THE RISE AND FALL OF THACHIL MATHU THARAKAN

It was a triumvirate that terrorized Travancore

Punarnava is Sanskrit for Thazhuthama, Boerhavia Diffusa. While undergoing Karkadaka Ayurvedic treatment in Punarnava, Edappally, Kochi, in 2013, I went back to Travancore History. Even in re-reading, I found a unique character, the first Christian Minister in any Princely State in India, Thachil Mathu Tharakan (1741-1814), haunting me. A man with no benevolence, devilish even to his own community, making a Metropolitan hostage in his Bungalow for several days.

The first salt struggle in India was not at Dandi in 1930 by Gandhi, but the one,  led by Velu Thampi 131 years earlier, in 1799, before he became the Dalava or Dewan, against the King of Travancore and Mathu Tharakan, who had the monopoly of salt trade in Travancore. In fact, the popular uprising made him the Dewan.

Tharakan was born in North Kuthiathode, Alangad, near North Parur, Cochin, a native state ruled by the Alangadu Kartha, later annexed by Travancore.

Tharakan's father, Thachil Thariath was a Kariasthan of the Kartha. Thariath was killed when Mathu was a small child and he was raised at his mother's home. The murder pushed the family into poverty and related struggles. Mathu had three brothers: Kunjuvariath, Ittiyavira Malpan and Thariath. The history of the St Thomas Church, North Kuthiathode says that Tharakan escaped to Thathampally in Aleppey during Tipu's reign. 

He joined his father's friends, the Ranga Shenoy-Narayana Shenoy brothers in Aleppey and brought timber from the Achenkovil forests and made a fortune. He returned and built a small church. It is evident that he shifted to Alapuzha when it was built into a major port by Raja Kesavadas, relegating the Cochin port to the backyard. He bought two ships from Bombay. The background of the rise of Tharakan can be seen in a wonderful paper, Coastal Polity and the Changing Port-Hierarchy of Kerala, written by Pius Malekandathil.

Tharakan 

As a result of complex coastal politics, by the middle of the 18th century, Aleppey emerged as a prominent maritime exchange centre and Cochin got a setback. Marthanda Varma defeated the Dutch at Kulachal in 1742. He realized that the base of the Dutch was the commerce that flourished at Cochin. So he conquered major spice-producing native states like Quilon, Kayamkulam, Thekkumkur, Vadakkumkur and Porcad between 1743-1752. As a result, the flow of spices to Cochin was blocked. Trade in pepper was declared the monopoly of Travancore in 1743. This severely reduced the pepper available to the Dutch. 

It created difficulties for the local traders too. In 1763, during the period of Dharmaraja, a new port was built at Alapuzha by Raja Kesavadas-it opened a Travancore route to the international market. New trading groups, Pius points out, represented by Thachil Mathu Tharakan, having links with the English trade, took over trade at Alapuzha. Tharakan had a couple of ships. The King of Cochin, Sakthan Thampuran (1790-1805), who also had ships, in the changed situation, shifted to Thrissur, undermining the Dutch commerce at Cochin-ah, now I have the answer why he shifted from Tripunithura!

Tharakan was undertaking clear felling of the dense forest of Kerala for Alapuzha timber merchants initially, getting permission from the King for exports. Kesavadas built a Timber depot along the port and Tharakan got the monopoly to collect timber from Southern Travancore and sell it in the depot. Then he began getting direct permission and did clear felling for himself and amassed huge wealth. He donated part of it to the King, becoming Minister of Forests in the bargain. Once he donated a golden elephant to the King, to the surprise of the whole state. It made him respectable to the King and despicable to the public.

Slowly he got a monopoly on timber, spices, tobacco and salt. He was given the title, Tharakan, meaning broker. The broker in those days was the one doing the role of the middleman between the King and the traders. When the broker succeeded in lowering the price, he got a huge commission from the King. If you read history clinically, you will see the King was a wholesale trader.Dharmaraja made him, Mulaku madiseelakkaran or Minister of Commerce.

After the death of Dharmaraja, Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma, the 16-year-old Balarama Varma took over on February 17, 1798. He became the most unpopular king in Travancore's history. Dharmaraja was also known for his scandalous activities-The love letter he wrote when he was 62, to a much younger Manorama of the Zamorin family had got leaked and he had become the butt of ridicule. His last years were immoral to the core, though he had four wives. He died at 74. The administration was looked after by Raja Kesavadas. 

