The favorites ofHisHighness—Doath ofDownRye Kasava Dass —Jayanthen Bankarsa N umb ocry raised to

ow er—E x tortion—Valu Thamby and h is party reb e l—N ew

sw ana po inted—Palace intrigues— Murder of tw o h igh ofii cials—Valu hamb y apfi

i inted Dew an—The system ofadministrat ionim roved—Major acauly appointed Re sident—Valu ThambyDasw ab

’s administrat ion—Revolt against h im—LordWe llesley s

letter onthe same—The new Treaty of 1805—Embarrassed state

ofTravancore finances—Disputesab out payment oftroops—Deathof Sub s. Iyen—Conspiracy and attempt on Colonel Macauly

's

CO N T E N T S.

Page.

life—Murder of Brit ish Soldiers—Report of the Re sident—Proclamat ion of t he Dew an—It s efiect—Proclamat ion of the Brit ishG overnment—Brit ish Force sent against Travancore—Rew ardofiered for the apprehensionof the Dev an—His death—Leadersof th e insurrect ionpunished—N arrat ive of proceedings ofBrit ishtroops—M easureaof th e new Dew an—D ifierences b e tw eenh imandthe M aharajah—The E liah Rajah—Co lonel Munro appo intedRes ident—Death of the MahaRajah—Revie w of his

CHAPTERV.

Her Highnes s LakshmiRhye—Her character—Co lonel M unro actsas Dem —Reforms—Financial im rovement s—Death of HerHighne ss—Her prosperous reign e Sat taWariola—Rev iewof th e M od s re ign

CHAPTERVI.Prince Rama Vurmah—The Regent G ouree Parw ath i RanceSe lec t ion of aDew an—His dismissal—Ramen M enonappo inted—His h igh charac t er—EuropeanCommercialAgent atAlleppeColone l M cDow e ll appoint ed Res ident—Descri t ionof the r

riag e ceremonies of Prince ssRugmini Eb ys o lonel M cDow e lld ied 1820—Colonel N ew all appo inted—Palace intrigues

—Adminis trat ion of Pe ishcar Vencat taRow—The studies of the tw o

Prince s—Lib eral treatment ofM issionarie s b y theRance—O pening ofSyrianCollege at Cot tayam—TheRenee’sRegency

CHAPTERVII.The real k ing of Travancore—His scho last ic attainments—SubsBc w ’

s administration—M r. Lushing ton, G ov ernor of Madras,v is its Travancore—Improvement s Code ofRegulat ions—English sch oo l opened at Trevandrum—The O b servatory—Irrigat ionand Maramuth department—The M ahaRa'

ah’s Court—G eneral

Cullen app

o int edRe sident—M isunderstan gs—Re ligions acts

of the M aRajah—Financial embarrassment s—The last hoursand death of the Maha

CHAPTERVIII.His Highness Marthanda Vurmah,MahaRa'

ah—His Highness’

charac ter and at tainments—His Highness’

evo t ion to medicalscience—The MahaRajah’

s visit to H. M .

’s Frigate Jupiter

Europeanstyle of liv ing—Lord E lphins tone and t he MahaRajah—Dew anKrishnaRow ’s re forms— N ew spaper cri t icisms ont he

Travancore G overnment—Educat ion of t he young Prince sInspection ofanEnglish Steamer—Patron e of Literature andScience—Press andCalendar—Revenue from epper

—Travancorecontrib ut ions to London E x h ib i t ion ISM - Rece ipt of a le t ter

from H. M . t he Queen— E x ce ssive Rainfall—Ques tions ab outNat ive Convert s—Ab o li t ionofSlavery— O ening ofanew Bridge—Census of Travancore—Ap o intment 0 Sir MadavaRo w as

Dev an—Lord Harris’v isit ome incidents of the MahaRajah’s

LIST O F ILLU STRATIO N S .

APunaromaofTravancore—Front ispiece .

Sree Bhagavath iEmperor Y ayath iParasuRamaInstallat ionofBhanuVicramaas King ofKe rala.

KulasekharaAlw arVeers Ke ralaVurmahRepre sentat ionofG o ldenTub forPadmaGarb hamceremonyCo ins st ruck for the Tnlab hanamCheraman PerumalVe e raM arthandaalias CharaU dayaMarthandaMarthandaVurmah MahaRajahAn E t tu Vee t il PillayRama Iyen Dalaw ahG eneral D

’Lanoy’s M ili tary

Padmanab hapuram Fort andPagodaTow er,Tre vandrumTrevandrum Sew alipurayPadmanab ha uram Palace

Marthanda urmah MahaRajah performing ThulapurushaDanum

MarthandaVurmah MahaRajah entering into the TubMarthandaVurmah MahaRajah making o ver the Kingdom

to Padmanab haSw amyRamaVurmah MahaRajahTheRajah ofCoch inIeppen Marthanda Pillay Dalaw ahrani te Paddy store at Manacudy

Tippoc SultanN air and Sikh Sepoy andRocke t-bearerClock Tow er,TrevandrumKulasekhara M undapomRye KasavaDass De w anAsw at i Th i rmial,E liaRajahBalaRamaVurmah MahaRajahValuThamby Dalaw ahThe M aharajah and h is at tendantsDe w anUmminy Thamb yCo lone l M unro,Bri t ish Res ident

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ADDENDA.

Page 32,line 15,for 7 th century. read 1 1th century.

39, u 8, Rakshapumshen,readRakshapurushan.

53, 32, Syst ems Brahminacum, read Systems Brahmanican.

and in the possession, read and are in the

possession.

assis ting theQuilonRajah restoring,&c.,read

assist ing theQuilonRajah inres toring,&c .

128, 1, n of the Kayemkulam,omi t the .

140, 35, 21st Makaram,read 20 th Makaram.

260, 6, Kariakar,read Harikar.

270, 6, Madacava,read Nadacava.

302, 38-39, ValuThamby the Dalaw ah ’s mother,readValu

Thamb y Dalaw ah ’s mother.

368,second line from the end,omit both.

370,line 9,omit b oth.

448, 16,for describ ed,read descried.

496, 26, re turned from,road re turnfrom.

500, 25, t o see beaut iful steamer,read to see the beaut iful steamer.

n b ut,read and.

HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE.

CHAPTER I .

EARLY HISTORY O F TRAVAN CORE .

HE pre sent Dynas ty of Travancore is one of the

most ancient inIndia, the period assigned toit s origin be ing the beginning of the world .

Th e original designationof Travancore w as

as w e find it spelt by some authors,SeraorCh era, the first of the three Southern Mandala

kingdoms, has, according to the Tami l N ighandu(Dic tionary), numerous appe llations, b ut with the

exc eption of a few , they appear to have become nowobsole te .

Subsequent to the di smemberment of the main partof the Cherakingdom, and the embodying of the re stw i th it s Southernand Keralapossessions,the designations w ere,first,Sreevalumcode or Tiruvarumcode,

”1

abode of prosperity, which name w as vulgarised intoThiruvancode,from which Travancore, the name usedby the English is derived ; secondVanavanaud,abridgedinto Venend ; third, Kerslam ; fourth,Vanji Desam ;and fifth,ThiruAdi Desam .

All the ancient designations of Cherenare found inthe Tamil language and the N ighandu has such desig

1 . Then shal l Travancore indeed b e w hat she is now fanc iful lydenominat ed by h er people,Tiru-varung -kodu, th e sacred, prospe rouskingdom,Vanji Bhumi,the Treasure Land,Dharma Bhumi,t h e landofPie ty,Charity and Truth .Revd. Mat oer

’eLand ofCharity,page 370 .

aim”

HISTORY or mi vmooas .

nations arranged in it,of which afew may b e quote dhere as specimensCheren,Cheralen,(Keralen) Kollykav elen,c econ,

Pothintharaven,Porunayat tan, Vanjiventhen,Kcthap

yar,Vanavarempen,M alayaman,&c .

All these names have spe cial meanings which willb e found in the Tami l Akarathi .

Chakravarthy, Kula

of the race ofKings,and Perumal,King ;signifies Sacred or prosperous feet .

The title, Veere Kerala, is the same as that o fCheren, for, the westernboundary of the kingdom of

Chera extended beyond the Suhhyen mountains (th eWest ern Ghauts) to the Arabian Sea, and the coas tbetween the seaand the Ghauts w as called Malayalamor Keralam (so called the first, from it s situationatthe foot of the hills,and the second from the fact ofthe land abounding with cocoanut,which inSanscrit iscalled Keram, the owner of thi s land Cherenbeing asa.matter of course styled Keralen fi

)The Sanscrit word Sree (CERES) is pronounced inTamil, Thiru. The following are examples z— Thiruvancode instead of Sreevalumcode, Thiru Adikel for

1 . Land ofPerumals,page 38.

2. CochinAdministrat ionReport for 1875 -76.

3 . But , thou h w hat the Kerala M ahatmyam relat es might b eaccepted,see ing t at th e Copper Plat e Document, N o . I,proves thatVeeraKeralaw as th e first Prince of Kerala; ye t, on the o th er hand,th ere may b e no harm in surmising,t hat t his name ofVeers Keralamay hav e had reference t o th e said count ry of Kerala w h ich h e

overned .

”Madras J ournal of Literature and Science,Vol. 5, N o . 9,

ew series .

4 . Dr. Caldw e ll inh is Comparat ive G rammar of DravidianLanguages,

”says t hat th e w ord Kerala w as know n under various forms,

such as Keralam,Cheralam,Cheram,Keram,Seram,&c . He supposesKara to b e the earlie st form of t he w ord .

”

EARLY HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE .

Sree.

Adike l, Thiru Vanpcolamfor Thiru Vanji Kovi ou r.

Th e dominions which include the best port ionof the da country had Tami l as it s vernacularfrom th e earliest time, and the G randha and othercharac t e rs originated in thi s kingdom . Dr . Burnellte stifie s to this fact in his Paleography where in hesays that, The G randha, modernTamil,Malayalamand Telugu alphabets all have their origin in the

Cera character, a variety of the Cave charac ter,which w as used in the Cera kingdom during theearly centuriesA.D. From the third to the seventhcentury appears to have been the most flourishingperi od int he modernhistory of thi s kingdom ; it thene x t ended over the presentMysore,Co imbatore,Salem,Tondainadu, South Malabar and Cochin. It w as,however,one of the three great old Dravidiankingdoms and existed already in the third century B.C.

The Puranas and other ancient Sanscrit and Tamilhistorical w ritings connected with,and bearing upon,th e Puranas,describe the origin,in the KrithaY ugam(the first age ),of thre e cont empora kings inSouthernIndiacalled Cheren, Cholen and andyan,w ho ruledover three countries called after their name s CheraMandalam, CholaMandalam and Pandya Mandalam .

These three kings were brothers and were SomaVamsaKshatrias .

The Kshatrias are of two classes,namely,the SooryaVamsaand SomaVamsa, anaccount of whose originwill b e interesting .

Th e Hindu chronology divides the age of the worldinto four Y ugams, v iz . : KrithaY ugam years,Thretha Y ugam years,Dw apara Y ugamyears, and Kali Y ugam ears ; the whole beingequi valent to years of t e immortals .

Inthe KrithaY ugam tw o races of Kshatrias werebegotten; one from the sun and the other from the

moon,onwhom the administrationof the whole earthoriginally devolved .

EARLY HISTORY OF TBAVANCORE .

Brahma, the Creator, begot ason Kasyapen. Hi ssonw as Sooryan. His sonVaivasw athaManu. His so n

w as Sudyumnenalias Ilen,who, by apeculiar adventure, (which it is not to our present purpose to detai lhere) became a female ; Ila,and by her the Empero rPurooravass w as born to Budhen. His son w as

Ayush, hi s son Nahushen, his son Y ayathi he had

two w ives Devayani and Sarmisht ta, the former w as

the Brahman Rishi Sukren’s daughter, who had tw o

sons named Yedu and Durvasu, and to the latte rPrince the Emperor Y ayathi as signed sovere ignty ove rthe Southernpart of India. The posterity of Durvas uare the three kings of Chera, Chola and Pandya.

Of these three, Cheren w as the head of the presentTravancore Dynasty,which is also called Keralen.

The celebrated and popular work called Harivamsa,l

has inits 32nd Chapter adetai lednarrative of the originof the abovementioned Dynasties, the substance of

afew verses of which may b e givenbelow .

Durvasu’s sonw as Vahni,his son G ourb hanu,his

sonThraisanu,his sonKarendhamen,his sonMaruthen,who had no male issue b ut only adaughter by nameSammatha, whom the king gave as Kanniaka. Danumto Jupi ter

’s brother, Samvarthen,aBrahmanendowed

with great wisdom and learning . M aruthenadoptedDushenthenfrom Pooruvumsam,and they thus becameunited w i th the renowned Pooruvamsa. Dushenthen

’s

sonw as King Guryamenor Karendhamen; he had foursons called Pandyan, Keralen,Solenand Kolen. The

kingdom w as divided among the sons by the ir father,who called the divi sions after their names Pandya,Sola,Keralaand Kola.

1 . Wh en those observat ions passed throu h the Pre ss w e had notmet w i th apassage inth e Harivamsa,adduc by Co l. Wilford,w h ichconfirms th e statement of our manuscript s b y assigning th e Southcountry to Duruvsu,and adding that inth e tenth g enerat ionaft er himfour b ro th ers divided the Peninsulaamong th em; th ey b e ing respec

t ively named Pandya,Cerala,Co laand Chola, of w hom Cola had the

most N ort h ernport ion. W. Taylor’s Pre face,p . 11 and 12,Hi storicalManuscript s Translat ion,Vol. 1 .


Other Authorsl make allusionto only three Dynasties, i . e .,Chera,Cholaand Pandya,of which Cheraw assubsequently styled Kerala, inwhich Kolaappears t ohave b e en embodi ed . The Puranas are the chiefauthorit ie s for the above accounts .

For such information as is pre-historical, w e are

obliged to depend upon the Puranas alone, thoughmany ar e of opinion that these are no t trustworthy .

Inde e d,t he descriptions of things and deeds narrated inthe Puranas are certainly Open to such criticism, b utas w e d o no t hesitate to place credence on the Bible,the Ko ranand such writings,conveying to us religiousinstructions and Divine commands, w e may generallyplace our be li ef in the Puranic accounts, rejecting theexaggerations and such fictitious descriptions as theauthors of the Puranas may have added to embelli shthe ir works .

E vensome of the be st Europeanauthors have takenth e view that the Hindu Puranas are acceptableauthorit ies in such matters . In page 86 of AHistorical Sketch of Sanscrit Literature,

”the author

says, The Puranas holdaneminent rank inthe re ligionand literature of the Hindus . Posse ssing like theVedas the credi t of divine originand scarcely inferiorto them insanctity, they exercise a more extensiveand practical influence uponHindu society . Theyregulate their ritual,direct the ir faith and supply in

E‘opular legendary tales materials for their credulity .

0 European scholars, they recommend themselve son other accounts and they have beenconsidered tocontain not only the picturesque and myt hologicalpart of Indian superstition, b ut as the treasury ofextensive and valuable historical remains w hose datareach back at least nearly to the deluge . The

Puranas include ancient tradi tions re specting the

Gods, re ligions, doctrines and rite s, the creation,

1 . Tradit ion and nat ive records represent the Southern port ionof

the Indian Peninsulaas b e in anciently div ided into three contemrary kingdoms ; l ,The Pan ya; 2, Cholaor Sora; 3,CheraSeraor

onga. Pro fessor Dow son’s JournalRoyal Asiat ic Society,Vol . 8.


the ages of the world,cosmography,and the genealogy and history of the ancient kings as well as t h ede eds of their successors .

”

We think that the fabulous narratives recorded in

the Puranic w ritings might b e easily and we ll sift edout and authentic and credible facts collected fromthem .

The followingare the names of the eighteenPuranas,with brief notes of the ir substance s

I.— TheBrahmaParanacontains anaccount of th e

creationand of the Manw antharas,the history of t h esolar and lunar races to the time of Krishna,adescriptionof the Universe,alife of Krishnaand atreatise onthe mode inwhich Yogais to b e performed . It treat salso of the Supreme power of the Omnipotent andOmnipresent Being, the importance of the Vedas andthe works assigned to Brahmans and other clas ses . Itdescribes the sanctity of various holy places includingAnanthasayanam (Trevandrum)

II .—The Pad/maParanais divided into five parts

Srisht i Khanda; Bhoomi Khanda; SwargaKhanda; (fl),. Pathala Khanda; Uttara Khanda.

These containtreatises onthe creationafter the deluge,the origin of Brahma,the Vedas, the Manus,&c .,&c .

III— The Vishnu Parana is that in which Parasara,b e rinning with the events of the Varab aKalpa,e x poun s all duties . Thi s Puranaintroduces the substance of almost all the other Puranas .

IV .— The Vayu Parana. The Purana inwhich

Vayu has declared the laws of duty inconnectionwiththe SwetaKalpaand which comprises the Mahatmyamof the Rudra. This is narrated by Sootha to the

Rishi es of Naimisarannya. It is di vided into fourPadas termed severally Prakriya, Upodghata,Anushangaand Upasamhara. The first treats of the creation. The next contains the subject of the creationand describes the various Kalpas . The genealogies ofthe Patriarchs, the description of the Universe, and


the incidents of the first six Manw antharas are all can .

treated in thi s part . It contains also praises of Siva.

1 °

Along account of the Pithrus and the stories of someof the celeb rated Rishies are also to b e found . Thethird part commences with an ac count of the sevenBishice and their descendants and describes the originofthe several classes of created beings . Thencomes along and full ac count of the Solar and Lunar KshatriaDynastie s . The last rt ion describes briefly thefuture M anw antharas,t e measures of space and time,the end of the world, the efi cacy of Yoga and the

glories of Sivapura.

V .— The Sree Bhagavatha consists of twelve

Skundhas or Chapters . The first nine Chapters contam treatises onvarious subjects,such as the origin ofthe Purana,the creation,renovation and the end ofthe w orld,a descriptive account of Kali Y ugam, theVarious stages of humanlife and acomparisonof thehuman system and it s functions to a Fort with ninegat e s,a de scription of good and evil deeds,and the

rewardand punishment for such acts,aview of Heaven,Paradise,and Hell,an account of the incarnation ofVishnu,descriptionof the world both terrestrial andcelestial,the churning of the oceans,anaccount of theking of Pandyabeing cursed byAgusthyar,the originof the tw o races of Kshatrias, &c ., &c . ; the tenthdwells exclusively on the birth and life of Krishna;the eleventh onVedi c discourse and metaphysics,concluding with Krishnen’

s deificat ion; and the twelfthcontains a hist or of the kings of Kali Y ugam, thework closing w ithnumerous instructive lectures andVedi c discourses .

Some persons are of Opinion that the Purana calledDevee Bhagavathais the one to b e reckoned amongstthe e ighteenPuranas and not the one Wt h IS generally denominated Sree Bhagavatha, b ut w e are ofopinion that the latter is the proper Purana to b eincluded among the e ighte en.

VI.-The Naradeeya Parana. In this, Narada


describes the duties which were observed in the BrehatKalpa. It contains praises of Vishnu, the birth of

Markandeya,the destructionof Sagera’s sons and the

VamanaAvathara. It contains also a geogra hi cal

treatise on BharathaKhandam (India), in whio the

existence of the Dynasties of Chera (Kerala or Tra

vancore) is mentioned .

VII— The Markandeya Parana like most otherPuranas dwells much on the creation, condi tion andde struction of the world by adeluge . It also treats ofthe birth of the Manus,the mode of prayers to Durga,the victory of the Godde ss Bhavani over the Asuras ,giants,and the story of the birds that were acquaintedwith right and w rong as related by Markandeya andthe holy sage s . It lays downrules for the observanceof various classes and makes mention of the sanctityof the shrine of Benares and other holy places .

VIII — The Agni Parana describes the IsanuKalpa. It contains adescriptionof theAvatharas,instruct ions for the performance of religious rites,dutiesof kings,adistributionand arrangement of the Vedasand Puranas , and achapter onGifts . It further contains an account of medi cine and some instructionson the worship of Siva and Devee . The work con

cludes with atreatise onRhetoric,Prosody and Grammar,according to the Sutras of Panini . In addi tionto this, rules for the due observance of the ceremonies on the occasion of awidow burning w ith thecorpse of her husband are laid down.

IX.—The Bhavishyat Parana is that in which

Brahma, having described the greatness of the sun,explained to Manu the existence of the w orld and the

characters of all created things m the course of theAghora Kalpa. It chiefly treats of matters t o come,Bhavishyat meaning prophetic,such as the events of afuture age,all that w ill come to pass upto the end ofthe world being predicted . It prophe sie s the end ofthe Government of the Kshatriakings of both races,with the exceptionof the SomaVamsaKing of Kerala

EARLY HISTORY OF TRAYANCORE .

(Travancore and Cola), t he Cola conquest of the cm .

V eeralas (Be lalas or Holsalas) and the rule of Keralab y this KshatriaKing of Travancore and h is relativeC ola, the possession of Hindustan by Ml et chas (Mah omedans), and then by the E conas (EurOpeans),t o whom the King of Kerala (Travancore) will b etrib utary . The incarnation of Vishnu, as Kalkee,to w ards the end of the world,is also prophesied . Int hi s Purana a description of Southern India w ithcoPious accounts of Chera,Cholaand Pandya is givenin detail .

X .— The Brahmavai ’vartha Parana contains an

account of the greatness of God and of Krishna,andth e events of the Rathalva Kalpa. It is dividedinto four parts called Brahma, Deve e, Gane sa andKrishna. In this, the rule s of YogaAb hyasam (acertaindevotional service performed by meditating on

G od while the body is inacertainfixed posture w ith amind undi stracted . The power and sanctity of variousmanthrams (devotional Spells) are also described . )

XL— The Linga Parana. In this, M ahesw ara,present in the Agni Linga, explains virtue, w ealth,leasure and final liberation at the end of the Agnial

pnAccounts of the creation,praises of Sivaand

V is uand adescriptionof the universe are also given.

a.

XII— The Varaha Parana is that inwhich theglory of the great Varab ais predominant . It describeslike other Puranas the creationof the w orld, and thede luge, and the advantages derivable from sacrificesand other divine offerings . It contains some allusionsto the consecration of an image of Varab aM oorthi at

Ananthasayanam (Trevandrum)XIII— The Skanda Parana is that Purana in

w hich Skanda relates the events of the ThadpurushaKal a. It dwells upon the greatness and sanctityof iva, the birth of Skanda or Subrahmanya, andthe origin of Madura in the Pandyan country . Itcontains various prayers and hymns . It has alsoseveral b ranches such as HalassyaMahatmyam,&c .

2

EARLY HISTORY OF TRAYANCORE

XIV.—The Vamana Parana is that inwhich is

recorded how the four-faced Brahma taught the threeob ject s of existence as conducive to the account of th egreatness of Thrivikrama. It contains anaccount ofthe SivaKulpaand of the dwarf incarnationof Vishnu.

Adetailed account of the Emperor MahaBali and hisrighteous administration and an excellent lecture on

charity,together w ith anaccount of the sanctity andholiness of the river Ganges,are also given init .

XV —The KoormaParanais that inwhich Janardanainthe form of atortoise inregions under the earth,explained the objects of life, duty, wealth,and liberation, in connection w ith Indradyumna andthe Rishi es in the proximity of Sakrawhich refers tothe Lakshimi Kalpa.

XVI— The Matsya Parana is that inw hich forthe purpose of promulgating the Vedas,Vishnu,in thebeginning of a Kalpa, related to Manu, the story of

Narasimha and the events of the seven Kalpas . Itcontains acOpious description of the oceans,seas andthe i r courses .

XVII .-The GarudaPwranais that inwhichVishnu

recit es instructions inGarudaKalpa,and dwells chieflyon the birth of Garuda. It treats of the doctrine of

transmigrationof the soul . A‘

descript ionof hell andthe treatment of sinners in it, and of the eternalenjoyment in Paradise by the souls of those menw ho

reverenced and observed the commandments of God isgiven. It also lays dow n rules for the observance of

funerals and ceremoni es connected w ith them .

XVIII—The Brahmanda Parana is that whi chrelates the origin or evolution of the world in the

shape of anegg . It contains anaccount of the creationof the element s and every thing appertaining tothe Universe as also the birth and life of ParasuRama.

Independent of the above e ighteen Puranas,there are e ighteen more, denominated Upa1,SanalkamaraParana; 2,Narasimha 3,Naradeya


his reigning over India with justice for a perio dof thirty-six years ; Sree Krishna

’s deificat ion, t h e

end of the Dhurmaputhra’s re ign,and his translat ion

to Heaven. This is one of the largest Puranas andcontains most of the Hindu canons and laws, th eduties of kings and the government of kingdoms .

In this are laid down the highly renowned Hindudoctrine s called Bhagavat Ge eta and several othersequally instructive . It contains narrations upto th eend of the Dw a araY ugam and the commencement ofthe present ageKali Y ugam. That the king ofKeralam

(Travancore) fought in the Bharata Y udhum on th e

side of the Pandavas and w as killed inbattle is alsomentioned in it .

3rd.— The Har ivamsa describes the origin of the

world and the creation. It contains some treatises onreligion,gives afull and detailed genealogy of Kshatriakings both of the races of Soorya and Soma fromtheir very origin to the early part of the present ageKali Y ugam, and de scribes the origin of the Chera,Cholaand Pandyadynasties as already stated.

There are various other works branching out fromthe Puranas and Upa Puranas . Almost every plac eof note has a w ork of its own, denominated SthalaM ahatmyam,whichnarrates particular events connectedwith th e city or townabout which it treats,w i th historicalnotes in some cases . But such writings chiefly dwelluponthe sanctity or virtue of a shrine or ariver initsneighbourhood . These being almost all exaggeratedappear fabulous at the very first blush . Nevertheless,valuable and reliable ac counts will b e found in them.

For instance,the Sthalapuranam of Maduracontains adescription, in highly exaggerated terms, of the

Madura Temple and its surrounding buildings,withan account of the then ruling Pandyan dynasty.

Though the ac counts and descriptions are exaggerated,ye t no one candeny the magnificence and grandeur ofthe Temple as w e ll as the existence of the ancientdynasty of the Pandyakingdom .


The Sthala M ahatmyam of Thiru Avanasi, Peroor,Che ra M aha D evi, Mannar Kovil, and other places,contains e x aggerated accounts of the existence ofChe ra, w hil e that of Conjepuram contains historicalremarks on t he dynasty of Chola.

e are two special works called KeralaMahatmyam and Kerala U lppathy ; the one in Sanscrit andthe o th e r in Malayalam, w hich narrate the originof Ke ralam . Both of these w orks contain reliableaccount s c oncerning Keralam (Travancore) .

Th e Hindu geography w hich corresponds with thatof t h e E uropean, part icularly in regard to the shape

earth, divides the world into nine divisions, of

As ia is denominated.Jemb oo Dw ipu, inwhich

harataKhandam (India) .

Thi s land of Bharatha is divided into 56 kingdoms,v i z . Casmeerah, Nappala, Kosala, Camboja, Paunchala, Simhala,Annga,Kalinga,Kamaroopa,Saov ira,Kuro o ,Bhoja, Vithaiha,Valmeeka, Kokaya, Vunga,Sourashtra,Punnadaga,Parpara,Kuluntha,Soorasena,Dangana,Martha, Saindhava, Purashara,Bandhara,Saliva,Kudaka,Neisheedha,Thoorka,Durga,Marda,Poundra,Magatha,Chethiya,Maharasht tra,Gundhra,Carnadaka,Dravida,Kukkada,Lada,Mahrva,Magara,De sarna,O t t iya,Bachu,Y avana,Baguvane,Konkana,Kashyva,Dungana,Latcha,Chola,Pandya,CheraandKerala.

Of these,the last two kingdoms,Cheraand Kerala,were owned by one and the same king, viz ., that ofTravancore .

The kingdom of Cheraw as the mo st southernandlargest among the three States already alluded to .

The boundaries of the kingdom of Cherawhich arevariously defined by ancient Tamil authors, wereaccording to one,the Pulney Hills in the north, thetownof Peroor inthe east,the seaabout Cape Comorinin th e south,and the range of the great mountains onthe w est, ext ending ab out 80 cathams (800 miles) .


Another Tamil author extends the northernboundaryto the Coorg Hills and the westernto Calicut .

But Dr . A. C . Burnell, who is a more reliab le

authority than many others, says inhis Paleographyalready referred to, that the Chera kingdom existe din the early centuriesA.D .,that it thenextended overMysore,Coimbatore,Salem,Tondainadu,South Mala.b ar and Cochin,and that it w as one of the three greatDravidiankingdoms and w as divided into the eastern

and w estern Chera, the former extending up t o

Madras .

The CheraDominions bordered onthe PandyanandChola countries, the principal towns being Salem,Avanesi or ThiruAvanasi inCoimbatore,Trichencodenear Trichinopoly,Thenkasi,Valliyoor,Thrikanankudyand CheraMahaDevi,all south-east ofAvanasi intheDistrict of Tinnevelly .

On the Malabar coast or in Keralam,the capitalswere Thiru Vanj1colam1 (Sree Vanji Kovilakam, theresidence of the prosperous Vanjl dynasty),Colicode(Calicut),and Kollum (Quilon) .

InIndia(BharathaKhandam),the mode of Government followed from the earliest times as narrated inthe Puranas, w as that an king on becoming morepowerful than all the o t ers conquered them anddeclared himself Chakravarthy (Emperor) .

Afew of the most renowned emperors who overnedas Chakravarthies in each Y ugam from

°

tha toDw apara and almost all the Chakravarthies in KaliY ugam (the present age) according to the Puranas arethe follow ing

InKritha Y ugam (the first age),Harrischundren,M uchukunden,Pariyaw athen,Hirannyakshen,Banen,MahaBali and others .

1 . Serametropolis, w e conjecture to b e no other thanTiruvanche,t he capital of the SeraDesam,according to our Manuscript s—Rev.W.

Taylor,page 13. Preface .


InThre thaY ugam,Sagarou,Karthaveeryen,Roghu,D esare then,Sree Ramenand othersInDw apara Y ugam, Budhen, Pariasathen, Nalen,

Pandu,Dhurmaputhraand others .

In the Kali Y ugam (the present age which has nowcome to the 4979th year),Pareekshi thu (Ab himan

’s

son), Jenamejeyen, Sathaneekan, Prakrethiret en,Jehganu, Chithrarathen, Chi thrasenan, Thrisanku,Pariplavan, Sunayan, M adhav ee,Rob hunjeyan, Thilmnan, Shathaneekan, Thendapani, Nimi,Autchanakanand twenty-six other kings,who reigned upto theyear 656 in the early part of this Y ugam.

Sub sequent to the above period, the system ofChakravarthy or imperial Government by the northernKshatria kings appears to have been at an end,and

each of the various rulers of Indiairrespective of caste,b ecame supreme in hi s ow n kingdom. Some of themost powerful sovereigns contrived to bring the neighb ouring potentates to subjectionby w ar and declaredthemselves pettyChakravarthies overafew other kings .

Of such Emperors, w e have accounts written bothin th e Puranas, as also in modern hi stories . The

authors of the Puranas, w e find, record the hi storyand the heroic exploits of the Chakravarthies up tothe early part of Kali Y ugam, and the subsequenthistory of the emperors and kings and their kingdomsinIndiais narrated by modernhistorians .

We have instances of the above kind in the D as

t ies of Nanda,M ourya,KalaBhoorya,Yadava,Kbla,V icramadithya, Salivahana, Bhoja, the Y avanas, theM ohamedans of Delhi,the Rayer ofAnagoondy (Vijayanuggar) the Mahrattas and the English .

So also there have been instances of the Southernldngdoms of Pandya, Chola and Chera being ruledalternate] by one among themselves as Chakravarthy,and at o ther times each governing his ow nkingdom .

Narrat ives, however imperfect and bri ef, could b efound regarding these kings and their kingdoms invarious w orks .


The originof the ance stral line of the Cherad asty

(Travancore), in the first age of the world, ritb aY ugam, has been already shown and w e will nowendeavour to trace out and follow this dynas ty downto the present time inanunbrokenline .

In describing the Pandyandynasty through all it srevolutions, M r. Taylor shows the existence of theChera dynasty as cc -existing1 w ith the Bandyan, upto the time of the di ssolutionof it s original house .

The Purana called Halassya Mahatmyam alreadyalluded to makes mentionof sixty-four Leelas (amusements),and the king of Cherais mentioned inthe 12th,14 th,4 2md,49th,and 62nd Leelas,whi ch M r . Taylorinhis Historical Manuscript Translation calls Thiruv ilaudel.

”

In Thre thaY ugam,Kerala or Malayalam is said tohave be en recovered from the sea b Parasuthe sixth incarnation of Vishnu. everal Puranasrelate the story though the versions vary . One

ac count sa 3 that with the em ission of Varunen(the God 0 the sea),Parasu ama flung his w eaponfrom Cape Comorinand it fell at G okurnam, whereupon the sea receded from those two oints to theresent ext ent of the Malabar Coast an he called itKeralam ; that inthe reclaimed part of the land ParasuRamaestablished cities, towns, villages, &c ., and invited people from various countries and peopled theland throughout ; while another ac count states that theweaponw as flung from G okurnam and it fell at CapeComorin. Athird account states that the holy templeat G okurnam having beenburied under the sea in thefirst age (KrithaY ugam),and inthe next age (ThrethaY ugam),Parasu Rama,at the request of the cple,asked the lord of the sea. to recede, and from okurnam flung his wooden Spoon (used for sacrificial pur

1 . The Sora-desam, Sera-desam and Pandya-desam, are mostfrequentlyl

alone enumerated as cc -ex ist ing ; and ourmanuscript authorit ie s int e first volume allude to no other,inthe remot e period of


po ses) which fell at Cape Comorinand the seareceded .

O f the fabulous ac counts of the Puranas w e havealready said enough, and so w e shall now try to siftout the probable facts

The westernpart of the range of hills called Sahhyen(b e tween Canaraand Quilon) must have beenatractof land at the creationof the earth b ut had been sub

merged in the sea. Subsequently, the sea recede dand a large portionof the land betwe en Quilon and

M angalore remained uncultivated during the reignoft h e CheraKing Keralen,when the Brahman warriorParasu Rama visited this land of Keralam, establi shed himself there, organised a Brahman communi ty, introduced a new system of Government, livedthere for a considerable period of time and thenretired .

1 Awriter in the Cot tayam Colle e Quart erlyM agazine, in its issue of July 1866,has t 9 followingobservations inregard to the origin of Kerslam .

Can there b e a doubt that this legend chroniclesinthe style of the Poets,the effects of volcanic agencyon this coast centuries ago ; first that there w as

once a subsidence, probably sudden,at G okurnam,and secondly,that there w as aft erwards aperceptibleuprising,most probably inthis case gradual,of at

“ least some portion, if not of nearly all the coastbe t w eenG okurnam and the Cape .

”

The whole appearance of the coast of Kerala,wherever at leas t w e find the low -lands and backwaters, would appear to indi cate, that it has thusbeen raised,certainly during the present era; andif,as our legend would seem to tell,this has happenedunder the eye of man, it becomes the more deeplyinteresting . N or canw e forget that evennow thereare decided evidences of unstable equilibrium”

1 . Rockel Keloo Nair the District Munsifi of Malabar and afterwards Sub -Judge ofCalicut,g ives asimilar 0 inioninaM emorandumon the Syrianand Jew ish Copper Plates,pu ishod inVol . 5, N o . 9.

New Serie s of the Madras Journal of Literature and Science . KeleoNair

’s opinionon the land of Keralamalone is accepted here,and not

his opini ononthe Copper Plates.


along the coast line . The sea at Alleppie is con

siderab ly further from the townthan it w as b ut a

few years ago,which shows that the shore is risingthe same is the case at Cochin to anextent that w e

think can scarcely b e accounted for by accumulatingsand ; while to the north of Cochin the sea is as

evidently encroaching, and in some part s has forears past caused great destruction of pro erty .

Moreover w e are not alt ogether strangers in erala

t o the shocks of earthquakes ; in 1856, e specially,repeated shocks were felt ; in 1823, 184 1,and 1845 ,shocks have also beenrecorded at Trevandrum. Inseveral cases the shocks seem to have beenpropagated from the north-west ; and onSeptember 1 st ,1856,aball of apendulum inthe Trevandrum O b servatory 1 7 feet long, is recorded to have beenmovedabout 4 inches in the direction north-w est by northand south-east b south whi ch is about the direction of the coast

'

ne .

”

Al l these facts w ould appear to favour the conclusion that the low -lands of the Malabar coast havebeen raised from beneath the sea-level by sub ter

ranean forces, and that thi s has happened, in allprobabili ty in comparatively modern times .

”

The fact_

of the land betw eenG okurnamandKunnyaCumari having been submerged in the oceanat onetime is testified to by the BrahmandaPuranainw hichit is said that the holy pagodaof G okurnam had beenunder water for alon time ; that certainRishi es andothers interested in t e pagodawent to Parasu Rama.and begged him to take steps for it s recovery ; thatParasu Rama roceeded to G okurnam and prevaileduponVaruna,t e Neptune of the Hindus,to recede to acertaindistance betweenG okurnamand Cape Comorin;and that the land of Kerslam w as thus reclaimed .

As Parasu Rama is generally re resented to havebeen the sole creator of the land of eralam,it would

pipt b e uninteresting to give here abrief account of hise .


According t o the BrahmandaPurana,thi s celebratedBrahman w as a descendant of the renowned RishiBhrigu and is believed to have beenthe sixth incarnation of Vishnu. He is said to have been born inthesecond age of Throtha Y ugam inahermitage on thebanks of t h e river Nurb uda. His father

.

w as a sacredde votee named Jamadagni . His mother’s name w as

Renuka. Jamadagni had five sons of whom Ramaw asthe younge st . While the whole family w as livingcomfortab ly in the hermitage during Rama’8 minority,asad event disturbed their quiet and peaceful life .

One day Jamadagni left his hermi tage to procurethings for his devotional services,whileRenukaleft itto bring w ater from the neighb ourin river Nurb uda.

Jamadagni returned,b ut did not find'

s wife as usual .He grew angry at her absence . After awhile,Renukareturned ,and onbeing questioned, she confessed thatshe w as detained at the bank of the river Nurb udabyseeing t he reflection in the water of a Gandharvan(Geni i) called Chi thrangaden,passing through theThe shape of the spirit w as so beautiful that she w as

tempted to have amoment’s look at the shadow andthus a litt le time w as lost . At this declarationof hisw ife

’s weakness, the enraged Rishi w as so vexed that

he reso lved on her immediate death and calling hissons one by one before him, ordered them to kill their.

mother, b ut four of them refused onthe pleathat theLaw prohibits the killing of afemale and further thatinthis case the female w as their mother. But Rama,onb eing ordered,declared that nothing would preventhim from ob e his father . So saying he cut ofi

Renuka’s hefi once . WhenRenuka fell on the

ground, Jamadagni w as exceedingly pleased with theprompt obedi ence shownby hi s younge st sonand saidto Rama that he might ask for anything which heliked and that he would have it immediately . Ramasaid that he wished to see his mother re stored tolife without loss of time . Jamadagni, be ing aRishiw ho had gained the ble ssings of God b

yhis devotions,

prayed to th e All-pow erful Being for t e resuscitation


of Renukaand God vouchsafed life to her at once .

Rama w as delighted and they all lived comfortablyfor some time more .

Subsequently, Ramaw as sent by hi s parents to thehermitage of his great-grandfather Bhrigu, to b e edu

cated in the Vedas and other literature . Here hespent some time to complete hi s education and af

t erw ards, acting upon the advice of that venerablesage, Rama proceeded to the Himalayas to medi tateon the de ity Siva. Here he spent many years in

meditation and penance . These devotional exercisespleased Siva, who appeared to Rama in person, conferred on him all sorts of blessings and directed himto visit all the holy places on the face of the earthwhich Ramadid and returned to the Himalayas whereh e resumed his devotional medi tations . While Ramaw as thus engaged,aw ar broke out betweenthe Devasand the Asuras . The former, being defeated and

driven out of Swarga,went to Siva and representedtheir grievances . Whereupon,Ramaw as sent for andSiva asked him to assist the Devas giving him

'

all

necessary instruct ions as to the mode of conductingthe w ar and the use of various weapons . Sivapresented him with a battle-ax e called Parasu and fromthi s dayRamaw as called Parasu Rama. He proceededto the w ar, with great energy fought against theAsuras and gained adecisive victory. The Devas,aswell as Sivawere extremely pleased with Parasu Ramaand conferred uponhim the choicest blessings . ParasuRamaagainrepaired to the Himalaya mountains andrecommenced hi s devotional penance . Aconsiderabletime afterwards,Siva,having beenexceedingly pleasedwith Parasu Rama,paid a visit to him and presentedhimwith a supernatural chariot and anarrow whichwere to appear before himwhenever he wanted them .

Parasu Ramaentrusted these to Siva’s ow nattendants,Kundodaren and Mahodren. Thus, having obtainedall hi s wishes, and h is wants being supplied, ParasuRamaleft the Himalayas and came to hi s great randfather Bhrigu. There he spent some time,an then

EARLY HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE

r eturned to his parents onthe banks of the Nurb uda,w h ere the family were living toge ther comfortably.

N ow ,Karthaveerarjuna,the king of Bob ayacame tot h e neighbouring forests on ahunting excursion and

b e ing fatigued entered the hermitage for a li ttle re

fre shment . Jamadagni,Parasu Rama’s father, enter

tained the party, and on the departure of the kingon the next morning, he took a fancy t o the Rishi ’scow called Kamadh enu. This the king informed hi sminister, who resolved to get the animal at anyrisk . He sent amessenger to ask Jamadagni to sellth e cow to the king, Onhi s refusin to part with it,aparty of soldi ers w as des atched to t e hermi tage andt hey took the cow by orce . Thereupon a severestruggle ensued betw een Jamadagni and the king’smen,inwhi ch the Rishi w as fi lled . ParasuRamaw as

absent from the hermitage at the time . Onhis returnhe had the mort ificat ion of seeing his father’s bodymutilated and lifeless and hi s mother and brothersw eeping . When the mother saw Parasu Rama, she

b eat her breast with her hand twenty-one times . Bhrigudivining the state of afiairs in his relatives’ family,immediately repaired to the scene and on carefullyexamining the body of Jamadagni, he found that lifew as not extinct and by the aid of certain medi cinesJamadagni w as restored to life . Parasu Ramaafterwards proceeded to Karthaveerarjuna

’s capital, and

standing at the Palace gate,with hi s Parasu, b ow and

arrow,sent amessage to the effect that the fi ng shouldgive anexplanation of hi s cruel conduct in ill -usinga Brahman and forcibly tafi ng away his property .

At the same time he asked him to restore the cow and

seek the pardon of the venerable Brahman for the

outrage he had committed and incas e of hi s refusingto do so to meet Parasu Ramain single combat .

The king,whenhe heard of thispr0posal,sneered atsuch a ridiculous menace and ordered his guards todrive away the Brahman. The guards were,however,fi lled by Parasu Rama,whereat the king grew angryand equipped himself to meet ParasuRama. Asevere


and sanguinary battle ensued andArjunaw as defeate dand slain.

Afterwards,five ofArjuna’s sons,w ho survived him

met Rama in battle . Wh en they were about to fallvictims to Rama’s Parasu, they,under divine inspiration, put down their weapons and besought ParasuRama’s pardon, promising to give up the cow and

make full reparation for the wrongs done! —b y theirfather .

Parasu Ramaafter restoring the cow to his parents,retired to the Himalayas and resumed his penitentialexercises . Inhis absence,the thenreigning fi ng,oneof the sons of the late fi ng Karthaveeraof Hehahappened to pass by the Nurb uda, and casting

'

s

eyes onthe hermitage of Jamadagni,enquired whoseproperty it w as,and he w as told that it belonged toJamadagni . On hearing the name,the fi n enteredthe hermitage sword in hand and meeting amadagnisevered hi s head from hi s body at one blow,and on

the funeral ile of Jamadagni perishedRenuka,ParasuRama’s mot er .

Some time aft erwards,Parasu Ramareturned fromthe Himalayas and learning the fate of hi s parents setout for the country of the Hehayas,and in order tofulfil his vow ,proceeded with hi s bloody ax e to continuethe work of destroying the Kshatria fi ngs . Aftergoing one round and finishing hi s work of destruction,he retired to do penance again. He repeated thesedeeds twenty-One times .

It is also said that on the last occasionhe collectedall the Kshatriafi ngs at a lace called Kurukshe tramand having beheaded the whole of them he performedcertain ceremonies w ith the ir blood for the salvationof the souls of his parentsAfter this, Parasu Rama retired to the Mahendra

Mountains,and performed penance for some time . Hethenwent round the earth three times and returned tothe hill of Mahendra, where he performed the Aswamedhasacrifice and many other religious ceremonies .


While at Mahendra,Kasyapaand otherRishies visitedh im and h e consulted them as to the best means ofe x piation for the sin of killing h is ow n mother and

t h e Kshatriarace . Acting upon their advice,he gaveup the whole of the conquered lands to the Brahmans .

Parasu Ramathencontinued his reli'

ous penance ina

g ro tto of the Mahendra hills,and t ere passed manyages .

During the interval, certainpeculiar circumstance soccurred whi ch caused a sudden rise of the ocean,and the sacred shrine of G okurnam, together withse veral other remarkable shrines onthis coast were submerged in the ocean,as has been already mentioned .

Th eRishi es interested inthese sacred plac es repairedt o Parasu Ramaand besought his help in recoveringth e sacred buildings . Ramacame to G okurnam,andafter making arrangements with Varuna, flung hisw oodensacrificial Spoon,thus causing the seato recedefrom G okurnamupto Cape Comorin.

ParasuRamatheninvited the Brahmans,who havingrece ived grants of lands were located in sixty-fourgramams . He invited other caste s also from foreigncountries to occupy his new land, restored the sovereignty of the original Chera, and after living on

the coast for along th e, retired to hi s grotto on theMahendrahills, where he is supposed to b e still living .

The time occupied in the e stabli shment of Keralamas w ell as the exact period of Parasu Rama’s abode inthis land are not exactly ascertainable from anyaccounts in the Purana. The period mentioned in theKeralaU lppathy is fifty thousand years .

The labors of Parasu Rama, in re -establishing Keralam and peopling the country betweenCape Comorin

scribedindetail inaThis work, nd five

Chapters, is an interesting one, b ut the narrativesrecorde d are like tho se in the Puranas, intermingledw ith e xaggerations and romances, so that it require s


no small amount of discriminative power to strip it o f

its poetical embelli shments .

This work corroborates the above facts . In it w e

find it stated that Parasu Rama,after founding Keralam, invited Brahmans from the north to settle inthe country which he divided into sixty-four gramams ; that he ordained several grades of Brahmanical heads ; consecrated numerous shrines betweenG okurnam and Cape Comorin; and that the superin

tendence of each pagodaw as entrusted to aSamuntha(Soma Kshatria called Kovil Adhikarika i . e .,

managerof pagoda) . After finishingalmost allhisworks ,and consecrating the Temple at Sreevardhanapuram(Padmanabhapuram), Parasu Rama invited a SomaKshatria(certainly amember of the family of the fi ngof Cherasince there were no other SomaKshatriafi ngsthenclose at hand) named BhanuVicramaand three of

his brothers,the last be ing named Kulasekharen,andassembling the Brahmans of the sixty-four gramams,declared to them that the capital of his newly reclaimedcountry, betweenCape Comorinand G okurnam, shallb e Sreevurdhanapuram (Padmanabhapuram) near Sreevalumcode (Thiroovithancode and Veera Keralapuram) that Bhanu Vicramashall b e the fi ng over hi sland of Keralam,and that he w as then placed on a

throne of gold set with gems and had holy water and

pearls poured over his head . Parasu Rama thengiv1ng him h is ow n sword, together with many royalpr1vileges,sty

led him fi ng of the land betwe enCapeComorin an G okurnam. Agold coin, called Rasi,w as thenminted and mad e over to the king for circu

lationas the currency throu hout his dominions . One

of the three brothers of t is king w as stationed atG okurnam. This w as the fi ng of Kolathnaud whoruled South Canara under the designation of Cola.

It is also stated that along time afterwards,ParasuRama personally crowned Bhanu Vicrama’s nephew,AdithyaVicrama,at Sree Vurdhanapuram,presentinghimwith a sword as bright as the sun,and nominatinge ight ministers under him.


It is like w i s e stated that latterly,Parasu Ramatookagreat inte re s t inUdaya Vurmah, the head of theCola Royal family, who w as called the NorthernPe rumal, and made him the fi ng of North Kerala,that a re lat iv e of UdayaVurmah, who w as in chargeof a separat e portion of the Cola count becameaBhuddist , and built several tem le s and ived apartfrom t h e Royal family ; that the

IBhuddist fi ng proceeded t o M ecca and died there ; that his funeralrite s hav ing been accidentally performed by one ofthe femal e s of his house the Brahmans ex communicated th e w h ole family with which King UdayaVurmahw as conne cted, whereupon Parasu Rama, consultingth e great sage Narada, instructed Udaya Vurmahto pe rfo rm the great ceremony called HirannyaGarbham, b y constructing a goldencow and asilver bull,each w e ighing hundred thousand fanams (aboutninety

t o erform certainceremonies,and to distributegold and

)

silver among the Brahmans ; that ParasuRama instituted anational ceremony called M ahamakham1 and performed it with great splendour at Thirunaw aye on the banks of the Bharathapulay (a ri verrunning to the south-west of Shoranore) that whentheBrahmans of the sixty-four gramams and the chiefs andpe t ty rajahs of the country between Cape Comorinand G okurnamwere assembled at that place, the firstseat in the as sembly w as assigned to KulasekharaPerumal,fing of Travancore,and the next to UdayaVurmah of Kolathnaud, to the latter:being assigned

of the future performance of this ceremonyevery twe lfth year . We find also that the art of

w ar w as introduced by Parasu Rama and that thekings were taught the use of various weapons ; thatParasu Rama then retired from Kerslam, promisingthe Brahmans that onanemergency, he would appearat Trichoor, should the Brahmans of the sixty-four

gramams meet together, and medi tate on him ; thatthe Brahmans wanted to make atrial and ParasuRama

1 . Madras Journal of Science andLiterature,N o . 30,page 124 .

4


appeared, b ut having learnt that there w as no partionlar occasion for his being summoned, pronouncedan imprecation on the Brahmans of the sixty-four

gramams saying that they would never in future b eable to meet there together .

This M ahatmyam is said to b e an Upa Purana,deriving it s origin from Bhoogola Purana, and is inthe form of adiscourse between Y udhi sht ira and thesage Gurgga.

In Valmifi Ramayana w e find that the emissariesof Ramawere ordered to search for SeethainKeralamalso . We have now got through the second age,ThrethaY ugam.

In the third age, Dw apara Y ugam, the king ofKerala is often mentioned in the renowned workMaha Bharata.

”The fing of Keralaw as as already

mentioned one of the tributaries of the Em eror

Y udhi sht ira, and during the great w ar, theflaralafi ng fought on the side of the Pandavas and diedin the w ar . It is also said that the Pandavas, duringtheir secre t wanderings,visited Trevandrumand madeseveral vows to the De ity PadmanabhaSwamy .

During hi s pilgrimage,Arjunavisited Madura,wherehe married the daughter of the Pandyanfi ng,and byher he had asonnamed Beb hruvahanen. Onhis w ayto Dw araka,Arjuna visited Cape Comorinand Trevandrum and is generally believed t o have consecratedatemple dedicated to the Goddess Durgaonthe banksof a tank, which is still called Phalgunan Kulam(Arjuna

’s Tank) . He is said to have visited several

places inKerslam before he returned to his capital . ‘

InacertainTamil poem, the author says that BelaRama,Sree Krishna

’s brother,visited the Cherafing

dom, and attended the coronation of the then fi ng,crowning him with his ownhand .

W. Taylor’s Historical Manuscript Translat ion,vol. I,p. 226.


N o w w e ent er into the present age (Kali Ynnam)Int he early art of thi s age BharathaKhandam dia)w as unde r t e rule of the Emperor Y udhishtira,andthe king of Kerala, as heretofore, w as tributary tohim. Aft er t he close of Y udhishtira’s re ign, which issaid to have ended in the 36th year of Kali,the subordinat e re lat ion to the succeeding emperors continuedas amat te r of course .

Up t o th e tenth century of the Kali Y ugam,48 fingsreigned o v e r the Cherafingdom. Alist of theirnameshas b e en pre served by one Kodumudi RamalingamKaviraye r (Poe t),now residing in the Erode Talook,most like ly belonging to an ancient family of poet sformerly at tached t o the Cherafi ng

’s court .

This list shows thatin th e Kali Y ugam. The 8th, 1 7thname s in the list being unint elligible,are omitted,andthe re st are the following

1 , Y adukula Cheren; 2, Vamsothunga Cheren;3, M anumurainatatha Cheren; 4 , Veerapratha aCheren ; 5, Vikramahesw ara Cheren; 6,Ripukulsh eyaCheren; 7, Samasardoola Cheren; 8— 9, Pulikot iparitha Cheren; 10, E llaikarakanda Cheren;l l , Rajagamb heera Cheren; 12, RajamarthandaCheren; 13,RajaRajeswaraCheren; 14,Raja rathapaCheren 15,M unril Maniyit taCheren; 16, ummurthi Cheren; 1 7 18,AnanthagunaCheren; 19,VamsaParipala Cheren; 20, Mangalakara Cheren; 21,DhanaVishtharaCheren; 22,VaragunotpalaCheren;23,Asramanilayitta Cheren; 24 ,Anub huthi Cheren;25,AvaCheren; 26 27 SivapadaSikhara Cheren;28, Tirimeetu Cheren; 29,E ludisaCheren; 30,M airul ; 31, Banarku N idhi Thantha Cheren; 32,baskaraBhanu Cheren; 33,AksheyaPathraCheren;34, Siva Dharmot tama Raja Cheren; 35, SivanesaCheren; 36, Sivotpala Cheren; 37, DaivakunjaraCheren; 38,Sindhuvarunya Cheren; 39, ThrikedaraCheren 40,ThridesarangaCheren; 4 1 AthulaprathapaCheren; 4 2,Aganithakeerthiprathapa Cheren; 4 3,


VeeraRajendraCheren; 4 4,Bheemesw araCheren; 4 5,Nirmala Cheren; 46, Panchakshara Cheren; 4 7,Kantab haranaCheren 4 8 .

The above sound more like regal titles thanthe real

names of kings .

In the 28th Prab hava year i . e .,1860 of the KaliY ugam there w as born at Thiruvanjicolam, in the

month of Masi,Thursday, Punar PooshamAsterism,one of the most celebrated of the Chera fi ngs,Kulasekhara Perumal, of the royal family of Chera.

His father w as Kshatria Dhrida Vrita,MahaRajah .

Kulas ekharaw as installed whenhe passed hi s minorityand became KulasekharaPerumal. He is also know nby the titles of Kolly Kavalan,

” Chalpi Kon,”

and KukudaPuradheesen.

”

Kulasekhara Perumal unlike his predecessorsevinced a very extraordinary attachment to his re li

gion. After ruling the fi ngdom for some years heabdicated in favour of his he ir, and became a

Vaishnava devotee,and added Alwar to his name ,acommonepithet of Vishnu,as shown abov e . He w as

from that time known as Kulasekhara Alwar and

KulasekharaThiruAdikel .He set out onapilgrimage to all the renowned Vishnu

shrines,especially Thripathi and Sreerangam,where hecommenced preaching the Vai shavareligion. He w as

known as a great Vaishava devote e and had numerous followers . He w as also a poet and composednumerous hymns in prai se of Vishnu at variousVishnu Temples,especially at Thripathi, Sreerangam,Thirumala,Alwar Kovil,Ayodhya,Thiruvithoocode,Van Purushothaman, Thrikkannapuram, Thillai andThrichithrakoodam.

Kulasekhara PerumalAlwar lived to the age of 5 7,and w as de ified at his residence in the BrahmadesamTalook of the Tinnevelly district . His body w as

interred inside the Manner Kovil Pagoda and the

Vishnuite s consider him to b e asaint . His image iscut ingranite and is placed in the Pagodaclose to the


subsequent to the reignof Vicramadithya, Salivahanaand Bhoja,had jurisdi ctionover the Cheraand Cholakings and that Veers Vurmah Pandyan inherited thePandyanfingdom and re igned forty years . He con

quered the Malayalam (or Sera) country and otherlaces, and derived tribute from them .

” Thus w e

have now come down to above 40 00 years in the

Kali Y ugam, in our narrative relating to the Cheradynasty, which, in a great measure, is buried in

obscurity, both in regard to chronology as well as toit s successive rulers, and in their attempts to throwlight on what is obscure many writers have beenbaffled . Our endeavours, how ever, have no t beentotally abortive .

The policy of the Cherafi ngs would appear to havebeenpeace at any price and the ir policy and avocationswere decidedly more of acommercial thanof awarlikenature .

Though there were continual feuds between Cholaand Chera, and occasional misunderstandings and

quarrels w i th Pandya, Cheraappears to have beenofapeac eable d

ispositionand during any great strug lo,

retired to his eralapossessions,which alw ays afior ed

him anasylum from its peculiar situation, it being awell knownfac t that south Kerala is the only provincein Indiawhi ch has escaped foreign invasion.

It is seen that the Malayalam country afforded anto the Pandyan fi ng whenever his k ingdom

w as invaded by his enemies . And it is perhaps inconsequence of this, and the ir friendly relations,thatChera is confounded with Pandya b some persons,and the one taken for the other . hese are the tw okingdoms known to the earliest Europeantravellers .

Ptolomey the author of Periplas,Marco Polo,Strabo,d other early writers,allude to these two fi ngdoms

as existing inthe Peninsulaof India.

The Chera dynasty continued in power, thoughconstantly engaged in warfare with it s ne ighboursPandya and Chola, till central Chera w as overrun


b y the KongaRajahs ; the original dynasty of Cherat hen finally retired to it s southern posse ssions, andjo ined the family re siding in the south (Travancore) .M any seem to suppose that Konga is identical w i thChera, b ut in our Opinion it is no t . For these twodynastie s, Konga and Chera, are separate famili es .

Th e Kongas having invaded and ruled over a partof Chera,came to b e considered as the kings of Cheraitself ; b ut several local and circumstantial facts provethe absurdity of this supposition.

The very word Konga w i ll show that that dynastyhad its origin in the north about Concan.

The names of the fi ngs of the Kongadynasty greatlydiffer from those of the Chera. The names and titleso f the kings of the former dynasty are so unl ike thoseof the Cheras,that it is impossible to suppose that Mal laDeva, TrivicramaDeva,KumaraDeva,G ivudaDeva,&c .,men with titles mostly of Canarese originwerekings of Chera.

It is also noteworthy that the name Kongani Vurmahis oftenapplied to the Kongafi ngs,and not evenoncet o the Cheras . The word Kongani, w e find, is usedin naming the inhabitants of Concan; for instance,the whole community who emigrated from Canara toMalabar and settled at Cochin,Alleppy,&c .,&c ., is

called Kongani .

All the great deeds, sasanams, as well as stoneinscriptions of this early period givenby Cherafi ngs,begin w ith Sre e VeeraKeralaChakravarthy,or CheraMarven Thrib huvana Chakravarthy, while all the

Konga deeds of grant s, &c ., begin with Sree VeeraRayaChakravarthy.

The word Raya, whi ch appears along with the

name s of all Kongakings and which does not eveninasingle instance appear w i th the names of e ither theKerala or Chera kings, is an additional proof of theformer being Canare se . The word also often occursin the names of the e 0 ple of the north Canarese andTelugu countries . The fi ng of Cherahas for his title


Kulasekhara Perumal, which is a title borne by th e

Mandalakings as already said,b ut such anappellationcould scarcel b e found in other countrie s or in that

kart of the C era country whi ch w as as sumed by th eongaRajaka] .It is also to b e observed that in the southern par t

of Chera, no Konga inscriptions are to b e found inany of the temples or other places, while there aremany inscriptions connected with the Chera grantsThat Chera and Kon a are not one, has been maintained by the Revd . r . Taylor in hi s addendum t o

the translationof the KongaDesaRajakal .

"I

This conclusion is supported by the statementof Gumper,aTamil Poe t, attached to the court ofChola,who flourished in the 7th century and who isthe author of the Opular Tamil work called CumperRamayana. Thi s Poet defines the boundaries of theCheraand Konga possessions separately in hi s poem,

and state s that Cherais the fi ngdomwhich lies betweenPulney,Thencasi,Calicut,and the seaextending overanareaof e ight hundred miles,while Konga,he pointsout to b e a smaller one, extending t o 120 miles andsituated within the limits of Thalamalah, Vygavoor,Vallikunnu and Kulithalay.

These two d as t ies had the ir separate capitals ;Cherahaving al em,ThiruavanasiaChera MahaDevi,Valliyoor Kalacaud,&c .,inthe south Sreevalumcode(Travancore ) and Thiruvananthapuram (Trevandrum)Kolicode (Calicut) &c ., in the west . The Kongahad

uram or Talicaud or Dalavapuram for it s

capitals . The Revd . W . Taylor observes inhi s crit icism of M r . Dowson, that the boundaries given

gyProfessor Wilsonand quoted from Dowson (Des .

ata. Int .,p. 62) may b e allowed to pass as ageneralapprox imatmn, only supposing that Cheraand Konganaud, have been at some period one . It begshowever the question, because it proce eds on the

Madras Journal ofLiterature and Science,Vol. 7.


assumpt ion,in the catalogue, that the Konga DesaRajakal is a history of the Chera Rajah s ; w hi chI submit it is not ; b ut only of a few rul ers ofKon auaud before the latter w as conquered bythe Eb olakings . I cannot submit to Dr. FrancisBuchanan’

s authority, unless I were assured that hetoo has not confounded Konganaud and CheraDesatogether.

”

Afurther roof is the caste of the two dynasties .

The KongaIfajahs belong to the Reddy caste,whilethe Cherakings are Kshatrias ; afact to b e home inmind,as w e shall have to speak of it hereafter.

Konga, w e see, w as conquered by the Cholas,O issallas, Hari Hara Raya dynasty and Ve eranara

singaRayadynasty. And in the thirteenth and fourt eenth centuries A.D .,w e find that the Konga fi ngsNarasinga II ., (123 7— 1 278) and Hari Hara Raya,(1 367— 1391 ) exacted tribute from the

o

Chera or

Kerala fings . This prove s that the Chera dynastyhad not become extinct, b ut that it existed in it ssouthern possessions of Kerala (Travancore ) in the13th and 14 th centuries,and retained the name Chera.

The list Of sovereigns in the Travancore calendar alsob ears testimony to this fact .

The remnant of the Chera kingdom appears to b ethen extended to the Mysore Frontier on the north,the District of Salem on the east, the Travancorecoast up to Calicut on the north-west, as describedby M r . Dowson in hi s account of Chera. This w as

the latter fi ngdom of Cheracalled Travancore,inour

Opinion.

It must have beenat this period that the old Cheraw as finally incorporated with Travancore and it s ori

ginsl name Cheraforgotten.

Now . Chera is generally recognized as Kerala or

Travancore . Many eminent, ancient and modernauthors indiscriminately use the one for t he other.

Inhis manuscript translation M r. Taylor Oftenwrite s5


Cherafor Travancore' and vice versa. In the co lleetions from the Asiatic Journals, page 484, the same

use of the term is made . Other facts canb e adducedinfavor of this view.

Almost all the southernpossessions of Chera w ere

included in the Travancore domini ons till the ir conquest by the Madura rulers,and from them b y the

Carnatic Nab ob . Several pagodas inErode,Coimb atore and Tinneve lly whi ch were once in the fi ngdomof Chera have still inscriptions on the ir ani te wallscommemorating the names of Chera, an Travancorefi ngs ; and beside s,there is stillavi llage called CheraMaha Devi” in the Ambasamudram Talook of th e

Tinnevelly District, where w e see, t o the pre sentday, the site on whi ch the Chera fing

’s palace once

stood . In thi s locality, there are also v illages builtand presented to Brahmans by the Cherafi ngs and inthe possessionof the de scendants of the original rec ipient s,deeds of grants are to b e found .

InCheraMahaDevi,Thencasi,Kalacaud,Thrikanankudy,Valliyoor,&c ., the Travancore Rajahs residedupto the seventeenth century,afact clearly proved b ydocuments and inscriptions .

Though there are numerous inscriptions of earlier

dates in alniost all the renowned pagodas betweenCoimbatore and Tinnevelly, w e shall notice a fewof the later ones,as our object is to prove the amalgamated state Of Cheraw ith Travancore,and its continuance inthat condition

1 . An inscription on the inner stone -wall of theCheraMahaDevi Pa oda,dated Malayalam or Kollumour 614 (14 39AD. commemorating agrant by theravancore King Chera O odiah Marthanda Vurmahto the pagoda at that lace while the grantee w asresiding inthe CheraM aDevi palace .

PandyaDesam is the Maduracountry ; Sera Desam the Travancore and Malayalamcountry.

Taylor’s Manuscript s Translat ion,Vol. I.,page 51.


11: it; On the large bell at‘

Thrikanankudy, cuil r.

g that the hell w as presented by the Travan « M . »

core fi ngAdithiyaVurmah .

3 . Commemorating agrant to the pagoda

gyking Marthanda Vurmah while residing in the

eeraPandyanPalace at Kalacaud.

13 23: Commemorat ing agrant of land to the4 .

pagoda at Mannarkovil by the same king M arthandaurmah, and also mafi ng provisions for lighting a

lamp inthe palace where the fing’s uncle died .

‘

5 . i s: Commemorating agrant of land to thepagoda of Chera CholaPandysw aram in Thrikaloornear Alwar Tinnevelly,by MarthandaVurmah,Rajahof Travancore .

”

We have already said that the fi ng Of Travancoreis styled Thiruadikel

”

(sacred feet) to denote hissanctity, and hi s fi ngdom Vanavanaud

”(abode of

Devas) whi ch w as corru t ed into Venaud, a termnow commonly used for rEravancore . The antiquityof this ap llat ion Thiruadi

”is seenfrom aOopper

plate in t e possession Of a Brahman in the villageof Chera Maha Devi, one of the O ld capitals of theChera fi ng . The history of this

plate runs thus

It would seem that a Telugu Bra man, commonlylmow nby the name of Kunnadia,received adonationof alarge number of gold coins from the MahaRajahPrathapaRudraof Veloor ; that thi s Brahman,by theadvi ce of the sage Agastyar, who resided onahill in

Desam (Travancore),built ananicut (still inexistence) ac ross the Thamb raverni river, and openedan irrigation canal from that s ot to the extent ofabout tw enty-One miles ; that w i t the surplus moneyhe built a sathramat CheraMahaDevi for feeding acertain number of Brahmans daily ; and that he

It is cust omary in the royal family t o keep alamp cont inuallyb urning for along t ime inthe room w here the reigning king b reathedhis last .


appoint ed the holder of the copper plate as the per

petual manager of that institution.

Acopy of the copper sasanum inquestionw as procured by us . It purports to have been executed b yNarayanappayaof the Kunnadian family of BharadwajaG o thram (line) O f Brahmans, professing theRigVeda,and w ho rece ived adonationcalled KalapurushaDanum from MahaRajah Gajapathi PrathapaRudraRayer,who re igned at Veloor ; that he, the recipient,resolving to perform some charity with the moneyproceeded to Thrippathi, and on invofi ng Vencatachala Swamy, obtained that de ity

’s blessing and in

accordance w i th the commands of the swamy, herepaired to the southern fi ngdom called ThlruadiDesam (Travancore country) where on the Malayachala mountain, he met the sage Agastyar by whoseorder he excavated an irrigation canal for the benefit of the Brahmans : w i th the surplus money he

resolved to institute a sathram for the daily feeding ofBrahmans and accordingly constructed abuilding onthe southern banks of the Thamb raverni, and on

the we stern side of Chera-Maha-Devi—Alafi yappenSw amy Kov il : Narayana Pillay, the son of GopalaPillay,Brahmanof Sreevat saG o thram (line),professing the Yajur Veda, and re siding in the O ld villageor Brahman hamlet, built by CherenPerumal Rajah,w as entrusted w i th the management of this sathram,aperpetual grant being made to NarayanaPillay by thiscopper plate document, executed on Thursday, Shrawavaasterism,PunchamiAushada month,SowmmyaNamayear of Kali 334 2, (24 2 AD .) for the maintenance of the sathram of certain lands purchased for2587Kali YugaRamen'Maduravellafanams,togetherwi th nine slaves of the soil at the rate of one hundredand thirty five -fanams accompanied by ascale of thedaily expenditure to b e made and mentioning a fixedsumas remuneration to the Superintendent NarayanaPillay

One Kali Y ugaRamenfanam is st ill the currency of Travancore .


Kerala Ulppathy w as composed by ThunchathuRamanujen, commonly knownas Ramen E luthashan,w ho flourished about the seventeenth century of theChristianEra. This work,like many other Malayalamproductions of this renowned author,is acompilationfrom the Mahatmayamabove alluded to .

The original compilation Of the author must havehad several interpolations and changes made in it,especially as there appear now -a-days copies of severalKeralaUlpp writtenindifferent styles,and eachdiffering from the other in its account of Kerala. Insuch interpolations,numerous discrepanciesand glaringmistakes are visible, for w e find the interpolators,in their anx iety to prove the correctness of the iraccounts,of ancientwho livedrecorded even in the versioitself, and corroborated byness, is said to have fou htRow of Beejnuggur. T e Beejnuggur dynastyflourished, or rather came into power, only in the ninthcentury A.D., while Krishna Rayer ruled SouthernIndia inthe sixt eenth century .

Besides, in this work,many events ofParasuRama’s

period have beenintroduced as if they occurred in theerumal period .

It is obvious that_

on such awork as the Kerala

U lppathy, little reliance canb e plac ed . But ,however,w e will try to sift out the trustworthy portion of itscontests,and chronicle briefly the originof the Perumal

permIt w ould a ear that after the retirement of Parasu

Rama from eralam, the Brahmans rose in power,shook offthe yoke of the Keralafings and commencedtheir own rule within the limi ts of the ir sixty-four

gramams . In the first century B.C., the peo le ofthe sixty-four gramams convened acongress an afterholding a consultation, resolved to establish four


divis ions of their gramams, called Kalakams whichdivision they denominated—Parmchaloor,Pa ennoor,P poor and Chenganiyoor respectively . hus,the

B nical possessionwithin the gramams w as ruledfor avery long time . But owing to dissensionamongstthem,anarchy and misrule prevailed, and the Brahmans again resolved to have a President calledRakshapumshen, appointed to each of these fourKalakams, for a term of three years . This form of

rule continued for a considerably long period, andthese Presidents who were also called Numpie s(trustees), were paid at the rate of one-sixth of the

produce of the land . But considering that they hadeach only three years tenure of oflice they availedthemselve s of the ir position to amass wealth for themselves and thus brou ht on ruinous results . The

Brahman communit finally resolved to introduce asystem of elective overnment and to a point arulerfor aterm of twelve years, b ut disputes aving arisenat the election,they at last determmed to appl to thefi ng Cheren or Keralanand so proceeded to Geyapuram (Coimbatore) and brought from thence aViceroycalled CeyaPerumal to Kerslam .

The name of thi s Perumal,the KeralaUlppathy says,

w as CheramanKeralen” aKshatria,and e w as the

fing of Malanaud (Malayalam) . The date of hisinstallation is said in the work, according to acertainastronomical mode to have been inthe Kali year 3316 further observesthat inall twenty ed over Kerslam .

The last Perumal as stated in thiswork, inKali yearmal period w e mayand twelve years

Even in the Kerala U lppathy, it is not said thatthe Travancore dynasty w as descended

,from the

Perumal or that the kingdomof Travancore w as agiftfrom Cheraman to the resent dynasty,neither doesit say that the fing of ravancoreWas aSudra. We


wonder therefore how, and upon what authority, theauthors of the Land of the Perumals” and the Landof

’ Charity” and other learned writers state that theRajah of Travancore is aSudra. If these authors willb ut search the Sanscrit works,whereinan ac count ofKerala or even

'

of any other fingdoms in SouthernIndiais given,they will b e obliged to acknowledge thatthey are in the wrong as no mention is made there inas regards the caste of the Travancore sovereignsexcept that they are SomaVamsaKshatrias .

Inthe KeralaU lppathy itself will b e found,on careful examination,that the Travancore and Kolathnauddynasties were in existence at the close of Choreman’

s

rule,and that Cheramanhad simply recogni zed thosedynas ties b ut did not make agrant of the fi ngdomto them .

In the days of Parasu Ramaand during the sway ofthe Travancore KulasekharaPerumals as Emperors ofKeralam,s veral local chieftains a pear to have beennominated,par y arasu ama

}himself,and partlyby the Kerala emperor to assist him in the admini strat ion. So these chieftains were all holding theirvari ous possessions at the beginning of the Perumalviceroyalty .

The very fact of the Brahmans asking for a

king of Chera and that monarch(a member of his ow n family)

Chera w as the

KeralaU lppathy mentions the names of PandyaandCholaPerumals at interval s ac ting as Viceroys duringthe Viceregal period of two hundred and odd years .

This may b e correct , as there had been often warsbetween Chera, Chola and Pandya, and these threefingdoms have beenruled alternately by those powers,and hence

,perhaps the cause of the appointment of

Viceroys from those fingdoms . Though there havebeen such changes of ryle in the Chera country,the title of the Viceroys in Kerslam w as unchanged


all along,as w ill b e seen from the fact that the firstand last Perumals retained the title of CheramanPe rumals they being members of the Chera royalfamily,for,as said above,the KeralaUlppath statesthat t he first Peramal w as from Ce apuram O imb at ore ) ,and his name w as Cheramanheralan” and thath e w as aKshatria. The name of the last CheramanPe rumal w as BhaskaraRevi Vurmah also aKshatriab y cas te . Revi Vurmah and Kerala Vurmah are

name s borne generally by the members of the Travancore royal family. In the Cochin Rajah

’s family,

w hi ch is believed to b e descended from the lastPerumal,such names are also commonly found .

N e ither the Kerala U lppathy nor any other workshows that the Travancore sovere ign had ever beensubject to the rule of the Perumals . On the otherhand, the Perumals considered the sovere igns ofTravancore as their superior authority .

Local and traditional informationappears to havemisled a good Sanscrit scholar, Pachu M oothathu,alluded to in the Preface ; he has fallen into anerror,as it would seem from his small pamphlet in the

Malayalam language published by him in the Malayalam year 1043, whereinhe says that the fi ngdom ofTravancore w as established under the auspices ofCheraman Perumal, that it w as given as a gift tohis son Veera Kerala Vurmah by hi s third wife inthe Kali year 34 1 2 (3 1 1 and that since thenthe kingdom flouri shed . If h e had only taken the

trouble h e would have found that CheramanPerumalw as installed inhis vice -regal office not before the Kaliyear 34 45, as has been shown. We do not knowupon what authority our author has arrived at such

anextraordinary conclusion. We have already shownthat the kingdom of Travancore w as inexistence ontheadvent of the Perumals . The author appears to b elaboring under amistaken ideawhen h e asserts thatCheramanPerumal is an individual title and that hew as aking. He seems to have beenignorant of the

6


fac t that Cheraman Perumal is the name of the

Viceroy sent out to Kerslam by the king of Cheratogovernhis KeralaProvince . The only inference onecan draw from the author’s erroneous statement isthat he, like many other Sanscrit and Tamil authorsOf Southern India and especially of Keralam,derivedh is data, in composing his work, from local andhearsay information, embellishing it w i th ideas andstatements supplied by his ow n imaginat ion,apracticecommonamong Sanscrit authors .

InKeralam,CheramanPerumal w as reckoned as thegreatest and the most powerful emperor inthe realm .

He w as apure Kshatr1aof the solar race and to connect aroyal family w i th such apersonage w as thoughtto b e the highest honor inKeralamas w as the case withthe Cochin royal family. Consequently, under suchan impression, our author must have composed hisw ork . The Sanscrit scholars inKerslam generallybeginthe ir educationfrom their earliest years . Aftermastering a little Grammar, they are taught the

Kavyems,i . e .,poetical compositions founded uponthePuranas . Inthis study,they are made to payattent ionto Grammar andnone at all to facts . From Kavyem,the scholar turns to the study of the Natakum,Dramatical works, and aft erwards to the Alumkaram and

Tharkam, Logic and Rhetori c . When these studiesare over,the scholar considers that he has completedh is Sanscrit educationand is erfect inall knowledge .

He then begins to compose Shlokams (stanzas),noton fac ts, b ut simply uponfiction,as his ideas suggestto h im. Acquiring at the same time aPuranic knowledge, he tries to become an author,and b e to

write basing all his conclusions on his own ancies,whi le he is utterly ignorant of Geography or History.

He draw s profuse?r onthe Puranicaccounts of animals

speafi ng, horses rawing chariots in the air, or goingon w ings in the firmament , and so forth . He isunable to Speak as to hi storic facts which everymanofintelligence ought to know, neither can he say howfar the land he lives in, extends,and w hat nations


inhabit the various countri es of the w orld . But heis able to te ll in a minute the names of the fifty

-six

fi ngdoms in the BharathaKhandam . He would alsorepeat the names of the fi ngs w ho ruled those fi ngdoms in the past three Y ugams (ages), and the commencement of the present Kali Y ugam so far as the

Puranas describe them and beyond that he can gono further . He know s nothing of modern hi storyand the existence of the European fingdoms and

the ir kings,since the Puranas do not treat of them,ne ither doe s he know much of his ow nland nor anymodern ac counts concerning it . He is ignorant ofthe early visits of fore igners to India such as thePhoenicians,Egyptians, Greeks and Romans . He isin the dark as to who Al exander the Great w as,when he lived, what were hi s achi evements, andwhen he visited India; ne ither is he aware of therule in India, of the Nunda, M ourya, Chalookya,Kalab hoorya,Chola,Chera,Pandya,Kadamba,BelalaRaya and other dynasties, the M ohamedan conquestand rule,and lastly,the extraordinary enterprise of a

of English merchants and their wonderfulexploits, by whi ch they finally became the

mas ters of this vast empire . To obtain such informd knowledge, English educationis the easiest

road,and aSanscrit scholar of the present day,withoutany knowledge of English cannot,shine as anauthorofa useful work and procure the approbationof the

plic by a work like that composed by Pachu

oothathu.

Though w e have clearly shown the origin of theTravancore dynasty citing unquestionable authorities,yet for th e satisfactionof PachuM oothathu,as well asof A. Sashiah Sastri, the late Dewan of Travancore, who,confiding in the statements of PachuM oo thathu sanctioned the publication of erroneousaccounts in the English calendar of Travancore for theyear 1 877, w e shall give further evidence and proofto Show that the Travancore fing w as inexistence andinpow er on the advent of the Perumals .


The plates in the possessionof theSyrian o ttayamand the Jews of Cochin(copies Of which with reliable translations have beenpubli shed in the Madras Literary andAsiatic Journalsof Science and Literature,No . 30,pages 1 16 to 164 )contain grants which were made by three Of the

Cheraman Perumals, including the las t PerumalBhaskara Revi Vurmah . They shew that the Perumals considered the king of Travancore the firstsovereign inKerslam,so much so that the three Perumals,vi z .,Sree Ve eraRaghavaPerumal, Sthanu ReviGuptha Perumal, and Sree Bhaskara Revi VurmahPerumal (the last of these is the one commonly calledthe CheramanPerumal ) whose names the copper plate sbear,invariably bring the name Of the king of Travancore as the first power to witne ss the ir deeds ; nay,one Of them Sthanu Revi Guptha says that thatdocument, w as executed with the sanction of theTravancore sovere ign,

”and inmaking allusionto the

fing, uses the honorific term Vanand IyeanAdikelTiruadikel . The prefix Iyean

” denote s the eu

perior authority Of the king .

l Inthese ancient copper

plates the names of all the subordinate chi efs are

1ntroduced with the exception of those of the CochinRajah and the Zamorin, who were therefore not thenchiefs at all,i . e ., at the time when the documentswere executed by the Perumals .

As the Cochin Rajah w as the creature of the Perumal and is said to have beenhi s heir2 as authoritativelyacknow led ed, that Rajah could not have been in

power at t e time,afact which the Jewish plate fullycorroborate s . The Eranadu mentioned in the document cannot b e accepted as be ing the Zamorinof Calicut,if w e are to place any reliance in the versions ofthe KeralaUlppathy wherein it is distinctly said that

1 The Travancore king 1s st ill called Y enadAdi the adorablefee t of Venadu.

”Madras J ournal of Literature Science,N o . 30,page 130 .

2. CochinAdminist rat ionReport for 1875,page 4 .


Plate No . Ishows thatVeeraKeralaChuckravarthyw as the first of the line,and the rule of this dynastyexisted without interruption for many hundred thousands of years . Now in the face of this valuableevidence canany other power inKeralam claim havingoriginated the title of Veers Keralathan the Cheraor Travancore d as ty . It would b e ridiculous tosay that the title eeraKeralabelonged to the Cochindynasty,whose originis shownb the KeralaUlppathyand corroborated by the Cop er late No . 3,as well asthe CochinAdministration eport to have beenfromthe Perumal period .

Ourac count of ManigramamandAnjuw annamvariesmaterially from those of numerous other w riters . We

think that Manigramam is a di stinction given to theSyrian Christians by the Perumals,as they were thenregarded as a class of respectable peopleRama divided Kers lam into sixty-four Brahmangramame’ each having aparticular name,b ut to thenew community of Syrians,the second Perumal musthave granted a gramam, denominated Manigramam,with the title of a Principality” as a di stinctivename,the head of the community bein invested withthe dignity of citizenship . Mani in amil means 9.

gmand is applied to all things of peculiar excellence .

e find from the copy of the plate in Tamil insert ed in the abovementioned Journal the followingM akotha er Pattanathoo Eravicortt enaya Cheramaneloka eroomchat t ikoo Manigrama atam Kooduthome” the literal translationof whi o is Wehave granted to Eravi Cort tenof Makothaperpatnom,the grand merchant of Cheraman world, the highoffice of M anigramamship.

” Pattum”is aword used

both in Tamil and in Malayalam and, according toBailey’

s Malayalam Dictionary, means ordination”

ahigh omoe or dignity .

”

St ill Ithou ht in self just ified incallin ManigramamaChrist ianPrincipal ity. he evd. Peet, Madras curual of Literature andSc i ence,N o . 30,page 146.


The translationof this plate b theRev . E . Gundertas given in page 1 18 of the curual a pears to b ecorrect, b ut with a slight difference . r . Gundert

’s

translation is We have given to Erav i Cort t en of

MahaDeverpatnam (henceforward to b e called grandmerchant of the Cheraman world) the lordship of

am.

The original settlements of the Syrian communityto have ' been at Makothaye atnam, near the

port of Cranganore,and Curakkeni ollumat Quilon.

This community continue to this day to call themselvesthe re s idents of Curakkeni Kollum and Makothayer

patnam. This last name may b e linked with that of theChera king styled M akothayer,as w e find it stated inthe Tamil Peria Purana, a celebrated work verypopular in the Tamil countries, that the Cherakingnamed Makothayer lived at Thiru Vunjeecolum,nearKodungalore, and ruled the M alanaud (Malayalamcountry) with great success, for aconsiderable lengthof time . Hence w e conclude that a town near

Kodungalore,must have been established inhonor of

this king under the name of Makothayerpatnam and

probab ly it w as there that the Syrian communityestablished themselves at first

In . like manner, the author is of Opinion thatAnjuw arnam,alluded to in the plate in possessionofthe Cochin Jews,is adistinction given to the Jews .

Warnam is not here intended for colour as the Jewsunderstand it, b ut caste . There were already fourWarnams,Brahmans, Kshatrias,Vysias, and Sudras .

The Jews,whenthey came to Keralam,were consideredas a peculiar nation,and the Brahmans and others

Curakkeni Kollum.

” Tradit ion states that th e Syrians came toth is country intw o bodies, one

party landed near the modernQuilon

at a place now eugul had by t e sea, the other at Kodun alore orMahaDev erpatnam. The pract ice in document s ob served t w 1th 1n

th e last 80 ears w as invariably to mark t o w h ich of t hese tw o b odies

aSyrian onged.

”Madras Journal ofLiterature and Science,N o . 30,

page 146

TheRevd Pest of Mavalikaray.


seeing their strict Observances of religious rite s and

knowing not how to designate them, styled themAnjuw arnam,that is,the fifth caste . This, the lastPerumal had publicly recognized inhis grant by thethird copper late,creating one of the community asthe head of t e ir village . Plate No . 2 sup orts the

conclusion that Anjuw arnam is a title of t e JewishPrincipality .

In Keralam the carpenter, blacksmith, goldsmithand brazier castes are all collectively called NankuWarnum, (four sorts of castes .)The Lub b ays (Mahomedans) of the South, prefixAnjuw arnam to their names in all their deeds anddocuments . This the author thinks is a continuanceof the Jewish designation adopted by the SouthernMahomedans,who must have been converts from theJewish faith after the establishment of Mah omedanisminSouth Kerslam .

The plates are properly arranged in the JournalNo . 30 . The last document w as executed in the Kaliyear 3481,and Dr . Day seems to b e correct in hi s cal

culat ions in this respect .

Cheraman Perumal as sumed his viceregal power,according and other accounts, inthe Kali and the copper platedocument executed in the 36thyear of his reign. The Y adir 2nd year,mentionedin the plate, is not acycle as has beensupposed byman b ut w e conclude it to b e the second century ofthe erumal period,for this agrees w i th the fac t thatthe Perumal period commenced in A.D . ; 100

years aft erwards ends the first century he reignofthe Perumals . The las t Perumal having come to theviceroyalty in34 5 AD . naturally wrote the documentor rather executed it in the second century of thePerumal period, and in the 36th year of his rule inthe Kali year

Land of Perumals, page 342.


By th e peculiar mode of calculating dates on

astronomi cal principles in India, errors are very sel

dom likely to occur . For inawork, or ina stanza, asentence is laid down for discovering the

whi ch such work or stanza w as produced,andthe calculation is made entirely by an astronomicalpro cess,every letter be ing numbered agreeably to therule s ofAstronomy .

