State of Venad
Venad or Travancore was at that time in a state of turmoil. The two predecessors of Umayamma Rani, Rama Varma and Aditya Varma, had been adopted from the Vellarapally branch of the Cochin Royal Family in 1630, thereby offending the legitimate claims of the collateral branches of the Venad royal family to the musnud. These collateral branches therefore started exercising independent authority in their domains. They were Elayadathu Swaroopam of Kottarakara, Peraka Thavazhi of Nedumangad and Desinganad Swaroopam of Quilon. Besides, even within the limited domains of the kingdom remaining with the chief branch, factions were rife due to the refractory nobles or madempis, most famous of whom were the Ettuveetil Pillamar.
Read more about this topic: Umayamma Rani
Famous quotes containing the words state of and/or state:
“To reduce the imagination to a state of slavery—even though it would mean the elimination of what is commonly called happiness—is to betray all sense of absolute justice within oneself. Imagination alone offers me some intimation of what can be.”
—André Breton (1896–1966)
“The law of nature is alternation for evermore. Each electrical state superinduces the opposite. The soul environs itself with friends, that it may enter into a grander self-acquaintance or solitude; and it goes alone for a season, that it may exalt its conversation or society.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)