01996nam a22002897a 450000500170000000800410001702000180005803700720007604100120014808200220016010000160018224500760019825000060027426000330028030000080031350011270032165000270144865000230147565000590149865000180155765000190157565000200159465000230161465000200163765000320165770000170168920251013161548.0251013b        |||||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d  a9780143471585  cPurchasednCurrent Books, Convent Junction, Market Road, Ernakulam   aEnglish  a954.03082bRAG/GO  aRaghu Palat  aGOD'S OWN EMPIREb: Extraordinary Life of Marthanda Varma of Travancore  a1  aHaryanabPenguin Booksc2025  g241  aIn 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.  aHistory & geography   aHistory of Asia   aHistory of India and neighboring south Asian countries  aIndia History  aKerala History  aKings of Kerala  aTravancore History  aMarthanda Varma  a1785–1947 British rule   aPushpa Palat