The Valorous King
Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (1706-1758) was known for his might and courageous attitude.He was born to Karthika Thirunal Umadevi, queen of Attingal and Kilimanoor Koil Thampuran of Kilimanoor Palace.He showed great interest in sword fighting and in the kingdom's administrative affairs, right from the young age of 14.Marthanda Varma grew up in the Kingdom of Venad ruled by his maternal uncle Rama Varma Thampuran.He was a shrewd observer.He practiced the qualities such as honesty, loyalty and courage.He was disturbed by the maladministration followed by Ettu Veetil Pillamar, the local Nair landlords.They formed the Ettara Yogam to administer the temple for corruption, which was not accepted by the society.It was soon broken by Marthanda Varma and he formed a new and separate Yogam for the purpose of strict temple administration.After defeating the landlords, he established the kingdom of Travancore and became the first ruler of Travancore at the age of 24.He was an able ruler an...