Account of the royal houses of Malabar, Travancore, Cochin, the Zamorin, and Colastri—Disagreements existing between them.
IN a previous letter, I have explained the laws of succession which obtain in Malabar, from which you have gathered that the supreme authority never rests with females,* their laws in this respect resembling those of France. Great honour indeed is paid to the princesses, ample possessions set apart for them, and they are provided with a retinue of Nairs. And, as in case of a failure of heirs to the crown, the Rajah may not adopt a successor without the consent of the princesses, it has sometimes happened that by refusing this, they have for a time held the reins of Government. An instance of this occurred in the family of Signati, in which a Ranee reigned for several years: this, properly speaking, was but an interregnum. In some cases, again, the princesses and the other tributary Rajahs cannot agree as to whom they shall admit into the royal family.
There are four principal royal houses in Malabar, those of Travancore, Cochin, the Zamorin, and Colastri. In order to get a clear idea of the condition of Malabar, we must examine these in detail: for which purpose we must bear in mind the following rules.
First. That these four royal houses consist of princesses, whose sons are in the line of succession to the throne.
Second. That the eldest princess bears the title of queen mother, though it may happen that her son is not the reigning Rajah.
Third. That the minor kingdoms are called by the names of these families.
Fourth. That the first or superior Rajah being a descendant of the oldest princess, is designated by the name of the kingdom to which he belongs, though but a portion of it may be under his rule. The younger Rajahs, descended from the younger sisters, lose their family name. They are bound to obey the first, who is styled the Molpad or head.
The first of these kingdoms is Travancore in the south, which stretches along the sea coast from Cape Comorin to Porcad. Attingal, Signati, Peritalli, Ellida Seruvan, Marta, Kully Quilon, Tirkenapolie, and Panapolie are comprehended in this kingdom.
Attingal is the name of the maternal house of the Rajah of Travancore, who rules over the country lying between Tengepatnam and Paroor, three leagues south of the fortress of Quilon. Madura, which used to be comprehended in his territory, has been lately severed from it. In all Malabar there is no queen mother who possesses so much influence in public affairs as here. These Travancore Rajahs would willingly have entered into alliance with the East India Company, only they would never consent to pledge themselves to part with all their pepper to them alone; knowing that they could obtain a higher price for the article elsewhere: the Danes at Eddawa and the English at Anjengo at the present day buy it at the rate of 15 or 16 ducats per kandy, while the East India Company give only 12 ducats.
Signati is the name of the second family, descended from a younger sister of Travancore. Its territory extends from Paroor (where the East India Company have a station, established for the despatch of letters, and also as an outpost to watch over the soldiers at Quilon, lest they should attempt to desert to the English at Anjengo) to Coomaragom Politooi.
This kingdom is sub-divided into three portions, the first belonging to the Rajah, who therefore bears the name of Signati; the second to the Poele Barriatte; the third to the Goeryp of Travancore. This division originated with three co-heiresses, sisters of the house of Signati. The present Rajah of Signati is overbearing and haughty. The East India Company with difficulty keep on good terms with him, and his share in the pepper contract is performed with no good will. The fort of Quilon is situated within his territories and serves in some measure as a check upon his insolence. The country is for the most part high and rocky, and though in one direction watered by streams, it is too elevated for the cultivation of rice or paddy, but it is well wooded, and large quantities of areca nuts are dried there and forwarded to the Coast. It is also famous for its palm wine or Quilon arrack, which supplies this neighbourhood abundantly.
The Rajah of Peritalli, sprung from the third sister of Attingal, governs the district between Quilon and the mountains. Kully Quilon is at the present time united to his country by adoption. It possesses no sea coast.
Ellidaseruwan, situated between Madura and Travancore, belongs to the progeny of a younger sister of Travancore.
Marta or Carnagapoli, lying between the river of Quilon or Arooveekuray and the village of Allapan along the shore, is subject to the Rajah of Kully Quilon, its borders encroaching with irregular outline on his kingdom and on that of Signati.
Kully Quilon stretches along the Coast: a portion running inland between Quilon and Porcad. It contains a good bazaar or market place, where all kinds of wares are sold. The East India Company have a factory in the interior. At the mouth of the river there is a preventive station.
Tercunapalli Rajah is a powerful monarch of great authority; a small portion of his territory borders on Kully Quilon and Porcad, and it stretches inland to Bittimeni.
Panapoli lies in the interior behind Kully Quilon, and its family having died out, it has devolved by adoption on the Rajah of that place. This forms the extremity of the kingdom of Travancore, between which and that of Cochin is another kingdom, independent of them both.
