The Kingdom of Thekkumkur () (also transliterated as Thekkumkoor or Thekkumcore) was an independent kingdom in the southern part of Kerala in India from 1103 CE until 1750 CE.P. Shungoonny Menon - A HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE - First edition: 1878, New edition: 1983, Page 130, 131 - It was ruled by the Thekkumkur Royal Family (Edathil Family). Thekkumkur lies between the Meenachil River and the Pamba River, from the Western Ghats to the Vembanad Kayal. Thekkumkur emerged as a result of administrative changes in the princely states at the end of the Chera Kulasekhara dynasty of Mahodayapuram. The literal meaning of the title is the southern regent and the attribute southern distinguished them from another kingdom known as Vadakkumkur (northern regent) which bordered it in the northern side. The royal household, Thekkumkur Kovilakam, were at Vennimala and Manikandapuram near Puthuppally, later it shifted to Neerazhi Palace at Puzhavathu of Changanassery and Thalilkotta at Thaliyanthanapuram (Kottayam).
History End of Kulasekhara Empire Thekkumkur emerges as a result of administrative changes in the princely states at the end of the Kulasekhara Empire at the end of the 11th century.Menon, A Sreedhara (1 January 2007). A Survey Of Kerala History. DC Books. . Retrieved 7 January 2019 The feudal forms emerged as a result of the Brahmin's authority to acquire the physical rights of the land through the expansion of tiles and the influence of the slums which were the agricultural land. Smaller feudal lords subordinated themselves to the dynasties like Vempolinad. Due to the increase in the geographical area, Vempolinad was partitioned into two princely states called Thekkumkur and Vadakkumkur. The northern parts of Vembalanad were transformed into Vadakkumkur, and the southern parts of Vembalanad were merged with Munjunad and Nantuzhainad and formed Thekkumkur.Book Title: Suryakalati (Historic Novel), Volume 2 Author: Pi. Vi Tampi Publisher: Kar̲ant̲ Buks, 1987 Original: University of California Digitized: 31 Jan 2007 Total pages: 435 There is no disagreement among historians as to what might have happened in the first decade of the twelfth century. However, there are some indications that the ritual had begun before that and the century before. Only that it was not transformed into an absolute monarchy of Thekkumkur kingdom.Narayanan, M.G.S. (2013). Perumāḷs of Kerala: Brahmin oligarchy and ritual monarchy: political and social conditions of Kerala under the Cēra Perumāḷs of Makōtai (c. AD 800-AD 1124). Thrissur: CosmoBooks. .
Origin
Ilaya Raja (Prince) of Vempolinad who lived in Vemballi palace () founded Thekkumkur kingdom at the beginning of the 12th century. After their separation, Thekkumkur became an independent kingdom, while Vadakkumkur became a vassal of Cochin. The northern parts of Vempolinad were transformed into Vadakkumkur, and the southern parts of Vempolinad were merged with Nantuzhunad and Munjunad and formed Thekkumkur in AD 1103.http://assemblyelection2011.com/ Vennimala was chosen as the headquarters of the Thekkumkur monarchy because the Thekkumkur king was the koyil authority of the Venimala Sree Rama Lakshmana Perumal Temple which was supposed to have been founded by Bhaskara Ravi Varma-II (1019–1021).Narayanan, M. G. S. 2002. ‘The State in the Era of the Ceraman Perumals of Kerala’, in State and Society in Premodern South India, eds R. Champakalakshmi, Kesavan Veluthat, and T. R. Venugopalan, pp.111–19. Thrissur, CosmoBooks
Initial Capital - Vennimala and Manikandapuram
Vennimala was established as the headquarters of Thekkumkur kingdom.Book Title: Sthalapurāṇaṅṅaḷ Author: Iṭamaruk Publisher: Royal Book Depot, 1972 Original from The University of California Digitized: 2 Jun 2009 Length: 210 pages Vennimala was the most secure place for the enemy. The forests were cut down and developed into habitable areas and the administration is strengthened by the capital city of Manikandapuram. The Manikandapuram Krishna temple is believed to have been built by King Iravi Manikandan in 1152 AD.Kottarathil, Sankunni (2018). AITHIHYAMALA (Malayalam). 1 (Issue No. 1 ed.). Kottayam, Kerala, India: DC Books. p. 20. Manikandapuram and adjoining areas flourished with the administrative and populace necessary for capital. During the rule of the Thekkumkur kings, Manikandapuram was a very flourishing town. There is evidence that the fort and the tunnels were at Manikandapuram, as were the later headquarters of the Thekkumkur monarchy at Changanassery and Thaliyanthanapuram (Kottayam).