Primary educationthroughout Keralam commenceswith a study of the elements of Astronomy, and tillthe youth is taught Kavyem, his time is exclusivelydevoted to astronomical problems,and he thus learnsto calculate the exact time of the rising of the sun,moonand stars . Even during the grammatical andKavyem studies he is continually taught calculationsregarding the planets and soonacquires the knowledgeof finding out the date s of eclipses . Under thesecircumstances, the astronomical calculation of theNatives is considered to b e generally correct andseldom wrong.

Thus w e have cited additional roof that the dynastyof Travancore existed before theI’erumal period ; thatthe southern-most part of Keralam now known asTravancore, w as not a division made at the timeinfavour of the Travancore dynasty and that the originofTravancore cannot b e dated from the Kali year 34 12,as Pachu M oothathu and the compiler of the Travancore calendar would have us believe .

Another fact deducible from these documents is,that the statement in the Kerala U lppathy regardingthe divisionof Keralaby the last Perumal is withoutfoundation and here w e cannot do better than quotethe Opinion of the learned Malayalam scholar, Dr .

Gundert,onthis important pointThat whole part of the KeralaUlppathy in which

the present dynasties of Mala alam are representedas dat ing their originfrom the se t Perumal’s distrib utionof the country,is full disproved by this and theJew ish document,and t e relation of the Kerala

7


Mahatmyam,according to which the several familieswere placed here and there by Parasu Rama for thepurpose of protecting certain temples and Brahminvillages, comes much nearer to the truth, if w e

understand by Parasu Ramathe old time of Brahmani cal rule .

Indeed the KeralaUlppathy is the only work whichgive s any account regarding Keralam down to themodern period, the Kerala Mahatmyam treatingexclusively of ParasuRama’s period . Of thi s period,w ehave no other accounts whatever. The KeralaMahatmyam says that Parasu Rama appointed a Samunda,as manager, to almost every pagoda in Kerslam.

The fami lies of these governors of the temples as sumedpower in course of time, and became petty chiefsunder the supreme sovere ign, the king of Travancore,w hom Parasu Rama had invited and installed as

already shown. The families of these Kshatrias arestill called Kovil Adhikarikel or Kovil of whom the

Cochin Rajah is one . This Rajah’s cas te name is

Koviladhikarikal or Kovil,” and in issuing his writ headopts that designation. All the Kshatriafamili es ofhis caste who are now found in Keralam,divested ofroyalty,are called Thirupaudxl

'

While w e have hi stories of the Pandya and Cholakingdoms,w e have no separate hi story of Cheraapartfrom Kerala,a fact whi ch proves that Chera beingembodied with Kerala, a history of the former is

unnecessary,and consequently the KeralaMahatm amand KeralaUlppathy give only the history of Kerala.

Inthe KeralaMahatmyam,as well as inthe HalassyaMahatmyam, Kshatrias are called Samanthas, andallusions to the king of Chera and Kerala are oftenmade as Samanthas . The newly created Numb ooryBrahmans, who are mostly residents of the locality

KeralaPalama,pages 78 and 1 14.

1 The Schatriya or (Tirripaud,Mal .) or royal caste is that fromw h ich His Highness the Rajah of Cochin has sprung .

“ Land ofPerumals,” page 312.


be t w e enQuilon and Korempulay,withinwhich limitslay the sixty-four gramame established by ParasuRama,seemed to have had no free intercourse with the royalfamily of Travancore, whose capital w as originallyestab lished at Kerala Puram which subsequently w ascalled by Parasu Rama,Sree VardahanaPuram p0pularly knownas PadmanabhaPuram .

In the division of castes by Parasu Rama,he doe sno t appear to have aimed at anyt hing like completeness,as he left the sections of the minor castes alone .

But in the subsequent modifications b the renownedSankaraAcharyar,’ there w as e stab lis ed apart icularclass of people knownby the name of Samantha, adegraded section of the ure Kshatrias who arefound residing here and t ere between QuilonandKolathnaud . These are also called Pandala, Unnia

yath iri,Thirupaud,&c .,&c .,according to the localityinw hich they reside .

Th e name of Samantha is mistaken for Samanthe'r,and the Travancore family w as considered by the

to b e included in the latter class . The

describe two classes of Kshatrias,as has beenalready shown, viz .,Soorya, Samantha, and SomaSamantha b ut inour opinionthe formerare now not t ob e found inSouthernIndia,though the CochinRajah isgenerally called a Soorya Kshatria. Kerala Mahatmyam calls the CochinRajah aSoorya Samantha,b utthe present dynasty having been descended fromCheramanPerumal,who being amember of the Cherafami ly is a Soma Samantha, cannot b e considered aSoorya Samantha, as is generally believed, and it

consequently follows that the present dynasty of

Cochin cannot b e the same as that mentioned intheMahatmyam.

Cheraman Perumal being amember of the Cheradynasty whi ch is the same as that of Travancore,the

SankaraAcb aryar w as borninKeralaand his mother’s family isst ill in ex istence at Paloor near Forevow . This mendicant devote e’sresidence is st ill preserved inthe neighbourhood ofAlways .


caste of the CochinRajah must of course b e the sameas that of the Travancore royal family, as the

ori ginal stock w as both one and the same .

Almost all the caste rites and Observances of theTravancore and Cochin royal families are similarwith the exception of marriage . The former adhereto the original custom of marrying their females to a

Kshatria,whereas the latter have adopted the systemof marrying the ir females to Numb oory Brahmans .

Both of these modes are sanctioned by the Sas tras .

There is scarcely any'

difference in the Observance sof the Shodasa Kriya (sixteen ceremonie s t o b e performed from birth 11 to marriage ) between the Brahmans and the Kshat

°

as . These ceremonies are dulyperformed by the Travancore and Cochinroyal families . The male members of both families wear theBrahmani cal emblem called Poonunool.ASamanthren of the clas s alluded to,cannot wear

the Poonunool . For instance, the Zamorin being aSamanther is not permitted to wear the Brahmanicalthread . He cannot,by caste Observances,even touchaBrahmanor Kshatriawithout the taint of contamination. Whereas the ro al families of Travancore andCochin, being both shatrias , move among and

as sociate freel w i th the highest clas s of Numb ooryBrahmans an both have as their menial servantsNumb oories and other Brahmans .

The names of the male members of the Travancoreroyal family and those of the Cochin house are similar,and there is the striking fac t that the name of VeeraKeralaVurmah, the first king of Kerala, is adoptedby the Cochindynasty on it s coming to power .

That VeeraKeralaw as the name of the first Emperorof Keralam,who w as of the Chera dynasty, has be enalready proved by various authorities . A modernwriter (Kookel Kelac Nair Munsiff) observes in hi smemorandum to the Madras Journal of Literature andScience,that “ it is difi cult to learn the clear historyof the family of Veers Kerala, b ut from various


Sanscrit and other works such as the Mahatmyam,Ulppathy,and others,it app

ears pretty clearly,if w ereject obvious fables,that arasuRama,aBrahman,eventually gained possession of the country fromVeera Kerala

’s descendants and after improving it

to a great extent, introduced therein his ow ncas tepeople to whom he ultimately committed its government .’

Dr. Gundert,agenerally acknowledged authority, isof the same Opinion that Kerala w as the appellationbelonging to Chera (Travancore ) . He says thatCheramanis the name of the whole dynasty of Cheraor Keralarul ers,for these two names are the same .

Kerala being only the Canare se pronunciation as

ars from the Deccan inscriptions of W. Elliot,inwhich no Chera is associated with PandyaChola b ut only aKerala.

”

The failure indiscerning the difference between thetwo words Samantha and Samanther has created aconfusion in the minds of the people of Kerala,as hasbeen already shown. It is generally the case thatpeople are easily led aw a and dece ived by firstimpressions without taking t e trouble to anal z e factsand as certain their ac curacy . We often nd thatwr iters rely much uponlocal accounts and regard themas beingachronicle of indisputable fac ts . For instance,Fra. Bartolome o, a well informed writer on SouthIndianaffairs, who had been residing inTravancorefor aperiod of 13 years,says,in hi s work that “ beforeVeera M arthanda undertook his expedi tion, he

celebrated at Tiroovanadapurum a horrid festivalwhich I hav e described inmy SysternaBrahminacum;he had caused several of the pagan temples to b eburnt, and this crime, one of the most he inousaccording to the principles of the Indians, couldno t otherwise b e atoned for,thanby avery peculiarkind of purification. He w as obliged b

ythe Brah

mins to ge t acow made of gold,under w ich he w as

forced to creep in order to b e fre ed from his sins .


Nieb uhr and Anquetil du Perronare therefore ingreat error whenthey assert that the object of thi sceremony w as to raise the king to the degree ofnobility. Both these authors ought to have reflectedthat this tale w as invented by the conquered people (towhom the king behaved with great severity),merelyfor the purpose of ridi culing him. The above goldencow w as preserved in the year 1 787 in the royaltreasury at Padmanab hapoorum. I w as at least toldso b M

’Donardi,a Captain in the King

’s service

who ad seen it .

”

This account of the Hirannya Garbham ceremonyis surely incorrect as w ill b e seenfurther on.

The notion,that by the performance of the Hirnya Garbham, an individual or a family would b eraised in rank and caste, is simply ridi culous . ASudraor aSamanther could not b e raised to the rankof aKshatriaby any such process . If such awishedfor change could b e efiected,every rich and influentialSudrawould have been raised to the rank of aKshatria,and some of the Kshatrias would have thought of

formin themselves into members of the twicebornclas s,grahmans .

The Zamorin Rajah, who had become himselfNadivirippu and latterly very powerful, and the

richest among the Malabar sovereigns,would havebeen the first to avail himself of this means ofbecoming aKshatria. He w as highly influential inhiskingdom, where almost all the eat Numb ooryBrahmans such as Aloovancherry, arary,Poovooly,and Kanhgnoor and other priestly jemmies wereresiding,and besides,the Zamorinproclaimed himselfas the head of the sovereigns in Kerslam in order tosuperintend the great national ceremony held at

Theroonaw aye called MahaMakhum. It must,therefore,have beento the interest

‘

of the Brahmans themselves to raise him, if possible, to a h igher casteparticularly as the Zamorinhad to mingle much w iththe Brahmans during that festival .


It i s said that the pure Kshatria is he who is bornof parents of the Kshatria caste . He who is bornofaKshatriamother b ut by aBrahmanfather i s aSomaSamantha or SomaKshatria so that though the raceof the Travancore royal house w as of the latterdescription (SomaSamantha),yet it maintains ahigherdegree of purity in its marriage relations thandoesthe Cochin Rajah and,therefore, in the social scale,the Travancore royal family m

3 .

b e considered betterKshatrias than those inthe no

So the king of Travancore does not appear to standin need of performing any ceremonies t o raise hime ith er in digni ty, or in cas te and rank . HirannyaGarbham and PadmaGarbham are two great danams(donations) which the

Pfkin

gs of Travancore are b ound

b their reli

fion to rformas coronation ceremonies .

i ng Veera erala urmah ,who reigned in the Kaliyear 34 12, performed b oth of the costly ceremoniescalled Thulapurusha danam and Hirannya Garb hadanam,at his coronation.

Traditionshew s that onthe 12th Magarom 34 12,ofthe Kali year, corresponding With the 24 th January31 1,A.D.,king Veers KeralaVurmah,after assembling all the Brahmans of the several gramameb oth Chow ara Koor and Panniara Koor, and the

family priest Tharanallore Numb oory Paud,performedthese important ceremonies,and w as crowned by thathigh priest accordin to the rules of the Sastras,and,inaccordance With e canonlaid downby Sree ParasuRama,he assumed the family titles of Kiree tapathi andKulasekharaPerumal .

Abrief and clear account of the tw o ceremonies,and Hirannya Garb ha danam,

further onas many erroneous notions areprevalent inregard to the charact er and real Ob jectof these tw o ceremoni es .

Thulapurusha danam is aceremony performed byweighing the body of the kingagainst anequal w eight


ingold,and distributing the same,among Brahmans .

“

For this purpose the required quantity of gold is

procured,andafter purifying it,it is coined indifferentsizes and weights With the inscription SreePadmanabha,

”the appellationof Vishnuand the house

hold de ity of the Travancore king,on one side .

Apair of ornamental scales of suflicient size is

next constructed, and on the ap ointed day, the

sovereignproceeds to the temple of ree PadmanabhaSwamy,

”attended byall the learned Brahmans,not only

of Travancore, b ut also of other parts of Malabar,Tinnevelly,Madura, &c ., some of whom are Speciallyinvited While the rest crowd to the capital for theoccas ion. After the assembled Brahmans have performed the ceremonies according to the Vedas, thesovere ign is seated onone of the scales,and the coinedgold is heaped on the other till it rests on the groundand the other scale is raised into the air with the king .

After the performance of thi s ceremony,the gold coinsare distributed among the Brahmans,males, femalesand children. There is a difference in the weight ofthe coins given; learned Brahmans and such othershave a more valuable coin than ordinary Brahmans,While children and femal es have coins of less value .

To dete rmine Who are the proper men to receivevaluable gifts there is a regular examination of theBrahmans in the ir knowledge of the Vedas,and thosewho pass successfully reap a good harvest . Thisceremony and the distribution of the gold coins lastabout a week,during which time the Brahmans aresumptuously fed .

Hirannya-

rGarbham or Padma Garb ha danamis a costly ceremony like the other, b ut performed

Sevajee’s Coronat ion. He now det e rmined to sat isfy h is pride and

daz zle his follow ers by aformal coronat ion,modelled upon that of theM ogul, inw h ich the w e ighin against gold and other childi sh cere

monies w ere not omitted. G'

s to animmense value bestow ed ontheBrahmans, ave lustre to this as w ell as to several other polit icalfest ivals.

”urray

’s History ofBri t ish India,page 258.

1'N ote —InSanscrit,Hyrannyais old,and Gur b hum,belly or inside,

and so the realmeaning of these w or s is G oldenw omb.

”


THE GREAT TUM PURUSIMDANAM.

Hi s Highness Rama Vurmah, Maharajah of Travancore, has performed the greatTulapurushadanam,

”or, as it is more commonly

termed Tulab haram,a ceremony,which five of hisimmediate predecessors have,without interruption,and several others before them,performed . Tulapurushadanam is a compound of three Sanskritwords -Tula (scal es),Purusha (man),and danam(gift particularly of areligious character) . The chi ef

part of the ceremony is the donation of a humangure of equal weight with the donor . But on

account of the evident imprac ticabili ty of constructing a figure on the same day of weighing,asmallgold plate with the efi gy of the donor raised inrelief on it,is givenalong with the whole quantity ofgold . It will b e perceived that inthe Sanskrit wordexplained above there is no mention whatever ofthe precious metal which forms the subject of donation. There is abundant proof that, inMalayalamat any rate,Tulab haram is often performed withother substances than gold . In several Pagodaspeople perform it as a vow with sugar,molas ses,sandal-wood, gingely-seed, pepper, plantain fruits,b rinjals, &c . The Maharajah of Travancore of thesame name as the present ruler,w ho re igned forty

years,w as a contemporary of George III,and w as

ippu Sultan’

s enemy, performed a golden Tulab haram in the beginning of hi s reignand a silverTulab haram by about the end of it . It may,however, b e well conce ived that, in the instance of asovereign Prince,and granting that the ceremonytakes place only once inhis life as amatter of duty,the requirements of digni ty and reputationamongapeople

Ifproverb ially fond of splendour and magni

ficence, not the strict prescripti onofreligion,would


render it necessary that the most precious substanceobtainable should b e adopted . Religion itself prescribe s gold as the highest order of merit among thevari ous substances w ith which the Tulab harammay b e performed .

”

Th e Tulab haram is not aceremony peculiar e ithert o Travancore or the Malabar Coast enerally. Itis one of the Shodasa (sixteen) Mahaganams (greatdonations) mentioned inSanskrit works . Adetaileddescription of thi s eat donation is said to b e

°

v en in the Padma uranam,one of the ei ht een

guranas ascribed to Vyasa. The sixteenal ohadsname or great donations, as described in a

Sanskrit work,named Hemadri,are as follows1 Tulapurusha Danam .

2 Hiranyagarb ha do .

3 Brahmanda do .

4 Kalpapadapa do .

5 G osahasra do .

6 Hiranyakamadhenu do .

7 Hiranyasva do .

8 Hiranasvaratha do .

9 Hem as t iratha do .

10 Panchalhngalaka do .

1 1 Dhara do .

12 Visvachakra do .

13 Kalpalata do .

14 Saptashgara do .

1 5 Rathadh enu do .

16 Mahab h i’i taghata do .

The Tulab haram is,of course, one of the mostco stly of these great donations and is,by it s nature,b efit t ed only to Kings . That it w as performed bymany HinduKings,not in the mythical b ut hi storicalages, w e have tangible proof. In the Septembernumber of 1869 of the Pandi t,a monthlyAngloSanskrit periodical published at Benares,there is apaper onacopper plate bearing old inscription,dugupby a carpenter named Jagat when ploughin

lga

field in the village of Sivhar near Benares . he


copper plate purposes to b e agrant of avillage to aBrahman by Raja Jaya Chandra Deva, king of

Kanouj in 1232, Samvat (1 1 72 AD .) The plateis inscribed w ith anumber of Sanskrit verses inthew ay ofpreface to the actual grant— the verses trac ingthe geneology of the royal donor and glori fyingeach successive King. Among them is the following verse

Téirthani Kasikusikottarakosaleduras thaniyakaniparipalayatad

’higamya,

HemaAtmatulyam Anisam dadatadvijeb hyah,YenaAnkitaVasumat ii Shtasah tulab hih

It may b e translated thus

The earth w asmarked with hundreds of scales byhim (name be ing given inaprevious stanza) w ho,going to Kasi,Kusika, U t tarako sala and otherholy places, always distributed gold of his ow n

weight to’

Brahmans .

’

As in all flights of oriental adulation, there isexaggerationinthe above ; b ut exaggeration,though

doesnot falsifysafely assumeHindoo KingsIt is also wellQueenAhalya

Bhayi performed the Tulab haram and other greatdonations, and so also successive Peshw ahs uptoBajiRao . But what is really strange is that someof the Mogul Emperors of the House of Babershould adopt thi s pure ly Hindu mode of religiousgift . The CalcuttaRevi ew,

” No . XCVIII,October1869, in an article headed The death of Jeuhanger and the accessionof Shahjahan

’ contains thefollowing passages : To-day Prince Khurram (Shah

jahan) w as w e ighed" (page‘ The

presents w hich J ot ikrai rece ived were enormous ; hew as evenonce weighed ingold .

It is believed that CherumanPerumal,individinghis Malayalam or Kerslam Empire into four part s


and assigning each to a separate chief gave acrownto the Travancore king,and enjoined on himand

his successors the performance of Tulab haramandthe other great ceremony . Hiranyagarb ham, aspreliminary to the wearing of the crown. Authenticwritt en records are extant whi ch testify to the irperformance by several of the ancient sovere ignsof Travancore . Since the reignof Raja Martandavarma,Who ascended the musnud in 1 758-59, theseceremonies have beenperformed inunbrokensuccessionby every sovere ign. Inconnectionwith the subject it may b e worth mentioning that there is atradition that both the Zamorin and the RajCochin have been unable to perform these ceremonies as each of them could perform them only inapagodasituated inthe heart of the other’s t erritories,which would always b e jealously guarded against .Trichur is said, to b e the Zamorin

’

e Jerusalem, orlace to b e w on,andTaliparamb u the CochinRajah

’s .

t is a fact known to history that the Zamorininvaded the Cochin territories during the las tcentury, b ut whether he performed Tulab haram at

Trichhr is not certain. That the CochinRajah hasacrown b ut does not wear it on his head is w ell

known. He carries it onhis laponthe annual StateprocessionofAt tachamayam inAugust .

”

The two immediate predecessors (maternal uncles)of the present Maharajah of Travancore performedtheir Tulab harams in the years 1829 and 1850 res

pect ively. The first of them performed it in his

seventeenth year,and the second in his thirty-sixthyear . The present Maharajah has performed it inthe thirty

-e ighth year of his life and the tenth of hi sreign. he Maharajah had long been desirous toperform the ceremony as a preliminary to his coronat ion,b ut the moral di ssuasionwhich the outlay oflarge sums of public money inceremonies,the benefitof which would not b e admitted b y any exceptthose who are withinthe pale of the most orthodoxHinduism, must naturally meet both from the


British authorities and from enlightened publicOpinion,necessitated its postponement . The greatease and buoyancy which the finances of Travancorehave,of late years,attained,and the unstinted allotment of money to useful public works and otherpurposes of public benefit,under the able administrat ion of DewanSir T . M adhavaRau, have servedto reduce the difficulty which must beset the erformance of this costly religious ceremony. oreover,

the British Resident, M r . Ballard, w ith a broadercast of mind thansome of his predecessors,perceivedthe propriety of letting the Maharajah act uponthe urgings of hi s religious solicitude to performWhat,from several generations past,has been consideredamatter of duty inhis family,and w hat w as lookedupon by far the great majority of his subjects ascalculated to promote the dignityand glory of the irsovere ign to w hi ch they would gladly contribute .

Under this correct representation the Madras Ccvernment had no objection; and in July last year,the Maharajah issued formal orders for the performance of the ceremony . The date first appointedw as the 7th of February,which w as about amonthafter the last day of the great Murajapam ceremony .

This arrangement,apart from the full cost of theceremony itself,would have entailed the great addit ional one of feeding at least tenthousand Brahmanstwice aday during the interval of the two ceremoniesnot to speak of the severe trials to which the sanitationof the townwould have been subjected duringthe time . But these evils were obviated by atimely,and masterly coupworthy of a Napoleon. About afortnight before the conclusion of the Murajapamceremony the date for the Tulab haram w as suddenlyaltered from the 7th February to the day follow ingthe las t one of the M urajapam. By this,almost thewhole expense of the seven days’ preliminary feastw as saved, and also that of welcoming the greatNampuri chiefs residing in Malabar and in the

CochinState,who had come in for the M urajapam.


If this saving of expenditure w as in itself a verygratifying achievement,doubly so w as the saving oftrouble to the large body of Vimttikars or serviceland-holders . The Murajapam sheds were utilisedfor the Tulab haramand inthat too there w as considerab le saving . Indeed,it ma b e said that theexpenditure w as narrowed to the strictly religiouspait1

of the ceremony and general distribution ofgoSeveral months before the ceremony the Traven

core Government, through its energeti c CommercialAgent,M r. Hugh Crawford,purchased from Messrs .

ar and Co ., of Calcutta, 7,8081 tolahs (about2 02 lb s . avoir . or 24 4 lb s . troy) of pure goldat the rate of 1 5 Rupees 3 annas per Tolah or

1,1 8,586 Rupees 13 annas 6 pie, for the whole .

Including the cost of fre ight, insurance,and dutyamounting to 3,0 1 1 Rupees 1 1 annas, 9 pice, thetotal outlay w as 1,21,598 Rupees 1 1 annas 3 picefor the whole quantit or 1 5 Rupees 9annas 2 piceper tolah . Thi s golgw as received in sixteen rec

tangular equiponderous (488 to lahs 2; each) slabs oringots . Out of these,twelve slabs were taken forcoinage,the rest being reserved for use if required .

The work of the di es w as commenced by about theend of November . The device for the coin,on thepresent occasion, underwent considerable changesfrom that of these former Tulab ’haram— Illustrat ions of both are appended to this narrative . Fromthese figure s it w ill b e seen that the coins of theformer Tulab ’haram consisted of circular pieces w ithsimply the letters Sri Patmanab ha” in Malayalam, on the obverse, the reverse being a blank .

Whereas, those now coined contain those lettersencircled by aw reath on the obverse,and the couch

shell (the State device of Travancore) with aw reatharound it on the reverse . The wreath on the

reverse is acopy of that onthe reverse of the old

Company’s Rupee . Upon the whole, the new

Tulab’haram coin is decidedly more handsome than


the old. The gold,being of asuperior quality,w asfound sufi ciently malleable to preclude the necessityof melting ; and so,chances of fraud were immenselyreduced . As shewn inthe plate appended to this,thecoins are of four different sizes and weights .

1 Kalanju 78 65 grains,approximately .

1 39-32

Of these,the work of the smaller pieces w as firstundertaken,and as it proceeded ina leisurely manner,the impressions have been sharp and complete .

But the change of date of the ceremony,whi ch w assuddenly made,necessitated the hurrying over of thecoinage of the larger pieces and consequently thestamping turned out very imperfect . Subjoined isthe number of coins of each size struck

Of 1 Kalanju piecesif

They amount to Kalanjus or aboutt olahs .

The only preparation,besides the coining of gold,ad to b e made specially for the ceremony,

w as the erectionof the Tulamandepam, where thescales were put 11 and the we ighing and other riteperformed . The glands am w as,as usual,built inthe south-east corner of t e interioryard of the greatAnantasayanwm pagoda. The Mandapam w as a

strong shed, about 45 x 4 0 feet, thatched w ithcocoanut leaves, and palisaded w i th s lit cocoanuttrunks,drivenhorizontally into vertical

)

csts of thesame material . In the middle, a plat orm,about22 x 15 feet and a foot in height, w as raised . Itw as onthis that the chief ceremony w as performed .


the previous evening,poured into asilver pot andsubjected to plijas and incantations .

”

On the third,fourth,and fifth days,there are noceremonies excepting pujas to the prat imas alreadymentioned .

”

Sixth Day.— Thi s day the high priest consecrates

the Tulamandapamand propitiates with V‘

astnBali,the spirits which are supposed to dwell in new

buildings .

”

Seventh Day— This day the Maharajah oes to

the pagodaas onthe first da andafter w ors'

ppingandmaking offerings,precedes to the Tulamandapamaccompanied by the Acharyah or head priest and thetwenty-six others,and there stays till the Ach ah

performs pujato the three prat imas of Vishnu, iva

and Vinaaka,and returns to the Palace . After thisthe Ach ryah pui i fies the Tulamandapam andplants a toranam or ornamental arch at each of thefour entrances . The toranam post at the easterngate is made ofAsvattha, (Ficus Religiosa), at thesouthern of w mbara (Ficus Glomerata) at thewestern of Vata (Ficus Indica),at the northernofF luhaba(Ficus Infectoria) Theseare furthermarked,w ith one of the four weapons of Vishnu; viz ., Conchshell, Chackraor whe el,GadaorWarclub , and theLotus The t ajasorflag stafisare thenplante d atthe eight chief points of the compass,the chief onebeingat the north-eas t corner. These are thenconsecrated. The high riest

’s assistants purify with

Mantras 120 pots ofPwater of Kolasas to besprinkle

various parts of the Mandapam with . The

Acharyah or high priest then performs aPuja tothe goddess Lakshmi on the platform. Then the

scales and beam, specially made, are brought inprocession w ith attendant music, 850 . and aftercertain sacrificial Homas and purification w ithKolaeas, the scales are put up. Inclusive of the

Tulapurusha Pratimathere are 93 goldenPrat imas,and of these some are stuck on the beam w ith w ax ,


othersare placed onthe scales,while the chief Pratimaabove mentioned is hung up in the middle of thebeam just beneath the index of the scales . Goldenpots,filled with water and covered with silk and

garlands,are placed beneath the scales . The e ightcipakas repeat the four Vedas at the four gates inthe following order : Rig,east,Y ajus,south,Sama,west,andAtharva,north . The e ight Pathakas readthe Puranas,among which are theRamayana,Mahabharata,and Bhagavata. Thisnight,inthe presenceof the Maharajah, the Acharyah performs Plija tothe beam and scales,and after thi s,twelve Brahminsare specially fed and presented with Dakshinas .

After this,the Maharajah,togetherwith theAcharyahand the rest of the priests returns to the Tulaman

and the Acharyah performs Plija to Indra,Yama, Nirrlt i,Varuna, Vayu, Kubera, andthe e ight Dtkpalas intheir due points of the

compass . Brahmaand Ananta are propitiated inthe SW. and N E . corners . The Maharajah performs Pnshparchana or bestowal of flowers to

these several de ities and las tly to the scales,accompanied with prayers and then returns to thePalace .

”

Eighth Day.— This day, the Acharyah makes a

Piijaearly inthe morning to the TulapurushaPratima,afterwhich the Maharajah goes to the Pagoda,bathedand religiously attired . After worshipping andmaking offerings he proceeds to the Tulhmandapam,where in the south-east corner he is sprinkled withPanyafhamwater . Thence he goes to the side roomwhere the nine grains

”are sown insilver flower

pots,where theAcharyah anoints himwith nine freshwater Kolasas . Thence the Maharajah retires to

the Palace, changes clothes,wears certain golden

jewels specially made for the occasionand,holdinthe State sword inhis right hand and the State shielof black leopard’s skin and ascimitar in hi s left,he proceeds to the Pagoda,and having presented abull elephant at the foot of the great goldenflag


staff,and silks, gold coins, jewels and other richofferings in

,

the interior, he walks round by theSivaimandapam and re-enters the Tulamandapam.

He walks thrice round the scales,prostrates beforeit, prays, performs certain preliminary donations,bows before the priests and elderl relatives and

obtains their sanction to perform t e Tulapurushadanam . He thenmounts the western scale,holdingY amas and Sing/as Prat imas in his right and lefthands respectively. He sits fac ing to the east onacircular heavy plank cut out of a fre sh jackwoodand covered w i th silk . The sword and shi eld are

placed in the lap. He repeats Mantras in thi sposition. The opposite or easternscale thenreceivesthe gold,both coined and in ingots,till it not onlyattains equality b ut touches the ground,and the scaleoccupied by the Maharajah rise s high . The Maharajah then comes dow n,and sitting facing to theeast, place s the gold,the Tulapurusha Pratimaandother Prat imas with flowers, sandal paste, &c .,

in a basin of water, and meditating Brahma or

Supreme Being,he offers the contents to Brahmans

finericall The Acharyah then dismisses w ithantras t e several deities invoked for the occasion,

and anoints the Maharajah withAvab hrI’haKalasam

inthe north-westcornerof the Mandapam . TheMaharajah is again sprinkled with Pang/aha,and he thenprostrate s before the Acharyah and other great

'menand rece ives the ir benedi ctions . Leaving the

Tulamandapam he walks round the Pagoda inStateand having dismissed the Acharyah and other

priests near the goldenflag stafi, retires in the

alace, after once more worshipping and offeringpre sents inthe inte rior of the Pagoda. Thus endsthe Tnlab ’hdramceremony. One remarkable featurein it will not escape notice . It is that it has moreof the Vaidik cast thanthat of later Hinduism. The

Vaidik Gods,Indra,Angi,Varuna,Vayuand othersare all propitiated . The priests w ho conduct theceremony bear,for the time,the several appellations


Rs. He has other emoluments besides this .

His family or Tarwad name i s Tarunanallur Nam

piiripad,and i s the religious head of the great Pagoda,and the head State pri est.

The remaining three-fourths of the old is distri

buted generally among Brahmans . n the formeroccasion the rate of payment w as as follows

Nampuri BrahmanAdhyas (Lords)of ordinary description 3 Kalanjus.

Nampuri Brahman Karmis (whohave performed Y ajnam)

Canare se

Do . Womenand Children

From thi s rate a reduction w as made on the

present occas ion,b which the Adhyas and Karmis

i“ 2 k,ordinary ampuris 1} k,and the Canareserahmans 1 k,no alteration being made in thatof the Tamil Brahmans . Besides thi s, the greatNampliri Lords receive varying quantities the

maximum being 100 k . Tamil Brahmans who pas san examination inVedas and Séstras get extragold,about 4 k. at an average . Great Pandits and

Vaidiks get much large quantities . On the formeroccasion the max imum under this item reached 45 k,b ut now thi s w as kept downat 15 or 20 k. Certainprivileged families, hereditarily de

h

ndin on the

court receive extra payments . aharajahalso makes di scretionary gift s to friends and dependants . But whenever apresent of this og ld i s madeto any personnot aBrahmanadepositgof its valuein money must b e made, for the gold being theproperty of the Brahmans after the danam cannota prOpriated for otherpu es . The late Maha

rajah strictly adhered to t s, and it is unlikelythat the present Maharajah has deviated from it .


It may b e mentioned that the Maharajah has,w i thhis wonted kind considerat ion presented all hisEuropeanfii ends with specimencO ins . Lord Na ier,and probably H. R . H. the Duke of Edinburghself, must have had the additionof this curiosity totheir cabinets The subjoined isacomparat ive statement of the total distributions of gold onthe recent

and the immediately previous occas ions . It is°

veninkalang

'

aandmanelui ti . One kalanjnis aboutgrains or about fth of atolah,and one manchati isabout grains .

of 1850 . of 1870.

6.—To do. BrahmanPandits and those

w ho w ere examined inthe Vedas2790 10

7.—To fi i ends,dependent s,servants and

Total Gold used for w eighing

It will b e seenfrom the above that except in theitem of Tamil Brahmanwomenand childrentherehas been decrease on the present occas ion. Butthe total quantity of gold w as smaller than on theformer occasionand the rate s of distribution to theNampuri and Canarese Brahmans and to the Panditshave been considerably lowered. This, togetherw i th the decrease of influx ofmaple fromdistant


parts of India,owing t o the sudden alteration of

date, will account for the general decrease . The

chiefsaving,how ever,w as inthe items of feast,theerectionof sheds,and the travelling expenses of the

great Nampi‘

iri Chiefs,&c ., whi ch, owing to the

coincidence of the great Murajapam,were almostni l. The Whole ascertained expense amounts t o

Rs . and afew more unaudited items w ill

probably sw ell the total t o Rupees inroundnumbers . The Hiranyagarb

’ham ceremony,which

must b e performed likewise before the Maharajah’s

coronation, may cost about Rs . Threelakhs of ru es is doubtless a large sum inasmallState like ravancore,which has yet to undertakemany important public works and extend the benefits of Education; b ut it is not t oo large to b e spentonce in the lifetime of a Hindu Ruler, who hasseldom been oblivious to the just wants of hi s peopleand never been misguided in the use of publicmoney, in religious ceremonies the performance ofwhich by the head of the State undoubtedly has theexultant sanct ion of the Whole Hindu populationin it .

Inthe plate appended the fisal es inthe line markedArepresent the coins or me 8 struck onthe pre

sent occasi on,and those in the line B show those ofthe last Tulab haram.


Both of these ceremonies,Thulapurusha danamand can .

Hirannya Garb ha danam, are preliminaries to thecoronation ceremony in Travancore . Parasu Ramahimself performed Thulapurusha danum at Thiroonapwaye, before he performed the great national feastMahamukhum.

The chief actors in both of the above ceremoniesare the Numb oory Brahmans inWhom Parasu Ramavested the duty of performing all the religious andVedic ceremonies inKerala.

Aluvanchery Samrat tu,now vulgarly called Thamrakel,the supreme authori ty among the Numb ooryrahmancommunity,in regard to Vedic functions,is

the chief preceptor to the Travancore royal family : hehas to b e present at all such ceremonies and is theprincipal person at the ceremony called Upanayanam,investiture of the young Princes w i th the Brahmanicalemblem Poonunool, when they attain the ir properage .

Anaccount of this great Brahmanical chief w i ll b efound in Dr . Buchanan’s work, wherein he is calledRajah . The denominationThamprakel has led the

pimple to call him Baj

iah, for Rajah is called in the

alayalam language, humpo oran. The Numb oorycommunity w as held ingreat reverence and high regardin Kerala, and none would venture to offend aNumb oory,who is supposed to possess the power of imprecationand cursing .

Though several Rajahs and petty chi efs rose upsubsequent to the Perumal period,still the Numb oorycommunity maintained it s power w i thin the sixtyfour gramams, b ut owing to neglect of the devot ional Observances and

”

religious performance s, theprosperity of the community began to decline and theprecepts and commands of Parasu Rama were indifferently attended to .

At such aperiod, the great and renowned Vedanthist, SankaraAcharyar w as born. His birth-place is

10


Kalady onthe northernbank of the Alwaye river,ande ight miles from the town of Alwaye ; he w as a

Numb oory of some rank and distinction.

We have only atradi tional account of the period ofSankaraAcharyar

’s birth, which is said to have been

half a centu before the beginning of the

Kollum eraor the alayalam year, and inthe eighthcentury of the Christian era.

Thi s account coincides w i th that given by the

Author of the South Indian

Sankara Acharyar, while very young, began tocriticise the religious proceedings of the Numb oori esand their Vedic knowledge and studies generally,andconsequently the community w as offended with theyouth and began to persecute him in every possiblemanner . The community pronounced a verdict ofexcommunication upon the family (acowardly modeof retaliation pursued by the Numb oory communityevenupto this day.) The Brahmans were prohibitedt o associate with the family and even the lowerorders were prevented from serving at Sankara’silium (house )Whenabout sixteenyears of age Sankara i s said to

have set out onapilgrimage as ahermit .

An account of the pilgrimage, &c ., of SankaraAcha ar is given in eight stanzas composed in Sanscrit, y one of his disciples . These verses are to theeffect that SankaraAcharyar w as born inthe Brahmanvillage Kalady inKeralam ; that he became omniscientby the time he attained sixteenyears of age,attainedthe religious degree of ascet ism, proceeded to Badei ikasramamwhere the SoothraBhashyaw as composedthat Vyasa, the great Rishi met SankaraAcharyar

Th e most celebrated professor of the Vedanta w as SankaraAcharya; and regarding him w e learn from Professor H. H.Wilson’sHindu Sect s,that he lived about th e eighth or ninth century,and w as,ac cording t o most account s anat ive of Keralaor Malabar,of the tribeof N umb oory Brahmans,and inthe M ythological language of the Sect,anincarnat ionof Siva. South IndianGods,page 1 14 .


The improvement efiected by SankaraAcharyarw as that each of these divisions should have aWadhyan (spiritual Precepto r) called Thirunaw aye Wadhyanand Thrishivaparoor (Trichoor) Wadhyan; thatthere should b e under these two personages six

Wydeekens (Vedic Judges) a set of M eemamzsakens

(expounders of spiritual laws,) and Smarthens (Pro .

fessors of spiritual laws .) All spiri tual affairs to b eguided and conducted by these menin perfect accordance w ith the Vedic law .

SankaraAcharyar introduced also certainrules and

Observances regarding matrimony amongst theb oory Brahmans,most rigid intheir character . The

marri ed female is not allowed to b e seenby an malesevenof the family or of her caste people . S e is tomove under the screen or cover of a lar e -sized umbrella purposely constructed w ith the T

gallipo t palm

leaf,and is always to b e attended by afemale servant,who goes before her Whenever she steps out of doors .

She is not permitted to adorn her person with costlyornaments and clothes ; her ornaments consist of apairof goldenear-rings of apeculiar make and descripti on,difierent from the pattern worn b females of o therclas ses . She wears astring of neckornaments calledTholikoottam, and anumber of brass bangles onbothhands . She wears along country-made coarse clothround her waist and covers he r body from the neckdownwards with acoarse sheet of cloth .

The costume, the ornament and the condition of

the Numb oory females continue to this day just thesame Without the least change from the original ruleslaid down for the se x by SankaraAcharyar.

The rules laid downfor protect ing chas tity amon tthe female s are extremely rigorous and severe . he

follow ing is abrief outline of the mode of enquiry incase s of adultery among the Numb oory Brahmans ase stablished by SankaraAcharyar .

Whena female member of a family is suspect ed ofhaving violated the law s of chast ity,the headmanof


the family generally takes the lead inan enquiry ; hecommunicates the information to his kinsmen,andthey together w ith some of the headmenof the neighb ouring village assemble in the house and hold aprivate enquiry with the maid servant attached to thesuspected female,as also with the other maid servantsof the house . Thi s enquiry is a very minute andsearching one,and if the suspic ion is found groundless, the enquiry is stopped and the matter droppedaltogether . On the other hand,the suspected femaleis ordered to b e located ina. separate plac e which iscalled by the technical termAnjampw ra,and there she

remains apart from the others . The owner of thehouse and his kinsmen,together w i th the elders,nowproceed to the king and represent the mat ter in a

part icular form . The King, hi s family Priest, andother Pandi ts of the Court,assemble and the sovereignhimself puts several questions to the complainant andhis kinsmenas to the nature and grounds of the suspicion and the ir ow n knowledge of the mat ter, theirOpinion,&c . &c .,and the courtiers also follow the samecourse,and thenthe king is sues awrit t o the Smarthenand deput es the king’s agent or deput y in the personofalearnedmanand Vedi c scholar of the Court . The

prosecutor, toge ther w ith cert ain men of the commit tee,go to the Smarth en,lays downa sumofmoneyas a complimentary present to the Smarthen, andapprises him of the affair and of the king

’s order ; the

M eemamsakens are thenassembled and all now proceedto the house of the suspected female,and the Smar

the respect due to a Numb oory woman,standing at agood distance w ithout being seenby thefemale, makes amaid servant hi s inte rmediary andcommence s asking aseries of questions . If the Smar!

thenis satisfied that the re is no ground for proceedingw ith the enquiry,he communicates the same to the M ee.

mamsakens and to the king’s agent,who are also pre sentthere After mutual consultat ion and considerationofthe nature of the questions andanswers,should theyagree w ith the Smarthenthat the ac cused is innocent,


the enquiry,is di scontinued and the ceremony knownas E ehama Namaskarwm is gone through,i . e .,lyingprostrate before the suspected female and asking herpardonfor the vexatious procedure t o whi ch she w as

subjected,and thus the female i s honorably exonerated .

Onthe other hand, should the suspi cionb e confirmedby her answers,and good reasons b e found for believingthe char e, the Smarthen shows himself before the

accused emale and confronting her, begins questioning her . From this sta e,the female i s called andaddressed Sadanam” fishing) . This examinationcontinues about three days, and by that time the

guilt i s likely to b e completely e stablished,mostly byconfession strengthened by evidence, and then the

case is summed upand considered by the Smarthen,M eemamsakenand others in the presence of the king’sagent . At this stage,the female i s closely watched,not only to

prevent out -side advice from reaching her

b ut also to ustrate any intentions of suicide whi chshe may entertain. The result of the enquiry is re

ported to the king,who, after hearing all the factssancti ons the excommunication of the female andallows her asmall pittance of rice and provisions t ob e issued from one of the O ottupurahs (feedinghouses) . The sentence ofexcommuni cationi sannouncedby a foreign Brahman, called Patter . This orson,standing onaplatform erected for the purpose, eclares

in aloud voice the names of the adulteress, and theadulterer ; he next announces that the crime has beenproved against them and that they have both beenexcommunicated. For this service, the Patter getsthe prescribed fee . The cost of this enquiry,whi ch

I is generall called Smarthamcharam,”is somewhat

considerab lh,and the Whole i s home by the head ofthe family who is bound to go through certainceremonies after performing the mock funeral ceremonies of the female, w ho i s now considered as deadand severed from the family . Thi s concluding ceremony is called Sudhab hoj

’anam ’

(messing afterpurification) .


Devasw am tenants,as had committed any breach ofthe Devasw am rules were gibbe tted before the hoisting of theflagand the commencement of the Ulsavam.

By such arbi trary conduct of the Devasw am peoplethe soverei power w as overshadowed, and the kingbecame in erent to the mode inwhi ch afiairs wereadministered withinthe jurisdi ctionof Devasw amandBrahmaswam lands .

The se powers'

of the Devat inued up to the early partwill b e seen from accounts

The rise of the Devasw am to power eatly afiected

the military resources of the king, w o se force s arechiefly constituted of militia trained out of the pcpulace . Now, the Devasw am ryots became the largest

portionof the people and they were not permitted toormaportionof the militia.

The military strength granted by Parasu Rama tothe Travancore King as mentioned inthe KeralaMahatmyam w as men,and these were all militia.

We have already said that the art of w ar and the

uses of warlike weapons were introduced by ParasuRama.

The system of training soldiers adopted by thatBrahmanwarrior and followed by the kings of Travencore and Kolathnaud w as that every village shouldmaintainits ow nmilitia. The name of every male childof the Nairs and others, six months after birth,w asto b e registered as belonging to the militia. Fencingand gymnastic schools,called Kalery,were establishedinevery distri ct under the superintendence of certainauthorised masters,denominated Gurukals andAsansto educate boys in the art of w ar whi ch consistedchi efly of sword exercises, arrow-shootin spear,lance and dagger exercises, wrestling and t e use ofthe shield, and several other arts of offence anddefence . These masters were required not only togive the boys mi litary educat ion,b ut also to train


them ingymnastic exercises, sw ord and rope-dancingfor the entertainment of the public.

For the command of the mili ta, trained menweree x pressly nominated,such as M zmni lakaren, (one whostands infront ofacompany) Chemmanakaren, (theone behind or close to the first ranking perhaps withth e present grades Subadar and Jemadar) . Oversev eral of these menthere were noblemen, w ith thetit les of Karthavu (Lord), Kymal (nobleman), andsuch others like the old Barons andKnights ofEngland .

of w ar .

The Gmnkat hadWmthi (means of livelih ood or maintenance), now called Virt thi, allowed them by the

king,which consisted of portions of lands . Similarprivileges on a large scale w ere anted to all thechi efs formaintainin the militia. y the appointmentof Parasu Rama, t e king of Travancore and hi srelative the chi ef of Kolathnaud, had eachmilitiamen,and these,were recogni zed even by thelast Perumal . The Kerala Ulp athy1 as well as theKerala Mahatmyam

2 fully cert i y to this fact The

ex tent of the possessions of these two sovereigns,and the importance of Travancore andKolathnaudmayb e justly and rightly judged from the strength of themilitia, for to rai se a mili tiaof men wouldundoubtedly require a large population, withext ensive area of land,and it is an addi tional proofthat the whole of Kerala w as in the possession ofthese two sovereigns, and that almost all the rajahsand chiefs and their nobles who were each head ofthirty, fift een, ten, five and three thousand men ofthe militia, according to the account in the KeralaUlppathy (vide pages 4 1 and 4 2) were subject to thesetw o kings ofTravancore and Kolathnaud.

‘

l—KeralaU lppathy,pages 40 and 4 1 .2—KeralaMahatmyam,Chapter 86.

The Kolaconquest of the Belalasmight b e cited as aninstance of

the pow er of these kings.


We see remnants of the above system still inexistence in Travancore, though not in its originalform nor for the same purposes . Some of the

originally established kaleries are to b e seen hereand there, w ith their privileged Assns or masters .

Such kaleries are found now -a-days in the territoriesof the king of Travancore, where all such ancient

s are preserved and the services of the grade ofmenwith their original title such as Munnilakarenand Charumanakaren,and the militiamenas Virithicar are still retained, and they even to thi s dayperform oolium services in the villages, and in the

possessionof lands allotted to them as Virithi . The

aggregate numb er of such persons amounts to aboutand the lands to the extent of about

acres and gardens . In no country in Indiaare such services found to exist .

That the supremac of Keralam devolved upontheTravancore king w e d home out by the fact of thecurrency of Kerala

We have already shown that Parasu Rama hadminted a gold coin called Ras i,and that it w as the

sovereign coin of Kerala,till the commencement ofthe Kali Y ugam. Though the coin Ras i has becomealmost extinct,since the last few centuries,still inalltransactions relating to landedproperty inthe northernparts of Travancore, thi s coin is to this day the

standard for fix ing the value thereof.

Travancore minted its coin from the earliest timein the Kali age and it is the rincipal currency ofthe kingdom and is called Kaliyuga Rajen fanam,whi ch coin,though not current now , is the acknowledged currency in Travancore,like the star pagodaof the Carnatic. The old KaliyugaRajen fanam w as

a close imi tation of the Madura Vella fanam (thePandyan coin),and both had a faint resemblance t othe Rasi fanam. These coins were certainly mintedlong after the coinage of the old Rasi fanam byParasu Rama. Subsequently, t e Travancore mint


coinw as now called Palaya fanam, old coin. Eventhe Perinpadappu king accepted the Zamorin’s newfanam as legal tender in his country,apractise whichstill continues,and money transactions in the CochinRajah’

s territories are calculated chiefly according tothe Zamorin’s new gold fanam . But the Zamorin’

e

coins were not alegal tender in the Travancore king’sterritories .

Perinpadappu latterly issued alloyed silver coincalled Puthen, which appears to have scarcely beenacknowledged out of hi s own terri tories .

The Travancore coins were current in Keralamu to the time the Zamorin rose to power . The

aliyugaRajen fanam and the Chuckram have beencurrent inthe kingdoms of Pandya and Chola fromancient times . Thus w e have traced the currency ofKeralafrom the time of ParasuRamaupto the presentday,and,though w e have already shown that Keralaw as no other than Travancore,ye t it is necessary torefer once more to the subject and trace the names oflocalities in connectionwith our narration

The coronation of 'King Veera Kerala Vurmah,KulasekharaPerumal,inthe Kali year 34 12,has beenchronicled above . Thi s took place in the middle ofthe Perumal period and the coronation w as attendedby the then Perumal,and by all the chiefs and noblesof Kerala; the ceremonies of HirannyaGarbham andThulapurusha danam were performed by the Numb oory Brahmans of both Chow arakoor and Punniarakoor .

This sovereign occupied the Kerala throne for along time and ruled his kingdom with prosperity andpopularity.

The capital,where this monarch resided,w as VeeraKeralapuram close to Sreevalumcode, (Thiroovithancode ) and Sreevurdhanapuram (Padmanabhapuram,)Where Parasu Rama installed two of this king’sancestors .


with one SundraMoorthy Swamy,while the KeralaUlppathy narrates that Cheramanproceeded to Mecca,met the prophet Mahomet,embraced Mahomedanism,lived some years there,marri ed the daughter of theArabian king, had childrenby her,and di ed at thatplace . This stat ement,on the face of it appears tob e utterly false, as the prophet w as not born at thetime whenBhaskaraRevi Vurmah Perumal di ed .

doubts as to thee chi ef

rmation 8 rule,subsequent to Parasu Rama’s period ; b ut the narrationinthi s work (KeralaU lppathy) subsequent to thePerumal period still further bewilders the reader,especially as almost all accounts therein related, arenot annotated . There is no means of knon exactlyat what period the chroni cles of this work end .

The di visionof Kerala; at the time of the las t CheramanPerumal’s retirement as narrated in the KeralaU lppathy, is generally disbelieved, and almostproved, as has been said by Dr . Gundert . Beside s,the Perumal as aViceroy had£12power to make territoria v1si i s master, theCheraking.

It would appear from all accounts, that the Cochinchief, under the desi ation of Mada Bhoopathy or

MadathinKovil (videKeralaU lppathy,page alsocalled KovilAdhikarikel,as the relationof the Perumal, as a matter of course took possession of thePerumal’s residence at Thiruvanjicolam (the originalhome of the Chera dynasty,) and enjoyed the Perumal’s possessions and property asAnanthiravan (heir) .There is another account which says that the Cochin

Rajah is not a real descendant of the las t CheramanPerumal,b ut that hi s family is descended from the

fifteenth Perumal,called MadaPerumal (vide Kerala

U lppathy, page and that they resided on the

western bank of the broad back-water, BampanaudKayel,afew miles north ofAlleppey,and inthe Share


talay di strict . The locality is still called Madathinkaray, and traditionshows that the CochinRajah hada residence there till the di strict fell into the Travancore sovereign

’s hands .

The above view w as adopted by Kookel Kelu Nair,inhis memorandum published in the Madras LiterarySociety’s Journalalreadyalluded to . He says Againthere is no cund to suppose that the CochinRajahis descendef

r

from the said VeeraKerala,for,fromvarious authors,it is clear that the CochinRajah isdecended from Mada Perumal,one of the predecessors of the last Perumal,and therefore,evenuptothis day the Cochin Rajahs are called Mada Bhoopatis or MadaRajahs .

” This may perhaps accountfor the general belief that the Cochin Rajah is a

Soorya Vamsa Kshatri a, for, if his family w ere

descended from the last Cheraman Perumal,it mustb e a Soma Vamsa Kshatria,as that Viceroy w as a

SomaKshatria,as has beenalready shown.

Kerala U lppathy says in its forty-second page,thatthe last Perumal gave his sword and two small ieces

of land to an attaché of hi s (an Eredi ), w it the

title Kwnnala Konathi/ri (Zamorin), and also that afew Arabs, residing at the locality were made over

Such is the origin of the Cochin Rajah and of theZamorinof Calicut,as narrated in the KeralaU lppathy,which account appears to b e fully corroboratedby tradition

The king of Chera (Travancore),had beentill thenthe Emperor of Kerala, b ut the principal seat ofroyalty w as gradually transferred to the southernpartand embodi ed w ith its branch, as w e have already

The nephew of king Veers Kerala Vurmah ruledthe kingdom sat isfactorily durin hi s reign he

established a residency at Ku ay, south-east ofQuilon,Where he consecratedapagoda,and estab lished

EARLY HISTORY OF TRAYAN CORE .

villages,&c . The successor of thi s king,whose nameis unknow n, did not govern hi s kingdom ably andwell,and tradition has it that since that time other

powers in the north commenced to rise and prosperin SouthernIndia.

For the next two or three hundred years, w e find

no precise accounts of the affairs of north Keralait w as the period of the flourishing dynastiesof Kadambaand Chalukya,and northern Keralahadbeen subject to the supremacy of those powers .

During this interval, there w as analliance betweenTravancore and the Kolathnaud Rajahs to repel theinvaders of northernKerala.

In the Kali year 383 1 (73 1 the Travancoreking,Veers M arthandaVurmah,performed Hirann aGarbham and Thulapurusha danam and ruled t e

kingdom for a long time . His nephew succeeded himas usual . This sovere ign,whose real name it is diflicultto find,di ed in the Kali year 3902 and w as succeededby his nephew, Udaya Marthanda Vurmah, who w asaneducated and highly ac complished monarch . Hisrule w as very rosperous and more remarkable thanthat of many ci

ph i s predecessors .

At this period, the Travancore royal family residedat difierent places and w as commonly known by fivedifferent denominations, viz . (Vanavanaud) Venaud,(Sreevalumcode) Thiruvithancode, (Sreepatha) Tripappoor, (Sreevey) Sheravaye and (Jayuthunaganaug)Desinganaud Sw aroopams .

All these five Sw aroo ams,whencollectively referredto,were styled e ither enadu,Travancore or Trippappoor,and sovereignty w as assumed under these threedesignations only . Latterly they became to b e

knownexclusively under one name,i .e . Travancore .

In the Kali year 3926 (825 A.D . whenking UdayaMarthandaVurmah w as residing in Kollam (Quilon),he convened a council of all the learned men of

Kerala w i th the object of introducing a newera,and after making some astronomical researches,


particulars of many of the succeeding kings are alsonot inthe records .

The PanthalamRajah,now a pensioned feudatorychief of Travancore,w as asubordinate KshatriaRajahunder the Pandyanking,and his family w as privilegedto w ed the females of the Cheraor Travancore ro al

family. Thi s chief emigrated to Travancore nu er

the sanction of the then soverei as is recorded inacopper-plate wri ting,dated 1 1th urat tasi Kollam year79, (904 AD .)It w as about this period that the combined army of

Travancore and Ko luthnaud drove out the Bellalasfrom Kerala,and pursued the fugitives into the Dravidacountry . Subsequently the kings of Travancore andKoluthnaud reverted to the enjoyment of their res

ect ive possessions originally assigned to them byParasu Rama,t .e .,the former from Korempulay (the

great river) to the south, and the latter from thatstream to the north .

Onnorthern Keralabeing cleared of the outsiders,the local chieftains began to rise and much fightingamongst them resulted.

The Eradi,whom the Perumal called KunnalaKon

or Konathii i , as the Kerala U lppathy calls him, andt o whom the Perumal gave his sword, now rose up,and with the assistance of theArabs,conquered almostall the northern chiefs,acqui red large territoriesbetween Ponnani and northern Kollam, and e stablished himself as a ow erful monarch as suming thet itle Nediviruppu w arO Opan

”(the greatly spread

power . )Kerala U lppathy narrates the particulars of the

Zamorin’s mi litary exploits and victories (vide,pages

4 6 to

The last Perumal,BhaskaraRevi Vurmah,w as,asstated above, far more popular than all the otherPerumals,and he w as held in such great venerationand affectionby the people,as well as by all the chiefs


throughout Keralam that he w as considered bymost of the people as an incarnation of Vishnu,and many even worshipped him as a de ity . ThisPerumal’s image,together with that of h is wife,werecast in metal and placed in the Thiruvunji colampagoda.

The Cochin being considered the legitimateheir to theW in the estimation of the

people,e speci y of the Syriancommunity,who wererich and very influential, some of them being merchants carrying on business between Kodungaloreand Quilon, and greatly attached to the chi ef eversince the end of the Perumal rule . In the course of afew years the Cochin Rajah also became a great

power, and like the Zamorin, changed his title anddeclared himself Perin adappu Sw arO Opam (the highlyext ended or stre tche power) . As almost all thenorthern subjects of Travancore acknowledged theCochinchief as king,the title Perinpadap u,appliedto Cochin :

w as not inappropriate .

li‘he thenre igning king of Travancore being of a quie t andpeaceable disposition, the ascendancy of Cochin w as

easily established . Hence, the king of Travancorelost his sovereignty over almost all his northernpossessions,and the dominions of the Travancore sovere ign were reduced to small dimensions,t e .,betweenEdavaye near Vurkalay in the north,ErrattaMalay(eastern side of U dayagherry) in the south, to a

distance of about seventy miles in length and twentymiles in breadth : Nanjenaud and all other southernssessions having been assumed by the Pandyan

Sree Vurdhanapuram (Padmanab hapurum),Sree Valumcode (Thiruvithancode ) were at the timethe capitals of the kingdom. This little possession,w efind,w as ruled without any disturbance,e ither externally or internally, for a long period . During thisperiod, two members of the Travancore royal familywere adopted into that of Madathinkoor Sw arO Opam(Mavalikaray,) which w as originally related to the

Travancore royal family,being abranch of the Kola


ou r. family and thus the territories under that petty State,became again subjected to Travancore .

In the Kollam ear 225 (1050 the ancientpagoda at Trevan rum w as rebuilt by a Travancoresovereign,whose name is not known.

About thi s period,the Pandyankingdom w as invadedby the Mahommedans and the then re igning kingParacramaPandyanw as takenprisoner. Having senthim to Delhi, the Mahommedans took possession ofMadura. On this occasion, the tute lary god ofMaduraw as takento Travancore for better security.

"E

The king of Travancore afforded anasylum, withoutshowing the least ill-will to the Pandyans for wrongsdone to Travancore in appropriating territorieswhich were parts of his dominions.

During the Mahommedanrule of the Pandyankingdom, which rule appears to have continued for abouthalf acentury, one NanjaKoraven,afeudatory chiefunder Travancore obtained possession of

'

Nanjenaud,the southernpart of Travancore,and established himself there as a ruler . Subsequent to the conquest ofMysore by the Mahommedans and the relief of theMadurakingdom,NanjaKorav enand his confederacywere driven away by the king of Travancore in theKollam year 292 (1 1 1 7AD .)In 345 K.E . (1 1 70 the Panthalam family, to

whom w e have alreadyalluded,appears to have receivedsome territorial grants from the king of Travancore,in considerationof that family having takenupthe irresidence inKerslam .

Inlike manner,the present PoonjatRajah,who w asaclose relation of the Pandyandynasty emigrated toTravancore, and the hill territories of Poonjar wereassignedas the residence ofh is family,during the re ignof king Adithya Vurmah of Travancore in364 M .E .

(1 189AD .)

Rev . H. Taylor,vol. 1,pages 33 and 35.


after he ascended the musnud, performed the coronation ceremoni es,and became Kulasekhara Perumal,

”b ut His Highness died three months after his

coronation

KeralaVurmah KulasekharaPerumal,w as succeededby his twin-brother CheraUdayaMarthandaVurmah .

The reignof thi s sovere ign w as longer thanthat ofall the Travancore monarchs .

His Highness ascended the musnud,while he w as

sixteenyears of age,and di edat the ripe age of seventye ight after areignof sixty-tw o years .

His re ign w as of a mixed character, partly attended with prosperity, and partly with troublesand annoyances, as is natural during such a longperiod,inwhi ch many vicissitudes must b e expected .

His Highness CheraUdayaMarthandaVurmah performed the coronation ceremonies, and w as styledKulasekharaPerumal.”

During the re ign of thi s sovereign all the southeastern possessions of Travancore onthe Tinnevellyside were regained,and the sovereignoftenresided atValliyoor and CheraMahaDevi .

Inconsequence of the mild and unwarlike di spositionof thi s king,some of the subordinate chiefs inthe Eas tbecame refractory, and there w as constant fightingand latterly,whi le thi s sovere ign w as residing at Trevandrum,the chief ofRet t iapuram invaded Valliyoor,and the king’s nephew being defeated inbattle fearing disgrace,committed suicide.

In these places, several grants‘

of lands madeby this KulasekharaPerumal, remain some of whichw e have already noticed . Chera MahaDevi w as his

favorite residence, and consequently, this sovereignw as called CheraUdayaMarthandaVurmah .

Towards the close of hi s rei sus

pecting unfair

proceedin s on the part of t e chie men of theandyan tate, the residence of the royal family w as


In769M .E . (1594 Sree VeeraiEravi Vurmahassumed the sovereignty, and after performing thecoronation ceremonies took the family title Kulasekhara Perumal .” Several of thi s sovereign’spredecessors w ere unable to perform the coronationceremony on account of difliculties in collecting the

revenue,or inconsequence of the obstructions thrownby the feudatory chiefs and nobles, as well as theE ttuVee t il Pillamars

Sree Ve ers Eravi Vurmah Kulasekhara Perumalruled for tenyears and died in 779M .E . (1604and w as succeeded by Sree Veers Vurmah,whose rulehaving ended aft er t w o years,Ravi Vurmah ascendedthe musnud in 781 M .E . (1606 and ruled forthirteenyears .

Unny Kerala Vurmah w as the successor of thelast mentioned sovereign and he b egan to reignin 794 M .E . (1619 and ruled the country for six

ears . His successor Ravi Vurmah, who commencedhis reignin800 M .E . (1625 rei ed six yearsand di ed,and

'

w as succeeded by Unny eralaVurmahin 806 M .E . (163 1 and he ruled the countryfor aperiod of thirty yearsKingAdithyaVurmah succeeded in836 M .E . (1661

and died inthe six teenth year of his re ign,undershocking circumstances, occasioned by the inhumanconduct of the feudatories and the combined art ificesof the E ttoo Veetil Pillamar and the Devasw amassociation.

Some particulars are to b e found concerning theseevents, and the -dg

’

loyalproce edings of the feudatoriesthe king’s governmen

rganizat ionof the25 M .E . (1050 A.D.) whichamounted to this . Asocie t

yw as formed consist ing of e ight and a half membersofWhom e ight were Potty Brahmans,each ofwhompretended to have the priv ilege of acasting vote,and thesovereign w ho was considered half member, had


no vote in the transactions of the Devasw amaffairs. ouar .

By such anarrangement, the affairs of the Devasw ambecame virtually vested inthe hands of the e ight PottyBrahmans, and they began to work the insti tuti onthrough their attachés the EttaVeet il Pillamar,w howere the representatives of e ight noble families . The

sovere ignhad little orno influence over the Devasw am,and w as sim ly required to b e present at the

usual periodi cThe power of

e

and the associationbecome so great, rds show

—{Hatr t h ey

even imposed heavy fines upon the sovereign for

wrongs done to the Devasw am institution.

Thi s Devasw ampossessed extensive landed property,whi ch w as thencalled Sree PundaraVaca (b elongingto the holy treasu Its sole managers were the Y ogahar,who had al the powers of de spotic rulers overthe Devasw am property, and over every one of thetenants and holders of the Devasw am lands . The E t tu

Vee t il Pillamar were entrusted w i th the collection ofthe Devasw amrevenue,and the villages,where the Devasw amlands lay,were divided into eightAdhikarems .

Each of the E t tu Vee t il Pillamar w as appointed acollector over the Adhikarem, w i th the powers of apetty chief.

The king having little or no authority over thesemen, they rose inpower and im ortance, and gradually became supreme lords in t eir villages, and int ime the Madempimar (nobles and petty chiefs,) whowere not loyally attached to the crown, were alsoinfluenced by the E t tu Veet il Pillamar and the com

M am— M M .

The principal royal residence w as at Sreevalumcodeabout thirty miles from the Devasw am head station

(Trevandrum,) whi ch w as sole ly under the despoticrule of the Y ogakar and the E ttu Veet il Pillamarfor a period of two hundred and thirty-five years,and so . the re construction of a royal residency atTrevandrum in5 10 M .E . w as not quite to the liking

13


of the Y ogakar, whose feelings were roused whenthe sovereign began to watch the ir proceedings andinsist upon having the accounts, connected w i th theincome and expenditure of the Devasw am submi ttedperiodi cally to hi s inspection.

Though the king’s command w as resisted by theY ogakar,Sree VeeraM arthandaVurmah,from whomoriginated the proposal,quietly,b ut effectually,gaineda step in the right direction,and,during hi s re ign offorty years,His Highness establi shed hi s authority,inameasure ,over the Devasw am.

This sovereign’s two successors maintained the

clicy of their predecessor Sree Veers RamaMarthandaurmah, in regard to Devasw am affairs ; b ut sub

sequently the Y ogakar and the E t tu Veet il Pillamars eem to hav e regained the ir ascendency, and theygradually beganto oppose the royal power.

During the re ign of seventeen sovere igns, (fromVenaud M oothaRajah dow nwards to Unny KeralaVurmah) extending over aperiod of one hundred ande ighty-sevenyears,the oppositionand annoyance fromthe Y ogakar and E ttu Ve et il Pillamar and their confederates the M adempimars continued, and ahostilefaction of the royali sts and the confederates, existed,b ut through the vigilant and careful government of

those sovereigns,no Open outbreak occurred .

AdithyaVurmah,whose death in 852 M .E . (1677occurred under some noteworthy circumstances,

w as of avery quiet and mild di sposition,and from hi syounger days, he led a retired and religious life,

The confederates,taking advantage of this,beganto Oppose the royalists and to carry onevery sort ofoppression, to the ext reme annoyance of the royalfamily,while the sovereign quietly submitted to alltheir misdeeds .

Onacertainnight,the king’s palaceat Trevandrum

w as found to b e onfire,b ut not asingle personamong

EARLY HISTORY OF TRAVAN CORE .

cnsr. resort to the palac e pretending to guard it against1 .

the intrusionof disaffected and rebellious subjects .

On a certain moonlight night,a few boys of theconfederate party, who were of the same age s as thefive Prince s, were playing with them at the Puthen

cottapalac e . One of the boys proposed to the Princes

(doubtless at the instigation of the confederates), togo to a tank or re servoir, situated afew furlongs distant from the western side of the palac e, and to playonawhi te sandy plainand bathe in the crystal water .

The young Princes proceeded with the boys,withoutthe knowledge of their unfortunate mother,and whilethey were bathing,shocking to relate,some men fromthe confederate arty appeared there under the

éirete x t

of bathing, an seized the Princes and eu coatedthem under water : they left the bodi es to float inthetank and went away, telling the boys to inform thepeople at the palace that the Princes were unfortunately drow ned inthe tank while bathing .

The tank,with which thi s tragical event is associatedand which the confederates contemptuously calledKalippan Kulam (areservoir for amus ement), is at

Manacaud,a few furlongs south of the Trevandrumfort, on the western side of Puthenco tta.

The Ranee,onrece iving thi s unexpected melancholyintelligence , though plunged in extreme sorrow,performed the funeral ceremonies of her murderedchildren by burning their bodi es at the very spotwhere the ir late murdered grand uncle’s body w as

burnt . The unfortunate Rance now saw things intheir true light and looking upto heaven, cursed themurderers of Her Highne ss’ pious uncle and her innocent children.

There w as now no male member in the royal family,except UmayammaRanee

’s only son,aged nine years,

t o succeed to the musnud,and therefore Her Highne ssUmayammaRance became QueenRegent in852 M .E .

(1677A.D.)

EARLY HISTORY or m vw oonn.

After ashort residence inthe palace at Puthencotta,Her Highness,finding the place unsafe for herself andthe young Prince , abandoned it and proceeded to

Neduvangaud, and resided in the little alace there,t with her the royal Thavaree (t e householdi i est the palace Kariakar (Premier), Sumprathy{the Secretary), and other servants of the State,together w i th the palac e e stablishment . This w as donesolely for the protection of Her Highness’ son fromthe evil designs of the hostile confederates .

It may b e stated here that Providence heard thecurse ronounced by the bereaved mother, for thespot w ere the castle and fort called Puthencottaoncestood, and where the poisoned body of the piousAdi thiyaVurmah Rajah and the bodies of the murdered Princes were burnt,w as subsequently convertedinto aHindu burial ound,where to this day numbersof dead bodies are 3i cremated . The very race ofthe E ttu Veet il Pillamar and Madepimar,who causedthose inhumanmurders w as,in the course of fifty-sixyears, extirpated in a more violent and atrociousmanner. The reservoir originally afine large tank,on the banks of which there w as an extensive milkWhite sandy plain bounded by cocoanut,cashew nut,jack,and other

'

fruit trees,w as the commonresort ofall the Brahmans and other residents of the village forthe purpose of bathing and recreationb ut subsequentto the above event,it w as abandoned, and became adesolate plain. People feared to approach the spot,and,ultimately,the tank w as filled with sand andusedfor depositing the carcases of horses,cattle,dogs,andsuch other animals, as died in the town and the

suburbs ofTrevandrum.

The reigning Princess Umayammaremained for sometime at Neduvangaud. She w as obliged to ceas e interfering with government affairs from her fear of the

confederates, who, if offended, the Ranee thoughtwould injure her only son by some dastardly plot .

At this critical time dissensions broke out amongst


the confederates,and each feudatory chief became solemaster of hi s ow npossessions,andmisrule and anarchyprevailed throughout every part of the country .

Taking advantage of this state of affairs inTravancore, in855 M .E . (1680 a petty sirdar, underthe M O 111 Emperor,wandering in the southernpartof the eninsula, with a number of horsemen and

plundering the unprotected territories, invaded the

southern part of Travancore and carried on depredations among the population. None of the noble sand chiefs being able to oppose the sirdar or arresthis progress, he advanced to Trevandrumand madehis head quarters there .

The Devasw am Y ogakar, fearing contamination,and the consequent loss of caste,shut the Trevandrum

pagoda andfled for their lives . The E ttu Veet il

illamar and M adempimar adopted the same course ,leaving the country at the mercy of the Mogul sirdar,who w as thenat liberty to lay waste the country withfire and sword and compel the people to becomeMahomedans . But fortunately for the kingdom,suchacalamity w as warded off by afe w faithful Patans orMahomedanservants attached to the Travancore housewho remained after the flight of the Rance toN eduvangaud.

These sirdars presented themselves before the

Mogul and brought to his notice the circumstancesthat led to the proceedings of the confederates andof the departure of the bereav ed Rance from her

royal residence . They seem to have been successfulin persuading the Mogul sirdar not to demolish or

contaminate the Trevandrum pagodaand other lacesof worship,or to convert any of the Hindus to oha

medanism.

The Mogul sirdar exercised his power upto Edavayein the north, and became sole master of the countrybetweenThovalay and Edavaye on the coas t line ofTravancore, b ut he did not venture to proceed toNcduvangaud .


Her Highness UmayammaRance,finding it diflcultto recover her kingdom from the hands of the Mogulsirdar while her feudatories and mili tiawere animatedby a spirit of disloyalty towards her government,invited one KeralaVurmah,amember of the northernCottayam Rajah

’s family, abranch of the sovereign

hf Kolathnaud,and related to the Travancore royalouse .

Rajah KeralaVurmah w as abrave warrior, perfectinsword exercise,arrow-shooting and in the use ofother weapons of w ar .

This Rajah w as appointed Her Highness’ principal

counsellor,and commander of all the militia then on

the side of the royalists .

KeralaVurmah lost no time inraisingaforce armedwith bows and arrows,slings,swords and lances .

The Rajah, under his personal command led thearmy against the Mogul sirdar and attackedunexpectedly at Manacaud near Trevandrum. As thesirdar had not asufficient force near h im,all hi s horsemen having been scattered about between Vurkalayand Thovala collecting the revenue,h e w as unable tomake astandand w as obliged to retreat precipitatelyto Thovalay. KeralaVurmah pursued him and the

sirdar w as reinforced by a party of horsemen fromThovalay and the other southerndistricts . He madea stand near the side of ab i ll at Thiruvatar, and asevere battle ensued . While the jungles, and rockswith which the locality w as covered,presented insuperab le

.

obstacles to the Mogul sirdar’s cavalry andthrew i t into confusion; they afforded the Rajah

’s

archers and slingers convenient positions for attackand defence . While the conflict w as going on, manyof the horsemen were killed and, unfortunately forthe sirdar,anest of wasps,onone of the trees underwhich he w as fighting onhorseback,w as disturbed bythe throwing of astone from one of the slings and theinsects came down in swarms, and stung him onhis

fac e and ears. On his attempting to dismount his

EARLY HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE

horse, being stung by the wasps, threw its rider andranaway. Scarcely had the sirdar fallen on the sideof the rock thanhundreds of arrows pierced his body.

N or were the slingers idle, for they poured on the

head of the great commander avolley of stones. The

fallenchi ef w as soon killed and his army w as utterlydefeated .

Kerala Vurmah arranged at once to capture the

remaining horses,and to se ize as many of the troopersas could b e got . He succeeded insecuring some threehundred horses and about a hundred prisoners withmany swords, lances and other excellent weaponsbelonging to the enemy.

The Rajah marched victoriously to Trevandrum,which Her Highness the Rance also reached w i th herson and all the palace establishment . They soonrebuilt the palace at Trevandrum.

KeralaVurmah Rajah organized at once abattalionof cavalry with the three hundred horses secured atthe battle, one regiment of archers,and one regimentof swordsmenand posted them inthree different part s

After this,the Rajah found no difi culty inbringingto obedience all the refractory chiefs and nobles . The

Y ogakar and the E ttu Veet il Pillamar were cowed,and became obedient to HerHighness theRance .

The fort and palac e at Puthencotta were brokenup,and w i th the materials two buildings were con

structed inside the Trevandrum fort . One w as calledValia Koikel,and the other Thevarathu Koikel,andKeralaVurmahRajah occupied the former building.

The di saffected Madempimar and EttuVeet il Pillamar and others perceivmg that the strength of HerHighness the Ranee’s Government rested Wi th KeralaVurmah, conspired against him. They concoctedmeasures for hi s destructionand onacertainnight hew as assassinated in his ow n residence, b ut w ho the

murderers w ere remains to this day amystery .

14


In859M .E . (1684 Umayamma.Ranee’s son,

Prince Revi Vurmah, attained his sixteenth year,and in accordance w i th the custom of the country,the sovereignty w as transferred by Her Highne ssUmayammaRance, to the Prince who w as duly installed on the musnud .

As Kerala Vurmah had adopted all the necessarymeasures for the protectionof the royal family fromthe inroads of the feudatories,the new sovereignfoundno difficulty ingoverning the kingdom and affordingsatisfaction to His Highness’ aged mother, who hadbeena total stranger to the comforts of life from the

earliest period of her career.

The Dowager Rance being old,and there beingno other member of the royal family,save the Ranee

’

s

reigning son, the adoption of some new membersbecame necessary . The Kolathnaud sovereign w as

accordingly asked to send some members of hisfamily as usual, b ut after hesitating agood deal, inconsequence of the assassination of Rajah KeralaVurmah, he ultimately acceded to the TravancoreRanee’s wishes and sent tw o females and tw o malesfor adoption into the Travancore royal family.

The name of the elder male w as Huny KeralaVurmah and that of his brother RamaVurmah. Ayearafter thi s adoption, the Dowager Rance died andw as followed t o the grave by the elder of the tw o

adopted Ranees,and the junior Rance w as the onlysurviving female member of the royal famil w ho now

became Attingal M ootha Thumpuran. his Rancegave birth to aPrince in881 M.E . (1 706AD.) ThisPrince whose name w as Marthanda Vurmah,distin

guished himself above all other sovereigns and receivedthe well-merit ed title of saviour of the kingdom ofTravancore .

The reigning sovere ignRevi Vurmah, w as highlydelighted at the birth of this Prince, and spent incommemorationof the event agood deal of money in

EARLY HISTORY OF TRAVAN CORE .

Finding it unsafe to reside always at Trevandrum,the Prince w as obliged to proceed under disgui se andto remain for short periods in the palac es of Sreevalumcode,N eduvangaud,Mavalikaray,Attingal,&c .,&c .

At different times and places,this Prince w as w aylaid and w as nearly falling into the hands of theconfederates ; b ut in every instance he providentiallyescaped .

On a certain occasion, the Prince had to concealhimself inthe interior of apagoda which w as immediately surrounded by the confederate party,whenhi slife w as saved by the stratagem of the faithful priestof the pagoda. It w as about dusk, and the escape ofthe Prince w as miraculous . The priest quickly transferred his clothes and ornaments to the prince andputting aquantity of boiled rice inabrass vessel onthe Prince’s head, told him to walk out mutteringmanthrams,like apriest,and to whi sper to the mobthat the Prince w as lying conceal ed inside the pagoda.

As he walked out,the priest putting on the Prince ’sdress walked about inside the pagoda peeping hereand there as if he w as in a state of great anxiety.

Seeing this the mob entered the pagoda,fell upon thecounterfeit prince, dragged him out and killed himforthwith .

During hi s wanderings,the Prince had to sleep onthe tops of trees,under the roofs of poorpeasants,as wellas in the midst of jungles,like Charles II of England .

After six years reign, Unny KeralaVurmah died,and w as succeeded by his younger brother RamaVurmah in 899M .E . (1 724 who w as juni oruncle to Prince MarthandaVurmah .

Some time previous to the death of thi s Rajah, afemale member of the Kolathnaud family w as adoptedas aPrincess of Travancore,and Her Highness gavebirth to aPrince in the Kollum year 899. This w asthe renowned RamaRajah, generally called DharmaRajah .


His Highness RamaVurmah w as more fond of h isnephew thanhi s deceased brother, and w as also moreresolute than several of his predecessors .

His Highness w as aclose observer of the difficultiesand dangers to which his nephew w as subjected bythe E t tu Veet il Pillamar and Madempimar,and hew as determined to punish them for the ir disloyaltyand rebelli ous conduct .His Highness, in consultation with h is inte lligent

nephew, proceeded in90 1 M .E . (1 726 to Trichinopoly with some of the officers of the State : heentered into a treaty. with the Madura Governmentand secured its support by offering to renew the

lapsed attachment to that crown,and to bind himselfto pay a certain sum of money annually . At the

same time,asuitable force w as applied for to punishand bring to their senses the Madempimar and otherrefrac tory chiefs . After some discussion and preliminary enquiries, the sovereign w as successful inobtaining a force consisting of one thousand cavalry,under the command of M . Vencatapathy Naiken, andtwo thousand Carnatic sepoys, headed by ThripathyNaiken,and others incharge of fifty sirdars,includingRaghavaIyenand SubbaIyen,&c .

On the arrival of this force in Travancore, all theMadempimar and other refractory chiefs and insurgentsfled,and consequently there w as no work for thearmy which w as however retained for the purpose ofoveraw ing the insurgents .

Though the refractory chiefs were thus kept underrestraint,the Yogakar and the E ttu Veet il Pillamar atTrevandrum could not b e brought toa sense of the irduty,for they knew full well that the sovere igncouldnot adopt harsh measures against the Devasw am community . They continued the ir arrogant conduct tothe annoyance of the royal family, and consequently,Prince Marthanda Vurmah w as obliged to resideat Mavalikaray and Attingal, w i th the senior Ranceand her son,the little Prince RamaVurmah .


In 903 M.E . (1728 when this Prince w as

be ing taken to Attingal from Trevandrum,a partyof men,under the E t tu Vee t il Pillamar met at aplacecalled Calakoottem, headed by RamanammadathilPilla for the purpose of assassinating theRance andthe grince,b ut providentially both e scaped unhurt bythe vigilant measures adopted by Kilimanoor KoilThumpuran,who w as escorting the party . Koil Thumpuran,after sending away the Rance and the Prince,under disguise to ane ighbouring village, got into theRanee ’s palanquin and moved forward, with all theattendants, and thus drew the attention of the partytowards the palanquin. When the turbulent crowdneared the palanquin,and commenced the attack, theKoil Thumpuran jumped out sword in hand and cut

to pieces many of the assailants . Unfortunately,however,the Thumpuranperished in the conflict .

Inrecognition of the faithful conduct of the KoilThumpuran,grants of land,embracing awhole villagecalled Ki limanoor, w as given to the family of thisdistinguished hero and saviour of the Ranee’s andPrince’s lives . The grant is enjoyed by the family upto the present day.

’

In the same year 903 M .E . (1 728 king RamaVurmah di ed after ashort illness,deeply lamented bythe royal family,e specially by His Highness

’ fondlyattached nephew Prince M arthandaVurmah .

The system of government and the mode of collectingthe revenue appear to have beencontinued w i thout anymaterial change for along period, b ut inthe re ignofthe late king Revi Vurmah, who assumed the sover

e ignty in 859 M .E . (1684 some alterations,in the existing system were introduced, which appearto b e the follow ing :

Adescendant of this Koil Thum uran is now at tached to th e

palace of th e present MahaRajah and dist inguish ed h imself as anart ist . For h is draw ingsRemVurmah Ko il Thumpuranhas rece ivedgold medals aw arded at the Fine Art s E x h ibitionat Calcutta,Madras,and Vienna.


can . plant the Portuguese and establish themselves all alongI'

the sea-coast betweenColachel and Cochin.

The English had agrant of some land at Anjengofor the opening of afactory contemporaneously wi ththe establishment of their factories on the Malabarcoast ; and subsequently permissionw as giventhem forbuilding a fort there . They always rece ived warmsupport from Travancore in all their subsequentundertakings.

All the se nations were treated very kindly and w ithrespect by the kings of Travancore in times whenEuropeannations were b ut M

fg-W . The kings

cultivated the acquaintanceand i en ship of Europeansand gave to each and ev ery one of them the valuableproducts of Travancore especially pepper, w i thoutshowing partiality and without giving cause for

quarrels among them,though at that period a strongSpirit of rivalry prevailed among European nationsand they were constantly at w ar with each other .

Various improvements were introduced by the kingRevi Vurmah during his reign. The power of thelocal chi efs w as curtailed and special agents ap

a rious parts of the country, which w as°

vided into districts called Pacuthics,” with power

to collect the revenue, which w as roughly estimatedbefore theirappointment . After defraying the expenditure on reli gi ous and other institutions, the agentw as to pay the surplus into the king

’s Treasury.

All such agents were recognized as king’s ofi cers

and thus the authority and influence of the Madempimar and petty chiefs were destroyed .

After the death of this sovereign, his successorUnny Kerala Vurmah w as unable t o enforce the

above system generally, and conse uently in manyparts of the country, e specially in t e southern Dis

of Nanjcnaud, anarchy once more prevailed .

It w as this state of things that RamaVurmah stroveto remedy . Unfortunately, however, h e died beforehe could fully carry into execution his intention to


introduce a better system of Government, b ut leftthe kingdom inbetter hands,namel in those of theable and the most noble Prince Mart andaVurmah .

Most of the Travancore kings have ruled the country with wisdom and valour,surmounting all oppositions bothfromt hg fgw and from foreigninvaders,and governing the kingdom satisfactorily .

Though there are no details of the re igns of somesovere igns on record, ye t it may b e stated withoutfear of contradiction, that the sovere igns of Travancore have beengenerally gifted with wisdom and ahigh sense of duty,and that almost without exception,their mental culture has beenof the highest order .

Almost all the sovereigns of Travancore are di st ingui shed,more or less,not only for their princelyaccompli shments, b ut also for the production ofvarious Sanscrit works on PhilOSOPhg

,Meta hysics,History,Religion,Music,the Drama, c ., w e theirgoverning abilities were and are seldom equalled bythe native kings of India.

These sovereigns kept pace w ith other nations inthe art of good government, and their wisdom and

cod principles were knownand testified to by severalEuropean nations,inthe earliest days of their intercourse with India.

CHAPTER II .

BREE PADMANABHADASAVAN-IIPALAMARTHANDA Y URMAHKULASEKHARAPERU MAL

CCEEDED his uncle ,King RamaVurmah, in904 M .E . (1 729 he being the rightfulhe ir to the musnud . When called upon to

assume the reins of Government, His Highness w asonly twenty-three years old.

Though the MahaRajah came to power under greatman adverse circumstances,such as ahighly depressedcon itiou of the finances, a very disorganized stateof the kingdom, caused by the long standing refrac

tory conduct of the feudatory chiefs (Madempimarand E ttu Veet il Pillamar) approaching almost to acivil w ar, as w as shown in the previous chapter ofthis work,yet the young MahaRajah boldly faced allthe se difi cult ies and applied his re sources,valour andsagacity with laudable firmness and fortitude in sur

mounting them .

The MahaRajah’s attentionw as first directed to thelaying of the foundation of a good Government,and for this His Highness at once formed a ministry,consisting partly of the deserving and confidentialservants of the late Maha Rajah, and partly of ablemen selected from among the people . ArumugamPillay, who w as the acting Dalawah when the latesov erei proceeded to Trichinopoly in 90 1 M .E .

(1 726 w as now confirmed inms ofli ce . Cumarasw amy Pillay w as appointed Commander-in-Chief,and the Dalaw ah

’s brother Thanu Pillay,assistant to

Cumarasw amy Pillay . RamaIyen,aBrahmanw hom

REIGN or DASAvun rm MARTHANDA, &c. 1 15

His Highness had brought upunder his own care and ou r.

gatronage, w as appointed palace Rayasom (Under

1"

ecretary of State ), and several other deserving menwere also em loyed for the performance of the variousfunctions of ov ernment .

Thus,the commencement of the MahaRajah’s reign

w as attended with such success,that the importance ofthe ancient mother kingdom of Chera” (Travancore),may b e said to have revived with this re ign.

The late RamaVurmah Rajah w as compelled in90 1M.E . to proceed to the Pandyancapital (Trichinopoly),and to enter into an agreement with the PandyanGovernment, by which he promised to pay anannualtribute of about rupees and obtained from the

Governor aforce of horse and foot,for thepurpose of overawing the turbulent chie fs and nobles.

The pay of this contingent,as well as the annualtribute, w as in arrears for a few months, whentheMahaRajah ascended the throne, and onthe demandof the troops for their pay and the tribute,His Highness referred them to his Dalawah,ArumugamPillay,who, on delaying payment, w as seized and removedto Thrikanamkudy by the force, whereupon he b orrowed money from the Kottar merchants and others,and adjusted most part of the pressin demands .

