LOVE IN THE TIME OF TIPU: DHARMA RAJA AND MANORAMA

She was in love with the King's nephew too

No empire will survive the test of time,except the creative empire.Any upheaval,or destruction,has its creative side,a sinister beauty.Love in the time of Cholera,is a wonderful expression,for the chaotic love, from Gabriel Garcia Marquez.Dharma Raja,Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma,of Travancore,loved Manorama from the Zamorin family of Kozhikode,at the time of the upheaval by Tipu Sultan.He was old enough to be her father,a young woman who had sought asylum in the soil of Travancore.

Hyder Ali annexed Kolathunad in Malabar in February,1766,and the royal family members  moved to Thalassery English Factory,and the Thekkilamkur,to Thiruvangad temple,near Thalassery.They were sent by the English to Travancore,in a ship and Raja Rama Varma,settled them at Paravur.In April,Hyder laid siege to Kozhikode and the Zamorin committed suicide,setting fire to his palace,on 27 April,1766.The Eralpadu or the crown prince,and family too moved to Paravur.When there was a challenge from the Marathas,Hyder went back,and before his journey back,called the Eralpadu to Kozhikode and ordained him as a vassal.

When Hyder,died in 1782,Tipu was in Ponnani,and he rushed back to Srirangapattana.The princes and chieftains were up in arms again,and Tipu came back in 1789,to crush the local rebellions.He killed a Kolathunad prince and his dead body was dragged by an elephant through his camp,and then hung up,on a tree.17 of his loyalists were also hanged publicly.

Dharma Raja Rama Varma

Between these upheavals,several royal branches from Malabar settled in various parts of Travancore.Even after the return of Tipu in 1790,the Zamorin stayed back.The prominent royal families,who have migrated from Malabar and settled in Travancore are 16:Neerazhi Kovilakam(Changanacherry),Ennakkad Gramathil Kovilakam(from where Communist leader George Chadayammuri found his life partner),Paliyakkara(Tiruvalla),Nedumparampu,Chempara Madom,Ananthapuram Kottaram(Haripad),Ezhumattur Palace,Aranmula Kottaram,Varanad Kovilakam,Mavelikara,Murikoyikkal Palace,Mariapilly(Kottayam),Koratti Swarupam,Kaipuzha Kovilakam,Lakshmipuram Palace,Changanacherry(of LPR Varma) and Kottapuram.

Rama Varma himself,was the son of a Kolathiri princess,Karthika Thirunal Parvathi Bai,who was adopted to Attingal royal family,and she was the queen when he reigned.His father,Kerala Varma from Kilimanur,was killed in 1728 November.Rama Varma did his best to bring succor to the Malabar royal family branches:he wrote a letter to the Bombay Governor,in 1766 ,alleging Hyder had Dutch support.In the letter,Rama Varma guaranteed pepper from the whole of Malabar at the rate of Rs 70/Candy.When the threat from Tipu came,the crown prince of Cochin,Sakthan Thampuran,met Tipu at Palakkad Fort,on May 26,1788,and Rama Varma and the Cochin King met at Annamanada,on June 4.Then Rama Varma requested the English for a few battalions and two came,under Captain Knox and Powney,garrisoned at Paravur,and Powney became the first Resident,laying the foundation for residency administration.

Paliam Nalukettu

The Zamorin family has three branches:Kizhakke Kovilakam at Kottakkal,Puthiya Kovilakam at Thiruvannur and Padinjare Kovilakam at Mankavu.Manorama was from the Kizhakke Kovilakam.Following tradition,she learn t Sanskrit from childhood,became very proficient,wrote in Sanskrit.She was a scholar-poet,and even a Guru for the upcoming scholars.The Paliam family records say that one Kochu Sankaran Moothath of Vadakkedam,Thriprayar stayed at Paliam in Chendamangalam,and was a student of Manorama Thampuratty.Since Chendamangalam is very close to Paravur,it has to be assumed,Manorama had stayed at Paravur,maybe in the Paliam Kovilakam itself,but not always,because I have read,she stayed with Rama Varma at Krishnapuram palace, Kayamkulam,and watched ,Thiruvathira kali,with the King.She played Veena.The palace was built by Rama Varma's predecessor,Marthanda Varma,after annexing Kayamkulam,in 1746.I have read that the well in the compound could be seen from the master bed room,for the King to spy if someone was throwing poison into the well!