This is called Tekkenkoor, and lies beyond the lake called the Broad River. The Rajah possesses a beautiful territory, superior to any other I have yet seen in Malabar. The level part is low, and planted with rice; in the vicinity of the mountains the land is elevated, and produces pepper, cardamom, and wax in great abundance. This country is also very populous, and possesses good roads and a fresh and pleasant climate. The Bishop Mar Gabriel resides in it, his church and dwelling being situated on a hill, along the foot of which runs a river. The Rajah lives on the other side of the river in the plain, having a neat palace, according to the native fashion. He is very courteous; and as soon as he heard from the Bishop of my arrival, he came with all haste from his country house at five miles distance to visit me, and presented me with two golden bracelets.
The second great royal house of Malabar is that of Cochin, which is to us the most noticeable, both because the capital of the East India Company, Cochin, is situated in it, and also because the Company has made a very close alliance with it, styling itself the protector of the kingdom of Cochin. As a mark of this, the Rajah wears in his crown the arms of the Company. The hereditary princes of Cochin consisted formerly of five families, which have been reduced by death to three, those of Paliat, Montata Viese, and Shalour ; these were continually quarrelling for the supreme authority, till the Portuguese mixed in the business, when the dispute burst into an open war. Montata Viese withdrew into the North, and brought all the princes of that part over to his side ; whilst Paliat and Shalour were aided by those of the South. At length the Rajah of Paliat, the last of his mother’s family, died ; when the Portuguese worked upon the queen mother to adopt a stranger of the family of Bettette and Aliver, good friends of theirs. This family became so powerful by the help of the Portuguese, that when the Rajah of the house of Shalour died, the crown fell into the hands of four bold princes, adopted sons of the house of Bettette, who compelled the princes of Shalour to take to flight, and join those of the house of Montata Viese. Their united forces could, however, find no means of recovering the kingdom and succession ; partly on account of the power of the Portuguese, and partly because the Nairs and land owners were favourable to the princes of Bettette. At length they repaired to their great enemy the Zamorin, who took advantage of the opportunity to conclude a secret treaty both with them and with the Rajahs of Northern Cochin, in which it was agreed that the house of Montata Viese should be reinstated in possession of the crown ; under promise that the latter should make compensation to the Zamorin for all the expenses he might incur during the war, and should leave in his hands, till this stipulation should be fulfilled, all the lands and strong places they might together conquer. Upon this, the Zamorin was immediately received by the lords of Narduveltenaad, Mondeenaade, Bilieasternaade, and Monnea Suta Pamboory, as Protector of their lawful sovereign. Affairs were in this state when Malabar was conquered by the East India Company ; who, having deposed the Rajah of the house of Bettette, their enemy, restored that of Montata Viese to their lawful inheritance of the kingdom of Cochin. Meanwhile a dispute arose between the Zamorin and the Rajah of Cochin, the latter demanding the restoration of the lands of all the lands belonging to his kingdom of which the former was in possession ; whilst the Zamorin maintained that by the conditions of the treaty he was not bound to comply until he had been repaid for all the expenses of the war. This dispute lasted till a war broke out between the East India Company and the Zamorin, in which the Rajah of Cochin also became involved ; when with the aid of the Company’s arms, Cranganoor being conquered, he recovered a great portion of the lands which the Zamorin had seized from him. Some other places in the Cochin territory still remained under the power of the Zamorin, but these in succeeding wars have from time to time been wrested from him. This is the foundation of the reciprocal claims of the Zamorin and the Cochin Rajah on each other, which have continually kindled wars between them.
These events show the dangers of adopting a son among the princes of a strange family ; for this is often the cause of desperate wars, the weaker party seeking and finding assistance from the stronger. It is also to be apprehended, if a powerful prince of another family is adopted into that of Cochin, that the Rajah of that country will become too powerful for the East India Company, and that thus the title of Protector, which it now bears, would be an empty one ; and more than this, if that Rajah should ever become superior in power to the Zamorin, instead of being, as he now is, inferior, he might lose his respect for our arms, and even go to war with us.
The territories of the Rajah of Cochin are of considerable extent ; to him appertain the island of Cochin, and a great portion of the higher country, but it is all so much broken up and divided that it is impossible to determine accurately the boundaries of his kingdom. To him have devolved :—
Mouton, bounded by Porcad on the south, and on the north by the free lordship of Paliat ; to it belong also some districts on the other side of the great river. Mouton has fallen into the possession of the family of Cochin through adoption.
Coeronaad, a territory of great extent which has devolved upon Cochin, extending along the mountain chain to the district of the seven Caimals, and terminating on the river bank opposite to Cochin, called in the country by the name of Antjecaimals. Two market days are held there weekly, when the Canarese and Jews purchase provisions for themselves and for the inhabitants both within and without the city, consisting of butter, rice, fruit, salt, &c.
