Dharma Raja - Succession and Initial Career

Succession and Initial Career

With the death of his uncle Marthanda Varma in 1758, Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma succeeded to the Travancore musnud. With the able services of the Dalawa Ayyapan Marthanda Pillai, Karthika Thirunal began his reign. Under his uncle's reign, Travancore had gained the reputation of being the most powerful state in Kerala and hence, many of the neighboring chiefs wished to execute friendship treaties with the Maharajah. The fortunes of the Cochin royal family were at the lowest ebb. A very small portion of their original territory alone remained in the Cochin Raja's possession. From 1755 AD, the Zamorin of Calicut Kingdom, was in possession of the major portions of Cochin. Although Marthanda Varma had promised help against the Zamorin by signing a treaty of alliance in 1756 with Cochin, he took no steps to help. Most of the barons of Kochi had sided with the enemy. The Dutch were the permanent friends and protectors of Cochin, but they withdrew their contingents from the field when the Zamorin promised to give back to them 'Chetwai' which he had conquered from them, on his way to Cochin. The Raja of Cochin deputed his nephew to ask for prompt assistance from Rama Varma. The recollections of the past shady dealings and breach of faith on the part of the Cochin rulers naturally had raised apprehensions in the Maharaja that his neighbour might not adhere to his promise when he felt his position secure. The same feeling might have prevented Marthanda Varma, his uncle, from rendering assistance immediately. Months passed. At last the Raja of Cochin met with Rama Varma to press his request. He strengthened his promises with the sanction of religion.

On the 25th of the Tamil month 'Adi' of 937 M.E(1761A.D) the Raja of Cochin read the terms of their treaty and solemnly swore to abide by its terms, in the presence of the Deity Sthanumoorthy of Suchindrum Temple near Cape Commorin, the ministers of the two kingdoms and the spiritual authorities also being present and the signed document was delivered to the representative of the Maharaja of Travancore. In pursuance of the treaty, the Travancore Maharaja commanded his Minister Dalawa Ayyappan Marthanda Pillai and his Dutch General D'Lannoy to proceed to the north at the head of a large army to liberate Cochin kingdom from the clutches of Zamorin of Calicut kingdom. The account of this campaign is best given in the words of late Mr. C. Achyutha Menon, a native of Cochin, whose acquaintance with the records of the Cochin government, to which he was secretary for a long time, enabled him to speak with unassailable authority.

"Early in March, the combined army marched in two divisions to attack the Zamorin's forces stationed in Parur and Alangad. But the latter abandoned these districts without striking a blow and retreated to Cranganur and Mapranam. The division under Marthanda Pillai fell upon the Zamorin's men in Mapranam and pursued them to Trichur where they were attacked in the front by the Travancoreans and in the rear by a body of men from Kavalapara and Perattuvithi, the best fighters in Cochin at the time. The Calicut forces suffered heavily in the fight at Trichur and fled precipitately to their fortified stations in Kunnankulam and Chelakara. In the meantime, the division under D'Lannoy dislodged the Zamorin's men from Cranganore and pursued them beyond the Chetwa river and marching to Trichur by way of Enamakal, found the place already in the occupation of Dalawa Marthanda Pillai. The combined army then advanced to Chelakara and after a severe engagement, drove the Zamorin's men beyond the northern frontier of Cochin. From Chelakara they marched to Kunnamkulam, whereupon the Calicut forces stationed there retreated to Ponnani. General D'Lannoy now proposed to carry the war into the enemy's territory, but the Zamorin, becoming alarmed for the safety of his country, sued for peace".

The Zamorin sent an express messenger to Trivandrum to beg the Maharaja to stay the hands of his General. Just as his uncle Marthanda Varma had ordered him and Dalawa Ramayyan to desist from the conquest of Cochin, when they were about to do so in 929 M.E., Rama Varma Maharaja now ordered his Dalawa to advance no further. In 1759 A.D, the Rajah of Cochin sent his nephew to sign a treaty with Travancore. In the same year, a few months later, the Rajah himself visited Travancore along with his minister Paliath Achan and signed a treaty with Travancore and secured aid to free his territories from the control of the Zamorin of Calicut. The Zamorin's request to forgive him was complied with in 1763 and in the next year the Zamorin visited Padmanabhapuram, capital of Venad and signed a treaty of friendship and reimbursed to Travancore the expenses of the war amounting to Rs 1,50,000.The little kingdoms of Parur and Alangad were also annexed to Travancore after pensioning off the ruling families.

In 932 M.E, Marthanda Varma had projected the construction of a line of fortifications on the northern frontier, but his death the following year prevented anything substantial being done. The experience gained in the course of the war with the Zamorin convinced the Dewan and the General, of the necessity of continuing and strengthening the lines which would not only protect Cochin in some measure from any possible aggression by the Zamorin, but would also be serviceable to Travancore in the event of an invasion from Mysore. The scheme was then taken up.

The Raja of Cochin was in entire agreement with the proposal. The line of fortifications was taken from the sea near the island of Vaipeen right up to the ghats covering a distance of nearly 40 kilometres (25 mi). The Raja of Cochin agreed to bear a portion of the costs in addition to permitting the construction of the many portions passing through the Cochin territory. In fact the Dutch records stated that Maharajah Marthanda Varma deliberately refrained from annexing Cochin on an earlier occasion so as to maintain a buffer-state between his kingdom and Mysore of Hyder Ali. The famous Nedum Kotta or 'the Northern Defense-Line of Travancore' subsequently became a major obstacle in Tipu Sultan's attempt to conquer Travancore; he called it "the contemptible wall".

Certain territorial disputes arose between Travancore and the Nawab of Arcot which were eventually settled, though the Maharajah had to part with large sums of money and some territories mainly because the British East India Company's officers had compelled him, as the Nawab was a familiar figure at Madras and his propensities for perpetual borrowing at extra hazarduous rates of interest enlisted their sympathies. The Maharaja obtained in return, lands in Shencottah and the temple at Cape Comorin, which were at the time not part of Travancore but were desired by the Maharajah to round off his dominions.