The Dalawah w as however still detained %y the force

In the meanwhile His Highness commissionedCumarasw amy Pillay, the Commander-in-Chief, andThanu Pillay his assi stant to raise anarmy of Maraversand afew hundred horse, to raise upbarriers in theshape of mud walls between Kadakaray and Mantharamputhur Aramboly, and Cape Comorin; to con

struct special gates for passages,and to d them bycompanies of Maravers and troopers hese arrangements were effectually carried out inthe course of a.

few months,and Travancore w as secured against theattacks of foreigninvaders.

REIGN OF DASAVANJI PALAMARTHANDA

Cumarasw amy Pillay,with aforce ofMaravers,w asthenordered by the MahaRajah to proceed to Thrikanamkudy for the purpose of releasing the Dalawah,andthat brave ofi cer executed the command with promptness and vigour . The Maha Rajah w as extremelypleased with him, as he had by this exploit extricatedthe Dalawah from apainfull embarrassing position,and removed the burden 0 care and anxiety thatweighed uponhis head .

The MahaRajah then thought that he could safelydo away with the Trichinopol force and ordered it tomarch b ack to that town. His Hi hness communicated his resolution to the Pandyan overnment,andrequested the Governor to release His Highness fromthe conditions entered into with the former by the lateMahaRajah .

The feudatory chiefs and nobles, after the withdraw al of the Trichinopoly contingent force,begantorebel again,and as they had always been strivmg to

get their independence, they combined and formedaconfederacy as before,and were joined by the tw osons of the lat e sovere i known by the names of

Kunju Thamb ies alias !1

apu Thamby and RamenThamby, who held high rank among the nobles,during the life-time of their father and were inafluentcircumstances . But they were now reduced to thelevel of the ordinary nobles of the country and theyfelt their degradationkeenly . The confederates sym

pathised with them, and considering them pr0pcrmstruments for overthrow in the ro al authority,theypersuaded them t o claim t eir fat er

’s throne ; and

one of them (PapuThamby) being furnished with sufficient means, proceeded to Trichino oly in905 M .E .

(1 730 and represented to the andyanGovernorhis imaginary grievances, saying that great injusticew as done to himby the kingdombeing forciblyusurpedb yMarthandaVurmah . He entered into certaintermsw i th that chieftoput himinpossessionof the kingdom.

The Governor,annoyed by the refusal of payment of


enemies . The Thamb ies and the E ttu Veet il Pillamarwere all quiet and matters continued so for some time .

While EliaRajah (heir apparent),His Highness hadin view the repairing and re-constructing of thepagoda at Trevandrum which had become old and

dilapidated . In the very year of His Highness’

accession, the pagoda work w as commenced, andthough it s progress w as impeded by the mischievousproceedings of the E ttuVee t il Pillamar,yet wi th ac tiveand energetic supervision, the whole work w as com

plete d by the next year,906 M .E . (1 73 1 A.D.)Twelv e thousand salagramams, (sacred stone s

representing the incarnations of Vishnu,obtained fromthe b ed of the river Gunduck, north of Benares)were procured, and with these the idol of SreePadmanabhaSwamy w as re -consecrated . At the sametime,ahuge piece of granite slab cut out of arock atThirumalay, about four mile s north of Trevandrum,measuring 20 feet square and 2§ feet thick,w as broughtand laced infront of the idol inthe month of Edavom906ME (June 1 731 and it w as called O ttakelM undapam

Inadditionto the irregular army of Maravers andNairs already organized,regiments of infantry w ithfire-arms were formed and maintained, fortificationswere constructed at all the important frontiers andgarrisoned by detachments . His Highness himselfmoved from lace to place accompanied by the

Dalawah,and isHighness’confidential and intelligentSecretary,RamaIyen. Thus,inthe course ofacoupleof years,the country enjo ed the benefits of perfectpeace and tranqui llit

y,an the Maha Rajah w as able

to recover most of t e longstanding arrears from hi schiefs and nob les, who were all now overawed bythe sight of the new army and of the Trichinopolycavalry.

After pa g ORthe pressing demands of the Statedebts,the ahaRajah w as enabled to keep asurplusin the Treasury.

Y URMAH KULASEKHARAPERUMAL.

With the view of making agood use of the moneyin the Treasury,His Highness set to w ork for theimprovement of Nanjcnaud, the most fertile part ofthe country,by undertaking certaingigantic irrigationworks which are still to b e seen as the monumentsof His Highness’ wisdom,the eflicient government ofthat period, and the anxiety. and desire of the MahaRajah for the welfare of his subjects .

Foremost among these works were the Poymanay and Puthenu anicuts, which latter, w hile i t

irrigated several miles of lands lnKulculam,also supplied drinking-water for the inhabitants of Padmanab hapuramand the people around it .

These works are certainly gigantic, and are the

re sult of no ordinary courage, enterprise, andengineering skill . Indeed, these works were veryx pensi ve,laborious and useful ; for the surplus waterrunning from the westernrange of the ghauts wherethere 1s an anicut called Pandyan anay, constructedin time immemorial for the irrigati on of lands mNanjcnaud became a river known by the name ofKuli thurayar,and the water of that river ranwasteinto the sea; and the wise Maha Rajah,

o

recognisingthe practicabili ty of utili sing this for ini gationpurpose s, commenced to build the granite stone anicutacross the river . This anicut is called the PoymanaPuthenanay. The structure of this work will vie withany ofasimilar kind constructed onscientific principlesand under professional supervision. Connected w i ththi s canal,tanks and reservoirs were al so excavat ed,and feeding channels opened from the mainone to fillthose tanks with water for irrigating the lands. Thus,the lands which were dependent entirely uponrainfor

cultivation,and which yie lded only one crop inayear,now became rich ; an unfai ling supply of river water.

w as secured and the lands began toayi el

dtw o cr0ps

annually . Public roads were opene markets and

thoroughfares and various other useful institutionse stablished,and revenue measures introduced .

REIGN OF DASAVAN JI PALAMARTHANDA

As the Maha Rajah’s military force w as now con

sidered equal to the requirements of the country,theTrichinopoly troops were sent back .

On the return of the Trichinopoly force, and the

detaching of the Maha Rajah’s troops to different

stations, to watch the frontiers, to preserve cace inthe several districts, and to assist the evenueOflicials in the collectionof revenue and the executionof the maramuth works, &c . &c ., the restless andturbulent Kunju Thamb ies,and the chi efs and noblesrenewed the ir schemes and plots against the MahaRajah’

s life,forwhich purpose they as sembled at diflerent places and consulted uponthe measures to b e takenfor accomplishing their object .

Their leader w as Papu Thamby, and through him,all the chiefs and nobles between Padmanabhapuramand Attingal were invited to join in the confederacy .

The MahaRajah received rivate intelligence abouttheir foul designs upon Ills Highness’ life, andemployed spies to move about in di sguise,and to procure informationregarding their treacherous proceedings .

Onacertainnight,two menof the E t tu Veet il Pillamar,named Kalacoot tathu Pillay andKodamunPillay,convened a meeting of the confederacy inabuildingat Venganoor,some distance from the townof Tre

vandrum,and held a consultation as to the best planto b e ado ted for effecting the assassinationof theMahaRaja the assembly agreed that onthe day ofthe Aurrat t procession, in the month of Thulam, theMaha Rajah would have to walk on foot,

preceding

the carrying of the idols at some distance ; at everyone of the E t tu Vee til Pillamar,viz .,Ist,Ramanamadathil Pillay ; 2nd,Mathanamadathil Pillay (leaders)3rd,Kolathoo Pillay ; 4 th,Kalacoot tathu Pillay 5th,

Chempalath il Pillay ; 6th,Pallichel Pilla 7th,Kudamun Pillay, and 8th, Venganoor Pi lay ; as alsoM oothadathu Pandaram,Elum ale Pandaram,Elumpilli Pandaram,and Edatharay otty,(four Brahman


w as divulged by them,and exactly corresponded w i ththe contents of the two olas detected ontheir persons .

The Maha Rajah w as very much excited at thissingular occurrence, b ut did not think it proper totake any active actionat the moment . The two menwere kept inprivate confinement,within the walls ofthe palace,and the two olas were secured in the MahaRajah

’s ow n desk ; and thus the matter w as hushed

upfor the time .

The Maha Rajah w as a well-trained w arrior, tall,possessing apowerful frame and long arms : he learntfrom his boyhood gymnastic exercises in all theirbranches,and w as aperfect master in the use of thesword, lance and dagger, beside s be ing a precisemarksman. His Hi b uess w as equal to any singleman incombat,and e w as able to command awholearm in the field . Possessing an indomitable and

fear ess dispositionhe w as not alarmed at the conspir

acy which he w as determined to trace to it s origin,and thenextirpat e the race of the conspirators .

Secret arrangements were now mad e through HisHighness’confidential Secretary,RamaIyen,to detachpartie s of trustworthy sepoys and troopers, to watchthe movements of the nobles and chiefs,and to securea strong force composed of infantry and cavalry toaccompany the Aurratt proce ssion.

The U t savam festival commenced in the monthof Alpasy, when the military began to concentrateinthe capital . Onthe Aurratt day,anunusual forcee scorted the idols,both in front and rear,while theMaha Rajah fearlessly walked in front of the idols,w i th aglittering broad sword inhand and afavouritePersiandagger inhis girdle .

Onseeing such preparationsand precautions adoptedduring the procession, the chiefs and nobles werecowed and none had the boldness to strike the premedi tated blow.

Soon after the Aurratt festival, the MahaRajah


made all the necessary arrangements for the protectionof the capital, and for defending himself against thenobles and chi efs . Detachments of h is force wereprivately posted and subsequently strengthened on theAurrat t day.

In 908 M .E . (1 733 the Maha Rajah proceeded from Trevandrum to Nagercoil . While there,His Highne ss resolved to extirpate his old enemiesand to punish their leaders, the Kunju Thamb ies .

Secret instructions were conveyed through the StateSecretary,RamaIyen,to the mili tary ofli cers to se ize,on a signal be ing given, all the nobles and chiefssimultaneously,and to post horses betweenNagercoiland Trevandrum for conveying the signal .

One morning, while the Maha Rajah w as sittingupstairs in the palace at Nagercoil ona swinging cot,

Papu Thamby came to see His Highne ss . Whenheobserved the Thamby coming,HisHighness

’attendants

were instructed to st 0phim at the door leading to thestaircase ; to resist him should he insist ongoing upand to cut him down if he drew h is sword. The

attendants prepared themselves and guarded the staircase with drawnswords . Papu Thamby came in andwalked t o the staircase ; being the sonof the late MahaRajah, he had the privilege of going to the royalpresence without special permission, b ut the attendants stopped h im and told h im that they would not lethim go without special orders . The Thamby beingirritatedand aflronted,aquarrel ensued,which resultedinabloody confli ct . Papu Thamby drew his sword,and as he w as aiming ablow at one of the attendants,he received several cuts onhis neck and hands frombehind,which brought himto the ground . His brotherRamen Thamby witnessed the tragedy, b ut withoutwait ing to remonstrate, or confront the attendants,or notice his fallen brother’s condition, he rushedupstairs with his sword and approached the MahaRajah who w as still seated on the sw inging cot,pretending to know nothing of what w as going ondown


stairs . Ramen Thamby aimed adeadly blow at HisHighness with hi s draw n sword, b ut providentiallythe point of the sword struck against the low beam ofthe roof and missed it s aim. The MahaRajahinstantly and dext erously sprang upon the Thamby,seized the sword before he could raise hi s hand for asecond thrust, threw him down, and having seatedhimself onhis breast,took his favourite dagger whichalways hung at his girdle and plunged it to the hiltinto the traitor’s heart . During this scuffle,the MahaRajah’s body and clothes were be smeared with bloodrising up,he opened the window, showed himself tohis oflicers and menand gave them the pre-arrangedsignal,telling them, at the same time, that now thatthe leaders of the confederacy had beenpunished, theremaining work should b e executed with all possibleexpedition.

Some of the followers of the Thamb ie s who flockedto the spot on hearing that their masters were introuble were cut down,and others escaped .

Before daybreak, every one of the Madempimarand E t tu Veet il Pillanlar, together w i th the threePandarams and the Potty alluded to above wereapprehended, and the next day they were arraignedbefore the MahaRajah,who w as thenat Kulculam.

The Maha Rajah presided at the ir trial, the tw o

olas” were produced,and both the men on whosepersons they were found and who were inconfinementat Trevandrum,were called as witnesses .

Each of the nobles and chiefs so arraigned w as calledupon to answer the charge of treason on which hew as indicted . The tw o witnesses were confrontedwith the prisoners and the olas read to them. Fortytwo of the nobles and chiefs and the ir confederateswere tried,pleaded guilty andwere sentenced to death .

They were all hanged at aplace knownby the nameof M ukhamandapam,afew miles north-west of Kulculam. The four Brahmans and afew others of the samecaste were also tried and found guilty,b ut the punish


ment of death in the case of Brahmans not beingallowed by the laws of Manu, by which the Hindusare governed, the Maha Rajah sentenced them tob e banished the country,after making them out -castesby branding their foreheads with the figure of adog .

Though the total destruction of these inveterateenemies of the royal house w as seriously resolvedupon by the Maha Rajah, still His Highness wouldno t tolerate the massacring of women and children;orders were therefore givento seize the famili es of thetraitors, and make them over to the fishermen wholived on the sea-beach, so that they might becomeout -castes and the race of Madempimars and the

rebelli ous E ttu Veet il Pillamars might not b e revivedin thi s age . All the ir houses and landed propertywere confiscated and takenpossessionof by the S1rcar,t he former were broken up and the materials usedfor erecting certain buildings attached to the Tre

vandrum pagoda, and the latte r w as annexed to theSircar lands . Thus ended a race of chi efs w ho had

been guilty of rebellion against the royal house formany hundreds of years, and at whose hands the

royal family had suffered injuries and w rongs of themost inhumanand atrocious character .

Perfect order and peac e now prevailed inthe countrbetweenAramboly and Edavaye,and the MahaRajahbegan to entertain ideas of ext ending his dominionstowards the North,His Highness being then inpossession of only isolated localities in the North, suchas Kullada,Mavalikaray,&c.

The royal famil of Quilon,designated Dasinganaudor Jayathungnau (whi ch Visscher calls signate inh isle tters) and of Kot tarakaray (E layada Sw arO Opam)were collaterally related to the Travancore royalh ouse, or rather, they were branches of the Travancore house,as has beenalready said .

In906 M .E . (1 731AD ),theRajah of Das inganaud(Quilon) formed an alliance with the princi al ity ofKayemkulam,by adopting some members of t e ruling


family of the latter . This adoptionw as indirect opposit ionto the MahaRajah

’s wishe s and it consequently

offended His Highness .

His Highness led apowerful army towards Quilon,under his command, and after several battle s at theQui lonfrontier,the Maha Rajah

’s force being victori

ous,His Highne ss advanced to the capital of Dasinganaud, and the Rajah of the place, finding resistanceimpossible, sued for peace . The MahaRajah accededto the propo sal, b ut compelled the Quilon Rajah tocancel the adoption, and break off the alliance withthe Kayemkulamprincipality . Moreover as the QuilonRajah w as related to Travancore,HisHighness decidedthat Dasinganaud should b e annexed to Travancore,on the death of the only remaining Rajah of that

Al l the conditions proposed by the MahaRajah wereagreed to by the QuilonRajah ; his army w as w ithdrawn, and it afterwards joined the Travancore force .

All the fortifications were destroyed and adetachmentof the Travancore army w as stationed there under thecommand ofArumugumPillay . The MahaRajah thenreturned to Trevandrum bringing the Quilon Rajahwith him.

The Quilon Rajah w as accommodated inone of thepalaces called Valia Ko ikel, w ith liberal provisionsand supplie s and every comfort of life,and he livedthere inamore luxurious style thanthe MahaRajahhimself.

The Kaycmkulam Rajah (arelative of Travancore)w as alarmed at the success of the Maha Rajah, andbegan to concert measure s t o prevent further territorial acquisitions by Travancore . A consultationw as held by all the northern principalities, presidedover by the Cochin Rajah, and they resolved uponassisting the QuilonRajah restoring his principality,and re -e stablishing Dasinganaud . To effect this,Spiesw ere sent to Trevandrum under disguise,

_

and the

Quilon Rajah w as called away to Kayemkulam; and

REIGN O F DASAVANJI PALAMARTHANDA

conduct of the Kayemkulam towards Travancore .

He w as however still support ed by the CochinRajah,b ut after several battles no advantage w as gainedby e ither side . At last, finding the Kayemkulamarmy could not hold out much longer, the Rajahof that State, a very bold and powerful personage, took the chief command of his army and

pushed it forward against the Travancoreans and asevere and sanguinary battle ensued . It lasted formany hours and during the heat of the fight,one ofthe Travancore mounted sepoys fired at the Hayemkulam Rajah and brought him downto the ground .

The death of theRajah w as not knownat the momentand so the battle continued for some time longer, b utwhen the loss of their sovereign became known, allthe other commanders were disheartened and gradually retired from the field .

Notw ithstanding the death of theRajah,the Spiritof the Kayemkulamarmy w as not thoroughly broken,for the fallenRajah’s younger brother succeeded andhe being more obstinate and courageous than his latebrother, the w ar w as continued with redoubledvigour. The MahaRajah repaired to Quilon, accom

panied by the heir apparent, who infused fre shcourage into the Travancore army. Aspecial bodyof recruits w as raised for the w ar with Kayemkulam.

Secretary Rama Iyen, finding that the army inthefield could not successfully withstand the Kayemkulamforce without suflcient reinforcement, proceeded toTinnevelly, brought a regiment of Maravers underthe command of Ponnam PandyaDeven, procured athousand mounted sepoys from some of the Palaya

pattucar (Poligars), and marched the reinforcementy the hill roads through Kot tarakaray. Afterholding a consultationamong the ofliccrs, includmthe Dalawah and the Sthanapathy,RamaIyenas sumethe chief command of the army . In the battle, thenext day he distinguished himself with signal success,and the Kayemkulam force met with adefeat for thefirst time . But the w ar continued,and RamaIyon

’s


arm beganto gainground slow l and to advance intothe ayemkulam territories day y day.

The KayemkulamRajah finding it impossible tohold out any longer against the Travancore army,applied agam to the Cochin Rajah to procurehim the aid of the Dutch Governor, b ut seeing thatno aid could b e expect ed from either party and knowing that the Dutch Governor had declined to interfere,the KayemkulamRajah sued for peace . With the

permission of the MahaRajah hostili tie s were sus

pended and the w ar came to a close .

In909M .E . (1 734 the MahaRajah annexedE layadaSw aroopam,embracing Shencottah,Clangaud,Kerkudi ,Valliyoor,onthe Tinnevelly side,andKottarakaray,Pathanapuram,&c .,on the northern limits ofTravancore . TheRajah VeeraKerala Vurmah, w ho

w as in charge of those territories w as a relative ofTravancore and di ed leaving as his successor aprincess .

The administration of the State w as conducted by aSurvadh ikariakar, a very unscrupulous person, andanarchy beganto prevail in the province . The MahaRajah called the minister to Trevandrumand pointedout to him various instances of mal-administrationand banished him from the country in disgrace . Aproper and fit man w as appo inted t o the responsibleost of Survadhikariakar to the State,and the Maha

jah took the government of the principality intohis ow nhands,advising theRance to come and resideat Trevandrum,or to remainat Kot tarakaray inherow npalace as she pleased . The Rance preferred thelatter course .

Inthe meanwhile 909M .E . (1 734 theRajahof Quilondied and hi s country w as takenpossessmnof b the KayemkulamRajah,

‘

on the pleathat he hade sta lished aclaim upon that State by ad

ogtl on. But

the MahaRajah remonstrated w i th the ayemkulamchief on this unlaw ful conduct,on the cund notonly that the family of Dasinganaud ajah w as

collaterally related to Travancore b ut that m 906

1 7


M .E . (1 73 1 the adoption in question w as

cancelled by the deceased Qui lonRajah .

The Kayemkulam chief be ing now well supportedby his friend the CochinRajah, ng throughhim secured the aid of the Dutch at Cochin, paidno regard whatever to the remonstrances of the MahaRajah and the result w as the declarationof a secondw ar .

The Dutch East IndiaCompany’s Government,whi chhad hitherto always observed aneutral policy inregardto the quarrels betwe enTravancore and Kayemkulam,began to assume a kind of dictatorship in dealingw ith all these principalities,with the express view ofestablishing a check against the progre ss and extensionof the Travancore kingdom,which the Dutch saw fastrising inpower .

The Dutch Governor,M .A. Maten,sent amessengerto the MahaRajah,de siring himnot to go to w ar withthe Kayemkulam chief ; the Governor considered thateven the annexation of the principality of ElayadaSw arO Opam w as an unjust act on the part of theMaha Rajah, and that the Rance should b e allowedto rule that State . The Maha Rajah rece ived the

message with great courtesy, thou h his feelingswere hurt . He sent areply to the overnor by thesame messenger to the effect that His Excell encyneed not trouble himself with questions whi ch do notconcern the commercial speculations and interests ofthe Dutch East India Company, and that while theMahaRajah w as friendly and paid all possible attent ion to the promotionof commercial prosperity of theCompany, he greatly regretted to find the G overnorattempting to interfere with the internal aflairs of Travancore .

Little expecting an answer of this description the

Dutch Governor,M . A. Maten,w as highly di spleased,and he profe ssed to feel that aninsult had beentherebyoffered to the Dutch Company .


About this time,Arumugam Pillay Dalaw ah died,and his brother,ThanuPillay,w as appointed Dalawah,b ut he did no t hold the appointment long, for he diedin91 2 M.E . (1 73 7 and the very able and merit orious Rama Iyen, who had been, soon after the

Kayemkulam victory, raised to the post of DeputyPrime Mini ster, w as appointed Dalawah . He beganabrilliant career inhis joint office of Prime Ministerand Commander-in-Chief .

Great preparations to attack Kayemkulamwere nowset on foot ; a large force w as collected at Trevandrum, and arms and ammunition procured in abundance through the English merchants trading at

Anjengo . The English were friendly to Travancorefor along time,and now offered to assist the Rajahwith anumber of their men in the campaignagainstKayemkulam, b ut the MahaRajah, wishing to obtainthe victory single-handed,of whi ch he w as almost sure,poli tely and thank q y declined the offer . For a

similar reason,the MahaRajah refrained from obtaining assistance from the Pandyankingdom .

Along with the preparations for w ar, RamaIyenDalawah w as engaged in making several improvements in Trevandrum. Palaces, chut trums, storehouse s,&c ., were constructed, rules were introducedcurtailing the inde endent power of t he Y ogakar inthegreat pagodaat revandrum, and reserving supremepower to the sovereignover that Devasw am. The old

reservoir called Padmatheerthum w as drained and

enlarged ; flights of granite steps on the four sides ofthe tank down to it s bottom, in the shape of ladders,for the convenience of people going downand comingupfrom the tank were also erected .

In914 M .E . (1 739 when the Travancore forcemarched against Kayemkulam,the Dutch Governor ofCeylon,M . VanImhoff, came to Cochinand learnt theabove facts and also that Travancore had risen to ahigh position from its success in the late w ar withKayemkulam and from the annexat ion of the terri

REIGN OF DASAVANJI PALAKARTHANDA

tories of such neighbouring States as E layadathu

naud, Quilon,&c . He believed that the TravancoreMahaRajah w as acting under the hostile counselsof th e English,and that for the commercial interestsof the Dutch,a proper balance of power among thenative princes should b e maintained and Travancoreprevented from rising higher . Inorder to carry out thispolicy he thought that measures ought to b e takenatonce to check the progress and curtail the power ofthe Travancore Maha Rajah, and he confidently e x

coted the full approbation and concurrence of theRajahs of Cochin, Kayemkulam, and all the othernorthernpetty chiefs .

M . VanImhoff deputed two persons from Cochintothe MahaRajah with a message similar to the onesent by the Cochin Governor,M. A. Maten, b ut , the

answer of the MahaRajah w as just the same as

before . M . VanImhoflw as incensed at the obstinateresolution of His Highness and he wanted to takeactionat once against Travancore,b ut having no sufficient force at hand, to command respect and enforceauthority, he considered it prudent to try conciliatorymeasures once more . Espousing the cause of theRance of E layadaSw arO Opam,M . VanImholf sent aprotest in915 M .E . (1 74 0 A.D.) to the MahaRajah,against the retention of that territory, b ut findingthat th e protest had no effect, he requested an interview with the MahaRajah, and after agood deal ofdiscussionon the subject, he failed inhis missionandsatisfied himself as to the difficulty of bringing aboutanamicable settlement of affairs . M . VanImhoif irritat ed and indi nt,threatened His Highness with aninvasion of ravancore . The Maha Rajah calmlyreplied that he w as perfect] at liberty to do so,andreminded him of the unlikeli ood of such anundertaking being crowned w ith success, and added that evenif it should succeed, there were forests throughoutTravancore into which the MahaRajah could retirein safety . M . VanImhoflscornfull said that theDutch could follow His Highness w crever he w ent .


port w i th woodenposts and garrisoned a ort ionofthe Dutch force init . The rest proceededan attackedthe Travancore out-posts onthe coast, such as Tengapatnam, M idaulom, Kadiapatnam,&c ., &c., and ad

vanced to the Opulent city of Eraneel.Onrece iving this unexpected intelligence,the MahaRajah,who w as thenat Trevandrum, hastened to thesouth w ith all the force at his command,and directedRama Iyen Dalawah, who w as then engaged in thenorth,to march w i th a sufficient force and joinHisHighness at Padmanabhapuram .

Onthe MahaRajah’s reaching Kulculam,he adopted

measures to arrest the progress of the Dutch whobeing, at the time, in possession of almost all thevillages between Colachel and Kottar, and contemplated anattack onHis Highness’ palace at Padmanab hapuram,b ut thi s w as frustrated by the MahaRajah’stimely arrival at Kulculam, where he raised alevy of

Nairs,and re inforced the regular infantry already inservice inthat part of the country . The MahaRajahstrongly remonstrated with the Governor of Cochinand evenwrote to the Government inBataviaa letterof remonstrance and complaint .

An embas sy w as with as little possible delay sent toPondicherry to treat with the French G overnor, torender military aid to HisHighness against the Dutch .

Atreaty w as concluded,by which the French boundthemselves to as sist the MahaRajah against the Dutchand hi s other enemies,and the MahaRajah, engagedto grant them certainlands at Colacheland other part sof the coast, for building factories and allow them tocarry oncommerce w ith Travancore .

Rama Iyen Dalawah reached Kulculam from the

north, with a large reinforcement, consisting of infantry, cavalry and artillery, and the MahaRajah,in consultation w i th the Dalawah planned an attackupon the Dutch invaders . Anumber of M unchees(native boats), properly manned, with amixed forceof trained sepoys andmilitia,and afull complement of


seamen as rowers, organized for the purpose ofwatching the movements of the Dutch ship whichlanded the detachment, w as kept in readiness at sea.

Rama Iyen marched his troops and stationed thembetween Nagercoil and E ranee l : each army w as commanded by tri ed officers, and the Dalawah, as thechief in command,placed himself in the centre . Allthese arrangements were completed in the course of afew months,and in the month of Chithiray, fightingcommenced and lasted full two months .

It appears from the Thiruvat tar Devasw amaccounts,that the MahaRajah w ho w as thenat Eraneel,aplacenear the seat of w ar, proceeded on the 29th Vykasi

(10th June) to Thiruvat tar,the shrine of the Travancore family-de ity,and after worshipping and invokingthe god to aid h 1magainst the Dutch,placed his swordbefore the idol of the pagoda,and performing poojas,received back the sword from the officiating pri est.He then returned to the seat of w ar,after makingadonationof 500 fanams to the pagoda.

The MahaRajah appears to have conducted the w ar

inperson.

On the morning of the 27th Audy (loth August)the bat tle of Colachel w as commenced by the Travancore line . The Munchees surrounded the Dutch ship,anchored inthe Colachel roads,and watched the landing of menand arms to assist the Dutch detachmentthen engaged in the battle . Rama Iyen Dalaw ah’sarmy charged the Dutch line which w as drawnup infighting order against the Travancoreans . The Dutchline w as broken through,the oflicers and men weredrivenfrom their positions and the whole force throwninto confusionand disorder . The Dutch having nocavalry,of which the MahaRajah ’

s force formed thelargest portion,were placed in the greatest peril andafter suffering much,they effected aprecipitate retreatt o the fort , leaving behind them several of theircomrades dead,wounded,and prisoners . Of the last,there were 24 ,consisting ofboth officers and privates,

REIGN OF DASAVANJ'I PALAKARTHANDA

who were sent to U dayagherry and takengreat careof. The names of only nine of these prisoners arefound inthe Malayalam account of thi s w ar .

On the 3 l st Audy, the siege of the Colachel forttook place . In the course of a few hours, the fortw as takenand the enemy driven to their ships whichsailed to Cochin. In thi s siege,389 muskets,w ith afew pieces of cannon,and anumber of swords weretakenby the Travancoreans from the Dutch.

Before the ratification of the French treaty, thebattle of Colachel w as fought and w on,and the assistance of the French not being needed,the stipulationsof the treaty were not carried into cflect .

Of the Dutch prisoners,tw o menwho attracted theDalaw ah

’s notice,were takenbefore the Maha Rajah,

who pitied their condition, b ut w as unable to communicate w ith them,as there w as nobody present whounderstood their language . His Highness be ing a

good ph siognomi st ,w as struck with the appearanceof one o them,who,His Highness thought,w as braveand bold,and destined probably,to become amanofnote . His Highne ss ordered RamaIyento take greatcare of them and treat themas gentlemen. The MahaRajah made it a point to see t hem occasionally,andsucceeded at las t,in getting a man who understoodtheir language .

The Dutch prisoners were so overcome w ith the

kind treatment they received at the hands of the MahaRajah,that they resolved to serve him inany capacity,and were enlisted in the MahaRajah’

s army. Mostof them distinguished themselves inHis Highness’

service as Captains,Majors,&c .,&c .,and some of theirdescendants are still to b e found inTravancore .

The tw o men whom the Maha Rajah took specialnotice of were Eustat ious D

’Lanoy and Douadi,bothof Flemi sh origin. Of these two, the one on whomHis Highness fixed hi s particular regard w as M.

Eustat ious D’Lanoy,and he w as selected to discipline

a few companies of sepoys, whom His Highness


looked upon as the flower of his army,for his bodyguard . D

’Lanoy trained the sepoys so satisfactorilyin a few months,that His Highne ss,delighted withh is ability and military knowledge, appointed himCaptain of His Highness’ body-guard battalion,andsubsequently he w as vested with the power of con

trolling the garrisonstationed at Padmanabhapuram .

D’Lanoy

’s companionheld the appointment of aCap

tain in the army . CaptainD’Lanoy w as engaged ingetting an eflicient magazine organized and ammunit ionarranged,and the Maha Rajah see ing his extraordinary skill and superior knowledge,authorized himto superintend the constructionof a strong fort roundthe hill at U dayagherry. Herc Captain D

’Lanoyresided,and here he closed h is earthly career .

CaptainD’Lanoy w as also entrusted with the oneroustask of organizing and disciplining the Travancorearmy on European principles, and inspecting everygarrison and out -post . He executed h is task mostcredi tab l to himself and beneficially to the MahaRajah

’s force .

About this time, a strong party of marauders,headed by Chunda Sahib and Bada Sahib,relatives ofDostAli Khan, the Nabob of Arcot,who were permit t ed to wander about for the purpose of securing aprincipality for the Nabob’s son,and also on plunderfor themselves in the dominions of the native Princes,entered the territorie s of Travancore by the Arambolygate . They took possession of Na ercoil, Sucheen

drum,and the rich town of Kottar : t ey plundered theshrine at Sucheendrum; burnt the great car ; mutilated many of the images of the pagoda; and perpetrat ed many other deeds of atrocity and devastation,the favourite process generally adopted by the M ussulmanchi efs .

RamaIyenDalawah w as ordered to march anarmyand dri ve the marauders out of Travancore,b ut onmeeting them he found them powerful in horse,and his ow n force no match for the Mussulmans .

18


However, the Dalawah challenged them and commenced abat tle, b ut h is exertions were not attendedwith his usual success . But the Dalawah hadreason to know that the object of the party w as principally to secure pecuniary gain,and consequently,theywere made to retreat without oflering resistance to h isarmy . After making arrangements for further strengthening the Aramboly garrison, Rama Iyen returnedto Trevandrum,and thence he w as ordered t o march toQuilon, accompanied by Captain D

’Lanoy, who w as

appo inted his chief assistant in command of th e fie ldforce then engaged against Kayemkulam.

Many battles were fought without e ither side obtaining the vi ctory,and the w ar continued for anunusuallylong time, the Dutch rendering every support andassistance to the Kayemkulam chief and also attacking certainparts of the Travancore country . The onlyac tual defeat that the Travancore army met with w astowards the end of 916 M .E . (1 74 2 whenmenof the Travancore troops attacked the Dutch portat Quilon, which w as defended by anumber of Nairs

under the leadership of one Autchutha Warrier, a

Kariakar of the KayemkulamRajah,who commandedthe fort garrison and fought w i th such de speratecourage that the Travancore tr0 0 ps were obliged toretreat . But still the w ar continued .

In the early part of the year 917 M .E . (1 74 3the combined forces of the KayemkulamRajah andthe Dutch began to assume the offensive . Theymarched t o Kilimanoor (within the limits of Travancore ),and attacked and captured the fort . The

MahaRajah,w ho w as at Sucheendram, started immediate ly toAttingal,near the seat of w ar,and adoptedmeasures,not only to arre st the progress of the comb ined army,b ut also t o give them a sanguinary battlethere . His Highness raised an army of aboutNairs,and a corps of Sappers and Miners ; procuredarms and ammunition from the English at Anjengoand the French at Mahe ; collected all the best guns


and the heir apparent returned w ith his army to h isuncle .

The Quilon Rajah, after the fall of Kayemkulam,disconnected himself from the fallen chief,and withthe secret aid of the Dutch, defied the MahaRajah’sauthority . The Maha Rajah sent h is army againstthe Quilon Rajah, de signated king of Desinganaud,and after several battles at Quilon,that country w as

also annexed to Travancore .

The chief of Amb alapulay rendered assistance tothe MahaRajah during these wars and his spiritualmini st er, Thekadathu Bhat tathiry, appears to havecome to the MahaRajah at Chow ray,at the head of alarge number of Nairs and boats .

A diary of the MahaRajah’s movements, in con

nect ion with this year’s w ar with Kayemkulam and

other principalities,w as found among a mass of old

and worn out cadjans ina corner of the Padmanabhapuram palace, and the particulars there in recordedcorrespond w i th the history of events already given.

The perusal of the substance of the same may b einteresting to the reader

SUBSTANCE or THE DIARY .

On the 28th Dhanoo 917 M .E . (l 0th January 1742the MahaRajah left Sucheendram.

On the l st Makaram (12th January), the MahaRajah arrived at Trevandrum.

On account of the illne ss of the prince (he irapparent) the MahaRajah stayed at Trevandrum1 7 days . In the meantime,he w as engaged inmakingpreparations for w ar and organizing an encampmentof troops at Attingal .On

‘

the 18th Makaram (29th January), the MahaRajah left Trevandrumand halted at Kalakootam.

On the 2l st Makaram (31st January),HisHighne ssvisited Anjengo and after arranging for ammunitionand appliances of w ar returned by boat toAttingal .


On thenext day some of His Highness’ Europeanmilitary officers arrived at Attingal and were aecommodated in the eas t fort of the town.

The Maha Rajah concentrated his force and madeall necessary preparations for the impending w ar.

The combined army consisted of his ownmilitarytroops, called Kunchoot takar, his cavalry andand odd Nairs new ly enrolled for military service fromEraneel,Kulculam,Velavancode,Neyat tumkaray,N eduvangaud,Trevandrumand Sheraingheel districts.

There w as also a ood number of labourers withmummatt ies (spades for clearing jungles, and

artisans, such as smiths, saw yers, &c ., for repairing

guns and also making rails inthe east fort atAttingal .Rama Iyen Dalawah arranged for vi ctualling the

troops, and appointed Panchangam Appa Perumal,Panchangam Appa Krishnen and Ponnum PandyaDevanas Commissary Generals .

The ammunitionand munitions ofw ar were obtainedfrom Kulculam, TrevandrumandAnjengo,and fromMahe,through the French .

The contest commenced on the 23rd Makarem (3rdFebruary) at the fort of Kilimanoor. On that daythere were 13 wounded amongst the Travancoretroops .

The Travancore army encamped indifferent localities, some at Attingal, and some at Avanancherry.

Besides, there w as a division quartered at Vamanapuram and another at Perumathura. There w as an

encampment at Nagaroor and another at Kadinenkulam .

The prince (he ir apparent) commanded the divisionat Vamanapuram. The enemy attacked this place,b utit does not appear that they met w ith success .

On the 24 th M eenam (4 th Apri l), the prince proceeded to Kot tarakaray and organized encampmentsat Anchel and KO OIIDI. PonnumPandya Devanw as

at the head of this division.


The contest at the Kilimanoor fort lasted 68 days .

It beganon the 23rd M akaram (3rd February) andterminated on the 30th M eenam (l 0 thApril) .There were several wounded in the Travancore

army,b ut the number of men killed w as only four orfive . On the 27th M eenam (7th April) some of thewounded Europeans of the enemy’s force s, and on

the 28th idem (8th April),293 Nairs of the Kayemkulam army were taken prisoners . Proper arrangements were made for their maintenance .

On the 3oth M eenam (l 0th April), the Kilimanoorfort w as comple te ly taken po ssession of when the

Rajah of Kayemkulam and the Commodore of Cochinwere pre sent .

The enem ’S ordnance and ammunition,&c .,which

were in the ilimanoor fort,consisting of 5 pieces of

cannon, 4 3 muske ts, 2 drums,ammunition filled in

28 1} barrels and 121 sacks,14 2 shells,20 can onballs,and some weapons were captured .

On the 3rd M adom (14 th April),the MahaRajahleft Attingal for Kot tarakary. On the 6th (1 7th),the young prince (he ir apparent) encamped at Y enathimangalam .

On the 8th (19th ), the MahaRajah left Kottarakaray for Kunnathoor . On the l 6th (27th), theMahaRajamarched to Kayemkulam and took posse ssionof Kayemkulam fort .

Simultaneously, preparations seem to have beenmade to conquer the petty States of Vadakankoor andCottayam.

On the 18th (29th), the Maha Rajah left Kayemkulam for Karthigapilly. On the same day the youngprince marched to Vegayapuram. On the 20 th

M adom (l st May), siege of the Vegayapuram fortcommenced .

A large number of labourers and artisans werecollected onthe spot from Vat tapparamb u,Karunaga


The landing plac esnear the bridge and at Kureepulawere the scenes of conflict for several successive daysuntil 19th Karkadagam (2ndAugust) .During this time, the MahaRajah w as in constant

motion,with the vi ew,as might b e supposed,of takingdiverse measures to ensure success.

On the 22nd Edavem (3rd June ),the MahaRajahmarched from Kilialloor to Kureepula.

Onthe l st M ithunam (13th June),the MahaRajahleft for Ki lialloor .

Thence the MahaRajah proceeded toAmb alapulay.

On the l 0th M ithunam (22nd June),the MahaRajahvisited Iyencovil.

On the 18th and 19th M ithunam (30th June and l stJul Thekadathu Bhat tathiry arrived at Chow raywithanumber of menand boats .

Onthe 22nd M ithunam (4 th July),the MahaRajahreached Chow ray.

On the 26th M ithunam (8th July), an encampmentw as formed at Chow ray.

On the 3 l st M ithunam (12th July), Nairs in the

service of Palikara and Madathinkoor re inforced theTravancore army.

At Chowrey asanguinary battle took place .

Onthe 3 l st M ithunam (12th July),the MahaRajahpaid aflying visit to Trevandrum to worship at thetemple for KarkadagaSewali .

On the 3rd Karkadagam (1 7th July), the MahaRajah returned to Kilialloor .

He sent a large quantity of shot and ammunition tothe field of battle at the landing place near the bridge .

On the 6th Karkadagam (20th July), the MahaRajah himself took the field.

Onthe 1 1th Karkadagam (25th July),twenty boatsarrived there fromAttingal.


On the 19th Karkadagam (2ndAugust), the MahaRajah visited Vurkalay forAudyAmavasi .On the 3oth Karkadagam (13th August), Quilon

fell . The army w as paid battaupto thi s day.

After the fall of Quilon,and the treaty of Mannathw i th Kayemkulam, the Dutch were disheartened andfurther hostilities w ith Travancore be ing consideredunadvisable,they were inclined to make peace . RamaI en Dalawah made the Dutch understand, throught e KayemkulamRajah,that he w as prepared to directhis formidable army against the Dutch, b ut that theMahaRajah had no objection to come to terms w iththem,provided the East India Com any would sub

mit to the reasonable conditions w ich Travancoremight propose to them. The Dutch were overjoyedat thi s message,as they had been considerable losersby the unnecessary hostilities inwhich they took part,and they regretted their imprudent conduct chiefly onaccount of their commercial interests having sufferedgreatly during the w ar .

The Dutch next requested the Rajahs of Cochinand Thakankoor to effect asettlement w ith Travencore, through the ir means, and though these chi efsgave their word that they would do so, still theydelayed fulfilling their promise, thinking that Travancore had already become powerful and had extendedher territories to Poracaud,inthe west,and M enach il,inthe east,and that Should the MahaRajah enter int oa treaty of alliance w i th the Dutch, whom lately,through their stratagems,they had rendered hostile toTravancore, she would become still more powerful .The Dutch now discovered these Rajahs

’secret int en

tions, and the Cochin council resolved to managethe aflair for themselves,without wai ting for the assistance of the ir allies . The Dutch Governor of Cochinthen addressed himself directly to the MahaRajah,proposing an amicable settlement of their misunderstanding.

The Maha Rajah received this communication


favourably, and informed the Dutch Governor thatHis Highness had authorized RamaIyenDalawah tohold aconference with the Dutch, and that the Dalaw ah,to other with Thalavidi CunjuM oothathuKariakar, hadbe endelegated for the purpose . The DutchEast IndiaCompany’s Council at CochindespatchedEzekiel Rabb i and Silvester Mendes,the latter aCaptain in the Dutch Service, to M avalikaray. After aprotracted conference and discussion, they drafteda treaty, the terms of which though mostly favourable to Travancore, were objected to by the MahaRajah . Some stringent clauses were proposed,whichrestrained totally not only th e interference of theDutch Government w ith Travancore, b ut also the ircountenancing and aiding the native princes inMalab ar . The Cochincouncil w as about to depute one of

their members to Maval ikaray for the purpose of

ratifying the treaty,when the ir Commissioners sentthem this revised proposal of the MahaRajah . Whi lethey were hesitating about sending are ly, as theyrequired permission from the Batavian overnment,before they could do so, they received informationfrom the Rabbi and the Captain, that His Highnessthe MahaRajah would not enter into the proposedtreaty at that time and that the consideration of thematters indi spute w as postponed .

The Dutch now resumed their hostile attitude againstTravancore,though w ith much reluctance,as they werenot theninapositionto withstand the Travancore army.

Some time later,the negotiations were re -opened bythe Maha Rajah and the parties that had assembledat Parcor, south of Quilon: they di scussed againall the questions, b ut the Dalawah held firm to theoriginal proposal and consequently the conference w as

brokenup,this time by the Dutch . Afew days afterwards,the Dutch rev ived the negotiations a third timeand the party met at the same town, simply to breakoffagain. Inthis manner,the Dutch continued thesenegotiations without any favourable results .


treasure,jewels,and all that could b e conveyed to thenorth, in covered boats,accompanied by trustworthyattendants, w i th orders to proceed beyond Trichoor .

He w as now left alone in hi s palac e . Every night hecollected what w as left, such as silver, bras s and cap

per vessels, which are to b e found 1nprofusion 1n the

residencies of Ori ental princes, and all valuable arms,such as brass guns, silver and brass pistols, swordsof great value,and loaded themm large baggage boats,called KattuMunchee or KollaMunchee . These boatswere de spatched secretly to the deep back-water known

NY the name of Ashtamudikayel at the mouth of theeendacaray of Quilon b ar and their contents wereconsigned to

ythe deep . This the Rajah continued doing

for a week, and by that time, hi s palace and othere stablishments were completely emptied . On the 8thday, placing his private and official correspondence lnthe custody of the neighbouring chi efs ofAmb alapulay(Chempacaserry Chunganacherry (Thakankoor),Y e tmanoor (Vadakankoor) Rajahs, he left his desk 1nhisbedroom and stole away from the palace to the north .

After the expirationof t endays, RamaIyenDalaw ah sent amessenger to the Rajah, b ut to his utterSurprise the Rajah

’s alace w as found desolate and the

whereabouts of theRajah himself w as unknown. Insearching the palac e,the Rajah’s desk w as discoveredand its contents proved the combinationof the chiefsagainst Travancore . Besides this,anumber ofswordswith the inscriptions ofDevaNarayanen,the name oftheAmb alapulay deity,w as found heaped inone of thecorners of the palace . These circumstances led to thew ar against those principalities .

The Dutch seeing the final fall and annexationofKayemkulam, and finding that they could no t get

pepper from Travancore, their rivals, the Englishavmg almost monopolised this article in the MahaRajah

’

s territory, became more anxious to ratify thetreaty . They accepted the draft prepared and sent bythe Dalawah and forwarded the same to Batavia for


sanction. At the same time they continued the irfri endly relations with Travancore as if the treatyhad already been confirmed . Thi s w as in 922 M .E .

( 1 74 7A.D .

In 923 M .E . (1 748 A. D . the draft treaty w as

sanctioned by the Batavian Government, and the

Cochin Governor w as instructed to get it ratifiedwithout delay, b ut the Cochin Council having madesome slight modifications, the Maha Rajah startedfresh objections and the treaty w as no t adoptedbefore afurther reference to Batavia. In 928 M .E .

(1 753 A.D . it w as finally ratified,and the followingwere it s principal conditions —Travancore and the

Dutch should b e mutual friends Travancore Shouldno t

permit any other Europeanpower to acquire afootingmi ts territories,Should leave undi sturbed th e English factor ies at Anjengo,Edavaye and Vilinjam,b ut that theEnglish should not b e allowed greater advantages thanthey were entitled to,under ex isting treaties ; that theDutch should assist Travancore,both by land and Sea,in case of anattack from a fore ignpower ; the DutchShould not inany w ay aid the enemies of Travancoreor give them refuge ; the two contrac ting powersshould a prehend and deliver up deserters to eachother ravancore should afford every protectiontothe Dutch resorting to its territories that Travancoreshould restore to the Dutch such goods and menasbelonged to themand may b e w recked onthe Travancore coast ; Travancore should compel it s subjects tofulfil mercantile contracts w ith the Dutch and abstainfrom levying any unusually heavy duty on the goodsof the Dutch who should renounce all their engagements with the Malabar princes and particularly withthose against whom Travancore intended to go tow ar ; the Dutch should supply Travancore with themunitions of w ar annually, to the value ofRupees at cost price ; Travancore should sell everyyear to the Dutch a stated quantity of pepper,at certainfixed rates,from territories theninthe possessionof Travancore,and also another stated quantity from


those territories which Travancore might conquerthereafter. This treaty w as concluded at Mavalikaray,where the Dutch Commandant,F . Ounes, prevailedupon the Rajah of Cochin to meet the MahaRajah.

Avigorous b ut unsuccessful attempt w as made by theRajah to introduce a clause in the treaty for the

protection of the Cochin Rajah’s terri tories, b ut

all that could b e obtained from the Travancoresovere ign w as a romise that the MahaRajah wouldb e friendly w ith t e CochinRajah,provided no causeof offence w as given. The Cochin Rajah made h isown assurances to the MahaRajah, promising to b efri endly to Travancore infuture .

In the year 923 M .E . (1 748 the adoptionof

female members into the royal family w as foundnecessary, as there were no he es of any offspringfrom th e neices of the Maha ajah . As usual onsuch occasions,tw o young princesses from the Kolathnaud family (Cherakel house), were selected andbrought from Kolathnaud to Mannath and entertainedthere for some months till a propitious hour ; for

adoption arrived . They were then removed to Trevandrum and formally adopted into the royal familywith pompous ceremonies and festivities .

In the same year,the marriage ceremony of one of

the adopted princesses w as performed at Attingal .The MahaRajah now directed RamaIyen Dalawah

to proceed against the Amb alapulay Rajah, and a

large force marched against that chi ef,w ho,though apetty Rajah,had awell-trained force,armed with bowsand arrows as well as match-locks . When this chi efreceived information of the approaching invasionof

his country,he ordered his force,under the commandof M athoo Paniker and several others,to garrisonhissouthern frontier town, Thot tapilly, where the

Travancore army, under Rama Iyen Dalawah, metthem and asevere action commenced . This Amb alaapulay Ra'

ah w as an ingenious chieftain and had

invented°

fierent kinds of arrows,the points of which


The defeated Rajah’s remaining force w as at once

di sarmed, and the Dalawah took possession of his

territories .

The prudent behaviour of Thekadathu Bhat tathiryand M athoo Paniker having beenbrought to the MahaRajah

’s notice by Rama Iyen, His Highness w as

pleased to confer all the privileges exercised by thelateRajah of Amb alapulay over the great pagodaofthat place upon the former,and large grants of lands,in addition to a title o f nobility upon the latter .

These gifts and privileges their families enjoy to thepre sent day.

After the fall of Amb alapulay, the Maha Rajahcontemplated the invasion of the ChunganacherryRajah’s territories, because that chief assisted boththe late Kayemkulam Rajah and the now -deposedAmb alapulay Rajah, while the were at w ar withTravancore , and the Maha ajah

’s project w as

expedited by the Chunganacherry Rajah’s ow n con

duct . But the Elia Rajah (heir apparent), the

immediate brother of the Rajah,w as more sensible andfar-seeing than his brother the reigning Rajah ; forlooking at the fall of Amb alapulay,he expected thatasimilar fate w as instore for Chunganacherry,as themilitary power of that principality w as far inferiorevento that ofAmb alapulay . This wise prince advisedhi s brother to ofler to the Rajah of Chunganacherryas the only condition of peace the submission of thelatter as a vassal to the Maha Rajah of Travancore, b ut the Rajah w as haughty, and like the

Kayemkulam chi ef,refused to listen to his youngerbrother,and consequently a misunderstanding arosebetweenthem.

The Elia Rajah proceeded to Trevandrum and

represented matters to the MahaRajah, who kindlyaccepted his offer and promised to treat him as a

tributary.

The conduct of the young prince incensed hi s

brother,who repeatedly applied to the MahaRajah to

Y URMAH KU LASEKHARAPERUMAL.

send back the prince . Onthe MahaRa' ’s refusal

to comply with his request,the Rajah ha recourse tostratagems for inveigling his brother. He contrivedto give currency to arumour to the effect that themo ther of the young prince w as extremely ill and at

the same time sent arequisition for the attendance ofthe prince at his mother’s death-b ed . When thisnews reached him,and whenthe MahaRajah orderedhim to return to h is native place,the prince represented that the news of his mother’s illness w as false,and that the object of theRajah in sending such amessage w as to entrap him. But the Maha Rajahdi sb elieved the prince ’s assertionand told him that heought to re spect his mother

’s wish to see him,Where

upon the prince left Trevandrum for Chunganacherry,with many presents from the MahaRajah . The fearsof t he oun prince were b ut too true, for as heapproac ed Chunganacherry, the senior Rajah senthis people to seize the poor prince and caused him tob e strangled, spreading areport that the EliaRajahhad di ed by the bite of asnake .

When thi s intelligence reached the Maha Rajah,Rama Iyen w as directed t o make preparationsfor w ar against the principality of Thakankoor

(Chunganacherry) . Some new co 8 of Nairs fromKulculam, E raneel, Velavancode, ayemkulam and

other places were raised, in addition to the standingarmy, and Rama Iyen proceeded to Arrummolay,when a number of Telugu or Gentoo Brahmans,dependants of the Rajah, flocked together and placedthemselves before Rama Iyen’s army, in the belief,that in Travancore the life of a Brahman w as

sacred, and consequently that they would not b e indanger of being killed . But Rama Iyen,though himself aBrahman,determined to do his duty,and inthefirst instance to ld the Brahmans that they had no

business with the politics of the country,and that theyhad better look to the performance of their religiousceremonies, instead of unnecessarily endangering th esafety of their lives . But headless of the Dalaw ah

’s

20

REIGN OF DASAVANJIPALAMARTHANDA

advice and remonstrances, the Brahmans began toShout and throw sand and stones at the army and tocurse both it and the sovere ign of Travancore . On

this, Rama Iyen requested Captain D’Lanoy t o

do h is duty Without Shrinking. This brave oflice r,calling afew companies of his detachment,consistingof Christians,M auplays and fishermen, directed themto drive away the mob of Brahmans and clear the w ayfor the march . By the confusion created by the

Brahmans,sufficient t ime w as afforded to the cowardlyand weak Rajah,w ho w as at aplace nearArrummolay,toflee from his country to the north .

On the 28th Chingum 925 (1 1th SeptemberRama Iyen Dalawah took possession of Chunganacherry,the Seat of the Thakankoor Rajah . The Statetreasury, jewels, arms and accoutrements and pro

per

-t of aconsiderable value, fell into Rama Iyen’s

an s,among which were some bras s guns and mortars of European manufacture, besides some clocksand timepiece s, 28 in number . The latter,togetherwith several arms of European manufacture, testifyto the connection of Travancore With Europeannat lons from anci ent times .

At this time the MahaRajah appears to have comet o Chunganacherry, as many of the noble s and chiefscalled Karthavu,Kymul,Elayadamand Paniker,underthe ChunganacherryRajah,as well as those of Ambalapulay and Vadakankoor,are said to have presentedthemselves before the MahaRajah at Chunganacherryand acknowledging His Highne ss’s sovere ignty, paidhomage w ith large nuzzers . Rama Iyenmarched tothe north, and aft er fort if g the positions betweenThakankoor and Vadakanfo

n

or from Komarakam tothe east upto the hills at Koondoor,marched towardsthe north to settle the northernboundary,which w asextended to the southernbank of the Periar which runsto the we st byAlwaye . The new ly acquired territoriesincluded those lying on the south-eas t and northof the CochinRajah’s capital Thripoonithoray,with


all inabod went to that sovereign,and persuaded himto break t e alliance concluded by himWith the Travancore king in929M .E . (1 753 onthe occasionof the Dutch treaty at M avalikaray, and to assist thethree deposed Rajahs in trying to recover their territorie s . The CochinRajah being amanof an easy di sposition,w as soonprevailed upon,and his consent w asobtained for hostilities against Travancore . Manydi saffected Nairs from Kayemkulam, Amb alapulay,Chunganacherry and Y etmanoor, were invited privat ely to assemble at Cochin, Palluthuruthi , Undikadvu,&c . Large numbers of militia were collectedby Paliathu Menon,Kodasherry Karthavu, and othernoble s,and afleet of Munchees with guns and ammunit ionw as got ready to convey the men by sea. Whilethe se preparations were going on,the Dutch Governorat Cochin, though a friend of the Rajah of that place,conveyed private information to the MahaRajah,w ho,making the nece ssary preparations to meet the enemy,proceeded at the head of a large army to Mavalikaray,accompanied by the prince and RamaIyen. AtM aval ikaray,the MahaRajah w as Slightly indi sposedand the prince (he ir apparent),together w ith RamaIyen and D

’Lanoy, were ordered to lead the expedition. The Dalawah, with his characteristic activityand promptitude, proceeded with Captain D

’Lanoyand a strong force supplied with all kinds of arms,andreaching Poracaud, prepared to meet the enemy onthe ir landing,while the prince remained at Kandeyoorwith a reserve force . The Cochinites arrived andlanded at Poracaud, and as their large army securelymoved forward, squadrons of Travancore cavalrypoured in by their right, took up their position tothe rear,and prevented the enemy

’s retreat to the sea.

At the same time agood number of Travancore Munchees destroyed and disabled the Cochinfleet. RamaIyenDalawah and CaptainD’Lanoy now commencedthe attack . The ir army being drawn up in front ofthe Cochinite s,the first charge threw the whole of theenemy into disorder and confusion and the greater


part of them were killed or wounded, While manyran to the seaand perished there . The CochinCommanders, Paliathu Menonand Kodasherry Karthavu,and several nobles of minor importance,were takenprisoners and sent t o Trevandrum.

The Dalawah detected man Nairs from Kayemkulam and other places in ravancore among the

enemy’s force, and orders were issued to search out allsuch and visit them w ith the punishment they deserved .

Thi s order w as carefully executed under the superintendence of CaptainD’Lanoy.

Rama Iyen thence proceeded to the north,and theprince joined h im at Anandasw aram, whi ch place hereached, during the battle, from Kandeyoor. Hereth e army w as Split upinto two divisions ; the divisioncommanded by the prince marching to Komarakam,crossing the Bempanaud Lake ; and that commandedby Rama Iyen through Amb alapulay, Alleppy and

Ariyad . Th e army of the prince w as jo ined on it smarch by the third prince of Vadakankoor and the

chi efs of this part of the country vi z Navakat Kymal,Vet t iyathu Thampan, &c . At Komarakam, a largenumber of boats having been collected at the Spot aswell as from Veliyanaud and the neighbouring v il

lages, the prince proceeded by land and aportion ofhis force went by backwater, and both reached Vycome and Vadayar, crossed the Vycome Lake and

encamped at Sharetalay,Opposite to Vycome . RamaIyen went at first to M adathumkaray, the southernboundary of the CochinRajah

’s dominions,about five

miles north of Alleppy,where the CochinRajah hadpalac e which w as considered the ori ginal seat of theCochin dynasty and from which the Rajah takes h istitle Mada-BhO Opathi ,

”as said in the first Chapter .

N0 member of the royal family resided at the timein the palac e : it w as guarded only b afew sepoys andother servants,and therefore the alawah found nodifficulty intaking possessionof it and capturing the

guards .


Rama Iyenafterwards proceeded northwards,driving away or sei z ing every servant of the CochinStatefound inthe locality,and marched as far asArookut ty,where he pitched h is camp .

By thi s time,the CochinRajah became alarmed andsent an express messenger t o Trevandrum,w ith afullapology for the mistake committed by him, andrequested that the further advance of the Travancorearmy Should b e stopped . He promised to enter intoa treaty of alliance and friendship upon favourable terms to Travancore . The Dutch Governor ofCochinalso requested the MahaRajah to order the

Dalawah t o respect the ir limits,which, it w as stated,extended two mile s south of Cochin. Onthe receipt ofthis communication from the CochinRajah, RamaIyen w as immediately ordered to return to Mavalikaray, without making any further conquests.

Though RamaIyenreturned at once,ye t he took careto retainpossessionof the part of the country betweenAlleppy and Arookutty,through which he marched,and which extends to about 24 miles . Thi s piece ofterritory w as sufliciently garrisoned b y the Dalawahbefore he left.

In the middle of the year 929M .E . (1 754the people ofAmb alapulay,Chunganacherry,Cot tayam,Y e tmanoor,and almost all the people of the northerndistricts exhibited symptoms of rebelli on. Theyappeared to b e acting under the instigation of theZamorin and the late potentates of Thakankoor,Vadakankoor,&c . Rama Iyen Dalawah w as therefore compelled to advance to these districts with anarmy sufficient to overawe the rebels . With all hisability and energy, be ing embarrassed and perplexedby the confused state of affairs,he reque sted the MahaRajah to visit the di saffected districts . The MahaRajah, not being ingood health,deputed his nephew,the heir apparent, t o the rebellious province with hisarmy. Nevertheless,there appears to have beengreatcause for anxiety,as eventhe braveRamaIyenDala


Pandyan provinces, including Madura, Trichinopoly,Tinnevelly, &c ., and the sovereignty finally fell intothe hands of the Nabob of the Carnatic . The MahaRajah

’s attentionhaving beendirected,for along time

past, t o the management of the internal affairs of hi s

kingdom and the suppression of the rebellion in thenorth, he had neglected adopting measures for the

protectionand maintenance of his easternpossessions,including Valliyoor, Kalacaud, &c . The Nabob’eGovernor at Trichinopoly took advantage of thisOpportunity and annexed those tracts to the Maduraprovince, and thus the MahaRajah w as deprived Of

those places for along time .

In927 M .E . (1 752 M oodemiah, the Nabob’s

Viceroy at Trichinopoly, growing powerful e stab lished himself as an independant chief, and be inga very covetous man,disposed of villages and territories on receiving suflicient cons iderationfor them .

The MahaRajah, understanding this disposition ofM oodemiah,deputed Rama Iyen Dalawah to Tinnevelly,Where M oodemiah had arrived onavisit . The

Dalaw ah represented the MahaRajah’s ancient claimsto the territories in the east . Possession of the

country lying betw een Cape Comorin and Kalacaud, to the extent of about 30 miles, includingValliyoor, w as obtained for a sufi ciently large con

sideration. Rama Iyen Dalawah returned to Trevandrumafter stationingabout of the TravancoreMahaRajah

’s force at Kalacaud,for the protectionof

the di stricts thus purchased by Travancore .

In930 M .E . (1 755 MahomedAli,the Nabobof the Carnatic,wished to supplant M oodemiah,whohad proved refractory and had proclaimed himself thesole ruler O f the Pandyan empire . The Nabobappointed hi s G eneral,M aphuz Khan, to supersedeM oodemiah,and sent himwith asmall force requestingthe Nabob’s allies,the English at Madras ,to send adetachment to assist the Khan, not only in assuming h is ofi ce, b ut also in bringing the inhabitants

VURHAH KULASEKHARAPERUMAL.

into subjection. Colonel Heron,Wi th 500 Europeansand Natives,w as ordered to Trichinopoly underthe pretext Of assisting M aphuz Khan,b ut probablythe English too had an eye on the beautiful andhighly productive Pandyan empire, comprising the

rich countries OfMadura,Trichinopoly and Tinnevelly .

The alli ed force s arrived at Tinnevelly about Kumbham 930 M .E . (March 1 755 having reducedMaduraOntheir w ay. Whenthis intelligence reachedKalacaud,the Travancore garrison,consisting Ofsepoys stationed inthat fort,w as alarmed and findingthat they were no match for the combined force s ofth e Nabob and the English, the Travancore commandant abandoned the fort and Kalacaud,and withdrew the garrison to Thovalaya InM eenam-madom

(Aril) M aphuz Khanafter taking charge of the fortandestabli shing hi s authority there went to Tinnev elly and Colonel Heron returned with the Englishforce to Trichinopoly.

M oodemiah,whofled from Tinnevellyafter his defeat,found an asylum under the pro tection Of Pulithaver,aPo ar,and onthe departure Of the English trfrom innevelly to Trichinopoly, he applied toMahaRajah for assistance and urged on him to takeback the lost territory of Kalacaud. Pulithavcr alsoOffered his assistance,as that Poligar w as for a longt ime dependent on Travancore . A strong force,consisting of infantry and an equal number Of

caval w as despatched from Travancore , .accom

panic by the prince and M oodemiah,and w i thoutmuch resistance Kalacaud w as taken. The MahaRajah, however, thinking that such a proceedingw ould offend the English Government, ordered thew ithdrawal Of his troops for some t ime,and post oned

all Operations till he made himself sure that t c re

taking of his usurped territorie s would not oflend theEnglish . The MahaRajah subsequently ordered backa sufficient force under the command of CaptainD

’Lanoy assisted by the Poligar Pulithaver. M aphuz

Khan’s troops w ere defeated,the Kalacaud fort cap21

REIGN OF DASAVAN-II PALAKARTHANDA

tured and the 500 infantry and 200 cavalry, w ho

defended it, were taken prisoners . Thus the MahaRajah once more recovered Kalacaud and all the territories appertaining t o it . The Travancore kingdomnow extended from Feriar inthe north,to Kalacaudinthe south .

Towards the middle Of 930 M .E . and the beginningof 1 755 A.D.,the Zamorin of Calicut sent a formidable army,under the command of some of hi s subordinate princes, t o invade the CochinRajah’s territorie s . All the countries north Of Cochinwere takenpossessionof and mi litary stations at Trichoor,Cran

ganore and Paravoor e stablished . On the remonstrances of the Dutch, the further progre ss of thearmy, whi ch w as on it s w ay to Thripoonithoray toattack that place, w as arrested. In the following

3 1 M .E . (1 756 the Zamorin met theGovernor and informed him that he would spare

the Dutch ally, the CochinRajah,and his country,provided the Dutch joinh im inhis intended invasionof Travancore . The Dutch Governor very cunninglysaid that he would give this proposal h is best con

sideration provided the Zamorinwould give back allthe Dutch estates of which he had assumed possession,and enter into a treaty of perpetual alliance with theDutch . The Zamorinalso sent areply Similar to theone sent by the Governor, i . e . that he would give thematter h is best consideration.

While matters stood thus, the Dutch Governorhaving written to the Maha Rajah of Travancore,informedHis Highness that the Zamorinw as about tosend downhis troops by the backwater, as well as bysea, every preparation w as made by His Highness tomeet the invading army at Arookut ty as well as atPoracaud . The Zamorin’s army came by seainalargefleet Of native craft, and as it w as being landed,Captain D’Lanoy

’s force, accompanied by RamaIyen

Dalawah,met the enemy and afteravigorous encounter,compelled the Zamorin’s force to retreat w ith great


raised to the rank of General and appointed Commander-ia Chief of the Travancore army. He w as

ever afterwards known t o the Travancoreans as theValiaKappithan, the Great Captain,and inh is latterdays w as Specially employed instrengthening the fortiéficat ions Of the country .

The Maha Rajah finding it an imperat ive necessityto ado t strong and eflicient defensive measures authori zed ama Iyen Dalawah to have forts and othernecessary defensive works constructed under the solecare and superintendence of General D’Lanoy.

The constructionOfall the fortifications w as finishedwith great Speed and economy. Strong forts,withranite walls, were constructed enclosing the MahaRajah’

s residence at Padmanabhapuram ; astill largerone, surrounding a hill at U dayagherry ; and athirdat Cape Comor m, onthe seabeach at Aluw akaray,south-east of the Cape Comorinpagoda. From thislast, a strong wall w as built upto the hill at Aramboly, fortifying in agreat degree the earthen worksalready th en there,as abarri er betweenthe seaandhills . Bastions,batteries and powder magazines werealso constructed at intervals. An iron foundry w as

established at U dayagher where cannons, mortarsand balls w ere cas t, and 31 the batteries were supplied w ith the necessary pieces Of artillery. Aftercompleting these w orks in the south,D

’Lanoy proceeded to the north, and erected batteries On the seacoast at different places between Cape ComorinandPoracaud. The fortifications at Quilon,Mavalikaray,Chunganacherry,Cottayam Y etmanoor and Muvattupulay were also strengthened . He repaired many ofthe O ld forts Of the late chiefs of the localities andconstructed new batterie s and forts with laterite,some of which are still to b e seen partly in ruins,and others inadamaged state,overgrownwith brushwood,such as those at Karuvannoor inThodupulay,Komarakam in Y e tmanoor,Lalam in M eenachi l,andPeravom inMuvat tupulay.


special royal proclamation. These articles were to

b e sold afterwards by the Sircar'

to the merchants,whole sale as well as retail . Rules were framed andestablished for the guidance of the commercial department and special royal proclamations were issued,legali zing the monopoly of all such article s by the

Sircar and prohibiting all private dealings in them .

By the se enactments, it became the law that no one

could sell the se article s,even if produced by him,t oany one b ut the Sircar and that no one could purchasethese articles,evenfor private comsumpt ion,from anyother quarter,save from the Sircar stores .

The Dalawah then introduced the system of Chowkeys, for levying duty onall articles transmi tted andtransported from place to plac e . For thi s purpo se,rules were framed fixing tariff rates for all the articlesand the duty to b e levied thereon. Stations were alsofixed and persons appointed for the performance ofthe functions of each department .

Amethodical plan for manufacturing salt w as

adopted, and the sale of that necessary article w as

restricted to particular stations, where salt-storesand selling-houses called Pandakasalas, were Opened .

Rates for the purchase and sale of salt throughout thecountry were at the same time fixed. To ensure the

successful carrying out Of all these measures and togive effectual support to the agencies employed inconnection therewith,Rama Iyen Dalawah w as cont inually moving about, with a large retinue, fromPadmanabhapuram t o Muvat tupulay and vice versa,and in the course Of acouple of years, all the abovesystems were peaceably and permanently established,w ithout any great discontent amongst the populac e .

The second step adopted by the Dalawah w as to

regulate the expendi ture of th e State inproportion t oit s income which had beenpreviously accurately asoertained. Inorder t o secure the expenditure ou

'afixedscale, without considerably exceeding the income, theDalawah had drawn out a Pathivu Kanaku (fixed

VURMAH KULASEKHARAPERUMAL.

account), with great care and precision, noting downthe expenses for the Devasw ams,O ot tupurahs,palace,revenue and military e stabli shments, pensions, purchase Of goods, and for meeting all the contingentcharges . Thi s valuable and masterly Path ivuKanakume t w ith the full approbation of the MahaRajah andth e officers of the State . Mo st of these rules are event o this day in observance .

Rama Iyen Dalawah repaired and constructedalaces for the Maha Rajah within the Trevandrumf’

ort . In order to give additional strength t o the Trevandrum fort,the O ld mud wall w as partly enclosedby a granite wall . Before the w ork w as finished,RamaIyendied .

Several other works Of importance were executedunder the personal superintendence of the MahaRajahand his Dalawah,the greatest of which w as the Sewalipuray, a building surrounding the pagoda measurmg4 20 feet from east to west and 226% feet from north t osouth . The breadth and height of this structure arerespectively 20 and 23 feet . It is supported by 368pillars,each measuring 13 feet inheight and 2% feet indiameter . The terrace is paved with granite slabs,each 25 feet long, 2% feet broad, and 133 feet thick.

The great merit Of thi s undertaking is that it w as

completed in the seventh month after its commencement . There were masons daily at work w ho

were brought down from Madura, Trichinopoly,Tinnevelly and other places, and to assist them therewere employed dai ly coolies and 100 elephants .

Similar to the above work w as the easternGopuram(gate tower of the pagoda),the foundations of whichwere laid in74 1 M .E . (1565 It w as undertakenand executed upto it s fifth story m avery short time .

The golden t ajam (flag staff) w as constructedand planted in front of the pagoda. The teak-woodfor thi s work w as cut from the Kakachel forest,some

ty miles east of Trevandrum,and according t o theHindu Sastras,th e wood w as not allowed to touch the


ground,b ut w as supported bymenand elephants whenit w as felled and thence it w as carried to Trevandrum,without it s once touching the ground .

The palace at Padmanabhapuram and that at Krishnapuram,as also several O ot tupurahs (feeding-houses)and other useful buildings,were constructed underRama Iyen

’s superint endence .

‘lb And all these are

now living monuments of the versatile talents of therenow ned MahaRajah and his able minister .

Mavalikaray being a place highly suited for commercial purposes,especially for collecting and storingpepper produced inthe ne ighbouring districts, RamaIyen made that place his head quarters,and inaddition t o the store -houses,aset of large and spaciousbuildings w as constructed and Mavalikaray w as

made the centre of the commercial department .

Aft er the subjection of the pett Rajahs, chiefs,Madempimar, and E ttu Veet il P

'

amar, the Mahainitiated certain measures in accordance with

the prescriptions Of the Vedas,no t only for expiatingthe sinincurred by w ar,b ut also for the re s erity ofthe kingdom and its inhabitants . is Highnesstherefore convened an assemblage of all the learnedBrahmans of Malabar, Tinnevelly and Madura, anddesired them to make researches in the three Vedasand the six Sastras and find out therefrom the mosteffective form of prayer to b e adopted for the abovepurpose . The Brahmans, after examination, recommended the Bhadradeepam and Murajapcm ceremonies and the prayers rescrib ed in the Vedas asobserved by one of the Kshatria kings of a formerage, (Karthaveerarjuna) This ceremony consists inthe lighting of asacred lamp on the l st Of the monthof Magarom 13th January) after sevendays prayers

1 ‘ Feeding -house s w ere mo stly estab lished inthe v icini t of roads or

renow ned pagodas and are gene rally for the b enefit of rahman travellers as also for the support of the poor of all cast e s. E v eryO ot tupuruh has aprov ision for fe eding the poor w ith ameal calledconjee (b o i led-rice w ater) b esides these, special poor-houses w ere alsoes tablished indifferent part s of the country.


M urajapcm w as celebrated in the grandest possiblestyle,at an outlay of about two lacs of rupees . Inthe next year,926 M .E . (1 75 1 the coronationceremony (Hirannya Garbham donation) w as performed, Thulapurusha danam hav ing been alreadycelebrated in 924 M .E . (1 749 In 928 M .E .

(1 753 the remaining 14 danams were performedat a cost of 81} lacs of fanams or and oddrupees .

Though Travancore w as now perfectly freed fromthe long continued molestations and Oppositionof theE ttu Vee til Pillamar and the ir confederate chiefs,andthe recurrence of oppression on the ir part had beenrendered impossible by the subjugationof the insurgentfeudatories ; though all sources of danger from ne1ghb ouring rincipalit ies had been removed by the expul

sion of t e petty Rajahs from the ir strongholds ; andthough success had attended all the acts of the MahaRajah inenforcing order and regularity inthe kingdom,constructing fortifications, introducing a scheme ofmilitary organization, promulgating a sound systemof adm1nistrat ion,and bringin about are ignof perfecteace throughout the Maha

gRajah’s domini ons, stillis Highness’ prudence and Wisdom suggested his

resorting to further measures for the protectionof hisancient house and his dearly acquired possessions .

Consequently,this wise and remarkable sovereign,whohad latterly become more of areligi ous devotee thana despotic king, adopted a most important precaut ionary measure as a las ting and powerful check on

any future internal commotionin the country . Thisw as eflect ed by connecting the government of the Statewith religion,and making the kingdom sacred in theeyes of all Hindus,in the manner follow ing

After the conquest of Kayemkulam, and takingpossession of Dasinganaud, E layada Sw aroopam,and re -establishing the Travancore domini ons up toValliyoor inthe east and Thricunnapulay in the north,the MahaRajah proceeded on the morning of the 5th


Madom 925 M .E . (17th January 1 750 to thegreat pagodaat Trevandrum,ac compani ed by the he irapparent with the other male and female members ofthe family,and the prime minister RamaIyon. Afterassembling all the priests and the Brahmanical bodyattached to the pagoda called the Y ogakar ; the MahaRajah with great reverence and devotion laid h isState sword on the O t takel M andapom,inthe presenceof the image of Sree PadmanabhaSwamy,and madeover the kingdom Of Travancore to the Devasw am,

declaring that from that day forward,he w as the vassalor agent of the de ity, Sree Padmanabha Swamy,andthat he would conduct the affairs of the kingdom as a

trustee of the Devasw am. From this day,the MahaRajah assumed the title of Sree PadmanabhaDasa,

’

i . e .,a servant or minister of Sree Padmanabhan.

This measure, w e may reasonably believe, had the

desired effect,for since that time the people of Tra

vancore have had adevoted attachment‘ and sacredregard for the royal house, and this has continuedunchanged up to this day . Thi s religious regard forthe sovere ignty is so great that the people of Travancore both high and low would not dare to Speak ill ofthe MahaRajah or the royal family,for they hold thatby doing so, they commit a sinknownas Swamydrohum,

” which means doing mischief to the Swamy

(the de ity or lord) .

Thus, this wise MahaRajah strengthened the position of his heirs with every support,religious,politicalor military .

But although the entire system canonly thus b e developed,someof i ts leading features and characterist ic principles discoverable fromthe ir manifes t efleots,and the first of those is adevo ted attachmentb orne by all descript ions of people to the Rajah to w hose charac ter

they are taugh t to at tach an 1dea b ordering on t he.

sacred,from t h isprinciple the ir Obedience to his commands,w he ther 1m oecd dxrect or

t hrough the enoy of h is minister,w ho is generally now nto themb y the t itle of alawah is implicit .”

Se lect ions from the records ofTravancore,Part II,page 16. Lieut enant Arther’sReport forw arded to the Madras G overnment b y ColonelM unro,25th December 1810.


It has beenalready said that during the reignof theformer Rajahs,Travancore had made an agreement

the G overnor of the Pandyanempire at Trich inopoly,promising to pay a nominal annual tribute forobtaining military aid,b ut subsequently,the Nabob ofthe Carnatic having taken the direct government ofthat empire,the Maha Rajah considered it w i se and

prudent to renew this treaty directly with the Nabob,which w as accordingly done upon more favourableterms and condi tions . By this treaty,the powerfulaidof one of the greatest potentates of Southern Indiaw as secured to Travancore,which w as bound to payto the Nabob rupees,and a tribute in the shapeof an elephant annually,the Nabob promising to affordevery protectionto Travancore from foreignand localenemies . Thus Travancore became perfectly secure,havin two powerful allies to guard and protect her,the abob in the east and the Dutch in the west,while the English merchants atAnjengo were also readyto assist her whenneeded .

After making the kingdom of Travancore the property of Sree Pandara Vagay, and convert ing all

denominations of the State servants into Sree Pandarakariyum Chayw argal (menwho erform th e duty ofthe holy financial administration the name of thetalooks (districts) w as changed and styled Mandapathomvathukal (the gate or presence of the pagoda,)and all business w as now carried on under th e newtitles . The Maha Rajah having next orderedRamaIyen Dalawah to frame regular ac counts and rules

for fix ing permanent taxes on lands and gardens,that Official commenced asurvey of them in926 M .E .

( 1 75 1 and conducted and completed this laborions work throughout Travancore in 929M .E . 1 754A.D. ) The first Auyacat tu ac count (assessment) inTravancore w as clearly framed out after this survey,and the holders of lands and gardens were furnishedwith aPathivu (registry) .

Several good roads and w ater communications for


His Highness the Elia Rajah returned to Trevendrum, and soon afterwards Rama Iyen Dalawahexpired . The MahaRajah onhearing from the princeall that had transpired, as well as the sad intelligenceof the Dalaw ah

’s death,w as overwhelmed with sorrow,

and His Highness took it so deeply to heart,that everafter, His Highness

’ mind became a prey to melancholy reflections .

It w as reported,as amatter of great surprise,thatno private property of any considerable value w as

found in the deceased Dalaw ah’s residence,though he

had been closely attached to the MahaRajah from hisboyhood,and had held the most responsible appointments of secretary to the MahaRajah for e ight years,and latterly that of prime minister for the long periodof nineteenyears .

The death of RamaIyenDalawah cast agloom overevery heart,and the Whole administration seemed tohave been under the shadow of a dark cloud for atime .

No successor w as appointed in the room of RamaIyen for the next two years, b ut the functions ofprime minister were discharged b IyappenM arthandaPillay, Sarvadhikariakar . The aha Rajah, thoughonly 53 years of age , began to feel unwell and

gradually became weak and infirm and died on the

27th M ithunam 933 M .E . (1 758 w ithout theleast painor agony, inperfect consciousness and inthefull possessionof all his facultie s.

The Maha Rajah expired, Sinking quietly as if hefell asleep,in the presence of all the members of theroyal family,and a large crowd of attendants,officers,&c .,&c . But afew hours before his death,he calledthe he ir apparent before himand gave that prince hislast advice on the follow ing points

1 . That no deviation whatever Should b e madein regard to the dedication of the kingdom to Sre ePadmanabha Swamy,and that all further t erritorialacquisitions should b e made over to the Devasw am.

”

Y URMAH KULASEKHARA PERUMAL.

2 . That not a hair’s breadth of alteration or

deviationshould b e made in the established charitie sand the institutions connected with the same .

”

3 . That no family dissension or quarrel shouldb e allowed inthe royal house .

”

4 . That the expenses of the State Should not b eallowed to exceed the income .

5 . That the palace expenditure should b e defrayed from the profits of the commercial department.

6 . That, above all, the friendship existingbetwe enthe English East IndiaCompany and Travancore should b e maintained at any risk, and that fullconfidence should always b e placed inthe support andaid of that honorable association.

”

On the solemnassurance of Obedience by the princeto all these really valuable instructions, the dyingMaha Rajah ex hibited signs of perfect satisfaction,and with a happy face, ble ssed his worthy nephew .

After afew minutes’ silence,he committed hi s soul tohis Creator by repeating prayers and hymns inpraiseof the supreme Spirit .

There have been numerous instances in which itw as clear that divine succour had been extended tothis e x tremel pious Maha Rajah from his boyhood,some of whi chwere described in this and in the preceding Chapter,b ut a very noticeable one,the writerthinks,has not been brought into prominence in thenarration of the trainof events,and thi s omissionhew ill now try to remedy here .

During the long continued w ar with Kayemkulam,

the Maha Rajah’s treasury w as complete ly drained

and a serious financial embarrassment ensued,when,to the he lp of the MahaRajah, w as found by divineblessing,inavillage called Kulashckhara Mangalam,attached to the Vat tookavu Adhikaram,in the Tre

vandrum district,mine s of valuable gems consistingof cat’s-eye and ruby of an inferior quality calledThalum by the natives . Thi s w as follow ed by the


di scovery of similar mines about Trevandrum,Arumanay in Velavancode, Kodamannear Attingal,andKarumankunnu inSheraingheel .

The incidents inand recollections of the career ofthis MahaRajah and his prime minister RamaIyen,who flourished intimes whenwestern civili zationandeducationwere unknow ninTravancore,and when theEuropeans considered the natives abarbarous nation,are found not only in the annals of Travancore andit s oflicial records, b ut have also formed the themesof the songs of the peasantry . The boatmen,as we llas the day labourers and evennative performers,havetheir songs founded upon the doings of this MahaRajah and many of his ministers,ofwhom RamaIyen’sname stands foremost .

There are various anecdote s oft en related w i thdelight, about this famous MahaRajah and his heroicministers,b ut many be ing unauthenticated by recordsare not noticed in this work . Neverthele ss, a fewof the reliable one s concerning the Maha Rajahand h is meritorious minister,may sumec to Showhow that monarch and hi s prime minister were everready to sacrifice their ow n comforts,while contrib u

ting to the welfare of the country,and also howstrict and impartial they w ere in the promotion ofthe public weal .

During the time the water channel fromPonmanaytowards the south, as mentioned above, w as beingOpened,apart of the locality w as found rocky,and thechannel had to b e cut through the middle of it . The

process of blasting not be ing known in those days,manual labour w as the only agency whereby the workcould b e efiected. It w as conducted under the

personal superintendence of the Maha Rajah . Inamost difficult part of the locality,the work w as once

stepped for several days . On this, His Highnessproceeded to occupy a block of rock which servedfor athrone onone side of the channel,and sat therefrom e ight inthe morning till Six

'

inthe evening,taking


Highness on certainbusiness, b ut before commencingw ith their errand they entered into along preamble,when the Maha Rajah interrupted them gravely andsaid men,don

’t b e to o tedious,life is short .”

It may no t b e out of place t o narrate here ano thera very instructive anecdote, regarding the MahaRajah and his minister RamaIyen, exemplifying thestrict and rigorous discipline exacted from the royalfamily, evenfrom the he ir apparent t o the throne,andshow ing likewise how rigidly the established rule s

w ere enforced and how independent the position of

the prime minister himse lf had be en made . Duringh is minority,the EliaRajah, BalaRamaVurmah (thehe ir apparent), w as very fond of dramatic and theatrical entertainments . On a certainnight,while theperformance w as go ing on,the O il inthe lamps runningshort, the prince ordered his attendant to go to thepagodastore and fetch aquantity,b ut the store -keepersaid that he could no t give the o il w ithout the sanctionof the Dalaw ah . The prince enraged at this, orderedhis servants to enter the store,and forcibly take therequired quantity of o il.

The next day the matter w as reported to RamaIyen, and through him it reached the Maha Rajah

’

s

ears . Rama Iyen sugge sted t o His Highness the

imperative nece ssity of adopting such measures as

would check the young prince ’s propensity to carryout h is arbitrary orders, and the decision arrived atw as to deport the prince at once to the palace at CapeComorin,where he w as to reside and perform penanceand devotionto the goddess,and implore her mercy forrigh ting his understanding and sense . The princewalked out, without amurmur, e ither from himself,o r fromhis good mother,the senior Rance ofAttingal,or from the other members of the family, for it hadalw ays been one of the peculiar v irtues of the Travancore royal family to b e strictly obedient t o the ir head,w ho se order the re st consider as solemnlaw . Ajuniormember, even the immediate he ir t o the throne ,

VURMAH KULASEKHARA PERUMAL .

behaves himself in the presence of his senior as anordinary member of society in his bearing,addre ss,and deportment . The junior member, in addressingthe sovere ign, says your holy self” and inSpeakingof himself your vassa None would dare to say

you”or I .

” Such are the forms enjoined by therules of this royal family from time immemorial, andany instance of departure from this sacred observanceor presumptuous Speech on the part of any member,has beenunknown inthis kingdom .

Rama Iyen Dalawah, though a Hindu Brahman,continued anunmarried man, and kept aloof from all

family connections from th e day of his entering theservice upt o the day of h is death . He is said t o havelaughed at his friends’ telling him that aBrahman’

s

soul could not b e saved according to the caucus of th eVedas,unless h is son performs h is funeral rites,andthat consequently he should enter into the matrimonial state . He observed that he had to look to abetter and Still more important and primary matterconcerning h imse lf in this w orld, than the one in the

next, that is, h is service to his sovere ignand h is dutyto hi s fellow creatures . Should he bind himself intoarelationship with any family by marriage, he said heshould find himself entangled inanet, re straining hisfre e movements,and thw arting him in the conscien

t ious discharge of h is public functions. In consideration of these points,he re solved to remainanunmarried manthrough the who le course of his life .

