Geographical: Broadwings of South Tamilnadu Tamilnadu is bounded on the north and northwest by the Mysore plateau and by the Triupati Hills in the northwest. The Arabian Seas lies on the west. The Indian Ocean on the south and the Bay of Bengal on the east. The Island cylone is to the southeast of Tamilnadu. It can be called geographical and cultural constitution of Tamilnadu. The hills of Tamilnadu have been in existence million of years before genetic valley, and Himalayas took that present shape. Large tracts of land of the ‘South of Cape Comorin’ Might have disappeared due to Geographical disturbances / Natural disasters e.g. Tsunami that occurred on Dec 24th 2004*. The stretch from Sumatra to Bali and on to New Guinea might be the remnants of the once large tracts of lands. Such a disappearance might have occurred not in historical period but earlier. The phenomenon might have taken place in the geographical period.1 The
deeply
entrenched
and
relatively
youthful
streams,
waterfalls high hanging valleys, allwial flats and patches of marine sediment at high elevations, and the presence of elevated seachiffs near Colachel and Sucindram hear testimony to the uplift of the land mass.2
1
2
History of Tamilnadu, DR. V.M. Krishnamurthy M.A., Ph.D., Vijayalakshmi Publication, Monday Market, P1. 2 Gazetteers of india,1995, Kanyakumari District, M.Gopala Krishnan B.com
Cape Comorin – Origin Name Kanyakumari District The
district
has
derived
its
name
from
the
township
Kanyakumari, also known as the ‘Cape Comorin’. This is the Southern extremity of India, beyond which there are only two rocks; one housing the famous Vivekananda memorial now. The township has been named after the Goddess ‘Kanyakumari’ to whom the temple is dedicated.
Location, General Boundaries, Total Area And population; Kanyakumari is the Southern most districts Tamilnadu more over for India. The district lies between 77o05 and 77o 36 of the eastern longitude and 8o 03’ and 8o 36’ of the northern latitudes. The district is bounded by Tirunelveli district on the north and the east. The southeastern boundary is the Guff of manner. On the south and southwest. The boundaries are the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. On the west and Northwest it is bounded by the state of Kerala. The area of TN is 130, 058sq.kms of this Kanyakumari district occupies 1684sq.kms i.e., 1.29% of the total extent of Tamilnadu. The
population of the district is 1,423,399 of which 7,16,958 (50.4%) are males and 7,06,441 (49.6%) are females.*
* 1981 census
Beginning of History – Nanjil Nadu Nanjil Nadu and the Ayi Dynasty; The earliest known rulers of this region belonged to the Ayi Dynasty, whose remote ancestors are referred to as the ‘Hide Raja’, in the ‘Asokan rock Edicts’ II and XIV. The term ‘Hida’ is the variation of Ida or Idaya. A synonym of ‘Ayar’ which takes it Singular from a Ayi. Thus the antiquity of the ‘Ayis’ dates back to 250 BC. Kanyakumari
District consists of those parts known as locally
Nanjil Nadu and Idai Nadu. The names of the villages of the district such
as
Azhagiapaandipuram,
Bhoothapandy,
Cholapuram
and
Kulasekaram reveal that these places were governed by several rulers at difficult periods of time.It is learnt that Nanjilnadu was under the rule of Pandiyas till the early 10th century and then under Cheras. The Idai nadu including Kalkulam and Vilavancode taluks were under the rule of cheras. When the power of Chola declined due to the rise of Hoysalas and western Chalukyas, the Venad (Travancore) Chief tains (the decondants of central Chera's family) took advantage of the situation and gradually established their hold on considerable areas in
Nanjilnadu. Veera Kerala varma one such chief tain and style himself as "Nanjil Kuravan".
The annexation commenced by Veera Kerala Varma was to a large extent continued by his successors and completed by 1115 A.D. For about four centuries, the Venad was ruled by powerful kings who were consistently making incursions into the pandian territories. As a result Vijayanagar kings are proceeded against Venad. In 1609 Kanyakumari fell in to the mighty hands of Viswanatha Nayak of Madurai. Consequent on this, there was no series threat to Nanjilnadu, till 1634. During the regime of Ravi varma and Marthanda varma, Venad was disturbed due to the internal strife. Chanda sahib of Arcot took advantage of this situation and attacked Nanjilnadu. Although Marthanda varma could succeed tje famous battle at Colachel defeating the Dutch armouries who helped the local faudatories, he could ot cope with the threat from Sanda sahib and made him to with draw the battle field. After Marthanda varma, Venad had very weak rulers. Therefore there was frequent interference by the British whose control was completely established over Venad and continued till 1947. From 1947 to 1956, it was under the personal rule of Maharaja of Travancore. During the period
between 1956 - 1961, the administrative system has fallen in line with that of other districts in Tamil nadu.*
*Nanjilonline-Kanyakumari District Tourism.
The Periplus of Erythraean Sea (81-96) AD refers to the region extending from Neleyuda (Neerkunram) to Kanyakumari being ruled by the pandyas.3 From Sangam Sources we hear of Commercial contacts between the Tamil countries foreign lands. But much of the correlated information relating to foreign trade, however, is obtained from foreign sources i.e., Roman, Arab, Chinease. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and Ptolemy’s Geography give a full description of the center of commercial activity. They mention some of the important ports in south India in their worked. Viz.
Ponnai
or
Tyndi,
Muziri(cranganore),Neleyuda
(neerkunram), Comari(comorin), Colchoi(korkai)*, Nicama(nagapattinam),Camara(kaveripattinam), Produce(pondicherry), Sepatama(marakkanam)and Dusarana(masulipattinam).
33.
Gazetteers of india,1995, Kanyakumari District, M.Gopala Krishnan B.com *. South Indian history of Sangam Epoch down to A.D 1336,University syllabus, P 74
Ptolemy (140 AD) a great Geographer says that One ‘Aioi’ was ruling this country which comprised of cape comerin and mount Beltigo (mount pothiyil) which gives a rule that the Ayis were the vassels to the pandyas during the period of Periplus and only later, they would have asserted their Independence. During the period of Ptolemy Nanjil Nadu as was seen remained as buffer state between the Cherar and Pandyas.
Indentification of Names; The help of Cankam names has to be sought in the identification of the geographical names found in Greek and Latin literature. In the annotations concerning these place names made in the 19th century, the tendency was to seek correspondences with modern maps and contemporary usage. For instance, the Poudoupatana of Indikopleustes was considered a more correct form than the Podperoura of Ptolemy (McCrindle, 52) whereas probably Indokopleustes is giving us the name by which the town was known in his days, and is witness to a change which has occurred from a classical Putu-p-peroor to putu-p-pattinam; it was suggested that Aioi was derived from the Sanskrit, ahi, a snake, and that the Aioi might have been snakeworshippers; that Kolkai was changed into Korkai only in modern times by 'a modern refinement where the / changes into r'. It was also said with reference to Ptolemy that "we remain almost wholly in the dark as to the greater part of his voluminous catalogues: and are wholly unable to identify the localities
which
he
meant
to
designate".
At least for his catalogue of names in the Tamil country, if the help of the Tamil classics is sought, the position need not be a matter for such despair. Besides, an examination of variant readings in the Greek and Latin codices for the closest approximation to Tamil classical toponomy and topography should offer further solutions. For example, Melcunda which was the earlier reading has been replaced by Louis Renou as Melkuda (North of Quilon) and this reading has not only the codices but also the Tamil meaning more in its favour. Where Ptolemy has translated the name of the river as Pseudostomos, he has translated a place name (like 'spoi-vaai') of a particular embouchement as the name of the river itself; where he refers to Tennagora as an iniand town of the Colas, he probably takes the first; where he refers to Tennagora as an inland town of the Colas, he probably takes the first semanteme from the Tamil, and the second from the Greek, and we might have to look for a name like Tennankaadi (the southern market) or Tennoor. What was earlier read as Sosikourai (locality on the coast between Cape Comorin and Korkei) is the name of a Cankam poet whose name occurs in the body of a poem and not merely in
the
colophon.
While the names of coastal towns, inland towns, mountains and rivers need this comparative investigation, I should like to make at least
one
suggestion
concerning
some
of
the
lesser
known
principalities of the Tamil countries which have not been identified. As Ptolemy approaches the southern coast, kingdoms and regions are mentioned not so much by the name of the territory as by the name of the people who inhabit it. While at Tyndis he places the first town of Dimirika, with the Aioi he begins to name the people as Aion, Kareon, Baton, Pandionon koras, Soringon polis etc. Aioi, has been interpreted as the people connected with Ay, the munificient patron of several poets. Similarly kareoi and Batoi should be the people connected with the Chiefs Kari and Pari, two of the seven rulers who had territories and armies large enough to invite the cupidity of the kings of the larger kingdoms, either singly or jointly. Kareoi, has been interpreted earlier, as 'Karaiyaar'-- or people of the coast. Karaiyaar is today a term used for fisher-folk living along the coast, but it does not seem to have been employed in the earlier period. Further, Ptolomey lists four inland towns belonging to them which would not be likely if they were merely fisher
folk.
Karaiyaar is generic term and could not have ever designated a kingdom
or
a
people.
Batoi,
however,
has
never
been
explained.
It is to be noted that while the Tamil classics write Korkei with a cacuminal 'r' the Western writers speak of it as Kolkai or Colchis. or
Colchi. If we accept that the Western from a reproduction of the oral pronounciation of the name, the etymology of Korkei means 'the hand that slays'. Could it be possible that Korkei was the locality where the Pandyan or their ancestors executed punishment. The Periplus says that Condemned criminals were put to work at the pearl fisheries, and the Cilappatikaram states that a thousand gold smiths were sacrificed at Korkei in atonement for the miscarriage of Pandyan Justice when Kovalan was slain. The text of the Cilappatikaram does not help us in deciding on the etymology. *
Name Indentification of Colachel; The news about the name of Colachel is stated in a magazine published in Colachel. It is ordinarily stated that the captains voyaging from
foreign countries like Rome, used to say
'Colach' for the goods to be purchased. Later the word 'Colach' was transformed in to Colachel. A questions can be raised here people come here to purchase used the word 'Cola' which the language of their own. Hence weather the word Colachel is the word of great or Rome. The answer for these question is 'Samathkarm' of 'Samathanemagum'. All countrymen to go for business used to go for purchase only. In such case weather all places are called, 'Cola'.
The
business people reaches the town which they like. The people of their town be welcome the ship of the business people with more pleasure.*
*
E.H. WARMINGTON The Commerce between the Roman Empire and India, Cambridge, 1928Mc. CRINDLE. J.W. Ancient India as described by Ptolemy, London 1885 and The Commerce and Navigation of the Erythraean sea, Calcutta, 1879; * C.Varadarajan M.A “Colachel an Historical Reasearch” 2005 pp 3-5
A book published recently state about for various reasons of the name Colachel. It is named as Colachel, because people come this place where paddy is grow and to purchase this paddy. Later
it
is
transformed
as
Colachel.
The
world
'Colachi'
denote about the paddy land. Some says that the reason for the name
as
Colachi
in
the
beginning
with
as
because
of
high
yielding of paddy. Later it is transformed into Colachel.*
Titiyas; The successor of Ayi Andiran could not be well established still. But in song an literature one Titiyan is referred to as ‘Pothiyirchelvan’ by the poet king Bhithapandyan In one of the poems, king Bhitha-pandyan acknowledges the Supremacy of Titiyan, as a ruler of an extensive mountain dominion.
The following is the exert from the poem cUth thop Njhop nghUeh; nry;rkh; fle;j tpy;nfo jlf;ifg; nghjpapw; nry;td; nghye;Njh;j; jpjpa tpd;dpir apaj;jpw; fwq;Fq; fd; kpir aUtpa fhbwe; NjhNu.
*
Ibid
The decline of Panyas; Varakunavarman succeeded Sri Mara Sriyallabha and in turn he was succeeded by his brother Vinanarayana Chadayan (about 800 AD) The numerous inscription of this ruler in Kanyakumari District speak to the fact that it was under the sway of the Pandyas, despite the feeble resistance by the Ayi Chieftains.
Later Ayis; Subsequent to the Sangam age; the first reference about the Ayi ruler the we come across is about Sadatab It was this Ayivel ruler who was subdued by the pandya, jatila parantaka in Ariyurkottai and other places.