Vypeen, an island just opposite the city, bounded on one side by the sea, on the other by the river, where most of the Topasses live and have their principal church. This island affords a pleasant prospect to the city, being well planted with cocoanut trees; it runs up as far as Aicotte, and is about 4 leagues in length. The deaconry has some property on this island, and another portion belongs to the Rajah; but the greater part is the possession of the Paliat, who is considered the lord of the island.
Cranganoor, a small kingdom belonging to the Rajah of that name. Here the East India Company possesses a small fort, which in the time of the Portuguese was a town; in former days the Zamorin’s palace was here, but he has been gradually expelled from the place. The Rajah of this place is poor, and therefore of small consideration.
Iyroor, the royal family of Cranganoor which possesses in the south Pooden and Jatecoil, and in the east Marianki, and other lands belonging to Cochin.
Besides these, Cochin has four tributary Rajahs, who are considered the pillars of the kingdom. These princes are independent, but are bound to respect the Rajah as their chief, who settles the disputes of the kingdom, and whom they must aid against the common enemy. They may, however, have private wars amongst themselves, and even against the Rajah. Their names are Porcad and Berkenkoer in the south of Cochin, and Paroor and Mangatti in the north.
Porcad is subject to a spiritual prince. It was formerly governed by twelve Brahmins, one of whom in the end raised himself to the throne, in the following manner. The eleven eldest Brahmins were in the habit of making a butt of the youngest, whom they treated as half-witted. Their victim not knowing how to defend himself, acted like a second Brutus, resolving in his own mind to have his revenge in due time. At length, it happened that 2,000 Nairs, having on some dissatisfaction, deserted from the Zamorin, went about offering their services, and were every where refused. But, they came to Porcad, and offered themselves to the twelve Brahmins, as chance would have it, the eleven elder ones were all together at the time, and sent them in jest to the youngest, who was bathing, telling the soldiers he was their chief. The Nairs did as they were bid, and going to the youngest Brahmin, informed him that the others had sent them to him as their chief. He, understanding their mockery, seized the opportunity for his own advantage, to revenge himself for their insults. He informed the soldiers that he was the chief, and that he would take them into his service on condition that they should obey him before all others, and perform all his commands; he then promised them rich rewards if they would put the eleven other Brahmins to death. The soldiers consenting joyfully, he led them straight to the pagoda, where the other Brahmins were collected. He then commanded them to perform their business, and the words were scarcely said when it was done. His eleven companions being dead, he took the key of the pagoda, opened it, took out the treasure box, paid the soldiers liberally, and made himself monarch. In this dignity he and his heirs have maintained themselves to the present day. His deed was one which may well be likened to that of Brutus, with whom I have already compared him. The country of Porcad is very productive of rice and all the necessaries of life, so that this Rajah is one of the wealthiest in Malabar; he has not however many Nairs, in the place of whom he is served by Chegos. The Company’s factory in this place has fallen into decay, being as it were swallowed up by the sea; a new one should be erected there; but, as the Rajah wishes that it should be on the model of the old one, whilst the Commandant desires to have a good factory, adapted both for a dwelling and for a pepper-magazine, the work has been up to this time suspended. The Rajah begins now, however, to lower his tone, as they withhold the pepper grants from him, and threaten to remove the factory to Chanamungalom, to which place the pepper can easily be conveyed over the great river from Tekkenkoor and Berkenkoor. Porcad lies between Tekkenkoor, Berkenkoor and Kully Quilon.
Berkenkoor lies nearer to Cochin than Porcad, abutting on one side on the great river and on the other mountains; it is the second royalty of the kingdom, and produces pepper, cardamom, and wax.
In the north of Cochin and in the interior, lie Paroor and Mangatti; they are close together, Paroor being nearer the coast in the direction of Cranganoor. Paroor is a powerful, ecclesiastical Rajah. His country is fruitful in rice, cattle and other articles of food. The present Rajah is prudent and crafty, and lives in friendship with the Commandant Hertenberg; though, during the late war, the former Commandant mistrusted him, fearing that he had a secret understanding with the Zamorin: this however has never been proved.
Mangatti is the fourth and last royalty of the kingdom of Cochin, extending from Paroor to the mountains. In this country is the renowned river of Mangatti, where the Portuguese had formerly a celebrated bathing place, called Fiera d’Alva,* respecting which they held some superstition ; higher up there is a no less celebrated spot, to which several native Christians resort on a certain day, to be cleansed and sprinkled with the water. Some of the Romanists assert that this river was derived from the Jordan, others that it cured all sicknesses, and even that it cleansed linen without being washed ; nonsense which is not worth contradicting. It is indeed true that the water of this river is purer and more wholesome than any other hereabouts, and that those who drink it do not often get the Cochin disorder ; the ships of the East India Company, and the principal personages here, are furnished with it. In the hot season many people go to this river for the sake of bathing, and erect booths along the shores, or on the sandy spots which are met with here and there. On one of these spots stands a heathen pagoda, made only of olas, in which they celebrate their religious services during the fine season ; as the rainy season approaches, when the waters rise, this temple is removed. From this it would seem that the heathens also have some superstition regarding this river. In this kingdom are two families, those of Bettette and Kartatavyd, one of the latter house being the present Rajah, though that of Bettette is otherwise the most powerful.
