Editing Travancore (section)

{{Short description|Kingdom in southern India from 1729 to 1949}}
{{other uses}}
{{pp-move-indef}}
{{Copy edit|date=September 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}

{{Infobox former country
| conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Travancore
| native_name            = {{nobold|''Thiruvithaamkoor Rajyam''}}
| common_name            = Travancore
| era                    = [[Age of Imperialism]]
| status_text            = [[Princely State]] of the [[British Empire]] in India [[Nair]] Aristocracy
| empire                 = United Kingdom
| government_type        = [[Monarchy]]
| year_start             = 1729
| year_end               = 1949
| event1                 = Subsidiary alliance with the  [[East India Company]]
| date_event1            = 1795
| event2                 = Vassal of [[Dominion of India|India]]
| date_event2            = 1947
| event3                 = Merger with [[kingdom of Cochin]]
| date_event3            = 1 July 1949
| p1                     = Venad
| s1                     = India

| flag_s1                = Flag of India.svg
| image_flag             = Flag of Kingdom of Travancore.svg
| flag_alt               = Travancore
| image_coat             = Travancore Emblem.jpg
| coat_alt               = Conch in wreath, guarded by two elephants on either side '''[[Padmanabhapuram]]''' (1729–1795)<br />'''[[Trivandrum]]''' (1795–1949)
| national_anthem        = വഞ്ചീശ മംഗളം<br />''[[Vanchi Bhumi|Vancheesha Mangalam]]'' <br />(1937–1949)<br />([[English language|English]]:"Hail the Lord of [[Travancore|Vanchi]]")<br /> {{parabr}}{{center|[[File:Vancheesa Mangalam (KamalaKrishnamurthy,'37).ogg]]}}
| image_map              = Kingdom of Travancore State in British India 1940.png
| map_caption            = Location of the kingdom of Travancore (in red) in India (in green)
| common_languages       = [[Malayalam]] (official)
[[Tamil language|Tamil]] (Minority)
| religion               = '''Majority''': [[Hinduism]] (official) <br /> '''Minority''': <br />Chiefly [[Christianity]] and [[Islam]]<br />Small communities of [[Jews]], [[Jains]], [[Sikhs]], [[Buddhists]], and [[Zoroastrians]]
| currency               = [[Travancore Rupee]]
| leader1                = [[Marthanda Varma]]
| leader2                = [[Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma|Swathi Thirunal]]
| leader3                = [[Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma|Chithira Thirunal]]
| year_leader1           = 1729–1758 (first)
| year_leader2           = 1829–1846 (peak)
| year_leader3           = 1931–1949 (last)
| title_leader           = [[Maharaja of Travancore|Maharaja]]
| title_deputy           = [[List of Diwans of Travancore|Diwan]]
| year_deputy1           = 1729–1736
| deputy1                = Arumukan Pillai
| year_deputy2           = 1838–1839 (peak)
| deputy2                = [[R. Venkata Rao]]
| year_deputy3           = 1947–1949 (last)
| deputy3                = [[P. G. N. Unnithan]]
| stat_year1             = 1941
| stat_area1             = {{convert|7662|mi2|km2|0|disp=number}}
| ref_area1              = <ref name="1941Census" />
| stat_pop1              = 6,070,018
| ref_pop1               = <ref name="1941Census" />
| today                  = [[India]]
| demonym                = 
| area_km2               = 
| area_rank              = 
| GDP_PPP                = 
| GDP_PPP_year           = 
| motto                  = ധർമോസ്മത്ത് കുലദൈവതം <br /> ''Dharmōsmat Kuladaivatam''  <br />([[English language|English]]: "Charity is our household divinity")
| flag_p1                = Insignia from Quilon Syrian copper plates (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1843).jpg
}}

The '''kingdom of Travancore''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|r|æ|v|ə|ŋ|k|ɔːr}}), also known as the '''kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor''' ({{IPA|ml|t̪iɾuʋid̪aːŋɡuːr|lang|}}) or later as '''Travancore State''', was a kingdom that lasted from {{Circa|1729}} until 1949. It was ruled by the [[Travancore Royal Family]] from [[Padmanabhapuram]], and later [[Thiruvananthapuram]]. At its zenith, the kingdom covered most of the south of modern-day [[Kerala]] ([[Idukki district|Idukki]], [[Kottayam district|Kottayam]], [[Alappuzha district|Alappuzha]], [[Pathanamthitta district|Pathanamthitta]], [[Kollam district|Kollam]], and [[Thiruvananthapuram district|Thiruvananthapuram]] districts, major portions of [[Ernakulam district]], [[Puthenchira]] village of [[Thrissur district]]) and the southernmost part of modern-day [[Tamil Nadu]] ([[Kanyakumari district]] and some parts of [[Tenkasi district]]) with the [[Thachudaya Kaimal]]'s enclave of [[Irinjalakuda]] [[Koodalmanikyam temple]] in the neighbouring [[kingdom of Cochin]].<ref>British Archives http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/d3e53001-d49e-4d4d-bcb2-9f8daaffe2e0</ref> However [[Tangasseri]] area of [[Kollam]] city and [[Anchuthengu]] near [[Attingal]] in Thiruvananthapuram were parts of [[British India]]. 

[[Malabar District]] of [[Madras Presidency]] was to the north,<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kTNRAAAAYAAJ&dq=malabar+districts+neighbour+travancore&pg=RA1-PP3 |title=Census of India, 1901 |date=1903 |language=en}}</ref> the [[Madurai district|Madurai]] and [[Tirunelveli district|Tirunelveli]] districts of [[Pandya Nadu]] region in Madras Presidency to the east, the [[Indian Ocean]] to the south, and the [[Arabian Sea]] to the west.<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/> 

Travancore was divided into five divisions:
[[Padmanabhapuram]], [[Thiruvananthapuram]], [[Kollam|Quilon]], [[Kottayam]], and [[Devikulam]]. [[Padmanabhapuram division|Padmanabhapuram]] and [[Devikulam]] were predominantly [[Tamil language|Tamil]] speaking regions with small [[Malayalam]] speaking minorities.<ref name="r1881"/>
The divisions of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, and Kottayam were predominantly Malayalam speaking regions with small Tamil speaking minorities.<ref name="r1881"/>

King [[Marthanda Varma]] inherited the small feudal state of [[Venad]] in 1723, and built it into Travancore. Marthanda Varma led the Travancorean forces during the [[Travancore-Dutch War]] of 1739–46, which culminated in the [[Battle of Colachel]]. The defeat of the Dutch by Travancore is considered the earliest example of an organised power from Asia overcoming European military technology and tactics.<ref name="Sanyal2016">{{Cite book |last=Sanjeev Sanyal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oNekDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT183 |title=The Ocean of Churn: How the Indian Ocean Shaped Human History |date=10 August 2016 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=978-93-86057-61-7 |pages=183–}}</ref>  Marthanda Varma went on to conquer most of the smaller principalities of the native rulers.

The Travancore royal family signed a treaty with the British in 1788, thereby adopting British dominance. Later, in 1805, they revised the treaty, leading to a diminution of royal authority and the loss of political independence for Travancore.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Travancore and the friendship alliance with the British and its consequences |url=https://www.socialsciencejournal.in/assets/archives/2022/vol8issue2/8-2-26-278.pdf |journal=International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=90–91 |issn=2455-2070}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Nair |first=T. P. Sankarankutty |date=13 February 1978 |title=A New Look on Travancore Revolt |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=39 |pages=627–633 |jstor=44139406}}</ref> They had to give up their ruling rights over the common people in 1949 when Travancore were forced to merge with independent India.