Marthanda Varma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marthanda Varma
King of Travancore
A depiction of Marthanda Varma
Reign	1729 – 7 July 1758
Predecessor	Rama Varma
Successor	Rama Varma ("Dharma Raja")
Born	Anizham Thirunal 1706 Attingal, Venad
Died	7 July 1758 (aged 53) Padmanabhapuram, Kingdom of Travancore
Regnal name Sri Padmanabhadasa Vanchipala Maharajah Sri Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma Kulasekhara Perumal
Father	Raghava Varma, Kilimanoor Palace
Mother	Karthika Thirunal Uma Devi, Queen of Attingal
Religion	Hinduism

Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (1706 – 7 July 1758) was a powerful ruler of the Indian kingdom of Travancore (also known as Venadu). He ruled from 1729 until his death in 1758. People often call him the "Maker of Modern Travancore" because he transformed his kingdom. After him, his nephew Rama Varma ("Dharma Raja") became king (1758–98).

Marthanda Varma achieved a famous victory over the Dutch at the Battle of Colachel in 1741. After this, he trained his army using European methods. He made his kingdom much larger by expanding it northward. He built a large army of about 50,000 soldiers. This army was very well-organized. He also built strong defenses, like the Travancore Lines, to protect his northern border. In 1757, he teamed up with the ruler of Kochi against the northern Kingdom of Calicut. This alliance helped the kingdom of Kochi survive.

Under Marthanda Varma, Travancore became strong by controlling trade in the Indian Ocean. He helped Syrian Christian traders. This was a way to limit European involvement in ocean trade. Black pepper was the main product traded. But other goods also became royal monopoly items, meaning you needed a special license to trade them. Travancore eventually challenged and broke the Dutch control over the Kerala coast.

Trivandrum grew into an important city in Kerala during his rule. He built many irrigation systems, roads, and canals. He also strongly encouraged trade with other countries. In January 1750, Marthanda Varma decided to "give" his kingdom to Sri Padmanabha (Vishnu). After that, he ruled as the deity's "vice-regent," calling himself Sri Padmanabha Dasa. His successor, Rama Varma ("Dharma Raja"), largely continued his policies.

Early Life and Challenges

Marthanda Varma was born in 1706. His mother was Queen Karthika Thirunal, the Queen of Attingal. His father was Raghava Varma of Kilimanoor Palace. His father died when Marthanda Varma was only one year old.

When Marthanda Varma was born, Travancore was a small area. It stretched from Edava in the north to Aralvaimozhi in the south. The way Kerala was governed and its economy worked was facing big problems.

The king of Venad (Travancore) was very weak. He struggled to control his own land. The old political system in Kerala was in trouble in the early 1700s.

• Weak Central Power: The state was not united. Local landlords, called the Ettuveetil Pillamar, and barons (Madampimar) had a lot of influence. The Council of Eight and a Half, which managed the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, also limited the king's power. There was no standing army.
• European Trade Control: European countries had a strong hold on the spice trade in the Indian Ocean. The Dutch often blocked the Malabar Coast. Trade with Europeans was very important for the kingdoms in Kerala to earn money.
• Royal Family Conflicts: There were many fights and wars among different royal families. This made kings rely more on their warriors and tax collectors. Trade rivalries between the Dutch and English companies also made these conflicts worse.

The English East India Company set up a trading post at Vizhinjam in 1644. The Ajengo Fort was built in 1695. King Rama Varma (1721–1729), Marthanda Varma's predecessor, made agreements with the English East India Company (1723) and the Madurai Nayaks. He did this to strengthen his position against the nobles and other enemies in Travancore. Marthanda Varma played a key role in these actions. The Dutch East India Company supported Quilon and Kayamkulam against Travancore. The English Company became an ally of Travancore against the Dutch.

Marthanda Varma's Rule

Marthanda Varma became king when Travancore was in deep trouble. The previous king, Rama Varma, even had to ask for troops from Tamil Nadu to collect taxes and keep order. Even the Padmanabhaswamy Temple was struggling due to lack of money. The Thampi brothers, sons of Rama Varma, immediately rebelled against Marthanda Varma. They had help from a Tamil army. Marthanda Varma was the rightful successor based on the Nair matrilineal system.

Marthanda Varma's rule was full of constant wars. He fought enemies both inside and outside his kingdom. First, he reduced the power of the Ettuveetil Pillamar and the Yogakkars. These were powerful groups of nobles and temple administrators. Then, Marthanda Varma focused on central Kerala. He understood that the Dutch were powerful in Kerala because of their spice trade at the port of Kochi. He decided to conquer the main spice-producing areas that supplied Kochi.