Having thus described the two first royal houses, we will give a cursory glance on the two remaining : those of the Zamorin and of Colastri, both situated in the north.
The former is a very powerful monarch whose influence has been much exalted by his arms, though at the present day his splendour has been considerably diminished in consequence of the wars waged upon him by the East India Company. He has a numerous and brave army, in which respect he is superior to all the other princes, who consequently are much in dread of him ; but it is quite a fiction to say that he is master of Malabar. Under him are—Onneterie, comprising the country behind Cranganoor as far as the river of Chetwa, which was formerly subject to the Zamorin and a portion of his kingdom, and here was situated his fort of Paponette ; but in the war of 1716 he was driven from the whole of this country, which fell into the hands of the Company, who possess here enough fields of rice, to feed almost the whole garrison.
There is a new fort built in the corner of the country at the mouth of the river Chetwa, called Fort William, intended as a defence against the enterprises of this Rajah.
Palingery Nairo, situated on the opposite bank of the Chetwa river and stretching in the north close to the river Ponany.
Repoecoil in the south, bordered by the country of Panepacoil and extending in the north as far as Calicut. Here the maternal house of the Zamorin reside, and the Rajah has his residence and court at Ponany, where the Company also have a station and maintain an accountant to keep a watch over the mercantile proceedings of the Zamorin, and to give intelligence of what passes to the Commandant.
Tameras Gerye, which is situated south of Calicut, and is bounded on the north by the territory of Geringal Namboori. This is the last of the Zamorin’s provinces towards the sea shore.
Geringal Namboori is a spiritual lord, whose lands extend from Balenoor in the kingdom of Colastri in the north, to the river Cottesal. The most famous pirates inhabit his territories who make prey of vessels engaged in the inland navigation between Calicut and Cananoor, and even advance beyond Calicut to the borders of Cochin. They are called Cotta Marrekarre.
The fourth and last royal family of Malabar, named Colastri, was compelled by force of arms to conclude an alliance with the East India Company, when they deprived the Portuguese by craft of Cananoor; since which time they have remained good friends, though they would never engage in the pepper contracts. The best cardamom is found in this kingdom; this, which is round in form and more delicate in taste than the other species, is the only kind which the East India Company buy for exportation to Europe and elsewhere. The royal family consists of four branches, of which the present representatives, both male and female, are so numerous that they live in great poverty for the most part, though it is true that the state is well managed and that it possesses a good army: knowing this, the Zamorin seldom ventures to invade this kingdom, and the Rajah of Maisjoer, who is lord of an extensive territory, has encroached but little or not at all upon it. This kingdom is bounded in the south by the kingdom of the Zamorin, and in the north it extends to Canara.
In this territory the following Rajahs are comprehended:—
Balenoor, stretching along the coast from the river Cottesal in the south to the river of Oermapatam in the north; it contains several nests of robbers, as Tritrambiere, Bergaree, Moetingal, Tjombaas, and Niagillie. Towards the east it extends as far as the territories of the powerful free prince Perreveacoeil.
Perreveacoeil borders to the south on the country of the Zamorin, and to the south-east on that of Maisjoer; here is found the best cardamom, and in the greatest quantities.
Dermapatam, Cananoor, Welliapatam and Marravy are situated along the shore, bordering on Balenoor. This is the peculiar possession and inheritance of the family of Colastri.
Tallachery Mocta Nairo to the east of Dermapatam, circumscribes the territory of Colastri at the back, and in the north reaches Tjoenette Verre Caimal, in which district is also situated the English fort Tellicherry. To this succeeds Tjoenette Verre Caimal, which to the north again, is bounded by Allerte Serte Caimal; the latter stretches inland to Maisjoer, but northward towards the sea is bounded by Allerte Addavodde. This last district concludes the kingdom of Malabar, bordering on the territory of Canara.
I have thus placed before you a small picture of the principal territories of Malabar, in the order in which they join each other; some indeed I have not mentioned, either because they are so small, or because they are situated in the mountains, where we are not well acquainted with the topography. But if you wish to know all the petty principalities and provinces, which lie there, I will take some opportunity to send you a list of the Nairs, whom all the lords of Malabar both small and great retain in their service: when I will also mention the names of these princes and lords.