Krishnapuram Palace

His love for Manorama became public,when a letter,written to her by him,was leaked in 1786.He was 62,then,with four consorts:Kali Amma Nagamani Amma of Vadasseri and three  Thiruvattar,Arumana and Nagarcoil ammachi s.He built four houses for each in the West Fort,and shifted the capital from Padmanabhapuram to Thiruvananthapuram.

Though,Rama Varma was weak in administration,leaving everything to Raja Kesavadas,the Dewan,who also had a love interest in Arumana,he was  extremely creative,and in turbulence,the only solace is sex.He is the author of 150 compositions,among them,7 prominent Kathakali plays:Rajasooyam,Subdraharanam,Gandarva Vijayam,Panchali Swayamvaram,Bakavadham,Kalyanasougandikam and Narakasuravadham. He gave priority to Sringara padams, and made it compulsory for each character to enter with Sringara pada.

His magnum opus,is,Balaramabharatam,a treatise on dramaturgy,which he is supposed to have completed with the help of Manorama.The period of completion,is that of the invasion of Tipu.

Rama Varma has said that it was written after a careful study of Lasya Tantra.It gives details of hastas(hand gestures),angas(major limbs),Upangas(minor limbs)and Pratyangas(neck,wrists,knees,thighs).It is considered by most of the Mohiniyattam scholars as an important treatise on technicalities of Mohiniyattam,because,one of the earliest references to Mohiniyattam,is in Balaramabharatam.The popular danseuse and scholar,Methil Devika,differs in this,saying the treatise refers,not to Mohiniyattam,but Mohininatanam;it means only the stance that Mohini takes.But Devika too acknowledges the role of Manorama,saying,her correspondence with Rama Varma is historical.The fact remains,no Mohiniyattam thesis is there,without mentioning the Rama Varma-Manorama Jugalbandi.Palace records show expenditure on Mohiniyattam,as early as 1801,hinting at the efforts of Rama Varma,much before Swati Thirunal.

Hand gestures in Mohiniyattam/Haritha Haridas

Except for few slokas,nothing much written by Manorama,is available.But a few years ago,16 palm leaves manuscripts at Kottakkal Kovilakam,were verified by experts,and among them,a commentary on Paniniyam, written by Manorama,on the primary Sanskrit grammatical text by sage Panini,was found,and it was titled,Manorama.
That the commentary,has the title,Manorama,reveals,her real name was,something else.T M Chummar,in his Padya Sahithya Charitram(History of Poetry),has recorded that she was well versed in Bhattoji Dikshita's complex 17th century grammatical work,Praudamanorama,and so she came to be called Manorama.Her family tree,though with lot of vacuums,reveals, she had in fact a sister,with the name Manorama.They were eight children,born to Krishna Bhattathiri and Ambika Thampuratti.Manorama had seven children.According to C Rajendran,who was Head of the Dept of Sanskrit,Calicut University,her lament at the plight of having been forced to be the life partner of an illiterate Nambudiri,was matched by her romantic epistles addressed to,Prince Aswathi Thirunal of Travancore.If true,she had another affair.  Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma was Dharma Raja Rama Varma's nephew,who was an art lover, co-ordinating the visits of,scholars,such as,Kunchan Nambiar,Puthiyikal Thampan,Mandavapally Ittirarissa Menon,Sadasiva Deekshithar,Kalyana Subramanya kavi,Pandalam Subramania Sastri, Marar who wrote Rameswaram Yathra Thullal,Nambudiri who wrote,Chathaka Sandesam,Idavettikattu Nambudiri,Neelakanta Deekshitar and records show,Kozhikode Manorama Thampuratti!Aswathi Thirunal himself was a scholar. 
Rameswaram Yathra Thullal,was written by a Marar of Ettumanur, Kottayam,based on Rama Varma's Rameswaram pilgrimage in November,1784,to immerse his mother's ashes there.She had died in May,1782 .There is a mention of Aswathi Thirunal,in it;the King says:
Nammude Marumakanunni
Nammude koode Porattippol
(Let my young nephew accompany me,now) 