In 1743, he made pepper a state monopoly in Travancore. This meant only the state could trade pepper. Between 1743 and 1752, he took over Quilon, Kayamkulam, Thekkumkur, Vadakkumkur, and Purakkad. This greatly hurt the Dutch trade.

• In 1731, the port of Kollam (Quilon) was defeated. Its last chief signed a treaty allowing Travancore to take over his land after his death. The chief was kept almost like a prisoner in Trivandrum.
• Marthanda Varma then took over the small chiefdom of Marta. The nearby chiefdom of Kayamkulam feared an invasion. It quickly allied with Kochi, Purakkad, and Vadakkumkur. The Kayamkulam chief also helped the Kollam chief escape from prison. These allies built new forts and strengthened their defenses. The Dutch East India Company also promised to help them.
• The Kayamkulam chief's invasion of Marta started the war. The Travancore army captured Nedumangadu and Kottarakkara. They stopped the combined forces of Elayadathu and Kayamkulam. Travancore's general, Dalavay Ramayyan, then tried to capture Kollam. But he had to retreat.
• Travancore got weapons from the French and English Companies. They launched another attack against Kollam. In these battles, the ruler of Kayamkulam was killed in 1734. But the defense of Kollam continued under the dead chief's brother. Travancore forces had to retreat again.
• Travancore's next campaign was against Elayadathu Swaroopam (Kottarakara). The chief of Kottarakara died in prison in Trivandrum in 1739. Marthanda Varma refused to accept the claim of the senior female member to rule. The princess fled to Thekkumkur, where the chief gave her shelter. At this point, the Dutch Governor of Ceylon, Gustaaf Willem van Imhoff, saw a chance to get more involved in Kerala politics.
• In 1739, van Imhoff came to Kochi. He supported the female ruler of Kottarakara. He protested against Marthanda Varma taking over that chiefdom. In 1741, the Dutch put the female ruler of Kottarakara back in power against Marthanda Varma's wishes. Marthanda Varma attacked the chiefdom and defeated the combined Kottarakkara-Dutch forces. He then fully took over the chiefdom for Travancore. The female ruler fled to Kochi.

Battle of Colachel (1741)

The chapel at Udayagiri Fort, Kanyakumari. Eustachius de Lannoy's tomb is located in the chapel cemetery.

Travancore then attacked and captured all the Dutch forts in the area. In response, a Dutch army landed at Colachel from Ceylon. They conquered land up to Kottar. The Dutch forces then moved towards Kalkulam, Travancore's capital. Marthanda Varma, who was in the north of his state, quickly marched his army south. He arrived at Kalkulam just in time to stop it from falling to the Dutch.

In the battle at Colachel (10 August 1741), the Travancore forces won a great victory over the Dutch. More than twenty Dutch soldiers were taken prisoner. Among them was Eustachius De Lannoy, who caught the king's attention. Eustachius de Lannoy, known in Travancore as the 'Valiya Kappittan' (Senior Captain), was given the job of training a special army unit. He did this very well. De Lannoy became a general in the Travancore army. He helped Marthanda Varma a lot in later battles.

Treaty of Mavelikkara (1753)

After defeating the Dutch, Marthanda Varma again focused on Kayamkulam. Kayamkulam continued to seek help from the Dutch Company. In 1742, Travancore forces attacked Kayamkulam's lands at Kollam. They fought the Kayamkulam army. Although Travancore lost this battle, Marthanda Varma brought in cavalry from Tirunelveli. He then attacked Kayamkulam again, leading to its final defeat. A treaty called the Treaty of Mannar (1742) was signed. Under this treaty, Kayamkulam became a state that paid tribute to Travancore.

However, by 1746, the Kayamkulam chief started to rebel again. Marthanda Varma learned about his plans with northern chiefdoms like Kottayam, Changanassery, Kochi, and Ambalapuzha. Kayamkulam was then fully taken over after a final battle. The chief fled to Kochi. Travancore now stretched from Kanyakumari to Kayamkulam in the north.

After this, Ambalapuzha, Kottayam, and Changanassery were also added to Travancore by 1753. The small state of Meenachil was also annexed. In 1753, the areas of Karappuram and Alangad, which paid tribute to Kochi, were given to Travancore. In 1755, the ruler of Kozhikode was also defeated in a battle at Purakkad.

Travancore's power grew very quickly after 1749. Marthanda Varma had made pepper a state monopoly in Travancore in 1743. This severely hurt the Dutch trade. A treaty (the Treaty of Mavelikkara) was signed between Marthanda Varma and the Dutch East India Company. It was signed at Mavelikkara on 15 August 1753. After this, Dutch officials reported that "many spice-producing lands came under direct royal control." Merchants who traded spices illegally risked being executed.