He used to take decisions and then inform the King. The King got immersed himself in the eulogy of Kesavadas or Kesava Pillai. Raja, who was a Samantha King of Carnatic Nawabs had become the slave of the English East India Company by the treaty of 1795, supervised by Kesavadas. He was given the title Raja, for his efforts in this treaty by the Governor General. It meant he was more than the actual King.

Balarama Varma entrusted the administration to Kesavadas, for a complete year,  till the sraddha of his uncle, the Dharmaraja, was over.

A coterie kills Kesavadas

Balarama Varma had his own coterie.He had relationships in the four houses of Dharmaraja's consorts and the Thampis in those houses influenced him. Since Dewan Kesavadas was in Aleppey, communication between them was rare and it became strained eventually. After sraddha, Balarama Varma decided to administer his own. The people in key positions were relatives of Kesavadas. Kesavadas was very friendly with Resident Major Bannerman. John Alexander Bannerman(1759-1819) was the person who captured Panchalamkurichi and hanged Veera Pandya Kattabomman. He was appointed Governor in Penang, where he died of cholera. His grave is still there in Protestant Cemetery.

Though the Malabar siege of Tipu Sultan was over, the Zamorin was still cooling his heels in Travancore. The Zamorin had three Nambudiri brothers from Calicut for the company: Uthiyeri (Udayagiri)Jayantan Sankaran Nambudiri, Jayantan Jayantan and Jayantan Subramanyan. All of them were in the Palace employment. Two events brought matters to a crisis: Jayantan succeeded in making the King sign a document ceding Shertallai (Karappuram) to the Cochin King. The special messenger with the order, Thottappaya Nambudiri was intercepted at Paravur, Quilon by Kesavadas and handled; Jayantan was one day carried in procession in the palanquin of the late Dharmaraja. He was admonished by Kesavadas.

Kesavadas, who had dinner in the Palace on the Arattu day in 1799, died in the courtyard of a relative's house in Sreevaraham. The cause of death was food poisoning, according to the report of Dr Seyters, who was assigned by the Company to Inquire into the death. According to the famous neurologist Dr K Rajasekharan Nair, who did a reverse diagnosis, the cause of death was arsenic poisoning. The Palace Secretary Kunjuneelan Pillai had given Rs 2000 to mix poison, it was found later.

Balarama Varma & his coterie(right)

Without consulting the Resident, Balarama Varma appointed the eldest of the Nambudiri Brothers, Jayantan Sankaran, the new Dewan. In a statement to Colonel Munro, Chief Commander Marthandan Chempakaraman said that the two main brokers of Travancore, Mathu Tharakan and Sankaranarayana Pillai (Chetti), through the youngest Nambudiri, Jayantan Jayantan had operated the King to get Jayantan Sankaran as the Dewan(Travancore State Manual, T K Velu Pillai, Vol 2). Jayantan Subramanyan bacame the Palace Secretary.Sankaranarayanan Chetti was a broker who had come to stay at Thucklay from Tamilnadu. Tharakan was friendly with both Kesavadas and the Company.

A British document, quoted in the Travancore State Manual of V Nagamaiah, refers to Jayantan, Chetti and Tharakan:...Thus, the triumvirate of ignorance, profligacy and rapacity came to rule the destinies of this interesting principality in spite of the earnest wish the Governor General Lord Morington expressed that a really efficient ministry should be formed.

Bannerman

Jayantan and his coterie could be in the gaddi only for two months. He had appointed Sankaranarayana Chetti as Valia Melezhuthu or Finance Minister and Tharakan, Commerce Minister. To collect taxes on several counts, he harassed several officials and wealthy individuals. The Principal Secretary at Aleppey, Neelakantan Chempakaraman, his brother Ayyappan Thampi and the Revenue accountant at Chirayinkil, Kesavan Chempakaraman Pillai were beaten publicly. The price of salt skyrocketed, because of tax. In North Travancore, Tharakan had a coterie of officials which included, Thiruvarpu Krishna Pillai, Chalayil Padmanabhan Annavi and Kizhakkumukham Yogeeswaran Raman.

The prominent official who protested was Sreepandaravaka Vachezhuthu Pravrithi, Veluthampi. His job was to record the accounts of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple. The system Sankaranarayanan Chetti followed was to threaten, ask to sign a pro note and extract money within a period. Veluthampi had to sign a pro note for Rs 20,000. When he was denied the audience of the King by Jayantan Subramanyan, he went to the Nancihnad leader, Periyaveettu Muthaliyar. It was decided to publicly protest against the cruel tax drive.