Changanassery and Thaliyanthanapuram
As part of the growth of the market hubs in idanadu (medieval places), it was an intellectual move to have good interventions in the kingdom, the capital shifted to Puzhavathu in Changanassery at the beginning of 15th century. Apart from trade, Thekkumkur has promoted Changanassery as the best town for transportation in the southern neighboring princely states of Kerala. The administrative center remained in the Neerazhi Palace of Changanassery for the next three and a half centuries.Encyclopedia of Tourism Resources in India; Author: Dr. Manohar Sajnani, Published in 2001, Published by: Kalpaz Publications; Address: C-30, Satyawati Nagar, Phase-III, Ashok Vihar, Delhi-110052, (set), (Vol II) The relocation of the headquarters to Neerazhikettu Kottaram at Changanassery made it easier for them to ease the commodities that frequent the Vembanadu lagoon and to combat the encroachments of the backwaters of Chempakassery.
By the end of the 15th century, the Thekkumur kings had built a palace and fort near the Thaliyil temple and established another capital on the banks of the river Meenachil at Thalianthanapuram (Kottayam). Thali Temple was one of the eighteen and a half Thali shrines () of Kerala. An additional capital city establishment was by the trade developments in the Thazhathangadi river (Meenachil River) and the collapse of the ancient thali () as a center of Brahmanism. The fort, which was about a kilometer in circumference and was about 12 feet high, was made of heavy red sandstone and had six bastions (the tower of view) and five-meters (seven Kol) wide trenches.
Geography
An earthen fort along the border of Vadakkumkoor and Thekkumkoor, it beginning from Athirampuzha, it extended to Kondur (east of Pala, Kerala). Initially, the Thekkumkur boundary was the Western Ghats (Sahyadri Mountains) to the Vembanadu Lake (Vembanadu Kayal) and the Kanakkary to Kaipattoor (Kadavu) in Achankovil River. In the late 18th century, however, the area of the kingdom declined. As a Dutch map of AD1743 indicates, the boundaries are;N.E Kesavan Namboothiri, Thekkumkoor Charithravum Puravrithavum (Kottayam: National Book Stall, 2014), 8-9
West: Vembanadu Lake; Place includes: Kumarakom, Eara, Neelamperoor, Kidangara, Muttar, Neerettupuram, Niranam South: Place includes: Budhanur, Puliyur, Parumala, Chengannur, Aranmula, Kozhencherry, Ayirur, Ranni, Kerala East: Place includes: Mukkoottuthara, Erumeli, Kannimala, Chotty, Thidanad, Meenachil North: Place includes: Pala, Kerala, Lalam, Koodallur, Kanakkary, Athiranpuzha
Historian K.N Gopala Pillai, Kuruppum Veettil is written of the country's borders in his historical novel "Thekkumkur Rani". He said that Purakkad belonged to Thekkumur and was an important trading center of the country.
Separation of Poonjar Provinance It is believed that a branch of the Pandyan dynasty who had to flee in the 12th century after a dispute over Madurai; later sold their possessions and established a kingdom. Pandya king, Manavikrama Kulasekhara Perumal who came from Madurai and later settled in Ettumanur. Udaya Kulasekara of the Pandya dynasty was revealed the locals the intent of the robbers who came to loot Ettumanur Siva temple in the early 15th century. In the congregation that followed Udaya Kulasekara Perumal of Pandya king made the covenant with Kotha Varman Manikandan of Thekkumkur in AD 1419 at Thaliyanthanapuram. Thekkumkur king summoned the local governing councils and locals at Thaliyil Temple to understand their minds about the covenant. According to the covenant with Kotha Varman and Manavikraman of Pandya dynasty; the Poonjar kingdom was acquired by