Marthanda Varma
Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (Malayalam: അനിഴം തിരുനാൾ മാർത്താണ്ഡവർമ്മ; 1706 – 7 July 1758), known as the "Maker of Modern Travancore", was ruler of the Indian kingdom of Travancore (previously Venadu) from 1729 until his death in 1758.[2] He was succeeded by Rama Varma ("Dharma Raja") (1758–98).[3]
Marthanda Varma defeated the Dutch East India Company forces at the Battle of Colachel in 1741. He then adopted a European mode of discipline for his army and expanded his kingdom northward (to what became the modern state of Travancore).[2] He built a sizeable standing army of about 50,000 men, as part of designing an "elaborate and well-organised" war machine,[3] with the role of the Nair nobility and fortified the northern boundary of his kingdom (Travancore Lines).[3] His alliance in 1757 with the ruler of Kochi (Cochin), against the northern Kingdom of Calicut, enabled the kingdom of Kochi to survive.[2]
Travancore under Marthanda Varma made a deliberate attempt to consolidate its power by the use of Indian Ocean trade.[3] It was the policy of Marthanda Varma to offer assistance to Syrian Christian traders (as a means of limiting European involvement in ocean trade). The principal merchandise was black pepper, but other goods also came to be defined as royal monopoly items (requiring a license for trade) between the 1740s and the 1780s.[4][3] Eventually, Travancore challenged and broke the Dutch blockade of the Kerala coast.[4]
Trivandrum became a prominent city in Kerala under Marthanda Varma.[5] He undertook many irrigational works, built roads and canals for communication and gave active encouragement to foreign trade.[6] In January, 1750, Marthanda Varma decided to "donate" his kingdom to Sri Padmanabha (Vishnu) and thereafter rule as the deity's "vice-regent" (Sri Padmanabha Dasa).[7][8] Marthanda Varma's policies were continued in large measure by his successor, Rama Varma ("Dharma Raja") (1758–98).[3]
Marthanda Varma was born in 1706 to queen Karthika Thirunal, the Queen of Attingal, and Raghava Varma of Kilimanoor Palace.[1] Queen Karthika Thirunal Uma Devi - an adoptee from the northern Kolathunadu ruling family - was the senior queen of Attingal at the time. His father Raghava Varma Koil Thampuran died of severe fever when he was one year old.
At the time of Varma's birth, Trippappur Swaroopam (Thiruvithamkoor or Travancore) was a small chiefdom extending from Edava in the north to Aralvaimozhi in the south.[9] The fundamental politico-economic structure of medieval Kerala was going through a crisis.[clarification needed]