People assembled on 27, Edavam, in East Fort. Resident Bannerman rushed from Palayamcottah and heard the public. Based on an enquiry the Nambudiri brothers and their brother-in-law, the sorcerer Palanattu Nambudiri was jailed. Chetti's ears were cut and handed over to the Forces. Chetti loyalists, Iraviputhurkada Sankara Pillai, Ambalavanan Thanu Pillai, Valyayajaman Parthivapuram Padmanabhan Chempakaraman, Tharakan loyalists Padmanabhan Annavi and Yogeeswaran Raman were put in Military lock-up. Thiruvarpu Krishna Pillai was jailed. Soldiers were sent to Alapuzha, to bring Tharakan.

Bishop made hostage

While the popular rebellion was on in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharakan was in the midst of a criminal act in Alapuzha-he had taken the Metropolitan of the Eastern Church, Mor Dionysius as a hostage.

Tharakan, though a Romo-Syrian Catholic, was not a friend of European Catholic Bishops. He was adherent to Roman Catholic Church, eager to have a native Bishop following the Chaldean rite and in communion with Rome, to rule the Romo-Syrian Churches in Malabar/Malankara/Kerala. With this aim, he sent two catholic priests to Rome and Portugal in 1778:Kariattil Joseph Kathanar and Paremakal Thomas Kathanar, to be consecrated as Bishops. We know Thomas Kathanar very well-he wrote, Varthamana pusthakam. Its manuscript was with the Thachil family till 2000, when they handed over it to the Catholic Church museum at Kakkanad, the Thachil family site claims. But it was with the Parayil Tharakan family and they handed it over. Joseph Kathanar wrote two books: Vedatharkam (Dialectics on Theology) and Noticiasdo Reino do Malabar(1780).

Joseph Kariattil (1742-1786) was from Tharakan's native Alangad. He was sent to Propaganda College of Pontifical Urban University, Rome when he was just 13. He took a doctorate in Philosophy in Theology and returned as a priest to Kerala in 1766. He was a professor at Alangad Seminary when Tharakan sent him. The King of Portugal was impressed with them and nominated Joseph for the Bishopric of Kodungallur. He was consecrated as Archbishop in Lisbon in 1783, becoming the first native Indian Arch Bishop. En route to India, he was poisoned to death by the Portuguese missionaries in Goa, on September 10,1786(his mortal remains were brought from Goa in 1961 and re-interred in St Mary's Church at Alangad). Thomas in return to Kerala was appointed Vicar General, Administrator or Governador.

The Community, indignant at the murder of Bishop Joseph, called a Synod and denied the authority of the Latin Bishops of Varapuzha/Kodungallur. In short, Carmelite missionaries should not interfere in the liturgical matters of the native Christians. The Vicar General was appointed temporary Head, subject to the consecration by the Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon. It was held in Angamaly St George Church on February 1,1787, organized by Tharakan and presided over by Paremakal Kathanar. The decisions were written on palm leaves and became famous as Angamaly Padiyola.

Thus Tharakan consolidated the Syrians of the Roman rite. Then he turned his attention to Mar Dionysius I, Metropolitan of the Jacobites of Eastern Church(1765-1808). Tharakan contemplated the amalgamation of Jacobites and Romo-Syrians under the same native Roman Catholic Bishop. A grand design, where all Christians will be one and he, the self-styled King of them. Maybe, he was driven by the legend of the King Thomas of Villarvattom, who had Udayamperoor as the Capital.

He offered Dionysius the position of a Bishop of a United Church, provided he adopted the Chaldean creed and rituals, recognised in Rome. Dionysius initially thought of accepting it, thereby winning Romo-Syrians over. But he was flabbergasted by Tharakan's terms. Tharakan proposed a public meeting to convince Jacobites of the orthodoxy of Rome. Since the Travancore King Balaramavarma was at his beck and call, Dionysius had to yield to Tharakan. The meeting of both the parties was decided to be held at Kayamkulam on September 20,1791. 

When the meeting was about to begin, a messenger arrived with the news of the death of Tharakan's mother. The meet was postponed to November 22 at Niranam. The Romans arrived for the second meet, sure of the Celebration of the Eucharist according to the Roma-Chaldean rite. Then the news came of the death of Tharakan's bedridden son. For some years, Tharakan was silent. During this interval, the nephew of Dionysius was ordained a Ramban by Mor Ivanios, eventually to be raised to Bishop, as Co-Adjutor. But before realizing this, Ivanios died on April18,1794. Dionysius himself ordained his nephew as Mor Thoma VII.