Malabar Lady with Veena/Ravivarma

Aswathi Thirunal was the son of Queen of Attingal,Uthradam Thirunal,who was adopted from Kolathunad,in 1747.She married Kochu Koyikkal Thampuran of Thattarath Koil.She had another son,Prince Anizham Thirunal Bala Rama Varma,and both the sons were born in Sripadam Palace,Fort.Aswathi Thirunal became Elaya Raja or crown prince,in 1786.
As the first graduate among the princes in Travancore, as an eminent Sanskrit poet,play wright and writer of Kathakali plays,the young Aswathi Thirunal(1756-1794),was a better match to Manorama.Apart from completing Narakasura Vadham Kathakali play,of his uncle,he wrote four:Poothanamoksham,Rukmini Swayamavaram,Ambareesha Charitham and Poundraka Vadham.Among Kathakali play writers,he was known as,Vancheeswara Sreshtan.He wrote,Vancheesa Sthavam,Kartha Veerya Vijayam and Santhana Gopalam in the form of Prabandhas and one drama,Rukmini Parinayam.
It is also said that,Rama Varma used to live with Manorama at Mavelikara.Records show that Rama Varma,conducted a Yaga at Aluva in 1788,on a large scale,before Tipu's advent,maybe to block him.After the Yaga,he retreated to Mavelikara,for the adoption of two daughters,Parvathi and Uma,of Mahaprabha Amma Thampuran(1755-1832),of Chenga Kovilakam,Chirakkal,who had migrated during Tipu's aggression.She had five daughters,and the adoption was on October 26,1788.He celebrated Navarathri,there.The Dalawa,Krishnan Chempaka Raman, died in Thiruvananthapuram,and the King appointed Kesavadas as new Dewan,issuing order from Mavelikara.
The Travancore rulers during,1829-1924,had the lineage of the adopted daughter,Parvathi,who died on October 15,1893.Mahaprabha had three more daughters,Bhageerathi,Mahaprabha and Arya,and later,Sree Moolam Thirunal adopted,daughter of Mahaprabha,Sethulakshmi and daughter of Bhageerathi,Sethu Parvathi,on 30 August,19oo,leading ultimately to great friction,between the two.The last Maharaja,Chithira Thirunal,was the son of Sethu Parvathi,but Sethulakshmi was the Regent when he was a minor.At the time of Rama Varma,Mahaprabha and her daughters,stayed in the Koyikkal Palace,Arattukadavu,Prayikkara;later they shifted to the newly built Vadakke Kottaram/Valiyakottaram and stayed there,till,1837.
I spoke about the leak of Rama Varma's love letter in 1786-any guess,who was behind it?My answer is,you guessed right,Aswathi Thirunal.
Manorama was well versed in the annotation of Siddhantakaumudi.She was the first to write a commentary on Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri's very complex,Prakriyasarvasvam,along with,Thrikkandiyur Govinda Pisharoti.Kerala Varma Valiya Koyil Thampuran did a second commentary,and paid glowing tribute to Manorama:

Vidyavidagdhar vanitajana vallikalkko-
rudyanami ruchirakerala bhuvibhagam
hridya manorama naresvari thante suktir
adhyapi kovidamanassu kavarnnidunnu
( To the vines of feminine geniuses excelling in scholarship
A garden this lovely land of Kerala here been!
Endearing Manorama-the human goddess-
Robs the hearts of wise men,with her fascinating verses)

Thus,Manorama was the first woman writer from Kerala,though not in Malayalam.

Valiyakoyil Thampuran

 

Tipu left Kerala in 1790,and Rama Varma,died eight years later,when he was 74.It is definite that Manorama went back to Kottakkal,because the 250 members of the family claim descendance from Manorama and her brothers,and they refer to her as, K C Manorama Thampuratti.It is believed,Manorama resettled there,after the death of Tipu,in 1799.She had to,because Aswathi Thirunal died,four years before Rama Varma,when he was just 38.

Two other prominent members from the Kottakkal family,were,K C Manavedan Raja,the Collector,who built Rajas' School,and M K Vellodi,diplomat.

Reference:

1.Martanda Varma Muthal Munro Vare/K Sivasankaran Nair

2.Padyasahithya Charithram/T M Chummar
3.A Primer of Malayalam Literature/T K Krishna Menon
4.From Veneration to Virulence:A Case for a Women's Literary History in Malayalam/Dr Jancy James/Social Scientist/Oct-Dec,1995
5.C Rajendran's speech in Kozhikode,The Hindu,June 3,2012
6.Mohiniyattam Missteps-A few Observations/ Methil Devika
7.Mohiniyattam:Charithram,Sidantham,Prayogam/Kalamandalam Sathyabhama
Courtesy: Sasidhara Varma of Mannurmadom Palace,Mavelikara,for Mavelikara genealogy.

See my Post,KOZHIKODE,COCHIN AND NAIRS IN LUSIAD