Page:The Imperial Durbar Album of the Indian princes, chiefs and zamindars.djvu/67

 Cochin.

THIS State though called Cochin had its capital at Trichur, the town and fortress of Cochin itself being in the possession of the British Government since the Paris Convention of 1814 A.D. The rulers are Chetiiyar Kshatnyas who claim a very remote antiquity. Their ancestors were feudatories of the Zamorin, the Raja of Malabar, to whom they paid tribute. Till about the middle of the 9th century A.D. Cochin formed part of the kingdom of Kerala. About that time Cheraman Perumal the last ruler of the vast country stretching from Gokarn in the north to Cape Camorin in the south, resigned the kingdom to his relatives, embraced Islamism, and went on a pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Portuguese landed on the shore of India in 1498 A.D. The Zamorin accorded them permission to establish a factory in the vicinity of Calicut, but a strife between him and the Portuguese General, Cabral, compelled the latter to retire to Cochin. The ruler of Cochin though subordinate to the Zamorin was on hostile terms with him. Naturally, therefore, the Portuguese General was favourably received by the Raja of Cochin. In 1503 A.D. the Portuguese established a factory and built a fort in Cochin, and opened commercial relations with the surrounding country. The Zamorin twice invaded Cochin, but was repulsed by the Raja in which he was substantially helped by the new settlers. In 1663 A.D. the Dutch ousted the Portuguese from Cochin. About a century later, the Zamorin invaded Cochin but was driven back with great loss by the Raja of Cochin, with the help of his brother, the King of Travancore.

In 1 776 A.D. Hyder Ali of Mysore invaded Cochin, and the Raja had to acknowledge his suzerainty, and to agree to pay him tribute. The State remained a tributary to Hyder and his son, the celebrated Tipu, till 1791 A.D. when Perumal Tamburan, the Chief of Cochin, acknowledged the supremacy of the British Government, and agreed to pay an annual tribute of one lac of rupees. In 1808 A.D. Paliyath Achan, the hereditary Diwan of Cochin, entered into a conspiracy with that of Travancore to kill the British Resident and the English that were in Cochin. The Chief had to pay the penalty for the t of his Diwan, although it was without his 'knowledge. A fresh treaty was concluded whereby an enhanced tribute of about 2,76,000 rupees was to be paid in six annual instalments to the British Government, and a contingent force of theirs was to be stationed at Cochin, and the Raja was not to take any foreigners in service without the sanction of the Paramount Power, who on its part undertook to protect the territories of the Raja against all enemies. In 1818 A.D. the tribute was reduced to two lacs, and it has remained so till now.

In 1839 A.D. the British Resident took charge of the State, owing to maladministration on the part of the Raja, which however, was handed back to him when the general discontent had subsided.

In 1853 A.D. came a wise and well meaning ruler by name Ravi Varma on the gaai. He introduced several reforms, undertook a number of works of public utility, and gave an impetus to trade and commerce by the abolition of some of