Tharakan revived his old idea, after five years. Both parties met at Kayamkulam and vehement negotiations followed for 15 days. Since no solution was in sight, Tharakan contacted King Balarama Varma. A fine of Rs 25000 was imposed on Dionysius for 'concealing the properties' of Raja Kesavadas. The churches at Niranam and Chengannur with the properties, as well as properties of the Metropolitan including the Episcopal cross, crozier and sacramental vessels were confiscated. From this Rs 5,000 was realised.

Dionysius remitted another Rs 5,000.The balance was collected and paid. During the melee, Tharakan offered to pay the entire amount(or zero amount as King was his slave), if the Syrian community would sign an agreement accepting Romanism. Tharakan adopted the policy of the Inquisitor of Goa, Archbishop Menezes, brought armed men from the King and arrested Dionysius and many of the leaders and took them to Aleppey. 

The Metropolitan was put to starvation in Tharakan's Bungalow for several days, and was forced to sign an agreement accepting, "the profession of the faith prescribed by Pope Urban VIII for the Orientals, and submitting himself and his Church 'to the Holy Father the Pope, performing the Mass, reciting the breviary and observing the fasts and other rites as they were prescribed by the Synod of Diamper".Dionysius celebrated the Eucharist in the Roman Catholic rite at the St Michael's Church at Thathampally, Alapuzha on June 30,1799.

Dionysius I(Marthoma VI)

Within a fortnight, Soldiers came for Tharakan.

During the administration of Kesavadas, Tharakan was instrumental in granting lands to the churches under his sway. He had pressurised the administration to take over some palaces like Kudamalur and to hand them over to the churches. The Secretary of Kesavadas, Neelakantan Chempakaraman was a companion of Tharakan. Maybe he opposed the action of Tharakan in taking Dionysius hostage and got beaten up.

Tharakan, who was called to Thiruvananthapuram to face action, tried to escape when he reached Anchuthengu (Anjengo), by jumping onto a boat with the help of the English. The monsoon winds blocked his attempt; the English gave him asylum, and the public surrounded the Fort. The English had to budge when the order came from the Capital.

In Thiruvananthapuram,Tharakan stayed with Dewan Krishnan Chempakaraman for a day.Though he begged pardon through Assistant Ramalinga Muthaliar to the Resident, his ears were cut off the next day and sent to jail. Tharakan was asked to sign a pro note for Rs 10,00,000. Tharakan countered by saying that the government owed him Rs 14,00.000. The King compensated Tharakan for the lost ears-he gifted him a golden ear!

Macaulay enters

Major Colin Campbell Macaulay became a Resident in January 1800. We should not confuse him with his nephew, Thomas Babington Macaulay. Colin Macaulay (1760-1836) served 30 years in India, retiring as Lieutenant General. He was captured by Hyder Ali in 1780 and imprisoned for four years. At Seringapatam in 1799, he was Secretary to a Political/Diplomatic Commission headed by Arthur Wellesley which accompanied the force that marched under General Harris against Tipu. 

Macaulay was a Resident During 1800-1810. He was once attacked by Chempil Arayan, inside Bolghatty Palace, in unison with Veluthampi and Paliath Achan. When Colin Macaulay arrived, Padmanabhan Chempakaraman was appointed Dewan. He was removed in March; Veluthampi took over as Dewan. The pro-Tharakan Balarama Varma asked his ministers Ayyappan Chempakaraman, Padmanabhan Chempakaraman and Veluthampi to review Tharakan's case. 

All of them gave reports that it was Tharakan who owed money to the government. Ayyappan Chempakaraman even fined Tharakan Rs 200,000. Maybe the King turned against Ayyappan because of this, too. As Tharakan's complaints escalated, Veluthampi fined him Rs 200,000 and kept him in jail. Though Tharakan was freed in July 1804, Macaulay jailed him again for not settling the amount due to Navroji from Bombay who was trading in Aleppey. Tharakan sold his cargo and ships to settle it. He was freed in March 1805.

Once free, Tharakan sought the help of the new Archbishop of Verapoly (The Archbishop was Raymond of St Joseph during 1803-1816; John Mary of Jesus before him, from 1784)and raised his claim of Rs 14,00,000 again before Macaulay and Veluthampi. Veluthampi agreed to a review. The representatives of Tharakan and the government met at Bolghatty Residency and reviewed the accounts. The Resident's verdict came: the government owed only Rs 85,000.

