Advent of Western Powers in
Kerala
Reasons of strengthening European power in
Kerala
• There was no central power in the country.
• The authorities to the Naduvazhis were
controlled by the Nair nobles and Nambuthiri
Chieftains.
• trade and discovery of a shorter sea route to
the Malabar Coast
Portuguese
• The desire for Malabar Spices in general and
Pepper in particular attracted the Portuguese
to Kerala.
• Vasco da Gama was sent by Dom Mannual the
Portuguese king on July 8, 1496, at the head of
an expedition. He reached Calicut on May, 20
1498 and was well received by the Zamorin and
with traditional hospitality.
• He expressed the King’s desire to enter in to a
commercial treaty with the Zamorin to procure
Spices.
• However the Zamorin turned down the request
as he insisted Payments of customs duty.
• Second Portuguese expedition to India, after
Vasco da gama was Conducted by- Pedro
Alvares Cabral
• Vasco da Gama reached India for the Second
time in – 1502
• First Portuguese Viceroy to India – Francisco
de Almeida
• Second Portuguese Viceroy – Albuquerque
• The Viceroy who shifted the seat of Portuguese
from Cochin to Goa - Albuquerque
• Mixed Colony System was introduced by -
Albuquerque
Cultural activities of Portuguese in Kerala
• Portuguese brought new agricultural products
such as Cashew nut, tobacco, custard apple,
Guava, pineapple and papaya to Kerala.
• They promoted the scientific cultivation of
pepper, ginger, and coconut on large scale.
• In the educational and cultural fields, the
Portuguese established seminaries and colleges.
• Francis Xavier translated catechism into
Malayalam.
The first book was printed in 1578 in
Ambazhakkadu. It was the Tamil Translation of
the book “Doctrina Christum” the original of
which was written by the Misionary St. Franncis
Xavier in Portuguese.
• മേശ , കസേര വരാന്ത , കുശിനി , വാതിൽ
കപ്പിത്താൻ , പറങ്കി
Decline of Portuguese Power in Kerala
• Synod of Diamper – It was convened as a major
attempt to Latinise the Kerala Church. It was held at
Udayam Perur in 1599.
• Oath of coonan cross (1653) – The Response of the
Syrian Christians to the challenge of the Synod of
diamper came as the oath of Coonan cross
• They had no Scope of Expansion
• The Decline of Vijayanagara Kingdom and the
absorption of Portugal by Spain are the outside
factors of decline.
Forts in Kerala
• The Pallipuram Fort which is hexagonal in
shape and is also Known as Aykotta, Azhikotta
is perhaps the oldest European Structure
Extant in India.
• Built by Portuguese in 1503
• St. Angelo Cannanore fort, which is built by
Portuguese in the year 1505 and was
completed in 1507 AD.
• The Kottappuram Fort was built by
Portuguese in 1523.
• The Dutch palace at Mattanchery built by
Portuguese about 1555 A.D
The Dutch in Kerala
• 1602 – Dutch East India Company.
• First Reached by – Stephen Van Der Hagen.
• Treaty Between Zamorin in – 1604
• The Dutch Captured Kollam from the
Portuguese in - 1658
• In 1663 Cochin Conquered.
Cultural Activities of Dutch in Kerala
• The foreigner who started Salt Making in the
Sea Shore of Kerala.
• Also promoted Coconut and Paddy Cultivation
in Kerala
• Colour dying process in Kerala was Spread by
- Dutch
• A monumental Botanical work on the
Medicinal Plants of Kerala.
• It was Compiled under the Patronage of the
Dutch Governor Van Rheede
• Mathaeus the Carmalite Monk, Appu bhat,
ranga Bhat and Vinayak Bhat and Itti
Achuthan
• It took many years to complete the Work and it
was finally published from Amsterdam between
1678 and 1703 in 12 volumes
Decline of Dutch Rule in Kerala
ANJENGO AND ATTINGAL REVOLT
• In 1690 they also obtained the permission to
build a fort at anjengo. The fort was completed
in 1695. It was the first English fort in Kerala.
• The main reason behind the people’s
resentment was the action of the British in
manipulating the price of pepper to the
detriment of the interests of the cultivators.
• The attingal revolt (1721) is important in the sense that it
was the first organized revolt against British authority in
Kerala.
• In addition to economic exploitation, racial hatred too of
the British made the people more restless.
• The immediate provocation was gyfford’(chief of the
company) rejection of the demand by pillais and matambis
to hand over the annual dues and customary gifts through
them.
• Gyfford would often cast aspersions on people belonging to
different communities.
• Gyfford insisted that he and his soldiers would
directly handover the dues and gifts to the rani.
• He proceeded to attingal at the head of a contingent of
140 Englishmen to hand over the presents to the rani
in person.
• The local inhabitants were provoked by this show of
strength.
• The attacked the party and massacred all the
Englishmen (april 15 1721). The rebels then
proceeded to Anjengo and laid siege to the fort.
• In April 1723 a formal treaty (Venad Treaty)was
concluded between the English east India company
and the king of Travancore. It is the first treaty
negotiated by the English east India Company with
an Indian state.
• This treaty which laid the foundation of friendship
between Travancore and English east India company
was signed by prince marthandavarma and Dr
alexander orme ( the commander of anjengo),
representing the two parties.
