Page:An Historical Sketch of the Native States of India.djvu/360

330 Kochin. In 1002 the fort and town yielded to an attack made upon them by the Dutch, under whose management the town of Kochin attained a high degree of prosperity. The Dutch made no attempt to conquer the remainder of the country, but left the Rájá there to reign supreme. Here, in 1759, the Rájá was attacked by the Zamorin of Malabár; but he in his turn was expelled by the Rájá of Travankúr, to whom as a reward for his assistance, the Rájá of Kochin transferred a portion of his territories.

Kochin preserved her independence till the year 1776, when the country was conquered by Haider Ali. Haider contented himself with exacting a tribute from the Rájá, who continued in a state of dependence to him and his son Tippú till the breaking out of the war of 1790.

In the following year, the Rájá, known as Rájá Vern— lam Tamburan, succeded, with the aid of the British, in shaking off the Mysore yoke. He simply, however, transferred his allegiance to a new master, the British, he agreeing to pay them an annual subsidy of 100,000 rupees, the same amount he had till then paid to Haider Ali and Tippú.

Meanwhile the town of Kochin continued to be occu— pied by the Dutch. But on the breaking out of the war with Holland, the British took possession of it, continuing, however, the practice of Dutch law in all the places where it had there to be prevailed. The British protection was deemed essential by the Rájá to the preservation of his authority so long as the dynasty of Haider Ali ruled at Mysore, and he clung to it with all his energy. But on the downfall of Tippú, in 1799, his mind was relieved from his fears. and he was gradually led to regard the British connection as pressing upon him with undue might. In 1809 these ideas took practical form. His minister, in Correspondence with the minister of Tra- vankúur, Suddenly raised troops and attacked the British. having previously failed in an attempt to assassinate the