It also appears that th e Dalawah had a Sudraw omannear Maval ikaray as his concubine and that athis death he left a

packet in her hands, with instruc

tions to produce t e same before His Highness theMahaRajah,after the Dalaw ah

’

s death . This poorw oman w as unable to pre sent herself before the MahaRajah during that sov ere ign’

s life -time, b ut it is satisfactory t o find that in the ne x t re ign,she went t o Trevandrum, and that fortunat ely the packe t reached thehands of the M aha Rajah, w ho, on opening it, w as


astonished to find acadjan ticket, inthe handw ritingof RamaIyen,stating that the custodianof that ticketw as apoor woman and an old dependant upon h im ;

that she deserved His Highne ss’ charitable notice ;and that the tax of afew chuckrams on the garden inwhich she had her cottage and on th e acre of landadjo ining it,w hich w as also hers,might b e made theroyal grant of Anub havam to her . His Highne ssafter perusing the ticket, handsomely rewarded her,over and above the recommendation of the lateminister.

It w as during the re ign of this sovere ign that anorder akin to that of knighthood,w as e stablished as akind of stimulus to those in the public service .

Distinguished services were rewarded by this honor .

It w as denominated Chempakaramen. The ceremonies observed ou the occasion of conferringsuch atitle are as follows —The recipient of this dist inguished honor w hen selected, is presented beforethe Maha Rajah on a propitious day fixed for the

ceremonial . His Highness then, delivering a shortSpeech in the pre sence of all the oflicers of State,expressive of the satisfaction afforded by the knightelect to justify His Highness

’ bestowing such an

exalted title on him,gives him some Special presentsand name s him by the title Chempakaramenafter hisname . The knight thenproceeds to the gate of the

palace followed by the prime minister and otherofli cials . At the gate, in ahall attached to it, takesplace the subsequent ceremony which consists in thepresentation of anew piece of apeculiar kind of silk,e ight yards long,called Veeravaly Pattu and the wearing of a suit of new clothes . The knight beingdressed properly, after the Travancore fashion, one

end of the silk is tied round his head,leaving the

other end to the extent of two and ahalf or three yardsloose,like the trainof along robe . He is thenplac edonan elephant and behind him three nobles or otherpersons inve sted with similar title s, seat themselve sbearing the trainof the knight

’s turban. The knight is

REIGN OF DASA VANJI PALA MARTHANDA

public money . Al l the wealth the Maha Rajahacquired during are ign of about thirty years, w as

applied to honorable and useful purpose s, to the

consolidation of h is kingdom by territorial acquisitionsand vast improvements ; which,to this day,proudlyand eloquently proclaim the renowned MahaRajah

’

s

incomparable wisdom and justice and the grandeurand Splendour of his Government .

The fo llowing observations onthe talents and hero ismo f this sovere ign, described b y Fra Paolinoda San

Barto lomeo, in h is Voyages t o the East Indie s are

here transcribed, as corroborative of w hat has beendetailed in this history

The kings of Travancor had hitherto beeninsignificant princes,whose territories extended only aboutfifteen or twenty miles up the country from CapeComari ; and were,besides,not very fruitful . The

sovere ignof this district,at that time Vim Martanda

Pala,w as uncle to the present king Rama Varmer .

He w as amanof great pride, courage and talents ;capable of undertaking grand enterprises,and fromhis youth had beenaccustomed to warlike operations .

As he had concluded an alliance with the king of

Madura,it needs excite no w onder,that,agreeably tohis character,h e should conce ive the idea of making conquests, and of enlarging his unproductivedominions by the acquisitionofnew province s . For

th is purpose he crossed the river Palur inthe year1 764 ; fought adecisive battle with king Ciangaceri,and, having entirely subdued him, laid waste his

territories with fire and sword ; caused all the

palac es,and evensome of the Pagan temples,to b edemolished ; and took prisoners the ne ighbouringpetty princes . The latter had been called in byCiangace

fri to his assistance b ut they were at open

variance with each other, and too much occupiedw ith the ir ow n feuds to unite in one commoncauseagainst Vim M artandaPala,who advanced to Airucuth

’

, which is only thre e leagues distant tow ards

Y URMAH KULASEKHARA PERUMAL.

the south from Cochin. His commander in chief,Martandapulla, laid siege to the plac e, and con

t inued his conquests,which were completed by M .

Eustatius de Lanoy, with whom I formed an acquaintance at Curriapalli in the year 1 777 . Hedrove Samuri on the other Side of the river fromAlangattaand Codungalur assigned asmall spot t othe king of Cochin for his support ; made himselfmaster of all the fortresses ; put the king

’s troops

onthe same footingas the European divided amongthem the conquered lands ; caused them frequentlyt o march through the country with full militaryparade,inorder to ke ep the people in subjection tothe ir rulers and after Vim M artanda

’s death,gave

the kingdom,inwhich perfect tranquillity w as nowrestored, t o the present sovere ignRama, Varmefr,who had just entered the twenty-fourth

'

year of hisage . Thus ended the dominionofthe petty Malabarsovere ignsand princes thus w as humanity avenged ;and thus were the crimes punished,and the licentiousness suppressed,by which this country had beendistracted ever Since the tenth century .

Of agreat part of the above events I w as myselfan eye

-witness the account given of the re st istaken from the information of persons worthy of

credit, and in particular from the valuable manuscripts of Father Cruz Fernandez,aMalabar prie st,w hich containaminute relationof the w ar carriedon by Vim Martanda. Perla. I had an Opportunityalso of consulting agreat many original documents,quoted in this work, which were preserved amongthe archives of the missionary establishment atVempo le . I conversed likew i se onthis subject withthe pre sent king and his generals Martandapulla,andM . de Lanoy,who all three oftencame to Vempo le,and to whom w e were indebted,beside s other marksof kindness, for freeing our convent, church, andsurrounding district,from the payment of all taxes .

Infine, the w r iter of this history fee ls proud that


his accounts and observations are fully corroboratedby the recorded Opinions OfRajah Sir T . MadavaRo w ,

the late Dewanof Travancore,who,as the head of theadministrationfor many years had the opportunity of

ascertaining every fact connected with the kingdom of

Travancore and i ts internal administration,both fromrecords and from enquirie s . This able native knight,w ho is w ide ly know n, has undertaken the work of

w riting aHistory of Travancore,and the opiniongivenby h im about this sov ere ign, as published in the

Malayalam translationofhis unpublished w ork,may b ehere quoted as fully corroborat ing the writer’s o b ser

vat ions regarding one of the greate st of Travancore ’

s

kings .

The MahaRajah whose re ignhas be enbrought t oa close is certainly one of the most remarkablefigure s in the hi story of Travancore . He came t othe throne w hile yet young, and amid difli cult iesand dangers . He inherited a small territory, full ofanarchy and disorder . In the earlier days of h isrule, his life w as Often exposed to the hand of the

assassin. He had to wander indisguise andnarrowlyescaped violent death . But his energy and decisionenabled him to establish internal tranquilli ty . Hissagacity felt no difi culty in selecting the most efficient instruments for carrying onthe administration.

His ambition and enterprizing Spirit led h im toextend hi s dominions almost to the pre sent limits ofTravancore . His wisdom and moderation made iteasy for him to consolidate his conque sts and toendear himself to his subjects . Barring some of theearly acts of his re ign, which were dictated by thesternnecessities of a struggle for existence, he w as

undoubtedly a just and humane ruler . He con

siderately rewarded those who had assisted him inhisadversity . His benevolence w as unbounded,thoughof course it flowed in the channels whi ch the HinduShastras prescribed or the Hindu public admired .

It w as that very benevolence that induced him toexact the practise of it from others . Tradition

CHAPTER III .

KHARAKIREETAPATHIMU N NAY SULTAN MAHARAJ RAJAHRAMARAJAH BAHADURSHAM SHEERJU NG MAHARAJAH.

S Highness RamaVurmah w as the late MahaRajah

’s nephew and heir apparent to the

musnud . He succeeded his uncle when hew as 34 years of age . His Highness had beentrainedand brought upby his uncle so that he should leavebehind him one worthy to b e his successor . Thistraining,togetherwith the extraordinary talents whichnature had bountifully bestowed uponhim,made thenew sovereign’s character remarkable in his exaltedosition. Having been closely attached to his uncleom hi s boyhood,and having takengreat interest in

the administrationof the country,His Highness w as

quite in hi s element inhis new Sphere,and found noifliculty, incarrying onw ith firmness,the system ofGovernment established by hi s uncle, and in conducting it on the principles, rules and regulationsalready adopted and introduced.

These rules and regulations had not beenfully established inthe newly acquired territorie s in the north,and therefore, His Highne ss inaugurated his reignbyadopting measures for that purpose . He next turnedhis attentionto the further improvement and remodelling of the forces,training and disciplining additionalmen under various denominations, and bringin the

Travancore army to an equal footing with that o the

Carnatic Nabob and the English,of whose forces theMahaRajah w as aparticular admirer .

REIGN OF RAMA Y URMAH KULASEKHARA

Proverthies and placed under charge of Manikarens,Adhikaries and Proverthi cars. All these ofli cers hada staff of sub -oflicials such as writers, accountants,rayasoms,peons,&c .

The Zamorin of Calicut,who still retained possession of the CochinRajah’

s northern frontiers fromTrichoor down to the south,upto the fine tributarydis tricts of Paravoor andAlangaud,threatened furtherencroachment on the Cochin principality ; conse

qlpently, the CochinRajah sent h1s minister, Paliathuenon, to Trevandrum and applied for assistanceto drive away the CalicutRajah and recover the lostt erritory He promised to pay every expenseing the march of an army for that purpose, andto relinquish for ever the rights and claims of Cochinupon the Karapuram territories,and offered to cedethe tributary Districts of Paravoor and Alangaud,w ith all the privilege s enjoyed by the Cochin Rajahinthose Districts . It w as added that should Travancore succeed in taking from the Zamorin any territories beyond those which he had wrested from the

Rajah,Such acquisitions should exclusively belong t othe MahaRajah himself . The MahaRajah accededto this proposal, and His Highness the Rajah of

Cochin re aired to Trevandrum inDhanu 937 (1685A.D. ) and

)

entered into a new treaty, embodyingall the above part iculars,and renew ing the substance

is an cflicer a point ed in each of the three great div isions w ho isent itled th e aluv ejarippoocar and th e nature of h is Ofi ce is partl'

udi cial ; b ut in w hat part icular cases his interference is requiredIave not learned. Eac h of th e rincipal officers named above has an

ofli ce estab lishment of w riters, i n, for keeping the account s of h isCutcherry. Th e h ead w ri ter in the Cutche of t he Kariakar isent it led Theroomukompedecha Pillay and all t ose inferior ofi cers,Pillays . Lieut enant Arthur’sReport,” page 16.

He keeps tw o ValiaSaw adicdriacdrer,the Vadakemu hamand theTelemugham, one of w hom is established in the north an the other int he south . Each of these has under him four other Ofi cers,called onlySamadi cdriacdrer. These have ins eet ion over four sub alt erns or

Oariacdrer and these subalterns ave under them Pravartiedrsr,O iandracdrer and Tarracarer or collectors of th e tax e s,overseers andjudge s.

” Bartholomeo’s Voyage to the East Indies,page 1 73.

REIGN OF RAMAVURMAH KULASEKHARA

divisions,one under the direct command of the Dalesw ah, and the other under General D’Lanoy. The

divisionof the army led by the Dalawah proceeded toTrichoor by Karoopadanay, while the other, underGeneral D’Lanoy, marched towards Chow haut andcommenced the attack upon that plac e . Though theCal icut Rajah’s force resisted obstinately for a time ,still it w as no match to General D’Lanoy

’s disciplined

army and it w as therefore compelled to retreat .

General D’Lanoy pursued the retreating force,taking prisoners and killing those who resisted,and bythe time D’Lanoy reached Trichoor,he had the sat isfaction of seeing IyeppenMarthandaPillay sole master ofTrichoor th e Zamorin Rajah and the Trichoor

garrisonhaving retreated,after agreat etruthe Dalaw ah

’s force encamped at Chalakaray

The divided force,aft er forming ajunction,marchedto the north,driving the Calicut Rajah

’s

its stronghold at Chalakaray and pursuingKakadu,andwhile the Dalawah contemplated marchingto Calicut to attack the Zamorin’s capital, that chi efsent an expre ss messenger to Trevandrum and suedfor peace . The wise MahaRajah of Travancore accepted the offer and directed the minister

’s re turn.

This policy of the Maha Rajah appears to have beenfounded upon the consideration that theab had given no offence or provocation to

Travancore inthe present instance,and the only dutyTravancore w as bound to perform w as to drive 0

the Zamorinand his forces from the CochinRajah’sterritories . The Zamorinsubsequently came to Padmanab hapuram to meet the MahaRajah in the same year938, and a treaty of alliance w as entered into on the26th Edavem 938 (1 763 by w hi ch the Zamorinagreed to indemnify the MahaRajah for the expensesof the w ar, by paying the moderate sum of one

hundred and fifty-thousand rupees, promi sing at the

same time perpetual friendship and fidelity. Thistreaty efficiently protected the interests of the Cochin

State by providing that it w as to b e left unmolested by cusp.

it s ancient enemy, and that any disputes that might 111 .

arise betweenit and the Zamorin,should find apeace .

ful solutionby the friendly and impartial mediationofTravancore .

After stationing a strong garrison at Chalakaray,at the expense of the CochinRajah,under the command of a European oflicer, the Dalawah and the

General returned with the force to Paravoor, detaching at the same time other portions of the army toTrichoor and to different places inthe Cochincountry,to defend those territories against any further molestetions from the Calicut Rajah .

The Dalawah on hi s arrival at Paravoor assumedformal possession of the petty States of Paravoor andAlangaud, not only in virtue of the Cochin Rajah

’s

treaty, b ut also on the more powerful ground of hishaving taken them from the hands of the Zamorinafter driving himaway from those localities . He alsomade arrangements for collecting the revenue of thoseStates . As the Dalawah had observed every one ofthe conditions of the CochinRajah

’s treaty,and that

Rajah w as highly pleased with hi s heroic conduct, hegave him the grant of avillage called Puthencheray,b ut the Dalawah very nobly and honestly annexed thesaid village to Travancore and made the same a Proverthy under the Alangaud di strict .The Maha Rajah had it in contemplationto con

struct abarrier at the northern frontier,like the one

erected at Aramboly, between the seaand the hills,during the late reign,and as the northern frontier of

Travancore w as now ext ended to Kanjerapulay(Cranganoor b ar) the constructionof abarrier betweenthe Dutch settlementat Palliport and the easternrangeof high hills w as considered imperatively necessary,inorder to prevent the advance of enemi es into the Travancore terri tories,especiallyat this time,whenHyderAli Khan’s power w as rising inthe north and whenheentertained no friendly feelings towards Travancore

REIGN OF RAMAY URMAH KULASEKHARA

The Maha Rajah repaired t o Annamanaday,afamous Brahmanvillage near the northernfront1er,thesovereignty of whi ch rested with the Zamorin,b uthad beentransferred to Travancore by recent arrangements . Aft er a personal inspection, in conjunctionwith IyeppenMarthandaPillay,Dalawah,and GeneralD

’Lanoy, both of whom were at Paravoor after the irvictorious return from the north, the Maha Rajahcommissioned those tw o able oflicers to superintendthe construction of the frontier fortifications and

returned to Trevandrum. The MahaRajah had alsoa conference with the Rajah of Cochinnaday,as many parts of the said barrier had to passthrough that chief’s territories and obtained the

cessionof the lands necessary for carrying onthe workalluded to .

The chief motive which influenced the MahaRajahto hasten on the comple tion of such aprecautionar

ymeasure w as the visit of Hyder Ali Khan to NortMalabar,and the probability of that Mussulman chief

’s

gogress towards the south. The apprehensions of theahaRajah were not altogether groundless,as sub se

quent events showed .

The Dalawah and the General consulted togetherand devised the plan of the fortification, and aftertracing out a line from Kuriapill on the southernbank of the Cranganoor b ar,to t c east up to thechain of hills to adistance of about thirty miles,thew ork w as commenced at once . A strong fort oflaterite w as built at Kuriapilly,and from that amudwall, 20 feet thick and 12 feet high, ran to the

east having stone batteries and b ast ions at intervalsand also small forts at certain localities adjoining thebarrier. On the left Side of the barrier, a ditchmeasuring 16 feet broad and 20 fee t deep w as dug,While onthe right aroad of similar breadth and ona

good level w as Opened . Onthe Side of the ditch closeto the w all,bamboo and other thorny shrubs wereplanted .

KIREETAPATHI MUNNAY SULTAN .

Thi s w as called Nedumco t tah or Vitt iacottah,the

traces or rather the ruins of which are still seenextending from the fort at Kuriapilly in the west,tothe foot of the ghauts inthe east .

General D’Lanoy w as stationed at Paravoor in command of the force and the several garrisons stationedboth at the new fortifications and inthe CochinSircar’s territories,as well as onthe Travancore frontier .

General D’Lanoy adopted amost efiect ive measure,by causing military detachments to march frequentlythrough the country in full military parad e,in ordert o ke ep the people insubjection to the rulers . All thelawless characters in the northernparts of the Cochinterritories were kept ingreat aw e by the movementsof this great General .

While General D’Lanoy w as thus employed at Paravoor,MarthandaPillay Dalawah w as engaged ine stab lishing the Travancore laws and re ulations in the

districts ofAlangaud and Paravoor . He thenreturnedto Trevandrum,and on his w ay encamped at a placecalled Kri shnapuram. This lace he found well suitedfor amilitary stationand so he set to work to erect afortress w i th strongmud walls,and to build magazinesand other military stores near the palace constructedthere during the former re ign. The residence of the .

sovere ign w as improved in a becoming style, and apublic road from Quilon to the north viaKrishnapuram to Poracaud w as opened, and a causewaythrough the marsh betweenAripaud and Poracaud

raised with several bridges at different places overrivers and canals . Onhis returnfromKrishnapuram,he ordered the clearing of apiece of waste land eas tof Neendacaray, and planted thereon cocoanut andother fruit trees . This w as converted into a Government garden called Dalaw apuram. Onthe Dalaw ah

’s

arrival at Varkalay,he improved that town,and hadtw enty-four houses built there . All of them weregiven as gifts and grants to Brahmans under the

authority of the sovereign,and thus the place w as

25


cm . raised from its obscurity into apopulous and important111 . town.

M aphuz Khan Sahib,the Governor of the Bandyanempire,under the Carnatic Nabob,who w as stationedat Trichin0pol rebelled against his master and madeadescent on alacaud, the eastern possession of the

MahaRajah, at the western frontier of Tinnevelly .

He attacked the Travancore garrison stationed thereand drove them into the Aramboly lines, followingthem up with the Khan’s forces . The Maha Rajahhearing this, ordered one of his native commandantsnamed Thamby Kumaren ChempakaRamen Pillay,who w as thenstationed at Trevandrum,to march withhis force to meet the invading army . He started atonce and the battle which took place whenthi s worthywarrior met the enemy w as so severe and decisive,that the Mahomedanchief w as obliged to beat aretreatfrom the Aramboly lines ; b ut the Khannot onlyretained possessionof Kalacaud,b ut assumed possession of the district of Shencottah and all the othereasterndistri cts belonging to Travancore .

The Maha Rajah represented this matter to the

Nabob,who w as already so seriously displeased withthe Khan,onac count of hi s di sobedient and refractoryconduct, that he had it in contem lation to appoint anew Governor in the room of Map uz Khan. Averyable mannamed Y usuflKhanw as appointed and sentas successor to the rebellious Maphuz Khan.

Y usuflKhan on coming to Trichinopoly found itdiflicult to subdue the refractory Governor and soughtthe MahaRajah’s assistance . The Carnatic Nabob andthe English East IndiaCompany at Madras requestedHis Highne ss, at the same time, to co-operate withYuanli Khan inthe subjectionof the refractory Khanand the MahaRajah gladly acceded to their Wi shes .

Five thousand men,under the command of ThambyKumaronChempakaRamen,then stationed at Thovalay were ordered to join Yusufi, and menfrom Quilon w ere sent through the Ariencavu Pass


Y usuflKhan’s successor thought it proper to assume

po ssession of all the countries lying on the easternSide of the ghauts,as belonging to the Pandyanempire,and accordinglynot only Kalacaud,b ut al so Shencottahand all the other eastern possessions of Travancorewere annexed to the Nabob’e dominions .

The MahaRajah de spatched a special messenger,Manik Lallaby name, to Madras ,and represented theinjustice of the Nabob

’s officers inunlaw fully anne x ing

territorie s belonging to Travancore, b ut the M ussulman potentate, intoxicated with his recent victoriesand t he punishment awarded to Yusufi, would no tlisten to the representations of the Maha Rajah

’s

agent, and His Highness w as therefore under the

necessity of seeking the mediation of the Governor ofMadras , who, though he once confirmed the claims ofthe MahaRajah to the di stricts of Kalacaud and othereasternpossessions,now wavered inhis opinion. Afteragood deal of discussion,the Nabob agre ed to restoresome of the Travancore territories including Shencottah,Cape Comorin,&c .

The Mahomedanchi ef did not appear to b e satisfiedwith the unlaw ful annexation of the Kalacaud district,which w as the legitimate possessionof Travancore fromtime immemorial,and w as recently acqui red by purchase from M oodemiah . That urchase w as confirmedby two of h is successors, theRabch himself,and bythe Honorable East IndiaCompany . The Nabob nowpressed ademand for the few previous years’ revenueon the Kalacaud district .

Asettlement w as effected by the interce ssion of theGovernor of Madras, M r . Robert Palk, who, aft erarranging matters w i th the Nabob, wrote to HisHighness in 1 765 A.D . in reply to a communicationfrom the latter,to the effect that the English Companyhad taken some steps in restraining the victoriousNabob from further hostilitie s, inputting a check tohis demands,and also inadvising him to conclude thetreaty . For such services Travancore w as reminded

KIREETAPATHI M UN NAY SULTAN .

o f the debt it owed to the Honorable East IndiaCompany and the Governor hoped that the Companyw ould b e amply rewarded for their assistance .

The sagac ious Maha Rajah saw the desirability ofad opting the Governor’s suggestionand the necessityo f entering into atreaty w i th the Nabob against whomr e s istance w as at that critical period almost impossible .

The principal conditions of the treaty w i th theN abob were, that Travancore should renounce all

c laims to the Kalacaud distri ct ; that His Highne ssSh ould increase the tribute to rupees ; that hesh ould pay two lac s of rupees in liquidation of somepre tended demands on the Maha Rajah in connectionw i th the Kalacaud district ; that he shouldnever assistany of the Poligars against the Nabob that the MahaRajah should assist the Nabob with anarmy inhis w aragainst Madura and Tinnevelly ; and that the Nabobshouldassist Travancore against all her enemies fore ignas w e ll as internal .

It is necessary to mention here that Pala RamaVurmah Kulasekhara Perumal, the Maha Rajah of

whom w e are now speaking, had whenHis Highne ssw as EliaRajah,takenawarm interest inayoung manand brought him upunder hi s ow npatronage,trainingh im for the public serv ice,just in the same w ay as his

uncle had brought upRamaIyen,Dalawah.

This fortunate youth, whose name w as RamenKasaven or Kasava Pillay, gradually grew upunderHis Highne ss’ paternal care and support and becameamost inte lligent and deserving man.

When about twenty-four years of age , KasavaPillay w as appointed as a rayasom (w riter) in the

palace under the Sammathy (the State Secretary) .He now became most influential and proved himself ahighly efli cient State servant, so much so, that HisH1ghness

’secretary as well as the prime minister,

used to consult himand seek his advice on questionsof the greatest importance .


Kasava Pillay w as much attached to D’Lanoy andto several Mussulmanand Pattan officers 1nthe milita1 y service . He w as trained in the military art andw as competent to command awhole brigade in timesof emergency . He learnt the Dutch and Portugue selanguages under General D’Lanoy and the PersianandHindustani under the Pattanofficers .

At thisperiod, the Maha Rajah sought for, and

procured a ortugue se, by name M . Pedro daVe igas,and appointed him the king’s interpreter and Stateclerk . APersianmoonshee w as entertained and one

or two able Hindustani writers of the Lalla cas te(Rajputs) were also employed under His Highness .

Kasava Pillay w as specially entrusted with the

management and supervisi on of commercial aflairs andaregular correspondence w as Opened and kept upwiththe Dutch and the English East India Company,e stablished thenat Cochinand Anjengo respectively.

The former had the ir commercial factories at Poracaudand Colachel,whi le the latter had a flourishing tradeat Anjengo .

As usual,pepper,cassia,cinnamonand other articlesof which the Sircar had the monopoly,were sold tothese allies, and in return, iron, copper, sugar,armsand ammunitionwere purchased from them .

General D’Lanoy’8 iron foundry at U dayagherry

continued m full working order and supplied cannon,balls,&c .,&c .

By the long continued intercourse with the Dutchand the English,supplies of arms,accoutrements andother military articles were secured and stored inabundance,while the Government of the Nabob of theCarnatic furnished swords, shields, lance s and otherIndian arms . The whole army of the Maha Rajahw as now remodelled and brought into astate of greaterefficiency in respect to their dress and arms. The

number of European Officers in the military servicew as also increased .

REIGN OF RAMA VURMAH KULASEKHARA

The Cochin Rajah,fearing the approach of HyderAl i,offered his allegiance and paid a sum of tw o lacsof rupees and e ight elephants,binding himse lf at thesame time to b e a tributary to the Mysore chief.

Having thus humiliated the Cochin Rajah,Hyderdirected h is attention t o Travancore ,b ut the Dutchw ho were friendly both to Hyder and Travancore,hade stablished themselves at the very northernfrontier ofTravancore ,and thus proved abarrier to Hyder

’s pro

gress . On this,Hyder wanted the Travancore MahaRajah to follow the CochinRajah

’s example and pay

fifteen lacs of rupees and thirty trained elephants .

To neither of these proposals did the MahaRajahaccede,b ut made Hyder t o understand that the Travancore sovere ign w as already a tributary of theCarnatic Nabob and had besides formed an alliancew ith the Honorable East IndiaCompany .

Hyder having allowed sufficient time for the MahaRajah,through the medium of the Dutch,to considerth e proposal,returned to Mysore,and the MahaRajahinformed the Governor of Madras and the Nabob ofthe Carnatic of what had occurred .

At the same time General D’Lanoy and SubbaIyenDalawah were ordered to the north to fortify the

barrier,strengthenthe several garrisons,and replenishthe magazines w i th fresh ammuni tion inorder to meetany emergency . The Dalawah,and the General madeall the necessary arrangements and the Dutch alsorendered assistance .

In the meanwhile the meritorious Dalawah SubbaIyen

’

s labors were terminated b y his death, whichoccurred in the year 94 3 M .E . (1 768 GopalaIyen (aTravancore Brahman,) w as appointed Dalawah ;b ut having been found unequal to the work, he w as

simply allowed to retain his omce,and the able Commandant, Thamby ChempakaRamen Pillay, w as appointed ValiaSarvadhikariakar or deputy prime minist er to conduct the duties of Dalawah . Kasava Pillayw as appointed palace Samprathy or State Secretary .

KIREETAPATHIMUNNAY SULTAN .

The appointment of these well known able menaflorded general satisfactionas they were particularlyfitted for the posts .

The MahaRajah w as pleased to find that the frontierfortifications, with which the late Dalawah had be enengaged,were very satisfactorily completed under thejoint supervision of these oflicers .

The strength of these fortifications which cost severallacs of rupees during aperiod of nearly three yearsw as fully tested by subsequent events .

The arrogance and tyranny ofHyderAl i had receivedan effective check from a superior power, for aboutthis time he had the mort ificat ion,_

for th e first time inhis career, of being defeated by the East IndiaCom

pany

’s soldiers in several engagements with them .

his sobered him and convinced him that he w as not

supreme inIndiaand that there w as apower mightierthanhis own to the will ofwhich it w as expedient andnecessary that he should bow .

Hyder unhesitatingly sued for peace and a treatyw as concluded at Madras with the Honorable EastIndia Company in 1 769, in whi ch ample and specialprovis ions were secured by the Company for the futuresafety of the kingdom of Travancore from the tyrannical hands of HyderAli Khan.

The Madras Government communicated to the MahaRajah this leasing intelligence, which no doubtrelieved His Highness of a good deal of uneasiness .

But still, the MahaRajah being Wise and far-see ingdid not re st satisfied with these results,as His Highness knew well the ambitious and faithless characterOfHyderAli Khan.

The Maha,Rajah considered it necessary to de ute

an oflicer to the Court of Mysore to b e stationed t ere

to watch the further movements of Hyder,and thisw as viewed by the latter inno unfriendly light . An

26


officer under the designation of sthanapathy“ (am

b assador) w as appointed and sent to Mysore . The

MahaRajah had also such sthanapathi es”

stationedin the Carnatic Nabob’s Court, in the Cochin and

ZamorinRajah’s Courts,as well as inTinnevelly and

Madura.

His Highness subsequently proceeded to the north,and arrangements were made with the Dutch EastIndiaCompany and w ith th e CochinRajah,to combinethe ir armie s and render assistance to the Travancoreforce stationed at the northern barrier, in case ofHyder violating th e conditions of his treaty w ith theHonorable East IndiaCompany .

These arrangements were initiated during the administrat ionof the able Valia Sarvadh ikariakar ThambyKumaren Chempaka Ramen Pillay, assisted by Samrathy KasavaPillay,b ut in the course of two yearsal ia Sarvadhikariakar died and w as succeeded b y an

equally able man,MallenChempaka RamenPillay (aSudra native of Travancore,) w ho w as then holdingthe post of aSarvadhikariakar . ValiaSarvadhikariakarconducted the administration as efliciently and satisfactorily as many of h is predecessors had done .

Mallen Chempaka Ramen Pillay, Valia Sarvadhikariakar, obtained His Highness

’ permission soonafter his appointment,to commence the survey of thewhole kingdom . In the year 948 M .E . (1 773the survey w as completed, a clear assessment w as

made, and registry given to the ryots accordingly forlands and gardens throughout the whole kingdom fromThovalay to Paravoor . Thus w as asecond survey ofall the lands and gardens made in Travancore . Anew townand village were established at Parachalay,afew miles south-east of Neyat t inkaray,bordering theroad, and a charitable institution (ootupurah) w as

Opened there . The road between Trevandrum and

Padmanabhapuram w as widened and repaired.

Descendant s of such e thanapath ies appear to st ill ex ist inTravancore and are inthe service.

REIGN OF RAMA VURMAH HULASEKHARA

w i th the MahaRajah and asked him if he w as preparedto join them in offensive operations against Hyder .

His Highness replied that the conditions of the treatyof Madras,precludes his joining the Dutch inany suchOperations,Without the knowledge and permission ofth e Nabob and the English . His Highness added thathe had already adopted measures for the protectionof hi s frontiers,and for that purpose only he wouldwillingly join them.

Hyder had therefore to seek aroute by the CochinRajah

’s country . He ordered alarge army,under the

command of one of his Sirdars, to proceed throughTrichoor . The CochinRajah no t be ing protected bythe late Madras treaty (as he w as thenan ally of theDutch Company and not adependant of the English),acknowledged his vassalage t o Hyder, paid an addit ional sum of four lacs of rupees and four elephantsand bound himself to pay an annual tribute of one

and ahalf lacs of rupees .

The MahaRajah,onhearing this, set to work witharmy in conjunction with that of the Dutch, and

strongly resisted the progre ss ofHyder’s force through

the Dutch frontier .

General D’Lanoy’s health failed at thi s juncture,

and consequently the Valia Sarvadhikariakar, sam

prathyKasavaPillay,and the severalable commandantsof His Highness’ army were the persons principallyengaged on this occasion.

Intimation of the unwarrantable proceedings ofHyderAli Khanw as givenby the MahaRajah to theGovernor of Madras,as also to the Bombay and BengalGovernments, and a general w ar against Hyderresulted .

The MahaRajah w as asked by the Government ofthe Honorable East IndiaCom any to cc

-Operate w i ththe Company’s army and His ighness most willinglyconsented to do so entailing thereby great loss

‘of moneyand life .


The w ar w as continued by the East IndiaCompanyand the MahaRajah assisted

‘

them to the extent thatlay in hi s power . Travancore regiments of infantryand cavalry placed at the di sposal of divisional Commanders of the Company were taken to distant places,such as Calicut, Palghaut, Tinnevelly, &c ., &c ., and

they were universally allowed to have behavedremarkably well .”

After strongly fortifying the northernand easternfrontiers of Travancore,the MahaRajah sent aportionof his army under able oflicers to the north, toco-operate with the Bombay army,underMajorAbingt onat Calicut . His Highness’ troops were engaged inthe w ar and w ere successful in their united actions .

Another portion of the Travancore army which w as

de spatched to co-operate with the British army inTinnevelly against Hyder, w as stationed at that townforaperiod of two years .

The following abstracts of letters addressed to theMahaRajah by the various Oflicers commanding theEnglish forces at the time of the w ar establish theaccuracy of the above fac ts .

Abstract of the letter of Major Abington, Commander of the Bombay detachment at CalicutYour Highness is embarked in the same cause

w ith us and the re st of the Malabars and already toofar engaged to observe aneutral conduct any longer .

The only safe w ay is now to exert every means to shutthe door against the enemy and Your Highness issensible that that cannot b e effected while the passesof Canom are left Openand Palghautcherry in theirpossession. It might b e easily reduced,and I am informed,that a number of Your Highness

’ troops arenow lying inactive at Paravoor . Two thousand ec

l

i

poys

acting with v igour,injunction w ith the Zamorin airs

and the people, I have alread sent to the southwardw i ll b e more than suflicient or thi s purpose . The

Zamorin Nairs in particular will then act with greatSpirit when they are backed by Your Highness

’ troops

REIGN OF RAMAVURMAH HULASEKHARA

and when they are assured that no means inany powerw i ll b e neglected to support and assist them .

”

Abstract of aletter from Colonel Humb urstoneIam well informed how steady and sincere anally

Y our Maje sty has ever beento the English nation.

Abstract of a letter from Colonel Fullerton, theEnglish General,who commanded the southern countries I will relate to the G overnor in Council thegreat friendship you have shewn and the services youhave rendered to the English interests ingeneral andto the army that I commanded inparticular .

”

This w ar continued for several years,and in the

interval Hyder Al i died in95 7 M .E . (1 782 and

his son Tippoo succeeded him,and for a couple ofyears matters were instatu quo .

During this w ar,General D’Lanoy fell ill at Udaya

gherry and died in the year 952 M .E . (1 777deeply lamented by the MahaRajah and the w holemilitary of Travancore ,while hi s loss w as universallyfelt in the country . He may b e called the founder of

European discipline in the Travancore army and tohis genius the country w as indebted for most of thegranite forts between Thovalay and Paravoor . Hehad beenahero in the re igns of the late M ahaRajahMarthanda Vurmah, and this Maha Rajah died inthe service leaving behind h im an imperishable andbrilliant renown. He w as buried w i th military pompinthe church in the fort of U dayagherry,constructedunder his ow n superintendence . The Maha Rajahvery gratefully ordered the following inscription w hichis still to b e seen to b e engraved on h is tombHic jacet Eustathius Benedi ctus de Lannoy qui

tanquam dux generalis militia Travaneo t idis praefuitper annos XXXVII fermi summafelicitate regi

inservut cui omnia regna e x Caiamcolum usquc

ad Cochin v i armarum ac terrore subject . Vix it

anuo s LXII menses V et mortuus est die 1 JunniMDCCLXXVII .

Requiescat inpace .


sw aram and seeing the di stricts of Tinnevelly and

Madura onh is w ay to and from that renowned resortof Hindu pilgrims .

But before starting from Trevandrum on th is pil

grimage,His Highne ss had to take the precaution of

effecting some arrangements through the means ofHisHighne ss’allies,the English East IndiaCompany andthe Nab ob of the Carnatic . The districts throughwhi ch His Highness had to travel to Ramasw aram,v i z ., Tinnevelly and Madura,though subject to the

sovere ignty of the Nabob, were divided and were inthe possession of Palayapat tacars (Poligars), the ma

jority of whom were rude and lawless chieftains .

His Highness obtained the assistance of afew companics of sepoys of the English East India Companyand some responsible officers from the Nabob’sGovernment to escort him to Ramasw aram. Withthese and a large portionof His Highness’ ow narmyand anumber of followers,he set out with all the pompand grandeur, usually attending the movements ofIndian sovereigns of the rank and celebrity of theMahaRajah .

His Highness took great care to inspect andexamine all the important irrigationworks, roads andbridges, sathrums or choultries built for the comfortand convenience of the public in Tinnevelly and

Madurathis being the chief O bject for which he undertook the tour .

His Highness reachedRamasw aram ingood healthand performed the ab lutions and other ceremoniesthere and after spending alarge sum in ceremoniesand charities,returned,taking care to visit every plac eof note, to his ow n capital (Trevandrum), quitedelighted with all he saw during a very agreeablejourney .

His Highness lost no time in turning to accountthe knowledge of irrigationworks,&c .,b e hadacquiredduring the tour, and introduced improvements in


always apprehend the criminals with the stolenproperty ; indefault of this they were compelled to makere stitut ionto the loser inanequivalent sum.

In 963 M.E . ( 1788 the Dalawah RamaIyendied and w as succe eded by one of the Sarvadhikariakars KrishnenChempakaRamen (aSudranative ofTravancore . ) This minister w as not avery able man;b ut w as selected for the post on the ground of hisseniorit He w as not quite equal to the duties of

Dalawah,and so, Samprathy Kasava Pillay who w as

the first officer for the post of Dalawah,w as appointedSarvadhikariakar, and entrusted with the actual performance of th e functions of the prime minister .

Here, w e must observe that though Kasava Pillayw as generally acknowledged to b e the fittest man forthe important post of Prime Minister, though therehad beenfrequent opportunities for promoting him,andthough he w as afavourite and protege of the MahaRajah,still His Highness would not appoint him to thepost, simply because such a selectionwould have beenan injustice to KasavaPillay

’s seniors in office and a

deviation from the established rules . This grand principle must bear strong and clear testimony to the MahaRajah

’s impartiality and high sense of justice .

Sarvadhi Kasava Pillay began to di stinguish himself in a very remarkable manner . His attentionw as directed for a long time towards the strengthening of the alliance with the English East IndiaCompany, and ac cordingly b e commenced afriendly cor

respondence with the several English oflicers inthepre sidencies and other places in India. The con

dit ions of the commercial treaty with the Anjengofactory, which w as then under the Bombay Government were punctually observed and performed .

Afew months after Kasava Pillay’

s appointment tothe post of Sarvadhikariakar,His Highness the MahaRajah took another tour to the northern districtsof Travancore, and whi le at Alwaye he w as so

delighted with the place principally onaccount of the


In the Malabar year 963 (1 788 he renewedhis incursions into t t alayalam territory,hi s depredations be ing accompani ed with addi tional violence andcruelty . He proclaimed martial law betweenPonnanyand Cannanore .

The worst of Tippoo’s tyrannical proceedings w as

that he ordered the conversionof all the Hindus indiscriminat ely, Whether of high or low caste, male or

female to the Mussulman faith, and all who objectedto acknowledge the prophet were menaced w i th death .

All the high caste Hindusfled from Malabar : b ut

where could they find shelter ? Inthe CochinRajah’scountry they could not get an asylum as that potentate w as atributary of the Sultan.

The Hindu portion of the population of Malabarincluding the royal family of the Zamorinof Calicut,and every one of the opulent Numb oories resorted toTravancore and begged for protectionat the hands ofthe MahaRajah.

The generous Maha Rajah,w ithout the leas t b esitationor fear of the consequences, stretched hi s charitable hand o i protection to the helpless refugees, andhoused and fed them according to the deserts of eachfamily . Many of these families settled inTravancore,and took apride inbecoming naturalized inthe countrywhi ch afforded them protectionat atime of necessity .

This noble and generous behaviour of the MahaRajah offended Tippo o Sultanstill more highly,and hesent amessage to His Highness throu

gh some

confidential Sirdars,asking the Maha ajah to orderback all the refugees on the ground that they weredeserters from h is dominions .

The MahaRajah sent apolite and friendly messageinreply,to the effect that His Highness w as ready tocomply with the wishes of the Sultan,provided thepeople who had come from the northern countries toreside withinHis Highness

’ dominions were Willing to

KIREETAPATHI MUNNAY SULTAN

return; for it would b e unjust, as well as unlawful,for His Highness to cause them to leave Travancoreunder compulsion.

This me ssage no doubt displeased the Sultan themore ; b ut concealing h is anger, he tried againin softand persuasive terms to attain his object as he w as

very desirous to get back and punish certainpersonsonwhom his Sirdars wished to wreak their vengeance .

Of these, one M andayapurathu Ramunny Menon, aMussulman convert from Vet tathnaud called M ee

ravoonny,ancestor of the present E loor M ooppen of

Varapulay,w as the foremost .

Tippoo summoned the CochinRajah before him,andhis obedi ent tributary proceeded to Palghautcherryand there paid hi s homage to hi s liege lord . The

Sultanappears to have found fault with theRajah forthe lateness of his appearance . After accepting theRajah’s apologies,Tippoo advised himto discover somepretext to provoke the MahaRajah ofTravancore to aw ar . To effect this,the Sultan sugge sted to his vassalthat he Should claim the districts of Paravoor andAlangaud, and that on refusal, he should commencehostilities inwhich he would b e strongly assisted bythe .Mysore army . This proposal embarrassed the

Cochin chief,who said that those districts were codedto Travancore for important assistance given in the

defence of his country and that the were ever sinceinthe possessionof Travancore . Illi e Sultan,laughing t o scorn the timidity of hi s vassal,told him that hecould reduce Travancore inaweek ; that the MahaRajah

’s friendship w ith the English would avail him

nothing ; and that the CochinRajah would do well toadvi se the Travancore king to become a vassal ofMysore . Anxious to free himself from such a dan

gerons superior,the CochinRajah readily offered hismediation,promising to put forth every eflort to bringmatters immediately to anissue and the Sultanpromised to send comm1ssioners to the MahaRajah withafri endly letter .

CHAP.

III.


Before the CochinRajah could convey the subjectof the Sultan’s message to the Maha Rajah by apersonal interview,His Highness received every particular connected with this conference .

After his return from Palghautcherry, the Cochinchi ef met the MahaRajah at Annamanadaynorthernpart of hi s country,where His Highness hadproceeded on a tour of inspection of the mi litarystations and conveyed to His Highness the Sultan’spretended friendly message,which w as that that potentate w as willing to enter into atreaty of alliance withthe Maha Rajah ; that he, the Sultan, expected theMahaRajah to pay himaproper tribute at once andmake preparations for the treaty ; and that Ti

qpoo

’s

messengers are on their w ay to meet the Maha ajahwith letters and presents . But the MahaRajah saidthat he w as not prepared to negotiate with Tippoo,without the knowledge and consent of His Highness’

allies, the Honorable East India Company and the

Nabob of the Carnatic. The MahaRajah, with hisusual prudence and fai thful attachment to his alliesthe English, resolved to see no me ssenger of theSultan or receive any communication from him,except in the presence of aBritish oflicer. His Highness wrote to the Governor of Madras, Sir Archibald Campbell, to de ute an ofli cer of integrity andabili ty t o the Maha ajah

’s court, with whom His

Highness might consult on some important pointsconnected with the Sultan’

s mission. The Governorw as quite delighted with the Maha Rajah

’s prudence

and wisdom and ordered Major Bannerman, thenstationed at Palamcottah, to proce ed to the MahaRajah

’s court w ith asmall detachment under his com

mand .

The messengers Goola M oadicn and Dada Rowarrived and were received indurbar in the presence ofMajor Bannerman and every respect w as paid to theSultan’s Kharee ta,which w as read in Opencourt . Itran thus I learn from Rama Vurmah Rajah of


fresh proof of his true and unfeigned attachment t o theHonorable East IndiaCompany .

Major Bannermanhad also reported all the particulars connected with the interview of the Sultan’smessengers . The Governor sent to the MahaRajahseveral letters containing the expression of his fullapprobationand appreciat 1onofHis Highness

’ conductin thi s intricate and troublesome affair . The Governoralso tendered his valuable advice and counsel to HisHighness .

The MahaRajah’s envoys returned from the ir vi sit

to Tippoo Sultan, who w as then near Coimbatore .

Though the Sultan rece ived them and the pre sentsw ith due courtesy,the envoys had still every reasonto beli eve that the Mussulman chief w as ofiended withthe tenor of the MahaRajah

’s communication. The

envoys informed the MahaRajah that the Sultanw as

making great preparations for w ar .

AS already stated the MahaRajah had no confidenceinTippoo and he continued to pay great attention tothe strengthening of hi s fortifications and the increaseof his military forces so as to b e prepared to meet anyemergency .

With the vi ew of ensuring the efi ciency of hisforces,which lacked the advantage of effective supervisionsince the death Of General D’Lanoy,His Highness thought of placing them under the direction ofEnglish ofi cers . He had full confidence inthe courage,truthfulness and integrity of Englishmen and w as

convinced that he could not place hi s army in betterhands than the English East India Company whosefriendship had been cultivated in the time of h isancestors and properly and unfeigncd] fostered byHis Highness’ renowned uncle, the late ahaRajah .

The MahaRajah wrote to Sir Archibald Campbelland requested four English officers and twelve surgeonsfrom the Honorable East India Company’s Armyshould b e placed at the disposal Of His Highness

"


G overnment . But that acute politician,ciating the confidence reposed in him by theRajah,a confidence at the time unusual in the caseof Indian princes thought thi s an Opportunity tostep in w i th a political object ; for he informedHis Highness that the Honorable Company’s officersare brave and good menand will always dischargetheir duty with zeal and ability ; b ut it is contraryto the system now laid down for the managementof the English Company’s affairs, to lead the irofficers to command any troops, except such as

are actually in their ow n pay and under the irown authority . Great inconvenience has beenfound to arise from pursuing a diflerent line of

conduct which I hOpe will reconcile to your mindmy declining to comply w ith the prOposal. If youcan suggest any plan b which one,two, or eventhree battalions of the onorab le Company’s troopscan b e employed to advantage in securing yourcountry against any sudden attack from Tippoo,IShall very readily take the same into considerationand if practicable,form an arrangement that willafford safety to your possession without deviatingfrom the rules of our service .

”The Maha Rajah,

though he knew well the drift of the Governor’s

meal, and its ultimate result gladly availedelf of the offer and determined to have tw o

regiments of the Eu lish East India Companystationed Wi thin His Highness’ dominions and he

accordingly replied The friendship and attachment I bear to the English Company are known t othe whole world . I call the Almighty to witnessthat I rest my whole dependence onthem for supportand therefore most w 1llingly acquiesce in the pro

po sal in your Exce llency’s letter of having someattalions of the Company’s troops w i th me . YourExcellency will b e pleased to shew me your favor inany manner that can tend to the security and protectionof my country.

Inreply to this frank communication,SirArchibald28


observed : Y oumay rest assured that the confidenceyou repose in the friendship of the English Com

pan is not ill-placed . They regard you as theirfait ful ally and consider your interests the same asthe ir ow n. Your having acquiesced in the propositiou I made,of hav ing some battalions of the Company

’s troops stationed on the frontier of Travan

core ,is awise and judicious measure : it will ensurethe safety of your country against the ambitiousviews of any persons who may b e ill

-disposed tow ardsyou and cannot fail to convmce them of the dangerthey would b e exposed to inattacking aPrince supported and protected as you are by the English,whose arms,by the blessing of G od,are too powerfulfor them to combat with . At the same time I amanxious to see your country ina complete state ofsecurity . I am not less so in eflect ing it in such amanner as w i ll render your expenses easy ; for thispurpose, I would recommend that intime of peace,two battalions of the Company

’s native infantry

should b e stationed onyour frontrers at your expenseand that the amount may b e e ither paid by you tothe Company incash or pepper as may best suit yourconvenience . That if an addi tional force of Europeans and natives are required to strengthen yourfrontier against the designs of an enemy,these shallb e maintained at the Company’s expense entirely ;with this proviso, that you will order them to b esupplied with provisions and the necessary articlesfor erecting buildings to lodge them in and thenpaying for the same at the usual rates of yourcountry .

”The MahaRajah gladly acceded to this

proposal and this w as the originof aBritish subsidiaryorce stationed inTravancore .

According to the agreement, two regiments commanded by CaptainKnox were stationed nearAycot tahin the northern frontier of Travancore in the car

964 M .E . (1 788 At the same time,as ame°

umfor communicating between the Maha Rajah and theMadras Government,M r. George Powney,acivil oflicer


The Rajah shut himself upin hi s room as his illnessprecluded hi s seeing the envoy,who continued to residein the capital for some time .

During Kader Khan’s stay he procured everymation connected with the frontier fortification andother mi litary arrangements of the Travancore MahaRajah as well as the Dutch at Cochin,and communicsted the same to hi s master at Palghautcherry. Afte rthe return of Kader Khan, Tippoo thr eatened the

CochinRajah with the forcible seizure of his personand the annexationof hi s country. But the Travancore Maha Rajah soothed the fear-stricken Cochin

him every assurance of protection and

support and informed him that he need not fear theSultan, so long as he w as south of the Travancorelines .

The Maha Rajah sent his Dewan KasavaPillay toCochinto consult andarrange with the Dutch GovernorM

’Van Angelb ic for the further fortification of the

frontier .

The Dutch forts of Aycot tah and Cranganore weresituated at the very northern frontier of Travancore .

After the construction of the barrier works and theconnecting fort ifications, these forts were regardedas the best defence against the ap roach ofanarmy tothe frontier,and consequently t e Maha Rajah hadbeentreating with the Dutch Government for the lasttwo years for the purchase of these two forts.

B the arrangements lately entered into with theadras Government, it had been settled that the

British force posted in Travancore would only b eavailable for the protection of Travancore terri tory,and so, if those forts belonged to the Dutch andTippoo Sultan

’s army captured them and entered

Travancore by that road,the MahaRajah could notany as sistance from the Honorable Com any’s

regiments stationed at the northern frontier. ore

over, the MahaRajah now heard that Tippoo himselfw as thinking of purchasing these forts.

HIREETAPATHI MUNNAY SULTAN

The MahaRajah at once authorized DewanKasavaPillay to enter into immediate negotiations with theDutch Governor for the purchase of these two forts .

By this measure,His Highness thought that he wouldstat ion the two English regiments in those forts andthus protect the frontiers . As the Dutch had alreadysold many of their minor possessions to Travancore,andas the negotiations for the purchase of M onamb amand all the northernDutch possessions including theforts of Aycot tah and Cranganore were now pending,the Dewan found no difficulty incoming to aspeedysettlement .

On the 3rd July 1 789, the Dewan concluded the

bargain. M’VanAngelb ic executed the title deeds on

the part of the Dutch,to DewanKasavaPillay,onthepart of the MahaRajah . The Dutch possessions weresold for three lacs of Rupe es, to b e paid in severalinstalments, and the property w as to change handsafter rece ipt of the first instalment,which w as paid onthe last day of the week in which the deed w as

executed, and according to the terms of the purchas edeed,the Dutch Governor transferred the property toKasava Pillay in the presence of M r . Powney, theBritish representative at the Travancore Court . Thistransactionof the Governor w as subsequently ratifiedby the BatavianGovernment.

“

The MahaRajah viewed the whole transactionw i thgreat satisfaction and apprised the Government ofMadras of the same . His Highness observed inhisletter that he hoped the measure would prove a

source of as much pleasure to that Government as ithad beento himself .” But before thi s letter reachedMadras, M r. Powney had written to Governor JohnHolland, who succeeded Sir A. Campbell, on the

subject. On the receipt of this letter,M r. Hollandaddressed the Maha Rajah as follows on the 1 7thAugust 1 789 M r . Powney has informed me thatyou are on the po int of concluding a negotiationwith the Dutch for purchasing Aycot tah and the


fort of Cranganore which they hold under the Rajahof Cochin. Although I shall at all times b ehappy tohear of your increasing prosperity, yet,at the present juncture,I think an purchase of lands andforts from the Rajah of Cochin,w ho is atributaryto the chief of Mysore,w ill tend to irritate this chiefagainst you, and may have the appearance of acollusive transaction. I have expressed these to M r.

Powney in answer to his letter,and I have desiredhim fully to state to you the serious consequenceswhich may re sult from engaging,at this time,inanymeasures that may roduce di scussions betweenthechief of Mysore an yourself . I think it necessaryto inform you that this Government w ill not support

you in any contests you may engage yourself on,beyond the limits of your ow n possessions .

”The

Maha Rajah rece ived thi s letter only after the

transaction w as over . It has been already observedthat the Maha Rajah had himself addressed aletterto the Governor at the close of the transaction. The

Governor replied to His Highness onthe 30th August .The letter ranthus My last letter to you w as datedthe 17th of the present month and w as written inconsequence of the notificationwhich I had receivedfrom M r. Powney of your bein onthe point of concluding anegotiationwith the utch for purchasingAycottah,850 . Inthe le tter abovementioned I gave

you my opinion fully upon the measure whichyou had in view and stated the impolicy of it . Itold you also,inplainterms,that this Governmentwould no t support you inany contests inwhich youmight engage yourself beyond the limits of your ow npossessions . Being thus furnished w ith my Opini onand declarations respecting the negotiations, youcannot b ut expect that the news of your having con

cluded it and of your being inpossessionofAycottah,and the fort of Cranganore is far from agreeable tome . Your letter therefore of the l 0th instant,late lyrece ived,which youexpected w ould

‘ giveme pleasure,has had adiflerent effect . I lament that you have


e ither the CochinRajah or the Sultan of Mysore ;that the purchase w as not,as w as erroneously supposed, from the Rajah of Cochin, the Sultan

’s tribu

tary ; that neither the Cochin Rajah nor any otherprince had any right to the property inquestion; thatthe MahaRajah had not, as w as also erroneouslysupposed, concluded the bargain without the knowledge of the Madras Government ; that independentof the circumstance of the sale having beenconductedin the resence of M r. Powney, Major Bannerman,whom Governor Campbell had delegated to Travancore as an adviser to the MahaRajah, onthe part ofthe English Government, had inspected the localityand the forts, and had suggested the advisabili tyand sternnecessity of the MahaRajah’s urchas ingthe forts,to prevent the great danger thatTravancorewould b e exposed to, in case those forts should fall,by force or purchase, into the possession of theSultan, a danger which even the assistance of theEnglish would find it diflicult to avert ; and that thelate Government of Sir A. Campbell had concurredin the Opinion of Major Bannerman, that the MahaRajah

’s object inpurchasing the forts w as not ext en

sion of territo or increase of revenue, b ut simplthe security 0 his dominions . The MahaRajahso licited the Bengal Government to do him the justiceof appointing a Commission to enquire into thesestatements,as well as the points urged by him,addingthat should he b e required to surrender the forts hewould do so to none b ut the English Government.

When the Sultan heard of the proceedings of theMadras Government, he thought that this w as too

good an Opportunity to b e lost . Sphe put forth hisclaims to the forts of Cranganore and Ayco ttah,alle

°

ng that they belonged to his tributary, theCochin Rajah, and that therefore their purchase byTravancore w as unlawful.

Al though the arguments contained inM r. Holland’sletter were fully answ ered sorta.tim, that gentleman

KIREETAPATHI MO NNAY SULTAN .

w as not satisfied with the defence put forth by theMahaRajah . WhenM r . Holland represented hi s onesided views to Lord Cornwallis,hi s Lordship entirelydisapproved of the transaction; b ut when hi s Lordship rece ived the MahaRajah

’s defence,he suspended

hi s judgment and proposed to send Commissioners toinvestigate the subject .M r., afterwards Sir Thomas Munro, Governor ofMadras,remarked thus on the argument of M r. Holland . He said The distinction made betweenrecent acquisitionand ancient territory appears to b e asubterfuge of Government to cloak the ir dread of w ar,under apretended love of peace .

” Whenthese discussions were going on,His Highness w as strengtheninghi s defences to meet Tippoo . He concentrat ed allthe forces and appointed KasavaPillay the Commanderin-chi ef. The two forts of Aycot tah and Cranganorewere fortified and the Travancore army w as garrisonedinand about them .

Meanwhi le,Tippoo started from Coimbatore with alarge army, consisting of infantry, cavalry and

artillery, with adetachment of pioneers numbering inall men, horse and 20 cannon. He sentone of his Sirdars to the MahaRajah with athreatening letter, accompanied with some presents . The

MahaRajah be ing then engaged the celebrationof the Dassara festival, he deputed Dewan KasavaPillay to meet the Sirdar who had arrived at Paravoor .

The Dewan met Tippoo Sahib’s Sirdar, and after

the usual complimentary exchanges, the Sirdar w as

taken to Mavalikaray, and introduced to the MahaRajah ,who received Tippoo

’s letter and presents

h is usual grac e . The purport of the letter w as ; a

requisition for th e immediate surrender of all thechiefs of Malabar who had taken refuge in the

MahaRajah’s dominions ; that,as the Dutch had

sold to him plac es to w hich they had no right, heshould at once withdraw h is troops from Cranganore ;and that he Should demolish that part of his

29


fortifications which crossed the territory of Cochin,because it belonged to the kingdom of Mysore .

Though the MahaRajah felt indignant at the unjustand menacing tone of the Sultan’s letter, and the

haughty Spiri t of the envoy, he replied with greatequanimity,and said that the Rajahs,againstwhose protection th e Sultan complained,had obtainedanasylum inhis country several years back,becausethey were his relations ; that no Objection to the irresidence had ever been taken before,b ut to provehis amicable disposition they would nevertheless b eremoved ; and that no refractory subject of the MysoreGovernment had ever,with his knowledge, beenprot ected in Travancore ; that the fort and territorywhi ch he had urchase from the Dutch belonged tothe Dutch,an w as inno respect the property of thedependant of Tippoo ; and that the ground onwhich h e had erected hi s lines w as ceded to him, infull sovere ignty, by the Rajah of Cochin, before thatRajah became tributary to the sovereign of Mysore,and that the lines existed at the time when he

w as included in the late treaty betweenthe Englishand the Sultan and were sanctioned by the silence ofthat important deed.

”

,The envoy declared that the

persistent refusal of the Travancore Sircar to b eguided by the directions Of the powerful Sultan,cannotb ut go much against the king,and aw ar with Travancore would b e the result. He then left the place

The Maha Rajah lost no time in transmi tting asuitable reply t o the Sultan laying before him strongarguments insupport of the legali ty of His Highness’

purchase of the two forts,and expressing his extremedesire to maintain peace between them, which HisHighness pointed out should b e reciprocated underthe treaty of 1 784 . The MahaRajah also forwardedsome valuable presents to the Sultan inreturn.

Tippoo w as infuriated at the contents O f the MahaRajah ’

s letter,and forthw ith despatched arejcinder


couched in severe language . The Sultan said thatthe Maha Rajah

’s reply w as incorrect and made

without proper inquiry, that from the tenor of his

reply hepacknow ledg that he had allowed the Ma

labar Rajahs to escape from his country ; that theMahaRajah w as responsible to Mysore for theirliabilities, unless he recaptured and delivered themover and that it w as highly improper on his partto have purchased Cranganore w i thout the assentof Mysore , in whose territories that fort lay. TheMahaRajah onreceiving this haughty and arrogantcommunication thought it prudent to drop all furthercorrespondence w i th the Sultanand submitted all thepapers to the Madras Government, with a detailedaccount of Tippoo

’S warlike preparations .

On the 1 1th Dhanu (24 th December), Ti pooencamped at aplace four miles di stant from the ra

vancore lines,where he began to erect batteries onthe12th (25th) .On the night of the 15th Dhanu, 964 M.E , (28th

December 1 789A.D . Tipp’

poo s powerful army,underhis ersonal command,attacked the Northernfrontierof ravancore and attempted abreach of the barrier ;b ut the attack w as ably and gallantly resisted by thetroop’

onduty, generally knownby the designationof aravoor Battalion.

”

Onthe morning of the 15th Dhanu (28th December),the Sultan’s force,consisting Of 14,000 select infantryand abody of 500 pioneers,paradedm front of the line .

The pioneers were ordered to clear apart of the di tchwhere the wall w as not guarded,and they proceededwith the work whi ch w as not successfully completedduring the night. However, the Sultanordered theforce to proceed and effect an entrance w i thin the

walls during the night. By day break on the 16th

Dhanu (29th December) he gained an entrance andsucceeded in possessing a considerable extent of theremt e . The troops of the MahaRajah, occupyingthose ramparts,retreated b efore Tippoo

’S army as the


latter w as marching by the side Of the wall with theview of reaching the gate . The Travancore garrisonOpposed the ir progress . Tippoo found it necessary tobring in areinforcement to afford help to the leadingcorps . In the hurry of the moment, the order w as

misunderstood and ill-executed . In this confusion,aparty of twenty menof the Travancore garrison,whowere stationed at acorner of the rampart, threw inagular platoon on the flank which killed the cflicercommanding,and threw the corps into inextricable disorder and flight . The advancing relief w as met andchecked by an impetuous mass of fugitives .

The panicnow became generaland the retreatingmenwere borne onto the ditch,while others were forced intoit by the mass which pressed onfrom behind . Thosethat fell into the ditch were,of course, killed . The

rear now became the front . The bodies that filled theditch enabled the remainder to pass over them . The

Sultanhimself w as throw n dow nin the struggle andthe bearers of his palanquintrampled to death . Thoughhe w as re scued from death by some of his faithfulfollowers,yet he received such injuries that he neverforgot in this episode in hi s invasion of Travancore .

Tippoo’s State sword,Signe t ring,and other personal

ornaments fell into the hands of the Travancore army ;several oflicers and men were takenprisoners,and ofthe former,five were Europeans,and one aMahratta.

Tippoo retreated with great shame and chagrin,andDewan Kasava Pillay returned to Trevandrum intriumph,bringing with himTippoo

’s sword,Shield,&c .,

as trophies . The MahaRajah communicated the newsof hi s success to his fri ends the English and the Nabob,and received their warm congratulations The Nabobrequested the MahaRajah to send T ippoo

’s sw ord,

Shi eld, dagger, be lt, palanquin, &c ., and they wereaccordingly forwarded .

Inthe interval,the Governor of Madras,M r. Hol

land,wrote the follow ing letter to the Sultan underdate the 1st January 1 790 We wrote to you on


This letter reached the Sultansoonafter h is defeat.But it would appear that he wrote a letter to theGovernor,some days after,ante-dating it and pretending to have written it before the receipt Of M r .

Holland’s communication. In this,Tippoo concealedall the facts and falsely represented to the Governorthat hi s troops were employed in searching for

fugitives that the MahaRajah’s troops fired upon

them and that his ow n troops retaliated and carriedthe lines b ut that onhis being informed of this,heordered his troops to desist and return; and he re

quested the Governor to direct the MahaRajah toObserve the treaty .

Tippoo now determined on retaliating on Travencore . He remained in the vi cinity of the northernfrontier and concentrated a large army there whichconsisted of infantry, cavalry and artillery, whichwould have be enenou h to conquer the largest portionof India,rather thant e small kingdom of Travancore .

The Madras Government w as duly informed of theabove proceedings of the Sultan,and the MahaRajahrece ived assurances of as sistance from the Governor,in the event of Tippoo

’s invasionof his country .

In the meantime, the MahaRajah w as not idle .

The northern frontier line w as repaired and all available troops were concentrated there . Recruits wereenlisted,and guns,stores and ammunitionwere storedinthe arsenals . The anxiety Of the MahaRajah w asa good deal increased by the disparity between hismeans of defence and the Sultan’s immense army andmilitary resource s .

No measures were adopted by the Madras Government till the beginning of March, though the

MahaRajah had repeatedly communicated to the Government intelligence of the close approach of Tippooat the head of alarge army,and their commencing toraise batteries and fill di tches . Still no active measures were taken by the Madras Government . Onaccount Of the inactivity and feeble policy of M r. J.


Holland, which have been the theme of public comment, the MahaRajah of Travancore w as exposed tothe mercy of the relentless tiger of Mysore . The

very subordinates of the Governor condemned hi sclicy . Some idea of the perilous situation of theMahaRajah at this juncture may b e realized from thefollowing le tter writtenat the time by T . Munro,asubaltern inthe Madras army, (afterwards Major G eneral Sir Thomas Munro,Governor of Madras) Asecond attack is daily expected ; and if the king (ofTravancore ) is left alone, all his exertions against apower so superior can delay b ut for avery Short timeh is ruin. The English battalions were behind the

lines,b ut not at the place attacked ; and it is said thatthey have orders no t to act evenonthe defensive . Ifsuch b e the case, the Rajah ought to dismiss themwith scorn, for the present is the only moment inwhich the aid of such ahandful of mencanb e ofi co

tual . The barrier once forced,orders for them to act,will arrive too laTi poo’s force commenced action. The Opening of

h ost' °

tics w as askirmish betweenaparty of Travancoreens and Mysoreans, outside the wal l, onthe 20th

Kumb ham 964 M .E . (2nd March 1 790, andTippoo

’s artiller

yb e an to work on the 24 th Kum

bham (6th Marc ding no perceptible effect on

the wall,a few more batteries were erected close tothe northernwall and the largest guns were mounted,w hich Opened a destructive fire . The wall resistedthe fire for nearly amonth and inMadam (Aril) apract icab le breach of three quarter of ami le in ength

w as effected . By this time, the Travancore armabandoned the defence as useless,and retreated .

portion of Tippoo

’s army:under Lally,attacked the

ort of Cranganore,whio w as defended by the Mahatroops under CaptainFlory . Finding that theof the fort against the enemy w as impossible,

and anEn lish Engineer of the Company’s regiments

stationed t onat ycot tah Whom CaptainFlory consulted being of the same Opinion,he abandoned it to


the enemy,who demolished the fortifications the nextday. Lally now proceeded to Kuriapilly,which fortw as also abandoned by the Travancoreans . The wholeline thus fell into the hands of the Sultan, togetherwith 200 pieces of cannon of various sizes and metaland an immense quantity of . ammunition and otherwarlike store s,which were forwarded to Coimbatore astrophies.

While this destructive warfare w as go ing on, thetw o English regiments stationed at Ayco t tah andanother brigade consisting Of a European and tw o

native regiments just landed from Bombay underColonel Hartlay at M onamb amand Palliport,remainedpassive spectators of all these disasters and depredations on the pleathat no orders had beenrece ived bythem, from th e Governor of Madras, to fight againstthe Sultan.

It is to b e observed here that the orders of Government to cc -operate with the Travancore army were atlast rece ived by the Oflicer Commanding the Britishforce b ut their rece ipt being just at the time of Tippoo’s entry into the Travancore lines, the commanderconsidered that his force w as no match for the vict o

rions army of the Sultan,and that therefore it wouldb e injudi cious to sacrifice his men.

Se eing that the English force stationed at Aycot tahdid not venture to assist Travancore, Tippoo w as

encouraged to march on to the interior committingdevastation onh is w ay.

Dewan Kasava Pillay w as at Paravoor,at the headof a strong force of the Travancore army with it sEuropean oflicers . But the further advance of theinvaders could no t b e arrested and so the Dewanthought it prudent t o retreat.

The Sultan’s first object w as to de stroy the con

t empt ib le wall”and fill up the d itch, and so he took

a pickaxe himself and set an example which w as

followed by every one pre sent and the demolitionof thewall w as completed by h is army w ithout much delay .


hadno shelter no dry place for parade all theirammunition,ac coutrements, &c .,got w et . Even the verynecessaries of life were washed away by the impetuouscurrent of the flooded river. These untoward eventsexercised adepressing influence inthe mind of Tippoo .

If he had ever repented of his cruel actions in hi slife, it w as at this moment . He repented his

having reduced to ashes large pagodas, churches andother edifices which could have now afforded himand

his army shelter and protectionfrom the severity of therains . Cholera,small-pox and other epidemics brokeout . Provisions became scanty,and the scarcity w as

followed almost b famine . Numbers began to perishby disease and ungcr. The lawless people tookadvantage of the time and commenced plundering everything that they could get hold of,and infine,the stateof the country had become so desolate,that even the

en of Sir Walter Scott, the great Novelist, wouldSnd it difficult to give anadequate descriptionof it .

KasavaPillay,after leaving Paravoor,strengthenedthe garrisonat every military station,both at the sea

beach and at Arookut ty and other plac es, erectedstockades,at every backwater passage,fortified the lineand batteries between Kumarakam and the Kundoorhills at Poonjar . All the responsible oflicers, bothmilitary and revenue,were posted at different placesand the divisional revenue authorities were directedto remainat intermediate stations and raise irregularmilitia, armed with whatever descriptions of weaponthe people could get at the moment, such as bows,arrows, swords, cudgels,&c . The Dew an then wentto Trevandrum. He found the MahaRajah,who w asalready advanced in cars inanextremely melancholystate of mind . His

°

ghness,whenhe saw the Dewanexclaimed inavery _

low voice We have now lostevery thing . Our safety is inthe hands Of Providence .

Padmanabha Swamy alone should protect us in thiserilous predicament . It is now impossible to checkTippoo’s progress . We have trusted the English andplaced every confidence in them . But now , it is our


misfortune that the Sultan should b e thus allowed toencroach uponour territory.

”Dew anKasavaPillay,

though equally perplexed at the situation,consoled theMahaRa'

ah by the announcement that he had learntfrom the utchas well as from his English friends,thatthe Bengal Government had taken the matter into theirhands and aw ar against Tippoo w as at hand,and headded that by the mercy of Providence,the MahaRajahwould b e soonrelieved from all fears, as regards theSultan. At the same time, the Dewan informed theMahaRajah that Tippoo’s progress fromAlw aye w asto tally impeded on account of the rain, that anyattempt on hi s part to march with his army fromAlwaye to up-country,must b e thwarted by the naturaldefences of the country,that his cavalry as well as hisinfantry could not find road-w ay for afree march,thatthe backwater had beenproperly stockaded at differentplaces so much so that no canoes or boats could b etakenfromAlwaye,upthe river to the south,withoutencountering the stockades and the backwater arrison,and that the line betweenKumarakamand undoorhills had been strongly barri caded while a regularmilitialined the hills and the sea,so that till the Opening of the rumouredEnglish w ar,nothing would occur

The Dewan’s assurances and representations en

cour ed the MahaRajah a good deal, and the first

order is Highness gave the Dew anw as to go back tothe north and adopt furthermeasures for the increasedrote ction and safety of the numerous families who

taken asylum in the M ahaRajah’s territo ries.

His Highness displayed greater anxiety about thesefamilies than about the safety of his ow n kingdomand person.

The CochinRajah already sent his royal familyto Trevandrumwith the following letter to the M ahaRajah Tippoo has come to Paravoor,and Cranganore is being cannonaded. I therefore desire tosend my family and childrento your capital. Take


them safely over. God is witness that to youIconfide my all .”

The Dewanreturned to the north . New s of Tippoo’s

first attack on the Travancore lines and his defeat onthe 29th December 1 789reached Calcuttaon the 26thJanuary following . Lord Cornwallis wrote at once tothe Madras G overnment expressing his hOpe thatthe Government had already declared w ar againstTippoo, and that every exertions w as being made toconduct it to asatisfactory issue . His Lordship declared that he w as determined to exact afull reparat ion from Tippe e for this wanton and unprovokedviolationof treaty .

” This letter does not appear tohave had the desired efiect upon M r. Holland . The

Governor General repeatedly urged w ar as the onlyhonorable alternative left . We had di ssemb led,” theGovernor-General wrote, our sense ofTippoo

’s failure

inthe performance of several stipulations in the last

treat of peace,as well as of many insults and injuriesthat e had offered to us inthe course of the last threeor four years, and w e are now resolved to curb hisinsolence and exac t signal reparation for the manyinjuries that w e and our allies have sustained.

”

Ina letter dated the 8th February,Lord Cornw allisblamed the Madras G overnment for neglect of dutyand disobedience of orders,and for b aving, intheircorrespondence with the Maha Rajah, discafaithful ally in the defence of his country againstan enemy who w as within a few miles of his frontiers, and w ith the insolence and violence of whosecharact er they had lon been full acquainted.

”On

the 8th March, the overnor neral forcibly ohserved good policy as well as a regard to our reputation in this country,requires that w e should notonly exact severe reparation from Tippoo,b ut alsothat w e should take this Opportunity to reduce thepower of aprince who avows uponevery occas ionsorancorous anenmity to our nation.

”

M r. Holland,Governor of Madras,still persisted in


to one, have always looked upon w ar as declaredfrom the moment youattacked the ir ally,the king ofTravancore .

”The Governor of Madras addressed

the MahaRajah,assuring His Highness that preparations were inprogress for punishing the Sultanfor hiswantonviolation of the treaty,and at the same timerequesting the M ahaRajah to prevail on the Malabarprinces and chiefs who had takenrefuge inTravancoreto jointhe English,in bringing about the humiliat ionof the tyrant of Mysore . While Tippoo w as inhis

uncomfortable encampment at Alwaye, as has beenalready described,intelligence of the commencement ofhostilitiesand the assemb ling ofalarge English force atTrichinopoly reached him. Haras sed onall sides,theSultanwas under the necessity of b eating aprecipitateretreat. But he w as inapositionfull of danger andanxiety. The rivers were all full. The country w as

under water. The Cranganore b ar rose high with asw ift current seawards . Except boats, no othermeans of communicationcould b e used inthat part ofthe country at that time . There w as no time to b elost. He divided his army into t w o portions and

ordered one portionto march viaAnnamanaday andChalakudy to Trichoor and thence to Palghaut,andthe other viaCranganore and Chow ghaut to Palghaut .This hasty retreat w as attended with the loss of thegreat portion of the army and bore some resemblanceto the di sas trous retreat of the great Na oleonfromMoscow. This calamity was accelerated y the Travancore army under DewanKasava Pillay followinginclose pursui t .

The Travancore force joined the British army atPalghautcherry,Coimbatore and Dindigul,and foughtunder the command of British oflicers,such as ColonelStuart,Lieutenant Chalmers,Major Cuppage,850 .

The Travancore army remained and fought with theBritish force against Tippoo,upto the conclusionofthe w ar and the treaty of Seringapatam,w here theDewanKasavaPillay w as present .

KIREETAPATHI MUKHAY SULTAN

The treaty of Seringapatam and the reductionofTippoo

’s power w as no small source of satisfactionand

relief to the Maha Rajah . But he w as destined notto enjoy peace of mind,even at atime whenhe con

sidered himself freed from all troubles and mentalpains,for the contributionof alarge amount of moneyw as demanded by the English East India Company,for the ex penses incurred by the Company’s militarydepartment in protecting Travancore against TippooSultan,while by the agreement of 1 788,the Honorable East India Company had bound themselves tostation two regiments in Travancore,at the expenseof the Travancore State,for its protection and theyexpressly provided that If an addi tional force ofE w apeans and Natives are required to strengthenyour

fronti er against the designs of an enemy,these shall b emaintained at the Company

’s expense entirely.

”The

Maha Rajah therefore little e x cted suchordinary demand from the overnor of Madras .

However,a sense of delicacy and friendship dictatedto his mind not to di scuss the questionat such atime

his ally,notwithstanding the empty condition ofHis Highness’ treasury and the embarrassed stateof his finances . The Maha Rajah managed to paysevenlacs of rupees by several instalments . But still,the Governor of Madras, Sir Charles Oakely,thoughtit right to impose upon the Maha Rajah the paymentof ten lacs of rupees per annum,as a contributiontowards the expense,independent of the char e ofHisHighness’troops employedwith their (English armies .

Onajust and fair representations being made by HisHighness, Sir Charles rejoined Your Excellency’smind is, I doubt not,fully impressed with the justiceof the Company’s Government instanding forth at acritical juncture to protect you against the designs ofatyrant who had draw n the sword for your destruotionand must have instantly efiected it, b ut for th epowerful interposition of your friends . The w ar

thus undertakenuponyour account has been carriedon with all the forces of the Company and at an


enormous expense . Nat only the revenues of this

presidenc b ut those of Bengal and the greatestpart of t e resources of the Carnatic and Tanjorehave been appropriated to this great undertaking,and on the ultimate success of our arms,Your Excellency must trust for all that is valuable to you,your territory, your honor, and evenyour personalsafety .

” He also said that the demand of the Company w as calculated upon a fair and moderatee stimate .

”M r. Powney, the British resident,at His

Highness’ Court also represented the matter in the

strongest terms .

The MahaRajah,now ressed for money,consultedwith his faithful Dewan, asavaPillay,who suggestedthat amoiety of the amount should b e paid again,and he promised to exert h is utmost endeavours t oraise funds for meeting this unexpected demand.

The Dewanapplied his energies to this difi cult taskand made upasum of about sevenlacs of rupees andpaid it without any great delay .

Onafurther requisitionof the Madras Governmentfor apayment of the MahaRajah

’s contrib utionat the

rate of t enlacs of rupees per annum,during the latew ar, the Maha Rajah felt his situationmost keenly .

The Dewanw as not at the time at the capital and theMahaRajah’s feelings of embarrassment are disclosedinaprivate and confidential letter he wrote to h isminister I have not inany w ay bound myself tocontribute to the ex penses of the w ar ; yet the Company presses for payment . I have raised loans and

plai

dfourteenlacs ; ye t they make further demands

y previous debts remain unpaid . I have raisedmoney by doing what I oughtnot to do . Inever w as

in such anxiety and distress b efore . The Companycare more for money thanfor the ir friend .

When the Dewan appeared before the r

gal pre

sence,the MahaRajah exclaimed that His ighness

little expected his old ally, the Honorable East IndiaCompany,would thus persist in the ir demand and

REIGN OF RAMA. VURMAH KULASEKHARA

om . vested the MahaRajah with the power of controllingIII.

all the Malabar principalities and restoring them totheir respective prince s and chiefs .

The work as signed to His Highness by the MadrasGovernment w as certainly a very honorable one,though not unattended with difficulties,for the countryw as still in anunsettled state . Many of its princesand chiefs tied at the approach of the dreaded

an, leaving their countries at the mercy of theore tyrant ; others preferred suicide to an igno

mimons conversion to Mahomedanism. There weremany of the ruling prince s and chiefs of Malabarwhose territories had beengivenby the Sultanto hisMussulmanSirdars and others of his caste . The wholeof Malabar w as ina state of chaos. The selectionof His Highness to arrange the restoration of thecountries to their respective rulers gave universalsatisfaction. Everybody acknowledged the stern imart iality and the calm judgment of the MahaRajah .

oreover,most of these princes and chiefs had receivedan asylum in Travancore, and knew the liberality,justice,kindness and truthfulness of His Highness,and they were all satisfied w ith the choice of the Com

pany’s Government.

The princes and chiefs who were theninTravancore,were called before the MahaRajah,and after receivingHis Highness’ kind advice and suitable presents,weresent back to the north, with instructions to go to theDewanwho was thenstat ioned at Palghautcherry with

The royal family of Cochinw as sent back to Thripooni thoray as soon as Tippe e re-crossed the Trapvancore frontier.

The Zamorin,who w as then past seventy years of

age, wished to remain in Travancore for some timelonger. The MahaRajah allowed the septus enarian

to do so and deputed his heir apparent rishnenRajah to Calicut to act for the Zamorin.


The Rajah of Cherakel remained at his head-quarters after despatching his family to Travancore, inthehope of gaining the favor of the Sultan, throughthe medium of Ally Rajah of Cannanore, b ut beingdisappointed he died e ither by his own hand or bythat of afri endly Nair whom he is said to have requiredto perform thi s last mournful ofi ce for him.

” Nosuccessor to the deceased Rajah w as nominated, asthere were two claimants, and inaccordance with theprevailing custom the MahaRajah elected the elderof the claimants as successor t o h is deceased uncle .

The names of some of the Rajahs and Chiefs whotook refuge inTravancore are

Rajahs (1) Zamorin.

(2) Cherakel .

(3) Cot tayam.

Kurrumpanaud .

(5 ) Vettathnaud .

(6) Beypore .

(7) Tanniore .

(8) Palghaut ,&c .,&c.

Chiefs (1 ) Koulaparay.

(2) Coringot te .

(3) Kow gat .

(4 ) E tatharay.

(5) M annore .

Dewan Kasava Pillay w as now delegated by the

MahaRajah to the onerous duty of restoring thesePrinces and Chiefs to their respective countries andthis appears to have takenupthe time of this officer,for about a year,during the w ar . He had t o movebetween Cherakel and Palghautcherry to investigatethe claims of each of the Rajahs and nobles to theterritories,as there had beenmany encroachments onthe villages and lands . He visited the capitals ofall the Rajahs and Chiefs and re instated every one of

them inhis respective possessions .


As many of these Princes and Chiefs were ignorantand unable to conduct the administration of the irStates, the Dewan w as obliged to appoint Kariakars

(ministers) to manage their affairs .

For the Zamorin (who w as then absent at Travamcore and for whom Krishnen Rajah w as acting), theDewan selected anable and influential Palghaut Brahman,named SaminathaPatter,as Kariakar .

After making all these arrangements, the Dewancame to an understanding that every one of theseStates, according to it s abili ty, should supply the

British and Travancore Commissariat departmentswith grain.

E very Kariakar w as made responsible for the dueperformance of his functions,with the threat, that theleast remissness on the part of any these officials wouldre sult inhis dismissal from office .

By this w i se arrangement of the Dewan,asufficientsupply of grain w as secured for the forces stationedon the Malabar coast and also at Palghautcherry andCoimbatore .

Kariakar SaminathaPatter di splayed great zeal andactivi ty, and the acting Zamorin, KrishnenRajah,experi enced some difi culty inthe free exercise of hisdespotic power to which he had beenaccustomed frominfancy .

Krishnen Rajah’s junior now proceeded to Trich

inopoly and appeared before General Meadow s andsucceeded in obtaining a cowle from the MadrasGovernment, recognising him as the legitimate suc

cessor of the old Zamorin. On the strength of thiscowle,KrishnenRajah beganto act independently ofDewan KasavaPillay,and the result w as adeficiencyin the supply of grain and other necessari es whichwere to b e sent up from the Malabar coast . DewanKasava Pillay reported the cause of this to GeneralMeadows, who remarked : It w as never intendedthe cow lenamah forwarded to him (KrishnenRajah)


the Bombay Commissioners so early as May that thesedistricts belonged to Travancore, and subsequentlyM r . Powney, the British Resident in Travancore,reported that the hob ilies in question had ap er

tained to the Travancore Rajah ever since 1 55,having been at that time made over to h im by theRajah of Cochinwhen the latter w as at w ar w i th theZamorin,and that these being included incessionw as

therefore altogether unwarrantable .

”

The MahaRajah laid the whole matter before LordCornwallis and

'

the Governor-General said, Withrespect to the talooks of Alangaud, Paravoor andKunnathnaud, the justice of the cessionof them tothe Company must b e decided by the period of thecommencement of the w ar,when if they were in thepossessionof the Rajah of Travancore by whatevermeans and more especially if it shall appear that theRajah of Travancore had acquired these districtsfrom th e Rajah of Cochinbefore the latter becametributary to the Hydery Sircar,it w ould b e anact ofgreat injustice onthe part of the Company to deprivehim of them .

”

After agood deal of correspondence betweenTippoo,the IndianGovernment,and the Commissioners,twoof the Commissioners,Me ssrs . Page and Boddam,werespecially deputed to hold an inquiry to ascertainthefacts of the case . When it w as found by the Commissioners that Tippe e had no right to include thosedistricts among those ceded to the Company, the Rajahof Cochin came forward and claimed the very samedistricts . He alleged that the Maha Rajah havingonly assisted his ancestor in the recovery of part ofthe conquest thus made from this h is country, fromthe Zamorin and therefore left incomplete the per

formance of the consideration for the cession of the

three talooks inquestion, the Rajahs of Cochinhaveever since annually continued to require the ir beingrelinquished by the Travancore Rajah who had fre

quently promised acompliance b ut never performed.

”

KIREETAPATHI M UNNAY SULTAN .

He (the CochinRajah) therefore contended that hew as entitled to the talooks in question. This w as

really quite anunfounded claim,probably invented inamoment of weakness or temptation under the instigat ionof unprincipled advisers . The able and painstaking Commissioners obtained afull explanationfromthe Travancore Dewan Kasava Pillay, w ho jo inedthem during the time of the investigation, and be ingquite satisfied with the justice and validity of theMahaRajah

’s claim to those districts,called upon the

Cochin Rajah for evidence in support of his claims .

Finding that he had very little t o offer as a con

vincing proof of the justice of hi s claim,he judiciouslyabandoned his suit . The Commissioners in the irreport to the Government wrote as follows At“ length the Rajah came and with tears in his eyesrequested them not to insist on making any furtherscrutiny into the points in que stion as he had nowbecome fully convinced that he did not possess anyrights to the said districts which had been ceded tothe State of Travancore with other parts . of his

country some years previous to Hyder Ally’sconquest .” The Cochin Rajah

’s candid and frank

declaration,though made at the eleventh hour, enabledthe Governor-General to give afinal and just decision,confirming the MahaRajah

’s undisputed claim to the

di stri cts ofAlangaud,Paravoor and Kunnathnaud.

Though throughout the greater part of the MahaRajah

’s reign the country w as plunged in w ar, the

improvement of the internal administration of thecountry w as not in the least neglected .

The first step takenw as to improve all the seaportsfor the purpose of increasing traffic . The Dewanentertained extensive views in commercial affairs,andw as convinced that the prosperity of Travancoredepended in a great measure on its commercialresources,and that there would b e increased securityt o the kingdom by affording facilities for vessels toanchor at the various ports .


Dew anKasavaPillay accordingly proceeded to visitthe coasts and seaports from Cape Comorin to thenorth, and after arranging for the introduction ofcertainimprovements to the port of Colachel,he cameto Poow ar and thence t o Velingium,

ill in whose roadsteads vessels could anchor in perfect safety . Be ingre solved t o e stablish a port in the ne ighbourhood ofVelingium, arrangements for building a large warehouse, a store godown and a spacious bungalow atPoonthoray were made . Inthe course of afew months,the beach at the latter place w as dotted w i th vari ousbuildings, the property of private individuals and

fishermen, and several other classes of industriouspeople also began to inhabit the place, so that theprospects of the new port appeared bright .

After the opening of this port,the Dewancontinuedhis progress to the north, and w hile at the port ofPoracaud (w here the Dutch had a factory),his enquiring and energetic mind w as directed to the singularstate of the sea at Alleppey, a few miles north ofPoracaud . He ordered a survey of the sea by somee xperienced persons about him,and finding the existence of a good anchorage protected by a bank, heresolved to openaport there also .

This important re solve w as communicated to HisHighness,who w as only too willing to approve of allsuch useful measures . The necessary sanctionw as at

once accorded for undertaking the work, with the

necessary outlay .

