2021-06-09 Wed

Travancore was a Princely State during the British rule in India. It was ruled by a royal family of Padmanabhapuram and later by Thiruvananthapuram. During the medieval period, Travancore was annexed by the Vijaynagar Kingdom. Before, it was ruled by the Chera Kingdom. Later, during the 11th century, it came under the rule of the Chola Empire. The Kingdom of Travancore at its zenith comprised most of modern-day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of Tamil Nadu.

During the reign of Balaram Varma II, Travancore had witnessed much development. He had passed the famous Temple Entry Proclamation in the year 1936 CE. King Balaram Varma II also established the University of Travancore (now the University of Kerala) in 1937 CE. After the Independence of India in 1947 CE, Bala Ram Varma II chose his domain as an independent country. As this was unacceptable to the Government of India, so some negotiation was held between the Indian representative and Maharaja Bala Ram Varma II. In the year 1949, a final agreement was made where Bala Ram Varma agreed to merge Travancore as a part of the Union of India.

Image Courtesy: Classical Numismatic Gallery