Karunadakkan; According to P.N. Kunjanpillai Karunandakkan asserted the Ayi threne in 857 A.D and this kingdom extending appro., From Tiruppapur
in the North upto Nagercoil. South4 while Kanyakumari, Sucindram kottar and Nagercoil were under the pandyas. Colachel, Munchirai and Tiruvattar, formed the Ayi kingdom. Villinar served as the capital of Ayi kingdom.5 Some
inscriptions
of
this
ruler
have
been
unearthed
at
‘Thiruvidaikkodu’. K.K.Pillay says that Thirudaikkodu was once the seat of Ayis who were considered to have built the Vishnu Temple at Parthivapuram a Villavankode Taluk.
Nanjil Nadu under Madura; During 8th Century B.C. The Pandya country extended north and south from Pudukkottai to ‘Cape Comorin’ and was Co-existence with the present of Madura and Tinnevelli (Tirunelveli) The kingdom was divided into five principalities. The capital of the chief of these was at Korkai a Seaport, the head quarters of the pearl trade. In second half of the ninth country the Pandyas attacked Ceylon and after defeating Singhalese
monarch
sacked
the
city
of
Anuradhapur
(Anurhadhapuram).A few years later king of Ceylon is said to have sent an army to assist a Pandya king probably Rajasimha after his defeat by the chola parantakaI.6
4
Kunjan Pillai, Sila kerala – charithra prasarangal part I, pp 112-13. Sreedhara menon Editor Kerala district Gazetteers; TVM p-108, 1962. 6 P.A. Wadia; A school History of India P.51 Bombay K.J. Cooper, Educational Publications. 5
Colachel Throughout Ages The known fact derived that Nanjil Nadu / Cape Comorin
was
under Pandyas. Colachel being under Pandyas during / from 8th country B.C. The grant mentions of pandya king known as Tivirakopa from his was born Srivallabha an export in polity and one of powers.
To
Srivallabha
was
born
‘manakulachala’
his
son
was
manabharana who married the daughter of a king of kerala known as Ravi. The issue of this union being Virapandya.7 Tivirakopa
Ilabha
Manakulachala
Manabharana – (married the daughter of Ravi an king of kerala)
Sundarapandya
7
Virapandya(Donor of Sivakasi Grant)
Pandiyar Cheppadugal Pathu, pp xii, xiii The Tamil Varalatru Kazhagam. International Inf. Of Tamil studies, Chennai.
In the beginning of the fourteenth century, along with the other south Indian states. The kingdom of pandyas passes into the hands of mohammedens.8
Travancore Thiruvithaamcoore - in Malayalam was a princely state in. It had a 19 gun salute in the British Empire. It was later merged with two other Malayalam-speaking kingdoms, namely on July 1,to form Thiru-Kochi, and later with Malabar, on November 1, 1956, to form the south Indian state of Kerala.9 Travancore is located in Southern Kerala. According to native legend, Kerala was formed when Parasurama threw his axe into the sea. The rulers of this state were named Sree Padmanabhadasar, after the deity Padmanabha Swamy or Vishnu.
88
P.A. Wadia; A school History of India, P51. 9 T.K.Vellupillai Gazetteers Department, Thiruvananthapuram.
The state's geography is defined by three natural terrains - a coastal area to the west, a midland in the centre and mountain peaks as high as 9,000 feet on the east. The modern history of Travancore begins with Marthanda Varma who inherited the small kingdom of Venad, and expanded it into Travancore during his reign 1729-1758. He succeeded in defeating the Dutch East India company during the Travancore-Dutch war, the most decisive engagement of which was the battle of Colachel in which the Dutch Admiral De Lennoy was captured. Marthanda Varma annexed many neighbouring principalities right up to Cochin. His successor Rama Varma who was popularly known
as
Dharma
Raja,
shifted
the
capital
in
1795
from
Padmanabhapuram to Thiruvananthapuram. Kanyakumari district's inception : 1-11-1956 (Separated from Travancore -Cochin and joined with Tamil Nadu)10
The Dutch in Kerala (1663 -1795) -Dr.S.Krishna Iyer It was pepper that drew the Dutch East India Company to Kerala in the middle of the 17th century. With the capture of Portuguese strongholds at Kochi during 1661-63, the Dutch became the masters of the coastline.11 Like the Portuguese they avoided territorial conquests and throughout their career in Kerala, which lasted till the closing years of the 18th century, the Dutch involvement in local politics was
minimal. The conflicts that they had with the Samutiri of Kozhikode in 1718 and MarthandaVarma
of
Tiruvitamkur
in
1739-41
were
exceptions and not the general characteristic of Dutch policy in Kerala. Trade was their sole concern and from their headquarters at Kochi the Dutch tried to close all inlets to other competitors through a naval cordon. Exclusive agreements were entered into with local rulers for the annual supply of fixed quantities of pepper at low prices and the native merchants could export limited quantities of the spice only with the consent of the Dutch.12 10 Psych Central, Kanayakumari. 11 T.I. Poonen. A Survey of the Rise of Dutch Power in Malabar (1603-78).
University of Travancore, 1948, pp.78-113. 12 Ibid.
Dutch passes were essential for an easy transit through the sea. In all these as well as the construction of forts and factories the Dutch followed the Portuguese example close to a finish. Dutch
factories
spotted
the
coast
at
Kanyakumari,
Tengapattanam, Kollam, Kayamkulam, Purakkad, Kochi, Kannur, etc. With the exception of Kollam and Kochi, which were fortified establishments, these factories were meant for buying pepper and were also sales outlets for Dutch imports from Indonesia and elsewhere. Forts and factories, however, did not fulfil the sanguine expectations that the Dutch East India Company had about Malabar trade. Writing in 1677 Van Rheede, the Dutch Governor of Kochi, noted
that local trade was not profitable enough to make up for the heavy expenditure on garrisons, forts and factories.13 The obvious reason for it, according to him, was that while the trade north of Kochi had been opened to Moors and other Europeans, the trading in the south also eluded all efforts of the Dutch to keep it a closed circuit to their advantage. In north Kerala the price of pepper rose from 12 Rix Dollars per candy of 500 lbs, affecting its procurement by the Dutch, who were not willing to pay more, and the local demand for Indonesian cloves and Japanese copper did not pick up to their expectation.14
13 14
Van Rheede. Memoir. Government of Madras, 1909, p.41. Ibid.
Towards the close of the 17th century the Dutch did not seem to be perturbed over these trends in trade because they could still buy sufficient
pepper to export home.
The equivalents for weights and measures used are as follows: 1 Candy 500 dutch lbs/545 English Ibs, 1 Candy=36 Tulams, 1 Tulams=14.5 Ibs. At the beginning of the 18th century the prospects of regular supplies of pepper from Kerala seemed robust for Heeren XVII, the controlling body of the Dutch East India Company in Netherlands, to formulate their annual demand of the spice as "15 to 20,000 bales or so much more as the ship's space permits"15. In contrast to pepper the demand for Malabar Cardamom never exceeded 10,000 lbs. per
annum16. The actual exports from Kerala during 1724 - 30 fully justified the optimism at the Dutch headquarters. 2½ to 3 million pounds of pepper were loaded in Dutch ships every year till 1730.17 Despite the doubling of its purchase price to 12 Ducats per candy from 6 Ducats of 1677, the profitability of Malabar pepper was guaranteed by the exorbitant rate in European markets which was always five to six times higher than the price in Kerala.18
15
Dutch MS No. 137. The Extract from the Demand of Returns for India for the year 1727. All the Dutch manuscripts mentioned here form part of the collection in Tamilnadu Archives, Madras and numbers quoted are those in the catalogue of the Archives. 16 Ibid. Extract regarding imports from India dated 1724-25 17 Ibid.details from 1724 to 1728, Dutch MS No. 147. Letters to Holland dated 15th October 1730 and 19th October 1731, for the figures of 1729 and 1730-31 18 A. Galletti. The Dutch in Malabar. Government of Madras, 1911. P.34
In the first quarter of the 18th century the Dutch pepper bonanza was cut short by the emergence of Kozhikode as the centre of northern trade. With the incessant flow of pepper to Kozhikode and the steep rise in its price the supplies to Dutch factories began to dwindle and Dutch exports slumped during 1730 - 40 to 700,000 lbs. annually on an average19. Supplies from the Dutch factories at Purakkad, Kayamkulam, Pandarathuruthu and Kollam became irregular and often the quantities supplied were less than the contracted amount of pepper. Most of Dutch pepper had been forthcoming from Purakkad, Kayamkulam, Karunagappally, Kollam and Tiruvitamkur. Thekkkenkoor and its environs seem to have been the feeder to Purakkad factory,
Karthikappally to that of Kayamkulam, Pesa or Pandarathuruthu to the Dutch depot at Karunagapally and Eleyadathu Swarupam to that of Kollam. Though Tiruvitamkur was capable of supplying two shiploads of pepper, deliveries from that Kingdom had become irregular since 1727. For long the Dutch had been buying their pepper in the south. So the pressure of Kozhikode market alone cannot be viewed as the sole cause for the dwindling pepper.
19
A. Das Gupta. Malabar in Asian Trade. Cambridge, 1967, P. 19. For more details refer S Krishna Iyer, Travancore-Dutch Relations. 1729-41 Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram. supplies to Dutch factories during the thirties. Developments in contemporary politics were equally responsible for the collapse of Dutch pepper exports.