Dewan Kasava Pillay commenced by getting thebeach cleared of jungle, for it w as thickly coveredwith wild thorny bushes,which were the habitationof

jackals and other wild beasts . The beach w as clearedin the course of two months and

'

made fit for erectingbuildings on.

Awarehouse and a few shops were built at theSircar expense, and merchants were invited from

Here the English East IndiaCompany had afactory.

KIREETAPATHIMUNNAY SULTAN

various places inTravancore to establish themselvesat the new port .

The Dewan communicated with his friends at

Bombay,and induced a couple of rich and influentialCutch and Sind merchants from thence to come andsett le at the new port .

To eflect the permanent se tt lement of Hindus at theplace,apagodaw as built in the interior,and Brahmancloth merchants who were invited from Tinnevelly andother commercial towns established themselves at

Alleppey .

All this while the Dewan remained at Alleppey,w ith his ofi cial establishment, and as an additional

proof,to the new settlers,of the Sircar’s intention to

make the place one of some importance, the Dewanordered the construction of aSpac ious building for theHuz zoor Cutcherry,and apalace for the residence ofthe MahaRajah,whenever His Highness visited thelocality.

AVijaripucar (manager),w as appointed and all thehill produce w as ordered to b e brought to Alleppeyand stored there,under the charge of the Vijaripucar.

The timber grownin Malayat toor and other forestsgiven out on contract to an

Christian (Mathoo Tharagan), who was directed to

bring his timber to Alleppey and sell it there .

Thamby Naicken and other Vijaripucar w ere

appointe d and stationed invari ous parts of the forests,such as Combum,G oodaloor,&c., to collect and forw ard to Alleppey,all the hill produce,viz .,cardamom,b ees-w ax , honey, ivory, stick lac , &c ., and thus asystem of forest conservancy w as introduced for thefirst time inTravancore .

With the view of clearing the State-deb t,which w asstill unpaid,the Dewanadopt ed another measure,v iz .

the building of ships for conveying the staple produce sof the count

?to Bombay and Calcutta,and thus the

Sircar embar ed intrade and commercial Speculations .

32


Three ships were built and they carried to favorablemarkets such produce as were monopolised by the

Sircar . Inthe course of tw o or three years alargeamount of profit w as realized,acircumstance whichafforded addi tional satisfac tionto the sovereign.

Several canals were Opened to facilitate and extendcommunicationfrom the back-water to the new townofAlleppey .

The Dewan,after accomplishing so much returnedto Trevandrum, and commenced his improvementsthe re . The public road lead ing to the eas t from theeastern gate of the Trevandrum fort w as furtherw idened. Bazaars or shops were built on the side ofthe road at Chalay,and aregular trafi c and marketestablished there . Abri dge over the Killiar riverand another over the Karamanay river w i th granitestone and several other public works were constructed,besides further irri gationworks at Nanjenaud.

The Dewan also introduced improvements into thetown of Kottar by inviting a number of weavers,dyers,painters and other industrious workmen fromTinnevelly and Madura to settle there ; and thus thistown became a very rich and important one,andformed the grand depb t for the supply of cloths forthe whole kingdom of Travancore .

The great pagoda of Trevandrum w as repaired,and the largeflag-staff b eaut ified and gilt. Agoldenvehicle for carryin the image of Sree PSwamy, called In ra Vahanam, w as made and anadmirable grani te work called Kulasekhara Mandapom,as well as several other valuable works were constructed.

Gold coins called Anantharayen fanam, Chinnafanam and Ananthavarahenwere coined in the Tra

vancore mint,inadditionto alarge quantity of silverbullion, coined as chuckrums . A new contrib u

tion called Nilavary,uponSircar attam lands,w asraised which yielded a good roun sum of money.

MUNNAY SULTAN .

Thus the Dew ansucceeded inclearing away the greaterpart of the State-debt contracted in consequence ofw ar and other emergencies .

Al l the fortifications were improved, a few morewere newly constructed ; and the manufacture of guns,shots and other warlike stores at U dayagherry w as

pushed on with great vigour . Palaces were built indiflerent parts of the country,and the ofli cial buildingsat M avalikaray received much attention. The pagodatow er at Trevandrumw as successfully completed. The

temples throughout the country were repaired or improved .

The Madras Government, though ou the mostfri endly terms with the MahaRajah,had beenmakingstrenuous efforts to strengthen treaty stipulations andconditions with Travancore . After the treaty ofSeringapatam, the Maha Rajah considered that theservices of the two battalions of the Company’sforces stationed at Aycottah might b e dispensedwith . But on communicating this view to the MadrasGovernment, Sir Charles Oak observed that themilitary forces kept upby the mpany ex tended tothe protection of their allies, who should thereforetake a share of the ordinary expense of this establishment, adding : In estimating the advantagewhich your country derives from the Company’s protect ionI have recurred to the transactionwhich passedbetweenyour Excellency and this Government in1 788,at which time two battalions of our Sepoys were byyour ow n desire stationed in your country . The

expense of such aforce I doubt not your Excellencyw ill now b e very willing to defra upon the assurancethat it shall b e ready to move whenrequired for yourdefence,and I propose to limit the contributionto theprecise sum agreed to b e paid by you in 1 788 be ingstar pagodas forty-two thousand sevenhundred and sixty-eight per annum .

On the appointment of the Earl of Morningtonas Governor-General, the MahaRajah opened' a


friendly corres ondence with that august personage,who held the ahaRajah ingreat regard and esteem.

The Dew anKasavaPillay had many Euro canin the persons of the Governors of adras andBombay,as well as inmost of the Members of Councils, and he w as also well acquainted with severalmilitary officers in the army under the two presidencies . He w as inthe habit of corres nding w i ththe Governor-General,who looked u onhimas one ofthe first StatesmeninIndia. In970 .E . (1 795AD ),the Governor General proposed to the MahaRajah arevised treaty onmore liberal and detailed terms,andaft er agood deal of correspondence betw eenthe Dewanand the IndianGovernment,anew one w as drawnout

and submitted to the MahaRajah . This treaty con

sisted ofnine articles

First . That the Company has renounced everyclaim to the three Travancore districts which Tippoohad ceded and which undoubtedly belonged t o the

MahaRajah .

”

Second. If any power or States,near or remote ,b y seaor land,shall without aggression onthe part ofthe Rajah of Travancore, attempt or begin hostilityand w ar uponthe country of the said Rajah or of hissuccessors ; under such circumstances the expulsionof,and the protectionof,the country against such enemiesrest with the Company’s G overnmen

Third. In consideration of thi s stipulation the

MahaRajah bound himself and his successors to payboth inpeace and w ar asum equivalent to the expenseof three battalions of the Company’s tr0 0 ps .

”

Fow 'th . Should it so happen that the aforesaidforce and the Rajah’s ownarmy b e at any time foundunequal to cope with,and defend the country against,the superi or force of the enemy, the expense of suchfurther troops as it may b e necessary and requisitefor the Company to furnish insuch instances,is

‘

to b e

altogether at the said Company’s coat ; nor shall their


liable to b e employed as far by the Company’s Government on e ither side of the Peninsula,as to Maduraand Cal icut ; and to b e, during such service at theCompany’s expense and under their orders .

”

The E ighth clause comprised acontract for the supplyof pepper for the Company’s investment .

N inth .— The Company engage not to impede inany

wise the course of the rule or of administrationof theRajah of Travancore’s Government nor at all topossess themselves nor enter uponany part of whatregards the management of the present Rajah

’s or his

successor’s country .

”

treaty w as duly ratified in 1 797 A.D. (972M .E .) by the Court of Directors, and the GovernorGeneral w as exceedingly pleased w ith the MahaRajahand the DewanKasavaPillay .

About this time,the English having conquered theDutch and annexed Cochin, the Dutch connectionwith the Travancore kingdom ceased, and Tangacherry and other Dutch possessions passed into thehands of the English . The servi ces of all the Europeans in the army,excepting the English,were di spensed with at this time .

Though an enhancement in the amount of tributehad been obtained by the English by this treaty,stillgreat advantages were justly expected to b e derivedby securing the permanent protection of one of thegreate st rising powers in the world,and the MahaRajah and the Dewan congratulated themselves onthe success which had attended these negotiations,b ut the ignorant and low er orders of the countrybegan to murmur on account of the increase ofthe tribute . The Maha Rajah observed that HisHighness’ great uncle had secured the kingdom frominternal commotionby connecting it with Sree Padmanabha Swamy’s Devasw am, b ut the Maha Rajahhad followed in the footsteps of hi s renowned uncle ,and had secured the kingdom to His Highness’


the title of Rajah Kasava Bas s, inrecognitionofhis merits and fidelity .

Lord Mornington had a very high opinion of hi sability and prudence” as well as his attachment to

the intere sts of the Company,”and the Dewan w as

besides held inhigh estimationby the Governments ofIndia,Madras and Bombay,as has beenalready stated .

The people of Travancore looked on him as theylooked onthe MahaRajah,with akind of filial regardand esteem and he is knownupto this day among thepeople as ValiaDevanjee,

”the Great Dewan.

The family residence of this renowned Dewan w as

a place called Kunathoor, near Velavencode, abouttw enty-two mile s south-east ofTrevandrum,where hi sdescendants are still residing, in ordinary circumstances .

Thi s Maha Rajah w as one of the best and mostfaithful Indianallies of the Honorable East IndiaCompany, and he w as treated w i th uniform regard andesteem by the Company and the Nabob of the Caranatie . The title Munnay Sultan Maharaj RajahRama Rajah Bahadur Shamsheer Jung

”w as offered

by the Carnatic Nabob and accepted by the MahaRajah,and the same w as subsequently adopted by thesucceeding sovere igns of Travancore.

It w as in this MahaRajah’s time that the presentlong title, Sre e PadmanabhaDasaVanji PalaRamaVurmah Kulasekhara Kiree tapathi Munna SultanMaharaj Rajah RamaRajah Bahadur S sheerJung” w as introduced.

The reputation of this MahaRajah had rapidlySpread throughout the whole of India. It w as inhistime that the Travancore Rajah w as knownand generally styled Rama Raja and DharmaRajawhich names are qui te familiar to travellers w ho

journey from Benares and other northern parts ofIndiatoRamasw aram orRamanad.


people adopted the usual symbols of mourning vo luntaprily,evenin the most distant localities inTravancore .

As inthe former re ign,there are numerous incidentsand recollections concerning this MahaRajah and HisHighness’ministers,b ut for the reasons already statedin the last Chapter,w e would not attempt to embodythem all here . Nevertheless,one or two very interesting incidents may b e noticed,which,while they showhow attentively judicial matters were looked into,atthe same time illustrate the great wisdom and fores ight of the MahaRajah and the tact of some of hissubjects at that period .

On one occasion,whenthe MahaRajah had assembled aparty of menas usual,as asort of jury,headedby himself as president, to consider and decide acaseinvolving some most important claims put forw ard bya certain opulent and distinguished family,the MahaRajah w as seated onachair,and the assembly formedtwo lines and stood on e ither side of the chair ascustomary, b ut before commencing business,an oldman, a member of the assembly, arrived late,andstanding in the centre,betweenthe lines,put his righthand ac ross his forehead and looked round,as ifhewere short-sighted from old a e,and lifting his headdirect to the spot where the aha Rajah w as seated,called out ina low vo ice Aividay yenta ThampuranAla/anally Iri chnnu,

”i . e ., where is my sovere ign

seated ?” The MahaRajah said smiling, M 0 0ppinai lnhane narayana irriokana

”i . e ., O 1 old manII am

sitting just inthe right .” The drift of the old manw as to sound His Highness’ positioninthe affair,b utthe sagacious Maha Rajah w as not in the leastofiended,b ut expressed much delight at the old man’sw it and straightforwardness .

Onanother occasion,Tippoo Sultan sent Brahmanspies to His Highness’ Court,and they, assuming thecharacter of great sastries (learned men),repaired toTrevandrum,and were one day seated in the mandapom,inside the pagoda,along w ith many other Brah

KIREETAPA'I‘HI MUNNAY SULTAN .

mans, when the Maha Rajah entered the pagodat o can .

worship . His Highness looked on the assembled ( i f;persons as usual,and returned to the palace . Afterreaching the palace, the Maha Rajah ordered one ofthe attendant hurikarahs, to call in the two sastries,

and when they came before him,they began to repeatseveral verses and poems composed by them inhonorof Sree Padmanabha Swamy, and also in praise ofHis Highness, and of the highly renowned administrat ion of the State,and lastly,of the strength andcondition of His Highness’ army and of the strongfortifications of Travancore . When they finished thisdis lay of their eloquence,the MahaRajah calmly andw it a pleasant countenance and tone, asked themwhether Tippoo SultanSahib w as quite well and if theSultanw as thenengaged inwarfare The Brahmanswere struck with admirationand fear,b ut the MahaRajah soothed them with kind words,and told themplainly

,that’ they need not b e afraid of any injury,as

long as they stayed within the jurisdiction of HisHighness ; that they should have full permission tomove about the country and make all the observationsthey possibly could . The Brahmans were so overcome by the MahaRajah

’s kindness and goodness,as

well as by his courage,that they at once acknowledgedthe true character of their mission,and much valuableinformationw as obtained from them . The spies wereallowed to return,no t only unmole sted, b ut w i th suchpresents as were usually to learned Brahmanswho resorted to the Maha ajah

’s Court.

To show how particular this MahaRajah w as,howminutely he looked into afiairs even in his old age,and the familiarity that existed between the Sovere ignand his ministers,w e annex here atranslation of anautog

raph letter addressed to His Highness by KasavaPillay Dewan, while he w as at Dindigal with the

Travancore force . It appears that the Dewandelayeda little to move on w ith the Travancore army to jointhat of the Honorable East India Company,and thatthe delay at such a critical time,w as not only injudi

REIGN OF RAMA VURMAII KULASEKHARA

cious,b ut w as also attended w i th additional expenditure . The Maha Rajah wrote to the Dewan a sharpletter, to which the latter addressed the followingreplyI rece ived and perused the royal writ forwarded

to me by Kariakar Venctasw araIyen and others conv eying instructions for my guidance . They alsodelivered into my hands Your Royal Highness

’letter

to Lord Cornwallis .

”

I shall embrace an early Opportunity of meetingHis Lordship at the camp and after holding a con

ference,shall personally present the letter .

As some delay has occurred on the road, afterI took leave of Your Highness, I have no t beenableto accompany the General to this place, b ut by thegrace Of the Almighty,I expect Your Highness’ forcewill form shortly ajunctionwith theirs .

”

Pecuniary difl’i cult ies had inameasure caused thedelay,b ut that is amatter not to b e made public.As it is necessary that YourHighness’force should

move ingood style and neatly dressed, that w as alsoacause of the delay .

”

I am led to infer from several incidents,that YourHighness considers the expenses I am incurrinextravagant. When my present engagements,whichI have undertakenby Your Highness’ command,provesuccessful,all such delays as are caused by me will,by the mercy of G od, turn to Your Highness

’

ownadvantage ; b ut on the other hand, Your Highnessmay consider that such have been the result of myindiscretion.

”

Anyhow,no act onmy part will ever b e calculate dto prejudi ce YourHighness

’ dignity,while all my actsare calculated to promote Your Highness’ glory .

I write at this length, as I cannot allay myanx ieties,unless I communicate all my grievances toY our Highness,and I solicit that this maynot b e takenami ss .


the Europeanmanner ; and Malabar Nagrisand Cegos, armed with bows and arrows, s ars,

swords,and battle-axes . He keeps two Valia arra

dicariacd/rer, the Vadakemugham and the Tekmugham,one of whom is established inthe north and theother in the south . Each of these has under himfour o ther officers, called only Sarvadicariacarer .

These have inspectionover four subalterns,or Oariacarer and these subalterns have under them Pravarti earer,Ciandracarer,and Torraearer ; or collectors ofthe taxe s, overseers and judges . The troops are

always marching up and down through the country,to change their cantonments,t o enforce the collectionof the taxes, and to preserve peace and tranquillity.

Public security is again restored throughout the,whole country ; robbery and murder are no longerheard of no one has occasionto b e afraid onthe highways ; religious worship is never interrupted ; and

people may rest assured that on every occasionjustice will b e spe edily administered . The pre sentking has caused several canals t o b e constructed,inorder to unite different rivers with each other andwith the sea. By hi s desire also a ver beautifulroad has been completed betw e en Cape omari andCndungalur so that in the course of 24 hours hecan b e informed of everything that takes placethroughout his whole kingdom . After deductingthe expenses of Government,his yearly income mayamount to half ami lli onof rupees,arising from trade,duties,and various kinds of fines . One -half of thi srevenue is deposited in the royal treasury, andnever touched b ut incases of the utmost nece ssity .

The king,as well as all the other paganIndians, thechief men evenno t excepted,live according t o themanner of the Pythagoreans,and use no other foodthanrice,milk,fruit and herbs . He generally wearsaturbanof dark blue silk ; along white robe,fas tenedat the breast with a string of diamonds ; long whitedrawers,of red silk ; and shoes,the points of whi chare bent backw ards like those Of the Chinese . A

KIREETAPATHIMUNNAY SULTAN .

sabre is suspended from his shoulders ; and in theblue girdle bound round hi s lo ins is stuck a

poniard,or Persiandagger,which canb e used e itherfor attack or defence . When he shows himself tothe people in full State,he is attended by or

men, together with agreat number of palanquins and elephants . At the head of the proce ssionis a band of musicians,and two court poets, whocelebrate in songs his great achievements . He isborne ina palanquin; and the principal gentlemenof hi s court must walk on each side of it . Inmytime he w as very much attached to the Catholicmissionaries . As oftenas he passed by the parsonage house at Angenga,where I resided t w o years,he alw ays Sent two of the gentlemen of his b edchamber to enquire after my health .

This sovere ignhad t w o powerful enemies : one inthe north, Tippoo Sultan, now prince of Mazesarand Concam; and another in the south-east, therince of Armcate, Mohamed Aly Khan, of whomIhave already spoken in the preceding Chapter .

The latter has it inhi s power to make anattack,byTovala, one of the fortresses wh ich lie near CapeComari, towards the east ; and the former canattempt the same thing in the district of Palacaticeri , the last city in the kingdom of Concam,towards the west . Through a dread of these twodangerous neighbours,the king of Travancor foundhimself obliged to conclude atreaty of alliance w iththe English,and to make acommoncause with thembo th in peace and w ar . As long as he enjoys thefriendship of these allies, from whom he purchas es freedom and security at a sufficiently dearrate,and as long as he pays regularly what is dueon that account,his domini ons will b e protected anddefended ; b ut if ever aquarrel should arise betweenhim and the Governor of Madras,he is one of thefirst Indian princes that will fall a sacrifice . Theannual tribute which he is obliged to pay to the

English,amounts to half alack of rupees or


Roman scudi . In the time of w ar he must supplythem,over and above,with horses,cannon,soldiers,and rice . He is an aflab le, polite, contented,prudent, and friendly man. On account of the inte

grity of h is character, and his many good moralqualities, i t is the more to b e lamented that he is sozealously attached to idolatry,and is so much blindedas no t to perceive the value of the Christianreligion.

It cannot,however,b e denied, that nothing tends somuch to riv et the affectionof subjects,as when thesovere ign adheres to the established religion, andw orships th e de ity in the same manner as his people .

Rama Varmer never omits being present at theceremonies and devotional exercises of the pagans,as will b e seen in the following Chapter .

‘

Pope Clement XIV by an apostolical letter hadrecommended,inaparticular manner,the Christiansof Malabar to th e pro tection of the king of Travancor . This letter,dated July 2nd, 1 774 ,arrivedat Verapole just at the time when the Pravaticarer

of that place took possession of our rice -fields andgardens,under a pretence that the mi ssionaries,aswell as the Bishop, ought to pay the usual impostsand taxes,which all other subjects were obliged to

pay for their lands . We insisted,however, on our

immunity,and represented to him,that Martandapalla, the commander-in-chief and prime minister ofthe former king Vira Martanda Pala,had declaredus free from all public burdens whatever : b ut thePravaticarer paid no regard to our remonstrances ;endeavoured to enforce pa ent by violent means,and for that purpose cause our convent and churchto b e beset by fifty Mahometans, w ho suflered nopersonto go out or to enter. These people, w ho atall times are swornenemies of the Christians,behavedin so indecent amanner,and made so much noise,

This informat ionis ofthe utmost importance to the modernhistoryofIndia; and the author is ent i tled to thanks for having communicatedi t to the public. F .


door w e were rece ived by the king’s commanderin-chief,who conducted us through the palm-gardento a second door, where the king w as wai ting forus . He rece ived us standing,and surrounded by agreat number of princes and officers . Near himstood his son,with adrawn sabre inh is hand and,inashady place were three chairs, one of which w asdestined for the king, and the other two for me andmy colleague . When w e had all three taken our

seats,the attendants formed acircle around us . Ithenproduced the Pope

’s letter,which I had hi therto

carried inapocket-book richly embroidered according to the eastern manner ; raised it aloft ; appliedit to my forehead in order to show my respect forthe personage in whose name I presented i t ; and

then delivered it to Sampradi Keshavapulla, the

Secretary of State . The latter handed it to theking,w ho also raised it up,and held it to hi s forehead as atoken of respect for His Holiness . Atthe moment when the Pope ’s letter w as deliveredthere w as ageneral discharge of the cannonof thecastle . After the king had asked us some commonquestions re ect ing the naval w ar between the

English and the French he enquired of me,inparticular,how long I had beeninMalabar ; and how I hadlearned to speak the language of the country withso much fluency . I have often observed,

”added

he, that other Europeans are either unacquaintedwith it, or, for want of the proper pronunciation,express themselves so badly that they can scarcelyb e understood .

” I immediately replied, that I hadcarefully studi ed the Brahmin book Amarasinha.

The king, on this answer, seemed highly pleased .

“ WhatI” said he,“ do you read our books —This i sthe real and principal cause why the king,during thew hole time of my residence in Malabar,behaved tome with so much kindness. He entertained theutmost reverence for the writings and religionof hispeople ; and as he saw that they were studied by theEuropeans,this paved the w ay for my obtaining from


h im afterw ards many favours, which were of the

greatest benefit to the Christianreligion.

When the king had conversed for some time onvarious t Opics,he ordered his minister and secretarto give such an answer to our et ition and suchrelief t o our grievances,whi ch w e had specified onanola, that w e might returnhome perfectly satisfiedand easy . For my part,I could not help admiringthe goodness of heart,aflab ility,and humanity of thisprince, as well as the simplicity of his householdestablishment and w ay of life . At that time he andthe persons of his court,according to the Malabar

mode,had nothing onthe ir bodies b ut asmall pieceof cloth fastened round the loins ; and the onlymark of distinctionby which h is royal dignity couldb e discovered,w as are d velvet capwith gold fringes .

At our departure he accompanied us as far as the

door . Next morning the prime minister, CumarenCembagaRamapulla,sent for us to his apartments,and enquired very minutely respecting the behaviourof the Pravaticarer at Verapole . Be ing informedthat thi s oflicer,with the as sistance of the Mahometans,had revented the Christians from frequentingour Churc he w as highly displeased ; and immediate ly wrote to the Cariacarer at Parw r to removehim from his ofli ce as an inconsiderate man,whow as little acquainted with the king’s interest . Anew instrument w as expedited in our

presence, by

which immunity from all imposts w atever w as

secured to our convent in future . The king thensent t o us by a Brahman, who acted the part Of

household steward, and who w as accompanied byanother oflicer,aservice of dishes prepared after theMalabar manner,and whi ch were paid for out of theroyal treasury . These particular marks of favorare shown only to such persons as give the kingdistinguished proofs of their respect .

The king had learned English for several months,and spoke it ex ceedingly well . As he Observed that


the English w as as familiar to me as the Malabar hesent to me in the evening hi s chamberlain, Payampalli Curipa,to request that I would explainto him,in the Malabar language, the arts of speech of theEnglish grammar, because e w as always at a

“ loss respecting them . He had indeed an Englishmaster ; b ut he w as not able to give hima properexplanation, in the Malabar language,of the precisemeaning of these technological terms . I immediately wrote them down on a piece of paper, andarranged them in two Opposite columns, the one inEnglish,and the other in the Malabar language .

The king found my explanationperfectly clear, andever after called me always his Guru or preceptor .

He w as extremely desirous to retain me at his

court ; b ut the crafty Brahmans found means todissuade him from his de sign. My companionandI therefore returned home ; the Pravaticarer w as

displaced ; and our convent, as well as the M is

sionary establishment, w as snflered to remain inpeace and tranquillity . The Christians ofAlapasheand Muttam were so rejoiced at the deposition ofthe Pravatiearer,that they came to meet us,as w ereturned,with drums and other musical instruments .

Some time before I sailed for Europe, beingdesirous to obtainananswer from the king to the

“ letter which had been written to h im by ClementXIV,I at length rece ived one by means of Payampalli Ouripu, before mentioned . It w as addressedto the present Pope Pius XVI,and contained,be sidesother things, an assurance from the king that hewould take under hi s protectionthe Missionaries andChristians ingeneral, who had been recommendedto him by His Holiness . M . Pietro de Veigas,who instructed the king in English,and who hadthe care of the correspondence with foreign courts,translated it into Portuguese . The king subscribedit with his ow nhand,and,according to the orientalcustom,caused it t o b e inclosed inab ag,inwhich Itransmitted it to M . Antonelli, the director of the


The Bishop be ing at that time sick, I w as obligedto supply his place, and t o proceed to Padmanabnram. At Tiruvandaburam my coolie s or palanquin-bearers ran away ; so that I w as obliged totrave l twelve miles on foot on the king’s high road,named Madacava,w hich none b ut the Brahmans andnobility dared to tread . As soonas I approachedPadmanaburam, I repaired to a very small churchon the south side of the castle ; for the gates wereshut, and no personbelonging to the inferior casts,in which the Europeans are commonly included,w as suffered t o enter the city . Thi s took plac e on

the 23rd of September 1 783 . Scarcely, however,had the king heard ofmy arrival,when he resolvedto make an exception in my favor from the severityof this law . He therefore sent to me ,next morning,four of the nobility of his court to conduct me intothe city . They accompanied me to the habitation of

the king’s secretary,where His Majesty w as wai tingto rece ive me ; for on that day he could no t give meaudience inhis ow n palace,lest it should b e defiled .

When I approached the place ,the king’s guard Of

honor,consisting of 500 men,came under arms tomeet me ; and formed themselves into two lines,between which I w as obliged to pass . The king,who w as sitting inan Europeanarm-chair,rece ivedme w ith great friendship, and addressed me as

follows I have sent for you,father,that youmaysettle the disputes between my Christian subjectsand your clergy . It is my will that the clergy havea suflicient maintenance,and a proper income fortheir support ; b ut I w i ll not sufler them to oppressmy subjects by the imposition of fines . Look,

”

added he , “ here stands my minister (the Suw adicariacarer Nagampnlla), and there my secretary Sampradi Keshavapulla), devise w ith them what is bestt o b e done, and thenle t me know the result .” We

did as the king de sired ; and as I had no greatinclination to undertake the very difficult and b urthensome administration of seventy-five congrega

MUNNAY SULTAN .

tions, I endeavoured to prevail onthe ministers to OHAP.

write to the Archbishop of G oa,and accommodate m

th e matter in an amicable manner . Some of the

clergy complained of were obliged to pay acertainsum of money,by w ay of punishment ; and a newPadiola or tarif,w as established,to settle once morethe fe es which the Christians should pay to the

clergy for discharging their sacred functions, and’

whi ch the latter should b e authorized to exact .

As the king would not suffer me to depart till thisbusiness w as completely settled,I w as obliged t o

remain sixte en days at Padmanaburam. Duringthat period His Majesty sent to me every day the

Kopu,which i s acertaindi sh prepared inthe Malab ar manner. As the fe stival of the goddess Sarasvadi w as then celebrating, (on which account, as Ihave already said, the gates of the city were shut),I employed a part of my time in observing the

religious practices of the Brahmans .

As the Cassanar or clergymanof the Christiansof St . Thomas at Callurcada, whose name w as

had applied to me to get some abusesreformed whi ch had crept into h is congregation,Iconversed on that subject with the prime mini sterCwmaren ChembagaRamapalla, and procured fromhimaletter to the Ofi cer at Ambdlapashe, to whosejurisdiction Callurcada w as subject . I shall heresubjoinacopy of it,translated word for word fromthe Malabar language

The business respecting which I w ri te is thisFather Paolino appeared before His M ajestflatPadmanabwram,and informed him that some ap

pulians (so the Christianwomenare commonly called)in the pari sh of Callurcada,which i s subject to the

juri sdi ctionof the Governor of.

Gembacolam, indulgein criminal intercourse with various Shuddras (pagannobility of the fourth cast), and condescend to livewith them as concubines . Now,as this is the case,continued the Father inname of the Bishop of Vera


pole, the distinction betw een the casts will b e destroyed and nothing b ut confusionwill prevail amongthe different classes of the inhabitants ; which givesh im great uneasiness.

Some person inthe ne ighbourhood,and part icularly the Governor, ought certainly to have communicated by letter anaccount of these irregularities,ofso much importance t o b e known. Whenthe Fathertransmits to youalist of those who keep concubines,you will immediately cause them to b e arrested andimprisoned. If they are convicted of the crime,sendthem hither under amilitary guard,that theymay b ebanished from the country,and transported beyondthe boundaries of Tovala. The eflects Of the M appulians, w ho condescend to b e kept as concubines,shall b e seized and confiscated ; and an account ofthe ir immoveable goods shall b e delivered into HisMajesty

’s exchequer .

‘ Such is the will of His Majesty.

The Father states further,that whenthe Mappulians (christians of St . Thomas) as semble to attenddivine service,the Pravaticarer (rece iver of the king

’s

revenue) seizes the boat inwhich they arrive, drag sthe people by force from the church doors, andcompels them to serve His Majesty . In the lastplace, the Father has complained to His Majesty,that some Magistrates at Ambalapushe borrowedmoney,along time ago, from the church,and havepaid ne ither principal nor interest ; and also that alarge copper kettle borrowed from them had received

It is here evident,that confounding the difierent casts w as assigned as a reason by the Roman Catholic cler w hy w omen of the

inferior casts,w ho sufiered themse lve s to b e ept as concub ines, b yof th e h igher cast s,ough t t o b e punished. By these means they

supported a n custom,totally inconsistent w ith the spirit of trueChris t ianity, w ich considers all mankind as children of the samefather. Th is syncret ism of the paganand the Christ ian re lig ionhas atall t imes beenallow ed by the Church ofRome . InCh ina,for e xample,the Jesuits declared the heavens to b e adivinity. and permit ted the iradherent s to w orsh ip it,as w ell as allow ed diflerent kinds of oblat ions. F .


“ letter to b e transmitted to the chief magistrate atAmb alapushe .

This letter of a pagan minister may serve as aproof how much power the light of sound reasonhasamong apeople whom the Europeans call barbarous.

It afiords a specimenalso of the policy and attentiont o the executive part of Government which prevailat the court of this Malabar monarch . He has onlyt o command,and hi s orders are immediately executedwith the utmost punctuality. His ministers neithercan nor dare have recourse to such subterfuges asthose of the European courts . Anoath from the

king, a small twig suspended at the door in hisname ,or mere confinement at one

’s ow nhouse,is a

check upon the conduct Of the minister,as well asupon that of the other subjects . When such mildmeasures, however, do not produce the intendedeffect, the offenders are subjected to afine,or to corporal punishment ; to imprisonment, banishmentfrom the country,or perpetual slavery inchains .

As soon as I had received the two letters beforementioned,I depart ed from Padmanaburam. The

mini ster paid me 100 Kalis,to defray the expensesof my journey ; and gave orders that the coolieswho carried my palanquinalong the seacoast,fromone place to another,should b e paid from the royaltreasury. WhenI arrivedat Parw r,the Mahometansthere protested against the king’s order,and wouldnot carry me farther,under the pretence that,beingaTanguel or Christianpriest,I w as anenemy to theirreligion. I w as obliged,therefore,to st epfive wholehours till the king’s Pravatiearer appeared, w ho

caused the refractory coolies to b e soundly beaten,and commanded them again to take upmy palan

In the month ofApril 1 784,the overseers of thetemple of Shivaat Mattineerawould not permit themissionarie s to sow the rice -fields whi ch they had onlease fromthem . As no other piece of land could b e

KIREETAPA’I‘HI M UNNAY SULTAN .

procured at that time,the missionaries complained toM . VanAngelb ec,Governor of Cochin. This gentleman,finding that the fields lay in the dominions of

the king of Travancor, and that he could donothing inthe business,advised me to take asecond

“

journey to Padmanabaram, in order to procureanother rescript from the king ; and he at the sametime furnishedme with some letters of recommendation. On the 21st ofApril,I reached Padmanabaraminsafety . I carried along with me the Malab ar,English,and Portuguese grammar,which I hadcomposed at Ciattigdti, and whi ch the king hadrequired from me, that the ministers of hi s courtmight learnEnglish and Portuguese by the assistanceof the Malabar language . Scarcely had the kingheard of my arrival whenhe sent two young noblemen,Padmandbhenpullaand Payampalli Curipu,towelcome me inhis name,and to attend me to anaudience . I found the king in the Varanda,that i s,the portico of h is palace,sitting onaPersiancarpet,and leanin

gwith one arm onalarge velvet cushion

ornamente with gold fringes . WhenI delivered tohim the grammar, his joy seemed to b e beyondall description. Inmy presence he sent for the tw o

“ lords of his b ed chamber,before mentioned ; shewedthem the grammar ; advised them to study it diligently and represented to them how necessary itw as that Princes as well as Statesmen,onaccount oftheir continual intercourse w i th the Europeans,should make themselves acquainted with these languages . On this occasion, the king presented mewith a gold bracelet, a gold style for writing on

palm leaves, and a small knife for cutting these

“eaves to the proper size . I received from himalso

aletter to the civil Officer at Parur, inconsequenceof whi ch he w as to announce publicly that the kinghad done me the honour to appoint me one of the

gentlemen of his court . The intrinsic value of theabove presents w as indeed not very conside rable,for it w as equal only to about tw elve sequins ; b ut


in other respects, they were of the highest importance,as the king gives such articles to those onlywho have merited his favor . N0 person inMalabardare use any of them w ithout the king’s expresspermission. They are marks of honor, which hedistributes in the same manner as our Europeanprinces do ribbons of different orders . Those alsow ho receive them enjoy certainprivi lege s and advantages ; such, for example, as that they cannot b ecarried before any Magistrate till the king is prev iously informed ; that they cantravel every wherealong th e highways ; that they are not obliged towait in the minister’s anti-chamber, and that theyare no t required to give place t o any person whatever ; with other things of the like kind.

The king made no hesitation to cause a re scriptto b e prepared, in virtue Of which w e were authoriz ed to sow our fields w i th rice . Having thusaccomplished the Object of my journey, I set out toreturn; and,proce eding along the seacoast,arrivedin five days at Verapole . Here I w as obliged tosupply the place of vicar-general ; for our Bishop,Carolus aSanoto Conrado, had gone t o Bombay,where he fell ill,and di ed onth e 6th of January 1 785 .

On the 8th of September 1 786 I again had anaudience of the king,RamaVarmer at Parnr,whereI Obtained another rescript, by which he granted tothe congregationat Verapole asmall piece of land,that had been gradually throw nup,and formed bythe river before our convent .

In the year 1 787 I remained at hi s court atTerw vandaram during the whole month of April,and defended there the privileges of the missionaries against the rebellious Christians, w ho refusedany longer Obedience to the European Bishop ofthat district .“ In the year 1 788, I paid avisit to the king ofTravancor,near Canigia,at the country seat of the


the king,and to settle some business respecting theDutch East India Company, were struck withastonishment . When I told him that our bishopw as inconfiement ,he seemed quite surprised ; turnedinstantly round to the minister,and asked who hadgiven such orders . The minister endeavoured toexculpate himself ; b ut M . VanAngelb ec, interrupting h im,said,that bishops ought not to b e treated inthat manner . The king then caused aletter to b ewritten to the petty officer commanding the party bywhom the bishop w as guarded,which contained anorder for h imto w ithdraw his men; and the minister,who heard all this, seemed greatly ashamed .

”

The above testimony,from adisinterested Europeanmissionary,is no ordinary compliment to Travancore,and is particularly valuable, especially at a time,whenlife and property inmany other parts of Indiawere ingreat jeopardy,and many territories were groaningunder despotic rule,and most of them di sturbed bygangs of robbers and plunderers .

The deep interest evinced by this Sovereignin thewelfare Of his subjects,fully justifies Fra. Bartolomeo’sobservations,and areview of some Of the enactmentsenforced by the MahaRajah would serve as additionalcorroborative testimony .

It has already been shownthat judi cial matters inTravancore were conducted on the principles of theDharma Sastra or the laws of Mann and that theSovereignac ted as the head of the judicial department.The Sovereign Of Travancore in the exercise of hislegislative authority seems to have passed severalspecial laws and rules under the designationof SattaWariola” for the administration of the affairs of th ekingdom of whi ch some only are preserved in the

records and the last of them appears to b e the one

passed in the Malabar year 951 (1 776AD ) .As a specimen of this last mentioned enactment,w e

would here insert a few of its sections which will nodoubt b e interesting to the reader


TranslationOf extract rules enacted by Vanji PalaRamaVurmah Kulasekhara Perumal in the Malabaryear 951 (1 776 A.D.) for the guidance of the localoflicials and called SattaWariola.

”

Section 14 .- Provi sions for the religious ceremo

nies and other wants of the Sircar shall b e purchas edfrom the inhabitants on payment of ready cash,andthe established hire shall also b e paid for carrying theprovisions to the place where such are required ; b ut infailure of immediate payment, the ofli cer who conductsthe transactionshall b e made to pa the value with 50per cent . interest and after paying t e ryot,the surplusshall b e credited to the Sircar as afine for the neglect.”

Sections 1 7,18 and 19.— Strict attent ion shall b e

aid to the charitable supply of wat er mixed withutter-milk to the weary travellers on the road, andthe public inns,where this water is supplied,shall b ethatched and kept always clean. Payment for buttermilk for this purpose shall b e made daily and the payof the person employed ingiving water,shall b e paidpunctually inevery month .

Section21 .—The ofli cials Of every village shal l

inspect at every seasonall such lands as have sufferedinjury by the breaches Of banks Of tanks,canals,&c.,

and by any accumulation of sand and thus renderedunfit for immediate cultivation. The servants shallexert themselves inhaving such obstructions removedthrough the owners inall ordinary cases or cause thesame to b e removed by the owners of the adjacentlands conjointly ; b ut if such works are found too

ex pensive,the same shall b e done at the Sircar expenseand the land inquestionmade cultivable at once without allowing the same to b e laid waste for any time .

Section 24 .—Every village servant shall exert

himself in exhorting the ryots to build fences roundtheir gardens for protecting cultivationand have everygarden planted with pepper, vines, cocoanut and

plantain shoots . Measures shall also b e adopted toprevent cattle trespass .

”


Sections 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35 .— Every dispute

between ryots concerning landed property shall b esettled by the decision of fourmenof the village, (inthe form of Panchayat) through the Provert icar ; ifthat ofli cer does not settle the case immediately, heshall b e summoned before the district cutcherry andan adequate fine imposed upon h im and the cas eenquired into by thadasthers (jury) formed of theinhabitants of the village where the disputed propertyis situated and in the presence of the district Ofi cer.

The parties shall b e thenmade to pay each one fanam(one seventh of a Rupee ) as a vow to PadmanabhaSwamy, and when the case is so decided by the

thadasthers (jurors),the party gaining the case shallb e required to pay afe e at the rate of 10 per cent . onthe amount of his suit,and the contra-party who loose sthe case shall b e required to pay afee of 5 per cent .

”

Section4 4 .-The district Oflicials shall not apply

fetters, chains and manacles to those ryots who arefound entangled inany criminal charge .

”

Section4 6 .—The di strict officials shall hold no

proceedings at the ir private residence and every transaction of p

ublic business shall b e done at the publiccutcherry .

Section4 7 .—The district Ofli cials shall attend their

office at 7 A.H. and commence business,adjourning at12 for taking meals,and return at 2 P.M . and holdoffice till 9 P.M . That the account Of collection anddisbursement shall b e read over and the cash chestexamined by the Tahsildar every day before quittingthe Office ; that onthe 30th of every month the Mudelpedicaren or cash-keeper shall b e made to pay anysum which he may have disbursed in excess over thesanctioned amounts .

”

Sect ions 52, 53, 54 and 55 .— When petit ioners

appear before the district cutcherry, with the ir complaints, their cases shall b e decided reasonably so as

to b e concurred in by public Opinion; b ut no petit ioner shall b e detained to his inconvenience and put


public roads, and repairing and levelling of publicroads as well as placing good canoes at every ferryshall also engage the vigilant attention of the head ofthe district ; the pay of the ferryman shall b e paidmonthly. That the care of the avenue trees,as wellas planting the same, on sides of the roads wherethere are no trees,shall b e Observed and the districtOfficer will employ special menfor this purpose .

Section 77 .— For the transmission of the Sircar

goods and provisions the required number of boatsshall b e provided by the Sircar at their own expense,by getting anumber Of logs and scooping them intoboats for the purpose .

Section83 .—The measures by which the ryots

are required to give paddy to the Sircar in part-payment of the land tax ,shall b e annually examined bythe district Officer and the ryot himself w ill b e allowedto put the paddy into the measures at a fixed height,and the measurement shall b e made by clearing thebridge of the parah .

”

We will now conclude this chapter with aquotationfrom Rajah T . Madava Row ’

s review Of this MahaRajah’

s career from his unpublished manuscript historyof this reign,aMalayalim translation of which hasalready been givento the public, as has beensaid inthe previous chapt er by the Travancore Book Commit tee

It w as during the reignw e are bringing to aclosethat the countries conquered by Travancore andcomposing this State as it now is,w ere fully andsat isfactorily settled . Peace and order were com

pletely established . The deposed Chiefs quietlyacquiesced in honorable retirement, and the newsubjects of the MahaRajah found themselves intheenjoyment of blessings to which they had long beenstrangers . The wisdom,the moderation,the b enevolence of the ruler of Travancore were universally felt,and acknowledged . Englishmen too proud to stoopto adulation,called him the father of his people .

KIREETAPATHIM UNNAY SULTAN .

The financial system of the country however cannot b e said to have been improved during this reign.

Liberal reforms were indeed not possible at aperiodwhenthere were the most exac ting demands uponthetreasury. Monopolies were multiplied till almostevery important article O f trade w as engrossed byt he system . Pepper,cardamoms,ginger,cinnamon,areca-nuts, turmeric, salt, coppra, coir, tobacco,cotton, teak, blackwood and numerous other staplesw ere brought and sold by the Sircar in vi ew tobenefit the public revenues . Of these pepper yieldedconsiderable profits as it used to sell at 14 0 rupeesper candy,and w as much indemand for Euro ean

markets . The cultivation of thi s Spice w as t ere

uponartificially stimulated beyond legitimate bounds,as proved by the circumstance that when the pressure of the monopoly w as removed,the cultivationmanifested aperceptible dimunit ion. The trammelsplaced on the trade of the country by means Of

monopolies and transit duties would have provedfatal to commercial prosperity,had it no t been thatthis evil w as considerably compensated by the

extreme lightness of the land-tax which greatlyfavoured protectionThough the public revenues w ere thus augmented,they proved quite inadequate to meet the demandsarising out of the w ar with Tippoo . TheMahaRajahw as thus constrained to have recourse to aSpecialw ar-tax . It w as assessed ex clusively on landed

limited to one year. The State im r

at ively required funds,and the MahaRajah there ore

imposed aheavy tax for ashort period inpreferenceto a light one for a long period . Indeed,the taxw as one oncapital and no t on income . Though itmight have been, in some cases, Oppressive in itsincidence,it had the advantage that it w as demandedin the presence of the danger to w hich the countryw as exposed,and that its odium rapidly passed away.

It had the further advantage that it could not b eevaded,inasmuch as the general survey and assess


ment of landed properties, instituted in 948 by theMahaRa

'

ab’s orders,had di sclosed to the State the

individu possessions of all holders . It is also tob e noted that all descri ptions of land, w ithoutrespect to tenure, came under this extraordinaryimpost,which in the aggregate is said to have yieldedabout one million and seven hundred thousandrupees .

But even extraordinary taxation failed to'

eld

adequate means to answer the incessant ca for

funds . The Maha Rajah felt that he could not ,w ithout exciting dangerous discontent among hissubjects, increase their burdens, and he saw no

alternative b ut that of raisin loans Funds wereindeed thus Obtained to meet t e pressing exigenciesof the State, b ut the obligations incurred inevitablyled to difi cult ies of the gravest character,diflicult ieswhich embittered the closing years of the MahaRajahand culminated in aperilous crisis in the reign of

his successor.

The MahaRajah departed this life between 1 and2 P. M . onWednesday the 6th Ki imb hum 973 (1 7thFebruary 1 inthe seventy-fourth year of his ageand the fortieth of his reign. Amid his sorrowingsubjects,w ith due pompand circumstance,his remainswere,as usual,consigned to the fimeral pile composedof sandal-wood,camphor,and other rare and aromaticcombustibles .

The deceased MahaRajah may unhesitatingly b eronounced aPrince w ho approached nearest to theindu ideal of agood king .

” Menu the great lawgiver of the Hindus saysLet the king prepare ajust compensation for the

good and ajust punishment for the b ad, the rule ofstrict justice let h imnever transgress .

’

Aking w as created as the protector of all thoseclasses and orders,who from the first to the last discharge their several duties .

’


As IndraSheds plentiful showers during the rainymonths,thus let him,acting like the regent O f clouds,rainjust gratificat ions over hi s kingdom .

’

These and other cardinal precepts of the universallegislator,the Maha Rajah kept constantly in viewand strove honestly to fulfil throughout his longtenure of regal power .

”

Judged evenby the standard of moderntimes,theMaha Rajah must b e allowed a high plac e in the

catalogue of b eneficent rulers. He w as in everysense the model of a mi ld Hindu,amiable,urbane,just and generous . His humanity, compassionandhospitality are the theme of traditionary praise tothis day. As a sovere ign,he w as remarkably truthful, straightforw ard and faithful to engagements .

Blessed w ith a cool and calculating judgment,wisdom and prudence characterized the tenor of

his long career, and as a consequence (to use thewords of a native courtier of the time ), dangersand diflicult ies which came like mountains, passedaway likemists .

’ Extravagance andwasteful dissipation,the curse of oriental monarchs,the MahaRajahcan never b e charged w ith . On the contrary he

carefully husbanded the public resources and prudently restrained his personal expenditure . His conciliatory dispositionw as conspicuous throughout hisblameless life . N0 one me t him b ut carried awaythe most favorable impressions of his virtuesand good nature . Fra. Paolino de SanBartolomeowho sought and obtained the honor of anaudiencesays, For my part,I could not help admiring thegoodness of heart, aflab ili ty and humanity of thisPrince, as well as the Simplicity of his householdestablishment and w ay Of life .

’

The English Commissioners appointed to settle theafiairs of Malabar in 1 792,and who also made thepersonal ac quaintance of the Maha Rajah add theirtestimony by recording that, We ow n he left avery favorable impressionon our minds,both as to


his personal good qualities,and what w e consider asthe unequivocal Sincerit Of his attachment to theHonorable Company .

’is memory is justly revered

for the rare solicitude he felt and manifested for thewelfare Of his subjects . Inhis reign,to quote againthe words of Bartolomeo, Public security is restored throughout the w hole country ; robbery andmurder are no longer heard of ; no one has occasionto b e afraid on the highways ; religious worship

“ is never interrupted ; the people may rest assuredthat, on every occasion, justice w ill b e speedilyadministered . And Englishmen, seldom, prone toindulge inthe language Ofadulation,called the MahaRajah the father of his people .

’

CHAPTER IV

IS young sovereign of sixteen years w as

installed on the musnud on the death of his

uncle,onthe 7th Kumb ham 973 M .E . (18thFebruary 1 798 A.D) . Though His Highness w as

of agood disposition, yet he appears to have been asingular ex cepti on to the many scions of this royalfamily, in regard to intellectual gift s and mentalacquirements . He w as com letely in the hands of aset of favourites, among W cm O odiary JayanthenSankaren Numb oory, a nat ive Brahman from the

CalicutRajah’s terri tories w as the foremost and w ho

seems to have been the moving Spiri t of the Government Of the time . An uneducate d man, SankarenNumb oory w as devoid of all good principles, andpossessed anambitious and avaricious Spirit.Thi s covetous Numb oory aimed at the Dew an’s

post, and therefore the first step he took w as to setthe

.young‘Maha Rajah against the old and worthy

minister, ye KasavaBass . The Numboo carriedhis intrigues to such anextent as to cause t e Maha

Rajah no t to admi t the minister to his presence6

whenever public business required that he Should see thesovereign.

The national feelings in Travancore regardingloyalty are of a sacred nature under certain peculiarcircumstances,afact which has beenalready explained

REIGN or sans PADMANABHADASA,&O .

inthe second chapter of this work,so that the positionof the Travancore sovereign had become somewhatparallel to that of the Pepe inRome ; and thereforeneither the people nor the servants of the State woulddare to disobey the king or act against the wishe s ofthe sovereign,whether royalty w as represented by anignorant minor, or an educated sovereign in his

dotage .

Under such circumstances the Dew anfound himselfinaposition of some difficulty,as he could not carryonpublic business as freely and regularly as before or

do anything w ithout the sovereign’s special commands .

In 974 M .E . (1799 one Thottappa e Numb oory OfCochin,abosom fri end of Jayanthen ankarenNumb oory,took advantage of this state of afiairs andbegged his friend to prevail upon the MahaRajah torestore to Cochin the Karappuram territories whichhad been takenby RamaIyenDalawah,and ceded toTravancore by the CochinRajah by his last treaty .

Jayanthen Sankaren Numb oory succeeded in Obtaining the young MahaRajah

’s signature to adocument

draw n out by him, sanctioning the restorationof theSharétalay di stri ct (Karappuram) to the CochinRajah,and handed the same clandestinely to the said Thottappaye .

This document which w as, called a Neet or royalwrit, w as taken w i th all possible secrecy by theThottappaye Numb oory,w ithout the knowledge of theDewan,or any of the ministerial ofli cers .

The Dewanreceived private informationabout thistreacherous transaction,afew hours after the departure of Thottappaye with the Ncet,whenthe minister

posted horses by the sea-beach between Trevandrum and Quilon, proce eded northwards at once,inpursuit of the Numb oory. Onthe Dewan’s reachingParoor O otupurah,south of Quilon,he had the satisfaction to learn that Thot tappaye Numb oory had justhalted there to take his meals at the O otupurah . He

w as at once stopped,and the w rit recovered from37

REIGN OF SREE PADMANABHADASA

This faithful conduct of the Dewan irritated the

young Maha Rajah, and offended the treacherousO odiary Numb oory to such an extent,that he beganto devote all his attention towards compas sing the

ruin of the Dewan, and this be ing known to theminister,he beganto feel very uneasy. The proceedings of the court itself at the time were anything b utsatisfactory, and matters began to go from b ad t o

worse day by day.

Amonth or tw o after the anniversary of the latesovere ign’

s death,974 M .E . (1 799 the Dewanhad one day the heart-rending mort ificat ion to see theN umb oory sitting in the State palanquinthat be longedt o the late sovere ignand be ing carried round the streetsinprocession in grand style as if it w as aprocessionof the sovere ign himself . This palanquin, the lateMaha Rajah had always looked upon as a favouritepiece Of furniture,and therefore the Dewanhad wishedto preserve it in tact inmemory of HisHighness . Adeep sense of regard and reverence for his departedsovere ign,and asense of his ow n duty impelled the

Dewan to make some strong and severe remarks on

the Numb oory’s improper conduct inthus taking advan

tage of the young MahaRajah’s kindness towards him.

Soon after this event, the Dewan appears to haverece ived what is generally called in Travancore a‘Velaku Neet,

’

(royal commissionof dismi ssal) and hew as confined inhis house under aguard.

Afew days aft er this,8th Madom,the tow nof Trevandrumw as Shocked w i th the harrowing intelligencethat DewanRye Kasava Dass w as lying dead inhisow n b ed in the chamber of his residence . It appearsthat there w as not asoul in the Dewan’s house exceptthe guards .

The Dewan had no wife,or son or other relative sliving with himat the time of his death. As he residedapart from them and close to his oflice, inside theTrevandrum fort and palace,nobody could explain theactual cause of the minister’s death .


shameful death, and that h is remains Should havebeen buried like those of anordinary private individual without any public demonstration Of regret orrespect .

It is said that the Dewan’s younger brother CumarenThamby,the thenGeneral and Commander-in-Chief ofthe Travancore army, and his nephew ,

E rayimenThamby,the Pe ishcar,with some other relatives aloneformed the processionat the funeral of this truly greatman.

This Dewan w as not well known to the outsideworld,as inhis days there were not many newsp

apersor periodicals criticising and eulogisingmenan measures as inmoderntimes .

He seems to have had no other interest at heartsave that of h is sovereign and of his country,and hedevoted hi s whole attention towards promotingthe welfare of the people entrusted to his care . The

office he considered as his house,and spent his timemostly in the discharge of his public duties . Owingto the weakness and minority of the MahaRajah,andthe animosity of the Numb oory, this worthy Dewan

’s

services were not recognised during this reign, b utthe popular indignation at hi s unexpected and mysterious end w as SO great that evi l consequences wereapprehended.

Inthe year 975 (1800 whenColonel Macaulyarri ved in Travancore after h is appointment as Reeident, he instituted some enquiry into the Dewan’suntimely death,when Samprath Kunjuneelam Pillayand others were arrested,b ut int e absence of evidenceto warrant their conviction,they were di scharged .

The field being now clear JayanthenSankarenNumb oory,found no difficulty inattaining the object of hisambition. He prevailed upon the young and simpleminded MahaRajah to signaNeet (royal commission)appointing him to the high post of Valia Sarvadhikariakar (prime minister),onthe 4 th day,1 l th Madom

VANJI PALABALARAMAVURMAH.

974,after the death Of the meritorious and the muchlamented Dewan,Rye KasavaDass .

The new Premier, untrained and unfitted as he w as

for the high and responsible office of prime minister,w as bewildered and almost helpless onhis sudden ex al

tat ion. He selected for his council Chetty ThackalaySankaranarayanenValia M elaluthu (finance minister),and Mathoo Tharaken,an influential Syrian Christianof the north, who he ld the salt, tobacco and othercontracts during the last re ign. These tw o menwereas unprincipled as the N umb oory himself.

Thus this triumvirate of ignorance,profligacy andrapacity came to rule the destinie s of this interestingrincipal ity, in Spite of the earnest wish which theovernor General, Lord Mornington expressed that

areally eflicient ministry should b e formed .

’

But after due consultationw ith hi s fri ends and supporters, the Numb oory came to the determinationof

remedying the financial embarrassments, and thusplease his young employer and benefit himself at thesame time . Inorder to effect this,the council resolveduponraising ageneral contribution.

Rules were framed for a systematic levying of thecontribution,w ith aclause authorizing the inflictionofSuch punishment on refusal of payment, as the

ministry and Prince may deem proper . These rulesObtained the royal assent at once .

Inaccordance with alist which had beenprepared,the ministry began to summon people before them anddemand immediate payment of the sums fixed in the

list against their names or to b e prepared to undergothe infamy of being subjected to corporal punishment .

Thi s inhuman and barbarous system of extortionwent on for a fortnight,and alarge sum of moneyw as realised . Several respectable personswere floggedand imprisoned . Merchants,landlords,retired publicservants,all suffered alike ; so much so,thatno family,even of ordinary circumstances, w as Spared . Cries

REIGN 0 1"

SEERPADMANABHA DASA

against all this injustice and tyranny were heardthroughout the length and breadth of the land .

Inthe course of these arbitrary and tyrannical proceedings, one Valu Thamby Kariakar anex -Tahsildar,w as summoned before this detestable Numb oorymini stry for payment . The amount fixed against his namew as ealy fanams equal to about rupee s .

He w as required to pay down the money immediate ly,or to b e exposed to the disgrace of be ing lashed likethose who could not pay. ValuThamby,be ing aboldyoung man,of a respectable family, blessed w ith aquick understanding,would not submit to the sfiront

thus Oflered him. He informed the Numb oory premier,that he did no t come there provided with money ;that he would no t submit to the punishment proposed to himinlieu of money ; and that he would go toNanjenaud and raise the money w i thin thre e days tomeet the demand . He w as made to Signapromissorynote to this eflect before he took his departure .

Valu Thamb proceeded to the south,and convenedameetin of all the heads of villagers about Nanjenaud . e sounded the b razendrum,the ancient signalsummoning the inhabitants about Nanjenaud onallemergent occasions,to rise,and also sent emissariesas far as Alleppey for apprising the people . Afterforming a council the leaders issued notices to theelders and others of the villages all round to jointheassembly in order to take measures to put a step tothese arbitrary proceedings of the Numb oory ministry.

The populace,be ing inastate of great indignationat the illegal and disgraceful proceedings of theministry,Valu Thamby and other leaders of the insarrectionfound no difliculty in inducing people from thesouth as well as ab out Trevandrum to flock to theirstandard . The military secretly joined the assembly,and Valu Thamby found himse lf at the head of alargenumber of men,ready for an insurrection.

As Valu Thamby did not present himse lf with themoney promi sed by him, and hearing that he w as


dismissed officers to b e given“

upto the assembly,withpermi ssion to dealwith them according to the ir deserts .

They were accordingly made over to the assembly .

A select party of the leaders forming a court or

Punchayet sentenced the e x -Valia Sarvadhikariakarto b e disgraced and banished the country,and SankaraNarayanenand Mathoo Tharakenas already proposedto have the ir ears cut off and b e impri soned .

This sentence w as carried out at once . SankaraNarayanenPillay w as sent t o the U da agherry fortto b e confined there in irons,while M at 0 0 Tharaken

w as imprisoned at Trevandrum.

After accomplishing all the above, the crowd dispersed, and a select party, headed by one IyappenChempakaRamenPilla Of Sheraingheel,who w as alsoone Of the principal leaders of the insurrection,aecom

panied by Valu Thamby,presented themselves beforethe young MahaRajah and placed their services at

His Highness’disposal . They proposed the formationof anew cabinet andHis Highness accepted their Offerth alacrity .

Sheraingheel I appenChempaka RamenPillay w asappointed ValiaSarvadhikariakar,prime mini ster,andseveral others were selected for subordinate offices .

Valu Thamby rece ived the appointment Of MulakumadescelaSarvadhikariakar (commercial minister) .

Thus w as a new admini stration brought intoex istence . The Valia Sarvadhikariakar,an able andexperienced man,lost no time in correcting all theevils introduced by the infamous Numb oory ValiaSarvadhikariakar,and inre establishing the confidenceof the people in the administration.

This wise minister adopted also the most importantand e ssential measure of selecting and appointing aspersonal attendants on the young Maha Rajah,a fewwise and disinterested men,of the Brahman,Kshatriaand Sudracastes,and His Highness,though weak and


simme-minded,w as found to b e docile,especially after amp.

these troubles .

IV

This minister’s tenure of office w as not very long,for he died fourteen months after his appointment.Nevertheless, w i thin this short interval, he provedhimself to b e equal to some of his predecessors . Hew as succeeded b y Parechalay Padmanab henChempakaRamenPillay .

The new mini ster,partly from his unfitness for the

high post,and partly from some underhand pressuresoon met w ith his downfall, and w as sent homerelieved from the care s of oflice after acareer of aboute ight months .

Now, Valu Thamby, Mulakumadeseela Sarvadhi

kariakar, who had all along been watching with aneagle-eye for the first favorab le Opportunity to obtainthe high office of prime minister began to adoptmeasures for accomplishing his long cherished design.

This ambitious oflicer gained over almost all thefavorites of the MahaRajah .

At this time 976 M E (180 1 the principalfavorite officials in the palace w ere Samprathy Kunjuneelam Pillay, Valia M eleluthu, Muthu Pillay and

Shanapathy Suba Iyen. Besides these,there w as a

host of unprincipled men as favorites of the youngMaha Rajah and all these favored the designs ofValuThamby. But there were two able oflicers intheservi ce,whose claims to promotionhad beenoverlookedmore than once . They were Thamby ChempakaRamenCumaren,the younger brother,and E rayimen,the nephew of the late lamented Dewan,Rye KasavaDass . Both of the se menhad several English friendsinMadras and Bombay owing to the influence of the irrelat ive the late Dewan. The two officers were inclosecorrespondence w i th their friends whi ch fact w as wellknown to Valu Thamby and KunjuneelamPillay .

With the express view of disqualifying the se twoOfficials for the high office Of prime minister,Kunju

38


noelam Pillay and his colleague s beganto plot againstthem. Kunjuneelam Pillay fab ricated false accountsat the palace showing aclaim Of several lacs Of rupee sagainst the late Dewanas having beenappropriated byh im,from the treasury,w ithout the permissionof the lateMahaRajah . The se relative s of the late Dewanw ere

called upon to liquidate the debt . They objected,andthe matter created agood deal of unpleasantness inthe palace . With the view of shielding themselve sfrom the attacks of their enemies,they had beencommunicat ing with their English friends . This circumstance w as misrepresented to the MahaRajah by Kun

june elam Pillay and others . They said that theseo fficers,the general,and the pe ishcar, were engagedin acorrespondence, involving a treacherous designagainst His Highness’ kingdom, and that credibleinformationhad beenrece ived that they had beencommunicat ing with the English both at Madras,and atBombay for this purpose and that their intentionwould b e Shortly carried into eflect . T o prove thisassertion,they fabricated some letters in the nameof those ofli cers as if w ritten by them to the

Governor of Madras,and to the Nabob of the Camat ic,and produced the same before the MahaRajah .

The MahaRajah be ing naturally of atimid dispositionand credulous in such matters,w as quite alarmedand perplexed,and consulted Valu Thamby,who hadnow become Sarvadhikariakar,and who confirmed thereport .

The general and the peishcar, together with a

linguist named PadmanabhaPillay,and oneWalikalampaut N eelam Pillay, were arrested on a charge oftreason. Immediate ly after this, Valu Thamby w as

appointed Valia Sarvadhikariakar, (prime minist er)and he proceeded toAlleppey to hold hi s oflice there,like DewanRye KasavaDass .

Subsequent to the Sarvadhikariakar’s departure

from Trevandrum,the death-warrant of the tw o Ofi cersw as signed by the MahaRajah .

REIGN OF BREE PADMANABHADASA

low and depraved individual and the Maha Rajahoccupied himself alternately with the pleasures of theseraglio and the ceremonies of superstition.

”

Valu Thamby w as now appointed (977) as Dalawah,and he beganacareer,unprecedented inmany respects .

He w as aman of extraordinary ability and talentsOf strong passions and quick sensibility and w as

amazingly bold and daring.

Though the career of this Dalawah had every appearance of despotism and cruelty, yet his intentionthroughout all hi s proceedings w as honest, fair,andood,his attentionbeing always directed to promotet e public interests .

The most remarkable quali ty in this Ofli cer w as

his purity of character ; his moral principles were so

refined, that his equal w as scarcely to b e found inTravancore in those days .

The first step Valu Thamby took after his appointment w as, to e stablish order among the people, andensure the honest performance Of the ir duties bySircar servants throughout the kingdom . To efiect this,he adopted punishments far exce eding inseverity thoseprescrib ed by the law of the country,and the natureof the crimes called for.

The w hole administration,revenue,civil,judicial andmilitary,w as assumed by him, and his orders weresupreme inthe country,which w as altogether inadi sorganised state since the dismissal of the renownedDewanR e KasavaDass . The public services werethoroughiy demoralised . There w as no such thingas discipline . Heads of departments were independentand masters of their respective Offices . Intrigues andcheating were the order of the day,and life and property w ere inserious jeopardy .

The above state of afiairs w as corrected and perfectsecurity and safety established by the strong hand ofValu Thamby Dalawah,inthe course Ofafew months.


misdemeanours, b oth among the Sircar servants andthe people,became almost unknown. The very figureof the Dalawah,who w as tall and proportionately stoutwith an imposing appearance,seemed ever present inthe minds of all the Sircar servants,as well as roguesand criminals .

The Dalaw ah w as always moving from one districtto another on circuit,taking along with hima selectparty of his subordinate officials from the revenue,judicial and military departments .

The mode of transacting business w as Similar tothat of afield officer in acountry where martial lawhad been proclaimed ; for the Dalawah used to holdhi s judi cial and military courts evenunder trees andon the plains,whenhe received any serious complaintduring his circuit . The whole time occupied by h iminhearing and deciding cases,seldom exceeded four or

five hours within that interval, he would himselfexamine the complainant’s w itnesses, defendants or

prisoners inthe presence of h is Sastri and Muflthee,and thenpronounce judgment . If the case w as one

of murder,the convicted criminals would b e hangedonthe very tree under whi ch he eat,before he startedfrom the place .

The Dalawah w as as severe as he w as strict andimpartial. Like RamaIyenDalawah andRye KasavaDass Dewan,he had also removed himself from his

family influences inagreat measure . His impartialityand stri ctness are strikingly exhib ited in the followingincident : There lived aChanar near the Dalaw ah’

s

house,who had a cocoanut garden,which he gave toarelative of Valu Thamby under the tenure of mortgage . He enjoyed it for a considerable time, payingthe assessment tax to the Sircar inthe Chanar’s name,b ut whenValu Thamby came into power, the mortgagee succeeded inobtaining aregistry of the garden,inhis ow nname, w ithout the knowledge and consentof the Chanar,through the influence of Valu Thamby,the Dalawah

’

s mother. During atour inthe Southern

VANJIPALABALARAMAY URMAH.

di stricts,the Chanar made acomplaint onthe subjectt o the Dalawah,who,as usual, immediately called theProverthy accountant and questioned him onthe Sub

ject, when, to his surprise, he learnt that such aregistry w as made by the very accountant at the

request of the Dalaw ah’s mother,w ho,onbeing askedb y the Dalawah, confirmed the statements of theaccountant . The Dalawah looked at his mother withan indignant smile,observing that he little expectedthat she would cause such an odium to b e cast onhisname . Saying this, he sent for acarpenter,and a

broad chisel, and inthe pre sence of his mother, thePilley’s fingers were chopped off w ith the chisel,and he w as di smissed from the service . He nextcaused the re-entry of the name of the Chanar intothe Proverthy accounts as the owner of the gardenalluded to .

AS Valu Thamby w as thus carrying every thingwith ahigh hand, in978 M .E . (1803 A.D),he beganto experience strong opposition from the military,as well as from the ministerial servants and palaceofi cials,who were all ofiended w ith him on ac countof the severity of hi s proceedings . And while theDalawah w as at Alleppey Kunjuneelam Pillay Samprathy and Muthu Pillay,ValiaM eleluthu Pillay anda few of the most influential oflicers of the military,conspired against the Dalaw ah and prevailed uponHis Highness to issue aroyal warrant for his apprehension and immediate execution,appointing,at thesame time, one N eelakunden Chempaka Ramen as

ValiaSarvadhikariakar of the State .

Fortunately for the Dalawah, Major Macauly whohad beenappointed in1800 as Resident of Travancore,arrived from Palamcottah and Valu Thamb y

’s w isdom

suggested to him,his taking Major Macauly’s advice

in all important matters . Ramalingum M oodehar,

the grandfather of Vedadrissadasa M oodeliar, the

present third Judge of the Travancore Sudr Court,was appointed Sthanapathy or the Resident’s Agent


ou r. at the Maha Rajah’s Court, and the friendship and

W' good-w i ll of that personalso the Dalaw ah managed tosecure .

The Dalawah saw Colonel Macauly who w as thenatCochin,and acquainted him w ith the particulars of theconspiracy against his life,and acting upon the Resident’s advice, Valu Thamby went to Trevandrum forthe purpl

ose of paying hi s respects to His Highne ssand e xp ining matters,b ut through the intri es of

the alace oflicials,anaudience w as refused tohim bythe ahaRajah . Valu Thamby communicated this to

V the Resident, informing him at the same time thatSamprathy Kunjuneelam Pillay, Valia M eleluthu

Muthu Pillay, Major Padmanab henChem akaRamenPillay, Vanchiyoor Papu Pillay, Pooliel Ochu NarayanaPillay Sarvadhikariakar and Vanchiyoor Padmanabb enThamby were the principal persons who instigated the Rajah to sanctionthe unjust executionof thelate general andpeishcar . ColonelMacauly thereuponcame to Trevandrum,along withRamalingum Moodeliar, escorted by afew companies of the subsidiaryforce, stationed at Quilon, and held an immediateinquiry regarding the conspiracy and the cause of theexecutionof the general and peishcar . The chargesof conspiracy and the innocence of the general and

peishcar were established, and Samprathy Kunjuneelam Pillay, Valia M eleluthu Muthu Pillay andsome others were suspected . Some of them wereconfined inthe U dagherry fort,while others were sentto Alleppey and Mavalikaray to b e confined there,

p)ending aformal trial by aCourt . But Valu Thambyalawah found an easy w ay of disposing them before

a trial, for with the exception of Major ChempakaRamen, Padmanab hen Pillay and Sarvadhi Ne elakundenChempakaRamenPillay,all the prisoners di edbefore they could b e put on the ir trial .

Though matters were thus arranged to the satisfaction of Valu Thamby,the MahaRajah’s advisersfelt extreme displeasure, and they managed to em


During the able,though arbitrary administration of

Valu Thamby Dalawah, soukars and bankers in thetow n,and b azaarmenas well as the peasantry in thecountry,could Sleep w ith openand unbolted doors inperfect safety at night . Merchants and people of all

descriptions could travel through any part of th ecountry without fear ofmolestat ion.

Valu Thamby Dalawah caused a survey of all thelands and gardens throughout the kingdom to b e madeand new pattas or pathivus were issued to all theproprietors and o ther landholders . N ew auyacatt oo

or assessment account w as completed and a regularityin the system of ke eping and conducting accountsintroduced and enforced . By thismeasure,an increas ein the land revenue w as effected, and the financialpositionof the country considerably improved.

Commercial Speculations and' pursuits specially

engaged the Dalaw ah’

s attention,and therefore the

traffic department of the S ircar w as brought toperfection; and all the cash, which any source ofrevenue yielded to the Government,found its w ay intothe Sircar treasury, instead of into the private purseof the servants as heretofore . Never had the conservation of public funds beenmore successfully aecom

plished since the demise ofRye KasavaDass Dew an.

The finances of the Sircar having,as above stated,been brought into such a flourishing condition,theDalawah w as now able t o pay off all the arrears of thesalarie s due t o the Sircar e stablishments as well as tothe various institutions,and also t o clear off the Statedebts,which were very heavy at the time .

The Dalawah took great intere st in improvingQuilon,where new bazaars were built several Tinnevelly and Madura merchants were invited to settleth ere, and with the view of making the place oneof some importance,alarge and Spacious building forthe cutcherrie s w as constructed, as also a Hindupagoda,aroyal residence,and other requisite buildings .

Quilon thus b ecame atow n of note likeAlleppey .

VAN JI PALABALARAMAVURMAH.

During the whole of his administration the Dalawahw as very careful inpreserving the amity and friendshipe xisting b etwe en the Honorab le East India Companyand the Travancore Sircar. This ab le minister,havingb eenanadmirer of De w anRye KasavaDass,saw thatt h e safest planw as to follow the system of Governmentadopted by that illustrious Statesman.

The Dalawah devoted a great deal of his attentiont o the improvement of the townand port ofAlleppey,for which purpose he Often re sided there .

“ He commenced Opening up various road s for traffic to thatimportant commercial townfromvarious directions ande stablished amarket at Chunganacherry fifteen milessouth-east,and another thoroughfare at Thalayolanparampa near Vycome, twenty-nine miles north ofAlleppey . In these two thoroughfare s, we ekly andb i-weekly markets are still held,whenall the articlesproduced in the interior of the country are broughtand disposed of by the ryots,and whence they findthe ir w ay to the port s ofAlleppey and Cochin.

It w as this Dalawah who cleared the bushy islandin the middle of the backwater, north of Alleppey,and planted the same with cocoanut trees and con

verted aportionof it into paddy fields . Abungaloww as also built there afterw ards . Thi s island is nowknownby the name of Patheramanapuram, and w as

inthe possessionof M r . J . Munro, the present superintendent and magistrat e of the Travancore Sircar’scardamonhills . It w as lately transferred to anativeat Thunneermukum. The Manjali market, in the

distri ct of Alangaud, w as also established by thisDalawah .

The road from Quilonto Shencottah w as Opened,and inorder to induce Brahmans and other travellersto pass by that road, and for their comfort anCotu

The minister is at Allegp

ey liv ing inthe Dew an’s house ; he has

now been ab sent from the ajah six w eeks and seems to fo llow the

example,ine very th ing,of t he old Dew an.

”

Maior Macauly toRamalingumMoodehar.


purah w as established at Mampalathuray,and someother works for convenience of the public were con

structed . The present hall of audience attached t o

t he palace at Trevandrum, in the southern street ofthe fort,w as built under the superintendence of theDalaw ah . This w as originally a part of the palacebuilt by Rye Kasava Dass Dew an at Alleppey,andremoved from thence to Trevandrumby the Dalawah .

While Valu Thamby w as thus going onsuccessfully,he thought it expedient t o effect are trenchment intheexpenditure e specially as there were arrears of subsidyto b e paid to the British Government . The first itemthat engaged the attention of the Dalawah w as the

allowance of the Nair troops, whose maintenance,he thought, w as,at that time,an unnecessary drainupon the exchequer. In thi s view the Resident fullyconcurred . This measure created a general disaffection inthe military and kindled the fire of arebelli on,which be ing fanned by the enemi es of the Dalawah,some of whom were then incustody in the U dagherryfort,as well as at M avalikaray, extended throughoutthe country . The State prisoners were re leased andevery mil itary station w as abandoned. The concen

trated force proceeded t o Trevandrum,with the objectof insisting on the dismissal and execution of theO bnoxious minister and all his associates, and the

appointment of a minister to b e nominated by the

military . Wh en the mutineers came en masse toTrevandrum,they found nobody to resist them,b uton the other hand supporters in the persons of theenemies of the Dalawah . The Dewan w as absentat Alleppey . The young Maha Rajah w as perplexed

Singular Situation, for there w as not a singleman of ab ility and firmness at the capital t o copew ith the difficulty . By this time, the news reachedAlleppey,and the Dewan see ing that the Nair battalions there had also mutinied,fled to Cochin, wherethe British Resident then w as, and after mutualconsultation, the Resident ordered a body of troopsfrom Tinnevelly to march to Trevandrum,and the


M Y LORD,The British Resident at the Court of the Rajah of

Travancore has communicated to your Lordship the

circumstances of aninsurrectionamong the Nair battalions in the service of the Rajah of Travancore,andof the danger to which the authority of the Rajah,and the influence of the British Government inTravancore are exposed by the extent of that insurrectionand the violence and ac tivi ty of the insurgents .

The treaty concluded betw eenthe British Government and the Rajah of Travancore in the year 1 797does not containany express stipulationfor the aid ofthe British power in quelling internal commotionswithin the territories of that Prince b ut the spiri t ofthe treaty certainly imposes uponus that ob ligation.

The expedi ency,however,of affording such aid in the

present crisi s is obvious, especially under this con

sideration,that the avowed object of th e insurrectionis the subversion of the British influence in th e

councils of the Rajah .

If, therefore, your Lordship should no t haveadopted measures for the relief of theRajah of Travancore,I request that on rece ipt of this despatchyour Lordship will issue orders directing the immediate despatch of aBritish force from the most convenient quarter, for the purpose of quelling the msur

rection in the vicinity of Travancore,and of re storingthe authority of the Rajah and the Dew an.

I consider this occurrence to afford a favorableopportunity for the modification of our subsidiaryengagements w ith the Rajah of Travancore . The

modificationwhich I propose is,that the British forceat present subsidized by the Rajah b e permanentlystationed within his dominions, and that the BritishGovernment posse ss authority to regulate the di spositions of that force within the territories of theRajahin such amanner as may appear best calculated to

secure the object of its appointment.


I have accordingly directed the Resident at Tra

vancore to propose t at modificat ion to the Rajah ofTravancore at the earliest Opportunity .

It may b e proper onthis occasionto state to yourLordship that the preservationand improvement of ourinfluence in that country has been uniformly considered by me to b e anobject of the greatest importance to the interests and security of the British G overnment inIndia; and inmy judgment the presentexigency of the Rajah of Travancore

’s affairs justifies

and requires a vigorous exertionof our force for therestorationof h is authority,and for the pr

’

eservationof the British interests inthat quarter .

Your Lordship will also observe from th e tenorof this despatch, that my Opinion of the necessity ofsupporting the cause of theRajah of Travancore withthe aid of our troops is founded on the obligations oftreaty, combined w i th the importance of maintainingand improving our political connectionwith the State .

Acopy of this letter w as transmitted to the Re sident by Lord William Bentinck and the Resident,after consulting Valu Thamby, submitted the corres

pondence to the MahaRajah .

The Dewan’s Opinionw as infavour Of arevisionof

the existing treaty introducing special terms for the

internal defence of Travancore . But he w as not at allinclined to support any proposal for the augmentationof the subsidy . The Maha Rajah and his adviserswere opposed t o any new arrangements being introduced,and thus the consideration of the questionofmaking anew treaty w as postponed .

The Dewan and the Re sident’s agent had to waitupon the MahaRajah and discuss the questionoften,and,at last,a draft treaty w as framed by the Resident, in conjunction w ith the Dewan. A storm ofopposition w as raised in the palace when this draftw as submitted by the Dewan to the MahaRajah .

Valu Thamby Dalawah,however Spared no pains in


persuading His Highness, in spite of all the evilcounsels of the palace Officials,&c ., to ratify the newtreaty,and ColonelMacauly also strongly remonstrate dwith the MahaRajah by letters,as well as by message sthrough the Resident’s agent Ramalingum M oodeliar,

b ut be ing opposedInthe intriguing charactersreferred to,His ighness hesitated a good deal to

give his assent to the treaty . The controversyregarding this important matter lasted some days,andat last through the unceasing exertions of ValuThamby Dalawah,and with the judicious counsel andadvice of the Resident’s agentRamalingumM oodeliar,

the proposed treaty w as signed by His Highness theMahaRajah onthe 12th January 1805 .

The follow ing w as the new treaty which is still inforce :Treaty of perpetual friendship and alliance between

the Honorable En lish East India Company Bahauder and the Maha ajah Bahauder of Travancore .

”

Whereas the treaty concluded in the year 1 795

between the Honorable Company of M erchants ofEngland trading w i th the East Indies, and Hislate Highness the Rajah of Travancore w as

intended to defend and protect the Travancorecountry against the fore ignenemies and to strengthenand to fix the terms of the ancient fri endshipand alliance subsisting between the Companyand the Rajah of Travancore, and whereas it isevident that the intentions of the contracting partieshave not been dul fulfilled and whereas the saidCompanyandHis ighness the Rajah of Travancorehave judged it expedient that additional provi sionshould at this time b e made for the purpose of supplying the defects in the said treaty and ofestablishing the connection between the said con

trac ting parties on permanent bases of security inall times to come,therefore,in order to carry intoeffect the said intentions, the resent treaty is

concluded b yLieut .-Colonel Colin acauly,Resident


treaty of 1 795,the said amount to b e paid insix

equal instalments commencing from the first day ofJanuary 1805 and His Highness further agrees,thatthe disposal of the said sum together with the

arrangement and employment of the troops to b emaintained by it whether stationed within the Travancore country,or w ithin the Company’s districtsshall b e left entirely to the Company .

Arti cle IV.— Should it become necessary for the

Company to employ alarger force thanthat which isstipulated for in the precedingArticle to protect theterritorie s of the said MahaRajah against attack or

invasion,His Highness agrees to contribute jointlywith the Company towards the di scharge of theincreased expense thereby occasioned,such asumasshall appear on an attentive consideration of themeans of His said Highness to bear ajust and rea

sonable proportion to the actual net revenue of Hi ssaid Highness.

Arti cle V.-Whereas it is indispensably neces

that effectual and lasting security should b e providedagainst any failure in the funds destined t o defray,e ither the expenses of the permanent military forceintime of peac e the extraordinary expenses describedin the preceding article of the present treaty, it ishereby stipulated and agreed betweenthe contrac tingparties that whenever the Governor-General inCounoil of Fort William inBengal shall have reasont oa prehend such fai lure in the funds so destined,theovernor General inCouncil shall b e at liberty,and

shall have full power and right e ither to introducesuch regulations and ordinances as he shall deemexpedi ent for the mutual management and collectionsof revenues,or for the better ordering of any otherbranch and department of the Gove rnment of Travancore or to as sume and bring under the directmanagement of the servants of the said CompanyBahauder,such part or parts of the territorial possessions ofHis Highness the MahaRajah RainRajah


Bahauderas shall appear to h im(the Governor GeneralinCouncil) necessary to reduce the said fund eflicientand available either intime of peace or w ar .

Article VI.—And it is hereby further agreed that

whenever the said Governor-General in Councilshall signify to the MahaRajahRamBahauder thatit is become necessary to carry into eflect the rovisions of the fifthArticle, His said Highness aha

Rajah RamaRajah Bahauder shall immediately issueorders to his amils or other officers,either for carrying into effect the said regulations or ordinancesaccording to the terms of the fifthArticle, or for

plac ing the territories required under the exclusiveauthority and control of the English CompanyBahauder, and in case His Highness shall not issueorders withint endays from the time when the application shall have be en formally made to him, thenthe said Governor-General shall b e at liberty to issueorders by his ownauthority either for carrying intoeffect the said regulations and ordinances, or for

assuming the management and collection of therevenues of the said territories as he shall judgeexpedient for the purpose of securing the efliciencyof the said military funds and of providing for theeffectual protection of the country and welfare ofthe people, provided always that whenever and so

long as any part or parts of His said Highness’

territories shall b e placed and Shall remain underthe ex clusive authority and control of the said EastIndiaCompany. The Governor-General inCouncilshall render to His Excellency atrue and faithfulaccount of the revenue and produce of the territoriesso assumed, pro vided also that in case wheneverHis Highness’ actual rece ipt or annual incomearising out of his territorial revenues b e less thanthe sumof two lacs of rupe es,together with the onefifth of the ne t revenue,of the whole of his territori eswhich sum of two lacs of rupees together with theamount of one-fifth of the said revenue,the EastIndia Company engages at all times and in every


possible cas e to secure and cause to b e paid for HisHighness’ use .

Article VIL—His Highne ss the MahaRajahRamaRajahBahauder engages that he will b e guidedby asincere and cordial attentionto the relations of

peace and amity established betw een the Englishompany and the ir allies and that he will carefullyabstain from any interference in the affairs of anyState in alliance with the said English CompanyBahauder or ofany State whatever,and for securingthe object of this stipulationit is furtherstipulated andagreed that no communicationor correspondence w ithany fore ignState whatever should b e holdenby Hissaid Highness without the previous knowledge andsanction of the said English Company Bahauder.

Article VIII— His Highness stipulate s andagrees that he will not admit any Europeanforeigners into his service w i thout the concurrenceof the English Company Bahauder and that he willapprehend and deliver to the Company’s Government all Europeans of whatever description whoshall b e found w i thin the territories of His saidHighne ss without regular passport from the BritishGovernment, it being His Highness’ determinedresolutionnot to suffer evenfor adayany Europeansto remainwithin his territories unless by the consent of the said Company .

Article IX .- Such parts of the treaty (A.D.

one thousand sevenhundred and ninety-five betweenthe English East IndiaCompany and the late Rajahof Travancore as are calculated to strengthenthealliance, to cement the friendship and t o identifythe intere st of the contracting partie s,are herebyrece ived and confirmed,and accordingly His Highness hereby promise s to pay at all times the utmostattentiont o such advice as the English GovernmentShal l occasionallyjudge it necessary to offer him withav iew to the recovering of his finances, the bettercollectionof his revenues the administrationofjus


which His Highness’ conduct this day makes it

necessary to ask before I se e M r. D’Veigas .

IS it the determination of the Rama Rajah t o

refuse entering into a new treaty with the EastIndiaCompany P Y es or no

Major Macauly to Ramalingum M oodeliar .

Wait upon the Rajah with the letter I send, andexplain it to him distinctly . They are positivelymad ; tell theRajah that incase he thinks proper tocontinue to avert his engagements and to Opposehimself t o the wish of the Government it mabecome my duty to publish aproclamation; my w ishas been and still is to preserve His Highness’

house inhonor and dignity and it is to b e ardéntlyhoped that for the sake of half-a-dozenofHis Highness may not reduce the Government tothe necessity of considering His Highness inanyother light thanthat of afriend and anally.

”

Major Macanly to Ramalingum M oodeliar.

The Dewanand myself w aited uponHis H'

hnnot sooner thanthree o’clock this morning,fit w asthe lucky hour fixed by His Highness to rece ive hisDewan) and returned just this moment . I havedelivered your message to him, and he fixed thehour for you to see himat two o

’clock this afternoon.

In the course of conversation,I seized Opportunityand used my utmost endeavours to e x lainhim for

his ow ngood and his country,the readl

jr complianceof the orders of the Government through you. Igave several instances and opened his eyes statingthe b ad consequence he had t o expect on the contrary ; he appeared as really convinced of it,promised inpresence of h is Dewan to place a faithfulconfidence inall my advice (as he alwa S heretoforehas done in many cri tical times) and

7

pay a due

attention to your recommendation,and obedience tothe orders of the Government . For my part I

VAN-II PALABALARAMAVURMAH.

as sured that my advice alw ays will b e good for thesafety of him and his country, and your recommendat ionwill always b e to promote his interest aswell as the country ; then the Dewan, (ValuThamby) confirmed my advice and expressed hisOpinionthat it is proper he should no t hesitate toSignany agreement that youmay think proper t opresent himas any delay makes more confusion inthe count he answ ered anyt hing offered by youshall b e duy attended to, b

gall this I have every

reason to believe that His ighness,(if he posse ssthe same heart) w ill not hesitate to Signthe treatywhen presented, b ut I think the delay w i ll b e only

“ for obtaining alucky hour.

Ramalingum M oodeliar to Colonel Macanly.

7th January 1805 .

