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A short sketch of the Second Dynasty of the Zamorins of Malabar (1742-1774)

By K. V. Krishna Ayyar

Vol. 6 · No. 1March - 1930pp. 127–144English

Summary

In this historical overview the author traces the fortunes of the second dynasty of the Zamorins of Calicut during the mid‑eighteenth century. The narrative opens with the succession crises following the death of the previous Zamorin and details how rival branches of the royal matrilineal family vied for power. The article recounts the dynasty’s wars with neighbouring polities, particularly the Raja of Cochin and the king of Travancore, as well as their entanglement with European traders. An entire section is devoted to the interventions of Hyder Ali of Mysore, whose invasions of Malabar disrupted traditional power structures and ultimately led to the fall of the Zamorin capital. The author uses letters, Dutch East India Company records and local chronicles to reconstruct alliances, treaties and battles. Genealogical tables clarify the succession of Zamorins and illustrate the complexities of matrilineal inheritance. The piece concludes with an assessment of the dynasty’s cultural contributions, including patronage of temples and festivals, and reflects on the eventual absorption of the region into Mysore and later British domains.

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Conclusion

The article provides a concise but richly detailed account of a pivotal period in Kerala history. By integrating political, military and cultural perspectives, it shows how the second Zamorin dynasty navigated a world of shifting alliances and external threats. Its emphasis on indigenous sources offers a corrective to narratives dominated by European viewpoints.

Key passages

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  • “Necessity far adoption 1706 A.D. Alter 9 centuries of continuous existence, at the beginning of the 18th century, the, Zamorin’s dynasty was threatened with ex-tinetion, There were only two males—the Zamorin himself and the second prince, known as Eralpad.”
  • “The king is a prince between jo and 35 years old; adopted from the house of Nileseram he came to the throne last year, and seems to be a man of a good disposition, but a little too gentle to oppose adequately the seething humours of his second prince who boasts that he intends to live and die a mortal enemy of the Hon'ble Company.”
  • “This event which happened probably in the 1 3th century before Ibn Batuta’s visit to the Malabar coast proved to be a blessing, for it enabled the Zamorin to provide for the continuance of his line without rousing the jealousy of the neighbouring powers or sowing the seeds of a dynastic dissension like that which distracted Cochin throughout the greater part of its recorded history.”

Works cited in this article

  1. Afalabar Gazeticer
  2. Miraporam of Duarte Barbosa
  3. Logan—Malabar Manwal, vol, i, pp. 162-168
  4. Galletti— The Dutch in Malabar p. 66
  5. The Travancore Manual, Vol. 1

Discussed in this article

People

  • Hyder
  • Eralpad
  • Rama Lyen
  • Duprat
  • Srinivas Rao
  • Martanda Varma
  • Gollenesse
  • Eustatios D'Lanoy
  • Said Sahib
  • Ibn Batuta 6

Places

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In this issue

Vol. 6 · No. 1
1–30Old Buddhist Shrines at Bodh-GayaB. M. Barua31–38The Machinery of Administration in the KautiliyaNarendra Nath Law39–45The Two Nirvanadhatus According to the VibhasaLouis de La Vallée Poussin45–60A newly discovered Copperplate from TipperaDinesh Chandra Bhattacharya60–71Grant of Bhaskara Varman of Kamarupa and the Nagara BrahmanasJogendra Chandra Ghosh72–80Problems of the NatyasastraMano Mohan Ghosh81–86Birbhum and Western Bengal in the Eighteenth CenturyGottlieb L. Schanzlin87–96Literary Patronage Under the Zamorins of CalicutA. Govinda Warrier97–107On Some Tantrik Texts Studied in Ancient KambujaP. C. Bagchi108–113Sankara on the Relation between the Vedas and ReasonSatindra Kumar Mukherjee114–126Antiquity of TantricismChintaharan Chakravarti127–144A short sketch of the Second Dynasty of the Zamorins of Malabar (1742-1774)K. V. Krishna AyyarCurrent article145–149Pre-Dravidian or Proto-DravidianJean Przyluski149–152A Note on the chronological Relation of Kanishka and Rudradaman IHem Chandra Raychaudhuri153–168Pala Chronology — A Reply to Prof. BanerjiDinesh Chandra Bhattacharya168Dharmapada and AbhidhanvasasamhitaVidhushekhara Bhattacharya169The Date of ShankaracharyaVidhushekhara Bhattacharya169–171Is it Caryacaryaviniscaya or Ascaryacaryacaya?Vidhushekhara Bhattacharya171Shankara's Reference to a Buddhist PassageVidhushekhara Bhattacharya172–175The Twin-gods Asvins of the Rg-VedaEkendra Nath Ghosh175–178BharatavakyaVibhutinatha Jha178–180Some new Facts about MatsyendranathaChintaharan Chakravarti181–183A Note on The Paura-JānapadaV. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar183–184Reply to Mr. Dikshitar's NoteNarendra Nath Law184–185Historical Research: Princes' Duty to promote Scholarship185–187A Few Notes on Pusyamitra and the Sunga EmpirePuran Chand Samsookha188–195ReviewsH. D. Bhattacharya196–200Select Contents of Oriental Journals201–203Obituary Notice: Henry BeveridgeSurendra Nath Sen

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