It all began in 1731 with Marthanda Varma of Tiruvitamkur (1729-58) trying the traditional ruse of disputes over successions and boundaries to further his plans of expansion.20 Kayamkulam and Kollam joined together to stall Tiruvitamkur, the latter being in alliance with Eleyadathu Swarupam and Karunagapally. Peace in the south was disturbed by the fighting between these lilliputian Kingdoms.21 Their rival armies would have numbered just a few hundreds of soldiers armed with swords, bows, etc., the maximum strength mentioned in Dutch accounts of political events being 2000 and the casualities enlisted in them amounting to a handful, less than fifty often.22 Cavalry was practically non-existent and cannons came to be used by the local armies only in the thirties of the century. No zigzag turns occurred in
the uneventful skirmishes which went on from 1732 on the banks of the river Kallada and nearby villages.23 But "the inland war" held up in 1732 pepper supplies to the Dutch factory at Kayamkulam and the Dutch Resident there had to prod the local merchants to speed up their deliveries. Though the stock position improved by the end of 1732, large scale smuggling of pepper at Kayamkulam and Karthikapally became an endless worry to the Dutch.24
20
Rajyakaryam Curuna, Central Archives, Thiruvananthapuram. Dutch MS. No. 182 22 Dutch MS. No. 203 23 Details refered S. Krishna Iyer, op.cit 24 Dutch MS. No. 182- Letter from Kayamkulam to Kochi dated, 10th November, 1732. 21
difficulties experienced by pepper merchants owing to the fighting between Kollam and Tiruvitamkur were noted by Adriaan Maaten, the Dutch governor of Kochi, during his tour of the South in July, 1733. These would have been the reasons for his offer to the warring chiefs to mediate for settling their differences and for deputing the emissaries, William Feling, Abraham Van De Welle, Ezechiel Rhabbi and Brouwer to Kayamkulam in the second week of May, 1734 to negotiate with Tiruvitamkur though both moves failed to click.25 By October, 1734 deliveries by Kayamkulam merchants came to be delayed regularly.26 Supplies from Kollam began to be scanty and out of the
contracted amount of '1012 candies for 1733-34 only 709 candies were delivered.27 The destruction of crops in the war with Tiruvitamkur made it difficult for the Kollam Merchants to fulfill their agreements with the Dutch. By 1733 Dutch pepper exports from Kerala came down to 8,25,399 lbs, less than half the quantities of 1730-31. 28 To arrest the downward trend in their pepper exports, the Dutch halted forcefully in April 1735 Tiruvitamkur's movements against the Kollam King and
25
Dutch MS. No. 190, Dutch MS. No. 203 Ibid., p.71 to 81. 27 Dutch MS. No.208. p.174 - Letter from Kollam dated 8th August, 1735 28 Dutch M.S.No.195, Letter from Colombo dated 23rd February, 1739, for the figures of 1733. 26
imposed peace terms on all in the South.29 The cessation of hostilities was utilised by them to make feverish moves for the revival of pepper contracts. When the Dutch factors at Kollam sought speedier supplies from the local merchants in arrears for 1490 candies, the excuse of scarce stocks was offered by the Kollam King himself.30 But much to their consternation they noted the free flow of pepper to Anjengo where the English paid 18 to 19 Ducats per candy, the same being higher than the Dutch rate of 12 Ducats per candy. Not to be outdone in the scuffle for the spice, they promptly reminded the Tiruvitamkur King of his earlier promise to send the merchants of Eleyadathu Swarupam, Karunagappally and Attingal to take up pepper contracts
and later in August 1735 held discussions with the merchants, the Bariatta Pillai and the Kurup of Tiruvitamkur, the last two being the agents of the Tiruvitamkur King and the Attingal Queen. 31 After the deliberations new contracts were arranged and agreements were made for the clearance of arrears. A further windfall to the Dutch was the offer of Tiruvitamkur in August 1736 to have a contract with the merchants of Eleyadathu Swarupam.32 Despite the frantic efforts, Dutch pepper exports plumped to 5,36,785 lbs. in 1736.33
29
Dutch M.S. No.208 Ibid. Letter of 11th June, 1735. 31 Ibid., p. 180 & 187. 32 Dutch M.S. No.230. p.11 33 Dutch M.S. No.227. p.38; No.230, p.79. 30
In contrast to the steadily rising market price of pepper, which was quoted in 1735 as 88 Rs. per candy (20 Ducats approx.), the Dutch were willing to offer only 12 Ducats per candy.34 Besides the soaring price of pepper in the market, the competition from rivals like the English at Anjengo and widespread smuggling swallowed up the regular supplies to the Dutch factories. In the midst of the crisis in trade the turmoil created by Tiruvitamkur had weakened the Dutch hold on princes and merchants alike and they seemed to ignore the Dutch requests for increased pepper supplies. The sudden annexation of Eleyadathu Swarupam, the largest pepper
producing area in South Kerala, by Tiruvitamkur early in 1737 clinched the issue for the Dutch, and a confrontation with Marthanda Varma became inevitable with the latter's refusal in 1739 to supply any pepper
from
Eleyadathu
Swarupam
and
Karunagappally.35
No
spectacular battles on land or sea marked the Dutch conflict with Tiruvitamkur during 1739-41 and it ended in the discomfiture of the Dutch at Colachel in August 1741.36 A direct outcome of the Dutch fiasco at Colachel was the take over of pepper trade by Tiruvitamkur and this development was to have serious repercussions on the Dutch and the trading world of Kerala at large. Though a small beginning was made in 1740 with pepper sales at
34
Dutch M.S. No.208. p.161 Dutch MS.No.233. p.151. Dutch MS.No.272. Letter from Kochi to Holland dated 25th October, 1739. 36 Refered S. Krishna Iyer, op.cit 35
thuckalay market in South Tiruvitamkur, it was in 1743 that Tiruvitamkur
banned
free
trading
in
pepper
and
directed
the
merchants to deliver the same to the State. 37 Two zones were spelt out in the initial orders of 1743 and in the absence of maps, landmarks were used to describe their limits, thus the present Nedumangadu, Neyyattinkara, and Thiruvananthapuram taluks were referred to as the region "west of Neyyar river, north of Poonthurai, east of the sea, south of Veli bay, Ulloor hill and Vamanapuram river".38 Six merchants in and about Thiruvananthapuram, Manuchetty of Neyyattinkara, Vairavan Moopan of Kutiravattom, Ayyankutty Mooppan of Puthenchanthai,
Padmanabhan Peria Chetty of Chalai and Kaliambi chetty of Attingal, were directed to supply every year 6000 thulams of pepper (166 candies approx.) to Thuckalay market and then to export on their own 3000 thulams of pepper (83 candies) to Tamilnadu via Ariankavu route. Each thulam (14.4 Ibs) of pepper was to be bought from the cultivator for 7½ panams and to be sold at the rate of 10 panams. From the balance of 2½ panams, 1 panam was to be the dealer's commission and I½ panams that of the State. This meant in effect a discount of 1½ panams on every thulam of pepper that the State bought from the merchants and a duty at that rate on whatever quantity that they sold outside. In the second zone were included present Chirayinkil, Kottarakkara and Kollam Taluks.
37
Olas No. 189 & 190. Curuna No.1595. Copies of Important Mathilakom Records. Vo1.79. P.156, Central Archives, Thiruvananthapuram. 38 Ibid.
Ten merchants, six of whom were the Thiruvananthapuram Chetties mentioned earlier and the others from Paravoor near Kollam were directed to supply 500 candies of pepper annually.39 As in the first zone the cultivators were to be paid 7½ panams per thulam but the rate for the merchants was to be 344 panams per candy (one candy being 36 thulams), slightly lower than the rate in the first zone. This difference, however, was made good by the higher commission of 38 panams for the dealer, the share of the state being only 36 panams. In 1743 an
advance of 10,000 panams was made to Surya Chankaran Mooppan, Peria Chetti, etc. as working capital. Since the Thiruvananthapuram merchants did not perform efficiently, they were removed from the job in October, 1744, and Ramalingam
Nellainathan
of
Padmanabhapuram
was
appointed
instead to supply annually 6000 thulams of pepper to Thuckalay from Neyyattinkara, Nedumangad and Thiruvananthapuram Taluks (the first zone referred to earlier) and to export on their own 300 thulams to Tamilnadu via, the Aryanadu route.40 The terms of the contract were altered
a
bit,
the
discount
at
Thuckalay
being
fixed
as
1 panam per thulam and the export duty as 5 panams per thulam.
39
Ola No.190. Curuna No.1595 (as above) OlaNo.199CurunaNo.1595,copies of,ImportantMathilakomRecords,Vo1.79. p.162, Central Archives, Thiruvananthapuram. 40
Despite the change of contractors, not much improvement was there in the execution of the contracts and by the middle of 1745, 22, 073½ panams were outstanding to the State from the merchants. It was in 1746 that Tiruvitamkur organisation of State Trading began to have
a
definite
shape
of
its
own.
In
Thiruvananthapuram,
Nedumangad, Chirayinkil and Paravoor the procurement of pepper was made the responsibility of the administrative officers.41 In these areas the merchants acted as the sub agents of the officers concerned, for out of the commission of 15 panams per candy granted to suppliers of
these regions 11 panams were earmarked for the merchant and only 4 panams for the officials. Elsewhere in Tiruvitamkur, merchants continued to deal directly with the State. In 1748 and 1750 the merchants headed the list of suppliers.42 Aranmula Ommomen of Kottarakkara,
Kirakkaran
Kunchandy,
Ganapathy
Tharakan,
Pooyappally Chandi Pillai, etc. were all merchants serving the State well.43 With the transformation of the merchants into commission agents the pepper monopoly of Tiruvithamkur turned the corner in 1748 and pepper began to flow to the State depots at Curuna No.36263, Central Archives, Thiruvananthapuram. Thuckalay, Kilikollur (near Kollam), etc. Both the procurement and the sale of pepper were supervised by the "Muthalpidi" Chetty who was paid a commission.44 41
Showcase Record No.114. Central Archives, Thiruvananthapuram. Ibid. 43 Ola No.167. 44 Ola No.19. Curuna No.362-63, Central Archives, Thiruvananthapuram. 42
It further came down to 141, 220 lbs. in the subsequent year. Hence the delivery of 1500 candies of pepper (750,000 lbs) in 1748 by Tiruvitamkur at the negligible rate of 551 panams per candy (27½ rupees) would have been most welcome to the Dutch East India Company.45 Thanuvan Chetty of Kottar and Pocku Moosa Marikkar were the Tiruvitamkur agents who effected the deliveries to the Dutch at Kanyakumari and the transaction gave the Dutch 300 candies more than the quantity stipulated in the treaty with Tiruvitamkur signed in 1743 and the rate was far lower than the one mentioned in it.
More
than the
Colachel battle, the pepper monopoly
of
Tiruvitamkur made it imperative for the Dutch to come to terms with Marthanda Varma, the other means of action being ruled out by the political situation in the country. By the treaty of Mavelikkara, signed in 1753, the Dutch agreed not to obstruct Tiruvitamkur expansion and to sell to its King arms and amunition. In return Tiruvitamkur agreed to supply annually 3000 candies of pepper from its existing territories and 2000 candies from countries to be conquered, both at concessional rates. In the period following this treaty the Dutch ceased to procure pepper independently and their exports had to be sustained with whatever quantities Tiruvitamkur could offer.46
45 46
Ola No.268. Curuna No.362-63, Central Archives, Thiruvananthapuram. A. Das Gupta, Malabar in Asian Trade, Cambridge. 1967, p.56.
Often such supplies were irregular. During 1743-95 the Dutch concentrated on local trade at Kochi to make their establishment profitable.47 The first experiment of marketing at Kochi the cloth produced at Kottar and neighbouring centres was found to give poor returns and the same was abandoned in 1759. Then the idea of selling Indonesian spices and sugar to the ships calling at Kochi was taken up. In the sixties and seventies this line of business paid the Dutch good dividends. But trading in sugar began to decline from 1783 and all
trading at Kochi had to be closed down in 1793 because of the poor demand for Indonesian spices. For two more years the Dutch lingered on and the British Conquest of Kochi in 1795 brought the career of Jan Company on the Malabar coast to an end.
47
Ibid, Chapters II & III
Bala Marthanda Varma (AD 1729-1758) The Modern History of the Colachel begins with the rule of BalaMarthandavarma who ascended the throne in the year 1729 AD. Sree Veera Eravi Vurmah assumed the Sovereignty, and governed the Kingdom for Twenty-four years, and on his Highness’ death in 703 M.E,
King Marthanda Vurmah suceeded him and ruled for Nine years.48 During the time of this assessing the political conditions were unstable due to rebellions and the incessant in roads made by the Nayak forces. This unsuitability of the Government gave free hand to the feudal barons such as ‘Yokkikars and Euttivittil pilamars’ to take advantage and assert their independence. But Marthandavarma put a check by his determined action to subdue the rebels by seeking the assistance of the English East India Company and the Nayaks of Madura, 48
P.Shungoony Menon, A History of Travancore, Govertment of Kerala, 1983.
meanwhile the feudal barons took up the cause of
Padmanabha
Thambi and Raman Thambi the two son of the previous king, who conspired to capture the throne of Travancore, they were captured at Nagercoil and exuted. However, the Dutch were relentless in the pursuit and attacked Travancore from the South and Captured the region extending from Colachel to Kottar. This conquest posed a threat to kalkulam. The Southern head quarters of Marthanda Varma. But Marthanda Varma once again proved his ability by meeting the Dutch in the battlefield at Colachel on August 10th 1741. Which proved to be a death knell to the Dutch and also made them revert to their original position (i.e.) as traders and allowed them to retain the
territory.49 Another feather to his cap was the conquest of kayankulam and states at Malabar.
49
K.K.Pillai opcit. Pp. 48-49
The Battle of Colachel in 1742 CE. The Battle of Colachel, For the first, and perhaps the only time in Indian history, an Indian kingdom defeated a European naval force. In this successive battles, Marthanda Varma defeated and absorbed the kingdoms right up to Kochi including Attingal, Kollam, Kayamkulam, Kottarkara and Ambalapuzha. He succeeded in defeating the Dutch East India company during the Travancore-Dutch war, the most decisive engagement of which was the battle of Colachel (10th August 1741)in which the Dutch Admiral De Lennoy was captured. In 1753, the Dutch signed a treaty with him. With the battle of Ambalapuzha (3rd January 1754) in which he defeated the union of the
deposed kings and the Raja of Kochi, Marthanda Varma crushed all opposition. He organised the tax system and constructed a lot of irrigation works. The Battle of Colachel in 1742 CE, where Marthanda Varma of Travancore crushed a Dutch expeditionary fleet near Kanyakumari. The defeat was so total that the Dutch captain, Delannoy, joined the Travancore forces and served loyally for 35 years-and his tomb is still in a coastal fort in Colachel (illu 1). So it wasn't the Japanese in the Yellow Sea in 1905 under Admiral Tojo who were the first Asian power to defeat a European power in a naval battle--it was little Travancore. The Portuguese and the Dutch were trying to gain political power in India at that time. Marthanda Varma defeated the Dutch in 1741. He was an able ruler. He established peace in his country - Travancore. It was a remarkable achievement for a small princely state.50
The ruler of Travancore, Marthanda Varma, routed an invading Dutch fleet; the Dutch commander, Delannoy, joined the Travancore army and served for decades; the Dutch never recovered from this debacle and were never again a colonial threat to India.
