Ramayyan Dalawa

Ramayyan(Tamil: ராமய்யன், Malayalam: രാമയ്യന്‍) was the Dewan of Travancore state, India, during 1737 and 1756 and was responsible for the consolidation and expansion of that kingdom after defeating the Dutch in the Battle of Colachel under the rule of Maharajah Marthanda Varma Kulasekhara Perumal, the maker of Modern Travancore.

Early life

Ramayyan, a Brahmin (Iyer), was born in Yerwadi, a village in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu to which his family originally belonged. When he was six years of age his poor father gave up his native village and came to Thiruvattar and settled at a hamlet known as Aruvikara in the Kalkulam Taluka of modern day Tamil Nadu state of India. When he was twenty years old he lost his parents, who were survived by, besides himself, three sons and one daughter.

After the death of his parents Ramayyan frequently visited Trivandrum, attracted to it by the never ending festivities and celebrations, which always drew great crowds of Tamil Brahmins from all over Travancore and neighbouring regions of modern day Tamil Nadu. On one occasion he decided to stay back and seek some employment in Trivandrum in which, owing to his superior intelligence and ability, he was successful. He was employed as an assistant to the Attiyara Pohtty Brahmin of Vanchiyur, a member of the Ettara Yogam or the Council of Eight and a Half who controlled the Temple of Padmanabhapuram and a man of great power and influence.

Association with the Maharajah

While employed with the Attiyara Pohtty one evening, when the Maharajah Marthanda Varma was dining at Attiyara, he noticed Ramayyan who impressed him by dealing with a minor yet significant incident with great sense and intelligence. The pleased Marthanda Varma asked the Attiyara Pohtty to let him take the young boy into his service which being permitted Ramayyan became a servant of the Maharajah of Travancore.

Career

Ramayyan from being appointed at a minor post in the Palace management soon rose in the Maharajah's favour and was appointed Palace "Rayasom" or Under Secretary wherein he fulfilled his duties ably. Thus when the then Dalawa or Dewan of Travancore, Arumukham Pillai, died in the year 1736, Ramayyan was appointed Dalawa by the very impressed Maharajah Marthanda Varma.

Military conquests

The entire territorial extent of Travancore state namely between the River Periyar and Cape Comorin was attained with the efforts of Ramayyan Dalawa on behalf of his King Marthanda Varma. It was due to his efforts and conquests that the kingdoms of Kayamkulam, Elayadathu Swaroopam, Quilon, Ambalapuzha etc were annexed to Travancore and the Dutch were defeated in the Battle of Colachel. Several favourable treaties were signed with the British under his Dalawaship while the Kingdom of Cochin and the Zamorin accepted the suzerainty of Travancore.

Family

Ramayyan Dalawa has no direct descendants but those of his siblings do exist even today. He was too dedicated towards the Travancore affairs that he rarely visited his own wife at Aruvikkara. She died at child birth (the child also died) and Ramayyan now concentrated himself on state affairs. Ramayyan had at one point wished to adopt a child of his brother but being disallowed he left the idea.

Death

Ramayyan Dalawa resided in the town of Mavelikara where he had a palace built by Marthanda Varma. After the death of his wife, Ramayyan consorted with a Nair lady from Mavelikara of the Edassery family (PGN Unnithan a member of this family later became the last Dewan of Travancore in 1947). After his death Ramayyan's descendants left to Pudukkottai in Tamilnadu and settled there. His Nair consort was given gifts and presents and special allowances from the Travancore government in recognition of his services to the state while his own descendants were bestowed with the honorific title of Dalawa. The able Dalawa breathed his last in the year 1756.

Relation with the Maharajah

The Maharajah Marthanda Varma and Ramayyan Dalawa were more than just King and minister to each other. They were intimate friends(like Chandragupta Maurya and Chanakya), so much that after the death of Ramayyan the Maharajah went into depression and started losing health himself till he died in 1758. Ramayyan Dalawa was one of the ablest and most popular Ministers of Travancore and while on his death bed when asked how he would want his memmory perpetuated he merely stated that he was an "instrument in the hands of my master (Marthanda Varma) and had no such ambitions."

References

* Travancore State Manual by V.Nagam Aiya (1906)
* History of Travancore by Shungunny Menon

ee also

* Dewan
* Marthanda Varma
* Travancore
* PGN Unnithan
* Mavelikara