The English got strengthened.

The mission of the Dutch gathered momentum.

The Attingal revolt.

The French acquired Mahi by force.

Marthanda Varma came to the throne.

1721
The Dutch for Extension of Their Sway; The English for Enhancing Their Influence

The Dutch took control over the fort of Chettuva on10 April 1717. Christened as Fort William, the fort had its commander, Heer Wihem Blasser, whose dead body was buried in the premises of the guest house on his death after ten years of his being at its helm of affairs.

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The Dutch's victory at Chettuva and the influence they had on the Zamorin consequent on it created in them an ambition to keep the entire Kerala at their beck and call. They wanted to have political powers in other countries as in Cochin, whose main reason was the emergence of English East India Company as a power in the north and south of Kerala. They, with the setting up of the fort at Tellichery, established trade relations with other countries. The Anjengo fort in Attingal turned out to be an important trade centre. At Vizhinjam the English had a trade centre. Another thing that affrighted the Dutch was the attempts of the French to sneak in to Kerala.

The Dutch, after their victory over Chettuva, sent emissary groups to the princely states of Purakkad and Quilon with a perception that they could drive out the French from Kerala and crush attempts of the French longing to sneak into it, only if the length and breadth of Kerala was brought under their flag.

The disputes between the king of Venad, the princely state lying in the far south of Kerala, and the Yogakkars and Pillamars became harsh. It was in the meantime that a revolt (Attingal Revolt) took place in Attingal against the English East India Company. While the local people were infuriated at the deeds of Gyffort, the head of Anjengo fort ,the British kept the queen of Attingal in good humour by sending to her annual gifts with a display of pomp and pageantry.Giffort rejected the demand of the Pillamars who were bitterly opposed to the king of Venad that the gifts to the queen should be presented to her only through them.As a result of this the group that went to present the gifts were attacked by a group consisting of local people and the Pillamars causing loss of life.The fort of Anjengo was under the siege of the rebels. Peace was restored only with the intervention of troops from the fort of Tellichery. Gifford was succeeded by Midford as the head of the fort of Anjengo who again was by Alexander Orme, the father of the renowed historian, Robert Orme. Though the revolt of Attintgal resulted in heavy loss of life to the English, it provided to them gains and advantages. The treaty signed between the English and the queen of Attingal was the most important in that there were provisions in it to compensate for the losses, besides punishing the rioters and providing the monopoly of the trade of pepper to them. Furthermore, the British were given permission to establish trade centres anywhere in Attingal.The British were also given the timber needed to reconstruct the church destroyed in the revolt.They also got help and support from the countries,Venad (Travancore) and Desinganadu (Kollam or Quilon).

When the English strengthened in the south of Kerala in the north the French had already stepped in.At last what the Dutch feared happened.In1725 the French forces, under the orders of the Govt: of Pondichery seized Mayyazhy of Kadathanadu located at a little distance away from Tellichery and rechristened it as Mahi. During the revolt of Attingal, it was Adhitya Varma who ruled over Venad. After his death, Rama Varma (1721-29) became the king. It was during this tumultus period that the King of Venad signed a treaty with the English East India Company. The treaty, aimed at suppressing the insurrection of Yogakkar and Pillamar, gave the English the permission to construct a fort at Kulachal The treaty was signed by the heir-apparent Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma for and on behalf of the king reaching at the fort of Anjengo.Sharp witted and steel-hearted the heir-apparent was for making use of any means, fair or foul, to supress insurrection of the Yogakkars and the Pillamars. It was because of his advice that Rama Varma, the King, signed the treaty with the British in 1729. After his death, Marthanda Varma became the King of Travancore (Venad) and there began an era in the history of Kerala.

It was a period of intense internal conflicts in south Kerala and mid-Kerala when Marthanda Varma was enthroned in 1729 in Travancore (Venad). He had to confront the opposition of chieftains besides the disputations of right of succession among the members of the royal family. Because of internal conflicts he could not, initially, rule over the kingdom. The king, who spent his life in hiding or in the open met at different times face to face with death. He saved his life either in disguise or keeping his eyes peeled for the enemies. But the Dutch commander Stein Van Gollenesse recorded that Marthanda Varma was a cruel, audacious, greedy, unkind but efficient person who wanted to rule the entire Kerala. This opinion may be true when we compare his deeds later. His mind was harder than steel. To achieve his aims he did not take in to consideration moral obligation and not ready to examine kindness and truth. He started confronting the enemies by creating an armed force of his own and by procuring gun powder and war equipment with the help of the British at Anjengo. He tightened his grip on the administration by brutally suppressing the revolt in the royal family by murdering his own kin and by killing mercilessly the Madambis and Pillamars. He confiscated the properties of Madambis and Pillamars and brought all of them under the control of the Government. This ultimately led to the collapse of the feudal system that existed in Travancore kingdom. His advancement became a threat to the neighbouring countries. The Dutch were also in confusion. He was going to attack the countries with which they had trade of pepper or other goods.

ETTARAYOGAM AND ETTUVEETTIL PILLAMARS

The internal feuds, that had been raging in Venad for about six decades before the assumption of power by Marthanda Varma, created problems even to the European powers who came here for trade. Their trade centres were subjected to aggression. The squabbles continued with the king on one side and the Yogakkars and Pillamars on the opposite sides. The reason for the feud was on the income with regard to the Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple and its properties. The administration of the temple was carried out by a body called Ettarayogam, consisting of eight Potties (Brahmin priests) and the king who attended the meeting of the body once in a blue moon (there is difference of opinion among the historians about it).

The king had no authority either to challenge the decisions taken at the meeting of the Ettarayogam or interfere in the temple affairs. The eight 'madambies' were given the authority to have supervision and to collect tax over the properties of the temple which were divided into eight sections. They were called Ettuveettil Pillamars (nairs of eight houses). They hailed from the families of Kulathoor, Kazhakkoottam, Chempazhanthy, Ramanamadom, Kudamon, Pallichal and Marthandamadom. But there are differences among historians about the names of the Pillamars. When the coalition among the Yogakars and Pillamars became a threat to the royal authority, the king started to interfere in the administration of the temple. This later became internal feud. But there is another version which stated that the internal feuds cropped up on account of the king's efforts to seize the democratic administration of the temple and to arrogate to take over the power. When the problematique became severe, the temple was closed many times. There have been records to prove this. The first step Marthanda Varma took after coming to power in 1729 was to suppress the Yogakars and Pillamars. He resorted to brutal steps for this.