How Marthanda Varma Ruled

Marthanda Varma made many changes to how his kingdom was run:

• Controlling Sea Trade: He worked hard to control the spice trade in the Indian Ocean. Controlling ocean trade was very important for states in the 1700s. Travancore challenged and eventually broke the Dutch control of the southern Malabar Coast.
• Royal Monopoly (Kuttakam): Many traded goods, like black pepper, became royal monopoly items. This meant you needed a special state license to trade them in Travancore.
• Changing the Old System: Marthanda Varma reduced the power of the Nair nobles. These included the Ettuveettil Pillamar and the Yogakkars of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Kings in Kerala used to depend on these powerful nobles for their armies.
• Supporting Syrian Christians: To limit European involvement in trade, Marthanda Varma supported the ancient trading community of Syrian Christians in Kerala. They soon became important landowners and controlled the new monopolies.
• New Government System: He created a large government system. A Dalava (prime minister) was appointed to lead the army, finances, and trade. Below the Dalava, there was a detailed system of officials. Brahmins held many of the top positions in this new system. This reduced the influence of the Nairs in the government.
  • Dalavas under Marthanda Varma:
    • Arumukham Pillai (1729–1736)
    • Thanu Pillai (1736–1737)
    • Ramayyan Dalavay (1737–1756)
    • Marthanda Pillai (1756–1758)
• Strong Army: He built a large standing army, estimated to be around 50,000 soldiers. These soldiers were mainly ordinary Nairs. They received tax breaks while serving and a pension when they retired. Marthanda Varma also used Marava Cavalry and Pathan Cavalry. He even got help from some Dutch officers who switched sides after the victory at Colachel. As conflicts began against Quilon and Kayamkulam (who were getting weapons from the Dutch), Travancore also started getting more English weapons. Artillery cannons were placed along the Arabian Sea coast from Purakkad to Cape Comorin. He also built complex forts in Travancore, including the Travancore Lines.
• More Farming: He developed water harvesting and irrigation projects. He also introduced a new land system called "Kulikkanam." This system gave tax reductions for newly planted trees and freshly sown lands. This encouraged the cultivation of many commercial crops. Farmers under this system usually sold their goods for cash, and their taxes were also collected in cash.
• Land Reforms: The changes in politics and economy were based on transforming old land ownership. He conducted a detailed land survey and settlement.

Culture and Religion

Marthanda Varma worked to improve the relationship between the royal family and the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. He performed special rituals to make up for past mistakes by earlier kings. He also reorganized how money was collected from temple lands. After a land survey in 1739-40, the temple's expenses were set.

The Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram was rebuilt into the huge structure we see today. Marthanda Varma also introduced new state ceremonies like Murajapam and Bhadra Deepam. The main Vishnu idol, which was damaged by fire during his predecessor's time, was also rebuilt. He also built the Ottakkal Mandapam and the Sheevelippura. Five of the seven floors of the temple's main tower were completed during his rule.

Thiruvananthapuram became a very important city in Kerala under Marthanda Varma. As he took over nearby chiefdoms, artists and scholars from those places moved to Trivandrum. This made it a center for culture. Marthanda Varma supported different temple art forms. These included Koothu, Padhakam, Kathakali, Thullal, and Koodiyattam. Famous artists like Ramapurathu Warrier and Kunchan Nambiar were poets in his court.

Marthanda Varma was a Samantha Kshatriya. As a descendant of the Chera dynasty, he performed special and expensive rituals called Mahadana. These included the Hiranyagarbha.

Thrippadidanam

In 1749–50, Marthanda Varma made a big decision. He "donated" his kingdom to Sri Padmanabha (Vishnu). After this, he ruled as the deity's "vice-regent," calling himself Sri Padmanabha Dasa.

Why Thrippadidanam Was Important

• Separating Power: It helped separate the king's new, strong power from everyday disputes in society.
• Formalizing Power: It made the new power structure in Travancore official.
• Uniting Society: It helped bring together the different social groups in Kerala under the new ruling power.

Death

Ramayyan Dalava, Marthanda Varma's prime minister and close friend, died in 1756. Ramayyan's death caused Marthanda Varma great sadness. He died two years later in 1758. His nephew, Rama Varma ("Dharma Raja"), became the next king. Dharma Raja continued many of Marthanda Varma's policies. He also successfully defended Travancore against attacks from the Kingdom of Mysore. Marthanda Varma's rule led to a major change in the old political and economic ways of southern Kerala.

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