Events Of Colachel Battle; On the decline of the Portuguese power, the Dutch excelled their rivals in adopting questionable tactics at the expense of every power except themselves. They still had immense influence in the Far, East and Ceylon offered them great facilities as a naval bases. 50
The Battle of Colachel: In remembrance of things past - Rajeev Srinivasan ,
Sanjeev Kumar
They had a large number of supporters among the princes and chieftains of Malabar . The Dutch company had a regular establishment to bring all influential persons within the meshes of their intricate diplomacy. They had taken possession of Tengasseri after defeating the Portuguese, and got into intimate relationship with the Raja of Desinganad.51 The king of kayankulam was an ally of the Dutch. So were the rulers of purakked, Thekkumkur and Vadakkumku.52
It was at such time when the Dutch power in South India was supreme and was forming a confederacy among the Malabar rulers under their hegemony that ‘Maharaja Marthanda Varma’ ascended the throne in 1729.53 Though young, be possessed a center vision. He knew that it he did not strengthen his own power and raise the prestige of his kingdom, it might sometime become the sporting ground of rival interests. The condition of Malabar generally was such that inversions from without were imminent. Marthanda Varma realized that if the Malabar princes were permitted to remain in a state of war of all against all the country would soon pass to the possession of some Superior power Indian or European. He also realized that he was the only ruler who should be able to present a strong form to the invaders.
51
T.K. Vellu pillai The Travancore State Manuel Ibid. 53 V. Nagam Aiya, The Travancore State Manuel vol. I p305 52
His people were brave and strong front to the invaders. His people were brave and well acquainted with the art of war, and he resolved to make the furthest use of this resources.But so long as the Dutch were here, formatting disputes and using secret influence with the ruling princes, a large compact and powerful state was difficult of attainment. He therefore resolved to drive them out of the country.
It was in 1741 AD that the Dutch were compelled to abandon their projects of political supremacy on the Malabar Coast. It was the king of Travancore who tone off their diplomacy to shreds and Inflicted defeat upon defeat in well fought fields. After four campaigns say Galletti ‘Travancore had become more powerful then he had ever seen before’. The Dutch were compelled to recognize all his claims and the company dropped the schemes for large territorial acquisitions on the West Coast of India were dropped by the company.54 In 1741, imhoff installed the princes as ruler of Elayedathu Swarupam in defi once of the Maharaja. In return she gave the Dutch a large farm at Ayrur about three Dutch miles from Quilon.55 The Raja of vadakkaumkur also rewarded the Dutch by granting them a track of country at vellur. Now in the talk of vaikkom where they erected a fort.
54 55
The Dutch in Malabar p.24. T.K Velu Pillai op.cit Vol. II p303
The Maharaja saw that the leading princes of Malabar were in league with the Dutch and bent upon abstracting his projects. He therefore collected his forces and attacked the Dutch and the Elayedathu forces. The combined armies sustained a crushing defeat.56 Soldiers of the Dutch reginment lived to tell the dismal tale. Elayedathu Swarupam was taken over to Travancore. The princess it is stated, managed to files to cochin and place herself under the protection of the Dutch.
The ignominy of defeat coupled with the disappointment of hopes combined to irritate the Dutch who desired to teach Marthanda Varma a severe lesson. They resolved to seize the country from Colachel to cape comorin where they had a factory and a fort. The Maharaja now determined to make a final effort to crush the power of kayankulam and humble the Dutch. The latter assumed the offensive. When secure of a place near the port of Colachel, fortified it with states and garrisoned it with a detachment of soldier. The outlying villages Thengapattanam, Midalam and Kadiyapattanum were Captured. The Dutch force advanced upon the rich town of Eraniel, 57 harassing the inhabitants and plundering their property. The country between Colachel and Kottar surrendered and the Dutch made preparations to take kalkulam.
56 57
T. Francis day op.cit. p.131 V. Nagan Aiya op.cit, vol I p.708
The idea was to make the whole country a Dutch province ‘as it is the most beautiful district in Malabar and the cloth places are there. 58 It was hoped that it spite of the war in java the company might be able to send troops from Batavia for the reduction of Travancore. The embarked
on
the
enterprise
impelled
by
the
desire
for
self-
preservation. Other European nations had begin to compete with them
and not without success. The English factories were growing steadily though slowly. The zamorins friendship with the English was a danger in the north; and the development of their trade in Anjengo meant the gradual expansions of their political importance as well as their commercial success. The Maharaja of Travancore was friendly to them. The French had begun their trade at make. Now or never they thought, was the time to make the final effort.59 The Maharaja who was then at Trivandrum arrived just in time to prevent the full of the capital. The main army, which was besieging kayankulam soon, joined them. The plan of attack was carefully Iaid. A squadron of boats watched
the
movements
of
the
Dutch
ships,
which
brought
reinforcements from Ceylon. The army was drawn up in favorable strategic positions under the command of the best officers. The Maharaja proceeded to Thiruvattar offered his second at the alter and received it back from the officiating priest after due consecration.
58 59
Secret letter to Batavia, 12th may 1741, see Gallethi, The Dutch in Malabar. p.88 Ibid.
Maharaja conducted the war with courage and determination, directing the movements of his forces in person. The Battle commenced on the morning of the 27th Adi -10 August.60 The Travancore boats surrounded the Dutch ships and prevented the landing of men and arms. The division led by Ranayyan Dalava charged the Dutch live breaking it completely, driving the
officers and men from their position and throwing the whole into disorder.The enemy having no cavalry and unable to resist the advance of the Travancore horses retreated to the fort leaving behind several of their men dead or wounded. On the 31st of Adi the Travancore army had siege to the fort which was soon taken, the Dutch finding refuge in their ships with great difficulty.A large number of Muskets and swords and a few pieces of cannon fell into the hands of the visitors. The enemy abandoned their positions and evacuated, leaving many persons wounded and 24 Europeans as prisioners. 61 The battle of Colachel was in its effects, a disaster of the first importance to the Dutch… It put an end to the Dutch dreams of conquest of Malabar. It was the first great blow inflicted on the Dutch arms and its moral effect was so great that the Dutch never recovered from it at all. 60 61
T.K. Velu pillai op.cit vol. II p.305 Ibid.
They were too powerful on the sea to yield immediately but from this time, except for unimportant diplomatic skirmishes. With Travancore the company was reconciled to the position of mere traders without political pretensions. So far as Travancore was concerned the battle of Colachel may be said to be the most decisive factor in its development. It removed the main obstacle in the way of
its triumphal March towards the north and made the conquests of Kayankulam and other states possible. It increased the prestige of Marthanda Varma with the rest of the Malabar princes. 62 It was just before this battle that the Maharaja had sent ambassadors to the French at pondicherry to conclude already of friendship and mutual help. He promised the French the grant of lands at Colachel and other places for constructing factories. But as the enemy was completely defeated, the negotiations were dropped. The Dutch sued for peace, though the battle of Colachel was fought in 1741. AD peace with the Dutch was finally concluded and ratified by the Batavian government only in December 1753. 63 The Dutch prisoners were treated with so much kindness that they were glad to take service under the Maharaja. Among them were
62 63
K.M Panikkar Malabar and Dutch p.70 Ibid.
Eustachian D’lennoy and Donadi who attracted the Maharaja special notice. They were appointed to high military officers in the state. D’lennoy, commonly known in Travancore as the Valiyakappithan [Great Captain] was entrusted with the organization and drilling of a special regisment.64
This he did to the entire satisfaction of the Maharaja D’lennoy who was raised to the rank of general proved of considerable service to the Maharaja in the subsequent wars. He was a far signed statesman and as able organizer, who consolidated his position and restricted the administrative machinery. His reign in fact was an epoch making.
Chanda Shahib’s Invasion; Just about this time, Marthanda Varma was surprised by the expedition led by Chanda shahib as it reached ‘Nanjil Nadu’ at the instance of the Nawab of Arcot (AD 1740) Marthanda Varma was thrown off balance since he had to tackle the king of Kayankulam and the Dutch.65 So at the behest of Marthanda Varma, the shrewd Minister, Ramayyan Dalavai played an active play in bringing out a settlement with Chanda Shahib, which probably contained a huge sum of money. But by the time the understanding could be affected, Nanjilnadu almost lost everything to the invaders “Though the time honored pass of 64 65
Ibid Sreetharan Menon.A. opcit. p127.
Aralvaimozhi, the rapacious host rushed in Marching through kottaram and ravaging the places as they entered and reached iltarkad near Sucindram. The Royal force stationed at Kalkulam, the seat of the Venad ruler, could not be diverted to deep the invaders at bay, since their services over name urgently needed in the north.
Flushled with triumph, the invading horde Marched straight on Sucindram. Having caused many harocs in Sucindram. temple, the army proceeded to kottar.66 Vadasery, Tirupotiswarm these places. It was early in the month of Chitirai, that Marthanda Varma send his men to negotiate a rapprochement with Chandra shahib through payment of money and only then, the party with drew.67
Successors of Marthanda Varma Marthanda varma was succeeded by the following rulers under whom the then travancore state withessed a steady progress. (rule is in details in the following) Rama Varma Karthigai Thirunal, 1758-1798 Bala Rama Varma, 1798-1810 Rani Gowri Lekshmi bai, 1811-1815
66
Chanda Shahib and his men entered the temple a gave went to conclasitic fury. The head of the image of Chandeswara was broken and all the figures of larys beaners in the inner prahara were damaged K.K. pillay op cit, p.52. 67 K.K.Pillai opcit. pp51,52
Rani Gowri Lekshmi bai, 1815-1829 Rama Varma Swathi Thirunal, 1829-1847 Marthanda Varma Uttaram Thirunal, 1847-1860 Rama Varma Ayitlam Thirunal, 1860-1880 Rama Varma Visakam Thirunal, 1880-1885
Sri Mulam Thirunal, 1885-1924 Ragent Serhu Lekshmi Bai, 1924-1932 Rama Varma Sri Chritra Thirunal, 1932(upto the end of the Monarcy 1st sep. 1949) The important feature of the foreign policy of these rulers was that they maintained cordial relationship with the British.
The Battle -: In Remembrance of Things Past; A dramatic and virtually unknown past, in an area of bucolic calm surrounded by spectacular hills: that is Colachel, a name that should be better known to us. For this is where, in 1741, an extraordinary event took place -- the Battle of Colachel. For the first, and perhaps the only time in Indian history, an Indian kingdom defeated a European naval force. The ruler of Travancore, Marthanda Varma, routed an invading Dutch fleet; the Dutch commander, Delannoy, joined the Travancore army and served for decades; the Dutch never recovered from this debacle and were never again a colonial threat to India.
