The Princely State of Cochin

Origin and Existence Over the Years

The dynasty of Cochin originated from the Perumpadappu Swaroopam which came into existence in 1102 AD after the splitting of the Kulasekhara empire, tracing its origin from the Chera dynasty also referred as the Keralaputras. Cochin was first mentioned in the travel account written by the Chinese Traveler Ma Huan in 1399 AD. There are less written records on Cochin till the arrival of the Portuguese in 15th century. References on Cochin was also found in ancient Tamil works, memoirs of foreign travelers, inscriptions and copper plate grants which are still preserved and serve as valuable sources that provide glimpses into the past of Cochin. However, these records are not sufficient enough to gain a clear idea of the political and social evolution of the region. Earlier, the Chera kingdom of Mahodayapuram or Makotai in the present day Kodungallur was established in the 9th century, and Kulasekhara which was a later Chera dynasty continued the Chera rule and legacy in the region. Later on, the Perumpadappu Swaroopam was formed with its headquarters at Ponnani, Malappuram. The Koipilli Thevar Siva temple in Perumpadappu was initially the family deity of the Perumpadappu Swaroopam until the Samoothiri (Zamorin) attacked and displaced the Swaroopam in 1405 AD. It is observed that after the attack the Perumpadappu Swaroopam fled to Thiruvanchikulam known for its magnificent Mahadeva temple, then to Mattancherry, shifting its seat of rule for a long period of time to Kochi. The Pazhayannur Bhagavathy became the family deity of the Perumpadappu Swaroopam and the Mattancherry Dutch palace was built in 1557 by the Portuguese attached to the temple and gifted it to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi. The rising regional tensions and political turmoil resulted in the migration of the dynasty into different regions over the years. Eventually, Thrissur also became an important center for the Cochin dynasty during the period of Rama Varma IX Shaktan Thampuran who reigned from 1790 to 1805 AD and the Shaktan Thampuran palace was built in 1795. Shaktan Thampuran shifted to Tripunithura and it is identified with the construction of the Kalikotta Palace, and the Amma Thampuran Kovilakam in the early 1800s near the Poornathrayeesa temple in Tripunithura, with Poornathrayeesa becoming the main deity of the Cochin dynasty. This time the deity was not Kuladeivatha, but Ishtadeivatha; this status was adopted to prevent the problems or sins that could occur in changing the family deity.

Tripunithura: The Royal Abode of Cochin

Tripunithura was made the capital of the Cochin princely state and the Hill Palace was built in 1865 as the official residence of the Maharaja of Cochin and became the imperial administrative office during the period of indirect British rule. The Kalikotta Palace in Tripunithura was built by Shaktan Thampuran for conducting cultural performances and royal ceremonies near the Poornathrayeesa temple, which eventually contributed in making the palace a cultural centre even in the present. During this time Kochi as an individual state was experiencing constant invasions and political turmoil leading to the shifting of centre by Shaktan Thampuran from Thrissur to Tripunithura giving rise to the Kalikotta Palace and Amma Thampuran Kovilakam. From here the question arises that during regional tensions and political turbulence, was there space for art and dance? Under this circumstance the Kalikotta Palace more than a cultural centre might have been used as a royal palace with administrative functions, rather than a platform for conducting traditional art and dance forms. Initially serving as an administrative centre, the palace might have evolved into a cultural venue over the years with the improving socio-political condition of the state. The structure of the palace also draws chances of being a royal durbar of the Maharaja assuming the expansive nature of the palace. The Chamayam Charthu for the Maharaja during the festivities of Athachamayam in the time of Onam in Tripunithura, took place in the Kalikotta palace. Later on, the Kalikotta Palace functioned as a school for the children of the royal family till 1958.

Earlier the Kalikotta palace was divided into rooms and over the years with renovation, the walls within the palace were removed to combine the rooms as a single long hall depicting the nature of a durbar. A mixed form of architecture depicting the blend of Dutch-Kerala style is one of the highlights of the palace, portraying European influence and cultural amalgamation in Cochin which came through trade. Classical art forms such as Kathakali, Sangamkali and Chakyar Koothu was prominently performed in the palace with the presence of the Maharaja; when the primitive form of media and public opinion feared criticizing the Maharaja, Chakyar Koothu became the only mode of direct criticism in reference to the political condition of the region, as the performer had the freedom to criticize the Maharaja, making use of the satirical nature of the art form. There are oral traditions stating that once Sir Sri Rama Varma XV also known as the Rajarshi of Cochin who reigned from 1895-1914, was directly asked about his abdication from the throne in a sarcastic manner by the performer during the Chakyar Koothu. Apart from the performance, neither the artist nor the ordinary subjects had the liberty to criticize the king in the monarchical framework.

A Princely State with a Constitution

Cochin had built up a reputation for being a very progressively governed state and the princely state made its own constitution and it was drafted by the experience and expertise of Diwan Shanmukham Chetty in the year 1938, an article was also published in The Hindu newspaper marking the inauguration of a new constitution for Cochin. The constitution of Cochin was very liberal in its nature compared to the standards of that time, it was an experiment from moving away from monarchy to diarchy (government by two independent authorities) and it was a great leap towards the creation of a responsible government in the state. This was also the first experiment of an Indian princely state with diarchy. The princely state of Cochin had its own railways, harbour and legislative assembly. Cochin had the higher aspiration to establish a legislative council with elected representatives and this was seen as the primary step to include the people’s representatives in the administrative affairs. The constitution of Cochin made provisions for the creation of an elected majority in the legislative council and transfer of certain departments under a minister who would be elected into power. Most remarkably it also led to the creation of a full-fledged independent high court within the princely state of Cochin. It was the Cochin legislative council act of 1923 under which the council was inaugurated in April 1925, this act established a 45 members legislature in Cochin comprising 30 elected and 15 nominated members. The institution of the legislative council marked an important event in the history of the state as it was a serious effort to change the governance from monarchy to a system of diarchy, under the interest and support of the Maharaja of Cochin followed by the active cooperation of the Diwan.

-Mukund T

References

‘The Land of The Permauls: Or Cochin, Its Past and Its Present’ by Francis Day (1863)

‘Progress of Cochin’ by T.K Krishna Menon (1932)

Varma, K. (n.d.). Cochin Royal History. History of cochin royal family. https://www.cochinroyalhistory.org/pages.php?menu_id=2&submenu_id=1