That the delay insigning the treaty irritated Lieut .Colonel Macauly ma b e inferred from the fac t of aBritish force under Major-General MacDow el havingbeenordered to march from Tinnevelly to Travancore .

As the following extrac t from the des atch of the 8thJanuary 1805 of the Resident to the overnor-GeneralinCouncil will Show

The Dewanhaving expressed anearnest hOpe thatthe army under Major-General MacDow el shouldnot enter the lines pending the discussions I haveacquainted,inconsequence of hi s promise and of myconfident hope that all the points enjoined by HisE x cellenc s instructions Wi ll b e amicably adjuste d,General acDow el has been therefore requested tosuspend his movementsagreeably to the enclosed copyof my letter to that officer under date the 4 th instant .

His Ex cellency has been already informed of theobjections urged by the Dew an to my considerableincreas e to the subsidy.

In the conference of yesterday with His Highnessthese objections were againoflered byHis Highness .


The Dewan had strongly pressed uponmy attentionthe difliculty of making good with the ir allegeddeficient means of the payment of fouradditional lacs

per annum . He would, he said,in proof of thi sdelivert o me anauthenticatedstatement of the rece iptsand disbursements of this country . I expressed muchsatisfactionat the di spositionnow manifested for thefirst time Since my residence at this court,of fairlylaying openthe situationof their aflairs . When thi sstatement w as rece ived and examined, the wholesubject would most undoubtedly meet with a deliberate and indulgent considerationfrom the Government .

In the meantime until such statement should b eprepared and received, it seemed advisable that asumequal to the expense of one regiment of nativeinfantry b e inserted inthe treaty.

Under these circumstances it will b e forHis Excellency

’s considerat ions whether it mightno t appear to

His Excellency to b e advisable to authorise aremissionof the payment of one -half of the amount of the addit ional subsidy for the period of one year from the

conclusionof the treaty .

”

The pressure brought to bear upon the MahaRajahmay b e inferred from the above letters . It re

quires no comment from us as some of the be st Englishhi storians"' of eminence and authority have thusrecorded their view s on this transactionwi th Travancore The proceedings inTravancore were,intruth,among the least justifiable of the many questionabletransactions by which the British power in Indiahasbeen acquired or preserved . The protection of theRajah w as,in the first instance,generous and politicthe military command of his country,subsequently w asnecessary for O bjects of British policy, and w as notincompatible with the pacific interests of the Rajah andprosperity of his limited dominion. To impose upon

M ill andWilson.


Sic th .—My sentiments respecting the increase to

the subsidy have beenalready ingeneral submitted,b ut as the retrenchments,reforms,and improvementsproposed to b e gradually introduced here,cannot b eexpected to produce their full effect for nearly tw oyears it might b e expedi ent to extend the remissionof the payment of one -half of the additional subsidyfor tw o complete years .

Seventh — One of the chief retrenchments intheexpenditure of this country is proposed to b e immed iate ly made by reducing

the brigade of Carnaticsepoys, commanded by olonel Daly, this reductionmayrelieve the finances ofHisHighness to the amountof nearly one -and-a-half lacs of Rupees per annum,inthe event ofHisHighness accomplishing thi s measure,the future Situationof the Europeanoflicers attachedto the brigade will b e for consideration.

”

The above procposal w as, inameasure,acceded to

by the Supreme overnment .

The disbandment of the Carnatic brigade, the

Maha Rajah considered derogatory to His Highness’

position,and so he allowed the force to continue ; b utthe Madras Government would not permit this . Theiropinionw as that the MahaRajah’s observation thatthe discharge of the brigade would now b e derogatorytohis dignity and indicative of the diminished con

fidence on the part of the British Government in hisattachment and fidelity appears to us to b e devoid ofsolid foundation; b ut even admitting the contrary,justice surely requires that the Maha Rajah Shouldsubmit to the inconveni ence rather than expect fromthe British Government asacrifice,the claim to whichoriginates exclusively,inaconcessionpreviouslymadeinhis favour at aconsiderable loss to the Company,and which is supported by arguments deduced fromHis Highness’ wilful disregard of a correspondingobligation.

”

On the 2nd May, the treaty w as ratified by the

Governor-General and w as returned to the Resident


for delivery to the Maha Rajah, and the Residentadopted measures in communicationwith the Dewant o make grand preparations for the occasion. Anjengow as nominated as the place for the ceremony .

Agreeably to the wishes of theResident, the Dalaw ah made grand preparations for the MahaRajah’sprocession to Anjengo . All the oflicers of the Stateescorted the MahaRajah to the lac e and the deliveryof the treaty w as marked as a tate ceremony . The

Dewanacting as master of the ceremonies and movingabout inhi s gorgeous State dress presented by theGovernor General, w as particularly observed by hisenemies,on thi s occasion.

Aft er the returnof the MahaRajah to Trevandrum,the news of the Signing of the treaty soon Spreadthroughout the country,and the disaffection increasedand the indignationof the people w as rekindled .

Valu Thamby Dalaw ah proceeded toAlleppey ; b utbefore his departure he noticed strong symptoms ofdis satisfaction and displeasure generally among the

oflioers,and the sovereignhimself w as no exception;many remarked without any ceremony, that theywere now convinced of the object the Dalawah had inview and of his reasonfor joining the Resident,andthat they li ttle expected that any of the TravancoreRajah’s faithful subjects would have ever made suchanattempt .

The Dalawah felt considerably hurt onhearing suchunjust remarks so freely made inthe palace,while hew as all the time devoting his entire attentionto adoptmeasures for strengthening the protectionof the kingdom . The Dalawah lost all confidence in his subordinat es,while almost all the influential oflicials turnedagainst him.

He stayed a short time at Alleppey and thenproceeded to Trevandrum, d he resolved uponprovingto the MahaRajah that he w as no friend to the Brit ishcause,and that he suggested no measures inorder to


serve his private interests . To attain this end, he

actually held ameeting of all the ofl’i cers,and explainedto them the necessity and advisability of the new treatythough he perfectly concurred with them in the injurions consequences of the augmentationof the subsidy.

But nevertheless there w as a fresh outburst of indignation.

While matters were thus going onin Travancore,Colonel Macauly observed inhis re rt of the ceremony at Anjengo to the Governor ouaral that to

explainthe degree of joy visible in the countenanceand demeanour of His Highness and of his court uponthis important event, so essential to the welfare of

Travancore would b e diflicult ; their gratificationappeared complete ; and, at the same time, ColonelMacauly assured his Government that the practicalbenefit resulting to theRajah and to all classes of thesubjects by the provisions of that treaty appeared tob e duly appreciated by His Highness . He seems nowperfectly ensib le that so far from havingany tendencyto impair his confidence and authority, it is on the

contrary calculated to raise the one andthe other, not only in the view of his b ut

also in His Highness’ ow n estimation and it w as

added that the Dewan continues to conduct thegeneral administration of the concerns of the Statewith h is usual abili ty and address,grounded on the

firmest integrity and on a di sposition ardentlyambitious of advancing th e joint interests of his

master and that of the Honorable Company. The

chief obstac le to the practical reform of some inveterateabuses in the financial administration results fromthat system of peculationand corruption so long andso generally prevalent on this coast . Ever since the

peri od of his elevationto the post of prime minister,e appears to have invariably regulated his conductby principles of rectitude and robity in everymeasure connected with finance . e forms a verysingular and honorable exception to the generaldepravity .

’


In this interval,the Resident pressed the Dewanforthe payment of the arrears of subsidy,and the Sircar,embarrassed by pecuniary diflicult ies delayed payment .

The Resident considered this delay unjustifiable,andbelieving that the Dewandid not intend paying thearrears, especially as he had been applying for the

entire remission of a part of the enhanced subsidy,amisunderstanding arose be tweenthem.

In February 180 7, Colonel Macauly w rote the

following letter to Sthanapathy Suba Iyen, whichreveals the fac t of the breach betweenthe minister andthe Bri tish representative

Tasvmcoas, 18th February 1807 .

SOOBIAH,

Day aft er day such ludicrous things are said

that when I reflect seriously upon the future, Ialmost despair. I do no t however judge of people,e ither whenthey say wron or when they say right,by their saying merely . Iw ait to see if they carrythe sayings into prac tice .

If the minister ultimately injure himself he willdo so (after thi s explanation),with his eyes Open.

Very soon after the conclusionof the late treaty,I assured theRajah that notwithstanding the treaty,no change would take plac e . Inproof of the truthof th is assurance, I gave him a ring as asolemnpledge to remainwith him and to b e handed downto his successor,inorder that each time they lookedat the ring,they might repose an implicit confidencein the assurance given by the Resident who negotis ted the treaty. But what did this imply The

explanation and the right understanding 0

point is important . I suspected that there mightlurk intheRajah’

s mind much uneasiness respect ingthat stipulationin the treaty whi ch empowers t heCompany to assume the country. I resolved therefore to remove all uneasiness upon that score,andI assured him that there would b e no such change,


that is,that the country never would b e assumed bythe Company or at all taken out of

.

the Rajah’s

management,such w as the object and the extent ofthe pledge made to His Highness— how, it may b easked, came I to b e so positive in such an assurance for the following plainand simme reasonBy the treaty the Sircar is b ound to follow the

advice of the British Government inall cases whatsoever,for the benefit of the country and people,theResident under this comprehensive stipulationpossessing the right of interfering by advice,enjoysthe means of correcting errors, obviating failures,regulating justice, &c ., and thereby removing all

pretext for assuming the country or rather renderingthe consideration evenof such anextreme measurefor ever and for ever unnecessary.

But again,it may b e asked,what securi t has theResident,that his advice will b e follow P Whysimply this— should any minister of this country b edaring enough to resist his advice when Sanctionedby Government— the Rajah and the Resident willlay hold of that minister and throw him into theValiatoray

‘surf and proceed in the same manner

towards every succeeding minister who should designthe ruinof hi s master .

Should it again b e supposed that there may comeaRajah who,to save a minister,would risk hi s ownmusnud,I have no observationto make uponsuchacas e— the consequences are obvious to every one .

Finally,it might possibly b e asked,if the Residentpossess such power,why has he not during the lasttwo years had recourse to the Valiatoray surf,against those who not only slighted hi s advice,b utwho everywhere Openly and secretly set him at

defianceThe answer to thi s last questioncould b e givenin

afew clear and plainsentences,b ut I have said,that

Aport ab out Trovandrum.


I overlook the past—and nothinglb ut necessity,a.

necessity originat ing w ith others all ever bring meto refer to those subjects .

This letter contains mat ters of high importance,“ it must b e distinctly e lained to the minister andimmessed uponhi s min I also keep acopy of it .

Your’s very obedient servant,

(Signed) C . MACAULY .

Up to the 3oth March not evenapart of the arrearsof subsidy having reached the Resident’s treasury,notwithstanding all the Resident’s remonstrances andhis disagreeable correspondence with the Dewan,theResident w as enraged, and wrote on the 23rdAprilthat he had long submitted to the Dewan’s impositi ons,and that he would no t now accept any reply from,orby the Dewan,directly or indirectly . Inone of theResident’s letters,dated !the l 0 th April,he said thatthe Dewan i s a temporizing,equivocating,eating and marauding boy .

”

This highly ob ectionab le language employed againsta personglike the Dewan, filled him with indignation,and he resolved not to hold ofli ce as long asColonel Macauly re resente d the Honorable CompanyinTravancore,andhe gave the Resident to understandthat he would rather give uphis appointment thanb eexposed to such vile and humiliating treatment.Taking advantage of this threat of the Dewan,

the Resident w rote to Government on the 28thApril,that the Dewanw as afllicted w i th acomplaint which

sometimes laid himup that the Dewan himself hadinformed him that he w as unable to conduct the dutiesof hi s oflice, and requested to b e relieved, and thatunless he b e relieved,i t is certainthat the poorRajahw ill b e like ly to b e injured.

”

At thi s crit ical time, Colonel Macauly e spoused thecause of Mathoo Tharaken,the notorious SyrianChristiancontractor,one of the intriguers alluded to in thecommencement of this reign,w ho had both of his ears


tyranny, and that, if arrears of tax arose frcm the

negligence of the Sircar, it Should not reap anyadvantage from its ownwrong and wilful negligence .

The resident also adds that inthe event of the Dewan’sorders not be ing recalled I solemnly declare thatI will interfere inaw ay that will make him surelyrepent his conduct .”

In his oflicial of the 12th May 1807,the Residentwrites to the Dewan you have desired SubaIyento intimate to me,through M r . D

’Veigas that you had

takenuponyourself to issue orders to insist onTharaken’

s paying what it is alleged that he owes for hillygrounds, &c . This intimation coming from you inthe ir naked shape w i thout any the most trivial document to support the ground you have taken, is (underthe peculiar circumstances of Mathoo Tharaken

’s

situation), very highly improper, irregular,and contrary to your bounden duty. Y ou must w i thdrawthose orders and transmit to me the reports of thediflerent Kariakars,who reported to you the failuresof Mathoo Tharaken,in order that the business mayb e regularly investigated, and the Kariakars calledhere to give evidence of the truth of the ir statement.Any other line of proceeding must b e I willno t allow you, from motives of base enmity to crushany man (though your subject or dependant) if I canpossibly and honourably prevent it . What need I saymore P”

The Dewannow found it impossible to rely ontheResident’s support,and thought it politic to concertmeasures to side entirely w i th the popularHe also conce ived amortal enmity and hatred againstColonel Macauly and no t against the Company’sGovernment as some historians would have us believe .

Matters now began to approach a crisis . ColonelM acauly w as determined to oust the Dewanfrom office .

Though he w as prepared to retire, he persisted inholding the reins of Gov ernment,simply because heknew the Resident w as trying to get him out .


He convinced the MahaRajah that the Resident’

s

motive in endeavouring to cause his removal,w as toconfirm the increased subsidy and trouble His Highness for the immediate payment of the arrears . The

Maha Rajah and his councillors now found that itwould b e injudicious to di spense with the services ofsuch aman as Valu Thamby,who would not only b eof great service onsuch a trying occasion,b ut wouldalso b e useful as a scape -goat, under unfavorablecircumstances .

Colonel Macauly seems to have adopted all possibleand practicable measures to compe l the Dew an toresign. The minister w as addressed in the mostoflensive terms imputing to him the vilest motives evenin the ordinary transactionof public business . The

Resident interfered with eventhe most trivial detailsof internal administration,and almost every letter ofColonel M acauly,on such occasions,w as couched ininsufierab ly vituperative language,the whole culminating inan intimationfrom the Resident that he had

formed apositive and final de terminationconcerningValu Thamby .

” This determination w as, that ValuThamby should retire from public life,and take uphisresidence in Cherakel,onapensionof 500 rupees permensem,which he w as to receive from M r. Baber,theCollector of Malabar

All these particulars were communicated indetailto the MahaRajah,and though of aquiet and placabledisposition, and seldom prone to anger, His Highness w as much offended at the conduct of the Resident .Valu Thamby had no inclination to disconnect himselffrom the MahaRajah

’s service . Ne ither didHis High

ness wish him to do so . His Highness tried his bestto bringabout areconciliationbetween the DewanandtheResident,b ut without success,as Colonel M acaulyw as aman of avindict ive nature,fond of command,of an imperious temper, and one who could ill-brookcontradi ction. Onthe other hand,Valu Thamby w as

of a haughty and arrogant disposition,of great reso


lut ion, and so sensitive that he would ut up withinsolence and aflront frcm no man. is Highnessw as sadly disappointed, b ut it w as not amatt er forSurprise that the attempt to reconcile two men w ho

were so bitterly Opposed to each other failed.

The MahaRajah com lained in strong languageagainst the Resident to the Madras Government,andHis Highness solicited the favor of their appointinganother Resident inthe room of Colonel Macauly. HisHighness submitted that his Dewan Valu Thambperformed hi s duties with due diligence and w itl

yi

the utmost fidelity,and yet theResident w as pressingonHis Highness to di smiss him,astep w hi ch he w asquite unwilling to take ; and that the delay indischarging the arrears of subsidy w as onaccount of theunsatisfactory state of the finances b ut that ,nevertheless,His Highness had adopted measures for thepayment of apart of the arrears without delay.

The above letter w as followed by the payment ofamoiety of the promised subsidy which w as obtainedby mortgaging most of the Crown jewels . Onthisbeing reported,the Government directed some relaxat ionof the demands .

The payment of the residue of the arrears w as againdelayed,and the Resident came downupon the Dewanmost severely, on that ground . The MahaRajahagain complained and urged that the new treatywhich w as forced uponhim by the Resident w as unbearable,and that though the Dewan w as strainingevery nerve to meet the demand,he w as considerablyhampered in his efforts by the unwarrantable interference of the Resident. His Highness therefore againrequested the recall of Colonel Macauly, and the

appo intment ofanew Resident .

Onhearing these repeated complaints of the MahaRajah,the di smissal of the Dewan w as againperempt orily urged by theResident .Seeing the unreasonableness of the Resident ’s requi

sitiou,while the Dew anw as working hard to meet the

VAN.“ PALABALARAMAVUBMAH.

demands of the British Government, thus manifestingarare integrity to whi ch the Resident himself hadalready borne distingui shed testimony,the MahaRajahw as astonished inno small de ee . But being of aweak di sposition,he considers it advisable not tointerfere in the afiair and left the Dewan and the

Resident to settle matters betweenthemselves .

The spirit of the offended minister w as now rousedand he w as resolved to wreak his vengeance upontheBritish Resident.

Sthanapathy Suba Iyen,the medium of personalcommunicationbetweenHis Highness the MahaRajahand the Re sident,tookagreat interest inpromoting theood understanding between the MahaRajah and

olonel Macauly,as he well knew the state of affairsat that time,and there had been frequent messagesb etween the palace and the residency at which theDewantook umbrage .

Suba Iyen paid avisit to the Dewanat Alleppey,perhaps w i th amessage from the MahaRajah,and ona certain night wh ile he w as en aged in a privateconference with the Dewan he, Suba Iyen retiredto the gardenat about midnight . But,alas l e neverreturned. He appears to have been seized by theDewan’s people and strangled to death,and a reportw as given out that Suba Iyen died by snake bite,while he w as inthe garden.

While matters were in such a state in Travancore,the then reigning sovere ignof Cochin, an extremelyquiet and easy going Prince, w as over

-riddenby hisrime minister Paliathu Menon (commonly calledaliathu Atchen) who assumed the supreme rule,

reduced the Rajah to amere cypher,and compelled thePrince to reside inasmall village called Vellarapilli,north-east ofAlwaye .

The minister,PaliathuMenon,w as abitter enemy ofthe e x -minister of the deceasedRajah of that State andof his commander-in-chief. Both those omcers w ere


highly di stinguished 1nCochin,and were held ingreatestimation by the late Rajah,as well as the people mgeneral .

Paliathu Menon, on assuming power, se ized boththose ofi cers and drowned them m the middle of theriver,near Chanamangalom,and after this inhumanact, he attempted to destroy, in a similar w ay, a

promising young manofireat talent and intelligence,

whom the reigning Raja had trained up from his

infancyandmade adeserving candidate for the premiership . The name of this person w as Nadavaramathu Cunju Krishna Menon, who w as afterwardsgarvadhikariakar or prime minister of Cochin. Itwill b e also of interest to know that he w as the fatherof the lady of the present MahaRajah of Travancore .

hu Menon adopted every possible means forse i Gunju Krishna Menon, and the Rajah w as

actually obliged to lock himupinhis ow n b ed chamberat Vellarapilli for some days, to save hi s life . The

Rajah opportunely sent an express messenger to

Colonel Macauly,requesting him to grant His Highness animmediate interview inprivate . At the meeting,the Rajah handed over Cunju KrishnaMenontoColonel Macauly,requesting him to protect the youngman’s life against the cruelmachinations of hisminister,PaliathuMenon. ColonelMacauly gave hi s assuranceto the Rajah,and took the young Menon along withhim to the townof Cochinand protected him inhi sow nresidence .

On hearing these particulars,Paliathu Menonw as

greatly exasperated and swore that he would destroyColonel Macauly and Cunju KrishnaMenontogether,and inorder to accomplish thi s design,PaliathuMenonplotted measures,and resolved to gain over the dis

afiect ed Travancore ministry,for,almost all the Travancore ofi cials the Menon knew were ill-disposedtowards Colonel Macauly,and that he could thus easilymake the Travancoreans the cat’ss-paw for carrying outh is evi l designs.


of assassinating the Re sident . But he st ill feignedthat he w as using all his endeavours to cause the earlypa ent of arrears and onthe Resident’s demandingeit er the liquidationof the amount or achange intheministry, the Dewan pretended that he w as on the

point of retiring,and wrote to Colonel Macauly that hewould start for Calicut and take uphis residence thereon a pension,and asked him for a party of Britishtroo s to escort him thither,his object bein to drawthe est part of the Resident’s escort from ochin toAlleppey,where the Dewanw as thenlocated .

Valu Thamby issued orders to the garrison at

Alleppey and Paravoor and sent a detachment fromQuilonpreparatory t o making asudden descent uponthe fort at Cochin for the massacre of the Residentt ogether with Cunju Krishna Menon, arranging atthe same time for the attack on the British garrisonat Quilon, which w as stationed there under the

command of Colonel Chalmers .

The detachment moved from Quilon and Allep yincovered boats,accompanied by Vycome Padmanag

e

ha

Pillay,anintimate friend of the Dewan,who acted ashis chief secretary, and the troops collected in the

northerndistricts under the command of Cunju CutyPillay Sarvadhikariakar, stationed at Alangaud,alsomoved in covered boats to Cochin and both the

force s effected a junction at Calvathi, at about midnight onthe 28th December . They surrounded ColonelMacauly

’s house and opened fire . The sudden report

of musketry, at an unusual hour, surprised ColonelMacauly, and with the as sistance of aconfidentialPortuguese clerk,he managed to conceal himself,andin the morning got onboard apat t imar at first,andsubsequently onboard the British shi Piedmontese”

which had just reached the Cochin roads, CunjuKrishna Menon also efiected his escape uninjured,and joined Colonel Macauly onboard the ship .

The Travancore sepoys overpowered the few Britishsepoys who formed the Resident’s escort,killingmany


who resisted,and aft erwards entered Colonel Macauly’s ou r.

residence,ransacked the house,murdered the domestic1v .

servants and others whom they found in the house,and aft erw ards returned considerably chagrined atnot finding the Resident and Cunju KrishnaMenon.

The disappointment, consequent on this attempt tomurder Colonel Macauly,had cast agreat gloom and

dread among all the Travancore oflicials . Nevertheless, they prepared themselves for a de fence againstthe attack whi ch they expected every moment . Theycommitted depredations in the townof Cochin, andreturned to Travancore the next day. Valu Thambyforesaw the result and quitted Alleppey at once andproceeded to Quilon.

During this interval, three Euro eanmilitary ofiicers, including SurgeonHume,togat erwith a lady inone party, and twelve European soldi ers of His Majesty

’s 12th Regiment,and thirty-three sepoys forming

another party,were proceeding from Qui lonto Cochin,and oncoming near Poracaud,they were takenupbythe military who had beenscattered over those partsin large bodies, and who now began to exhibit adeclared enmity towards the Company’s people . Inconsultationw i th the ministerial officials stationed at

Alle pey, all these were confined, the first party inthe oracaud bankshall,and the second at Alleppey .

Subsequently the matterw as reported to Valu ThambyDalawah,w i th anapplication for his sanction for the

immediate executionof those unfortunate and innocentmen. The hard-hearted minister,who w as a perfectstranger to mercy,sanctioned the wholesale murder ofthe helpless party without the least hesitation,and theunfortunate and unoffending men were all cruellymurdered thore .

“ E The three officers were butcheredincold blood at the sea-beach at Poracaud,and the

Th is information w as given to us b y one Ramalingum,MajorSobndar of M . N . I. Be iment VI, w ho accompanied these threeunfortunate gentlemen,an the s ickly lady,and w as present w hentheyw ere murdered. He was thenadroning b oy underColonel Chalmers.

43


European soldiers and sepoys were consigned to th e'

bottom of the Pallathurthee river, on the eastern

side ofAlleppey. The lady w as allowed to proceed toCochin unhurt, it being contrary to the laws of

Travancore to kill women,and she w as be sides in b adhealth,and many of the local officials pitied her weakand helpless condition

The Resident lost no time indespatching areportto the Madras Government on the subject, and the

following is an abstract of the report with which w ewere kindly furnished, together w i th a copy of theproclamation, issued under date the 1 5th January1809,by the Government, by M r. Ballard, the lat eBritish Resident inTravancore

For some days past,I had beenengaged innegot iat ionwith the Dewanat his ow nearnest solicitation,and had concluded everything to his ow nsatisfaction, and w as waiting only hi s arrival fromAlle pey to carry into execution the measure uponwhio he had resolved onremoving to Calicut,andhad at his earnest request weakened the partyme to provide for hi s security,and had at his suggestion,placed my boats and palanquins inconve

nient places to take him onwith comfort and expe

di tion. When a little past midh i ht, a party ofNayrs to the number of about one t ousand,headedby the Dewan’s confidential friend Pulpnab haPillayand by the minister of the Rajah of Cochin, surrounded my house to prevent all escape, and commenced a smart fire of musketry at every opening,first disarming the guard and killing a few w ho

att empted resi stance,and thenbroke into the placeto destroy me, their design w as providentially andsomewhat miraculously defeated,and after havingbroken Open every place,and package,pillaging thehouse of the whole of my effects they w ithdrew atbreak of day, the chi ef inconvenience at presentattending this proceeds from the loss of books of

record and official papers, b ut as the Dew anhas


such observance may always continue unab ated,they'

ini tiated several religious ceremonies and practices forsecuring divine favour, established b hadradeepam,murajapam, sathrams or feeding houses, &c

’

. Everyone knows that it is for these reasons that inthe present Kaliyugathere is not a single country from the

Himalayas down to Cape Comorin which can rivalTravancore as a land of charit When MahomedAl i had subdued and established power at Arcot,Trichinopoly and the Deccan,it w as stipulated thatTravancore should send him an annual Nuz zoor of

six thousand Rupees and anelephant to preservefriendly re lations w i th h im,and the country has no tbeen interfered w i th by any other power. While theland w as thus in peace and tranquilli ty, two greatowers appeared . Tippoo Sultan and the EnglishEast IndiaCompany. It w as believed that of the tw o,the English East India Compau w as more to b e

relied on, and that they wouldnot betray theirtrust, and in view to secure their friendship andassistance avery long time ago,they were allowed tobuild afort and to establish themselves at Anjengo,and thi s led to hostilities breaking out w ith TippooSultan,b ut w e have known to our cost how our trustw as betra ed,and our friendliness takenadvantage ofto bring arm uponus by this very English nation,who,as is well know n t o the whole world is unequalledfor base ingratitude and treachery. Now see,whatthey have done . They gradually curtailed the powerof the Nabob who gave them shelter and helped somuch towards attaining their present importance,tillthey had destroyed his dynasty entire] and takenaway hi s territories ; next they laid hold of thene ighbouring countries which were enjoying peaceand comfort until at last the lights of their dwellingswere extinguished,and themselves plunged into misery,and follow ing up their treacherous inclination the '

English came over to Travancore ; first,by craft,andthen forcib ly,they have taken steps to ext erminate usfrom our land . We shall briefly mention here afew


b f the steps pursued by them : WhenTippoo Sultanmade w ar uponus,w e sought their aid againsthey treacherously got out of us,taking advantage ofour exigency,t en lacs of pagodas in return for themised help . After thi s,partly by craft and partlythreats,they stipulated that w e should pay them

an annual sub sid of six lacs of Rupees promising atthe same time t at so long as Travancore and theEnglish nation ex isted they would not ask for a

chuckrum over and above the said sum,nor interferewith any act,however unimportant of the TravancoreGovernment, and these terms were solemnly ratifiedin writing by the treaty of the year 968 . WhileTravancore had been faithfully adh ering to fulfil inallintegrity the terms of the treaty,the English invio

lation of it, sent a Resident to reside here, andstationed three of their Regiments at Quilon,and likegiving milk to a serpent, this Government had to

build at its own cost barracks and dwelling-housesfor the menof the Regiments,and inaddi tionto putup to this day w i th all the acts of violence pract ised by them. Alittle after, inMagaram 980,theEnglish Government demanded that tw o lacs of

Rupe es should b e annually paid,beyond the sum stipulated before,and threatened in failure of this extrarequisition being paid, to make w ar upon us,andactually brought down several pieces of cannonintodifferent parts of the country. Seeing no othermeans of gettin over the difficult position, theGovernment of is Highness yielded to the impending calamitous fate and paid the extra two lacs also .

But the English Government were not satisfied evenwith all these concessions, and the point they nextassumed reached the unreasonable and unwarrantableclimax,of requiring the abolition of all religious andcharitable institutions, and the disbanding of the

armies of the country and payment to themselves ofthe money that would b e saved thereby ; it w as

required further that the Resident, Colonel Macauly,should b e consulted and communicated w ith in all

REIGN Ol ' BREE PADMANABHADABA

matt ers connected with the Government ofHis Highness

’t erritories In reply, the English Government

w as re spectfully informed that according to the constitutionof thi s countr

ythese demands could not b e

compli ed w ith,and our umb ling ourselves to the veryground w as of no avail. The English Governmentw as inexorable, as w e have b een alw ays opposed to

these measures, and had taken active st eps againstthem ; w e got a letter inDhannulast from the EnglishEast India Company requesting us to resignour postand to qui t Travancore, along w i th the whole of ourfamily and some of the officials w ho had joinedand to reside in British territory,and w e were promised in the event of our complying with the requestthat every mark of respect and honor w ould b e paidto us . The Resident, Colonel Macauly, thereafterintending to introduce reforms, and prac t ically adminis t er the Government. We were at the same timeinformed that w e should b e the cause of w ar beingdeclared,incase w e delayed to agree to the conditionsstated in the letter, the contents of which w e wererequired to bring at once to the notice of His Highness the MahaRajah . We did not hesitatethat w e should not,even should our refusal cost ourlife, b e guilty of such treas on to our sovereign and

con and once for all spurnthe proposals made tous . Colonel Macauly,thereupon andw ithout having th e slightest consideration or respectfor the sovere ign of Travancore or giving the leastintimat ion,brought by sea and landed a number of

European soldiers to Quilonand shipped back all theEuropeanwomenand childrenthat were there,w i th alltheir prOperty,and unjustly commenced w ar with Travancore . It had never before been nor is it now our

intent ionto break out into w ar with the English. Butnow that they have begunthe w ar,if w e do not adoptprompt measures inour defence or ongaining the firstsuccess,if w e do not at once avail ourse lves of themto follow upthe victory,w e would lose all advantagesw e had gained and the consequences w ould b e that

REIGN OF BREE PADMANABHADABA

often as they attacked, by the able CommandantColonel Chalmers . The failure of the attempt t o

murder Colonel M acauly had not totally di sheartenedthe Sarvadhikariakar of Alangaud, as he appears t ohave entertained hopes of success again. Aboutmen,consisting of regular infantry and militiaand th erabble,were kept upin the vicini ty of Cochin,and thetownw as visited by them,now and then. The Cochinmini ster,Paliathu Menon,had also collected aforce of

about menand kept them also in the ne ighbourhood to attack the town. The Judges and other Com

pany’s oflicers closed their oflices and many of the

inhabitants and merchants left Cochinfor Calicut,andthe fear of a combined rebellion in Travancore andCochinagainst the English East IndiaCompan nowbecame general . But the arrival of Lieutenant olonel

Cuppage on the northern frontier, and of MajorHew itt’s detachment at Cochin,with whom the Tra

vancoreans had fought and failed, discouraged the

northernTravancore force entirely,and they retreatedto the south,thus leaving Cochin safe and secure inthe hands of the Company .

At Quilon, the action under Colonel Chalmers w asdecisive, for on the 18th January, the Dewan

’s force

w as completely defeated,during acontest w hich lastedsix hours .

The Madras Government published the followingproclamation in Tinnevelly and Malabar wh ich completely quieted the population of those districts

Proclamation.

The Honorable the Governor inCouncil of FortSt . George having been informed that the Dewan ofTravanco re has beenendeavouring by artful intriguesto excite the inhabitants of Tinnevelly to rise inarmsagainst the British Government,the G overnor inCouncil thinks it proper to caution the inhabitants of Tinnevelly against listening to the delusive insinuationswhich the Dewan of Travancore has endeavoured todisseminate . The Governor inCouncil has no doub t


that the inhabitants of that province will b e sensible oftheir ow n interests and will continue to enjoy intranquillity the advantages which they possess under theprotectionof the British Government .”

Dated inFort St. George,the 1 5th day of January

Published by order of the Honorable the GovernorinCouncil .‘

The Government published the follow ing proclamationon the 1 7th January 1809,for the informationof the people of Travancore

Proclamation.

It is knownto the inhabitants of Travancore thatduring many years the closest alliance has subsistedbetweenthe British Government and the Governmentof the Travancore country ; that the British troopshave long beenemployed in defence of Travancore,and that it w as by the exertionof the British armies,that Travancore w as saved from subjection to the

power of Tippoo Sultan.

Under these circumstances, the Honorable the

Governor inCouncil of Fort St. George has heard w ithextreme surprise,that military preparations of greatex tent have lately takenplace in Travancore for purposes hostile to the interests of the British Government . That the person of the British Resident hasbeen attacked by the Travancore troops and that anas sault has been made on the subsidiary Force sta

t ioned at Quilon.

The Honorable the Governor in Council has reas onto believe that these unprecedented outrages haveproceeded from the desperat e intrigues of the Dewanof Travancore, w ho has been also endeavouring byinjurious insinuation to excite rebellionin the territori es of the Honorable Company ; inorder that the

The same to the Collector ofMalabar.


daring plans of the Dewanmay b e defeated,the Honorable the Governor in Council has directed a largebody of troops to move into Travancore,who will,ina

‘

short time,put anend to the pow er of the Dewan,and to restore order and peace in the country of Travancore . The Honorable the Governor in Councilthinks it proper at the same time to make known to

the inhabitants of Travancore that the approach of theBritish troops need occasion no alarm in the mindsof those inhabitants who conduct themselves peaceably . The British Government has no other Vi ew indirecting the movements of troops thanto rescue theRajah of Travancore from the influence of the Dew an,to put anend to the power of that dangerous ministerand to re-e stablish the connectionof the two Governments ona secure and happy foundation.

The Honorable the Governor inCouncil calls on theinhabitants of Travancore to cc-operate in accom

plishing these objects,and such of the inhabitants asshall not oppose the advance of the British troopsmay b e as sured of the entire prote ction of the irpersons and property ; particular orders will also b egiven to give no di sturbance to the Brahmins andreligious establishments throughout the Travancorecountry .

”

Dated inFort St . George,the 1 7th day of January1809

Published by order of the Honorable the GovernorinCouncil.

(Signed) C . BUCHAN,Chief Secretary to G ovt.

The Travancore mini ste r and his colleagues,as we llas the military officials,had not to wait long for the irfat e, for aBritish force,under the command of theHonorable Colonel St . Leger,arrived at the southernfrontier of Travancore and commenced an attack onthe Aramboly lines and forced an entrance into theforts onthe loth February 1809.


The Honorable Colonel afterw ards marched to Trevandrum,and onreaching the neighbourhood,encamped at a place called Pappenecode, when the MahaRajah sent a deputation headed b His Highness’

favourite Ummany Thamby alias arthandenEravy,who conveyed to the Colonel His Highness’ extremeregret at the occurrence of the insurrectioncreated byDewanValu Thamby,and of the adoptionof measuresfor the Dewan’s apprehension and delivery. ColonelMacauly arrived m the camp on the 3rd March.

Arrangements were made for the apprehensionof theminister . Aparty of Travancore and British ofli cersw as despatched in ursuit of the Dalawah, and a

reward of Efty thousandRupees w as ofiered

for his apprehension.

Ummany Thamby,the head of the deputation,wasappointed Dewanon the 18th March 1809 w ith thefull concurrence of the British Government,and he atonce sent persons in pursuit of the Dalawah . The

runaw ay Dalawah wandered in the jungles aboutVallicote in the Kunnathoor district. He w as hotlypursued by the officers even here . From this placehe came to Munnady,in the same district,and tookrefuge in avacant house belonging to a potty. The

servant of Valu Thamby who wandered in the streetsthere with his master’s silver and gold utensils,w asseenby the ofi cers and apprehended,and he revealedto them the Thamb y

’s hiding place . He thenfled t o

the Bhagavathi pagoda at Munnady,with his brotherPadmanab henThamby and determined to put an endto his existence . He asked his brother to stab him.

This the brother refused to do at first, when the

Dalawah plunged his ow n dagger inhis bosom. Butas the self-inflicted wound did not prove mortal, hecried out to hi s brother cut my neck,

’

quest, the brother complied with, and in one strokesevered the neck from the body. By that time, thepursuers reached the pagodaand forced Open the doorwhen they found the lifeless body of Valu Thambyand his brother standing close to it w ith a drawn


February,being a distance of 4 20 miles . The'

forcew as composed as follows

His Majesty’s 69th Regiment under Lieutenant

Colonel W. M’Leod.

Five companies of the l st Battalionof the 3rd Regiment under CaptainPepper.

2nd Battalion of the 3rd Regiment,1st Battalionofthe 13th Regiment,Major Lang .

Five companies of the 2nd Battalion of the 13th

Regiment,Lieutenant Stewart .6th Regiment of Native Cavalry,Major Nuthall.

Artillery and field piece s,CaptainFrankAnd 400 Pioneers,CaptainSmithw art .

a a a c

Having no battering guns with the force,and theneare st dep6t be ing Trichinopoly, 200 miles ofl’, itappeared desirable to take these lines by a coup-demain which I proposed to Colonel St . Leger on the

8th of February,and onthe 9th having satisfied himself that it w as feasible, he consented, though notwithout much reluctance and considerable reservation.

Onthe morning of the l 0th w e succeeded,and havingescaladed the southernfortified hill,during the night,though defended by 50 pieces of cannonandmen, the whole lines were in our possession by 8o’clock A. M . Our loss on the occas ion w as smallbeyond calculation,Captain Cunningham of the 69thRegiment killed,one sepoy killed, one surgeon and

three privates wounded, and one subadar and six

sepoys wounded . Thus w e obtained possession of allthe enemy’s guns, and immense quantities of armsand stores . The army encamped inside the walls thatday,and the Pioneers,&c .,were employed indestroyingthe works onboth sides th e gate which w as,however,left entire as apost to secure our communications .

”

as a a a

On the 1 7th of February,the army marched forthe interior. The advance commanded b y Lieutenant


Colonel M ’Leod, consisting of the flanking com aniesof the 69th Regiment, 350 caifrie s under olonel

M ornus, and six native flank companies and the

Cavalry under Major Nuthall with six guns worked bythe Royal Artillery . This party moved off from the

right of the line at 3 o’clock A. M .,the line following at half past four, and thus leaving a distanceof thre e miles between them . Having got on six

miles b y day break, they found the enemy stronglyposted ina village across a river with high banks,commanding the approach,and several cannonpointeddown the high road . Their force w as supposed toamount to six hundred men, and they had everyadvantage inpoint of positionthat mencould desire .

Colonel M ’Leod immediately formed his line for the

attack, and drove the enemy from their guns aftera very heavy fire of both cannon and musketry,which unfortunately did considerable execution fromthe exposed situation of our troops inadvancing . The

enemy were complete ly routed, and dispersed in all

directions for some miles the country w as said to b etoo difficult for the Cavalry to follow them,whichdoubtless saved many, if not the whole, from totalde struction. Lieutenant Charles Johnstone,however,w ith a small party of our horse contrived to get inamongst them,and did some execution. Nine capital

guns and several dead bodies were the fruits of thisvictory inaddition to whi ch w e gained possession oft w o very fine villages,called Kotaur and Nagercoil.O ur loss w as Captain Lemo of the caflries, andLieutenant Swayne of the 13th Native Infantrywounded, and forty-nine rank and file killed and

wounded . Afte r thi s brilliant affair,which did infinite credi t to Colonel M ’Leod and the brave fellowsunder his command, the army encamped,four milesbeyond the village of Nagercoil .Al though,generally speaking,the enemy had proved

far b elow our expectat ion,yet there were some ex cept ions onthe l oth . Anative oflicer in the lines,afterbeing fired at by a soldier of the 69th cut him down


and w as killed by another soldier, a few others alsostood onboth sides and refusing to surrender, were

put to death on the Spot. These instances deserve tob e recorded because they were rare ; for taking themall m all,I never beheld so dastardly a crew,nor di dthey deserve the name of soldi ers although neatlyclothed in military uniforms, furnished with capitalarms,and m acountry every inch of which might havebeendefended .

”

a a a

On the 19th of February,I had the honor to leadthe advance,consisting of the picquets and some flankcompani es with two six -pounders expecting hard w ork,though the line w as not very distant in our rear.

Aft er proceeding three or four miles,w e met somepeaceable villagers,who informed us that the two fortsof O odagherry and Pulpanavarum in our front,hadbeen abandoned by the enemy, which w as the firsttime w e had heard of such fortifications, though w ehad been expecting to find some field-works to b etaken. The news soonspread and ere w e hadadvancedmuch further w e could distingui sh whi te flags flyingon trees and sticks, when the Whole head quartersgentlemen passed us preceded by some troops to

explore the w ay. Shortly afterwards the road led us,onasudden within musket-shot of a stone bast ion,and curtain,mounting several cannon pointed on theroad,and w e found this to b e part of the fort ofO odagherry, w ith white flags flying and not a soulwithin. I w as directed to take possession of bothforts with my ow n corps , and Pulpanavarum beingthe largest,amile further on,I left two companies inO odagherry and proce eding thi ther, di sposed of thecorps in anopenspace in the centre,posting Hinduguards in all the pagodas, and the officers takingossession of a large and very well built palaceelonging to theRajah . Here w e found many valuab le swords,dirks, pistols,guns,spears,rich muslins,kincobs, &c . as well as thousands of jewel-boxesbrokenopenand pillaged by the flying enemy,to give


While w e were inthis neighbourhood,Colonel St .

Leger received a letter from the Rama Rajah,by ahurrikara which he answ ered b y the b earer,aecom

panied by four troopers,intimat ing that the first proofsof the Rajah

’s sincerity would b e his allowing tw o o f

the troopers to pass on to Colonel Chalmer’s camp at

Quilon, and returning unmolested w ith an answer .

This w as actually ermit ted,and the Rajah receivedthem very gracious y at Trevandrum,his ca ital,andgave themashawl and sixty rupees each. T e cameback to our camp with letters from the Rajah, olone l

Macauly the Resident and Colonel Chalmers,inconsequenco of whi ch an armistice w as proclaimed inour

force onthe 26th February.

”

a a a a

Trevandrum the capital of Travancore and resi

dence of the Rajah is a large irregular town w i thoutmuch internal show of riches . There are some goodhouses in it,and the country around is picturesque andbeautiful. The Rajah’s palace is situated near the

centre, and surrounded by a miserable attempt atfort ification,b ut the interior is roomy and contains notonly the palace,b ut many public buildings belongingto the Prince,such as anarmoury,stabling for alargestud,amenagerie,full of w ild beasts,temples of w or

ship,barracks,&c . His Highness being somewhat inthe back ground,w e did not vi sit him,b ut aft er w e

had been tw o days there,and h is ent ire innocence ofany participationw ith hi s rebellious minister and subjects proclaimed, he delivered a manof some consequenco into our hands as a hostage for the primeminister. His troops and subjects were quie tly disarmed, and part ies were detached in pursui t of therebel Dewan,the Dalaw ah2

nd general of his cavalry.

’

a a

March the 15th,the new Dewanpaid aformal visitto our camp, where he w as rece ived with militaryhonors,and a salute of fift eenguns and publicly proclaimed the accredited minister. All the nativeofi cers of His Highness’ late Carnatic b rigade b eing

VANJI PALABALARAMAVURMAE .

b rought into the campprisoners,and disgraced b y thedrummers of the line,w ho cut their jackets off theirbacks, and then turned them out w i th the rogues

mare Afew days afterwards,it w as discoveredthat the quiet RamaRajah had got an arsenal withinhis palace walls containing one hundred and fortypieces of serviceable cannon, fourteenthousand standofmusket s and bayonets, and ammunit ion of everydescript ioninthe greatest abundance,all of which hew as obliged to deliver up,and our force returned b ycorps to O odagherry to b e cantoned there the last

arriving onthe 8th ofApril .Though the new Dewan Ummany Thamby w as

blessed with considerable ability and mtelligence,andhad ageneral knowledge of the affairs of the country,yet he w as too amb it ions for pow er,and w ished toacquire a re

putat ion superior to that of his prede

cessor. Wit this view,he commenced altogether anew mode ofadministration,and being afavourite ofthe MahaRajah w as allow ed to proceed onunhindered1naccordance w i th his ownview s and tast e .

Ainong the various measuresado ted b y this minister, there w ere also severalnsefu ones such as theestablishment of tannah’3 (district jails) throu hout

the restricting the ri ht of the anjeto assemble in large odies to remon

strat e against measures introduced by the Sircar ;the estab lishment ofa syst em ofKav els or w atchmeninNanjenaud the clearing of tract s of land coveredw ith bushes and weeds and lying betw een Neyatt inkaray and Trevandrum

'

; the building of bazaars andBrahmanvillages, royal residencies,and store-housesat that place,and thither the Dewaninvited anumberof w eavers, and estab lished several looms and calledthe place b y the name of Balaramapuram in honour

of the reigning MahaRajah . His object w as to Opena

port at Velingium and make it a great commercial

Balaramapuramthree andahalfmile sW. N.W. of


N eyat t inkaray,is comp)aratively of recent date ,havingbeen foundo b the ewan Ummany Thamby aboutthe year 1808 . t w as his intentionto have made it aprincipal commercial town and to cut a navigablecanal to communicate with the seaat Velingium,theground offering every facility for suchanundertaking .

”

The building of th is townw as commenced onagrandscale,art ificers of every descriptionand also merchantswere invited to settle there, b ut ere it could b e completed according to the original plan,the progress ofthe works w as arrested by the reverse of fortune,thatb efel Ummany Thamby. Since that period it hasremained in its unfini shed state,and is chiefly occupiedby oilmongers and weavers . It has atolerable bazaarextending down the central street .

”M emo ir of Tra

vancore,p . 13 .

However, during a career of above tw o years,Ummany Thamb Dewan w as not able to keep hissubordinates inc eck,inconsequence of which abusesofauthority and irregularities inevery branch of theadministration became the order of the day. The

subsidy to the Honorable East IndiaCompany againfell in arrears ; the salaries of the various establishments became due and the administrationitself w as

sooninadisorgani zed state .

This minister w as as arrogant as he w as ambitious,and takin advantage of the weakness of the Rajahand His ighness

’ very yi elding disposi tion, took tohimself the sole authority and power of Government,and made theRajah anonent ity l TheRajah w as reallyapprehensive of the minister, who His Highnessthought, would usurp his kingdom should he happento displease him.

This minister, w as allowed to go on according to

his owninclinationand pleasure,and hence the affairsof the country became more and more disorganised .

Colonel Macauly remonstrated often against thisstate of afiairs, and pointed out the necessity of histakmg ac tive measures to correct the prevailing evils ;

REIGN or sass PADMANABHADASA

Valu Thamby in the palace w as the youn Rajah of

Mavalikaray,w ho being anear relat ive of t 0 adoptedPrincesses,took his residence from his boyhood in thepalace,all the male members of the Travancore royalfamily having become extinct w i th the except ionof theMahaRajah . This young Prince w as looked upon bythe people as the Elia Rajah. The Maha Rajah tooconsidered him in such a light. The young Rajahstyling himself EliaRajah of Travancore now becamethe chief intriguer at the palace ; the Maha. Rajahlistened to hi s counsel and advice, and the Dewantherefore suggested that theRajah’s deportationeitherto his native place of Mavalikaray or toAlleppey,b utthe MahaRajah strongly Opposed this step

DewanUmmany Thamb y’s life w as threatened,and

he complained to the Madras Government .

The Government of Indiaconsidered that the Dewanw as entitled to their rotectionand gave the MahaRajah to understand t at the Dewan

’s assassination

w ould b e anact of hostili ty against themselves . TheDewan had been unceasing in his com laint againstthe young Rajah and also a st the urbar. TheGovernor G eneral resolved t at the Resident shouldstay at Trevandrum, to control the hostility of the

Durbar,and sub sequently,theResident w as instructedto inst itute aninquiry into the claims of the youngRajah to style himself EliaRajah or heir apparent ofTravancore . Durin the inquiq ,the youngRajah’sclaimw as invalidat e b y the statements of theRance,State ofi cers,&c .

Nevertheless the MahaRajah insisted upon theyoungRajah’s continuance inthe court .Colonel Macauly retired from the Oflce ofResident

in 985 M .E . (1810 and Colonel Munro w asappointe d to the vacant post in the same year . Thi s

omcer did his best to mend matters, and to bringthe Dewan to a sense of his duty, b ut Without thedesired efiect .


the revenues were decreasing,whilst the bulk of thepeople were in the lowest state of depression and

another insurrection took place on account of

Oppression in some branches of the collections .

The time of the Rajah is described to have beenchiefly engrossed by his pleasures, and by superst it ious ceremonies among the Brahmans,who,withtheir dependants, were reckoned to b e equal innumber to the working class . The late Dewan,somuch respected by the people,w as not suflered to

live eveninretirement . There is very strong reasonto believe that he w as takenoff by poison,and theBritish Resident thought it his duty publicly toaccuse Sumprathy of this foul murder, b ut after ashort arrest and anap earance of inquiry,inwhichmore solicitude w as 8 ow n to avoid than to efiectdiscovery he w as re stored to his liberty and influenceat the Durbar. This man is stated to have chargedthe late Dewanw ith ruining the interest of Travancore by connexion with Europeans,particularly theEnglish,and from all the details contained in theample correspondence carried on by the BritishResident at that time,it is strongly to b e inferredthat ne ither the Rajah nor those employed inthetransactionof his aflairs,regarded British connexionwith the ancient cordiality .

In 180 1 the Rajah,after repeated representationsfrom the Resident of the disordered state of thecountry and the necessity of rescuing the management of affairs from those whom he had permittedto possess themselves of it,appointed anew Dew annamed Valu Thamby . This person had beenat thehead of the insurrectionof 1 799; b ut being reputedamanof ability and firmness,the Resident, in thegreat want of persons of that description,approvedof his appointment,and had reason to expe ct thathe w ould b e friendly to the connexion with theBritish Government . His subsequent conduct however did no t justify this expectation. The Re sident,after some absence from hi s station,onreturning to


“ it in December 180 1,found that all the relations ofthe old and respectable Dewan, who himself hadsufi ered aviolent death,had also beenmurdered,andthat Sumprathy, the former favourite, had beendisgraced and imprisoned by means of the newDewanValu Thamb y .

But those hopes were of short duration by themonth of November the payment of arrears amountedonly to Rupees and the balance due w as e ightlacs . Instead of afurther liquidation of debt, thatmonth produces only successionof informations fromthe Resident, evincing with increasing clearness th ecertainty of What the officer at first calls somethinglike a systematic plan of contumacious resistance on

the part of the Dewan, which he says rendered i tnecessary to apprize the Rajah,that w ith aview tothe proper regulation of

”

the affairs of Travancore,another person should b e chosen for the office ofDewan in the room of Valu Thamby . This is themanw ho first come s into notice as the leader of aninsurrection in1 799,who,w i th the assistance of theBritish influence w as advanced t o b e prime ministerin 180 1,whose early administration is clouded withsuspicion arising from the atrocious murder of thefamily of the deceased respectable Dewan who, in1805,vowed unalterable attachment to British int ere sts,and only t w o months before professed sincerecontritionfor h is failure in this re spect . He now

begins to appear as the sole ruler of the TravancoreState . The Rajah,though his dispositionw as deemedto b e favourable,to the British Government, is statedto have been incapable of following the course ofhis

ow n wishes he henceforth ceases to b e seen in

public transactions,and the Dewan exercise s inhisow n person all the powers of Government . We

hear of a factionformed under his protection,of anaugmentation of Travancore sepoys, the manufactures of bows and arrows, his training the inhab itant s to arms, h is success in exciting a ferment,his sending to the Isle ofFrance for 500 artillerymen,

4 6

REIGN or sass PADMANABHADASA,&c .

and expectationof assistance from thence,his rootedpurpose of determined hostility,his be ing capable of

instigating his partisans to anattack,and the expediency of placing h im as the prime mover and

instigator of hostilityunder arrest. Early inDecemb er you were told by the Resident that the Dewanstill continued w i th unremitting ac tivity his plansof hostile pre arat ions and that inconjunctionwiththe Rajah of ochin

’e minister,apersonwho appears

to have been a suitable confederate to him, andmade aconspicuous figure in the subsequent transactions,he w as endeavouring to force that Princeinto measures of hostility against the British Government, urging him to unite with other chieftainsfriendly to Travancore for the expulsion of theEnglish, requiring him with that view to trainpart icular classes of his subjects in the same manner ashad been ordered inTravancore . Y ou were at thesame time informed by the oflicer commanding inMalabar that areport prevailed there of anintendedattack on the British subsidiary force, and that anarmy of Travancoreans w as assemb led at nogreat di stance from it .

”

The financial condition of Travancore w as verysatisfactory when this Maha Ra'

ah assumed the

sovereignty, and therefore His ighness did notexperience much difficulty in having the coronationceremonies performed . Both the ceremonies calledThulapurusha danum and Padmagarb ha danum wereperformed in due course, and the Maha Rajah w ascrowned,and became KulasekharaPerumal .During areignof twelve years and eight months it

does not appear that thisMahaRajah passedany enactments, either for the improvement of the administrat ion,or for the ameliorationof the conditionof theinhabitants,as w as done byHis Highness

’predecessor .

CHAPTERV .

BREE PADMANABHABAVIN EE VAN JIDHARMAWARDHINEE RAJAHBAJAISWARIRAN EE G O UREE LEKBHMIBHY E .

E direct and legitimate heir to the vacantmusnud w as this youngReuse of twenty yearsof age . Her right w as disputed by a colla

t eral uncle,who brought forw ard his claims,whi ch,onan impartial and just investigationby Colonel Munro,were set aside as invalid,and the young Princess w asat once crowned under the aus ices of the MadrasGovernment and the Honorable Gourt of Directors ofthe East IndiaCompany.

Colonel Munro,observing symptoms of disafiectionin the pretended claimant and his artisans,sent theRajah as aState -prisoner first to Te licherry and afterwards to Chingleput,where he remained till the latterpart of his days.

Her Highness Lekshmi Bhye commenced her re i

in a manner quite different from that of her prefer

-

l

cessor,and which could scarcely have beenexpectedfrom apersonof her age and se x .

Though young,Her Highness w as possessed of acultivated mind,w as gifted with a sound judgment,had sagacity to discernwhat w as good for her kingdom,and to adopt such measures as were calculated for it simmovement .

She possessed an additional advantage in be ingwedded to oneRajah Rajah Vurmah,Koil Thampuranof Chunganacherry (the grand-uncle of the presentValia Koil Thampuran), who w as an accomplishedSanscrit scholar and w ell versed in the institutes of

364 REIGN or sass PADMANABHA sx vmss VANJI

Manu,as well as inall the Puranas. Thampuranwhow as only one year older than h is royal consort,w asthe best counsellor of Her Highness in all matters,both domestic as well as public .

Her Highness’ good qualitie s are too numerous tob e de scribed here,and the w riter thinks that he wouldnot b e able to do justice inthe narration,were he toundertake such a task for, h is inquirie s lead him tothe conclusion that a full volume might b e writtenregarding the life and career of this accomplishedRance ,though her reignlasted only for ashort period .

The principal quality inHer Highness w as her firmness of mind and capability of resisting all idle counsellors and keeping herself free fromflat terers andsycophants .

Her Highness,young as she w as,had observed theweak po ints of her deceased uncle ’s character,the selfintere sted proceedings of Dewan Ummany Thamby,the disorganized state of the Government resultingfrom the mismanagement of afiairs,and therefore Her

Highness w as most anxious to correct the se evils,bywhich alone she knew the credit of her Governmentcould b e regained and the welfare of her subjectspromoted . With this view, Her Highness resolvedto entrust the Government of her kingdom into thehands of Colonel Munro, the Resident of Travancore .

The first step Her Highness took after her installation,w as to dispense with the services of DewanUmmany Thamby . Her Highness, after dismissing theDewan,requested Colonel Munro to assume charge oft he administration,and conduct the duties oftheDew an,along with those ofResident .

Colonel Munro, equally desirous for the restorationof order in, and the improvement of the country,andanxious to assist such a good Ranee in her praiseworthy desire, accepted the offer Without any hesitat ion.

Thus,this w ise Princess managed t o place her king

DHARMAWARDHINEE RANEE commaLEKSHMIBHY E . 365

domwhich w as verging onruinand w as nearly falling emu»,into the hands of the Honorable East IndiaCompany,inapositionof stabili ty,and she thus relieved herself,not only from the cumbersome burdenof Government,b ut also from aworld of personal inconvenience .

Colonel Munro inh is joint office of Resident andDewanhad no ordinary task before him,for he had tosurmount difficulties which w e can scarcely imaginenow ,considering the present state of the country .

The first object of Colonel Munro in acceptingthe office of the premier w as,to establish order andregularity in the administration,and to reorgani z e theconfused state of affairs which the mismanagementof the late DewanUmmany Thamby had caused . Itw as the want of proper control over the subordinates,which had upset and destroyed the regular system ofadministration introduced by the most distinguishedand renowned sovereigns of former times,and sub se

quently maintained,though somewhat cruellyandarbitrarily,by the able Dalawah Valu Thamby.

The first step Colonel Munro adopted, like ValuThamby Dalawah,w as to correct abuses and weed outcorruptionfrom the service,and to thi s end he workedmost successfully . It would b e too numerous t o

detail here the particulars of all the measures takenby him to carry out h is project of reformation.

The foremost measure adopted by theResident w asto introduce corporal punishment in every instance ofcorruption and other immoral conduct on the part ofSircar servants .

Every case of irregularity the Colonel investigate dbefore him,and after ascertaining the facts pro andconpassed his decision.

Aset of drummers from the Resident’s escort w asalways ready

‘

before Colonel Munro for the corre ctexecutionof the aw ard of corporal punishment, andthe cat -o

’-nine tails w as largely employed for the inflic

tionof such punishments .

366 REIGN or sans PADMANABHAsAVINEE VAN JI

Colonel Munro,moved oncircuit from Thovalay to

Paravoor accompanied by his ow nestablishment andhad order, regulari ty, di scipline,and strict obedienceensured inthe course ofayear.

During thi s prai sew orthy and memorable circuit ofColonel Munro,many a Sircar servant had lessons inmorality imprinted on his back w i th the cat-O

’-nine

Colonel Munro’s award of punishment w as something like that of a school master ; for none of th echastised servants w as dismissed from the service .

Soon after the administration of punishment, theincumbents w ere invariably ordered t o continue intheirrespective ost s anddischarge the irduties satisfactorily .

Many of olonel Munro’s scholars had indeed theirbacks scored ; b ut rose subsequently to very conspicuous and prominent positions inthe service .

During the interval,the ex -DewanUmmany Thambyincurred lasting disgrace by plotting certain measures against the life of the Colonel . The treacheryhaving beendiscovered Umman Thamby w as banishedthe country and w as takento C

yhingleput and detained

there as aState-prisoner.

After re-modelling the service, Colonel Munrodirected his attentionto the introductionofathoron hreform inthe general administration, and in cons t

ationw ith the able and experienced peo lo of the country,both conservatives and liberals,andinaccordancew ith the rules established under the old sovere igns,new rules were framed for the guidance of revenue,criminal and civil oflicers, foundedDharma Sastram, (Institutes of Manuthe regulations then in force under theEast IndiaCompany’s Government.

These rules were called in the whole style SattaWariolas, and the w ere promulgated under thesanctionofHerHig ess under date the 30th Chingon987 M.E . (1812A.D.)

368 REIGN or ssEE PADMANABHASAVIN EE VAN JI

contemplated the as sumption of the whole and theannexation of the estates to the Sircar, hoping b ythese means to neutralize, if not totally destroy th einfluence of the Devasw ams over the people,and thuscheck any future commotions that might arise ; b utbefore this plan could b e matured, the Dalawah hadthe misfortune to b e introuble,and ultimate ly to los ehi s life .

OnColonel Munro be ing informed of this ideaof th eDalawah,he thought it important enough to b e worthyof adoption,and consultationw i th the principal officersof the State,and he framed rules in furtherance of themeasure, so that thereby the future managementof Devasw amafiairs w as to avery great extent vestedin the Sircar,and with the sanction of Her Highnessthe Rance, rules were drawn up. This measure w asalso the means of causing a permanent additionalrevenue to the State,for, after meeting the expense sof the various Devasw ams, it left a good margin infavor of the Sircar .

Acouple of intelligent MahrattaBrahmans accompanied Colonel Munro onhis first coming to Travencore, of whom one w as a talented Mahratta scholar,with a. tolerable knowledge of the English language .

His name w as Reddy Row alias VencattaRow. Hehad beenvery useful to Colonel Munro inthe carryingout of h is views and measures . Reddy Row being aclever Mahrattaaccountant,he w as ordered by ColonelMunro to organize aregularMahrattaaccount department inTravancore,and to have also all the accountstranslated and arrangedAfter Reddy Row had finished the above work,he

w as appointed to superintend certain departments inthe Huz zoor cutcherry,which duty having been satisfactorily discharged, he received further promotionand eagerly hoped to b e advanced still higher in theservice .

Colonel Munro selected mostly natives,both Numb oory Brahmans,Sudras and SyrianChristians, w ho

DHARMAWAEDmNEE BANEE GOUEEE LEKGENIBHY E . 369

were well educated intheir ow nlanguage and also inSanscrit,and who were possessed of athorough knowledge of the Institutes of Manu, for the office of

judges,&c .,and he used to consult w ith them invari

ably in all important afiairs . Of these, one DavenPadmanab henof Trevandrum,and one RamenMenon,anative of CochinSircar territories,were particularlyattached to himand they were both appointed judges .

During Colonel Munro’s administration, he efiected

the abolishment of several items of o pressive impostssuch as poll-tax ,tax onnets, and ot er moothraphas,and also conceded a remissionof all the arrears offines, taxes, and other demands of the Sircar whichaccumulated to a considerable amount during formeryears .

Manufacture of country-salt w as carried on in animproved system and foreign salt was also urchased.

Salt-stores and b ankshalls were constructe onbetterprinciples,and the collectionof customs duty regulatedby the establishment of additional chow keys or customhouses throughout the

The residencies at Quilon and Trevandrum wereconstructed during Colonel Munro’s administration.

After the disturbance in 985 M .E . (1810underValuThamby Dalawah,the Travancore army hadbecome almost extinct,and Colonel Munro organizedtwo Nair battalions and one company of cavah'

yas body

guard and escort to royalty,and European ofi cers

were appointed to the command of them .

While the Travancore State w as brought a ain to aflourishing condition b thi s most able an di stinguished administrator,t e happiness of the people andthe prosperity of the kin om were crowned by thebirth of aPrince in988 .E . (1813 Thi s w asthe first sonof HerHighness theRance LekshmiBhye,the reigning Princess.

In the same year,M r . Blacker, brother-ih -law ofColonel Munro,arrived having beenappointedAssist

4 7

370 EEIGN or same PADMANABHASAVIKEE VANJI

ant Resident,and w as nominated by the Colonel t olook after the financial affairs of the CochinState .

Inaccordance with usage and Hindu law , the li t t lePrince w as proclaimedMahaRajah of Travancore ,andHerHighness,the Queen-mother,continued to hold th eSceptre as regent onbehalf of the infant MahaRajah .

Her Highness’ Government, assisted by Colone l

Munro’s able administration,continued to distinguishitself most admirably both to the highest satisfact ionof the peOlz

e as well as of the Government of th eonorab le ast IndiaCompany

Colonel Munro selected a successor to himself inth e

person of the above-mentioned Daven Padmanab hen,

the thenjudge of the Huz zoor court,and Her Highne ss theRan-cc appo inted himas Dewanin989 M .E .

(1814 and thus afforded relief to ColonelMunrowho had acted as Dewan for a period of about fouryears .

This Dewanconducted the administration entirelyunder the sole advice of Colonel Munro,and distinguished himself in the honest discharge of his duties,b ut unfortunat ely,he died of small-pox ,five monthsafter his appointment .

Her H1ghncss gave birth to another Prince intheyear 990 M .E . (1815 A b ut two months aft er thisevent,Travancore had the misfortune to b e deprivedof the rule of such an accomplished Princess,by Her

Highness’ premature death after afew days illness.

The people were plunged in great sorrow at the

suddenandunexpected death of theRance . They felth er loss the more keenly as Her Highness’ reignhadbeenfor so short a period as four years, and as HerHighness w as as,ifnot more popular thanher granduncle,RamaRajah,w ho died in973 M .E . (1 798AD.)

In the course of four years this Princess had donemuch more good to the people than several of Her

3 72 REIGN or sans PADMANABHASAVINEE VANJI

year after the installation of this Princess, and even

before Colonel Munro had assumed charge of th eadministration, Her Highness had the benevolenceand humanity to introduce this desirable prohibition.

The SattaWariolawhich established the courts fo rthe first time in Travancore and to which w e hav ealready made reference, w as anAct containing 34

sections. It ranas follows

Whereas the vital part of Government in all

countries is the administrationof justice whi ch has no tbeen properly re

gulated in Travancore,ow ing to the

difficulty whi ch t 0 public experiences inapproachingthe presence of the Maha Rajah and the Residentfor obtaining redress for their grievance s,the variouskariakars already overburdened with business,beingunable to di spose of the several matters that go beforethem ; and whereas it has been found expedient toprovide amethod by which justice could b e administored according to the DharmaSas traand the customsof the country,the following enac tment is introducedwith the sanctionof Her Highness the MahaRance1 One superior court and five courts subordinate

thereto shal l b e e stablished in Travancore for the

enquiry and adjudicationof all suits appertaining toland and monetary transactions as also for the trial ofcriminal cases .

2. The superior court shall consist of the Dewanand three judges,two of whom shall b e Brahmans andone aNair .

3 . Each of the lower courts shall contain three'

udges,two of them being Brahmans and the third aa1r.

4 . There shall b e under each court one Darogahand acertainnumber of tannahs and peons .

5 . The establishment of the lower court shall b ew i thin the limits of each of the courts ; viz . acourt

DHARMAWABDHINBE EANEE GOUREE LEx srmi BE YE . 3 73

shall b e established at Padmanabhapuram having

jurisdiction over Thovalay and Aguste esw aram ; asecond,at Trevandrum to try the cases of Trevandrumnorth and south ; athird,at Mavalikaray to try thecases of Mavalikaray and Amb alapulay afourth,atVycome to try the cases at Y e tmanoor and Cot tayam ;and a fifth, at Alw aye to try the cases of Alangauddivision.

6 . All diSputes and all matters,except those hereafter to b e provided for,shall b e determined accordingt o the DharmaSas traand customs of the land .

7 . According to Hindu law , a heinous ofiencebecomes capital in the following instances only ; (a),rai sing rebellion and attempting to create riot ; (b),compassing the death of the sovereignand attemptingt o do the same ; committing wilful dacoity.

8. The following punishments are provided for

murder, assault, criminal trespass, &c., &c ., death,banishment from the country,forfe iture of property,imprisonment of two descriptions,simple and rigorous,whipping and fine .

9. In ofiences relating to ‘caste,religion,property,monetary transac tions,the courts canaward punishments in accordance with the Dharma Sastraand thecustoms of the country,death and mutilationexcepted.

10 . Though the punishments prescribed in Sec

t ion8 for murder and other ofiences are according tothe DharmaSastraand the customs of the land,yet thecourts are competent to commute these punishments .

1 1 . All trials by ordeals shall b e abolished . Al lsentences shall b e passed according to documentaryevidence .

12. Syrian,M ahomedan,Parsee and other residentsof Travancore shall b e liable to punishment for all

crimes,except murder,according to Hindu law .

13 . If the plaint ifi and defendant inasuit relatingto property or monetary transct ions b e one and the

3 74 REIGN or salts PADMANABHASAVINEE VANII

CRAP. same caste,the case shall b e decided according to thev .

established custom of their caste . But if they b eof different castes, the case will have to b e decidedaccording to the established custom of the defendant’scaste and creed .

14 . People under the jurisdictionof acourt shallno t file suits of any de scription whether civil or

criminal inanother court.

1 5 . Government servants as well as the inhabitantsof aplace are authorised to apprehend and deliver overt o the local tannah,all ofienders who commi t highw ayrobbery and murder, assault, causing grievous hurt,simple robbery, house -breaking and theft, cheat ing,smuggling trade,disobedience to lawful authority andpublic nuisance .

16 . The apprehensionof any such ofienders shallb e at once reported to the Dewan by the tannahpeople . If the De w an finds it necessary to committhe offenders to the criminal court,he shall order thetannah people to take the culprits to the court to

whose jurisdictionthe culprit belongs,w ith the records.

1 7 . As soon as the Darogah takes charge ofofienders he shall report the mat ter to the court,andcommunicate to the court the name or names of theoffender or oflenders and the nature of the crime commit ted. Aft er holding apreliminary investigation thecourt shall fix aday for the final hearing of the caseand shall issue summons to the Witnesses .

18 . The investigation of the court shall b e conducted publicly and not privately . Inall cases the

witnesses shall b e examined on oath in the presenceof the defendants .

19. All cases of murder,robbery,&c .,shall b e inve st igated and decision passed from the court,so alsoall civil cases shall b e settled . In the latter, if eitherthe defendant or the plaint iflrequire the case to b esettled by a punchayet, the court shall take the irapplication on oath, and then order the case to b e

3 76 REIGN OF SREE PADMANABHASAVINEE vANII

24 . The tannah people shall receive security fromaw itness,if they have reasonto think that the w i tne sswill abscond from the place .

25 . If apersonwho lives under the jurisdiction of

another court is cited as awitness, the court underwhose jurisdictionhe lives,shall b e w rittento,and thatcourt shall order the tannah people of that locali ty tocause the attendance of the witness .

26 . The cases that come before a court shall b eproperly filed inabook,and the cases takenand decided according to the number inwhi ch they are filed .

27 . When a complaint is brought before acourtagainst a Government servant for having abusedauthority or exceeded his powers, the court shall takethe plaint ifi

’s depositionas well as those of the Wit

nesses onoath,and without questioning the defendant,send the records to the high court who shall forwardthe records to the Dewan,and the court will ac taccording to the orders of that authority.

28. In cases of murder,the sub -courts shall sendtheir sentence and the records to the hi h court,w ho,after examining the case,w i ll send it to t e

if they find the guilt e stabli shed against the defendant,and the MahaRajah will sentence the risoner,which sentence shall b e communicated to t e lowercourt,and the Darogah shall execute the sentenceunder the orders of the lower court .29. Incivil cases should the defendant or plaintiff

express aw i sh to appeal against the decisionof thelower court,he shall state the fact to the lower courtwithinfifteendays after the passing of the judgment .The lower court shall then stop executing theirsentence,and send all records connected w ith the caseto the high court .

30 . After reading the records sent them by thelower court,the high court shall go into the case themselves and adjudge the matter according to its merits .

When a lower court forwards the records of any

DHARMAWARDEINEE BANEE GOUREE LExa IBurs . 3 77

case of their ow nor that of apunchayet, and shouldthe high court find any illegal proceeding on the partof the lower court, they shall at once communicate thesame to the lower court and order the case to b ere -investigated and pass their decision.

32. On appeal being made before the high courtagainst the decision of the lower court,the court shallsend notice to the lower court as to the day of hearing,whenthe witnesses will b e ordered by the lower courtto present themselves before the high court.

33 . Should the high court agree with the decisionof the lower court, and find that the appeal w as

vexatious,they shall punish the appe llant and shall alsoorder the defendant’s costs to b e paid.

34 . All cases criminal and civil, as has beenalready said, will b e first tried inthe lower courts.

But if aparty requests the Dewan,he shall order thecase to b e sent from the low er court to the high courtwhich will investigate and pass decision on the same .

”

The uncommonhumanity ofHer Highness LekshmiRance has beenshownby manyacts . The one establishing ample rewards for the de struction of t i ers,

chee tahs,and elephants,&c .,for the protection O the

inhabitants of the hilly districts,who were molestedand oft en killed, w as one instance . In the formerreigns, there had been the mili tia and the regnl

armies equipped w ith fire arms throughout Travancore,to whom the duty of destroying wild animalshad been assigned, b ut since the abolition of the

militiaand the disbanding of the Travancore army,the inhabitants of that part of Travancore infestedw ith wild beasts,had beenexposed to the attacks oftigers,elephants and other Wild animals .

The nature of the correspondence which passedb etweenthisRance and Colonel Munro,and the tenorofHer Highness’ s eech onthe day of he

r installationprove sufliciently er Highness sagacit and her

cat faith in the justice and support of theIIonorab least IndiaCompany. Specimens of the former shall

48

378 REIGN or SEEE PADMANABHASAVIKEE VANJ'

I

b e annex ed . The following is anabstract of the speechdelivered by Her Highness

After passing the ceremonial part of the Durbar,Her Highness Lekshmi Rance de scended suddenlyfrom Her Guddee and addressing ColonelMunro,saidina very clear and unagitated voice, in Malayalam,E ithrayum Bahumanappetta Sahabay .

”i . e ., M ost

Respected Sir,I had not expected eveninmy dreamsthat I would b e called uponever inIn life to assume amusnud which had beenmost worth

'

y and deservedlyoccupied by my ancestors from time immemorial,and latterly supported and protected under the auspicesof the Honorable East IndiaCompany . My uncle,w hohas beenjust removed fromthis world to abetter oneby Divine will,w as only twenty-nine years ofage,andif such had not been the w ill of Sree PadmanabhaSwamy (alluding to the household god) my unclecould have held the sceptre for a great er length oft ime like my grand-uncle, who departed to heaveninthe year 973, b ut since it has been the will and command of my household de ity,Sree PadmanabhaSw amy,Iam ready to obey, b ut being a young female,quiteunprepared and unqualified for such ahigh and res

ponsib le position, I cannot do better than to placemyself under the guidance and support of the Honorable East IndiaCompany,whose bosom had been anasylum for the protectionof aninfant like Travancore,since the time Sree Padmanabha Sw amy had effectedan alliance w i th such a respectable company of theEuropeannation. To you, Colonel,I entrust everything connected with my country, and from this daI look uponyou as my own elder brother and so lneed say no more .

”

The assembly w as struck with admirationat theintelligent and graceful delivery of the spe ech,andColonel Munro w as fully satisfied that the Princesshad more talent and intelligence thanhe had expected,and that he should b e able to carry onhis functionssuccessfully inTravancore .

380 REIGN or BREE PADMANABHASAVINEE VANII

Translationof the ab stract of a speech delivered byHer

Highness LekshmiRance, the 25 ih Chingam 989

(1814 w hen Her High/ness’

first b orn chi ld

PrinceRama Varma,w as introduced at aDur bar .

As the Honorable East India Company has beenac ting with justice, it pleased Sree PadmanabhaSw amy to accomplish everything agreeably to theirdesire .

At the instance of my household deity Sree Padmanab haSwamy,I have plac ed this child of mine on

the bosom of the Company,and the responsibility forthe future support and respectable treatment of thisroyal scion shall now rest w i th the Honorable Company. What more need I say.

This letter and the speech,as well as the one abovealluded to as having been delivered onthe occasionofHer Highness’accessionto the musnud, unquestionably prove the Ranee’s sterling worth . Such rare

instances of sagacity and intelligence in females in

power deserve prominent notice .

Travancore w as widal known from the earliestt imes as astronghold ofHinduism,whe re superstitionprevailed to the highest extremity . Every Europeannationw as considered here as low -caste,and reckonedas mlachaor hoonah (outcastes) and the high casteHindus,such as Brahmans and Kshatrias,would notapproach a European too closely,for fear of be ingcontaminated .

The sovereigns of Travancore used to receive visitsfrom Europeans in the early part of the 18th century,in abuilding at the beach south-west of the town ofTrevandrum,knownby the name Poontoray,and afewyears subsequently,a bungalow w as constructed forthe receptionof the Resident outside the Trevandrumfort, in a garden called SinkaratOpe, where till theinstallationof this remarkable Princess,Durbars hadbeen held on all occasions. The prescrib ed rules of

DHARMAWARDEINEE RANEE GOUREE LEKSHMIRHY E . 381

the Brahmans inthose days were that the MahaRajahshould undergo certain ablutions, ceremonies,and

’

change his sacred thread (poonunool) after the Durbar,as theRajah would b e contaminated by touching theResident. The female members of the royal family,like all the Hindu females of powerand note,were notin the habit of ap caring inpublic,and used to observethe character of Ghoshawomen. But thi s w i se youngPrincess,LakshmiRance,had the boldness and determination to break through all the superstitions andbrahmanical Oppositionand to adopt anew course forher ow ncareer .

On the demise of her uncle,though there w as a

collateral brother of her’s in the person of a grownu Rajah of the Mavalikaray famil then residing atfievandrum w ith aspirations for t e vacant musnud,Her Highness wrote to Colonel Munro for an interview and received the Resident inan OpenDurbar inHer ow n palace, and informed him that howeverreluctant she had beento hold the sceptre of Travancore,Her Highness would not permi t the line ofsovereignty to b e passed over to another house,aslong as there w as inexistence a living member inthelegitimate house .

This noble behaviour of the Princess ensured ColonelMunro’s hearty espousal of the cause oftheRance,andpromoted Her Highness’ installation to the vacantmusnud .

Her Highness Lekshmi Bhye w as really the pioneerto clear Off theWild superstitionwhich prevailed intheroyal house as has beenmentioned above with regardto association w i th Europeans,and to openthe w efor freer intercourse,for,whereas the very approacof aEuropeanat acertaindistance w as considered asdefiling and polluting even in the beginning of thepresent century,there are now European gentlemenmoving freely among the high caste people and in theinterior of the royal houses,and aEuropean Doctorattends and feels the pulse of afemale patient of the

382 REIGN or sREE PADMANABHAsAVINEE VANJI,&c .

ro

yal family. But how w as such ahappy and desir

ab 0 change effected P

It must b e assert ed that time has done it . Indeed,that time has to acertainextent influenced this change,may b e afact, b ut that in Travancore it w as efiectedthrough the agency of the most accomplished andhighly remarkableRanceLekshmi Bhye is afact,whi chthose conversant with the country firmly believe .

WhenHer Hi hness theRance fell ill,and her cas ew as considered Opeless,she called her husband, theworthy Rajah Rajah Vurmah Koil Thampuran,andcommitted to his care her only juvenile sister Parw athiRance,and her three children (one li ttle Princess andtwo infant Princes) re uest ing him,to render his mostvaluable assistance to or sister,whenshe should b eplaced onthe musnud as Regent,during the minorityofHer Highness’ son,and two days afterw ards,HerHighness expired to the great grief of the whole familyas wellas the misfortune ofthe kingdomofTravancore.

CHAPTERVI.

BREE PADMANABHABAVINEE VANJIDHARMAWARDHIN EE RAJAHRAJAISWARIRANEE G O URE E PARWATHIBHY E .

HE royal family,at the demise of Her Highness LekshmIRance, consisted b ut of fourmembers,her sister,daughter and tw o sons .

mall group w as unfortunately ajuvenile one,for, the eldest memb er,G ouree Parw athi Bhye,only thirteen,andRugmini Bhye,sevenyears ofWh1le the two Princes,Rama Vurmah and MarthandaVurmah w ere respectively eighteenand three monthsO ld. They w ere therefore at that time,under the careand guardianship ofRajah Rajah Vurmah the ValiaKoil Thampuran,the late Ranee

’s husband.

The senior memb er of the family, G ouree Parw athiRance w as selected in the Malabar year 990 (1815A.D.) to act as regent during the minority of PrinceRamaVurmah .

The young Princess, though only thirteenyears of

a e,w as imbued w ith adeep sense of her duty,likeor Highness’ deceased sister, and had received a

good education inSanscrit and Malayalam. She w as

ofamild,kind,and very affable disposition,and be inglaced under her able brother-ih -law

'

,the ValiaKoilhamparan,Her Highness w as also advised,like her

sister,to follow im licitly the judicious counsels ofColonel Munro,the sident .

The Resident, ob serving the good qualities and

highly tractable dispositionof the young Princess,w asdelighted ; and though he w as relieved from the oner

384 REIGN or SREE PADMANABHASAVINEE VANJI

ous duties of the Travancore prime ministership, hedid not relax hi s exertions for the improvement of theadministration. But,as he had to deal w ith aPrince ssof very tender age, Colonel Munro

’s responsibility

became two-fold .

Since the premature death of the Dewan, DavenPadmanab hen, no successor w as appointed,and the

affairs of the administrationwere conducted by DewanPeishcar Bappoo Row (one of the two Rows w ho

followed Colonel Munro on his coming to Travancore) .

Sub a Iyen Sankaranarayana Iyen a native Brahmanof south Travancore, who had been an attacheinthe palace from a long time,and whose experienceinGovernment affairs had beenconsidered great andvaluable,w as now selected andappointed as Dewanin990 M.E . (1815 AD ) .The administrat ive capacities of this Dewan,didno t

at all prove equal to the exigencies of the time,andColonel Munro w as under the necessity of advisingHer Highness to dispense w i th hi s services after atrial of tenmonths

Inthe early part of the year 991 M .E . (1816A.D.)RamenMenon,anat ive of Cochin, who had been em

ployed as avakeel or pleader inthe Travancore court ssoonafter the organi zationof the judicial department,and who had beensubsequently employed as a judgeof the Huz zoor court,w as selected by Colonel Munrofor the office of Dewan,and he received hi s commissionfromHer Highness theRance .

This Dewan fully understood hi s duties, and hecommenced his admini stration insuch amanner as t oafiord general satisfaction. He w as honest, intelligent and active ,and di scharged the functions of hishigh ofiice impartially and fearlessly .

RamenMenon’s attentionw as first directed towardsthe giving .

of increased efficiency to the system ofadm1n1strat10nso ably introduced and maintained by

386 REIGN or BREE PADMANABHASAVINBI VANII

Scarcely had ayear passed,before a new measurew as suggested by Colone l Munro to Her HighnesstheRance,by which the defunct ofi ce of Dalawah w asrevived,and Dewan RamenMenon w as appointe d t othe new place,with a curtailment of pay and power ;for he w as doomed to pass his days inacorner of thepalace inidleness,and as aMalayalam proverb wouldexpress it, b u his fiery s irit and administrat iveenergies under Payaan Oharapalaka

”(mattress

and reclining plank) ; for the ofi cials in thosedays used to sit on a mattress and recline on a

plank . The ofiice now assigned to RamenMenonw as

once considered the highest in the State,for inthosedays the post of Dalawah w as the combined oflice oft he commander-in-chief and the prime minister,b utnow the duty of the Dalawah w as simply to signdeath-warrants when criminals were sentenced to

suffer the extreme penalty of law . This measure w aseffected in the middle of the year 992 M .E . (181 7A.D.) But it does not appear that Ramen Menonever entered uponhis new duties he seems to haveret ired and considered himself apensioner.

Dewan Peishcar Reddy Row acted for the Dew anfor sometime and inthe next year 993 M. E . (1817A. he w as appointed Dewan.

Reddy Row having obtained the rize he coveted,beganto distinguish himself inhis 0 cc ofDewan,andColonel Munro rendered him every helpwith great

pleasure .

Six months after the new Dewan’s appointment,Colonel Munro retired from the ofi ce ofResident and

fioceeded to England in the middle of the year 994.E . (1819 and w as succeeded by Colonel

M cDow all,in the same year .

During the incumbency o f Reddy Row,some odw as done to the country as under his advice,Her ighne ss had issued several enactments in th e form ofproclamat ions relieving the people from certain imposts

DHARMAWARDRIN EE RANEE GOUREE PARWATHIBHY E . 387

and restrictions,details of whi ch shall b e b riefly ment ioned hereafter .

G enerally speaking,Reddy Row’s administration

does not appear to have beenattended with the successmarked the career of his predecessor, Ramen

M enon, and public 0 inion at the time, w as thatvenality amongst the dircar servants which had beenput downand almost eradicated by the strong hand ofColonel Munro,had now begunto crop upand becamegenerally observable throughout the serv we .

Her Highness the Rance, who had b this timegained some experience in the affairs of overnment,beganto feel alittle want of confidence in the administrat ion,and the court began in consequence to lookminutely into the proceedings of the minister.

The new Resident, Colonel M cDow ell, reachedTrevandrum in the early part of the year 1819A.D.,

and he w as accompanied by a Mahratta Brahman,named Vencat ta Row who w as far superior in talent,intelligence,activity and knowledge to hi s name -sakeDewan Vencat taRow . The new Vencat taRow be ingafirst -rate English scholar, Colonel M cDow all madehim his interpreter and agent,which office gave himopportunities of frequenting the palace and cultivatinganacquaintance with the court .

In a short time, Vencat ta Row gained goldenOpinions not onl in the court,b ut also throughoutthe kingdom of {ravancore,and this secured for h im,without much delay,the high post of DewanPe ishcar,and he w as employed as an immediate assistant to theDew an.

Vencatta Row’s positionwith the Resident,added

to his own talents and qualifications,made h im mostinfluential in the court, in the service, as well asamongst the people,so much so,that DewanVencat taRow ’

s influence and fame decreased day by day.

DewanPeishcar Vencat taRow devoted his attentionto all such w orks as were calculated to secure the

388 REIGN or sass PADMANABHASAVIN EE VANJI

confidence of HerHighness theRance and the goodwill of the people,with the express view,no doubt,o fpaving hi s w ay towards attaining a footing ‘

on th e

highest rung in the ladder . This Peishcar repairedsome buildings connected with the pagodaat Trevandrum ; made a golden ornament in the shape of

acoat for the image of Sree PadmanabhaSwamy ; improved the O otupurah Department at Trevandrum ;

added various ornamental accessories to the royalprocessions,such as silver howdah, plated sticks or

chobdars ; and improved the dress of the sepoys and

troops, imitating t e Mysore fashion.

Such proceedings onthe part of the DewanPe ishcar,while it strengthened his ow ninfluence the more in thecourt, created no little alarm in the mind of De w anReddy Row , who now found the instabili ty of hisposition,as he had himself seeninh is ow npas t eXperiflee in the instance of h is predecessor,Dew anRamenenon.

