God's Own Empire: Marthanda Varma

In 1750, at the height of his power, Marthanda Varma made a momentous decision. He decided to hand over the kingdom to Lord Ananthapadmanabha, the reigning deity of the kingdom of Travancore. In future, he decreed that he and his heirs would rule over the kingdom as the ‘dasas’ of the deity. It was the culmination of Varma’s illustrious career as a military leader and statesman.When Marthanda Varma ascended the throne of Travancore in 1729 as a twenty-three-year-old, it was a kingdom embattled on every front―be it feudatories within the kingdom, rival kings outside or European powers beginning their pursuit of colonies in India.Varma played a pivotal role in consolidating the royal family’s hold on the kingdom, expanding the kingdom’s boundaries by fighting off external rivals and even fending off the Europeans. He defeated the Dutch in the Battle of Colachel in 1750 and ended Dutch colonial aspirations in India.God’s Own Empire by Raghu and Pushpa Palat, presents the extraordinary story of Marthanda Varma. Well-researched and accessible, it is the remarkable story of a remarkable man.