MARTHANDA VARMA OF TRAVANCORE
• The reign of Marthanda Varma( 1729 -1758)
• Venad came to be known as “thiruvithamkur”.
• Centralized military monarchy
• maker of modern travancore”, Ashoka of
Travancore and also known as iron man of
modern Travancore.
• On the death of his uncle in 1729, by matrilineal law of
inheritance marthanda varma assumed the reins of the
office.
• Had to fight and suppress the feudal chieftains , the
thambi brothers who had the support of the naiks of
Madurai.
• The raja issued the orders for the arrest of the
yogakkar and pillaimar. Four of the pottis were exiled
from the kingdom and while the pillaimar were put to
death and their properties confiscated to the state.
• Kalkulam was the headquarters of Travancore.
• Ramayyan dalawa, a brilliant military
strategist and skilful negotiator, was the famous
minister of Marthandavarma.
• Palliyadi mallan shankaran was the revenue
minister of marthanda varma.
• He reorganised the system of administration with
the village under the “parvathikkar” as the
lowest unit.
• The parvathikkar was the man of all work
attending to all affairs which required the
attention of the state at the village level.
• A group of villages constituted the “mandapathu
vathukkal” which was under the karyakkar who
was the prototype of the modern Tahasildars.
• An important innovation introduced by
marthandavarma was the framing of the
annual budget called “pativukanakku” allotting
specific sums of money for various items of
public expenditure.
• Financial Capital – Mavelikkara
• Monopoly of trade in a variety of items like
pepper, tobacco, areca etc.
The colachel war (1741)
• Marthanda varma held a series of attacks against the Dutch
forts.
• The Dutch commander de’lannoy and his soldiers were
captured by the Travancore army.
• Seeing for himself de’lannoy’s skill in warfare, raja
appointed him as a commander. De’lannoy later came to be
known as “valiya kappithan”.
• The tomb of de’lannoy situated in fort of udayagiri. The
Travancore army was trained and equipped after the
european model with the help of de’lannoy.
• In 1753 august 15, chief minister Ramayyan
negotiated a formal treaty with the Dutch (the
treaty of Mavelikkara) according to which the
latter undertook to follow in future a strict
policy on non-involvement in the political
disputes of the region.
• The treaty marked a definite diplomatic gain
for Marthandavarma and a complete
humiliation for the Dutch.
Important battles of Marthanda varma
• Attingal war (1730)
His first act was to assume direct control of
theAttingal estate and thus prevent the attingal
thampuratti from entering in to independent
transactions with foreign powers like Dutch, the
English.
•
• War against quilon (1734)
Unni kerala varma( uncle of marthanda varma)
seized the portion of kallada which belonged to
the young ruler. The thiruvithamkore army
under arumukham pillai defeated the raja. The
quilon raja was brought to Trivandrum as a
state prisoner and kept in the koickal palace.
3. Conquest of kottarakkara( elayadathu swaroopam)
• The raja of kottarakkara who was kept in confinement
at Trivandrum died(1734). In 1741 Dutch admiral van
imhoff installed the princess as the ruler of swaroopam
in defiance of the wishes of marthanda varma. The
latter soon mobilized his forces and attacked the Dutch
and Elayadathu forces. Marthanda varma’s army
attacked the Dutch forts in Travancore and captured
all of them.
4. War against kayamkulam
• The Travancore army moved southwards and seized
kilimanur(1742). The army then advanced towards
Kayamkulam. After some resistance , the raja sued for
peace. By the treaty of Mannar (1742) kayamkulam
became a vassal of Travancore. The treaty of Mannar did
not ensure the complete subordination of kayamkulam.
The raja violated treaty obligations. Travancore army
under ramayyan therefore marched against kayamkulam.
The Travancore army promptly took possessions of the
kayamkulam palace and fort (1746).
5. Annexation of ambalappuzha
Ambalappuzha kingdom also known as
chembakassery swarooopam was the only Brahmin
dynasty in kerala. The rulers are known as
devanarayananmar. The travancore forces under d’
lannoy annexed the state and sent the raja to the
south as a prisoner at Trivandrum. In 1749-50 both
thekkumkur and vadakkumkur were annexed without
any serious fight. In 1754 minachil which was under
the nijavakkat karthas was annexed to Travancore.
6. The battle of cochin
The Travancore army under prince rama varma ,
ramayyan and D’lannoy met the cochin forces in
battle at anandeswaram (1754). In 1757 a treaty of
alliance was concluded between travancore and
cochin against the zamorin of calicut. The treaty
provided for mutual friendship between
travancore and cochin.
Territory of Marthandavarma
• CULTURAL PROGRESS
• Progress in the fields of religion, literature and
arts.
• Padmanabhaswamy Temple in
Thiruvananthapuram was re-created as the
gigantic structure of today and new state
ceremonies such Murajapam, Bhadra Deepam
and others were introduced by Marthanda
Varma.
• He also created Ottakkal Mandapam as well as
the Sheevelippura. Out of the seven floors of the
temple gopura, five were finished during his
reign.
• On January 3 ,1750 marthanda varma took the
momentous step of dedicating the expanded
state of travancore state to padmanabha. The
event is known as thrippadidanam. He also
shifted the capital in to padmanabhapuram.