The then CochinDewanNunjeppiah,a CoimbatoreBrahman, w as considered to b e a friend of ColonelMunro as well as of Colonel M cDow all,and so ReddyRow Dewan thought of working through him to

strengthenhis ow nposition. N unjeppiah acunningold fox as ColonelWelsh calls him in his w ork) w asinvited t o Trevandrum under some pretext or other,and he used his power, not only w i th ColonelM cDow all,b ut also with the court, in Reddy Row

’s

favour ; and Her Highne ss the Rance had besidesreason to b e satisfied with Nunjeppiah for his exertionswith Colonel M cDow all in certainaffairs where in thecourt itself w as intere sted . (This state of thingswould show that the cordiality between the residencyand the court had been somewhat affected by the

change of Resident .)Nunjeppiah

’s mission w as attended with complete

success ; for Her Highness the Rance w as persuadedby the Dew an and others to rcmunerate the Cochinminister for his labours by bestowing uponhim,as a

DHARMAWARDEINEE RANEE GOUREE PARWATHI BE Y E . 389

tokenof Her Highness’approbation and lib erality,a can .

tract of land in the Paravoor district to the extent ofsome six or sevenhundred acres,roughly e stimated invalue at twenty thousand rupee s . The royal deed ofthis grant w as dated 1 7th Audy 995 M .E .

This may b e termed theRow period for,from thistime,commenced the administration of the country byasuccession of Row ministers .

The worthy guardian of the royal children tookgreat pains in the management and educationof thePrincessRugmini Bhye,who now attained her tenth

year,had become a tolerably good scholar in Sanscrit,ad studied many works of ancient authors and composed slokams inSanscrit she w as also well trainedin native music, and could play on sev eral kinds ofmusical instruments,such as the veenah,surunggee,

(guitar),tamburine,&c .

The tw o Prince s,aged respectively seven and fiv eyears, were taught Malayalam, Sanscrit and alsoEngli sh,of which they had learnt muchmore than fromthe ir age one would have thought them capable of .

The PrincessRugmini Bhye having become marriageable,for the tenth year is considered the properage for performing the marriage ceremony in the royalfamily,preparations were made and the ceremony w as

most satisfactorily performed in995 M .E . (1819A.D.)w ith all becoming pomp and grandeur .

During the celebration of this marriage,Her Highness the regent not only entertained for several days,Brahmans,Sudras,and her courtiers with sumptuousfeasting,b ut also entertained inher ow n palace theEuropeanoflicers of her serv ice, in addition to manyoutsiders .

Colonel Welsh, alluded to in the 4 th Chapter,w as one of the party so invited, and wrote an

account of the entertainment, portions of which arequoted here in corroboration of the above facts . He

Says I w as proceeding to meet Major Southerland

390 REIGN or arm PADMANABHABAVINEE vAN JI

om . M cDow all,just appointed to succeed ColonelMunroas Resident, b ut my friend had not arrived,and I put up with Major M

’Leod who commandedthe Renee’s brigade ; Captain Gordon of AlleppeybeingActing Resident and living inthe cantonment .On the 2oth M ay 1819, still waiting for MajorM cDow all,who had not arrived from Calcutta, w erece ived an invitationfrom theRance, Whenalighting at the palace gate,w e were ushered into atemporary b uildin where,uponasilver thronesat theRance of ravancore, who w as really ave

interesting young womanand received us withmuckindness, After the etiquette ofaregular introductionby CaptainGordon,w e all took our seats andw ere regaled by dancing girls about two hours,There are two youngRajahs at present inthe palace,one the rightful he ir to the throne,isnow sevenyearsold and a very fine boy The other

is only three or four . The two young Rajahssat onmy knee alternately during the whole eveningwithout any restraint " The fire -works fromthe state of the weather, were very poor,b ut theafiab ility and the good sense of Her Highness madeupinmy mind for all the disappointment .

“

On taking our leave at 1 1 P.M ., the Ranceentreated us to return next day, b ut one of theladies being unwell,the party w as put off t ill the22nd,whenw e again assembled at 8 P.M .,and saw

some excellent fire -works “

On the 25th, my worthy friend Major M cDow all,arriving from Bengal viaMadras, the next dayat noonI accompanied him t o pay his first v isIt

to the Rance, and w as really gratified with the

whole scene ,as every native of distinction in the

country had assembled to do honor to the representative of the British Government, and all the troo s

were drawnupto receive h im. Not asoul b ut t eRance,how ever,and the European gentlemen sat

down,not even the Thumpoorat ty newly married,


our suppers,she wished us good night and retired ;w e ac cordingly followed her advice and broke upatmidnight .

On the 28th,w e had arepetitionof the same feasting and exhibitions as the day b efore and the fire

works,notw ithstanding the rain,were really capitaland afforded us much amusement .

On the 29th,there w as another repetition,with allth e elements against us ; and at 1 A.M .,w e to ok our

leave of this affable and intere sting Princess .

”

(Military Reminiscences,Volume 2,page

As Her Highness Rugmini Bhye w as the onlyPrincess to b e married in the royal family at thatperiod,and as there would b e no occasionfor such anexpenditure till the birth of afemale member,and herbecoming marriageable,Her Highne ss the Regent

that the marriage ceremony of the Prince ssshould stand first inthe list of such ceremonies, especially at atime when the finance s of Travancore we reable to meet such ademand, and thus the festivitie sconnected with the ceremony were allowed to b e cont inued for afortnight .

Colonel M cDow all di ed in 995 M .E . (1820and Colonel Newall w as appointed Resident in the

middle of the same year 995 M .E . (1820 A.D. )

Dewan Reddy Row had not only re-establishedconfidence in the palace, b ut also stood high in theestimation of Her Highness the Rance . After thesatisfactory conduct of the marriage affairs, theminister now ,taking advantage of the time, claimedsome special considerat ion from Her Highness inrecognitionof his labours . ReddyRow gained oversome influential parties about Her Highness, andworked through them to accomplish h is object ; andin the year 996 M .E . (1821 he received a

jaggeer consisting of the tw o villages of Shamb oorandWadakaray inthe Shencottah district .


ORAr. Resident for the important office of training the tw oV " Princes .

The proposed tutor,SubbaRow ,arrived inTrovandrum a couple of months after Colonel Munro’sdeparture and commenced his onerous labours . In

the course of a couple of years both the Princesmade considerable progress in the ir English studiesSubba Row training the Princes in the Mahrattalanguage also . There were other masters to teachthem Sanscrit, Hindoostani, Persian, Te lugu, Canare se,&c .,&c .,and inall these languages the Princesmad e great progre ss ; the ir guardian,the Valia KoilThampuran also devoted his unremitting care and

attention to the ir education.

The following observationby Colonel Welsh on thestudie s of these tw o Princes towards the middle ofM ay 1825,bears out the above statement

Be ing ona tour of inspectionduring the month ofM ay,and stopping to pass afew days at the residencywith Colonel Newall,I had the Op ortunity of Witne esing the studies of the young ajahs inprivate,and forming anestimate of their progressive acquirements and abilities . On the morning of the 16that 10 o’clock, I accompanied the Colonel inhis gigwithout attendants, to the fort, where w e wereimmediately conducted to a room in the palace andfound them w ith their father,their sister,her husbandand their school-master ready to rece ive us . The

elder boy,now thirteen, se emed greatly improvedin mind,though rather diminutive in person. Heread a chapter of Malcolm’

s Central India; theGovernor General’s Persian letter onthe capture ofRangoon; apassage inSanscrit ; another inMalayalam and seemed equally clever at each . He thento ok upabook of mathematics,selecting the fortyseventh proposition of Euclid, sketched the figureonacountry slate ; b ut what astonishedme most w ash is telling us inEnglish,that Geometry w as derivedfrom the Sanscrit, which w as “

jaw me tor” to

396 REIGN or ssEE rADuANAEEASAVINEE VANJI

Resident as well as to t he people in eneral. He

e stablished hi s head-quarters (Huz z oor .

utch erry) atQuilon, the centre of Travancore, where the appealand othe r courts were located .

The Dewangrew popular day by day,as he made itapoint t o give free access to him,to all clas ses of people,every day at an appointed t ime, when he personallyenquired into every petitioner’s grievance regardingrevenue as well as other matters . He w as acapitalrevenue ofliccr,while in his knowledge of magisterialfunctions he w as scarcely surpassed by any one at thetime inTravancore . Many areform and improvementhas been introduced by thi s Dewan,and under hisadministrationthe country w as soon again in averyflourishing condi tion.

Colonel Munro had it in contemplationto constructtwo canals ; one from Tre vandrum to the backw ater ofKadinamcolum, and the other to connect the Quilonand Parcor backwaters to ether, and thus extendwater communicationfromPrevandrum to the north .

This most useful work w as sanctioned b HerHighness theRance in the year 999 M .E . 1824 Aand operations w ere commenced in the next year. Inthe course of three years the work w as completed at acomparatively small expenditure .

Several other useful works connected with irrigationwere undertaken and completed during the re ign ofHer Highness the Rance ,and under the adminis tration of DewanVencattaRow.

It w as this large-hearted and enlightened Rancewho sanctioned English mi ssionary labors in Travencore,and it w as inher time that regularly establishedProtestant Missions were commenced,though perfecttoleration of Christianity had been guaranteed by theTravancore sovereigns from the earliest period of theChristian era. This is proved by the copper platedocuments in the possession of the Syrian Christiansat Cot tayamalready alluded to,especially the one givenby Peramal SthanuRevi Guptha,the second document

DHARMAWARDHINEE RANEE GOUREE PARWATHIBHY E . 397

ub lished in the Madras Journal of Literature andcicuco,page 1 26 to 130, showing that the Travancore sovere ignhad permitted the Perumal to give aperpetual grant of atract of land for building aChristianchurch . Subsequent to this event, other grantsof lands for the erection of Christian churches weremade and are continued upto the present day,and theimmense number of place s of Christian w orship nowseenon the Travancore territory, betweenThovalayand Paravoor,furnish evi dence of the impartial count enance the Travancore sovere igns have always givento the Chri stianreligion,which indeed the Hindus donot generally view inafriendly light .

Though M r . Ringeltaube,aDanish missionary, hadestablished the nucleus of w hat w as afterw ards the

LondonMissionin the year 1806A.D.,and had madesome attempts to establish hi s mission on a properscale inMyladee,the southern frontier of Travancore,his lab ours were not attended with much success foralong time, yet, it w as during this Ranee ’s re ign in1816A.D. (991 M .E .) that the London Missionw as

permanently established at Nagercoil .

Her Highness the Rance not only sanctioned thelocation of a few missionary gentlemen w ithin her

terr itories,b ut also made generous and liberal donations for their assistance,as for instance,asumof fivethousand rupees and a large bungalow at Nagercoil toenable them to carry ontheirMissionlabors . But whatw as still more extraordinary w as that Her Highne ssevenadmitted one of these gentlemenbelonging t o theLondon Mission,theRev . C . M ead,inher service asaJudge of the Zillah Court at Nagercoil .

Inthis very year 1 816AD, (991 M .E .) Her Highness had, under the advice of Colonel Munro, sanct ioned the erection of alarge Prote stant church at

Alleppey and gave the teak timber, required for thebuilding,free of all charges, permitting,at the sametime,the residence of theRev . T . Norton at Alleppeyas aChaplain there .


During thi s year, the Church MissionSociety w as

also permitted to commence it s operations at Cot tayam,for the improvement of the Syrians,the oldest Christian subjects of Her Highness

’ territories . To thesepeople, the Resident,Colonel Munro, devoted greatattention,and the Church Mission Society commencedworking conjointly w ith the SyrianMetran. Inorderto facilitate the ir work in the education of the Christian, aCollege w as Opened, and towards it s maintenance, this most generousRance granted adonationof tw enty thousand Rupe es, w ith which they purchased gardens and paddy-fields, the income derivedfrom which paid for the maintenance of the College .

Colonel Munro in his address to the Government ofFort St. George on the state of Christianity inTravancore, thus refers to this event

The temporal situationof the Syrians has also beenmaterially improved . I have frequently takenoccasionto bring them to the notice of HerHighnessthe Ranee of Travancore ; and her intelligent,liberaland ingenuous mind has al w ays appeared to feel adeep interest intheir history,misfortunes and character . She is aware of the attentionexcited to the irsituation in Europe , and her anxiety to manifestthe sincerit of her attachment to the British nationhas forme I believe,an additional motive for thekindness and generosity she has uniformly displayedtowards the Syrians . She has appointed a considerab le number of them to public office s ; andlately presented the sum of twenty thousand Rupeesto the College of Cot tayam,as an endowment for it ssupport . The Syrians are most grateful for h er

goodness and cherish, in no ordinary degree,the sentiments of affectionand respect tow ards he rperson that are entertained by every class of hersubjects .

Subsequent events howeve r, disorganized and

shattered this most useful institution,and the landswere sold,minus that portionof the gift which fell on

4 00 REIGN or sREE PADMANABHASAVIN EE vANII

and the enforcement of aregular system ofvaccination,practically attended to in the commencement of thefirst year of this Ranee’s reign.

Of the numerous enactments, promulgated duringHer Highne ss’ re ign, the following are the mostmemorab le ,viz . l et,the prohibitionof the exactionofooliyum service,from Christianryots,when such w asconnected w ith any of the Hindu religious ceremonies2nd, the employment of Christians for any publicworks on Sundays 3rd, the introductionof stampedcadjans for documents ; 4 th,the removal of restrictionsas regards the wearing of goldenand silver ornamentsby Sudras and others ; 5 th,the abolitionof the polltax onpeople of the Chetty and other castes,whenthey were Devasw am ryots ; 6th, the introductionof

coffee cultivationingeneral and the prohibitionagainst

judicial oflicers holding private conferences w ith partiesconcerned in cases, e ither at the court or at theirprivate residences or even giving them admission intotheir dwellings,&c.,&c .,&c .

Towards the close Of this reign, the tutor SubaRow , became very influential in the court. Hisroyal pupils had grownupand completed the ir studies,and as the eldest of them w as soon to ascend the

musnud,Suba Row w as naturally looked uponas HisHighness’principal adviser,and the leader of the court.When Suba Row’

s influence increased, DewanVencattaRow’

s power beganto decline for,the Dew anw as now apprehensive of being supplanted by SubaRow,b ut though all arrangements for the overthrowof the minister, Vencat ta Row,were ripe,Her Highness the Rance would not sanction the measure,andleft the question to b e decided after the formal installationof the elder Prince, whi ch event w as thenverynigh at hand .

In the Malabar year 1004 (1829A.D.) HisHighnessRamaVurma closed hi s sixteenth year of age and thusattained his majority,whenthat most worthyand illustrions Princess the Rance made over the kingdom,

DHARMAWARDHINEE RANEE GOUREE PARWATHIBHY E . 40 1

w i th pleasure and cordiality to her sister’s son. The

State under her regency w as well governed,the peoplewere contented ; the finances were in a flourishingcondition,and anable and meritorious administratorin the personof DewanVencat taRow w as at the helmof Government: Her most gracious Highness retiredto enjoy a peaceful life, though retaining all the

honors appertaining to a re igning sovere ign,with a

consciousness that every endeavour had beenmade byher for the happiness of all,and proud to hear publicOpinion unanimous in declaring that success had

attended Her Highne ss’administration.

CHAPTER VII.

BREE PADMANABHADASAVAN JIPALARAMAVURMAH KULASEKHARAKIREE'I‘APATHISWATHIRAMARAJAH M U NNAY

SULTAN MAHARAJ RAJARAMARAJABAHADURSHAMSHEERJ UN G MAHARAJAH.

IS illustrious sovereignw as really the King ofTravancore from the very day of his birth,b ut His Highness having now attained his

majority,w as formally installed onthe musnud inhissixteenth year,and assumed charge ofafiairs from theregent Rance,on the l oth Madom 1004 M .E . (2l stApril 1829,A.D.)

Notwithstanding hi s youth,His Highness’aptness

for the right discharge of the functions devolving onhim w as something wonderful . Besides,His Highness w as fortunate in receiving the kingdom from the

hands of the Rance in a most flourishing condition,the result of the judicious administrationof the laste ighteen years by two ofHis Highness’ predecessors,his mother Lekshmi Rance and hi s aunt ParvathiRance . The financial state of the country w as promising. The State contained avery contented pOpulation, and the machinery of the administrationw as

worked by the best agencies .

The young MahaRajah had also the advantage ofthe advice and counsel of his worthy father,the abletutor, the meritorious Dewan,as well as many O ld

and experienced ministerial servants, both in the

palace and in other departments. The Resident,Colonel Morrison,C.B.,avery able ofi ccr,w as also awarm supporter of the MahaRajah.

REIGN or SREE PADMANABHADASA,&0 .

These auspicious circumstances and advantages,and His Highness’.talents,education,and the requisitequalifications and trained habits,gave prospects of ahappy and glorious reign to which the people in

general looked forward w i th feelings of pleasure .

Though ashort biographicalaccount of this remarkable young sovereign has already been given in the

last chapter, yet a few words on the MahaRajah’sscholastic attainments may not b e out of place here .

By the time His Highness attained his majority,hehad completed his education and become a perfectmaster of Sanscrit, English, Persian, Hindustani,Maharat t i,Telugu, Canarese, Tamil and Malayalim .

The fact that His Highness w as a good Englishscholar will have been seen from the passage quotedfrom Colonel Welsh’s Military Reminiscences,

”in

the previous chapter. That account, however, w as

written some four years previous to His Highnesscompleting his English education. The MahaRajahw as also a remarkable Sanscrit author. He comosed numerous poetical works on Metaphysics,cligion,&c .,&c . ASanscrit poetical work called aPrab andham containing historical collections,w as

also composed by him inaddition to numerous songsand hymns inpraise of the Almighty and the creationof the universe . He also composed similar songs inTelugu,Hindustani,Mahratta, and other languagesand these are even to the present day well knownthroughout India.

Aspecimenof the MahaRajah’s Sanscrit composi

tion as translated by the Reverend M r . Mateer andinserted inhis Land of Charity,

” page 14 6,may b ereproduced here as aproof of the MahaRajah’s skillinSanscrit composition

More Special interest naturally attaches t o apoemcomposed and published by His Highness the lateRajah Vunchee PalaRama Vurmah, elder uncle ofthe present Maha Rajah,who died in 1846 . It isconsidered by native scholars to b e agood specimen


of modern Sanscrit poetry, the compound poeticalterms being formed according to s tandard rules,thesentences skilfully constructed and the whole adaptedto b e sung to the most popular and melodi ousHindu tunes . Thiswork contains hymns inpraise ofPultmanab hen, the tutelar de ity of the charitablekingdom,

”b ut of course is thoroughly superstitious

and,aft er afashion,devout in sentiment and tone .

The first hymncommence s thus

O thou, lord of earth, husband of Sree (thegoddess of prosperity .) thou, O God, who hastlotus-like -eyes save me : O holy Pultmanab hen,whose chariot is drawn by birds,save me ! O thou,who art worshipped by the king of the Suras

(celestials),thou,who art full of goodness,subduerof enemies, giver of blessings to thy servants,thouw ho hast arms admirably powerful, thou who artadored by the holy ones, save me ; O thou upholderof mountains,thou enemy of Mura (ademon) thouseat of mercy,remover of the suffering arising frombirths and deaths .

Remove my manifold sins,O Souri, (a name ofVishnu), who walked in the most holy gardens ofbli ss and happiness . Remove my manifold sins,Othou destroyer of Kashipu,w ho w as a terror to thethree worlds,thou who shinest like gold,remove mymanifold sins,thoupurifier from sins,thoujoy of theshepherdess, thou who art adorned w ith features,thou who art devoid of passions,whose lotus-likefoot measures the universe . Remove my mani foldsins,O my lord, who takest away sorrows, thou OSouri who hast the sunand the moonfor thine eyes .

The last hymnisanaddress to the soul as follow sO my mind,b e thou always fixed uponGod . Ah 1

tellme,art thou not incessantly fixed onself. O mymind,know that this thy body is fragile ; b e not overanxious,do not covet earth, delight in the historyofMadhava (Vishnu) which is full of joy,holy and


Thinking

O Padmanabha!bless my heart, that I may con

stantly think of thee alone during the tenure of myworldly life . Thy thought is the only light like therays of the sun which drives away darkness from theworld,and which thought alone is capable of afiordinge ternal bliss, leasure and comfort without regard ofpoor or rich,8God ! lord of the universe .

Serving.

O God, Sree Padmanabhal bless me,that I mayserve thee in many ways,that I may b e the bearer ofthy shoes, that I may serve thee with afan inhand,that I may shampoo thy holy feet,that I may hold anumbrellaover thy holy person,and that I may withpleasure employ myself incollecting ofierings to thee .

Adoring.

O God of the universe 1 bless me,that I may adorethee with my mind,word and deeds. Thou art the

only holy ghost who removes sins,and who alone iscapable of pur ifying the whole universe ; bless me,OG od ! that I may seat thee ona throne set w i th ninegems, and that I may wash thee with odoriferouswater,clothe thee inthe whitest garments,anoint theew ith sandals and other scents, adorn thee with allkinds of fragrant flow ers,and make thee my ofierings,OAlmighty G od.

0 G od, lord of lords ! I worship thy feet whichis washed in heavenly water,and whi ch is the onlysource of protectionand salvationto the helpless .

Depending or enslaving.

0 Providence l Sree Padmanabhal I entirely depend uponthy holiness which i s the object constantlyadored even by all the heav enly b odies, and whichalone extends salvation or eternal happiness to all

be ings .

VANJI PALARAMAVURMAH.

Beli eving.

O God 1 bless me, that I may place my entirebelief always inthee who art the destroyer of all sin,and suffering in the universe ; numerous deities andgods are worshipped,b ut I may not b e changeable ordoubting inmy mind in regard to such worship,andthat thy mercy b e uponme , that my mind may b esteadily directed to thy true belief as thou art the onlysupreme being who is capable of affording salvation.

Commi tting.

O God, lord of lords bless me,for I commitunto thee my body,my soul,my habitation,my ro

perty and all other things of mine to thee, so t at,thy protectionmay b e constantly over these,like theowner of athing purchased by him,and that thy mercymay b e uponme ; forgive me for all my sins and alsomy faults inmy utterance of these hymns which areofierings of thy true devotee,and which I have directedas anofiering unto thy holy feet,and I pray thee toaccept these my humble and devoted prayers,as committed by thy pious servant .”

His Highness had equally qualified himself inpolitical matters by hi s assiduous study of various Englishand Sanscrit works, and he acquired a thoroughknowledge of the Institutes of Mann. His Highnessmade it a point to discuss important questions on

LO'

c and Rhetoric, both inEnglish and inSanscrit,an thus became capable of entering into the discassionof any subject,w ithout fear of being defeatedby other learned men.

Soonafter the installation,His Highness’attention

w as direct ed to the remodelling of the cabinet,and asHis Highness had avery high opinion of his tutor,SubaRow , and of his ability and knowledge, hewanted to appoint him Dewan,b ut the idea of dis

pensingwith the services of the able and pularDewanVencattaRow ,w as not approved of by is Highness’

father,by Her Highness theRance,and by the Resi


dent,ColonelMorrison. The controversy onthis sub

ject lasted about six months,and in the interval theable Re sident,Colonel Morrison,w as removed, andDewanVencat taRow tendered his resignation. Tw o

months afterwards,i .e .,inthe middle of the year 1005M .E . (early part of 1830) SubaRow w as appointed t othe vacant office of Dewan,and Cochu SankaraPillay,anative of Travancore who w as thenholding the appointment of aJudge inthe Huzzoor Court,w as madeDewanPeishcar . These two appointments were followed by several other changes among the ministers .

The Huz zoor Cutcherry and other public ofliceswhich had beenheld at Quilonfor along time wereremoved to Trevandrum,and located inside the fort,close to the MahaRajah

’s palace .

As SubaRow wanted to surpass his redecessor,he

spared no pains to di stinguish himself in hi s newphore . He displayed all his experience and tact andcommenced acareerwhich fullyjustifiedHis Highness

’

selectionof himfor the high post of prime minister.

The Dewan’s conduct w as quite inaccordance withHis Highness’ urgent desire of bringing Travancoret o such astate as to entitle her t o the appellation of

model State .

” Suba Row had, at the very outset,established a reputation far superior to that of hispredecessor .

Every suggestion emanating from Dewan SubaRow received ready sanction from His Highness theMahaRajah,and every subordinate,from the DewanPeishcar downwards,looked uponthe Dewanwith thegreatest regard and respect .

Reformationand the maintenance of a rigid moraldiscipline were the chief aim and ambition of thisyoung sovere ign,and so the petty abuses which wereoverlooked during the late administrationwere totallychecked by special enactments . Bribery and corruptionwere pointed out as crimes severely punishable,and those servants who gave cause evenfor sq icion

VANJIPALARAMAVURMAH.

w ere visited with the royal displeasure . The Maha ou r.

Rajah w as so minute inhis inquiries,as his attentionappears to have been directed even to the irregularityof attendance on the public servants,and such remissness they were informed would render them liable t o

dismissal from the service . Tahsildars and other localofficials were warned against any oppressive treatmentof the ryots. Inshort, several useful measures wereintroduced by royal proclamation inthe course ofa

couple of years .

His Highness had set apart afew hours every dayt o attend to public business,and days were appointedfor receiving the Dewan, the Jud es of the appealcourt, the palace officers,&c ., w it their respectivereports.

This measure of hearing report s directly from eachdepartment, facilitated the speedy conduct of publicbusiness by the several department ofi cials .

Thus,the MahaRajah by evincing particular interestinthe conduct of public affairs encouraged men oftalent and intelligence, and in the course of a fewy ears after His Highness’ascent to the musnud theMaha Rajah

’s court and cutcherries had the benefit

of several menof talent, learning and experience .

The Governor of Madras,M r . Lushington, paid avisit to Travancore, and had an interview with the

young Prince at Quilon,inthe early part of August1830 .

His Excellency the Governor w as highly delightedwith the afiab ility, intelligence, w i sdom and gentlemanly disposition of His Highness . The object ofthis visit of the Governor appears to have beento

to the qualifications of so young a.Prince for ruling Travancore .

It is also said,that there had beenalittle misunderstanding betw een the Travancore court and the

Resident, Colonel Morrison, concerning the thenDewanVencattaRow ’

s proposed disconnection w ith52


Travancore,and that Colonel Morrisonhad made somereports unfavorable to the state of things inTravancore,which circumstance induced M r . Lushington to

v isit the country and ascert ain the exact state ofafiairs by a personal inspection, while he w as on a

tour to the Malabar coast .

M r. Lushington w as the first Governor of Madrasw ho visited Travancore .

Onthis occasionthe MahaRajah had anOpportunityof w itnessing the whole of the subsidiary force infullparade,and after His Highne ss

’return from Quilon

the improvement of the Nair brigade engaged hisattention. N ew accoutrements were ordered,and theofficer commanding w as particularly requested to drilland train the sepoys and make them equal to theCompany’s troops .

The clothing of the mounted troops had also beenimproved,andnew horses were supplied to the troopers .

O ld stables were repaired and made into three divisions,one for the troopers, one for the royal stud, andanother for the horses to b e supplied to the palaceofficials and attendants,as well as to the public officialsw ho accompany the MahaRajah during State processions,and also on other movements on urgent publicduty .

The horse breeding establishment introduced andmaintained at Thovalay during the former reigns andwhich supplied good horses to the Trevandrum stables,w as improved . Some fine mares were procured,andall O ld and defective horses of different breeds wereremoved from the establishment .

The best elephants from the forest department ando ther placeswere selected and cantoned at Trevandrumfor carrying howdahs,flags and other royal emblems .

To the Trevandrum stables w as attached amena

gerie where royal tigers, panthers, cheetahs, deer,boars and all sort s of wild animals w hich abound inthe Travancore forests w ere collectedand caged. And


tahsildar personally known to himself in one of the

talooks under the Malabar collectorate, who aecom

panied the Commissariat during the Coorg campaigninthe year 1834 . The MahaRajah, authorized th eResident to invite that officer to enter the service of

the Travancore Government .

This tahsildar’s name w as Itterarichen Cundappen,generally known as Cunden Menon. This personaccepted the ofier of a DewanPeishcar’s post in theHuz z oor cutcherry, and w as accordin ly appointedin the middle of the year 1 0 10 M.E . gearly part of

1835 A.D .)

Dewan Peishcar CundenMenon proved to b e anexcellent acquisitionto the Travancore servi ce, andhe afforded such great satisfaction to His Highness,and merited ere long his perfect confidence, thatthe Maha Rajah placed the details of the administrat ion inthe Peishcar

’s hands, and directed Dew an

SubaRow to place simi lar trust inthe Peishcar,orderingfurther that if the Dewanshould entertain doubts onany points of importance,he should report the samepersonally to His Highness .

CundenMenon Pe ishcar beganto manage businessand to afford general satisfaction. Inashort time,hemerited the applause of the people who now began to

talk of himas second only to ex -Dew anVencat taRow .

The principal Object of the MahaRajah in invitingCunden Menon,w as to compile a code of laws forTravancore,founded uponthe enactments theninforcein the Honorable East IndiaCompany

’s territories .

CundenMenon undertook this most import ant andonerous task, and having formed a committee ofexperienced ofi cers inthe Travancore service,he consulted with them and examined all the rules then inforce inTravancore . They thencommenced the drafting and arranging of the regulations, which theyfinished inthe course ofafew months.

VANJ’I PALARAMAVURMAH.

As the Peishcar had no know ledge of English,allhis writings were translated by compet ent Englishscholars . The MahaRajah and the Resident highlyapproved of the code, and it w as printed at the

Cot tayam Mission Press (the Sircar having no pressof their ow n at that time), and the new code w as

promulgated as the law of Travancore, and broughtinto force from the year 10 1 1 M .E . (1836A.D.)This w as the first code of regulations ever adopted

and promulgated inTravancore . It consisted ofe ightchapters . The first five chapters contain the civilcode and procedure and the constitutions ofMunsiffs,Z illah and appeal courts ; the sixth regulation veststahsildars wi th police authority,and Z illah courts withcriminal powers ; and the seventh and eighth authoriseappeal court judges to perform the functions of

sessioncourts .

To carry out the provisions laid out by the new code,it w as necessary to have astaff of competent agents,and to place aqualified person on the bench of thea peal court,Cunden Menon Peishcar recommended

°

s Highness to invite one of the Munsiffs in theMalabar zillah . Inaccordance w ith thi s suggestion,the services of one BagavunthaRow ,aMunsifi,wereavailed of,he having been invited through the Resident . Bagavuntha Row w as appoint ed first judge ofthe appeal court onhi s arrival inTrevandrum.

ByRegulationVI,the power of supreme magistracyw as vested inthe Dewan,and by that measure CundenMenonPeishcar became virtually the head magistrate,and he took inhand the organizationof the police andmagistracy,while BagavunthaRow ,Judge,arrangedevery po int connected with the civil and criminal departments . Inthe course of afew months,the powers ofthe judicial departments in Travancore were clearlyestablished, and placed on a permanent footing,andthe people became generally acquainted with the newlyintroduced system.

Acouple ofyears subsequent to SubaRow ’sappoint


ment as Dewan,he beganto arrange for the conductof ageneral garden survey,whi ch w as then over dueinaccordance with established rule,as no such surveyhad beenheld since the year 993 M .E .,when one w as

commenced by the Dewan Daven Padmanab henandconcluded in993,during the admini strationof ReddyRow. DewanPeishcar Cunden Menongot the credi tof carrying the measure into execution,during thatofficer’s time,and this survey w as concluded in theyear 10 12 M .E . (1837 subsequent to the said

Peishcar’s death.

DewanSubaRow,whose powers had beenvirtuallyusurped by the intelligent and painstaking DewanPe ishcar,had nothing to do beyond affixing his signature to all the communications prepared under the

directions of CundenMenon. The Dewan now grew

jeal ous,and in consultation w i th hi s first assistantDewan Pe ishcar Cochu SankaraPillay,who w as also

highly envious of hi s junior colleagues’success in

ofi ce, began to thwart the Peishcar in many of hisreally praiseworthy undertakings . But SubaRow’

s

ill-devised endeavours against Cunden Menon werenot successful,as the Pe ishcar had the firm support ofthe MahaRajah and the Resident inall really important measures . But the successful career of CundenMenonw as arrested by his suddenand serious illness .

After adi stinguished service of two years, he diedat Trevandrum. Inhim,Travancore lost amost ableand promising officer, from whom the pe0 p1e expectedstill greater benefits if providence had spared him.

In the Malabar year 10 1 1 (1836 the MahaRajah sanctioned the abolitionof duty onone hundredand sixty-five articles of different descriptions onw hichinland,as well as export and import duty,had beenlevied . The advantages of English education beingfully appreciated by the MahaRajah from personalexperience,His Highness now thought of placing thesame withinthe reach of his subjects, by introducinganeducational systeminTravancore .


at Alleppey ; b ut the MahaRajah wished to have a

good building erected at Trevandrum. His Highne sstherefore desired M r. Caldecott to make an officialproposal,through the Resident,Colonel Fraser,for th econstructionof anObservatory at Trevandrum. The

measure w as duly proposed,and it b avin beenreadi lysanctioned by the MahaRajah, M r. aldecot t w as

appointed His Highness’astronomer.

The Observatory w as builtunder the superintendenceof Lieutenant (now Colonel) Horsley,of the MadrasEngineers,and M r. Caldecott,having placed his private astronomical instruments at the disposal of th eSircar, and having also obtained a few

‘more fromEngland, commenced operations in 1837 . Sub se

quently, many valuable and choice instruments werepurchased and the Trevandrum Observatory beingthus placed onafair footing,became amost importantinstitutionof the kind inIndia.

The following abstracts of M r. J . A. Brown’s mag

net ical observations, while distinctly show ing the

origin and maintenance of the TrevandrumObservatory, bears strong and impartial te stimony to HisHighness’ qualifications and character, as describ edabove

The TrevandrumObservatory owed its origin in1836, to the enlightened views of His HighnessRamaVurmah,then reigning Rajah of Travancore,and to the encouragement given to them by the lateGeneral Stuart Fraser then representing the BritishGovernment at Trevandrum.

The advantages which might accrue to science bythe establishment of an Observatory in the mostsouthern part of the Indian peninsula were first

brought to the Rajah’s notice by M r. J. Caldecot t,then the commercial agent of the TravancoreGovernment at the port ofAlleppey. HisHighness,desirous that his country should partake w i th Europeannat ions in scientific investigations,sanct ionedthe construction of an Observatory, named Mr.


Caldecott its director,and gave himpower to furni shit w ith the best instruments to b e obtained inEurope .

a a a a a at

His Highness w as celebrated throughout Indiafor his love of learning, for acultivated mind,greatpoetical powers,and athorough knowledge of manylanguages. His Highness is well knownalso for hisdecision of character,and took the whole subject atonce under his special

at 1 a a a a

The virtues Of Europeanmedicines and the benefitsto b e derived from Europeanmedical treatment havingbeen thoroughly appreciated from experience, eversince the a po intment Of aDoctor,as medical attendant upon t e royal family,this benevolent MahaRajahwished that his subjects should also share in its

advantages . He therefore sanctioned the establishment of acharity hospital at Trevandrum,under the

superintendence Of the palace physician.

The constructionof the Sree Padam palace,duringthe former reign, on a plan drawn by a EuropeanEngineer, had impressed His Highness, even whenquite young with a favourable Opini onof Europeanengineering skill. The recent construction of theObservatory simply confirmed this impression. The

MahaRajah,desirous of introducing aknowledge Of

European engineering art into Travancore, in con

sultationwith the Re sident Colonel Fraser,sanctionedthe organisation of an experimental engineeringdepartment,and Lieutenant Horsley w as Offered,andaccepted,the post of aVisiting Engineer and Superintendent of Irrigation and other important works atNanjenaud and Trevandrum.

Anirrigationmaramuth department w as establishedat Nanjenaud and asuperintendent appointed . Afewcom anies of pioneers were formed for irr igationworksat anjenaud, under the general supervision of thevisiting Engineer Lieutenant Horsley,who beganto

53


devote his unremitting attention to the improvementOf all the maramuth works inTravancore .

This very able Engineer’s literary work Memoirsof Travancore” writtenat the reque st of the Re sident,Colonel Fraser,shows hi s know ledge of the country,and how he exerted himself to b e closely acquainte dth everything connected w i th Travancore .

The MahaRajah commissionedHis Highness’Astro

nomer,M r . Caldecott,to procure asmall printing press,and employ the same in connectionwith the O b se rvatory b ut thi s gentleman at first introduced lithography, and subsequently, in consultation with the

Resident,printing presses were ordered from Englandand aprinting department e stablished. M r. Spersch

neider (the father Of the present Dr. Sperschneider of

the Nair brigade), w as appointed superintendent ofthe printing department. In the year 1839 the firstAnglo -Vernacular Calendar of Travancore (for the

Malabar year 10 15) w as issued from this press .

The maramuth department, for repairing and con

struct ing palaces,pagodas,and similarworks,w as nowreorganised ona larger scale,and a person Of experi

ence w as appointed, with an adequate salary, assuperintendent .

The sudden death of CundenMenon Pe ishcar w asthe subject of general remark . Though he died anatural death from acarbuncle On the back,and thoughhe w as attended by the palace physician and the residency doctor, ye t the popular voice had it that thePeishcar had fallenavictim to the arts Of witchcraftpractised against him by some Of the devil-w orshippersof the south,under the support and instigationof thePeishcar

’s enemies .

His Highness the MahaRajah had reasons to b edissatisfied w ith Dewan SubaRow ,and his assistantCochu SankaraPillayPeishcar. About thi s time someseri ous charges were preferred against these hi hOfficials by anumber Of petitioners. In 10 12 M .


OHAP. administration,and his proceedings gavefac tionto His Highness the MahaRajah . As the newDewanw as progressing inhis brilliant career,he hadthe misfortune to fall out with CaptainDouglas,th ethenActing Resident . Finding that they could no tagree,VencattaRow tendered his resignation,thoughmuch against His Highness’wish,in the month of

M eenam 10 14 (1839 aft er a career of onlytwelve monthsDewan Peishcar RungaRow , having resigned hisoffice,when his brother Vencat taRow w as appointedDewan, there w as no fit Officer at the time in the

Huz z oor establishment to conduct the administration,and consequently, the MahaRajah, in consultationwith the Resident, Captain Douglas, called in the

other ex -Dewan Suba Row, in the year 10 14 M .E .

(1839 to re sume charge of the administration.

His absence of alittle more than two years from Office,and even the inquiry beforementioned did not seemto weigh uponhis mind inthe least,and DewanSubaRow resumed charge of the Office in the gayest spiri tas if he had beenattending the cutcherry all the time .

Though the resignationof Vencat ta Row w as gene

rally and deeply regretted by the people, yet SubaRow w as also not wanting in pO ularity. DewanSubaRow kept inhis O ld groove . is administrationw as marked by great success,and the Maha Rajahconsidered the arrangements best suited to the times .

In the year 10 15 M .E . (1840 the Dewan’spower w as increased and his hands strengthened,for,the heads of the several departments of the Huz zoorcutcherry were now prevented by a royal writ,fromcorresponding directly with the palace,and the Dewanw as made the only Officer inthe Huz zoor cutcherrycompetent t o issue orders and instructions to thevarious subordinate Oflicers .

By this time, the Maha Rajah’s reputation and

renown were Spread throughout Indla, and HisHighness’ court became the cynosure of attraction


It w as always thron ed by men Of learning fromal l parts of India. astries from Bengal, Benares,Comb aconum, and other places noted for learning,now resorted to the capital Of Travancore, partlyto take service under so renowned a MahaRajah,and partly to display their knowledge . A distin

gui shed scholar, by name Sankara Jossiyer, whow as one of the principal undits of the court of HisHighness Runjeet Sing, aha Rajah Of Lahore,andwho had highly distinguished himself in northernIndia, w as now entertained in the MahaRajah’s service,as the first judge Of the appeal court . Nativeastronomers and astrologers from all parts of India,were also inthe MahaRajah’s employment. The MahaRajah w as also apatron of music,and several distin

guished musicians from Tanjore,Tinnevelly Palghaut,Mysore,and Malabar were now takeninto the service .

Mussulman singers Of renown were invited to thecourt. An East Indian w as employed to practiseEnglish music . Portable Organs, musical boxes ofvarious sizes,and several other musical instruments,were purchased .

Many native medical practitioners Of note visitedthe MahaRajah

’s court . AHuckeem Of some note

from Delhi had beenin the court for some time,andthe renownedHuckeemOfTinnevelly,MadarHoossein,Tahsildar’s sonHayathally Khan,w as employed,andthat O ld manis still inthe service .

Anumber of native boxers from Travancore and

other parts Of Malabar skilled inthe art of fencing,single combat, sword, stick, and other exercises,were entertained for the amusement Of the court.TO witness the mode Of champion-fighting in othercountries, the Maha Rajah got from the court OfMysore afew sets Of trained athletes called mullaga

jetties,who fight insingle combat, till the combatants’

bodies are bathed in blood . The Maha Rajah’s curi

osity w as very peculiar,as His Highness used to takeagreat interest inseeing all kinds Of w onderful feats


and rarities. His Highness,who had already seen

Specimens of nearly all the European nations, nowwished to see aChinese,of whose skill inarts andmanufactures His Highness had heard agood deal .

Two Chinese jugglers were brought and were for a

long time attached to the palace . As they had a.

very funny w ay of taking their meals by means of

two small sticks,the MahaRajah used to see them fedat the palace inhi s presence . They remained inthepalace for a long time,and afterwards were allowedto returnto their native land loaded with presents .

Arab s,N egroes,Turks,Malays,Japanese,N epaule se,and people of almost every nationality of Indiawerebrought to Trevandrum one by one at difierent

times,to satisfy His Highness’ curiosity . A set of

pyalw ans (M ussulmanchampions) fromHyderabad w hoperform wonderful feats and exhibit extraordinarypowers of muscle,were entertained at the court forsome time . The performances exhibited by these menwould b e considered exaggerated, even if correctlyrelated . One of them,a young manof aboutcars of age,with a strong-built body,used to lie onhis back and allow athick granite stone slab to b e

placed onhis breast,and have the same split into piecesby pounding it with athick iron pestle . He used tothrow large ironcannonballs into the air and receivethem onhis head, back and breast.

In short, there w as no science in India which hadnot a representative of it inthe MahaRajah’

s courtduring this period. And this highly satisfactory stateof affairs at the court and the proper administrationof the country of Travancore excited the admirationof all the neighbouring countries,while the MadrasGovernment expressed their unqualified satisfactionatthe young MahaRajah’s conduct of the administration.

Avery rich and influential native of Madras,Veersswamy Naidoo, repaired to Trevandrum,and afterhaving had aninterview with the MahaRajah,resolved


to stay at His Highness’ court . Ashort time afterwards,the Maha Rajah appointed him as the fourth

judge of the appeal court . Thismanhadagood knowledge Ofhorses,and so he w as allowed to have the supervision Of the MahaRajah’s stables . Arichly gilt andsplendid car w as constructed for the Maha Rajah

’s

conveyance on State occasions under Veerasw amyNaidoo

’s superintendence,and onhis own plan,and

this beautiful carriage w as admired by all who saw it,

and even European Engineers have expressed the irsurprise at the native workmanship and the ingenuitydisplayed in its execution.

In the early part of the year 1016 M .E. (1840General (then Colonel) Cullen w as appointed

Resident of Travancore ; andayoung TeluguBrahmanby name KrishnaIyon,afterwards know nas KrishnaRow followed the Resident to Travancore . ThisBrahman appears to have beenunder General Cullenwhile he w as inthe Commissariat at Madras . Al thoughhe had only alimited knowledge of English,he wroteagood b and,and w as avery fast w ri ter and int elligentand active inhi s habits .

General Cullen w as struck with the eloquence,affability and knowledge of the MahaRajah at theirfirst interview,and as the General w as agood scientificscholar,he applauded the Maha Rajah

’s learning,his

poetical taste,as well asHisHighness’patronage of the

Western sciences and began to cO -operate with HisHighness inall hi s scientific improvement s .

Krishna Row,w as a great favourite Of GeneralCullen, and he now began to b e ambitious, anddesirous of getting into the Travancore servi ce .

Though there w as no opening at the time,the MahaRajah thought it wise to do something for the youngBrahmanwith the view of pleasing the Resident,andaccordingly,a new office w as created for him in theHuz zoor cutcherry under the denominationof deputyPeishcar on a monthly salary of 300 rupees . Hisduty w as to manage the Devasw am,O otupurah and


Sawyer departments . Matte rs went onsatisfactorilyand harmoniously for some time,b ut KrishnaRo waspiring to ahigher position began slowly to workwith the view of overthrow ing DewanSubaRow .

The Maha Rajah w as naturally very sensitive,andtherefore would not submit to the least contradiction,or slight thrown onh is authority, from any quarte rwhatever .

General Cullen,being alittle defective inhis senseof hearing,the MahaRajah had to speak in aloudtone during his interview with him. This w as no t

at all agreeable to His Highness . He w as rathe rdelicate inconstitution,and the strain onHis Highness

’lungs seemed to injure h is health . His inter

views with the Resident therefore were not veryfrequent and whenaprivate meeting w as sought,th eMaha Rajah Often tried to avoid seeing him unde rsome excuse or other .

The Deputy Peishcar,KrishnaRow ,w as the principal person who used to furnish information to the

Resident onall matters connected w i th the Government,and he took this Opportunity of prejudicingGeneral Cullen’s mind against DewanSubaRow,intimating that the excuses of the Maha Rajah and hisunwillingness to receive visits from the Resident,proceeded from apersonal disregard to the Resident thatthe Dewanadvised the MahaRajah not to make himself too friendly with the Resident ; and that HisHighness w as acting solely under the counsel of SubaRow .

Thus the first seeds of misunderstanding were sown

inGeneral Cullen’s mind, and he being aproud man,and of asomewhat resentful disposition,though kindand afiab le,as arule,beganto view things inTrcore with aprejudiced eye,and to weigh matters withabiased mind . Decisions on public questions of importance were altered,and objections to every measureproposed and suggested by the Dewan under the

authority of the MahaRajah,became the order of theday. The Resident commenced receiving petitions


onx r.Opinions were endorsed by eventhe

O

Honorable Courtof Directors .

The Deputy Peishcar,KrishnaRow ,who w as anx iously waiting to Obtainthe coveted oflice of Dew anever since he set foot inTravancore,now thought thatthe time for accomplishing his object had arrived,andhe began to use his influence with re -doubled vigour .

The people of Travancore,both oflicials and nonoflicials ,who were quick in foreseeing things,ant ic ipated the ultimate fate of DewanSubaRow,and t h eadvancement of the Deputy Peishcar KrishnaRo’

w .

Kri shnaRow became the head of astrong part and

thus arose two factions inTravancore . Suba ow’s

influence gradually weakened,and he became simplythe nominal Dewan. Matters continued thus for

some time . The Dewan now found the necessity of

w i thdraw ing from the conflict,and the MahaRajahw as constrained to accept his resignation. He w as

allowed to retire onamonthly pensionof 500 rupees .

After the retirement of Suba Row, Krishna Roww as promoted to the post of Head Dewan Peishcar, and w as put in charge Of the administration in101 7 M .E . (1842A.D.) Thus did this protege of theResident attainthe O bject of his desire .

The Maha Rajah had become disheartened eversince he felt his authority interfered with by the

Resident, and the administration of the State nufavourably commented onby the Madras Government.This state of things hurt the MahaRajah’s feelings

considerably, and one day His Highness calling inhis father and his brother the EliaRajah (heir apparent),observed to them that the Madras Governmenta

gpeared to b e solely guided by the partial reports of

eneral Cullen,and were thus doing great injusticeto His Highness . He said that it w as surprising thatthat Government should pretend to evince moreinterest in the welfare and prosperity of Travancore,than the MahaRajah himself who w as the owner andthe sovereign of the country, while the Honorab le


East IndiaCompany w as only anally of His Highness ;that the present conduct of the Madras Governmentand of their representative towards His Highness andG eneral Cullen’s constant interference with the internal administration of the kingdom, would seem toimply jus t the contrary ; that the MahaRajah had atpresent,inhis court,well informed persons from manyarts of the Company’s Indian territories,and alsoiirom the native kingdoms of Mysore, Tanjore,Hyderabad,Cochin,&c .,from whom HisHighness hadlearnt that those countries were not better ruled thanTravancore ; that the MahaRajah

’s rule inthe earlier

part of h is reign had been highly approved of,no tonly by the Madras Government b ut also by the

Government of India; that it w as highly mortifyingt o find that fault had beennow found with His Highness

’rule aft er acareer of about twelve years,and

afterHis Highness had become experienced inthe artof Government,and that if the destini es of Travancorewere to remain in the hands of a Telugu Brahman(referring to Krishna Row), the Maha Rajah wouldrather relinquish his connection w i th the kingdom,thanb e subjected to such humiliations . After theseObservations His Highness produced along addresswhich he had prepared to b e forwarded to the SupremeGovernment,and handed it over to his brother . Thisletter w as strongly worded, and His Highness the

EliaRajah as well as his father were quite alarmed atthe Maha Rajah

’s determination. They prayed His

Highness to postpone his proceedings for further con

sideration and soothed His Highness’ troubled mind .

Subsequently, Her Highness Parw athi Rance, His

Highness’aunt,the ex ewanSubaRow,and severaltrusted officials and courtiers,waited upon the MahaRajah,and requested His Highness to refrain fromw riting e ither to the Government of Madras or tothat of India,against General Cullenand his protege,Kri shna Row. Though the Maha Rajah yielded tothe earne st solicitations of His brother,father,tutorand oflicers, still he Was so much Ofiended, as t o


declare that His Highness would not retain KrishnaRow inthe servi ce,b ut would send himaw ay even atthe expense of the country .

The MahaRajah informed the Madras Governmentthat His Highness had no confidence in the head

DewanPeishcar incharge, and that he would no t b econfirmed in the Dewan’s office .

As there w as no fit personinoffice whom the MahaRajah could select for the office of prime ministe r,HisHighness sent for the old e x -DewanVencattaRow ,

commonly knownby the name of ReddyRow ,w h o

had come to Travancore along with Colonel Munro,and who w as Dewandurin the reign of HerHighnessParw athiRance . Reddy Ow responded to the calland w as ap ointed Dewan in the Malabar year 10 18

(1843 A.D. The head DewanPeishcar w as howeverallowed to remain inoflice, b ut w as only incharge ofcertaindepartments Of the Huz zoor. This w as doneat the earnest solicitationof the MahaRajah

’s brother

(the heir apparent), and His Highness’ father, w ho

feared anOpenrupture with General Cullen.

The DewanReddy Row , though nearlyin the country from his long absence and from the

material changes it had undergone during aperiod Ofab ove twenty years,beganacareer quite different fromthat of his predecessor Suba Row . N O sooner hadhe once more come into office,thanahost of relativesand followers surrounded him,and ere long two of hissons were employed inthe Huz zoor cutcherry.

The head Dewan Peishcar, KrishnaRow ,and the

DewanReddyRow could not agree,and the Huz zoorcutcherry became againthe scene of divided partisanship. The Dew anhad the support Of the MahaRajah,w hile KrishnaRow w as backed by General Cullen,w ho induced the Madras Government to believe thatKrishnaRow w as the only honest and able Officer inthe Travancore service,and who had the welfare ofthe country at heart. Afew months previous to

the appointment of Dew anReddy Row , the tw o


removal from Travancore w as insisted upon by the" 1° Madras Government,and the MahaRajah yielded t o

the decisionof the paramount pow er.

After some time, the Maha Rajah succeeded inrecalling SubaRow to his capital from Tanjore,wherehe had proceeded in obedience to the orders of theMadras Government. But the Maha Rajah w as

greatly afiected by the decisionof G overnment whichhe looked upon as unnecessaril severe . The MahaRajah thought that His Higiiness’ authority andpower in his ow n country had been set at nought .

From this time His Highness became indiflerentregarding the administrationof the country and w as

dejected in mind. His health began to fail and a

complaint which added to the uneasiness of his mind,beganto preyuponHisHighness’delicate constitution.

Being a. learned monarch,His Highness now beganto devote his time more to religious devotions than toanything else, and spent his time mostly in prayer,ablutions,and inattending to the worship of the greatpagodaat Trevandrum.

The Maha Rajah began to fulfil his vows bydevoting large sums ofmoney to HisHighness’ household deity Padmanabha Swamy, ever since the

commencement of his ailments . Ondays when HisHighness went to Offer or fulfil the vows,he used tofast and abstain from taking his usual food and fromreceiving visits from any one ; so much so, that HisHighness even denied an audience to his neare strelatives . Hence,the Dewancould not find time forsubmitting his reports as usual,nay,he could hardly

get admittance into the royal presence more thanonceinamonth .

Inevery month,several days were devoted for thefulfilment of the vows at the pagoda, and on eachoccasiona.large sumof money w as givento the shrine .

On one occasion, the amount w as one lac of Suratrupees,which w as heaped in front of the idol of SreePadmanabha Swamy,and the MahaRajah took the


numerous bags containing the rupees and poured the ow .

contents into the silver vessels whi ch were ke t therefor the purpose . This work engaged His Highnessabout anhour,and he had the determinationof mindto go through the labour even in h is delicate state ofhealth .

During this eriod, money w as apparently con

sidered by the MahaRajah as dust, and the palaceexpenditure became most extravagant and lavish .

Purchases of sundry articles, such as silks, velvets,kincobs,neeralum (gold cloth) and other descriptionsof cloth,alone absorbed an annual sum of about threelacs of rupees all valuable jewels brought for sale wereat once purchased,and made over to the pagoda asvotive Ofierings to the deity .

Costly buildings were constructed,such as the Karamanay stone bridge attached to the old palace,850 .

There w as atotal discontinuance of interviews withthe Resident,General Cullen,against whom the hatredof the M ahaRajah seemed to increase day by day,somuch so,that his servants were afraid to utter theResident’s name inthe M ahaRajah’s presence . HisHighness would,in conversationwith his attendants,when alluding to the Resident, speak of him as

Shuvatha”inSanscrit, Panddarah

”inM ahratta,

and Wallah” inM alayalim .

Latterly, the M ahaRajah would not see or receivevisits from any European gentlemen, and even HisHighness’ physician could not pay his visits to theailing M ahaRajah,who totally refused to attend t oany advice from the doctor or to allow himself to b etreated by him.

During this interval, Lord Hay, the son of theM arquis of Tweedale,the thenGovernor of M adras,came to Trevandrum, and it w as with the greatestdifficulty and indeference to the entreaties of t he EliaRajah and HisHighness

’ father,that the M ahaRajahw as persuaded to see that nob leman.


Inthe middle of the M alabar year 1019 (1844the M ahaRajah proceeded to south Travancore,w i t hthe express purpose of performing certain religi ous

ceremonies and to worship in the renowned pagodasof Sucheendramand Cape Comorinand other shrine sof note . This trip w as attended w i th avery larg eamount of ex enditure for the whole Huz zoor andpalace establishments had to follow the royal proccasion. Even on this occssion, the M aha Rajahabstained from show in himself to the people of Nanjenaud as is usual, forHis Highness’ time w as alw ays

devoted to religious Observances . Nanjenaud is considered from time immemorial as the country inhabitedby the most loyal subjects of Travancore, and th e

people of the twelve villages forming Nanjenaud hadprecedence on all occasions over those of any otherpart of the country . Every new measure adoptedduring the former reigns connected with the adm1nistrationof the kingdom,w as first proposed to the pe 0p1eof Nanjenaud,and the had beeninvariably consul tedas they had avoice an vote inthe affairs of the kingdom. Consequently,whenever the sovere ign visite dNanjenaud,the first thing he used to do w as to give anaudience to the chiefs of that district. On this occasion, however,the MahaRajah did not do this,froman apprehension that some of the old loyal chiefsmight moot the questionof the present state of afiairsinthe country,and make some remarks regarding theunusual interference of theResident with the MahaRajah’s sovereign authority, and of His Highness’

implicit submissw n.

After anabsence of more thanamonth,His High .

ness returned to Trevandrumand resumed his usual

devotional exercises . About this time, the MahaRajah thought it prOper to invest an amount of fourlacs of rupees inthe Government loans ; especially asthe reserve fund in the palace treasury w as be ingdrained away day by day.

The numerous act s and proceedings of the Maha


boundary di spute with a certain Devasw am in t he

north called Nayathot tum,w as also opento suspicion.

By the time of the Dewan’s returnto Trevandrum,

every detail connected w i th his visit toAnanthaRamaI en

’s house,and his inquiry into the charges against

t e tahsildar,reached the MahaRajah’

s ears . The

Resident, General Cullen, too, w as in possession of

similar facts .

The Maha Rajah refused to give audience to theDewanafter his return,and, afew days afterwards,made the premier to understand that the di sagreeab lenecessity of apublic inquiry into his conduct might b eavoided by his immediate re signation. ReddyRoww i sely accepted the roposal,and sent inhis resignat ionthe next day. Ilpon another occasion, aDew anPe ishcar,avery able and experienced Officer,who w asingreat favour with the MahaRajah,w as dismissedthe service onacharge of corruption. The follow ingis an abstract translation of the short royal rescriptissued to the Pe ishcarAs w e had reason to appreciate your ability and

long experience on public business during the timeyou were holding minor appointments,w e promot edyou to the Oflice of Dewan Pe ishcar, b ut,in courseof time,you proved yourself to b e extraordinarilyavaricious like other meanpersons,and various evilshave resulted,inconsequence,w e therefore have dismissed you from your present oflice .

”

Soon after Reddy Row’s retirement, Sreenevasa

Row , the then first Jud e of the appeal court,w asappointed head DewanTeishcar, in charge of theadministration. Thi s oflicer w as a very honest andquiet man,b ut had not that administrative tact whichcharacterised many of his predecessors . Be ing calleduponto assume charge of the administrationat a timew hen the ablest Dewan would have found it difficultt o manage aflairs satisfactorily,he experienced greattrouble in cOping with the emergency . Reddy Rowhad b rought the administration into a state which


SreenevasaRow ’s hand w as too weak to rectify. The

gradually grow ing illness of the MahaRajah and hisconsequent indifierence to the affairs of the State,the increasing misunderstanding between the courtand the Resident ; the general inactivity of the di striot oflicials,who had all afirm belief inthe speedyreturn of Krishna Row to office, and above all thefinancial embarrassments of the country, were evilswhich SreenevasaRow found too hard for him to surmount. People knew that his hands were tied,andthat he had no power to act inany matter fo r himself.The Resident called for reports on every point connected w ith the administration,while he w as utterlyunable to get areply from the palace to his referenceson important matters for months together. Revenuecollections fell into arrears . The tabacco revenue,which w as thenthe chief item among other branches,began to sufl’er owing to the prevalence Of smuggling,while the daily expenses in the palace increased onaccount of ceremoni es and other demands . The largesum of money amounting to upwards of thirty-fourlacs of Rupees which w as the surplus m the treasuryduring the prosperous admini strationof DewanSubaRow, and which had been transferred to the palacetreasury on his retirement w as all spent in vows andreligious ceremonies at the pagodas,and the palacetreasury also soonbecame empty. Thus,the financialdifliculty became greater thanall the other difficultieswith which the acting premier had to deal. The headDewanPeishcar,SreenevasaRow,w as oftenfoundmapitiful state, especially when the time for paying themonthly subsidy to the Resident’s treasury approached .

The allowance to the various establishments hadbeen lnarrears,and every day the Huz zoor cutcherryw as invaded by crowds of pe 0 p1e expecting and

requesting payment .

SreenevasaRow had some good qualities . He w as

quite amenable to reason He used to seek advicefromable and honest officials ofhis cutcherry,w ithout


regard to their rank and position. He never shrunkfrom retracing his steps when he found it w as

necessary to do so . By such asensible line of conductSreenevasaRow w as enabled to show improvement inthe financial department and inthe general adm1ms

next Malabar year 1021 (A.D. t he

Maha Rajah wishing achange of air visited Quilon,and thi s entailed anenormous additional e endi ture .

Towards the close of the year,to aggravate t e alreadyexisting difficulties,agreat misfortune befell Travancore . Anunusually heavy storm burst over the coun

try destroying both life and property to a considerable ext ent.

The storm and the consequent floods destroyedmany of the irrigationworks inthe south . Numb ersof trees,houses,&c .,&c .,inthe north came downandmany ryots had their houses washed away. By thisevent the improvement in the financial condition ofthe country w as considerably retarded .

In this year,the MahaRajah’s father died . Thisw as an irreparable and deeply felt loss to the State.

From thi s date,the Maha Rajah’s ailments began to

increas e . He loved seclusionand solitude,and as hismalady increased,his habit became more sedentary.

N0 person had access t o His Highness, save his

personal attendants, of whom one man waite d at asuitable place t o attend when summoned . Eventhephysician attached to the MahaRajah could not getany correct information regarding the state of HisHighness’ health . His Highness’ brother, the EliaRajah, w ho had a good knowledge of the medicalscience w as his onl medical attendant. Eventhe E liaRajah himself con(1 not go to see his brother withoutspecial permission. There were several nat ive pract itioners of some note and ability at hand, b ut theywere ofno use,as His Highness refused to admit anyof them to the royal presence . The MahaRajah atthis time was unable evento w alkafew paces.


usual,neither did he stir out of hi s b ed t ill 9RM . Thi s

created some alarm,and the servants soon communiosted the matter to His Highness the EliaRajah,b utHis Highness would not venture to enter the chamb erwithout being called inby h is brother Such w as t h efear,even the heir apparent and immediate broth er,had of the Maha Rajah. The alarm reached H er

Highness Parw athiRance,the MahaRajah’s aunt,andHer Highness together w ith His Highness’ broth e rin-law hastened to the palace and all the thre e sto odnear the door . But none at tem ted e ither to ente r or

to rouse . the slumbering Maha!Rajah At about 1 0

A.H.,the MahaRajah hearing a w h is r at the do or,and recognizing the voice of His ighness

’aunt

whom His Highness held ingreat regard,called out

to the attendants,and inquired of them if Her Highness w as there and what the time w as . There wereonly two attendants privileged to entcr‘into the b ed

chamber,and one of whom informed the MahaRajahthat it w as then 10 o’clock and that the Princess andthe EliaRajah were there, in consequence of the

MahaRajah’s not stirring out Of b ed evenat such alate hour. The MahaRajah got up,b ut SO weak hadhe become that his legs failed to support him and

whenabout to fall back,the attendant approached tohelp him. His Highness turning,stared at his face,holding the wall by one of his hands,and said what !are you trying to trifle with me I amnot going tofall,neither am I in such a state of health .

” Sosaying,the MahaRajah boldly walked out and seeinghis sorrow-strickenrelatives,asked Her Highness theRance with arespectful smile Ammachce amertha.kalinho 2

”i .e ., mother,have ou taken your break

fast Turning to the Elia ajah, His HighnessObserved that he had Slept alittle longer thanusual,and thengave them leave to depart. Her Highnesswished that they Should stay there till His Highnesstook his breakfast . His Highness,though fast Sinking, endeavoured to conceal his weakness,b ut beingunable to reach the bathing place,he said that he


would perform his ablutions inone of the adjoiningrooms,and while seated there His Highness sent forthe head cook and gave him instructions to prepare avery light meal which w as served at about 1 1 o’clock,b ut His Highness partook of it very Sparingly,andthenagain bidding the sad group of relations adieu,re -entered the chamber and laid himself on the b ed.

His Highness the EliaRajah returned to his palace,and sent for the palace doctor,and told him inwhatstate his royal brother w as . The doctor wished foran interview with the sovereign,b ut this w as foundimpracticable . Dewan Pe ishcar Krishna Row w as

ordered by His Highness to intimate at once toGeneral Cullen the state of His Highness’

During the course of the day,the Elia Rajah wentmore then t en times to the palace, b ut did not

venture to enter the room or enquire personally howhis brother w as,for fear of disturbing him. Towardsevening,however,His Highness went again to the

palace,when taking courage, he approached the doorand found the MahaRajah still lying on his b ed, inthe same state as in the morning. They exchanged afew words,after which the MahaRajah permitted hisbrother to retire . His Highness left after orderingthe attendants to inform himofany change inthe stateof the MahaRajah .

At about 10 P.M .,the MahaRajah called out to hisattendants and ordered a little liquid food,which,beingbrought,His Highness sipped a little of it and thentold them to leave the room . He reclined as usual onhis b ed, and apparently went to Sleep . Towardsmorning, at about 3 O

’clock one of the attendantslooking in observed that the Maha Rajah lay in hisb ed motionless and breathless . He called out to

another attendant who w as also watching there . Theyboth attentively looked from the door,and thenSlowlyentered and went close to the b ed Side, b ut alas Ithere were no symptoms of life descernib le . One Of

them ranto His Highness the EliaRajah’s palace and


ave the alarm,when the heir apparent got up fromb ed and ran to the palace, loudly lamenting the

loss of his brother. But all had beenover some few

hours before . Even the attendants knew nothing asto the real state inwhich the sovereignw as .

The scene at the palace on the occasion defie s

description. His Highness the Elia Rajah lament ed

and cried like achild,while Her Highness theRance ,who had also hastened to the alace at once,tore herhair and wept most bitterly . Her Highness w as fo llowed by all the other members of the royal family.

Before day-break,the palace w as thronged and filledby pe0 p1e . Oflicials,as wellas all the immediate at tendants at the palace,the nobles and other principal menof the townof Trevandrum,crowded m. Nothing b utcries and lamentations could b e heard m the palaceuntil 7 A. M ., when the funeral procession start ed .

The four mainstreets of the fort were crowded by themourning population,who followed with heart-rendingcries and sorrowful ejaculations . His Highness th e

EliaRaah walked bare-headed and barefooted, closeto the tate conveyance wherein the deceased MahaRajah’s remains were placed . All the other malemembers of the royal family walked behind the heirapparent.

Deep mourning w as Observed voluntarily by everyclass of people . The bazaars were all Shut,so were thegates of all the houseswhereinweeping and cries couldalone b e heard. Groups of females, with dishevelledhair,were seen at different plac es m the stre ets andgardens,beating their bosoms and heads with loudcries of gri ef and lamentations.

His Hi ghness the EliaRajah,the chief mourner,performed all the ceremonies, and undertook to perform the daily ceremoni es called Deekshah for oneyear ; during which period,HisHighness w as to abstainfrom all lux urious living and leadg the life ofa hermi tingrief and mourning inaccordance w ith the customsof the Hindus .

111110 11 or sans PADMANABHADASA,&c .

HISHIGHNESS

TheRajah of Travancore.

Sm,I b eg to acknowledge my grateful obligat ions to

Your Highness,not only for permittingme to dedicat ethe following work to you, and thus to present it t othe public under the auspices of so great a name,

b ut also for the very liberal aid you have so kindlyOffered me and the deep interest you have takenin the work . It exhibits another instance of YourHighness’ readiness to encourage and patroni zegeneral education and the promotion of literatureamong your subjects .

The great difficulty and labour attending such anundertaking, and the attention which I have beennecessarily obliged to pay to my other important duties,have contributed to retard the publicationof the workmuch longer thanI anticipated .

That the life of YourHighnessmay b e long spared,and that you may b e permitted to witness the b eneficial results of the efforts now made to pro mote goodand sound educationinthi s country,based onthe bestprinciples is the Sincere wish of

Your Highness’most obliged,Humble servant,

(Signed) B . BAILEY.

COTPAYAM,July 1846.

M r . Peet’s Malayalam Grammar w as also publishedunder the auspices Of His Highness . Many of theworks composed by this royal author are now for

gotten,though there are numerous hymns and songsat present well know nall over India.


ca n. elder Prince in1829,and thenthey occupied separat ev 1n.

residences .

Inhis daily intercourse w i th the European gentryin Trevandrum, His Highness

’ defective pronunciat ion of Engli sh, wh ich w as a great drawback inthose brought up under DewanSubaRow’

s Systemof tuition,w as oftenthe subject of remark,as observe dby ColonelWelsh ; and consequently thisPrince resolvedupon improving himself inthis respect . Being veryfriendly with the Residentand also with the residencySurgeon,Dr . Brown,HisHighness prevailed upon th elatter t o aid him inacquiring a correct accent and todirect his Engli sh studies generally. Dr. Brown,w ho w as of avery Obliging disposition,gladly ac cededt o the wishes of His Highness,and contributed muchto the Prince ’s proficiencfi

in the English language .

Afew months later,His ighness felt aninclinationto study the Doctor’s own profession, and see ingthe intelligence and aptitude of the Prince, thatgentleman most willingly undertook to teach the

science of medicine to this knowledge-seeking scionof royalty ; and in the course of this study, thecognate branches of Chemistry and Anatomy werealso taught.

Though Dr. Brown w as obliged to leave Indiabefore completing h is praisew orthy labours to makethis Prince master of the sciences which he w as so

anxious to learn,still His Highness persevered inacourse of self-study b y procuring and reading theworks of eminent authors .

As His Highness had not the least expectationof

being ever called to re ign over Travancore insuccession to his brother,who w as his senior only by oneyear and ahalf,his Object w as to make himself usefulto his countrymenby popular undertakings and at thesame time to devote his leisure hours to the pursuit ofscience and literature . M r . Caldecott, the SircarAstronomer, also rendered some assistance to HisHighness inacquiring atolerably correct know ledge

VANJI PALAMARTHANDAVURMAH.

of Chemistry,and that gentleman furnished himwiththe necessary apparatus and chemicals .

At first,His Highness procured from the Durbarphysician’s dispensaryasmall supply ofmedicines,withw hich he commenced treating ordinary cas es withinthe circle of his ow n attendants and their families ;and subsequently supplies of almost all descriptionofmedicines w ere procured from Messrs . Bruce and Co .,

(now Barrie and of Madras and also from druggists at Bombay . At this time,His Highness Openedacorrespondence with Madras and Bombay and becamea constituent of almost all the principal businesshouscs in those presidencies. Messrs .Arbuthnot andCO . were appointed His Highness’Agents at Madras,and at a later period,when His Highness began toorder articles direct from England,Messrs . J. Cookburnand CO . were selected inLondon for the agency,inprivate transactions . Everynew medicine discoveredand advertised inthe newspapers w as procured,andin the course of a few years alarge room,which hadbeen converted into aprivate dispensary,being foundinsufficient,aseparat e building w as constructed onanenlarged scale to provide the necessary accommodation.

Persons were selected from amongHis Highness’ ow nattendants and trained by him to perform the duties ofdressers . The arrangements of the dispensary wereso complete,that the Durbar ph sician himself w as

struck with the taste,method,amineatness displayed,and the dispensary w as the admirationofall the Europeans w ho visited it .

His Highness used to spend the greatest part of hisleisure hours there, in treating cases himself, andlatterly, this private dispensary became a regularhospital. The Hindu portionof the patients preferredthis institutionto the Sircar’s charity hospital, for init the patients were no t only treated, fed and clothed,b ut were invariably favoured w ith presents of somesort when they were di scharged. The Numb ooryBrahmans, w ho would not even touch English medi


cines,under the ideathat most of the liquid substance scontained spirits,began to take them freely from HisHighness’ dispensary . His Highness would explainto them the good efiect s of European medicines andhow speedily diseases could b e cured by their means .

Several of the Hindu gentry came from great distances,not only for the cure of ailments,b ut also forthe purpose of having anopportunity of see ing HisHighness while they are under treatment. Trovandrum is Seldom w i thout areligious ceremony .of somekind being performed there,and the noted menamongNumb oory Brahmans who constantly resorted to theplace, had Spread throughout M alabar,among the ircommunity,reports regarding His Highness

’ medi calknowledge and the virtues and efficacy of Europeanmedicines . During the Murz

l

r

japom,and other remark

able ceremonial occasions, is Highness’ dispensaryw as the principal,nay,the only resort of Numb ooryBrahmans formedical aid . Alearned GoudaBrahmanSastri,w ho came from Benares,and who w as snfleringfrom chronic dyspepsia and its attendant colic pains,which had proved obstinate against all kinds of treatment,the poor patient be ing scarcely able to retainamouthful of food evenfor afew minutes,w as succe ssfull treated and restored to health by His Highnessint 0 course of three months . Onthis occasion,HisHighness’ brother, the thenMaha Rajah,w as highlypleased and expre ssed hi s great surprise at the abilityh is brother displayed in the cure of diseases . On

another occasion,the Maha Rajah himself w as curedof anattack of diarrhoea,which baffled the doctors asw ell as the native Vydhians of the time .

His Highness also performed minor surgical operations,such as Opening boils and tumours,cutting aw ayroud flesh, &c ., w i th considerable dexteri ty. HisHighness w as well upin vaccinating,and most of thepalace attendants were vaccinated with his ownhands .

Besides the dispensary,His Highness had alaboratory w herein all the various apparatus and che


om .follow His Highness inhis daily rides and on State

vrrr. occasions .

In the out-door exercises he regularly took, HisHighness w as attended byno less thanadozenattendants On horse back, and it w as agrand Sight to se ehim daily riding or driving, accompanied by such

anumber of horsemen and mounted troops . Insuch

movements, the party oftenhalted here and there t o

join inapicnic entertainment or some other amusements .

One mornmg, during His Highness’ drive to th e

sea-beach at SankhuMukham (Trevandrum), aboutthe year 1013 M .E . (1838 he observed ave sse lriding at anchor near Valiathoray, about a coupleof miles south of the Trevandrum beach bungalow .

Looking through atelescope,His Highness describeda Signal of di stress flying from her top-mast . HisHighness at once sent on board one of his attendants,who w as accompanied by atrooper to ascertainher requirements. The ship w as found to b e HerMajesty

’s fri gate Jupiter, bound for Ceyloncom

manded by CaptainFullerton,and she w as conveyingHer Majesty

’s 97th European Regiment under the

command of Colonel Campbell from England . The

vessel had encountered b ad weather after roundingthe Cape of GoodHope,and had beendetained unusually long onher voyage . The supply of water had run

out,and there w as not adrop onboard since the previous day. His Highness lost no time in ordering aSupply for present use at his ow n expense,and thenprocured orders from his brother,the then reigningsovereign, t o the Dewan, to Ship a good supply ofwater,free of all charges . His Highness accompaniedby his father and several others from the palace,wenton board the frigate the same day,and met with ahearty reception. The Commander,CaptainFullerton,w as about to fire asalute,whenthe regimental surgeoninformed His Highness that the report from the

heavy guns would prove injurious to the health of tw o


of the ladi es onboard, one being indelicate health,and the other (Major Walter’s daughter) sufferingfrom pulmonary disease in an advanced stage . HisHighness, very promptly and earnestly requested theCommander to di spense with the honor intended,andit w as with difli culty that Captain Fullertonw as prevailed uponto accede to the request .

His Highness remained about four hours onboard,inSpect ing every part of

,the frigate and the heavy

pieces of ordnance and their arrangement,as it w as thefirst time he saw a vessel of the kind ; and being agreat admirer of the British troops, observed withmuch interest the arms and accoutrements of the menon board . His Highness, at the same time,kindlyprocured from Shore,frui ts,&c.,for the soldi ers andseamen.

The Commander went onshore to arrange for theShipment of water,and after an interview with theDewan,it w as agreed to commence work from an earlyhour the next morning,as the surf w as very high inthe afternoon every day. This arrangement affordedHis Highness an Opportunity to Visit the vessel againthe next day, accompanied by Captain Daly,one ofthe Commandants of the Nair brigade,and the DurbarPhysician Dr. Allardice . A few Nair sepoys werealso takenfor Colonel Campbell’s inspection.

After the usual compliments,HisHighness expresseda wish to see the British soldiers at drill, and

Colonel Campbell w as only too glad to gratify HisHighness’ curiosity. Forty men w ere paraded ondeck, and His Highness w as highly pleased to see

them go through their exercises . His Highness thendesired CaptainDaly to parade hi smenfor the amusement of the Oflicers and others of the frigate,which hedid. The officers expressed astonishment at the activityof the movements and the manoeuvres of the sepoys,b utthe pity w as that some of the sepoys were soonseizedwith the usual symptomsof sea-sickness . HisHighnessw as greatly touched at the sympathy Shown by the

57


English soldiers,w ho,at once,came to the assistanceof the sepoys,and raised those who had fallenondeck,and helped themwith sodawate r and other remedi e s,while the sailors promptly cleaned the decks .

His Highness gave atreat to the soldiers and sailors

on this occasion in the shape of fruits, sw eets andother refreshments, and wished very much to g ivethem a formal entertainment the next day,b ut CaptainFullertoncould not delay,and His Highness to okleave and left the vessel at about dusk,amidst loudcheers from the oflicers and men.

Colonel Campbell seemed willing to accede to HisHighness’request,andwould have postponed his departure for aday,b ut it w as said there w as some difieren

'

ce

between the Colonel and the Commander of the ves selonthe questionof further delay.

From his youth His Highness took agreat delightin native dramatic performances. Agroup of actorsw as entertained at his private expense,and the mostrenow ned of the profession in Malabar were invite dand enlisted in his private service,so that latterlymany of His Highness

’servants were theatrical per

His Highness’ affabili ty and sociableness,bonevolence and kindness,as well as his unfailing good t em

per,were qualities that were the marvel of the people .

An instance of his temper and good nature may b ementioned here : His Highness w as one day trying anew glass retort made to order m England,to dist ilessence of rose,and as the process w as going on,anattendant (the writer himself),who had the honor ofbeing admitted as acompani onand classed among thefavoured ones, and who used to superintend the

medi cal stores,w as told to raise the retort a littleto regulate the Spirit lamp whenhe took it upwiththe aid of atowel, he found it so very hot that he letgo his hold, dropping the heated retort , which w as

shattered to pi eces. He w as naturally lngreat terror,b ut His Highness,instead of di splaying the least Sign

REIGN OF BREE PADMANABHA DASA

would visit England some day. Ali ttle incident whi choccurred during the time this royal personage w as

EliaRajah,serves to illustrate this notion. APruss ianPrince, who came to Trevandrum about this time ,

aidavisit to His Highness,and on the returnvisit of

is Highne ss’, the Prince being absent from h is

residence, His Highness left his card there . The

Prince appears to have kept that card inh is pocke tfor along time . Aft er hi s returnto his native land,he went over to England,and whenhe called onLo rdElphinstone, the late Governor of Bombay, thatnoblemanbeing absent from home,the Prince left h iscard and returned to Prussia,without having an int erview with Lord Elphinstone . The card whi ch thePrince left appeared to b e that of His Highness theEliaRajah,and Lord Elphinstone wrote at once alett erof apology to His Highness,sayipg

that he felt reallysorry that he w as out at the time is Highne ss kindlycalled at his residence . This letter,which arrived bythe Overland Mail,caused His Highness at first someastonishment ; the mystery w as however cleared afterwards . This incident gave His Highness an Oppor

tunity to commence and maintain a correspondencewith Lord Elphinstone . His Highness moreoverkept up a friendly intercourse inw riting with severalgentlemeninEngland and Scotland,and w as enjoyinga pleasant and easy life,free from care and turmoil,when he w as suddenly called upon to assume the

responsibility of governing the kingdom,the aspect ofwhose affairs afforded the new sovereign afar fromcheering prospect .

This MahaRajah possessed none of the advantageswhi ch his deceased brother had at the time of his

assumption of sovere ign authority . On the contrary, he w as destined to face difli cultics and disadvantages at the very commencement of his reign.

Besides,His Highness w as without the assistance ofgood and experienced counsellors like his late fatherand other old and able menof the court . The kingdomw as thensomething like aship w ithout ballast or


a compass inthe midst of a storm,and without havingon board an experienced pilot or helmsman. The

treasuries,both of the palace as well as of the State,w ere almost empty,and the financial condition of thekingdom w as in utter confusion. Sreenevasa Row,the head Dewan Pe ishcar in charge of the administrat ion,w as of too mild a temperament, and withoutabilities above mediocrity and with aninability to copew ith extraordinary contingencies . He w as, in addition to this, in di sfavour with General Cullen, theResident. The salaries ofmost of the ub lic establishments were considerably inarrears . he revenue w as

falling Off from various causes,the principal of whichw as that the tobacco revenue w as very greatly reducedinconsequence of the preval ence of smuggling,and,to crownall, the additional expenditure attendant onthe ceremonies connected with the late MahaRajah’sdemise w as urgently pressing on the Government.The only favourable circumstance w as that His Highness had the good fortune to b e on friendly termswith General Cullen, from the time of his arrival inTravancore as Resident,and those relations had con

t inued undisturbed. HisHighness resolved to inaugurate his reignby giving efiect to the principle adoptedby his mother Lekshmi Rance and followed by hisaunt Parw athiRance,which w as,to b e guided by theadvice and counsel of the BritishResident ; indeed abetter course could not have been adopted at thiscritical time .

After hi s formal installationand the performance ofall the consequent ceremonies, the MahaRajah voluntarily suggested to General Cullenthe desirableness ofmaking achange inthe administration, and proposedto relegate the head DewanPeishcar SreenevasaRowto his former post of first Judge of the Appeal Court,and to appoint Dewan Peishcar KrishnaRow toact as Dew an,ameasure which met w ith no objectionon the part of General Cullen and w as carried intoeffect, with the full approbation of the Madras G Overament .

REIG N . OF SREE PADMANABHADASA

Krishna Row entered uponhis new office of act ingDewan by concentrating his energies to improve t h eunhappy conditionof affairs,and to do justice to t he

MahaRajah’s selectionof him to that most important

post in wh ich he w as no mere tyro,as he had onceefore discharged the duties of Dewan.

Though aprotege of General Cullen,KrishnaRo wacquired in a Short time,by h is good behaviour, thefull confidence of the Maha Rajah,who now dete rmined to render h im every support to enable him torepair and restore the shattered condition of th eGovernment ; b ut without replenishing the treasuryand meeting emergent demands in the w ay of arrearsof salary,&c . Krishna Row, could not retrieve the

fortunes of the fallen State w ith all h is extraordinaryactivity and ex ertions .

Soonafter his a pointment, Dewan KrishnaRowsubmitted to His Ii

iighne ss a full and detailed reporton the financial positionof the State,with exhaustivestatements Showing that there w as only a sum ofe ighty thousand Rupees incash inthe treasur thatthe pay of every establishment w as due from t e commencement of the year, i .e ., for the previous e ightmonths ; that the contractors of Jafinaand Tinnevellytobacco,as well as the other merchants who suppliedvarious articles to the Sircar had no t been paid formonths together ; that similarly, all the Devasw amsand other charitable institutions had been left unpaid,and that these dues amounted to nearly six lacs of

Rupees,while the collectionof revenue had fallen inarrears to the extent of alike sum or evenmore .

Onreceipt of this report,the MahaRajah w as not alittle perplexed and devoted himself to the hard taskof setting right the prevailing disorganisation,and theDewan soothed His Highness’ troub led mind w ithassurances that he would use all his exertions incollecting the arrears of revenue and paying the Statedues .

Officers of ability and experience w ere promoted


and placed at the head of the several departments,andone of these,DewanPe ishcar KasavaPillay,anoflicialof long service and tried ability,w as appointed headDewanPeishcar, and w as made the immediate assistant to the Acting Dewan,who had now anefi cient

staff to assist him inthe work of administration.

During this reign,Lord G iflord,a sonof the thenM adras Governor,theMarquis of Tweedale, paid avisit to Travancore and the MahaRajah received himwith due honors . This young nobleman,accompaniedby Major Shirrefl,the commandant of the Nair brigade,and aselect part of gentlemen,for some time enjoyedthe sport of elep ant shooting on the N eduvangaud

Hills .

In the first year of DewanKrishnaRow’s accession

to office, he attended to the due performance of allthe ceremonies connected with the demise of the lateM aha Rajah,to the satisfaction of the royal familyand of the pe0 p1e of Travancore generally,and thissecured him a good name and earned for him the

additional satisfactionof the MahaRajah’s good will .

In 1023 M .E . (184 7 the deceased MahaRajah

’s anniversary ceremoni es had to b e performed,

and the reigning Prince w as pleased with the mannerinwhich this obligationw as fulfilled .

It w as after this ceremony that the MahaRajah hadsufi cient time at his command, to engage himselfactively inadministrative affairs

Meanwhi le, Krishna Row had the misfortune toincur anamount of odium among many of the European residents of Travancore . As he had the warmsupport of General Cullen,he paid l ittle or no attention.

to the Europeangentlemenin the Travancore serviceor to other Europeans,resident inthe country .

One of his weaknesses w as aslight tendency towardsarbitrary proceedings,w hich he found at times unableto repress inthe discharge of his functions . He hadheard a good deal about the Dalawah ValuThamby


and Colonel M unro, w ho had introduced reforms in

o ld times by the use of the rattan and whip, b u t

he does not seem to have thought that times and

circumstances were altered . Unmindful of this,he keptapair of half-hunters inhis oflice and used them fre e lyin correcting irregularities and abuses, without anyformal process,so that while he w as engaged inch e cking abuses,his own acts acquired aname which gav ehis enemies ahandle to hold himupto public reproach .

The then editor of the Madras Athemw m, M r .

M eade,the famous w riter of the Centenar of Plass ey”

in the Fri end ofIndia,w as furnished w it particularsof these summary proceedings by certaingentlemen inTravancore, and his mind w as prejudiced againstKrishnaRow’

s administration.

At this juncture, a correspondent under the designation of Not the last” b egan to publish in the

Athemcwmunfavourab le accounts of the Dewan,depicting him in the worst colours possible, and draggingGeneral Cullenalso into unpleasant notoriety .

Torture,inits vilest forms,w as stated to have beenpractised immediately under the Dewan’s eye and bythe police,throughout the country. Every little irregularity w as magnified and presented inahighly ex aggerated form .

General Cullen,though he keenly felt these attacks,w as too proud to descend to any refutation,and w as

content to treat them invariably wi th silent contempt.

These publications continued thus unnoticed for ayear or more, and the result w as, that, the generalimpressionbecame unfavourable towards the Travencore administration,and people believed that there wasnot aworse ruled kingdom inIndia thanTravancore .

General Cullendid all inhis power to keep the MadrasGovernment acquainted with the facts,b ut,nevertheless, that Government w as not quite free from anuneasy feeling as to the real state of things . This bad


present MahaRajah,the thenfirst Prince,made v e rysatisfactory progress during the five years heunder the tuition of Sankara Menon, and w ro t e

excellent letters and beganto distinguish hims e lf inconversationw i th Englishmen. HisHighness’bro th e rtoo made considerable progress under the same tut o rand beganto write Short essays .