Since Veluthampi was at loggerheads with the Resident, he came up with a forest case against Tharakan and began attachment proceedings against him. The Resident wrote to Veluthampi not to be vindictive. Veluthampi stopped his actions; the Resident asked Tharakan to see the Dewan at Quilon with all the documents. He also gave Tharakan a letter to be handed over to his brother's son, Dr Kenneth Macaulay, who was at Quilon. Mathew Tharakan, who was afraid of Veluthampi, sent his grandson, Kochu Mathu with Kenneth. Macaulay had cheated Tharakan: In the letter to Kenneth, Macaulay had asked for Rs 59000 from the total amount of Rs 85000. 

The rest of Rs 26,000 should only be given to Tharakan. Veluthampi, according to the letter, agreed to give 26,000 to Kochu Mathu but demanded a full receipt for Rs 85000. Kochu Mathu was held hostage for not signing the receipt. When Tharakan approached Macaulay, he said he had taken Rs 59,000 from the Dewan; so a full receipt should be given. Macaulay agreed to give a loan of Rs 33,000 to Tharakan which he rejected. The receipt was given.

Thankakomban book

The Verapoly Archbishop too turned against Tharakan. Maybe at the instigation of Macaulay. In a complaint to the Resident, the Bishop said Tharakan had collected money from the churches in the Diocese and gave Rs 30,908 to the Travancore government and Rs 14,000 to Cochin. The Bishop wanted the Resident to collect those sums from Tharakan and return it to him. The money was collected by Tharakan to ordain two native Bishops. So, it was clear that he had sent Joseph and Thomas to Portugal with not his own funds. Macaulay attached Tharakan's assets in Cochin. Tharakan was jailed again for an amount of Rs 23,500 he owed to a ship captain.

Thus Tharakan was a victim of his own actions and the political tide which turned against him. Here we see small rays of popular struggle for independence in Travancore, which Tharakan failed to gauge. I quote from, Land and People of Indian States and Union Territories, Vol 14:

In Travancore, Veluthampi Dalawa led a rebellion against the British in 1808-09 because Colonel Macaulay demanded that the state pay arrears of tribute promptly especially when the state was in serious financial difficulties and because the British Resident rejected Dalawa's actions against Mathu Tharakan. His lands were taken over illegally by the state instead of payment of taxes. The Dalawa was assisted by Paliath Achan, the Chief Minister of Cochin, who was disappointed by the British settlements of property claims which were unfavourable to Cochin.

Veluthampi thus became a victim of the extremism of Tharakan.

Tharakan, his family site says, was the founding life President of Akhila Thiruvithamcore-Cochi Nazrani Mahajana Sabha. He built the Church of St Antony at Thycattussery(1791) and the present St Anne's Forane Church at Petta, Thiruvananthapuram, Thachil family site claims. Other claims: He was the main exporter of teak wood to the UK. They were used to build the ships which took part in the Napoleonic wars(1799-1815). He had sold timber on loan to the Resident.
Though most of the documents refer to Tharakan as Thachil Mathu Tharakan, the history of Thottakkad St George Church, Kottayam, refers to him as Thachil Thariath Mathu Tharakan. 

The King had permitted him to build the Church there.

Tharakan had two children, Ouseph and Thariath. Tharakan died in his ancestral home at Kuthiathode. Since he had no legal heir, the amount due to him was given to the Orthodox Theological Seminary(Old Seminary)at Kottayam, at the intervention of the Resident, Munro. So the money didn't go to a Catholic institution.

We do not know what Tharakan did with the golden ear that he got as a gift.
When Tharakan was called to Thiruvananthapuram, Dionysius escaped from Aleppey to Niranam. He publicly apologised for celebrating the Holy Eucharist according to Roman Catholic rites. As a penalty, he vowed to celebrate the Holy Eucharist in all the Syrian churches at his private expense. He died on April 8,1808.
The moral of the story is very simple: The secret of great fortunes without apparent cause is a crime forgotten, for it was properly done(Le Pere Goriot part II, Balzac,1825).

Reference:

Marthanda Varma Muthal Munro Vare/K Sivasankaran Nair/DC Books,1996,
Land and People of Indian States and Union territories, Vol 14/Ed by SC Bhatt, Gopal K Bhargava
Coastal Histories: Society and Ecology in Pre-Modern India/Ed by  Yogesh Sharma/Primus
Thachil Mathu Tharakan/M O Joseph/NBS,1962
Travancore State Manual/T K Velu Pillai
History of Travancore/P Shungunny Menon
Church records-Niranam Granthavari,Nalagamam
Puthenkavu Cathedral smaranika
Thachil Mathu Tharakante Thankakompan/K M Varghese/Manorama, 1922
Indian Church History/EM Philip Edavazhikkal,1908


See my Post, A CHRISTIAN IN THE ZAMORIN FAMILY