Travancore–Dutch War facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Travancore-Dutch War |
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| Part of Colonization of India | |||||||
 Artistic Depiction of the Surrender of Dutch Forces at Colachel |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
Supported by: |
 Travancore |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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 Reinicus Siersma |
Marthanda Varma |
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The Travancore–Dutch War was a conflict between the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and the Indian kingdom of Travancore. This war ended with the important Battle of Colachel in 1741. It was a major event in the history of Kerala, India.
Contents
Why the War Started: Causes of Conflict
In the early 1700s, the Malabar Coast (now Kerala) had many small kingdoms. Around the 1730s, Marthanda Varma, the ruler of Travancore, started taking over these smaller areas. He wanted to make his kingdom bigger and stronger.
This expansion worried the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch had a big business in the region, especially in the spice trade. They bought spices like pepper from these small kingdoms. When Travancore took over, the Dutch feared losing their supply of spices and their trade.
Dutch Trade and Travancore's Expansion
The Dutch had special agreements, called monopoly contracts, with some kingdoms. These contracts meant the Dutch were the only ones allowed to buy certain spices. When Travancore conquered places like Peritally and Eledattu Svarupam, the Dutch could no longer get spices from there. This hurt their trade a lot.
In 1736, Julius Valentyn Stein van Gollenesse, a Dutch leader, asked Marthanda Varma to respect their old contracts. But Marthanda Varma refused. He continued to sell pepper to other traders, not just the Dutch.
Dutch Concerns and Threats
By 1739, Gustaaf Willem van Imhoff, a high-ranking Dutch official, visited the area. He saw that Marthanda Varma was helping the Dutch's rivals. Van Imhoff believed that Travancore's growing power was a big threat to Dutch trade. He thought military action was needed to make the local rulers follow their contracts.
The Dutch then formed an alliance with other rulers, including those from Kochi, Thekkumkur, and Kollam. Van Imhoff even met Marthanda Varma and asked him to give back land to a princess Travancore had removed. Marthanda Varma said no. Van Imhoff threatened to invade Travancore, but the king famously replied that he was thinking about invading Europe himself!
Early Battles: Dutch Victories
After talks failed, the Dutch decided to go to war without waiting for more soldiers. On November 12, 1739, Dutch and allied forces attacked the Travancore army near Kollam. The allies included kingdoms like Deshinganad and Kayamkulam.
During the battle, a hand grenade exploded a gunpowder storage for Travancore's army. This caused the Travancore soldiers to run away. The attackers chased them and captured 16 cannons.
Allies Advance and Retreat
By December 1739, the Dutch and their allies moved towards Attingal and Varkala. Travancore's forces tried to stop them with 5,000 Nair soldiers. But when the Travancore army had to leave to fight another enemy (Chanda Sahib), the allies took over Eledattu Svarupam. They put the princess back on her throne.
Next, the allies attacked Attingal, but Travancore's army forced them back. The Dutch decided to wait for more soldiers from Ceylon before fighting more. So, the allies went back to Ayiroor, burning and taking things along the way.
Continued Fighting and Challenges
In early 1740, the Kollam army pushed Travancore's forces back from Navaikulam and Attingal. On February 20, 1740, the Dutch and their allies won a battle at the Attingal ferry. However, they lost many soldiers, especially from Kollam and Kayamkulam.
Travancore received some help from the British East India Company. The Dutch then pressured the ruler of Kollam to gather a new army. Meanwhile, Marthanda Varma faced problems fighting Chanda Sahib in the south. The Dutch wanted to attack Attingal again, but they couldn't get more soldiers because of problems in Batavia.
Travancore's Big Win: The Battle of Colachel
In November 1740, the Dutch received a small number of extra soldiers. They then started a second campaign against Travancore. This led to the famous Battle of Colachel.
Marthanda Varma captured Dutch forts nearby. A Dutch force, led by De Lennoy, landed at Colachel and took over the land up to Kottar. Marthanda Varma quickly moved south and stopped the Dutch from taking Kalkulam.
When the Dutch went back to Colachel, Marthanda Varma followed them. On August 10, 1741, he caught up with them. In the Battle of Colachel, Marthanda Varma won a huge victory over the Dutch. He captured 24 Dutch officers, including their commander De Lennoy.
A pillar still stands near the coast of Colachel to celebrate this victory. Local stories say that fishermen helped Travancore by making their boat oars look like soldiers' rifles. They also made fake cannons from coconut trees to trick the Dutch.
After Colachel: More Conflicts
After the Battle of Colachel, the Dutch and Travancore agreed to stop fighting for a while. But they couldn't agree on a peace deal, so the fighting started again.
Marthanda Varma, with new soldiers, surrounded the Kilimanoor fort held by the Dutch. During this siege, the rulers of Kollam and Kayamkulam secretly left the Dutch side and made a deal with Travancore. On April 10, 1742, the Dutch quickly left the fort, leaving their supplies behind. The Dutch soldiers were then surrounded and attacked by Travancore forces, but Dutch ships rescued them.