Afew months after the MahaRajah’s installat ion,His Highness began to comtemplate the placing o f

the educationof His Highness’nephews uponab e t te rfooting,getting some Europeans from Madras w henVasudevaRow ,the eldest sonof the ex -ac ting Dew anRungaRow, wrote to His Highness requesting himto take under His Highness’ patronage his brothe rT . MadavaRow,and the Maha Rajah,inconsultationwith General Cullen,resolved to appoint the youngmanas tutor to the Princes .

Inthe month of Makaram 1024 M .E . (January 1839the MahaRajah proceeded to Attingal,near

Anjengo,for the annual worship in the pagodathere,and agreeably to previous arrangements the Peninsularand Oriental Steam Navigation Company’s SteamerAchilles” anchored off the Anjengo road s,onacertainmorning during the MahaRajah’s stay atThis w as done Simply to gratify His Highness’

curiosity as he w as most anxious to see asteam vessel.Onthe anchoring of the steamer,the beachatAnjengow as crowded with people,as they had never beforeseen a steamer so close to the land,nor had they acorrect ideaof the agency by which such ve ssels weremoved w i thout sails . Tents w ere pitched for HisHighness and the Dewan,and at about noon,onthesaid day, the MahaRajah proceeded to Anjengo,ac companied by the Dewanandall the principalpflicersof the State . Amilitary detachment,under commandof CaptainDaly,also lined the beach to receive HisHighness .

Several large and good sea-boats were prepared forconveying the royal processionOnboard. The Maha


Rajah embarked in a very commodious boat ex

pressly prepared by the British authorities atvrn.

Anjengo, and his followers were all conveyed comfortab ly in the others . The boat prepared for the

DewanKrishnaRow , though agood and long one,w as notflat bottomed,and whenhe w as just gettinginto it, Captain Daly came up accompanied by his

attendant bugler,and they were also accommodated inthe same boat,b ut to make them comfortably seated,the Dewan ordered tw o chairs to b e placed in theboat,to which the steersmanobjected,urging that theboat w as not suited for chairs ; b ut the dignity of theDewan,and the impracticabili ty of the Captain

’

s squatting inthe boat with his Splendid and tight uniformwould not permit his listening to the boatman’s protest . The w riter of this w as one of the persons nominated to accompany the M aha Rajah on board, andfor want of room in the boat inwhich His Highnessembarked,he had kept himself back, and now ,see ingthe Dewanlaunching his boat,he also got into it . He

had with him the MahaRajah’s valuable gold watchand guard,pencil and pocket book, together w ith hispurse . The boat w as launched,and it scarcely passedthe first surf when it lurched on one side . CaptainDaly’s bugler who w as standing behind him as hi s

orderly, inclined to that side, and held fast the

Captarn’s chair . This suddenmovement capsized the

boat .

The Dewan,inhis patriarchal attire,consisting of abroad gownof blue satinand broad trowsers,made ofkincob,and CaptainDaly, inhis new uniform,beganto struggle in the surf. The bugler w as very faithfulto his Commander ; he would not allow the Captaint ob e drowned alone . He held him by his neck andhung himself about h im,and both were rolling togetherin the sea. The Dewan’s bearers, who were thenstanding onthe beach, were fishermen from Masulipatam and were Splendid swimmers. Onseeing the irmaster’s perilous condi tion,they jumped into the sea,one by one,and dragged the Dewan ashore,before


he sustained any serious injury . Captain Daly w as

picked up w i th his bugler by a boatman. In t h e

meantime,the writer crossed the surf and swam in t h e

directionof the steamer and getting on board a b o atwhich thenpassed by him,he reached the steame r in

safety,without losing any of the articles he had in hi s

hand,belonging to the MahaRajah .

After looking into every part of the vesse l and

examining all her engines,the MahaRajah wish ed t o

see the steamer infull steam,which request w as com

plied with at once . The MahaRajah looked ve ryattentively at the dext erous motionof the paddles,andaft er proceeding about acouple of miles,the vesse lreturned to her former anchorage . His Highness w as

highly pleased,and CaptainEvan,the Commander ofthe vessel w as presented with acostly diamond ring,and asumof money w as givento b e distributed amongthe crew of the vessel.

His Highness remained on board the steamer forabout four hours and thenreturned.

About this time,His Highness thought of invi t inganable and e x ericncednative officer from the BritishService,in the alabar collectorate,to co-operate withthe Dewan in the improvement of the administration,expecting satisfactory results,as w as the case whenthe late DewanPe ishcar CundenMenonw as appointed.

One P . Ramen Menon,the Naib Sheristadar of theCalicut Huz zoor Cutcherry,expressed adesire to jointhe Travancore service,and he w as appointed at firstas a Deputy Peishcar on a monthly salary of threehundred Rupees and placed in charge Of the magist erisl and maramuth departments,both of which HisHighness considered,demanded immediate and morecareful attention.

All the departments of the Huz zoor began to workwell whenthey saw the face of astranger among them,and the affairs of the Government,Show ed generallyanappearance of improvement .


w ho took a deep inte rest in the afiairs of the O b s e rvatory,wrote t o England and engaged the serv i c e s

ofM r . J .A. Brown,who soonarrived inTrevandrumand took charge of the Observatory as its directo r .

The preface to M r. Brown’s magnetic observat ionste stifies to the M aha Rajah’s encouragement o f

science, and the following is an abstract of t h e

same

His Highness Marthanda ,Vurmah , to whom Iowed my appointment,died in 1860 . His Highnes sw as a warm-hearted gentleman, whose death w as

regretted by all who knew him. His knowledge o f

science, though greatest in Chemistry, gave him a

personal interest inthe Observatory,and he w as everprepared to accept any proposition likely t o aid thework done init . I shallnever cease to entertainw ith

the liveliest feelings His Highness’memory .

His Highness Marthanda Vurmah the Rajah of

Travancore having named me for the direction of hisObservatory, I left Europe on the 1 1th Novemb er 185 1, and arrived at Trevandrum on the 1 1th

January 1852,whenI took charge of the Observatory .

”

The Printing department w as a favourite establishment of the M ahaRajah,for,from its very establishment,His Highness w as in the habit of gettingseveral little thin s printed for himself . His Highness, while Elia ajah, had a portable hand-press,expressly made to order inEngland,which w as capable

lif printing apage about 6 inches long and 3 4} inches

roa

The Travancore Cal endar, which w as half Englishand half Mala alam, w as altered at His Highness’

suggestion,an two separate Calendars were printed,one inEnglish and the other inMalayalam . Both ofthese were improved every year, the MahaRajahh imself correcting the proof sheets, especially the

Malayalam Calendar, and so in time the TravancoreCalendars,particularly the Malayalam one,b ecame a


repository of various informationconcerning science,literature and politics .

AS regards His Highness’ encouragement of literature, the Reverend M r . Bailey’s letter published inh is English and Malayalam Dictionary would b e the

b est evidence,and the same is hereunder annexed

HIS HIGHNESS

The Rajah of Travancore .

The very Obliging manner inwhich YourHighnesshas beenpleased to permit me to dedi cate the followingwork to you,the favourable sentiments which YourHighness has grac iously expressed regarding it andmy former work, together w i th the liberali ty and

patronage you have so condescendingly afforded me,demand my most grateful acknowledgments .

My sole object in publishing this and my formerDictionary dedicated by permissionto YourHighness’

late brother and predecessor, t ogether with otherimportant works which I have beenpermitted to carrythrough the press,has beenaSincere desire to diffusereal useful knowledge and learning among YourHighness’ subjects .

The works just referred to have required greatlabor and attentiononmy part, and I trust my laborsw ill,through the blessing of Divine Providence, b eeventually att ended by beneficial results.

YourHighness has always patronized the di ssemination of literature and education,and whenthese are

grounded onthe best principles,the results will mostassuredly prove highly advantageous .

Such results I Shall not b e permitted to see,b ut

that the life of Your Highness may b e long Spared,and that youmay b e permitted to w itness great and


om . essential benefits issuing from the various plans no wvrrr.

inoperationfor promoting real good education am o ngYour Highness’ subjects,is the heartfelt w i sh o f

Your Highness’most oblig ed ,Humble servant,

(Signed) B. BAILE Y .

COTIAYAM,N ovemb er 1849.

Inthe promotionof education the MahaRajah w as

not behind-hand . He w as,when EliaRajah,a greatfri end of M r. J.Roberts,Master of the Free Scho o l,and t ook a deep interest inthat institution, g ivingM r. Roberts every reasonable assistance for t he

improvement of the school. The MahaRajah invariably attended the examinationof the boys and pri z eswere distributed promises of futureadvancement to those who took high places in the

various classes.

Some of the students of the first class were eSpe

cially patronized by His Highness when he w as EliaRajah,and they were permitted to pay their respectsto His Highness in the palace on appointed days,and to follow His Highness during his evening drives.

Most of the boys advanced in knowledge and attachedto the first class,were young menof respectable families,andHis Highness w as very kind to them .

By the time His Highness assumed the sovereignty,nearly all the students of the first class had left theSchool and were capable of being employed,and infact,afew had already entered Government service.

Foremost among those students w as a youngmannamed Vadadrisadasa M oodeliar, the only sonof T.

Soolochenum M oodeliar, the Naib Sheristadar oftheTinnevell Collectorate and the grandson of Ramalingum oodeliar, Colonel Macauly

’s dubash in the

Travancore Court to w homallusions have beenmadeinChapter IV.


coveted appointment of the first Judgeship of t h eQui lonZ illah Court .

Agreeably to arrangement,T. MadavaRow arr ived lnTrevandrum towards the close of the Malab aryear 1024 (1849 and w as appo inted tut o rto the Princes on a monthly salary of Rupees t w o

hundred.

In consequence of the depressed conditionof t h efinances,no purchase of pepper had beenmade fromthe ryots for the previous four years,and the MadrasGovernment hadmade some unfavourable Observationsonthe subject evenduring the former reign. Beside s,the ryots themselves had complained to the MahaRajah, representing the difficulty and inconveni encethey were undergoing to get possession of largequantities of pepper grown intheir grounds since thelast four years .

In 1025 M .E . (1849 A.D.) aconsultat ion w as heldby acommittee of Oflicers,presided over by the DewanKrishna Row,by the express command of the MahaRajah to devise the most effective measures for purchasing pepper from the ryots . The opinion of the

majority of the oflicers w as infavour of raising aloanof a lac of Rupees from merchants and others . ButP . Shungoonny Menon,manager of the English oflice(the writer), suggested that instead of rai sing aloanof alac of Rupees among the merchants,the ryotsthemselves may b e made the lenders,and the collection of pepper from the ryots b e made onrece ipts

granted to them for the value of the article, which,being immediate ly sold by the Government throughthe commercial agent, payment could b e made to theryots on the producing of such receipts . This Suggestionw as generally approved of,and whencommunicated to His Highne ss and the Resident, they concurred inthis Opinion,and the MahaRajah said thatShungoonny Menon himself might b e deputed to theduty of taking charge of the pepper and granting


receipts for the same . In the course of four months,a large quantity of pepper w as received from the ryotsand despatched to the Commercial Depot at Alleppey,where that energetic and painstaking Sircar Agent,M r . H. Crawford,effected aspeedy and profitable saleof the stock, and with the proce eds of the sale the

ryots were paid,and with the surplus the costly ceremony, Thulapurusha danam, w as performed in the

year 1025 M .E . (1849A.D.)

Inthis year,the Madras Government intimated tothe MahaRajah regarding the intended holding of theLondonExhibitionof 185 1, and requested the aid ofHis Highness’ Government inmaking contributionst o the great Show. The MahaRajah . ordered the

Dewanto nominate acommittee of officers for col

looting articles for the Exhibition,and in communicationwith the Resident, Dr . Paterson, the DurbarPhysician,M r . Kohlhoff,aJudge of theAppeal Court,and Ramen Menon, DewanPe ishcar,were desired toformacommittee,with manager Shungoonny Menonas Secretary . Avery satisfactory collectionconsistingofall the raw products and manufactures of Travancore w as made . Onthis occasion,anivory State chair,inthe shape of athrone,which w as under constructionsome time previous for the use of His Highness theMahaRajah,w as considered to b e a fit specimen ofTravancore workmanship to b e exhibited in London,and so His Highness issued instructions to hasten thecompletionof the work . When it w as finished, theMahaRajah forwarded it along with the other articlesfor the Exhibition, with a wish that Her Majestythe Queen of England would acce t the throneaft er the Exhib ition, as a token of gl is Highness’regard and esteem. This idea w as highly approvedof by General Cullen, the Resident, as well asthe Madras G overnment, and the State chair and

the other art icles were despatched to England m'

d

Madras,w i th aletter from the MahaRajah to Her

Majesty.


can . The follow ing is a copy of the Maha Rajah ’

sv1n.

address to Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen

Her M ost E’rcellent MajestyAlexandri na Vic to r ia,

By the Grace of G od,Queen of the Uni ted Kingdom of Great Bri tainand Ireland.

do. do. (to .

From

His Highness Sree Padmanab haDasa Vanji Perla

Marthanda Vurmah Knlashhara Kereetapat h i

Bhagheodaya Rama Rajah Munnag Sultan

Maharaj Rajah Bahadur Shamsheer Jung,

MahaRajah of Travancore .

MAY IT PLEASE YOURMAJESTY .

Major General W. Cullen,the British Resident atmy court,and my valued friend and adviser, havingconveyed to me acommunication from the Court of

Directors of the East IndiaCompany through the

Government of M adras, intimating that Your Majestyhad been pleased to appoint certain learned and

eminent gentlemenas Commi ssioners for carrying out

aproject formed at the instance and under the dis tinguished patronage of Your Majesty

’s Royal Consort

His Royal Highness the Prince Al b ert, for the col

lectionand ex positioninYourMajesty’s city of London

inthe ensuing year 185 1 of the Specimens of produce,manufactures, and arts of all countries and nations,and awarding prizes to the most approved productions ,and requesting the cc-Operationand aid of my Government in the promotion of this most laudable and

important object by collecting and forwarding t o theSaid Exhibitionspecimens of articles from my country,I have giventhe most particular instructions to myDewan for the furnishing of the choicest and mostuseful and interesting of the productions, whichinstructions are now being executed with all care and


the conflagrat ions and were reduced to pov e r t y .

His Highness took this as a fitting Opportunity t o

insist upon the people who lived in the townand i t s

Suburbs, to have their dwellings tiled. In form e r

times,there w as some restrictionregarding the us e o f

tiles,as certainclasses of people could not avail th emselves of the privilege of tiling the ir houses, w i t h

out royal permi ssion; b ut this restrictionw as entir e lyremoved by aroyal proclamation during the form e r

re ign,whenavery serious and destructive fire bro keout inthe townand bazaars ofAlleppey . Inthe cours eof about a year the townof Trevandrum and t h e

Challay bazaar could boas t of many new tiled buildmgs.

At the close of the year 1851 A.D., a replyfrom Her Majesty the Queen of England reached

General Cullen’s hands,through the Madras Government,and when the happy news w as communi cated tothe Maha Rajah,His Highness

’

joy and delight werealmost inexpressible .

As this w as the first event of the kind inTravancore,nay, inany native court of India,aletter underthe SignManual of Her Majesty never having beenknownbefore,His Highness considered it no ordinaryhonor to b e thus favoured,and he therefore determinedto mark this occasionwith all possible grandeur andpomp .

A Special temporaryportico w as added to the

Durbar hall and w as a orned with all kinds of choicedecorations . The whole building (Durbar hall) w as

richly furnished and tastefully arranged . This beingthe time of the sexennial ceremony called Murajapam,

”every part of the town w as crowded w i th Num

b oory Brahmans from all parts of Malabar and Travancore .

Aday w as fixed for the receptionof Her Majesty’

s

letter and ageneral order w as published by heat of tomtom requiring every family residing in the townandits suburbs to have their gates decorated w ithflow ers,


plantain trees, &c., and their walls adjoining the ow .

s t reets white-washed. Sircar servants were ordered to vur.

s e e the decorat ing of all the principal streets and otherplaces inthe town.

In the evening of the previous day,afew companiesof the Madras Native Infantry stationed at Quilonarrived at Trevandrum by appointment, under the

command of Colonel Hutton.

The next day w as fixed for the grand Durbar . Atnoon,the troops consisting of all the available sepoys oft he Nair brigade and the few companies of the Britishtroops,together w ith the mounted Body Guard of theMahaRajah and several huge elephants fully caparisoned and decked w i th silver howdahs,flags and otheremblems of the State were paraded onthe plainfac ingthe hall of audience,in the southernstreet where theDurbar w as to b e held .

A little before the appointed time which w as 1

P.M .,the European ladies and gentlemen of Trovandrum, Quilon,Nagercoil and other places,who wereSpecially invited for the occas ion,arri ved one by one,and the hall b elow and the newly erected pavilionbeganto b e filled w ith European gentlemen,some intheir military uniforms and others intheir morningdress,and ladies in the fashionable costumes of theperiod . All were waiting for the arrival of the M ahaRajah and theRe sident,and were movingabout intheDurbar hall by twos and threes,admiring the tastefularrangements of the rooms and pavilion,and minutelyexamining the various Splendid and excellent mirrors,pictures and the magnificent portraits of the royalfamily, executed by Europeanand native artists withwhich the walls were adorned .

M r. Lewis, the celebrated European artist, whocame to Indiaat this time,w as invited by the MahaRajah to Trevandrum,and this gentleman w as now

engaged intaking asketch of the Durbar.


a r. All the State Officers,with the exception of theVIII. Dewanand the first Judge of the Appeal Court, w ere

ordered to proceed to the residency to accompany th eprocessionof theResident,with the Queen’s letter, t othe Durbar hall .

The largest elephant inthe State w as richly caparisoned and a Silver howdah w as placed on it, for

conveying the lette r . MajorDrury,theAssistantRe s ident,mounted On the elephant inhis uniform and sat

inthe howdah,having the royal letter covered ingo ldcloth in his hand,and the procession moved slow lyfrom the residency to the Fort,adistance of ab ove amile,accompanied by the State oflicers in the ir car

riages,abattalionof the Nair brigade,afew tro opersw i th aportionof the brigade band,and anumber ofnative musicians, and a large concourse of peoplemerrily cheering,shouting and Showing demonstrationsof joy. The road leading from the gate of the resi

deney to the front of the Durbar room w as filled

w i th pe0 p1e of all descriptions,and as the proce ssionapproached places where females were gathered,theseset up their usual Shouting Kurawah” (hurrah),which they generally do,intokenof their regard forthe sovereignof the country,as well as onall joyousoccasions such as marri age,child-birth,&c .

The Resident, General Cullen, reached the gate afew minute s before the processionarrived,so as to

receive the letter from his assistant in time, and asMajor Drury dismounted from the howdah, GeneralCullen advanced and took charge of the letter andwith it he entered the Durbar hall. The MahaRajah ,His Highness’nephew and relations,and all the Officersof the State andmanynobles and chiefs of the country,were present in the hall,where t w o rows of ladies andgentlemenhad already takenthe ir seats . The assemb ly in the hall w as so large that it w as considered tob e the first gathering of the kind in that room sinceits construction. All the noted Namb oory Brahmanswere also present, regardless of their superstitious


Marthanda Vurmah Kulasekhara Kireetapa t h iBhagheodayaRamaRajah Bahadur Shamsh e e r

Jung,Rajah of Travancore .

We have received safely the splendid chair o f

State which YourHighness has transmitted to Eng landfor our acceptance .

It w as a source of much gratification to us th a t

Your Highness’att ention enabled us to exhibit in t h e

great ex position of the industry of all nations, s o

beautiful a specimenof the ability acquired b y t h e

natives of Your Highness’ country in the carving o f

rvory.

Your Highness’ chair has occupied a prominentposition amongst the wonderful works of art w hic h

have beencollecte d inour metropolis,andYour Highness

’liberality and the workmanship of the nat ives o f

Travancore have there received due admirationfrom a

vast multitude of spectators .

We Shall find asuitable Opportunity of conveyingto Your Highness some tokenof our esteem,and w e

hOpe that it may please the Almighty to vouchsafe toYour Highness the enjoyment of many years of healthand prosperity .

Givenat our Court at Osborne,this 21st day of

August in the year of Our Lord 185 1,and in t he

fifteenth year of Our reign.

’

By Her Majesty’s command.

(Cmmtersigned ) BROUGHTON .

The affairs of His Highness’ Government wereprogressing satisfactorily, when several unforeseenevents and certainmi sfortunes befell the MahaRajahand the country,which threw the whole administrationinto confusion,affecting the financial condi tionof theState most seriously.

Inthe following year 1028 M.E . (1852 the

excessive rainfall caused inundations and destroyedall the momwhich were then be ing harvested inthenortherndistri cts of Travancore w hile the cultivation

VAN JI PALAMARTHANDAVURMAH.

for the next year 1029 M .E . (1853 A.D.) w as ruinedthroughout the kingdom . The land revenue,the sourceof the prosperity of the people and of commerce,suffered severely. Paddy and provisions were sold atfamine prices and evenat those high rates the nocessaries of life were not procurable in the country . Itw as inthis year for the first time,that Bengal paddyand rice were imported into Travancore, through theSircar’s Commercial Agent, M r. Crawford,who displayed his usual energy in procuring large quantitiesof grainto save the lives of the famine-stricken.

Simultaneously with this dire calamity to the

finances,the Honorable East IndiaCompany abolishedtheir tobacco monopoly,whi ch circumstance paved thew ay for the smuggling of tobacco into Travancorefrom British territories,and the measure proved highlydetrimental to this source of revenue inTravancore .

The revenue from the commercial department of theState w as the chi ef item wherewith the monthly disb ursements weremet,and afailure of the usual profitsof th is department caused great embarrassment andadded to the already existing financial difliculties .

DewanKrishnaRow now found that it w as merely atransitionfrom the frying paninto the fire .

While the Dewanw as strenuously exerting to meetthese diflicult ies,HerHigness G ouree Parw athiRance,the MahaRajah

’s aunt,who had beenonce the Regent

in the kingdom fell ill and died after ashort illness .

This unexpected and melancholy event threw the

MahaRajah and the whole royal family into the

greatest grief,especially as HisHighness had ,regardedhis aunt as his own mother,whom His Highness hadnot the fortune to see,as she died when he w as b utthree months old.

As Her Highness w as the seniorRance and onceregent,the funeral ceremonies and other Observanceson the demise of a sovereign were to b e performedwithout any omission. The w hole kingdom w as in


mourning forabout aw eek,and the bazaars an d pu0 11i were closed for three days as usual.This event caused anadditional expendi tur e , w h i

admitted ofno delay ; for the expenses at t end in g 1 .

performance of the various ceremonies connec t e d w r'

the demise ofHer Highness were to b e contin u e d f

ayear and concluded at the anniversary,and s o i t w .

no ordinary trial to the Dewanat this critical t im e

However,the Dew ansurmounted all difi cul t i e s an

managed affairs to His Highness’entire sat isfac t i o n.

The head DewanPeishcar,KasavaPillay,die d in t h e

previous year,b ut the MahaRajah having inc o nt emertain arran ements in connectionw i t h t hat

vacancy,it w as not ed upimmediately.

For three years MadavaRow labored hard and c omlete d the educationof HisHighness the third P r ince

His Highness the present first Prince). Spe c ial

pains were also taken to erfect Hi s Highne s s the

first Prince’s (the present ahaRajah) know ledg e of

English, and the Maha Rajah noticing his ab i li t ieswanted to transfer the young man,MadavaRow , into

the public service, feeling sure that he would b e of

great use to the country in time .

Inthe earl part ofthis year 1028 M .E . (1853deputy Pcie cars Ramen Menon and Veerasw amyNaidoo were promoted as DewanPeishcars, and tw ovacancies were thus created. T . MadavaRo w w as

selected to fill one of these vacancies,and w as put in

charge of tw o departments of the Huzoor, vi z . t he

Chowkey and Devasw am (customs and religious inst itut ions) The newly appointed ofi cer began to

distinguish himself inhis new sphere .

About this period, a question w as raised by thelate Reverend M r. Hawksworth of Thiruvellah concerning the right of menof lower castes on emb racing Christianity, to move among the higher castesof pe0 p1e . The Madras Government called uponGeneral Cullen, theResident, to institute an inquiry and

VAN:IPALAMARTHANDAVURMAH.

b ring the matter to asatisfactory conclusion. TheM ahaRajah appointed the De uty Police Sheristadar, P . Shungoonny Menon, ommissioner, and he

proce eded to the north and to ok down the evidenceof the VicarApostolic of Quilon,the Vicar-General ofth e Bishopric of Cochin, stationed at Quilon, theBishopand Vicar Apostolic of Malabar stationed atVerapola the SyrianMetropolitanof Malabar residing at ottayam, and the Mahomedan Thankol andGazi of Calliquilon, and also of some of the Heads ofth e Hindoo community, concerning the custom prevailing among pe ople professing each of those reli

gions in1

21

-gir

dto Christianconverts from the lower

castes . r concluding the inquiry, the matter w asfinally decided according to the Commissioner’s report.

The Madras Government about this time moved the

question of the aboli tion of slavery inTravancore ;b ut the subject had already engaged the MahaRajah’sattention for the last two years, and great difficultyhaving been experi enced in convincing the variousjemmies and landed proprietors (to whom the Slavesbelonged,and who urged that the abolitionof Slaverywould tend to the ruinof agriculture),His Highnessleft the matter inabeyance .

Inthe Malabar year 1029, (1853 His High .

ness, by a proclamation, declared that all futurechildren of Government slaves are free from bondage,and also made provisions for the improved conditionof the other slaves and a couple of years sub se

quently, the Maha Rajah abolished slavery in HisHighness’ dominions by aroyal proclamation. Thiswas towards the middle of the year 1855 A.D.

Inthe year 1028 M .E . (1853 the first Judge oftheApeal Court,the late head DewanPeishcar Sreenevasa w,di ed from apoplexy,and that post becamevacant. The MahaRajah w ished to give atrial to thethird Judge of the same Court,one ParamasurenNumb oory,a native of the Malabar collectorate,w ho hadtakenservice under the late MahaRajah as aMunsifi,

REIGN OE BREE PADMANABHA.

DASA

and w as since promoted to the Alleppey Zillah Courtand thence to the Appeal Court .He w as considered amanpossessing great kno w

ledge of the land tenures of Malabar and the righ t s

of castes among the Hindus, and also as having a

slight knowledge of the civil regulations Of the Brit ishCourts .

This Numb oory Judge w as now promoted to t hefirst Judgeshipof the Appeal Court,and early in t hisyear 1 029M .E . (1854 by his activity and z eal

in the discharge of public business, he justified the

choice of the MahaRajah .

It w as already mentioned that a stone bridge w asbe ing built under the supervision of LieutenantHorsley across the Karamanay river,during the latere ign. This work w as now completed and the MahaRajah proposed to Open the bridge personally w i thdue ceremony .

Acertain evening about the middle of December1853, w as appointed for the ceremony,and on thatday, the bridge, a very magnificent building, con

structed at acost of above alac of Rupees,w as tastefully decorated with banners Of different descriptions,flowers, bananaand plantain fruits with stocks,linesof festoons,made with flowers and tender leave s of thecocoanut and palm. Two fine tents were pitched oneither side of the bridge

’

,and they were also adornedwith flowers and splendid fruits, &c . The roadsb etween the bridge and the fort gate were decoratedwith festoons and flowers,as is generally done onalloccasions of State processions .

Early on the morning of the appointed day, invit estions were issued by the Dewanto all the ladies andgentlemen of Trevandrum, and the Commandant ofthe Nair brigade w as desired to parade all the available sepoys at the northern side of the bridge, 1acouple of companies to escort His Highness to thebridge .

VIII.


foundationof which w as laid personally by His Highness the late MahaRajah .

Though one of the two ceremonies appertaining t o

the coronation w as performed in the year 1025,M .E .

(1850 the other one,HirannyaGarb ha danam,

w as still delayed owing to financial diflicult ies, andas aformal coronationof the M ahaRajah w as indis

pdensab ly necessary in a religious point of view, th eahaRajah w as obliged to undergo the expense con

nected with that grand ceremony,and inconsultationwith His Highness’ friend, General Cullen, it w as

resolved to perform it in this year 1029M .E . (1854A.D. ) Dewan Krishna Row undertook to make all

the necessary preparations for it . The ceremony w asconducted with all due pomp and grandeur and con

cluded most satisfactorily to His Highness,as well asto all others concerned . Adetailed account of thisceremony having appeared from the able pen O a

Travancorean,”and the same having been quoted in

the first chapter of this work,it would b e unnecessaryto repeat it here .

The population of Travancore had not beenasoertained since the year 1836,and it w as now considerednecessary to take the census, for which the Dew anw as ordered by His Highness to adopt measures . The

mode of reckoning the populace adopted in the lastcensus w as now followed w ithout any improvement,and consequently the result recorded w as the same asthat obtained by the last census,with aslight decrease .

The system observed on these two occasions w as tocommissionthe local proverthecars to count the housesand the ir inhabitants inthe classificationof the vari ouscastes,and forward the accounts which are generallyw ritten on olas (palmyra leaves) to the respectivetahsildars and through them to the Huz zoor, whereit w as finally computed and adjusted . The results ofthe census of this year, 1854 , showed a total of

inhabitants while that of the year 1836 wasshowing adecrease of souls.


The above figures were not at all correct as w asproved by the subsequent systematic reckoning.

Having beenrequested by the Madras Governmentt o collect and forward articles for the Paris Ex hibitionin 1855,the Maha Rajah ordered a Committee, pres ided over by Major Grant, the then CommandingO fficer, Dr. Reid, and the Deputy Pe ishcar MadavaRow to b e the members thereof . Avery satisfactoryand handsome contribution w as forwarded for the

show and it afl’orded general satisfaction inParis ande licited the approbationof the spectators .

The constant appearance in the : lthemeum of various unfavourable accounts of Travancore the depressed condition of the finances, and the excess in the

expenditure had attracted the notice of the GovernorGeneral,LordDalhousie,and wheninformationregarding the great expenditure incurred inperforming theHirannyaGarb hadanam at such a time,reached him,the annexationfever broke out afresh,and His Excellency considered that it w as a favorable Opportunityfor the Government of India to interfere with t he

affairs of Travancore .

Lord Dalhousie, while at the Neilgherry Hills,w rote aminute containing instructions to the MadrasGovernment, to impress upon the Travancore MahaRajah , the necessity of immediate reformation, andcorrection of the disorganized state of affairs, andaccordingly,the Madras Governor,Lord Harris,sentastrongly worded communication to the MahaRajah .

General Cullenalso did not escape unscathed .

The MahaRajah felt this remonstrance very deeply,especially as the Governor-General had founded hisminute uponconjectures and misrepre sentations,andhad no opportunity of knowing the real worth of HisHighness,as well as the true state of affairs inTravanCOI

‘

O .

His Highness the First Prince (the present MahaRajah) who w as about 24 years of age,w as treated

-VIII.


as a companionby the Maha Rajah,without w h omHis Highness seldom moved beyond the palace d o o r sand without whose counsel the Maha Rajahtransacted any important bus iness,w as the first c o n

fident ial personage consulted on the subject o f t h e

G overnment communications,and His Highnes s t h e

first Prince,who w as eventhenblessed w i th a s o und

judgment and acalm reasoning power, suggest e d t o

his royal uncle the mode of responding to the call o f

the Government.Ameeting of the public ofii cers,consisting of t h e

Dewan, the first Judges of the Appeal and ZillahCourts,and the palace Sarvadhikariakar,w as orde re dunder the Presidentship of His Highness the firs t

Prince,T . MadavaRow , acting as Secretary. Th e

subject w as warmly discussed,and the draft ofareplyprepared ; which after being carefully read b y th e

Maha Rajah,w as adopted,and forw arded to Government through the Resident,General Cullen.

The Madras Government w as Satisfied so also w asthe Government of India,and the fear of annexationentertained by the ignorant portionof the people andtalked about throughout Malabar,w as removed.

In this year 1030 M .E . (1855 the MahaRajah issued aproclamation abolishing the monopolyof pepper,and making that article adutiable one likeother staples of the country .

About this time, the Commander-inChief of theMadras Presidency, G eneral Anson, paid a visit toTravancore . Wh en the MahaRajah received positive information as to the date of his arrival at

Balghauty in Cochin, His Highness deputed PoliceSheristadar P . Shungoonny Menon and deputy Beishcar Valu Pillay,the former to proceed to Balghautyto meet His Excellency and ofier the MahaRajah’scompliments toHis Excellency,and the latter to wait atArookut ty, the northern frontier of Travancore, towelcome His Excellency onhis arrival there . Fromthence these officers were to escort GeneralAnsonto

VANJI PALAMARTHANDAY URMAH.

T revandrum. The Dewanw as directed to proceed toQuilon and rece ive His Excellency onhis arrival att hat place .

The Commander-in-Chi ef and suite consisting ofCo lonel the Honorable Curzon, His Excellency

’s

M ili tary Secretary,Major Denison,Aide-de-Camp,andCo lonel Re id, Quarter Master General, arrived at

Balghauty towards the end of August 1855, whent h e Sheristadar met His Excellency there and con

v eyed His Highness’message to the Chief and then

accompanied the party to the frontier Arookut ty,there the Deputy Peishcar waited to rece ive himw ith all pomp and ceremony. As His Excellency andparty neared the frontier (Aro okut ty) in cabinboats,the blowing of trumpets and the noise of drums andother musical instruments,as well as the shoutingsof the crowd collected there, surprised the party.

Bouquets of fragrant flowers, fine ripe limes and

beautiful bunches of ripe plantains were takento theboat by the Pe ishcar,and His Excellency and partyw ere highly delighted at this, the first manifestationof the Travancore M aha Rajah

’s regard and attention

towards the Chief Military Officer of the M adrasPresidency .

GeneralAnsonand party reachedAlleppey,and theCommercialAgent,M r. Crawford,gave them aheartyreception,and they were entertained at agrand dinnerthat day. As it w as very late whenthe party broke upthey had to postpone the ir departure to Quilon to thenext day. After dinner at 5 P.M ., His Excellencyand party set out from Alleppey, the Pe ishcar andSheristadar keeping pace with the boats of the party.

Before day-break, they reached Quilon and w as

received by the Dewanand the Oflicer Commanding atQuilon (Colonel Pinson), with all the other O fiicersattached t o the Madras Native Infantry Regimentstationed there .

OnHis E x cellenc ’s w ay from Alleppey to Quilon,

at Amb alapulay arumady), Thrikunnapulay, and

REIGN OF BREE PADMANABHA DASA

other stages where there w as arelay of rowers, t h e r e

were grand pyrotechnical displays,got upby the lo c al

Officers .

There w as agrand party at the residency on t h at

and the following day givenby the Military Oflice rs .

Leaving Quilon, the Commander-in-Chief and sui t e

reached Trevandrumand stayed at the residency. As

the Resident, General Cullen, w as absent at Courtallum,the MahaRajah arranged everything for H i s

Excellency’s comfort during h is stay at the residency .

In the afternoon of the Chief’s arrival at Tr e

vandrum,the MahaRajah received His Excellency inDurbar,and GeneralAnson w as exceedingly please dw i th the afiab ili ty and gentlemanly dispositionof th eM ahaRajah .

After the Durbar, the Maha Rajah drove GeneralAnson inhis ow ncarriage to the palace,where HisHighness’niece (the only Princess) w as residing,andhad an interview with theRance and her first Son,theinfant Prince . His Excellency and party left Trevendrum,highly sat isficd and carrying with them a veryfavorable impressionregarding His Highness and hisbeautiful country . The Sheristadar follow ed the partyupto the southernfrontiers of Travancore .

The following official report from Dewan KrishnaRow to General Cullen, concerning the Commanderin-Chief’s visit w ill not b e uninteresting

No 1588 . HuzzoonCUTCHERRY ,Trevandrum.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL W . CULLEN,Bri tishResident of Travancore

go. g'

c.

I have the honor to report for your informationthat His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief togetherwith his Staffarrived at Quilononthe morning of the


25 th instant, and at Trevandrum last evening at

7 o’clock.

The Deputy Peishcar,Valu Pillay and the PoliceSh eristadar Shungoonny Menon,met His Excellencyat Arookutty,the northernfrontier of Travancore,andhave accompanied him dow n to this place,and I amglad to state that he has expressed that every attentionw as paid and assistance oflered to His Excellency andsuite all along the w ay.

I myself proceeded to Quilonand met His Excellency there,by the desire ofHis Highness and immediately returned to this place .

This evening at 4 o’clock,His Highness the MahaRajah received His Excellency the Commander-lnChief at the hall of audience at apublic Durbar, andall mi litary honors were paid to His Excellency on thatoccasion. His x cellency, in company with HisHighness, visited Her Highness the Rance and the

infant Prince . His Excellency intends leaving Trevandrum to-morrow afternoon for Cape Comorin,whither the police Sheristadar will also accompanyHis Excellency,and I have sent orders to all the localOfiicers in the south t o afford every assistance and

attention to His Excellency on his w ay throughouttheir respective districts .

I have,&c .,&c .,

(Signed) V . KRISHNAROW,

Dew an.

The suddendeath,from apoplexy,of DewanPeishcarVeerasw amy Naidoo, towards the close of the last

Malabar year, left his place vacant and the MahaRajah promoted to that post deputy Peishcar MadavaRow in the Malabar year 1030 (1855 A.D .)Dewan Peishcar Ramen Menon drafted various

rules with the view of introducing reforms, and hesubmitted them to the MahaRajah and the Resident .But changes inthe existing system were not favorablyviewed at the time by General Cullenand the Dewan


a r.Kri shna Row . One of the proposals of Ramen

VIII. Menonw as the establishment of separate divisions inthe kingdom,each under aDewanPe ishcar.

Scarcely a year had elapsed after Madava Ro w ’s

promot ion,whenhe made a similar movement regarding the introduction of asystem of division of labo ramong the highest revenue officials. He supportedhis prOposals with powerful reasons,and hi s argument sfor promoting the interests of the Maha Rajah

’s

Government and the w elfare of the pe0 p1e were foundto b e very cogent and irresistible both by Dew anKrishnaRowand General Cullenwhile the MahaRajahhad already taken the side of the Dewan PeishcarMadavaRow .

In the early part of the year 1856 (middle of theMalabar year arule w as passed under the MahaRajah

’s sanctione stablishing two divisions,one in the

south, com rising the districts of Thovalay,Augut eesw arom,Ralculam,E raneel,and Velavencode ; andthe other in the north,consisting of the districts ofShare talay, Vycome, Y etmanoor, Cot tayam, Chun

ganacherry, M eenachil, Thodupolay, M oovatupolay,unnathnaud,Alangaud and Paravoor.

MadavaRow w as ap ointed Dew anPe ishcar of thesoutherndivision,and menMenonof the northerndivision, the management of the intermediate dis

tricts resting with the Dewanas before .

Towards the close of this year,DewanKrishnaRowfound great difficulty inadjusting the annualaccounts,owing to the non-payment of the arrears Of the variousestablishments,and the dues to the several contractorswho supplied tobacco, salt and other articles to theSircar,and the MahaRajah considered it imperativelynecessary to assist the Dewan in paying off the

arrears .

Aloanof five lacs ofRupees w as received from theTrevandrum pagoda (Devasw am fund),at 5 per cent.

per annum,with apromise to clear the debt by monthly


instalments of Rupees seven thousand five

hundred .

v 1n

With the above amount,payments of all the arrearswere made,and the Dewan continued his administrat ionwith fresh vigour .

In 1856, Lord Harris, Governor Of Madras, proposed to hold anEx hibition inMadras,of the variousminerals,manufactures and raw materials of the Presidency. Intimationof the same having beenrece ivedin the early part of 1855, a Committee consistingof Major Grant, the Commanding Ofliccr,MadavaRo w ,the SouthernPeishcar and Shungoonny Menon,Police Sheristadar,w as formed by order of the MahaRajah,the last named Oflicer acting as Secretary tothe Committee . Avery fair collectionof articles w asmade and forwarded to the Exhibition,together withsome valuable old jewels,and acollectionofrare coins,belonging to the MahaRajah

’s palace . The Secretary

pre ared aclear and copious report on the resourcesof t e MahaRajah

’s kingdom,and forwarded the same

along with the articles to Madras . Afirst class Medalw as awarded to the Maha Rajah and a second classone to the writer of the report which w as publishedby the Madras Government along w ith the results ofthe Exhibition. Travancore held ahigh place in theMadras Exhibitionand competed well with many of theCollectorates under the Presidency .

The regulation introduced inthe Malabar year 10 10for holding circuit sessions for criminal trials w as re

scinded inthis year 1032M .E . (1857A.D.) and anewenactment w as introduced by the MahaRajah e stablishing Session Judge s ineach of the Zillahs inTravancore,onthe same systemas that theninvogue inthe British territories .

Towards the beginning of the ensuing year,agreatcalamity plunge d the whole kingdom of Travancorein sorrow. This w as caused by the suddenand unexected death of Her Highness the Rance (Attingallil ootha Thampuran), the only niece and surviving


female member of the royal family,and the o nlyhope of the MahaRajah for continuing the anc i entroyal line . Her Highness the Rance gave birth t o

her second sonon the (25th September 1857) 1 1 t hCanny 1033,and died onthe 22nd of the same month ,after avery slight illness,at the age of twenty-e ig h tyears .

It is impossible to describe the gri ef of the M ahaRajah and the rest of the royal family onthis sorro wful day.

Though this irreparable loss could not b e eas ily

forgotten b y the aha Rajah, yet it felt thatimmediate measures should b e takenfor the adoptionof some female members into the royal family .

It will b e seen from the foregoing chapters, thatwhenever the female line of this royal house becomeextinct,one or two members used to b e adopted fromthe family of the KolathnaudRajah,and now as the

near relatives of the last adopted Princess were residing at Mavalikaray, the adoption of two youngRanees from that family w as decided upon by theMahaRajah .

This proposal w as strongly seconded by GeneralCullen, and the Madras Government ac ceded to themeasure at

'

once . The adoption ceremony w as per

formed in the same year .

The MahaRajah’s feelings of gratification on this

occasion are fully evinced inone of His Highness’

letters to General Cullen, a quotation from whichis inserted here

Your name is associated inour memory with manyimportant and interesting events,the most conspicuous of which is the permission made through yourpowerful intercessionfor the continuationof the line

of successionto the musnud of Travancore,aneventwhich nothing can erase from the memory of myself,family,and the whole country,and for which w e

cannot adequately feel grateful.”


The adopted Ranees were their Highnesses the

senior Rance LekshmiRhye,and juniorRance Par

wathi Rhye . They were eight and six years Of age

respectively at the time of their adoption.

Inthis year the tariff value of articles fixed in 101 1M .E . (1836 w as revised and a new scaleintroduced throughout Travancore for affordingfurther facility for the increase of trade . By thi sarrangement several articles were exempted from thepayment of duty .

The sepoy mutiny of 1857,caused the MahaRajahgreat consternation and regret, and the Cawnporetragedy,pierced his heart deeply as if the dire calamityhad befallenhis ow n country . DewanKrishna Rowrece ived immediate instructions from His Highnesst o attend to every requisition of General Cullen and

render all possible assistance to the British Government .

Every seaport,every town,and every place of note,w as ordered to b e carefully guarded . Every pilgrimfrom the north,going to Rameswaram,w as thoroughlysearched before he passed His Highness’ dominions,in order that all secret communications and al l peopletravelling under di sguise,might b e detected .

The MahaRajah with hi s usual lib erality took ashare in contributing to the aid of the families whosuffered from the mutiny .

Inthe course of ayear and a half, the Dewanw as

able to pay Off not only the dues of the Sircar, b utalso apart of the loanreceived from the pagoda. Inaddi tion to these,he managed to have alarge sum ofmoney in the treasury for the performance of theM urajapam,whi ch w as to b e commenced at the firstquarter of this year 1033 M .E . (end of 1857A.D.)At the commencement of this grand ceremony

(Murajapam),DewanKrishnaRow fe ll ill,and in the

course ofaweek he died .


Onthe day of his death,KrishnaRow expresse d a

wish to see the MahaRajah,who very kindly called o nhim, accompanied by His Highness

’nephew, t h e

present MahaRajah . The dying Dewanhad thus t h ehappiness of see ing and conversmg with his gracio usmaster just before his death .

This loyal and faithful DewanbeggedHis Highne s s ’

pardon for all the faults and errors he might hav ecommitted during his tenure of ofi ce, and informe dthe MahaRajah that he w as the most fortunate amongall His Highness

’servants, for Providence destined

him to die m the service of the.

MahaRajah . Th e

Maha Rajah acted the part of a spiritual minister t oh is dying Dewan,recommending his soul to the mercy

Almighty,and advising him to think of nothingb ut of his merciful Creator.

DewanKrishnaRow breathed his last afew minutesafter the MahaRajah ’

s departure . General Cullen,theResident,the Dewan

’s patron, also aid himhi s last

visit an hour before the MahaRajah’s arrival. Allthe State ofiicials were present at his death-b ed,andKrishna Row spoke to every one of them in his las tmoments, retaining full consciousness to the very last .He died at about 1 1 PM .

The MahaRajah felt very deeply the loss of KrishnaRow,and his funeral ceremony w as ordered to b e performed with all the marks of respect due to hi s rankand positionas prime minister. Almost all the Stat eofii cers followed on foot the funeral procession,andhis remains were cremated inone of his owngardens .

The unexpec death of Dewan KrishnaRow at

such acritical time placed His Highness in a greatdilemma with regard to the filling upof the vacancy.

There w asRamenMenon,the senior DewanBe ishcar, and a candidate by right,

“

to the post of thedeceased Dew an. This Pe ishcar w as acapital revenueofficer, and had experience in the magisterial line,having beenemployed fromhis boyhood inthe British


the young officer w as at once placed in charge of th eDewan’s duties and he continued discharging them fo r

amonth and ahalf whenhe rece iv ed his appointment

as acting Dewan. This w as in the middle of January1858 (2nd Makaram 1033 M .E .)The disappointment thus made caused the Dewan

Pe ishcar Ramen Menon to resign his appointment ,though the MahaRajah offered him the post of headDewanPeishcar onasalary of 800 Rupee sper mensem,

and promised to increase the salary to Rupeesb ut he would not b e satisfied with asubordinate po s tunder MadavaRow , and so he w as allowed to retir eonapensionof 1 75 Rupees,equal to the salary whichhe w as receiving inthe Calicut Huz zoor Cutcherry asNaib Sheristadar,whenhe w as invited to Travancore .

As regards the fitness and qualifications of the ac t

ing DewanMadava Row for the important office of

prime minister, proofs were not wanting . MadavaRow commenced a career almost unprecedented inTravancore inmoderntimes,and the MahaRajah beganto forget the loss of KrishnaRow as an efficientpremier .

Simultaneously with the appointment of the actingDewan,several changes were made by the MahaRajah .

Shungoonny Menon,Police Sheristadar,w as promotedto the office of Deputy Peishcar, and put incharge ofthe southern (Padmanabhapuram) division,vacated b yDewanPeishcar,M adavaRow.

With the Maha Rajah’s sanction, acting Dewan

Madava Row introduced several changes for the

efl‘icient carrying onof business . He w as very earnestinintroducing reforms and manife sted a great desireto adopt various new measures,b ut the MahaRajah’sprudent and calm discrimination prev ented in a

measure the rapidity of the acting Dewan’s progressinthis direction. Besides agreat many of the prerogat ives of Gov ernment were reserved to the palace thehead officials of which seldom yie lded to any new proposal emanating from the Dewan,without adiscussion.

CRAP.


Tow ards the middle of Novemb er,the MahaRajahand the Resident rece ived official imformationof Hi sLordship’s probable arrival at Cochinonthe 24 th o f

that month,and the former lost no t ime insummoningdeputy Peishcar Shungoonny M enonfrom his stationat Padmanabhapuram,and ordering him to proceed t oBalghauty for the purpose of meet ing His Lordshipand conveying to him the MahaRajah’s respectf

'

ul

compliments . He w as further ordered to accompanyHis Lordship from thence to Trevandrum. Shun

goonny M enon waited at Balghauty where GeneralCullen, the Resident, w as getting everything readyfor the receptionof Lord Harris . Preparat ions onaeat scale were at the same time being made by theochinSircar to give His Lordship afitt ing reception.

The Governor and sui te arrived at Balghauty on

the morning of the 24 th idem,and w as received at thelanding place by General Cullen,the CochinDew an,Vencatta Row, the MahaRajah’s messenger Shungoonny Menon and several European and nat ive

gentlemenof rank and position.

The Governor’s suite consisted of the Chief Secre

tary,M r. Pycroft ; the Private Secretary,Mr . Murray,Mili tary Secretary,CaptainRoberstonAide-de-Camm;the Honorable CaptainHarris and Doctor Sanderson.

After breakfast,ShungoonnyMenonto the Governor and he discharged his missionb yconveying to His Lordship the M aha Rajah

’s

greetings .

The,Governor and party stayed two days at Bal

ghauty and left that place onthe evening of the 26thNovember inHer M ajesty

’s Steamer Feroze, which

broughtHis Lordship fromCalicut to Cochin. GeneralCullenpreceding the party by backwater to Quilon.

The acting DewanM adavaRow w as now confirmedin his omoe,and the M aha Rajah ordered him to goto Quilon, to receive the Governor on his landingthere .


Alarge temporary shed w as erecte d on the Quilonbeach, w ith profuse decorat ions, and it w as neatlyfurnished. All the available officers and menof the2ndRegiment,M . N . I.,stationed at Quilon,lined t hebeach t o salute the Governor onarrival.

Lord Harris and party landed at Quilon on the

morning of the 27th,and w as received by theResident,the Dewan,and by all the officers,Civil and Military,assembled there . The party proceeded to the Residoncy and remained there t ill the evening of the 29thwhenthey proceeded by backwater to Trevandrum,where Lord Harris reached early on the morning ofthe 30th,and as may b e imagined,had awarmer andgrander receptionthanat Quilon.

The landing place w as covered w ith anumber ofSplendid temporary buildings . Alarge State tent w aspi tched there . The steps leading to the buildings andthe tent were decorated with roses and other fragrantflowers,and the road w as lined onboth sides by thebrigade sepoys and mounted troopers . A salute of

19guns w as fired as soonas Lord Harris se t his footonthe landing place . The party,after staying afewminutes in the tent, proceeded to the Residency,theGovernor and General Cullen gett ing into the MahaRajah’s magnificent carriage drawnby four horses,andthe others follow ing in other equipages

The gubernatorial party were lodged inthe Residenc which building had been previously preparedfor t e grand occasion. State tents were also pitchedinthe Residency premises for their accommodation.

His Highness the third Prince (the present firstPrince ) paidavisit to Lord Harris after breakfast andhad afew minutes conversationwith him.

The next day,His Lordship the Governor requiredalittle rest after his fatiguing journey from the bluehills to Trevandrum, and consequently, the MahaRajah postponed his visit to the next day.

At noononthe l st December, the MahaRajah set


out inHis Highness’ splendid State car,accompaniedby His Highness the first Prince (the present MahaRajah),and his brother (thep

resent first Prince),andfollowed by the Dewanand t e rest of the ofiicials ofthe State . Acrowd of spectators mingled with variousservants of the Government, the military, mountedtroops,how dahs,State,horses,&c.,lined the tw o sidesof the road,from the fort gate upto the door of theResidency.

The M ahaRajah alighted at the steps,which werebeautifully lined with crimson cloth where GeneralCullen rece ived His Highness and led him to the

draw ing-room,where Lord Harris rece ived His Highness with great .

cordiality and kindness,and both HisHighness and the Governor took their seats on a

sofa,which w as purposely placed just in the centre ofthe northern end of the room . The M aha Rajah

’s

nephews, their Highnesses the first and the thirdPrinces, took their seats on either side,and the line

w as continued by the Resident, the Governor’s staff,

the Europeanand Civil and Military ofiicers of Travancore,and the ladies and gentlemenspecially invitedfor the occasion. After a few minutes conversation,the usual formalities of distributing flowers andattar were gone through . The M ahaRajah took leaveand returned to the palace . On arrival at, andreturned from,the Re sidency,royal salutes were firedby the brigade artillery .

Aft er the Durbar, Lord Harris and party,accom

panied by General Cullen,visited the Observato ry andsome other places and returned to the Residency wherethere w as to b e agrand dinner inthe evening .

The MahaRajah paid avisit to Lord Harris thatevening during dinner, and, w ithout any ceremonyor scruple,sat near the Governor and commenced aconversation with great familiarity . His Highnesswith his suavity of temper, winning manners andaffability,found no difficulty in gaining the friendshipof such an accomplished nobleman as Lord Harris .


architecture ofwhich w as much admired by His Lordship . His attentionw as particularly attracted by thematerial (apeculiar kind of hard laterite stone calledNarikallu) with which the bridge w as constructed .

His Highness the First Prince also follow ed his uncleand party inanother carriage,with the Chief Secretary,M r. Pycroft .

In the afternoonof the 3rd December,Lord Harrispaid aprivate visit to the M aha Rajah and had morethanhalf anhour’s conversation with His Highnessat the palace ; after which His Highness introduced toHis Lordship his nieces (the adopted Ranees),and hisgrand nephew. The MahaRajah thenconducted HisLordship to the adjoining buildings which were HisHighness’ private Dispensary, Laboratory, Library,and Menagerie,all well supplied and neatly arranged .

The Governor and suite were much pleased w ith whatthey saw and were astonished at the attainments oft he Maha Rajah,and the very intelligent intere st hetook inthe pursuits of science . Inthe Menagerie therewere several rare animals belonging to Travancore .

A large rhinoceros and a couple of camel leopardsattracted the attentionof the party,andHis Highness

’

taste in this branch of natural history w as warmlyapplauded by Lord Harris and his followers,who thent ook leave of the Maha Rajah quite pleased and

delighted w i th what they saw . Infact,they consideredthe day’s interview to have been the most interesting.

Ontheir w ay back to the Residency, His Lordshipand party visited the Sircar printing office,and inspected the several presses of the establishment andits branches, the book-binding, type -founding andaper-making departments,every one of which rece ivedord Harris’ commendation.

The next day having beenfixed forHis Lordship’s

return,the MahaRajah w ished to give agrand dinnerat the Residency, and all preparations were commenced early onthat day. General Cullen’s butler,anable and e x perienced man,and the Quilon Residency


butler, an equally clever servant, combined theirexperience and skill and prepared the bill of fare forthe occasion. In addition to the Residency cooks,some experienced hands were also entertained,and adinner w as prepared,onascale which surpassed anything of the kind ever done before inTravancore on

similar occasions . Game of all kinds w as orderedfrom N eduvangaud and other hilly districts and partridges, quails, snipe and other savoury birds wereprocured and added to the other delicacies . Whi le thedinner w as being cooked and prepared at the Resideney, the Maha Rajah ordered hi s own cooks to

prepare some fifty different sorts of sweetmeats suchas are peculiar to Malayalam,Tamil,Mahratta and

Hindustanee countries . These were forwarded to theResidency in beautiful dishes and silver plates . The

table w as laid at about 7 P.M .,and the dinner laste dtill 10 o’clock,afterwhich the MahaRajah invited theGovernor and party to the Durbar hall to see adisplayof pyrotechnics.

The party adjourned to the hall which w as mosttastefully decorated, furnished and brilliantly lit . Agrand illumination, commencing from the Residencygate in anunbroken line to the gate of the audiencehall,w ith farew ell mottoes to His Lordship, inlargecharacters at intervals, were arranged . The frontof the hall,abroad square,seemed to b e inablaze oflight . Inthe hall upstairs the numerous lustres whosebrilliance w as reflected by the large mirrors onthe walls,filled the place with uncommon refulgence . Rosesand jessamine w reaths hanging downfrom the canopyabove diffused the swe etest odours,and the atmosphereof the whole room seemed to b e loaded w ith the

perfume of Persian attar. The seats were arrangedjust as on the previous occasion. His Lordship w asseated with the MahaRajah in the sofa,and they wereengaged inpleasant and friendly conversation for afew minutes . There w as an attempt at a nautch,b ut the MahaRajah’s prudence su gested the discont inuance of it at once . When t e firew orks were


om . ready,the Maha Rajah led Lord Harris by the armto the southern v erandah, where rows of seats hadb eenarranged . The display lasted about half anhour,and it w as considered to have beenacomplete succe ss .

At the southernend of thi s square,and in the midstof the pyrotechnical show,a particular work w as

ingeniously contri ved by askilful artist exhibiting inlarge blazing characters exquisitely designed the wordsWelcome to Lord Harris.

” After the fireworks,and the di stribution of flowers and attar the partybroke up. Salutes were fired on the arrival anddeparture of the Governor,b ut they could hardy b eheard from the deafening reports of the numerouslittle cannons calledKathenas which cont inued withoutintermission,from the commencement of the Durbarupto the departure of the Governor .

The MahaRajah did not b id adieu to Lord Harristhen,as His Highness wished to do so on board thesteamer .

Early in the morning on the 4 th December,thebooming of guns announced the Governor’s departureto the steamer and the MahaRajah resolved to followLord Harris thither, partly to show His Highness’

extreme considerationfor the noble Lord,and partly tosatisfy his Highness’ desire to see beautiful steamerFeroze .

”

Before Lord Harris’ departure to the steamer,theM ahaRajah though t it w as proper to forward avaledictory letter to His Lordship, and accordinglyaddressed the follow ing communication,inHis Highness

’ow n style and handw riting,and forwarded the

same through General Cullenbefore daybreak.

PALACE,TREVANDRUM,4 th Decemb er 1858 .

M Y Loan,Please allow me,my Lord,before personally taking

leave of your Lordship to do myself the pleasure ofre i terating my most sincere thanks for the honor con


It is the wish of myself, and of the MadrasGovernment,to support your Highness

’ position,andI feel w e canbest do so by endeavouring to the best ofour power to assist yourHighness inimproving the finecountry and the interesting pe0 p1e over whom it has

pleased the Almighty to entrust to you the rule .

I can assure your Highness,that I reciprocatemost heartily and sincerely your kind wishes of healthand prosperity,and I trust youmay b e Spared to enjoyalong and happy life inthe midst of your family .

It will always give me sincere pleasure to hear ofyour Highness’well being,and to b e of any use to youshould occasionoffer when I returnto England .

I have beentaught from my earliest years to takeaninterest in and to benefit the pe0 p1e of India. Ihad endeavoured to do so to the best of my abilities,and I shall continue to do so till my life’s end .

I have the honor to b e,Your Highness’ very obedi ent servant,

(Signed) HARRIS .

Hrs HIGHNESS,The MahaRajah of flb

'avaneore .

At about 1 RM . the Maha Rajah accompanied bytheir Highnesses the first and third Princes, ColonelFaunce,the Commanding Officer,and Doctor Waring,the Durbar physician,embarked in a large boat andwere soononboard the steamer, where Lord Harrisreceived His Highness most cordially,and asalute w asfired from the largest of the guns onboard,sixty-eight

gounders, which were highly admired by the Mahaajah,who expressed awish to see ball and bombshell

firing which w as done at once . His Highness’ astonishment w as very great,especiallyat the dexterity andease w i th which the men performed the work . Afterthis, every part of the vessel and its machinery wereminutely and att ent ivel imped e d by His Highness,w ho intimated to Lord arris adesire to see the working of the engines, which were then placed at full

VANJIPALAMARTHANDAY URMAH.

speed,the vessel making anexcursionto the north toadistance of ab out five or six miles and returning to vm.

her former position,inthe course of half anhour.

At the time of parting,the Maha Rajah havingobtained His Lordship’s permissionto pre sent a sumof money to the sailors,handed apurse to the Captainof the Feroze” for distributionamong them . Afterwards, the MahaRajah took leave of Lord Harrisand descended into his boat . Immediatelyafter the boathad left the ship’s side,Lord Harris and party standing on the deck waved their hats,and at the sametime,the air resounded with the booming of the gunsonboard the steamer. The Feroze”weighed anchorafter the safe landing of the MahaRajah and party.

This w as the Governor who sent the despatch of1855, by the order of the Governor-General LordDalhousie,as has beenalready stated . His Lordshipmust have now felt the tone and t enor ofhis late Minuteto have been unnecessarily severe, as his personalacquaintance withHisHighness andwith the aflairs ofhis G overnment could not b ut have satisfied him thatmatters had beenmisrepresented to him.

The reasonableness of the above conjecture must b efrom the spirit of His Lordship’s reply t o

Soon after the Governor’s departure, the deputyPeishcar Shungoonny Menonrejoined his divi sion inthe south,b ut he had the mort ificat ionto find,that,during his absence fresh mi sunderstanding had arisenbetween the Hindus and the Shanar converts . The

spirit of hostility between these two sections of theinhabitants had lain dormant for some time chi eflythrough the interference of the Sircar authorities,b utit seemed to have been again roused up, and the

disputes this time were of amore serious nature . The

Pe ishcar’s efiort s to throw o il on the troubled waters

and bring matters to asatisfactory conclusion provedin the long run abortive ; although he succeeded inrestoring harmony betw eenthe parties temporarily .

VIII.


The misunderstanding had originated ent irely fromthe Shanar Christian females as suming the costumeof high caste Hindu females . They had beendoingthis fromthe early days of their conversion,and insteadof endeavouring to suppress what might eventuallycause serious complications,the Missionaries encouraged them and fostered among them a spirit ofhostility against the high caste Hindus . The Sircarhad been necessitated, in 1814, to interfere and

legislate for the future guidance of the Shanars,b utnotwithstanding this during aperiod of fifteenyearsthere were quarrels on various occas ions betweenthe parties . M atters now looked serious and the

interference of the Government seemed to b e againcalled for. There had beenalegislative enactment in1829,at the very commencement of the reign of thegreatly renowned M ahaRajah w ho died in 1022 M.E .

(184 7 A.D. ) In this enactment, it w as clearly laiddownthat the female Shamar converts were at libertyto cover the ir bosoms w i th ajacket,and astrict prohib it ion w as laid down against the ir adopting highcaste Hindu costumes ; b ut the aim of the convertshad been persistently to defy the higher class Hindusand to des ise the ir brother Shanars,who professedHinduism certainly with a hidden motive), and theconverts were supported all along by the Missionarieswhose intention apparently w as to introduce Englishcustoms as if they were incivili zed England instead ofTravancore . They also claimed perfect tolerationand liberty for the ir converts,without taking intoconsideration the time, the country, the nature of

the Government,and their own position in foreignland and the consequence w as that it w as difficult tosettle the dispute at once,while onthe part of theShanars there w as anopendefiance of the laws of theland,which,on account of the encouragement theyreceived from the M issionaries,it w as difficult to curb .

And the Travancore Government,b e ing reluctant tocome in contact with the Missionaries,owing to itsregard for the paramount pow er,desisted from taking

VIII.


uponpe0 p1e the truth of the principles of religion,andhence,the chi ef cause for the Hindus to b e dissatisfiedwith themand to consider their proceedings offensive,This fact can b e seen from a fact connected w i th

the founder of the London Mis sion in Travancore,the Reverend M r. Ringeltaube,who,onpaying avisitto the then Dew an Valu Thamb y, for the expresspurpose of endeavouring to obtain a footing for theLondonMission inTravancore, in 1806,being askedby theministerwhat religionhe rofessed,theReverendgentlemananswered Colonel acaulay

’s

instead of saying the Christianreligionor the religionestablished by Christ,who He w as, when and how

Jesus Christ w as born, what wonders and miraclesChrist had performed inthe world,howHe became theSaviour of mankind,how He suffered,and how Hisresurrectiontook place after His crucifixionand burialand so on. Le t the reader note the severe rebukeimplied in the follow ing remark which that greatHindu Statesman made on hearin what M r. Ringeltaube said about his professing olonel Macaulay’sreligion,

” I never knew that there w as such a

religion” said the Dewan,meaning of course,areligioninvented or professed by a private individual, forChristianity w as in existence inTravancore for morethanathousand years before that period.

Acting under such selfish principles,it is no wonderthat the Missionaries considered themselves to b eentitled to respect from theHindus . Why the Societydid not think of proceeding in a more conciliatorymanner with the Hindu port ionof the population,andwhy they endeavoured to create in the Hindus aspirit antagonistic to the Christianreligionare pointsfor inquiry .

The very illus trationinM r. Mateer’s work,page 277,

will show plainly how the females of the Shanar converts were taught to imitate the costume of the higher

SeeReverend Matoer’e Land ofCharity,page 262.


class Hindus, while there are numerous modes ofcostumes adapted for Christians which would b e moredesirab le from aEuropean point of v iew. It is clearthat this style of costume adopted by the Shenarconverts w as with the express object of annoying theHindu sectionof the populationof the district s.

The costume inquestionw as not the only cause forofience which the Shanar converts gave to the higherclasses, b ut invarious other ways they rendered themselves obnoxious to the Sudracommunity .

For instance,one Shanar PuthathanCutty and hiswife,E shakee,were the cultivators of MadomPillay,aSudralanded proprietor. These became converts andleft Madom Pillay

’s service, and Puthathan Cutty

subsequently became a Catechist under aMissionary,and his wife assumed a costume similar to that ofMadom Pillay

’s wife . Now,both the Catechist and

his w i fe came to Madom Pillay’s house and began to

converse w i th h im,on terms of equality,commencinga discussion w i th Madom Pillay on the subject ofreligion and calling him an ignorant man” and a

sinner (as all the heathens are put downby the Missionpe0 p1e inthe vernacular, in the category of Aguani lml,

”ignorant men) . Was it possible for Madom

Pillay not to resent the impertinence of those whowere b ut lately his de

fiendent s ; and their sole ob

ject in coming to his ouse— the wife dressed inacostume similar to that of MadomPillay

’s wife—must

have beento cause himannoyance ? It is also worthyofnote that onaquarrel ensuing between the Shanarconverts and Madom Pillay, the Missionary whoused to support him, espoused the cause of the Catechist and appeared himself before the authorities andadopted measures for the punishment of MadomPillayin which favored by the advantages of his color andposition he succeeded . Here is a solution of theuest ionwhy the Missionaries are considered b y the

indus as acting partially towards the converts andprosecuting the Hindus. Besides if evenareason


complaint were made by Sircar official, he would b erepresented by the Missionaries as partial and in a

communicationto the Resident denounced as corrupt,unprincipled,and so forth . The Missionaries at thesame time did not hesitate to drag the G overnmentinto the discussion. The Missionaries by theirw ritings can make the world believe that terriblepersecutions against Christianity are carried on in

Travancore, and the British Government invariablygives credence to stat ements thus di sseminat ed, andbe ing the paramount ower, they can come downuponthe Travancore ircar with rebuke and strongdisapproval,’ ignoring the fact that Christianity asprofessed b y'the Syrians and RomanCatholics existedinTravancore from time immemorial. Aconvincinginstance in support of this statement shall b e givenpresently.

Though the matters connected with the upper clothdispute between the Shanar converts and the Hinduswere temporarily adjusted by the exert ions of thedeputy Peishcar,yet the disputes broke out again inashort time and several quarrels and disturbances tookplace betweenthe parties inthe markets and thoroughfares where the females oi Shanar converts appeared inHindu costumes . Just at this time,the Dew anMadavaRow paid avisit to the south and finding the seriousnature of the rupture betweenthe parties,he issued aproclamationonthe 27th December 1868,as aprecaut ionary measure and with the view of preventing further disturbances . The tenor of the proclamationw as

that,it w as clearly wrong to violate ancient usages ;that the law laid downfor the observance of the parties

Mr.Wh itehouse reported the case of Aroomanayagum,aconvertedslave,w ho was b eatenb y his master M i domPillay.and anothe r Sudrafor att ending Chris t ian w orship. Although t he serious injuriesinflict ed on the poor man w ere cert ified inde tail by the Court

ghysi

cian,Dr.Reed,amere nominal fine ofonly 5Rupees each,w as in ictedb the Magis trate onhis assailants . But anappeal b eing made to theme G overnment,the fines w ere increased to seventy Ru seaand

t he Travancore authorit ies w ere reproved for their unjust enity.

Mateer’s Land ofCharity,

” page 296.


By this time,Lord Harris,the Governor of Madrasretired,and w as succeeded by Sir Charles Trevelyan,before whom the questionw as laid for decision. HisExcellency seemed to have takena one-sided view ofthe question,and without giving the matter calm anddeliberate considerat ion, and reflecting on the real

meaning of the Circular Order and proclamationalluded to,came to the conclusion that the privilegeof covering their bosoms had been denied to thefemales of the Shanar converts by the TravancoreGovernment, and under this impressionwrote inthefollowing decisive terms to General Cullen

Ihave seldom met with acase in which not onlytruth and justice,b ut ev ery feeling of our commonhumanity are so entirely on one side . The wholecivilized world would cry shame upon us if w e

did not make afirm stand on such an occasion. Ifanything could make this line of conduct more incumbent on us, it would b e the extraordinary factthat persecution of asingularly personal and delicatekind is attempted to b e justified by aroyal proclamation,the Special object of which w as to assure to HerMajesty

’s Indian subjects, liberty of thought and

action so long as they did not interfere with the°

ust

rights of others . I should fail in respect to er

Majesty,if I attempted to describe the feelings withwhich She must regard the use made against her ownse x of the promises of protectionso graciously accordedby her .

It will b e your duty to impress these views onHisHighness the Rajah,and to point out to him that suchprohibitionas those conveyed inthe Circular Order ofMay 1814 , or in the proclamation of the 3rd ofFebruary 1829,are unsuited to the present age,andunworthy of anenlightened Prince .

”

This communicationfrom the new Governor startledthe old General,and he pressed uponthe MahaRajahto pass an act in accordance w i th the views of HisExcellency b ut by adopting such asweeping measure,


the MahaRajah apprehended still greaw r evils and,consequently,after due and long deliberationand con

sultat ion with the able Dewan,a new royal proclamationw as prepared and published inJuly of the sameyear 1859,making further concessions to the Shanarfemales in the matter of their dress . But this concession did not imply any permission t o the convertfemales to assume the costume of Brahmanwomen.

The Missionaries were not quite satisfied with thisproclamation,b ut it sufliced to check further di sturbances onthe score of dress .

The spirit of the Missionaries in this matter isevident from the Rev . S . M at eer

’s work entitled

Land of Charity Chapter XII, es 295-306. Inhis quasi-sensational writings,the verend gentlemananimadverts rather strongly,and it must b e said,w i thagood deal of unfairness,on the proceedings of aGovernment which had tolerated Christianity hundredsof years before protestantism came into emstence andwhich had protected the very London Mission itselffrom its cradle, so to speak, and this in a countrywhose people and sovereignprofess orthodoxHinduism .

The unfair animadversions of the Missionari es castareflection onthe reputationof the MahaRajah andof his Government and created an unfriendly feelingbetw eenthem and the Hindus,w ho charge them w i thwant of gratitude, after they had been allowed towork freely and OpenMissions intheir land .

The senior Ranee,one of the two adopted Princesses,having become marriageable, according to the usageofthe royal house,HerHighness

’wedding w as resolvedon by the MahaRajah,and inthe month of Madom1034 (April the royal marria e w as performedwith great pomp and andour . er Highness w aswedded to a oungKoil hampuranof Chunganacherry,agrand nep ew of the MahaRajah

’s father

In the commencement of the next year 1035 M .E .

(1859 the Maha Rajah contemplated the establishment of tw o more divisions,one at Quilonand the

VIII.


other at Trevandrum, and the placing of the wholeadministration under four divisions, viz . Padmanab hapuram,Trevandrum,Quilon,and Share talay,thusafiording relief to the Dewan in the arduous work ofconducting the administration. Accordingly the

measure w as adopted in the first quarter of the Malab ar year. By thi s arrangement Shungoonny Menon,deputyPeishcar at Padmanabhapuram,w as transferredto the Quilondivision,whi ch w as larger and more important than the southerndivision. Now, the “afiairs

of the country beganto b e more satisfactorily managedthanbefore .

General Cullen, the Resident, who had beenappointed twenty years ago when the country w as ina highlyflourishmg state , and w i tnessed many a

change during his long tenure of office, had now the

pleasure of seeing the country ina better condition,and so he resolved to b id farewell to Travancore .

The Veteran General retired in the early part ofJanuary 1860,to the very great regret of the MahaRajah and every one of the State officers,as well asof the whole population of Travancore . To HisHighness,General Cullen w as the kindest of friends ;to the ofli cials,he w as abenevolent patron, and to theinhabitants,he w as anaffectionat e and judicious protecto r. Under such circumstances, the old Generalmade uphis mind to reside inTravancore and finishhis worldly career in thi s count and his w ish w asaccordingly gratified,by divine in 1862.

Inappreciationof the interest General Cullenalwaysevince inthe welfare of Travancore, His Highnessinstituted a scholarship inthe General’s name at the

the Madras High School, under the designation ofCullen

’s Scholarship .

”

M r. Maltby succeeded General Cullenas the Resident,and inhim the MahaRajah found a friend notless valuable thanGeneral Cullen.

After Lord Harris’ returnto England,His Lordship apparently mooted the subject of forwarding the


by His Highness the first Prince (the present MahaRajah), and a little further on by the Maha Rajahhimself . M r. Maltb y then delivered a letter from the

Right Honorable Sir Charles Wood, now ViscountHalifax, the Secretary of State for India, and thebeautiful case containin the Queen’S present into theMahaRajah

’s hands . Ins Highness rece iving them

with a joyful countenance and alow bow,raised the

case to his head to show hi s great respect for Her

Majesty and then raised the lid. It contained a

handsome ornamental belt,with rich gold embroidery,and a buckle set w ith precious stones,the centre ofthe belt containing agold watch with the monogramof the Que en onone side ,and that of the MahaRajahon the other . The initials were beautifully set withbrilliants inblue enamel . The belt w as put on the

MahaRajah’s girdle by theRe sident,and His Highness bowingagainto Show his respect for Her Majestydelivered a short Speech expressive of His Highness’

great gratification at the graci ous consideration ofHer Majesty,and declared at the same time that HisHighness considered himself the most fortunate amongall the Princes inIndia inbe ing thus highly favoured.

On delivering the Queen’s present, a royal salutefrom the brigade artillery and three volleys ofmusketry were fired,and after spending a Short timeinagreeable conversation,the Durbar w as concludedby the usual distributionof garlands of jessamine andattar of roses .

The general joy caused by this incident w as howevermarred by the terrible bereavement which the MahaRajah sustained by the death on the very night of theDurbar of His Highness’ lady,who had beenlaid upfor the last two months .

Soon after this event, the Maha Rajah w i shed tocommemorate this manifestation of Her Majesty

’s

kindness and good-will towards His Highness,and inconsultation with His Highness’ friend M r . Maltby,and his able Dewan MadavaRow ,it w as resolved t o

VANJIPALAMARTHANDA Y URMAH.

o rganize aPublicWorks Department,and to constructcertainworks inHer Majesty

’s name .

M r . Collins,aCivil Engineer,w as entertained in theservice of the Sircar inthe same month (May),andt he MahaRajah subsequently proceeded to the fertile

parts of His Highness’ dominions (Nanjenaud) . The

excavation of a new canal from the south to Trevandrum which,it would appear, had been contemplated once in former times,w as now resolved uponby the Re sident and the Dewan, and the proposalbeing communicated to His Highness,sanctionw as at

once accorded and the work w as commenced in thesame month . After the ceremony,usual on suchoccasions,His Highness removed the first turf withhis ow nhand,with asilver Spade expressly made forthe purpose ,and the canal w as designated by the M ahaRajah VictoriaAnanthaM arthandenCanal, acombination of Her Majesty

’

s and His Highness’names,and connecting the two w as the appellation of theMahaRajah

’s household de ity’s vehicle,Ananthen (the

endless) .

While in the south, the Maha Rajah w as unfor

tunately takenill by a slight attack of fever,which hegot over soon,under the able treatment of the DurbarPhysician. But the germs of the diseas e,seemed stillto lurk inhis system

His Highness returned to the capitalWithout furtherdelay . After reaching Trevandrum he had a slightrelapse, followed by an attack of bowel complaint .But Without paying much heed to his ailments,HisHighne ss managed to perform his daily ablutions andattend to his other avocations . This distemper continned preying onthe MahaRajah’S constitutionwhichw as very strong and powerful,b ut inashort time hew as reduced to avery deplorable state . His Highnessnevertheless bore up boldly and did not confine h imself to his b ed for any length of time . A coupleof months passed thus and none apprehended anyserious results from His Highness’ illness,neither did

REIGN OF SREE PADMANAREADASA

the MahaRajah himself seem to b e much concernedabout his health . But towards the middle of July,i .e.,about two months afterHisHighness

’returnfrom the

south he grew Worse and the physician,Dr. Waring,did all that he could to arrest the course of the diseas e,which for afortnight did no t make further progress .

All of a sudden,however, dangerous symptoms wereobserved,and the physicianconsidered recovery hopeless,b ut still the MahaRajah did not seem to b e of thesame Opinion.

Onthe night of the 1 7th ofAugust (2nd Chingam),the MahaRajah w as quite restless and had not awinkofsleep,and the next morning the 18th,His Highnesshimself w as convinced of h is approach ing end, b ut

w ithout losing hi s usual presence of mind,he enduredall his sufferings with becoming fortitude .

The next day,w as the MahaRajah’s birth-day and

the usual festivities b e ing thencelebrated,His Highness called in all of a sudden his affectionate and

favourite nephew (the present MahaRajah),who w asalways the companion of His Highness and who hadbeen constantly with His Highness ever since he

became indisposed, and spoke to him calmly and inalow tone that His Highness the Prince and the rest ofthe royal family need entertain no hOpe of the MaliaRajah’

s recovery,and that the Prince should no t grieveb ut bear up with the calamity and manage mattersw i thout creat ingany confusion. HisHighness desiredthe Prince to call in the Dewan and the other Stateofficers w ho were waiting outside,to obtainthe M ahaRajah

’s sanctionfor commencing the birth-day cere

monies which the MahaRajah said he w as doubtful ifhe would live to see . His Highness the Prince w asmuch touched by such an announcement from hi s

uncle, nay the Prince became almost senseless,b ut

taking courage from the repeated advice dyinguncle,the Prince managed business as became his highposition.

The Dew anand other omcials w ere ushered in by


cm . and whenthe intelligence of the MahaRajah’s demise“ I" went beyond the palace walls,the scene outside w as

heart-rending. It is enough to say that amore me lancholy spectacle w as not seeninTrevandrum for manyalong day.

His Highness the first Prince (the present MahaRajah) although he deeply felt the loss of his unclebore up with becoming fortitude and consoled hi sbrothers and others, and b e an to follow the lastadvice of the deceased MahaRajah by looking afteraffairs connected with the State .

His Highness the present first Prince w as the

chief mourner and undertook to perform and observeall the obsequies which lasted for ayear. His Highness

’ brother joined in the ceremonies up to the

twelfth day only,and then the affairs of the Statedemanded his attention.

The numerous virtues and good qualities of thisMaha Rajah, of happy memory, would fill volumeswere one to write a full account of them, and the

writer thinks that he has scarcely done justice to allthe events which he has described and narrated ashaving occurred inthis memorable reign

Various items of importance have be en omitted forwant of authority to particularize them intheir chro

nological order,and so a few of them shall b e statedhere,though at random .

The MahaRajah’s partiality for European sciencesand arts,as well as amusements,w as widely knownand European exhibitors began to visit Travancoresoonafter His Highness

’acce ssionto the musnud .

AnItalian juggler first came to Trevandrum and

entertained His Highness w i th his feats of legerdemain. The M aha Rajah being greatly delighted withhis performances,the juggler w as detained at Trevandrum for some time and he w as handsomely remunerated Ou his departure .

VANJIPALAMARTHANDAVURMAH.

A couple of years later a party of equestriansarrived at Trevandrum andastonished the MahaRajahby the ir extraordinary performances . This party alsoreceived a handsome remuneration besides presentsfrom the MahaRajah, and left Trevandrum highlysatisfied with the liberality of His Highness .

After some years,another party of equestrians,consisting of both sexes,paid avisit to Trevandrum and

they were also treated with becoming hospitality andlib erality .

ADoctor Kight,anAeronaut,came to Trevandrumwith his balloonand the MahaRajah agreed to Witnesshis ascent . Preparations were made,and onacertainmorning, after filling his balloon with gas, the

Aeronaut made the ascent to the great wonderand the astonishment of the MahaRajah and the mult itude of the spectators . In about half anhour theballoonascended so high as to b e scarcely discernibleto the naked eye . The Maha Rajah became veryanxious about the safety of M r . Kight, and thoughprevious arrangements had beenmade to watch the

balloon and numerous boats had been provided torender assistance in cas e it fell into the sea,ye t the

M ahaRajah instructed those around himto despatch anumber ofHisHighness’mounted troops to the difierentparts of the town and its suburbs to see ifany intelligence could b e obtained regarding the balloon.

The Aeronaut, Mr . Kight, made his descent atNeyat tunkaray, about 12 miles east of Trevandrumat about 1 2 M .,where he found one of His Highness’

horsemen. Mounting the horse,Mr. Kight rode upt oTrevandrum infull Speed,leaving his ballooninchargeOf the local officials, and came before His Highnessat 2 PM . The MahaRajah w as delighted at the safereturnof M r. Kight,his mind be ing relieved of agooddeal of anxietyas regards his safety. The rewardsandremunerationM r. Kight received from His Highnesswere far beyond his expectations .

Subsequent to the above event,anItalianrepaired


cnr. to Trevandrum bringing w ith himanumb er offigure sof w ax representing some of the crowned heads O f

Europe,as well as several eminent menof the Cont inent, and he requested the MahaRajah’s ermissionfor an exhibitionof these w ax statues . he MahaRajah acceded at once to the request with his usualaffability and the Italianmade agreat Show Of them inthe palace and received a good round sum in return.

The figures were all inthe form of dolls neatly clad ,and closely resembled the personages whose efligiesthey were represented to b e. Though the MahaRajahw as not quite satisfied with the show,still His Highness gave him money simfly because the manhadtakenagreat deal of trouble and had undergone someexpense inbringing those figures from adistant placefor the express purpose of exhibiting them to suchpersonages as the MahaRajah with aview of benefitting himself.

Ingenerosity and liberality,the MahaRajah’8 equalit would b e difficult to find. His Highness w as

very particular in recognising merit during his re ign.

There were scarcely any meritorious servants of theState ,high or low , who escaped HisHighness

’notice

and recognition.

In Travancore, the manner in which merit isrecognised and rewarded by royalty is by the bestowalof bangles or bracelets . There are several descript ionof such. The first class i s called Veerachangala,the presentationof apair of which i s considered to b ethe greatest mark of distinction. Inthi s reignit w asparticularly observed thatnone of the really meritoriousw as seenunornamented by these decorations . Besidesbangles various other rewards were also givenby theMahaRajah to his servants as well as to strangers .

Once whenthe w ri ter of this history, dist ingui shedhimself in the detect ionof a very serious dacoity,theM ahaRajah showed his sat isfactionandapprobationbyforwarding to himapurse containing asum of money,w ith anautograph letter ex pressing his appreciation


devotions which often interfered with His Highness’

taking his meals at the proper time. There w as

scarcely a day on whi ch the Maha Rajah took hisbreakfast before one P.M ., and supped earlier thantwelve in the night,and oncertainparticular days offast in or on the occasion of any other ceremoni es,His ghness would not swallow evenadrop ofwaterduring the day and would take his meals only atnight after all the ceremonies were over.

His Highness MarthandaVurmah MahaRajah comosed aDramawhenhe w as living amerry life as EliaRajah, under the title of Simhadhw ajaCharithfwm (achronicle Of the life of a supposed king under thedenominationof Simhadhw aja.)This dramatic work is most instructive in regard todivine faith,and it w as highly applauded by all Hindulearned menwho had anopportunity of perusing it .The ground-work of this poem is something Similar

t o the account givenof Job inthe Bible . The mostinteresting part of this valued work shall b e brieflydescribed here

The supposed King, Simhadhw aja, w as childless,and he apprehended the ext inction of his house ;consequently he convened ameeting of all the learnedmen,and they unanimously recommended apilgrimage to Benares and his supplicationto the Almightyas the only means of realizing his wishes . The

king commenced his -journey onthe very day,leavingthe country incharge of h is minister. In the courseof hi s journey, he did no t see any favorable signs ;on the contrary he met with many misfortunes andtrials, b ut he nevertheless did no t despair and grewmore firmand determined inhis resolve,and continuedh is journey . Soon after, the sovere ign lost everything and there did not seem to b e any pros ect ofhis

reaching Benares . Indespair,the king rescfived uponabandoning his throne, and turning a sannyasi andw andering about on a devotional pilgrimage . Incompany with hi s wife,he travelled in the directionO f

VANJIPALAmarm m VURMAH.

some holy place where he determined to undergo hispenance together with her.

As the king w as travelling with his Wife throughthe hills and jungles, aRakshasen, giant, suddenlyobstructed their path in the wilderness and attemptedto take away hi s wife,b ut the king b e ing astrongmanand awarrior,fought boldly and desperately with thegiant,who overcoming the king,snatched at first hisweapons and arms and destroyed them inh is presencemaking him completely powerless and after beatinghim soundly, the giant walked away with the king’Swife .

Notwithstanding this great calamity which had

overtaken him, the king Would not di scontinue hisprayers and devotions to the Almighty and beganto submit all his grievances to Providence alone,with unshaken faith in God’s mercy and providence .

Now God Almighty w as pleased with the piety andfidelity of the king,and the Lord of Heavenappearedinthe form of ahumanbeing . inaVision to the king,and blessed him,saying that the Almighty w as qui tesatisfied w i th the true faith of the king,and that heshould have all his desires gratified . So saying,G odAlmighty ordered the angel,(for it w as anangel in theshape of agiant,who carried away the king

’s w i fe),

to restore the monarch’s Spouse at once and it w asaccordingly done .

Having rece ived the divine blessing, the kingreturned to his

’

countr w i th hi s w ife and lived severalhundred years with is sons, grandsons, daughtersand grand-daughters,inthe enjoyment of sound healthand prosperity .

From the plot and tenor of the above composition,w e can see clearly what apious manHis HighnessMarthandaVurmah MahaRajah must have been.

HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE - Forgotten Books

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