THE Travancore State Manual BY V. NAGAM AIYA, B. A., F. R. Hist. S.. Dewan Peishcar, Travancore. From the time of the advent of the Nayakkar forces the Travancore king was paying a tribute to the Madura kingdom. About the year 1697 A. D., owing to the disorderly state of the Madura kingdom, the Travancore king was unpunctual in remitting his usual tribute to the Nayaks treasury. As usual an army of Vadukans was sent by the Madura State to collect the arrears. This army entered Travancore through the pass near Cape Comorin. They immediately began to devas- tate the country in every direction and finally blockaded the king in Eorku- 1am (Kalkulam)* his principal fortress. The king of Travancore determin- ed to put an end to these periodical visitations of the Vadukans and also to get rid of the obnoxious factions in his own country viz., the Madampi- mars and Pillamars. With this double object, he opened negotiations with the officers of the Vaduka army, promising them that he would give them Korkulam and a few other districts if they would assist him in get- ting rid of the rebellious chiefs and lords. The Madura officers gladly accepted the offer and being placed in possession of the forts carried out their agreement by seizing and putting to death one or two of the re- fractory lords in the Trivandrum pagoda, while the others escaped or bought themselves off. But soon after, when the officers and troops of the Madura army had dispersed themselves about the town and were in great disorder, the king of Travancore collected a large army, captured the Kalkulam fortress which yielded without resistance and nearly des- troyed the Madura forces. A small body of them fled in the direction of the pass but they too were captured by the main body of the Travancore army and killed. It was about 1698 a. d., that Mangammal, the Queen-regent of Madura, actuated by a desire to repair this defeat and to exact the annual tribute which the Travancore king ceased to pay, entered on a war with Travancore and sent a large aimy under the ccrcmand of Narasappayya the Madura Dalawa. He invaded the country, conquered the Travan* core forces after hard fighting and returned to Trichinopoly with consider. able booty consisting of spices, jewels and guns. J ^ Mr. Nelson in his Manual of Madura identities Korkulam with Quilon. Thia » avidentlj ft mitUkko. The place referred to mubt be Kalkulam or Padmanabbapuram. X The Madui-a Manual, Part III. Page 226.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 15:01:47 +0000
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