Dutch Struggles and Travancore's Gains
The queen of Eledattu Svarupam, whom the Dutch had put back on her throne, was not a good ruler. People were unhappy with her. Marthanda Varma took advantage of this and easily conquered her kingdom's capital, Kottarakkara. The queen ran away to the Kingdom of Cochin.
In April 1742, the Dutch commander van Gollenesse asked for 2,000 more soldiers from Batavia. He said the Dutch were in a very bad situation. European soldiers were leaving, and local allies were breaking away. The ruler of Purakkad wanted to end his alliance with the Dutch, and other rulers were not obeying Dutch orders.
Marthanda Varma planned to attack Kochi. However, a former Dutch officer who now worked for Travancore advised him to conquer Kollam first. In June 1742, Travancore attacked Kollam. The Dutch helped Kollam with advice, food, and ammunition. Marthanda Varma tried many times to capture Kollam but failed, losing 6,000 soldiers.
Trying for Peace: Negotiations Begin
After Travancore failed to capture Kollam, van Gollenesse again asked for 2,000 soldiers. He said they might need 5,000 if the ruler of Kozhikode joined the war.
By 1742, the Dutch had spent a lot of money defending their allies but hadn't gained much. They lacked money and support from Ceylon and Batavia. This made them want to talk peace with Travancore again. Marthanda Varma, who had refused peace talks before, now agreed.
Peace Terms and Disagreements
On February 17, 1742, Marthanda Varma offered peace with certain conditions. He wanted to keep the land he had conquered. He also wanted to sell pepper to the Dutch at a higher price and have the Dutch help Travancore against the French if needed.
The Dutch rejected these terms and offered their own, which Marthanda Varma rejected. The Dutch commander believed Marthanda Varma would agree to better terms if he lost another battle.
News spread that a large Dutch force was coming, which made Marthanda Varma retreat and start peace talks again. The Dutch also wanted peace. They tried to use the kings of Cochin and Tekkumkur to help with talks, but these kings didn't want peace between the Dutch and Travancore. So, the Dutch and Travancore started direct talks at Mavelikkara.
Talks Continue and a Treaty is Signed
The talks at Mavelikkara went well at first. But then Marthanda Varma learned that the large Dutch force was not coming. He became tougher in his demands and refused to agree to what his representatives had discussed.
Meanwhile, the ruler of Kollam and Kayamkulam, unhappy with his treaty with Travancore, asked the Dutch for help. But the Dutch wanted to continue peace talks with Travancore and refused to help him fight.
On March 3, 1743, Marthanda Varma presented new peace terms. He demanded that the Dutch pay for pepper at a higher price, pay duties on their goods, and help Travancore in wars. These terms were unacceptable to the Dutch, and talks broke off.
In May 1743, van Gollenesse left his position. His replacement, Reinicus Siersma, realized that local rulers no longer feared the Dutch. He knew that not having a peace deal with Travancore would badly hurt the Dutch spice trade. So, on May 22, 1743, Siersma signed a peace treaty with Travancore. He accepted most of Marthanda Varma's terms.
What Happened Next: Later Developments
In 1742, the Raja of Odanad made peace with Travancore. But he later broke the treaty and allied with other kingdoms against Travancore. Travancore's army then took over Kayamkulam in 1746. This gave Marthanda Varma a reason to attack his allies. Travancore captured the state. In 1749 and 1750, Thekkumkur and Vadakkumkur were also added to Travancore.
Following these events, the Dutch signed the Treaty of Mavelikkara in 1753 with Marthanda Varma. In this treaty, they promised not to interfere in the affairs of other Kerala kingdoms and ended their alliances with them.
In 1753, the northern parts of Travancore rebelled. They were helped by the Maharaja of Cochin and the Dutch. On January 3, 1754, the rebels, supported by Cochin and Dutch armies, fought Travancore forces in the battle of Anadeswaram. The battle was a draw, but it was a win for Travancore because the allies had to retreat.
In the battle of Ambalapuzha, the allies were completely defeated. Many Cochin nobles were killed or captured. Travancore forces captured all of Cochin's territories up to Arukutti. The Cochin Raja then asked for peace. In 1757, a peace treaty was signed with the help of the Dutch.
Travancore-Dutch relations got better after the Dutch sold the Cranganore Fort and Pallipuram Fort to Travancore. These forts became part of Travancore's defenses.
Legacy: What We Remember
Important Events in Travancore
The Travancore-Dutch War in 1741 led to many Europeans being captured. At that time, Indian rulers like the Peshwa and Maharajas often fought against Europeans. However, some people in the Mughal Empire continued to support European presence in India.
See also
- Mysorean invasion of Kerala
- Travancore War, between Travancore and the British East India Company