It was a remarkable achievement for a small princely state; yet not one of my Indian friends has ever heard of the Battle of Colachel. This, in my opinion, is another example of our sadly skewed education -- we have adopted wholesale a Macaulayite curriculum that was designed to drum into Indians the notion that we were inherently inferior, mere powerless pawns in a European-dominated world. We study events where Indians were crushed, massacred, trounced, humiliated: Plassey, Panipat, Tarain, Chittor, the failed First War of Independence, Jallianwallah Bagh. We study about every invader, from Alexander the Macedonian onwards, who came over the Himalayan passes and laid waste to the land. We study the disastrous history of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. We never hear of the far more lustrous history of the Peninsula -not of Rajendra Chola's maritime Southeast Asian empire, nor the wealth and power of fabled Vijayanagar, nor the chivalrous chaver suicide squads in the Zamorin's kingdom at Kozhikode, nor even about perhaps the greatest of Indian philosophers, the Buddhist Nagarjuna. This is a serious lacuna --and yet we wonder why we as a nation suffer from an inferiority complex? Colachel
is
on
the
route
from
Thiruvananthapuram
to
Kanyakumari, which has some dramatic shifts of scenery. You drive down the ill-named National Highway 47, in reality an overcrowded
two-lane road with no centre divider, no more than a city street with a continuous population along its entire length. A typical interior Kerala landscape surrounds you tropical abundance, coconut palms, rice fields, plenty of greenery, banyan, jackfruit, tamarind and mango trees, and houses within a stone's throw of the road. Then you cross into Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district, and you pass my personal landmark, a century-old aqueduct. Suddenly, without warning, the landscape opens up you come upon an immense flood-plain, with paddy fields, lotus-filled pools, a small river, and occasional clumps of banana trees stretching all the way to the horizon. Except, that is, where the hills are the very last redoubts of the Western Ghats, as the land yields grudgingly to the oceans at the Cape: A series of jagged and menacing peaks towering over you. One especially well-shaped, conical mount resembles, in its symmetry,
the Grand Tetons
of Wyoming;
but otherwise, the
forbidding, brooding peaks of granite remind you of rogue elephants. Nestled incongruously amongst these hills is Mahendragiri, where the Indian Space Research Organisation's rocket testing facility is located. Close by in Colachel with its Round Fort. It has a strategic and commanding view of the Arabian Sea; on a clear day you can see as far south as Land's End, the promontory at Kanyakumari. It was here,
with the tactical genius of Marthanda Varma's prime minister, Ramayyan Dalava, that the Dutch fleet was vanquished. I imagine infantrymen with ancient blunderbusses repelling invaders; and a battery of archaic cannon making mincemeat of the attacking ships. It was here that the Dutchman, Delannoy, later trained Travancore soldiers in the arts of musketry and artillery. Delannoy lies entombed at an inland fort, Udayagiri, a few miles away from Colachel. At his tomb, there is an inscription: Stand, Traveller, and behold! For here lies Captain Delannoy, who served Maharaja Marthanda Varma and Travancore faithfully for three decades This foreigner, this feringhee, served our country well, two hundred years ago. How little we know of the reasons this man agreed to serve an enemy prince. It could hardly have been coercion - not if he stayed on for the rest of his life. It must have been a genuine respect for, and perhaps admiration and even affection for this land and this prince. It behooves us to understand that even at the height of the European colonisation spree, there were Indians capable of resisting and winning. Most of us know that in 1905, the Japanese under Admiral Tojo trounced the Russians in the Yellow Sea. This is considered the first example of an Asian power defeating a European power in a naval engagement. Yet here we have little Travancore defeating the Dutch
two-and-a-half centuries ago; the same Dutch who went on to conquer and dominate the entire Indonesian archipelago. As the saying goes, those who forget their history are condemned to repeat it. History is one of the most precious possessions of a people; the other being their common cultures. Somehow, a common Indian culture has emerged over several millennia;
nevertheless,
we
have
been
distressingly
lax
about
remembering our past. Perhaps because we have so much history, it has become meaningless for us. But the only way we can build up a common purpose is through the use of common mythologies and a shared racial memory. Based on our experiences, it can be argued that an open economy and free trade would be disastrous for us. There is genuine concern that the rapine and pillage of the transnational corporation will be as bad as the excesses of our former colonists. The spectra of the East India Company continues to haunt us; so do Union Carbide and Bhopal.68
68
The Battle of Colachel: In remembrance of things past - Rajeev Srinivasan
Travancore’s Valiyakappithan Eustachian D’lennoy; Eustachian D’lennoy and Tuitan
Shettu
are
the
two
junior
officers. They are prepared to serve in the Travancore Army. Later when they are re-called by the Dutch Army it was not accepted by King Marthandavarma. D’lennoy and his friends were taken
in
the
Army
of
King
Marthandavarma
King.
Marthandavarma made D’lennoy as the chief of his security men. Later
D’lennoy
was
promoted
as
the
chief
of
Army
(Valiyakappithan) at Padmanabhapuram.69
The Udayagiri Fort
was constructed at the supervision of
D’lennoy. D’lennoy trained the kings army as the army of foreign pattern.
King
Marthandavarma
appreciating
the
service
of
D’lennoy, making king as the chief among the whole army and awarded
him,
with
D’lennoy is more
in
an
award
of
'Valiakappithan'.
making Travancore
The
role of
as a big country by
conquering places like Kollam, Kanyankulam and Cochin. Yuwan Kisthalaiyoo, S/o. D’lennoy who served the kings army for 37 years, is sent to Kalakadu war in the year 140 (1765). The Cemetery of Yuwan who died in the Kalakadu war is seen in the Udayagiri Fort.
69
C.Varadarajan M.A “Colachel an Historical Reasearch” 2005 PP 3-5
By these, it is seen about the affection, D’lennoy had over the Travancore King Marthandavarma. The Cemetery of D’lennoy (Illu 2) and his friends are seen in the Udayagiri Fort. The inscription of wordings inscribed in the Cemetery
are
collected
and
stated
in
the
volume
four
of
Kanyakumari inscription. They are stated from number 1969 / 12 to 1969 / 19. D'lennoy modernised the Travancore army, and built the nedumkotta, a line of fortifications in the North of the kingdom, which held up the army of Tipu Sultan in 1791, during his ill-fated invasion of Travancore. D'lennoy is buried in the Udayagiri fort, (Illu 3) also known as Dillanai kotta (D'lennoy's fort) which is located 7 km north of Padmanabhapuram,70 34 km from Kanyakumari and 15 km from Colachel.
Udayagiri Fort; Also known as D'lennoy's fort was built during the regime of Marthanda Varma (1729 - 1758). The tomb of De Lennoy, one of the 24 Europeans captured by King Marthanda Varma when he defeated the Dutch at Colachel lies here,71 in the small cemetery. It also had a foundry for casting guns.
70 71
FloatandFlyTourPvt.Ltd, New Delhi. Indo Link – Kanyakumari.
Description of Colachel A beautiful town located on the shores of Arabian Sea in the southern part of kanyakumari district in Tamil nadu. The history of this beautiful coastal town dates back to more than 2000 years to the reign of Chera Kings.
The deeply entrenched and relatively youthful
streams, waterfalls high hanging valleys, allwial flats and patches of marine sediment at high elevations, and the presence of elevated seachiffs near Colachel and Sucindram hear testimony to the uplift of the land mass.72 It is a coastal town which is 20 KM away from Nagercoil, headquarters
of
Kanyakumari
District
and
Trivandrum, capital city of Kerala. Colachel was of
King
59
KM
away
from
under
the
rule
Village administration, in the period of Kings Pandiyas,
Aai and Travancore king.
When Colachel was under Panchayat
Administration by area-wise. the villages. Panchayath
Colachel
was big in size including
This can be seen in a inscription “as Colachel well”
inscripted
in
a
common
well
at
Panavilai,
Colachel. Kalkulam taluk population 26,603. male-13508 female-13095. The Total Area of Colachel is 5.18 square km. This sea cost town
is situated about 22 km west of Nagercoil and about 7 km west of south west of Eranial. 72
Gazetteers of India, 1995, Kanyakumari District, M.Gopala Krishnan B.com p1
Having
Simon
Colony
Bridge
at
the
South
West
and
Vettumadai in South East and Pampuri Chennel Bridge in North and Kalimar river Bridge in west and V.K.P. Hr. Secondary School in East, sea in the South are the boundaries of Colachel in the seashore municipality of Kanyakumari District. The depth of seashore of Colachel is estimated in 5 meter depth. This seashore is very deep where ships can comes very near.73 It was a port of call for European merchants. During the 16-18th century. These vassals of the European merchants frequented here during this period. The Dutch and the English had their trading settlement here.74 In
the
year
1930,
Town
Development
Committee
was
formed in Colachel and Padmanabhapuram. The Kovalam - Colachel Canal, popularly known as AVM Canal (Ananda Victoria Martanda Varma
Canal)
which
passes
through
Kanyakumari was encroached by settlers.
this
town
linking
upto
73 74
C.Varadarajan M.A “Colachel an Historical Reasearch” 2005 pp 101 District Census Hand Book, Kanyakumari District, 1981, part XIII- Aand B p.15
The Culture Of The City; Chilappathikaram, the Tamil epic refers one of the 48 countries of lemuria, otherwise known as ‘kumari kandam’, where the Dravidian civilizations known as the ‘cradle of civilizations’ flourished. The world renowned historical research traveler ‘dalami’ refers this place as a ‘harbour town’ in this book written in A.D 100
75
Marriage and social
relations thrive among the people of these towns. Natural bound Himalaya’s in North is India’s owned specialty means South bound Colachel Seashore is also an antique of Nature. Some towns are reporting the culture of Tamil Nadu, the culture of
Colachel is
Aavudaiyar
among
Koil,
one.
Remaining
Chithanna
Vasel,
are
Padmanabhapuram,
Tirumayam,
Kurinchipadi,
Maruthoor, Pitchavaram, Bavani. Paroor, Karaikudy, Tiruchencode, Tiunelveli, Sriperemputhoor, Marakonam are reported in the year 1995. Before the declaration of this town some 23 towns were already declared. By the declaration of this, town are given more importance for its
tourism and more attention was taken of the better care
of their tourist attraction.76
75 76
Prof. Mohamed Noohu C.Varadarajan M.A “Colachel an Historical Reasearch” 2005
Colachel Port Colachel Port an Introduction;
The Port of Colachel is situated in latitude 8 –10 n and longitude 77- 14 E. The Port being ancient , was re – modeled during the period of Maharaja Rama Varma in the 18th century. It is the only natural Port on the west coast of Tamil Nadu. The Port appears like a bay. steamers of about 10,000 to 15, 000 tones, anchor at this Port. The Colachel Port (Illu 4) has afforded nature amenities for shipping by its physiographical structure; a group of outlying rocks formed practical break water. Under cover of these rocks are done loading and unloading and other shipping operations. A variety of commodities is exported from here, prominent among them being palmyrah and its fibre mineral sands fish and salt. Small streamers anchor in seven fathoms of water off the shore.77 Small vessels anchor in about five fathoms, less than a quarter a mile off the coast the flag staff in the flag stuff compound transmits messages to the ships during the day time by international code system. There is no light signaling at this Port.
77
V.Nagam Aiya op.cit p.582
A most headlight is put up in the flag stuff compound with the red screen to denote the port and another at the port beacon emitting white light to denote the anchorage. The latter is visible for about eight km. in clear weather there is no jetty at this Port. The warf is open beach which extends to about 300 meters in frond of the flag staff compound. Manakudy and kovalam in the Agasthiswaram Taluk are two sub Ports attached to this Port. In this past, their port had its glory and its importance in the industrial and marine field also. It was the center for transportation of the fine cotton fibers of kottar and eranial to foreign countries.78 Now there are two fibers factories at colachel and finished goods are sent to tuticorin for export. The fiber produced is graded and exported to England, USA, and other countries. Coir making is major industry of the poor classes.79 In
16 and 18th
Europeans.
They
have
century
this
exported
place
more
was
goods.
used The
by
the
British
and
Dutch people used this place for their commercial purpose. They have exported more goods, in that the important goods are palm fibre, Rare earth, salt, fish and rope.80
In
Colachel,
for
ships to Anchor there are some natural rocks in both sides.
78
E.G. Hatch op.cit 1933 p.224
the
79 80
Report from the Collecter of Kanyakumari district C.Varadarajan M.A “Colachel an Historical Reasearch” 2005
This rocks were even named in theperiod of Trivancore kings. The
names
are
Kurusadykal,
Annankal,
Chadikal,
Kizhkal
Pullari,
or
Kizha
Pipathu
or
Sudukal,
Kuttikal,
Paninthu
Pathu,
Minitangkal. Colachel Harbour was attracted by the Angelo-Indian for their Shipping Transport and Colachel was the entrance place of Angelo-Indians. Mr. Nagam Iyya, the author of Trivancore state Manual, says that there was trees, woods, birds the word is transformed as Colachel. Then having a discussion with a keralised learned man, a information was given. A channel running from northen boundary of Colachel through Kalimar via and endo in the sea at Kodimunai. This channel is called Pampuri channel. There is a salt plant on the way of this channel. Once this salt plant was the big pond. 81 From through Mangaru.
Colachel
the
via
This
is
Mangaru harbour.
of
seashore
goods
channel,
that
denoted
as
are will
Colachel.
exported
reached In
in
the
olden
boats harbour
days
this
The Vaynadu Map prepared in the year 1729.
Colachel is denoted by the Britishman as Kollaccal. The First volume book of Thiruvida Nadu written by Mr. Bala Sundaranar in the year 1949 is in two parts of Geology and
81
Ibid.
Commerce. In page 99 of Book of Commerce, the harbours of Eastern seashore are noted. In these, the Colachel harbour of Trivancore region is noted as small harbour of south corner.
In his page 126 it is stated that ships starting from Cochin goes through Allapuzhai, Kollam, Tiruvananthapuram and reaches Tuticorin via Colachel. 82
The
country ships
also
goes
via
Colachel without stopping anywhere by these 1949 also it is seen that there is shipping Transport in a Colachel. The
wild animals
Trivancore,
the
were seen in Colachel. In
Alapuzha,
Kollam,
Trivandrum
harbours
and
of
Colachel
harbours are the important one. In 1872 at 1st time to Colachel
the mechanised ship was
operated. In
Colachel
there
was
magistrate
were
functioning
in Travancore
three harbours.
there.
a
master
This period state.
attendant
some
Colachel
and
13 harbours is
the
best
a
sub were
out of
In Colachel there is a commercial office for the
commercial purpose and a office to record the atmosphere were functioning.
82
Ibid.