giving a certain amount of gold and undefined emeralds to the Thekkumkur This is a treaty document on the rise of the Poonjar kingdom. KP Padmanabha Menon writes in the Malabar histories about the authentic account of the country exchange treaties held at the Mukha mandapam of Thaliyil Siva temple.Title History of Kerala: A History of Kerala Written in the Form of Notes on Visscher's Letters from Malabar, Volume 1 History of Kerala: a history of Kerala written in the form of notes on Visscher's letters from Malabar Author K.P. Padmanabha Menon Editor T. K. Krishna Menon Publisher Asian Educational Services, 1982 , 9788120601642
The Poonjar Covenant പൂഞ്ഞാർ ഉടമ്പടി Tekkuṅkūr svarūpattiṅkaninnuṁ pūññāṟṟil perumāḷkk maññamala periyār uḷppeṭa malampiṟaṁ eḻuti keāṭuttatāvit. keāllaṁ 594 (AD1419) makaraṁ ñāyaṟil pūññār udayakulaśēkharapperumāḷ paṇṭārattilēykk veṇpala nāṭṭuṭaya kēātavarm'man kēāviladhikārikaḷ maññamala periyār malampiṟattinatir. kiḻakk kaṇṇam'mēṭṭinuṁ talakkuḷatt mēṭṭinuṁ nētākara mēṭṭinuṁ vaḻukkappāṟa mēṭṭinuṁ talamala kiḻakkēāṭṭ cāññatinuṁ mēkkuttekk vaḻukkappāṟaykkuṁ mullaykkuṁ pēraṭa pāṟattēāṭṭinuṁ tēvarakkuḷatt mēṭṭinuṁ cēāṟṟippāṟaykkuṁ kūṭṭikkalkkuṁ mēkkuvaṭakk mannammuṭṭikkuṁ kunnēāmmuṟikkuṁ kuṭamuruṭṭimalaykkuṁ mār malaykkuṁ periyal malaykkuṁ pēāḻākkallinuṁ oru tarattilāṇ cāññanēāṭaykkuṁ murikkal taṟamēṭṭinuṁ tekkuḷḷa nālatirttikkakatt maññamala cāttāvineyuṁ malayaṭimāreyuṁ kūṭe aṭṭippēr eḻuti tannirikkunnu. kuṟimānaṁ keāllavarṣaṁ 614 (AD 1439) തെക്കുംകൂർ സ്വരൂപത്തിങ്കനിന്നും പൂഞ്ഞാറ്റിൽ പെരുമാൾക്ക് മഞ്ഞമല പെരിയാർ ഉൾപ്പെട മലമ്പിറം എഴുതി കൊടുത്തതാവിത്. കൊല്ലം 594 (എ.ഡി.1419) മകരം ഞായറിൽ പൂഞ്ഞാർ ഉദയകുലശേഖരപ്പെരുമാൾ പണ്ടാരത്തിലേയ്ക്ക് വെൺപല നാട്ടുടയ കോതവർമ്മൻ കോവിലധികാരികൾ മഞ്ഞമല പെരിയാർ മലമ്പിറത്തിനതിര്. കിഴക്ക് കണ്ണമ്മേട്ടിനും തലക്കുളത്ത് മേട്ടിനും നേതാകര മേട്ടിനും വഴുക്കപ്പാറ മേട്ടിനും തലമല കിഴക്കോട്ട് ചാഞ്ഞതിനും മേക്കുത്തെക്ക് വഴുക്കപ്പാറയ്ക്കും മുല്ലയ്ക്കും പേരട പാറത്തോട്ടിനും തേവരക്കുളത്ത് മേട്ടിനും ചോറ്റിപ്പാറയ്ക്കും കൂട്ടിക്കൽക്കും മേക്കുവടക്ക് മന്നംമുട്ടിക്കും കുന്നോംമുറിക്കും കുടമുരുട്ടിമലയ്ക്കും മാർ മലയ്ക്കും പെരിയൽ മലയ്ക്കും പോഴാക്കല്ലിനും കിടങ്ങൽമുറിക്കും കിഴക്കുവടക്ക് നല്ല തണ്ണീരാറ്റിനും ചെങ്കരത്തോടിനും ചാഞ്ഞനോടയ്ക്കും മുരിക്കൽ തറമേട്ടിനും തെക്കുള്ള നാലതിർത്തിക്കകത്ത് മഞ്ഞമല ചാത്താവിനെയും മലയടിമാരെയും കൂടെ അട്ടിപ്പേർ എഴുതി തന്നിരിക്കുന്നു. കുറിമാനം കൊല്ലവർഷം 614 (എ.ഡി.1439)
Rulers of Thekkumkur
Ilayaraja Vimbileeswaran of Vempally Palace: 1103 - 1150 C.E.; Founder of Thekkumkur Dynasty. Eravi Manikandan Varman: 1150 - 1180 C.E.; Mentioned in Aithihyamala of Kottarathil Sankunni; Rajarshi; Built Manikandapuram temple at Vakathanam. Kumaran Iyakan Manikandan: 1300 C.E.; Mentioned in Tiruvalla copper plates (Thiruvalla Grandhavari). Rama Varman Manikandan: 1350 - 1378 C.E.; Mentioned in the oldest literary in Malayalam language Unnuneeli Sandesam (sandesa kavyam). Kotha Varman Manikandan: 1408 - 1440 C.E.; Made a covenant to sold the possessions to Udaya Kulasekara Perumal of Pandya king to establish the Poonjar dynasty. Adithya Varman Manikandan: 1520 - 1555 C.E.; Built Thazhathangady Pally on the bank of Meenachil River. Eravi Varman Manikandan: 1555 - 1579 C.E.; Younger brother of Adithya Varman. Goda Varman Manikandan: 1579 - 1606 C.E.; Built Kottayam Cheriya Pally. Kerala Aditya Varman Manikandan: 1626 - 1629 C.E.; Mentioned in Vanchipuzha Madam Script. Kerararu Goda Varman Manikandan: 1650 - 1674 C.E.; Started a Deutsche school; A Mizhavu dedicated to Thaliyil temple in 1661. Unni Kerala Varman Manikandan: 1674 - 1691 C.E.; Built Keralapuram Palace in Kottayam. Udaya Marthanda Varman Manikandan: 1691 - 1717 C.E.; Built Chitrakulam Mahadevar Temple and Chitrakulam pond at Puzhavathu.