The King Who Threatened To Invade Europe

TNIE speaks to the authors of a new book, God's Own Empire, that sheds light on the life and times of Marthanda Varma

- APARNA NAIR

These are times when hidden chapters of India's past are being revisited, rediscovered. For good reason. The grit and glory of several regional kings—who were earlier sidelined to the margins of national history—are finally being given their due prominence.

In this context, a new book, God's Own Empire (Penguin Random House), by history researchers Raghu and Pushpa Palat gains importance. The book unspools the story of erstwhile Travancore ruler Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, who crushed the Dutch East India Company in the Battle of Colachel.

The Dutch had meddled in Travancore's internal affairs to seize power and establish a trade monopoly. Marthanda Varma resisted.

"This significant battle marked the end of Dutch aspirations to colonize India. Its significance increases when one realizes that the Dutch were, at that time, more powerful than the English, who were still only traders," the authors note.

"Notably, it stands out as the sole instance where an Indian monarch successfully defeated a major European power and ended their aspiration of colonizing India."

God's Own Empire sheds light on the life and times of this monarch, who ascended the throne when Travancore was still a minor state, riddled with clan wars and feudal machinations.

Stories of Marthanda Varma—who ruled Travancore from 1729 to 1758—have survived as hearsay or grandmother's tales passed down generations. To some, his name evokes awe and fear.

There is a tale of how he erased eight Nair families that conspired to overthrow him. The colloquial term kulamthonduka (dig a pond, while referring to ruining a place or thing), some say, originated from this episode. His vengeance, according to lore, wiped out their bloodlines, dismantled their homesteads, and dug ponds where those houses once stood.