In
1860,
the
collection
of
Taxes
in
harbours
were
regularised by the Travancore king and the rules and regulations were also regularised.
The rules and regulation were formed in the year 1872 as per the survey taken for the shipping transportation in the sea and was implemented in the very same year. Regularisation of the tax collection was introduced at Alapuzha in the year 1874 and at Colachel in 1878.
For exportation and fishing the Colachel sea was good for six months and for six months.
The period from 15 th October to
April 15th the sea is calm. Hence this period is favour for the ship to reach Colachel and the period from April 16 th to October 14th the sea is very rough and this period is not favour for the ships to reach Colachel. By these reason this harbour is called as Season Harbour. The habit of lighting, lights, in the seashore of Colachel was in practice for the ship to reach shore but now these practice is not followed. Two big Poles painted with black and white Colours were erected
in two sides of the seashore of two
Furlong distance, for the ship stand in a position with the help of anchor.
The
nations
Transportation. opportunity.
economy
Some
Sea
will
thousands
Transportation
be
developed
of
men
is
more
will
by
get
easier
its
sea
employment
than
the
Air
Transportation and more safer then the surface Transportation.
In
India
five
big
Visahapattinam
Orissa
and
harbours at Culcutta
are
Tuticorin, there
and
Chennai, in western
seashore. There is six big harbours at Cochin, Managlore. Marma Goa, Bombay, Bombay Jawaharlal harbour and Gujarat Contala are
there.
Moreover
more
than
100
small
harbours
are
also
there. In
this,
without
making
any
alteration
and
is
used
for
shipping as it is naturally is called Natural Harbour. In this, the Colachel harbour is the best one. 83 Colachel prior
to
harbour
the
which
history
Manavalakurichy. While
was
was
attracted
by
the
foreigners
exporting rare earths
implementing
development
from
schemes
at
harbours exportations were made in big scales, it is useful to reach more ship and to do business at a time by giving more
employments. It is to be noted, that the ship pathway is there in Colachel. Vatge Bank of more fish in the world is there in very near to Colachel.
83
C.Varadarajan M.A “Colachel an Historical Reasearch” 2005 pp107,108
Agreement was made on 26th June 2000 in the estimate of 1900 crores for the first phorse of expansion work. Survey
was
conducted
by
the
Govt.
to
expand
the
Colachel harbour according to Rules and Laws and crores of rupees
were
spend,
and
the
survey
report
was
given
to
Malasiyan Government. 84 It is proposed to construct a sea protection walls of 3.5 km in the Colachel harbour with five berth and it is proposed to expand this to 7 k.m. length with 28 berth. It is proposed to finish
in
the
year
2006
for
the
prepaid
zone
of
handling,
commercial ships. In the year 2026 it is proposed to complete the whole expansion work of estimated plans with the estimation of 8400 crores of rupees. It is agreed that the whole expanses of the expansion work is to be meet out by the Malasiyan Government and further it is agreed for 30 years. That the administration of the
harbour is
to be administered by the Malasiyan Government. For there 1200
hectar lands was demanded by the Central Government for these expansion work. And
shifting
the
residents
from
this
place
is
to
be
undertaken by the State Government of Tamilnadu 84
‘Dinamalar Daily’ About Colachel Harbour Dated 20.12.2004
and
further
it
was
agreed
to
provide
all
other
amenities,
regarding this harbour expansion work is to be provided by the state government of Tamil Nadu. 85
The Colachel sea is 600 meter in length and 19 meter in deep. Though Colachel is situated in a place where ship can be reached easily from Western Harbours. For the past some years when the force of the wind over the Colachel seashore is tested, it is seen about more symptom of rough wind. A series of rocks situated in the Colachel sea is the reason for its natural realities. By these rocks only in part days import and export were being conducted. In Tamil Nadu the only natural harbour is Colachel. The total area of Kanyakumari district is 6684.4 sq. kilometer. The 44 fisherman
villages of
Arokiapuram
of
Kanyakumari
District
Kanyakumari
Leepuram. is
68
The
District total
is
length
Kilometer.The
from of
Nerodi
to
seashore
in
seashore of
Colachel,
combined with
Kottilpadu and
Colachel
fisherman
village
is
3
kilometer in length.86
85 86
C.Varadarajan M.A “Colachel an Historical Reasearch” 2005 p107 Ibid.
Colachel And Salt Plant;
In Colachel the total area of Salt Plant is 95 acres. Now the
reduced
area
of
Salt
Plant
which
is
encroached
by
the
encroachers is almost closed, because of lease problem. In 1891 and 1892 also salt plant was temporary closed. Mr. Velu Pillai has written in his book of Trivancore Government about the office of Deputy Ferishcar functioning and issuing and
supervising
history
of
salt
administration
Kanyakumari
District
are
says
Licence produce salt his
duty.
about the
The
salt
written
plant
of
Rajakkamangalam and Colachel which are in existence from olden days. The
production
of
salt
is
one
of
major
product
of
Kanyakumari District. In Kerala, the need of salt is fulfilled by the salt plants of Kanyakumari District. From Kanyakumari to Colachel some 3,000 men are involved in Salt production. The salt
plants
of
Thamaraikulam,
Puthalam, Kovalam,
Palkulam,
Thatarippu,
Rajakkamangalam
and
Colachel are
the
major
salt
plants of Kanyakumari District. Now the salt plant of Colachel is not functioning. The 95 acres of salt plant is encroached by the encrochers. Moreover if the salt plant which are closed of lease problem is taken up by the Government, it will be helpful for the development of Colachel municipality. Moreover when the water of Bampuri Channel is stored in the salt plant by Converting
it into big pond. The
people of Colachel will be more thankful for this. 87 The alum at Colachel was temporarily closed in 1067 M.E (189192) and remaining alum’s were placed under the personal supervision of the Deputy perishlcar salt culture was carried on the licensees under the supervision of this officer till the organization of the Excise Department in1080 M.E (1904 – 5). 88 Salt Manufactures is an old time industry mainly concentrated in Kanyakumari and Colachel areas. These salt factories are known as ‘Aloms’
which
ThattarippuOdai
three on
the
are
located
in
variyur,
palkalam
cast coast and remaining factories
Rajakkamangalam and in Colachel areas along the west coast. 89
Fisheries;
and in
Fishing is an important source of livelihood in the district. The Maritime district of kanyakumari has a coast line of 68km,covering west and east coasts Including Colachel there are about 44 villages along the Kanyakumari coast, in which Fishing is predominant.
The
total population of the fisherfolk in 1986 was 1,14,897.
87
C.Varadarajan M.A “Colachel an Historical Reasearch” 2005 p117 The Government of Travancore Vol.III – P 46 89 Kanyakumari district Gazeteer p376 88
About 510 mechanized and 12, 737 non-mechanized fishing crafts are available in the district. This total annual average catch of fish is around 62, 400 tones, which contributes app. 25% of the total catch of state. 90 There is an Asst. Director of fisheries Fishing Training center is situated in Colachel for the development of fisheries in Colachel coast area. A verity of Fish is exported to Sri Lanka
and plantains,
vegetables, coconut, timber, pepper and rubber are sect to Kerala. And other parts of Tamilnadu Coir products cashew kernels and brushes are exported to foreign countries. 91
90
Short notes on kanyakumari and sealonal condition 1987-88, collector of kanyakumari and Director of fisheries, Report Dated 25 Dec 1988 Madras. 91 Census of India, 1981, kanyakumari district census Hand Book page P14,15.
COLACHEL MUNICIPALITY Origin of Municipality; Colachel administration, Travancore
was in king.
under
the
the
rule
of
Kings
Pandiyas,
Colachel
was
under
period
When
Administration by area-wise. Colachel the villages. Panchayath
of
King
Village Aai
and
Panchayat
was big in size including
This can be seen in a inscription “as Colachel well”
inscripted
in
a
common
well
at
Panavilai,
Colachel. 92 Colachel, a port – town on the western coast, was constituted as a municipality as early as 1920. the financial condition of the municipality is not sand, with the result that it still continues to remain as a third grade municipality. The jurisdiction of this municipality
spreads over as area of 5.78 aq.km. The population as per the 1981 census is 23,124 and in 1988 the approximate population is 27,000.93 In
the
year
1930,
Town
Development
formed in Colachel and Padmanabhapuram.
Committee
was
The President of the
Committee has the power to eradicate control and inspect about contagious diseases.
92 93
C.Varadarajan M.A “Colachel an Historical Reasearch” 2005 p140 Gazetteers of india,1995, Kanyakumari District, M.Gopala Krishnan B.com
In
1920
by
implementing
new
act
Madras District Municipality Act and 1891
based
upon
1884,
Punjab Municipality
Act, in Colachel, Nagercoil, Padmanabhapuram and Kuzhithurai by Travancore Kings, the said town were elevated to the grade of municipality. By this act the municipalities are empowered to maintain the
road
street,
forming
street
registering
birth
lights, and
General death,
Health
Cleaning
education,
the
constructing
common garden and forming entertainment parks, within the area of municipality.
In 1946, commissioner was appointed by forming
Town Development Committee in the fore towns. the Kanyakumari District written history.
This is seen in
In 1920
when Colachel Municipality
94
was under Travancore
– Cochin Region it was started with Third Grade Municipality. Soon after the Tamil
Nadu,
re-union of this
Kanyakumari District. with mother
Colachel
Kanyakumari District.
Municipality
Thereafter
among the Municipalities of
also
united
with
this was started functioning one
Tamil Nadu.
This is away from 22
kilometers from Nagercoil, the capital of Kanyakumari District. Now
this
Municipality
is
upgraded
to
the
2 nd
Grade
by
Municipality G.O.No.85, dateds 22.08.1998. 94
Report from the Commissioner, Colachel Municipality, Dated 31 July 1987.
Then
onwards
Municipality.
it
is
functioning
as
the
2 nd
Grade
The details of fund allotted by State and Central
Government for the development of Colachel Municipality in the year from 1995-2003. 95
Functions Of Municipality; The ward
municipality
denote
the self governance of a
town.
In our country more than 1500 Municipalities are there.
State
to
state
municipalities
the
his
population
town
of
municipality
differs.
The
are governed by the municipality act enacted by
the State Government. any
number
or
The state has the right to announced
small
town
should be between
as
a
municipality.
5000 to 50000.
Its
total
In town the
professions
occupied
agriculture.
In many state the municipalities are divided into
three or four
by
the
people
is
mostly
based
an
kind based on the population and the income.
Administration: (i) Jurisdiction; Colachel town was formed on 1920, when it was under Travancore.
Cochin administration still 2002 Colachel Municipality
acted as 3rd grade Municipality and from 2003 it converted to 2nd grade. 95
C.Varadarajan M.A “Colachel an Historical Reasearch” 2005 p140
About 5.18 Sq.km over an area is under Jurisdiction of Colachel Municipality. (The Jurisdiction of this municipality spreads over an area of 5.78 Sq.Km). The population as per the 2001 census is 23535. Male 11902 and Female 11633.
The shadule Caste/Shadule tribes was
about 584 Male 274, Female 310. form total population. 96 (ii) Municipal Council;
Every Municipality has own form of administration.
This
municipal counsel have the membership of members who are elected from various wards.
These municipal
counsel also have
the reservation of schedule costs, schedule tribes,
Backward and
women. The post of Municipal Chairman also is reserved for the
said people.
There is a provision in the municipality to provide
representation to the Members of Parliament, State Assembly and Union Chairman with the right of voting. Colachel Municipality also had an Constructed Municipal Council. (a) Council: The Municipality has been divided into 24 wards. From this eight wards was reserved for womens and one for S.C women respectively and the other 16 is a General ward. 97 Everyone has the right to Vote for his or her right Candidate. 96 97
Annual Report of Colachel Municipality. Gazetteers of india,1995, Kanyakumari District
(b) Municipal Election: Municipal Election was conducted for the Municipality in February 1986.
The voters have directly elected the chairman of Municipal
Council and also the councilors as in the case of the other Municipalities.98 People of colachel elected their candidate in case of Councilors and Chair Person.
(iii) Functions of Council; As in other municipalities, various committees. Have been formed among the councilors, various committees have been formed among the Councillors Such as Appointment Committee, Contract Committee, Appellate Committee, etc and each committee, discharge its function.There are 24 wards in the Municiplaity and each is
represented by a Councilor.Various committees such as contract commitees etc. have been formed from among the councillers. During the Year 1985-86, 10 meetings were contected,118 subjects discussed and resolution passed. In the year 1986-87, 25 meetings were conducted decision taken on 282 subjects. In the next year (1987-88), 20 meetings were conducted and 243 resolution passed. 99
98 99
Ibid p 745 Ibid
(iv) Present Administration; (a) Municipal Chairman: Every Vice
President,
people. years.
Municipal Council the
Municipal
has its own Chairman and
Chairman
is
elected
directly
by
The Chairman and Vice President have their office for 5 Organising
counsel
and
counsel
are
the
Municipal
regulating being
done
all
Counsel,
other by
the
works
presiding related
Municipal
to
over
the
municipal
Chairman.
The
Municipal Chairman supervise the finance and executive function of
the
counsel.
municipality
register
The and
Chairman other
has
records.
the The
rights
to
Chairman
verify could
demand any information regarding the Town Administration. Under the chairman ship of Mr. A. Nazeer100 Consist of 24 Municipal Councilors, ruing
from 2003 from this wards 8 woman councilors and 1 ward
belongs to schedule caste.
(b) Commissionar: Every known
as
Department.
Municipality
has
Commissioner.
its He
executive
belongs
to
officer,
State
He is appointed by State Government.
transferred any time.
In various
duties of Commissioner are same.
100
own
Annual Report 2004.
Municipalities, the
he
is
Employment He can be powers and
He
had the power to municipal
implement
counsel.
The
the copy
resolution of
of
the
resolutions
are
sent to the related officers by the Commissioner. He
executes
agreements,
Notification
Permission
and Licence are issued by the Commissioner. helped the Chairman in preparing
He
the programme.
He prepare the Budget of the Municipality and it is
being
employees maintain
implemented. of the
the
supervises
municipalities,
documents
should supervise the
He
of
the
collection
of
if
duty
is
of
Commissioner.
the 2003
tax
and
rents. to the
Chairman
through
Annual
of
-04
to
municipality. He
In the financial loss and bribes of taken knowledge
the
report
the
Colachel
Municipality shows that Mr.J.Alphonse Municipality engineers ends
on
the
period
1.04.2003
to
17.06.2003,
Mr. K.
Raveendran Sworn up on 18-6-2003 to 31.3.2004 as the Municipal Commissioner in Colachel Municipality.101
Planned Municipality; From 1995 to 1996 some Lakhs of rupees was allotted by State and Central Government for the development of Colachel Municipality.
Sum of rupees 2 Lakhs
25 thousand was allotted
for the M.P.S. Constituency development plan and sum of rupees
2
lakhs
8
thousand
was
allotted
the
plan
of
eradication
of
poverty.
101
Annual Report 2004.
From 1996 to 1997, sum of rupees 40 lakhs was allotted on behalf of State Government for the development of basic needs, sum of rupees 3 lakhs , 45 thousand was allotted f or the plan recommended by 11th finance committee, sum of lakhs
was
allotted
Legislative Assembly Rs.3
lakhs
was
Rs.10
for the development of the Constituency of and the Constituency
allotted
for
the
Development Plan,
development
of
Integrated
Backward Development Sector and Rs.1 lakhs 45 thousand was allotted for flood relief and thousand
relief funds.
Then
1 lakh and 90
was allotted on behalf of the Central
Government for
the development of M.P.Constituency Development Plan
Rs.3 lakhs
55 thousand was allotted for Nehru
Eradication
Employment
and
Poverty.
From 1997-1998, Rs.4 lakhs 22 thousand was allotted on behalf of State Government for the development of basic needs and Rs.2 lakhs
3 thousand was allotted for the development of
11th financial committee plan.
Then Rs.7 lakh 30 thousand was
allotted for the plan of Assembly Constituency Development and
sum of Rs.16 lakhs and 50 thousand was allotted for food relief and famine and In the year 1997-1998 on behalf of Central Government sum of 9 lakhs 50 thousand National Cottage
was allotted for the upliftment of
Development Plan and sum of Rs.7 lakhs 45
thousand was allotted. From 1998 to 1999 sum of Rs.16 lakh 40 thousand was allotted on behalf of the State Government
for the development
of basic needs and sum of Rs.4 lakhs 80 thousand was allotted for the lakhs
plan of 11 th
20
Assembly
thousand
financial was
constituency
thousand
was
recommended
allotted
for
development
allotted
for
the
the plan
plan.
Sum Rs.5
upliftment
of
and
lakh
Rs.5
development
of
State 41 plan
recommended by State financial committee and Rs.4 lakhs was allotted for flood relief and famine.
On behalf of the Central Government sum
of Rs.11 Lakhs
was allotted for the upliftment of National Cottage Development Plan.
Sum of Rs.20 lakhs was allotted for Golden Jubilee Urban
Employment
Plan.
Sum
of
Rs.one
lakh
was
allotted
upliftment of M.Ps Constituencies Development Plan.
for
the
From 1999 to 2000 sum of Rs.20 Lakhs was behalf
of
Transport
the
State
sum
of
recommendation was
allotted
Development allotted
Rs.14
of
for
Government
10th
the
Plan.
for
the
lakhs
for
the
was
upliftment
allotted
financial community.
upliftment of State Sum
of
Rs.2
plan of
lakh
allotted on
for
the
of
Road
Plan
of
Sum of Rs.2 lakh
Assembly Constituency 91
thousand
was
recommendation of State Financial
community. Rs.2 lakhs 45 thousand was allotted for the plan of surcharge
over
the
Sales
Tax.
On
behalf
of
the
Central
Government in the year 1999 to 2000 sum of Rs.12 lakhs was allotted for the upliftment of National Cottage Development Plan. Rs.1 lakh 58 thousand was allotted for the Plan of Golden Jubilee Urban Employment Scheme.
Rs. one lakh was allotted for the
upliftment of M.Ps Constituencies Development Plan.
From 2000 to 2001 on behalf lakhs of rupees were Road
Development
Development Assembly
Plan,
allotted. Plan, Rs.2
of
State Government some
Rs.30 lakhs were allotted to the
Rs.one Lakh
for
lakh the
was
allotted
upliftment
of
Bar State
Constituency Development Plan. Rs.2 lakh 40 thousand
for the plan of recommended State Financial community. Rs.10 lakhs was allotted for the upliftment of daily market.
From Rs.12
2000-2001 on behalf of Central Government
Lakh
was
allotted
for the upliftment of
sum
of
National Cottage
development. Rs.2 lakh 70 thousand was allotted for the
Golden
Jubilee Urban Employment Scheme and Rs.6 lakh was allotted for the upliftment of M.P. Constituency development plan. From 2001-2002 on behalf of the State Government sum of Rs.1 lakh
was allotted for the development of bar needs and
Rs.7 lakhs 73 thousand was for the plan of recommendation 11 th financial committee and Rs.2 lakhs 98 thousand was allotted for the upliftment of State Assembly Constituency Development. On
behalf
of
the
Central
Government for
the
Plan
and
Golden Jubilee Urban Employment Scheme sum of Rs. one lakh 38 thousand was allotted and sum of
Rs.3 lakh
was allotted for
the upliftment of M.P.Constituency development plan. From sum
Rs.
2002 to 2004 on behalf of the State Government 1
recommended
lakh by
88 11th
thousand financial
thousand was allotted for flood
was
allotted
committee
and
for
the
Rs.2
lakh
Plan 21
relief and famine and Rs.8 lakh
28 thousand was allotted for the upliftment of State Assembly Constituency. In
the
year
2002
to
2003
on
behalf
of
the
Central
Government sum Rs.22 thousand was allotted for the Golden
Jubilee Urban employment scheme and Rs.5 lakhs
was allotted
for he upliftment of M.P Constituency development.102
102
Annual Reports of Colacel Municipality.
(v) Financial Condition; The annual income of the municipality from various sources during the year 1957 -58 was Rs 33, 772, It rose to Rs 44,890 in the year 1961 –62. The following Extract table gives some details of Annual income of Colachel Municipality upto 1987-88.103 Year
Annual Income(in rupees)
1975-76
2,98,701
1976-78 1986-87 1987-88
3,54,108 14,34,979 26,93,699
(a) Financial Sources; There is a daily market namely
“Ambedkar Daily market”
belonging to this municipality, Inside the Market Mutton stalls and Vegetables stalls is also on control, which is leased out every year. During 1986 – 87, it was leased out to Rs 24, 076,
The lease of the shops in Colachel “Kamaraj Bus Stand” fetched Rs 17, 288 during the year 1986-87, municipality maintaining a ‘Pay Latin’ inside the bus stand. There is also a fish market run by this municipality – the lease of which fetched Rs 7,000 during the year 1986 – 87.
103
Gazetteers of india,1995, Kanyakumari District p746
The Municipality maintains a siren which is switched on to herald the time. And an Television in Municipality premises. For the People but recently it was not in vision.
Duties of Municipality Water Supply; The Colachel Muncipality does not have any major protected water supply system.
However there are two over head tanks.
(According to Annual report 1995 -90 there are three tanks nearby (i) Daily market (ii) ‘Kottai’ Street (iii) Pottal Street). The sources of the water Supply Scheme is vettumadai, a natural spring. There are three pumping stations to fill the Overhead Tanks. maintains 3 public fountains.
The municipality
It has given domestic water Supply
connections to 143 louses.
The quantum of drinking water supplied
per day is 32,500-lakh liters Besides this system, there are 5 deep tube wells, 7 open wells and 26 land pumps in the Municipality.
Under the Drought relief programme during the year 1986, 18 deep tube wells have been sunk, perampuri vaikkal, a rivulet, running through the Outskirts of the town, is a source of drinking water to the municipal town. The water charge levied by the Municipality, is Rs 1 per 1000 litre for domestic purpose and Rs 2 for commercial purposes. According to the Municipality the water supply system caters to theneeds of only one third of the total population of the municipality. A new Water Supply Scheme, - “Kuzhithurai river combined Water supply Scheme” for Rs 148 lakhs, is under investigation by the Tamil Nadu water Supply and drainage Board (TNWSDB).
104
if this
scheme is implemented successfully, the entire population of this Municipality will be benefited.
Roads; The Movement of Vehicles in the municipal area is more frequent, since it has a major port within its limits. It maintains blacktopped and metal roads to the total length of 9.303 km and 11.142 km
respectively besides earthen road to the length of 1.350 km.105 There is also no NH 47 Connected roads under control of Colachel Municipality. Street Lights; The Street light is maintained by Municipality. Mostly the town is lighted in gloomy by Street Tube Light nowadays. The street of the town was provided with 13 mercury Vapour lamps and 404 tube lights by the Municipality. The total expenditure incurred by the municipality towards maintenance of the these street light during the year 1986 -87 is Rs 1,86,809.106 104
A report from the managing Director, TWAD Board, Madras dated 12 January 1989. Kanyakumari District, Gazetteers p746 106 Ibid. 105
Public Health; The following staff of the municipality looks after the public health of this town: 1. Selection Grade sanitary Inspector -1, 2. Sanitary Supervisors -4 3. Sanitary Assistant-1 4. Sanitary Workers – 22 The municipality maintains a maternity center, which is staffed with a Maternity Assistant, and an Ayah. There are four flush out latrines and eighteen urinals in the town under the maintenance of the
Municipality.
There is also a compost yard to deposit the trash and
other wastage’s collected from the streets of the town.
The manure produced in the yard fetched an income of Rs 1680 during the year 1986-87.The municipality does not have storm – water drainage system, until recently. The construction of storm water drainages for port streets. Market streets and Colachel Adi – Dravidar Colony roads have Since been completed by April 1988.107 There are also rain – water canods dug under the self sufficiency Scheme. 107
Ibid.
A Short Story of Colachel Municipality; 108 Area:
5.18 5q Km.
LOC:
South--Saiman Bridge, SouthernWest--Kazhimhar, North--Vettumadai, NorthernWest--Velliyakulam, And in East--Thiruvalluor Road. Male
:11902,
Female
: 11633, Total : 23,535
Blocks
:
30
Total Wards
:
24
Ladies Wards
:
08
General/SC/ST
:
01
Water tanks overhead
:
07
Electric Motors
:
09
General Nalli’s
:
115
Housing Water Supply
:
2515
Total Annual Income (App.)
: Rs 90 Lakhs.
Total Annual expenditure (App.)
: Rs 115 Lakhs
Street lights: tube lights
:
1174
:
65
Metal roads
:
1.8.59 K.m
Dhar roads
:
13.6.23 K.m
Cement roads
:
3.9.59 K.m
Sea Shore distance
:
3 Km
Rivers
:
2 (i) A.V.M Canal
:Sodium vapour lamp
(ii) Phranpuri Pond
:
Velliyakulam
108
Daily Market
:
1AmbedkarDailyMarket
Bus stand
:
1Kamaraj Bus stand.
C.Varadarajan M.A “Colachel an Historical Reasearch” 2005 p118, Population – Census report of 2000
Education At Colachel
Education is the Base for every promotional activities of Human Being, It is an ‘Informative’ tool for communication. Ancient people were the teacher of exist Knowledge power, information etc. Initially they were well known people in ‘Circles’ and ‘Squares’. ‘Ellora’ cave is good example for thy. Thou every person need an instrument to pass message, They need an routed literature. Thus the people can communicate with one another. In India, it is believed that the routed education was comes through British. Never being Colachel could be caught by it.
The Arrival of British and their spreading of religion among th e people through education make a social reformation among them. In Colachel there would be various educational institutions functio ning.
During their period here must be a flourished
education. But nowadays These are getting erased without any information. The present educatio nal institution of Colachel are HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL, V.K.P. Higher Secondary School. St. Mari Annai Hr. Sec. School. HI GH SC HOOL, Govt. High School, Elappavilai. M I D D L E S C H OO L , Govt. Middle School, Colachel. St. Alex Middle School, Kottilpadu. P RI MAR Y S C H O O L , Govt. Girls Primary School. Govt. L.M. Area Primary School. Govt. Primary School, Sasthankarai . St. Anne Primary School, Kallimar.
E N G L I S H M ED I U M S CH OO L S , Orient Metric School, Harbour Road. Joseph Metric School, Sasthankarai. St. Anne Metric School, Kallimar. Carmel Jothi School, Velliyakulam. Hindu Puplic School, Main Road. Kharunya Hindu Garden Sasthankarai. 109
109
Ibid. p135.
Colachel – A Center for National Integration
‘Religion is Believe’ . Religion is word formed from Latin Name ‘Re-Liger’ means ‘Combining’. The integrate the people in one path. All religion in the world does this similar duty. Option of choosing would vary but Mind of Believe is one. There is more than thousand of oldest religion in the world. All this speaking
about LOVE, FAITH, and
AFFECTION.
All Religion in the World is Best. Everyone has it Belief and Duties, Searching of the Almighty is an Spiritual Dominant of every
Human. In this life Religion calls people to learn some lesson. It Vary among the people but all this ends in a narrow path of attaining Peace. Widely speaking the term Religion is Combining the World’.
In Colachel there is various people of, various Language, various Culture and Belonging to various Religion. These people tempted into Religion for a Vast period. Temples utilized as Court, Shelter, and intently Worship Place, Mosques obeys as ‘Place of Victory’, and Churches as growing culture and education.
Temples, Mosque and
Churches is an good example for this. 110
110
Ibid. p126.
Comparative research about this town’s Religion indicates that it has, been known for its vital role in Politics, Business, History and Pilgrims. The king Cheraman Perumal had passed through this tiny town when he went to Mecca to embrace Islam after witnessing the moon splitting miracle. It was part of the Travancore State until 1956 before it merged with Tamil Nadu. This Muslim town has a Juma Masjid known as Valiya Palli, The rocky stones Valiya Palli had more than 1200 years old.
It
was
designed
and
constructed
by
Malik
Ibn
Deenar
(Rahmathulla Alaihi), a contemporary disciple of the Holy Prophet Muhammed (Sal). 111
Sivan Temple in Northern Part of Colachel was had an age of by Marthanda Varma Maharaja who ruled Travancore. Contemporary to Valiya Palli there is a Temple for Lord Pillayar (Vinhayagar Kovil–Keezhatharu.) in Colachel. Several years ago It is belived that ‘Sea Water’ was used for ‘Lamp’ instead of Oil in an Temple Called ‘Thagaraparambu Kovil’ and in a Mosque ‘Akkarai Palli’ near to Seashore.112 Churches also has an vital role in Literature of Colachel History. In the year 1818,charles Mead landed at Colachel Mead continued the work which was left out by Ringeltaube.
Mead did the work in a small palm flatted shed at
kottananvillay. which is a place between Mondaikaud and Colachel. The first man who was converted as Christian was Muthuvel. 112 111 112
Prof. Mohamed Noohu , Kesari Bala Krishna Pillai, Charithrathin Adi Verkal (Malayalam). Rabi Gnandhas, “Mondaikaud church sovenier”.
Worshiping Places; I.Hindu Temples: (Ward Wise) 1.
Pattirakhali Amman Kovil – Kalliyadappu. Narayana Swamy Kovil – Kalliyadappu.
2.
Narayana Swamy Kovil – Tumbaikkadu. Eranaveerabatra Khaliyamman Kovil - Main Road. Narayana Swamy Kovil – MhadanaVillai. Padmanaba Swamy Kovil – MhadanaVillai. Paremeshwari Amman Kovil. –Vellankatti.
3.
Muthu Mari Amman Kovil – Chekkalatheru. Elanghimudhu Isakki Amman Kovil – Chekkalatheru. MuttaraAmman Kovil – Chekkalatheru.
4.
Thaladattu Ishakki Amman Kovil – Keezhatharu. Keezhatharu Ishakki Amman Kovil – Keezhatharu. Vinhayagar Kovil – Keezhatharu.
7.
Sivan Kovil – SambasivaPura.
16.
MuttaraAmman Kovil – Khalimar.
17.
MahaVishnu Kovil – Khalimar. Sivan Kovil – Khalimar. Shastha Kovil – Chingan Khavu.
19.
Muthu Kumara Swamy Kovil – Velliyakuzam.
20.
Muttharamman Kovil – PuzhiyamuttuVilai.
24.
UcchiKhazhiyamman Kovil – Narikkal. Eshakkiamman Kovil – Narikkal. 113
II.Islamic Mosques: 1.
Jumma Palli - MhalikDeenar Palli.
2.
Mughaideen Palli - SeaShore Road.
3.
Rifai Palli – Elappavailai.
4.
Akkarai Palli or Mhahan Vapphu Hussain Palli.
5.
Meeraniya Palli – Near Anna Statue.
113
C.Varadarajan M.A “Colachel an Historical Reasearch” 2005 p127
III.Christian Churches: 1.
Holy Alex Church.
2.
Khanikkai Matha Church.
3.
Holy Susaiappar Alaiyam.
4.
Hakkar C.S.I Church - Weavers Street.
5.
C.S.I Church Main Road.
In accordance with spiritual places the people of Colachel, Believes All are equal and they celebrate the functions equally. 114
They coincide among each other, Respect of Religion is Respect to God.
Proverb for the people of Colachel. Thou several Riot
happened in the Past, Forgotten is progress, People integrate themselves for the promotion of Home Land.
114
Ibid. p128.
The Monuments of The History of Colachel
(i) The Victory Pillar; The Victory Pillar (illu 1) errected by King Marthandavarma is the monuments, which says about the 18th century victory over dutch people This victory pillar was whole made with Granite. And the height of the pillar is 15 feet’s.
The basement of the pillar is
made of Granite. Above the basement the pillar is made of one while Granite stone. And above that a stone bearing the ‘Sangu Zeal’ of Trivancore king is there.
In Colachel Sea, the symptom of Cyclone will be announced by hoisting flags. This was practised from the past. There was a light to show the way for the ships and now this is not in use.
(ii) Tole Gate; The Boundaries
of
Colachel
is covered
with more villages.
There is a public well at Panavilai with western part of salt plant. It is
told
by
a
80
years
old
man.
The fisherman village
of
Vanniyakudy is a well known business center of olden days.
Now the western Boundary of Colachel is Kalimar Bridge. The boundary of salt plant within. The end of salt plant for a distance of one furlong kilometer is called Tole gate.
In the meaning of
Customs Tax, Customs entry the English word Tole and Gate are joint together and became Tole gate. These Tole gate of old salt plant is also called as ERUMPELI and ‘idol of Tiger’ made of iron is placed in the door of customs office. Hence it is said that it is called of ERUMPELI. 115
Missed Monuments; (i) Court of Colachel: After
the
regime
of
Travancore
King
Ramavarma,
Rani
Leximi Bai came to Power. She introduce some criminal laws on the basis of Dharma and laws based on east Indian Company. This laws were implemented in the year 1812. Separate court was formed to decide cases regarding government servants. A high court was formed in Trivancore to decide cases regarding money matters and criminal acts. Five subordinate court were also formed under the control of the High Court. In the High Court four Judges including a 'Thivan', two 'Brahmanas' and one Nayakar were there.In each subordinate court there are 3 Judges including two Bramanas and one Nayakkers were there. In each court there is a Police Officer, some soldiers and a jail officer were there.
115
Ibid. p122
The each
sub-ordinate
courts
Judges
directed
to
decide
cases. Which are arised within their jurisdiction. In the year 1829 during the III year of King Swathy Thirunal, Munship courts were formed
in each districts. In the year 1853
by
abolishing
the
current criminal proceedings, sessions Judges were appointed on
the basis of British Criminal Procedure. This is seen in the Book of Travancore written by Mr. Chankunni Manon about Judiciary. In the harbour place of Colachel
there is a court. This
court is situated nearby the victory stone erected at the symbol of Dutch war. From the Data's collected it is not known about the date of formation.In the year 1811, District court was formed in Kanyakumari District. 116 Before the formation of municipality, the area of Colachel and Nagercoil were as village panchayat in Kanyakumari District, at Nagercoil, Padmanabhapuram, Kuzhithurai, Colachel and Eraniel, the Court village panchayat were there.In Nagercoil there were 10 Judges and one President, in Padmanabhapuram five judges and
one
president.
In
Kuzhithurai,
three
Judges
and
one
president in Colachel117 from Judges and one President and Eraniel four Judges and one President was there.
116 117
District Gazetteer - Kanyakumari District. p653, 654 Ibid. p 657
There is a master attendant and a sub-magistrate. It was the scene of a desperate bat the fought with the Dutch in which they were completely routed in 1751 AD. 118
(ii) Colachel Prison:
Even while under the ersewhile Travancore State, there was only one sub-jail at Nagercoil. However there were lock-up at Agatiswaram, Boothapandi, Colachel, Eraniel, Kalkulam, Kottar, Kunnathur, Puthen Chantai, Tiruvattar and Vilavancode. 119
(iii) Mandabams:
During past the ruler construct mandabam in the road side to taking rest for the traders. About six mandabams were present here for past few years. But now they are got erased and two of them are remaining. One of this mandabam in the Northern Colachel near Velliyakulam, got sunk into the soil.120
118
V.Nagam Ayya , Travancore State Manual vol III p 528. District Gazetteer - Kanyakumari District. p 649-650. 120 C.Varadarajan M.A “Colachel an Historical Reasearch” - Field research. 119
The Turning Point in The History of Colachel; The Colachel has the pride of running away the Dutch people
from
the
Travancore
region,
by
destroying
the
Dutch
people’s Business dream of Colachel. In the history of Europe more men including two officers, were arrested by their enemies in the first time of Colachel. By releasing them they were used to fight against the Dutch
people
Colachel
and
war.The
Europeans.
This
Udayagiri Fort
is
one
was
of
the
pride
constructed
at
of the
supervision of delonnoied. D’elnnoy trained the kings army as the army of foreign pattern.
King
Marthandavarma
appreciating
the
service
of
Delonnoied, making king as the chief among the whole army and awarded
him,
with
an
award
of
‘Valiakappithan’. 121 The
role of
D’elnnoy is more in making Travancore as a big country by conquering places like Kollam, Kanyankulam and Cochin.
121
Ibid. p3
Another Turning Point; In contested
the in
year the
1953, Colachel
for
the
victory of
Assembly
Mr. Daniel
Constituency
on
who behalf
Congress has won the election with the influence and money
power of Mr. Mathias. If Mr. Daniel where not contested on behalf of Travancore Tamil Nadu Congress, has not won the election, the part of Kumari District would not have joint with state Tamil Nadu.117 without victory
Hence
expecting of
any
Travancore
of
Mr. Mathias by spending his own money help
from
others,
has
Tamil
Nadu
Congress.
established
By
these
the
victory
only, a part of my district was joined his mother Tamil Nadu. Colachel has the pride of sending the first women Ministry to the Tamil State Assembly. In the year 1959 when Kamaraj was the chief ministry of Tamil Nadu, 122 Colachel Assembly constituency member Mrs. Lourthammal Simon was the minister for Fisheries Department and Internal affairs.
122
District Gazetteer - Kanyakumari District.
