The following is a list of allusions in Marthandavarma, the 1891 historical novel by C. V. Raman Pillai.
Allusion to legends, history and politics
Characters based on legends, history and real life
Events based on legends, history and politics
Treaty with Madura Nayaks According to V. Nagam Aiya, during the reign of king Rama Varma besides the troubles caused by confederate chiefs and nobles such as Ettuveetiil Pillas and Madambies, the other petty chieftains were also refracted from contributing to the revenue of the state; and sovereign was unable to defend the atrocities of armed dacoits, as there were not enough money and manpower with the state. In Kollavarsham 901 king Rama Varma, headed to Tiruchirappalli and made a pact with the Madurai Nayaks to supply additional forces to Travancore for a fixed annual payment. T. K. Velu Pillai cites the references of payment to Madurai from Travancore. In the novel, it is presented that king Rama Varma and Thirumukhathu Pilla proceed to Tiruchirappalli in Kollavarsham 901 to arrange additional forces, which later camps at Boothapandi.
Lethal attempts on Marthanda Varma
Attempt at a Temple In the novel, while Rama Varma and Thirumukhathu Pilla headed to Tiruchirappalli, prince Marthanda Varma and Ananthapadmanabhan were staying at Nagercoil, from where latter among the duo at Nagercoil heads to his mother's house following the news of her illness. While Ananthapadmanabhan was away, the prince was chased away by the men of Padmanabhan Thambi and an attempt on his life was made at Kalliyankattu temple. The incident is further referred as the escape of Marthanda Varma as a Brahmin. Dr. P. Venugopalan cites the references of the incident in the history of Travancore and Marthandamahathmyam Kilippattu. The incident took place at a temple of Shiva near to Kumarakovil (2 miles north to Thakkala), where Marthanda Varma took shelter while evading the attackers. At the temple Marthanda Varma was aided by the temple priest to escape in the outfit of the latter, and the priest was killed by the attackers as he was in the outfit of the former.
There are references in the novel about attempts on the life of Marthanda Varma by his enemies as his successful escapes through the groove at Panathara, the Ezhava house at Perunkadavila, and the Nedumangad fort.
Escape at an Ezhava house According to the legends, after evading the Ettuveettil Pillas and their men at Dhanuvachapuram, Eithukondamkani, and Marayamuttom, when Marthanda Varma was refreshing himself at a river near to Malakulangara he was spotted by the men of Thambi brothers and in urgency to escape from them, he headed into a nearby Ezhava house, Alayil Puthur Veedu at Perumkadavila, where he was aided by the Kalipanikkathi (Lady Kali) to hide under the rattan enclosures. The men of Thambi brothers were unsuccessful in finding the prince.
Aid by a Channan and Hiding inside a tree In the novel, while running away from Velu Kuruppu and his men, Marthanda Varma is helped by a mad Channan who hides him in a tree and misdirects his pursuers. According to Dr. P. Venugopalan, the above account of actions is a collaboration of two situations where Marthanda Varma escaped from the enemies. Once, when Marthanda Varma was returning after some confidential visits to Kanyakumari and Suchindram, he was tracked by the men of Ettuveettil Pillas and Thambi brothers. While running away from the chasers, he was suggested by a Channan plougher of the nearby field to hide inside the hollow statue of the elephant at the adjacent temple of Shasthavu. When the chasers reached the cultivation field and questioned the plougher, he misdirected them to the southern provinces. In another occasion, when Marthanda Varma was chased by the enemies, he evaded them by hiding inside the big hole within a jack tree at the Neyyattinkara Sree Krishna Swami Temple. The tree is still preserved at the temple compound and known as Ammacciplāvŭ (Mother jack tree).
Lethal attempt on Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma The incident is referred as the attempt to murder the little prince, Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma and his mother by Ramanamadathil Pilla along with his men in Kollavarsham 903, while the mother-son duo were heading from Trivandrum to Attingal, but only to evade the attempt with the help of Kilimanoor Koithampuran (Lord of Kilimanoor), who led the duo to a nearby safe village and took their place in the palanquin en route, confronted the attackers and eventually got killed, as described in the History of Travancore from the Earliest Times by P. Shangoony Menon. The above account of incident is in conflict with the version described by Pachumuthathu in the Tiruvitāṁkūṟ Caritraṁ, which recounts the same at Budhanoor in the then district of Chengannur, where ruffians from Kayamkulam did the attack and states that lord of Kilimanoor who defended the attackers was the husband of the Queen. V. Nagam Aiya states the incident inline with the version by P. Shangoony Menon and mentions that lord of Kilimanoor, Kerala Varma Koithampuran as the consort of the Queen. T. K. Velu Pillai supports the version of Pachumuthathu and condemns the version by P. Shangoony Menon; which is cited by Dr. A. P. Ibrahim Kunju, who points out the deliberation of T. K. Velu Pillai in supporting the version of Pachumuthathu by purposefully avoiding the references of incident in the British records, Letters to Tellicherry.
Heirship claim by Thambi brothers Dr. A. P. Ibrahim Kunju refers to the legend that Thambi brothers made a claim to the throne of Venad during the final period of king Rama Varma as they were the linear descendants, which was against the tradition of collateral descent through maternal nephew followed by the Venad kingdom in selecting the heir to the throne. P. K. Parameswaran Nair claims that there is a legend in which Rama Varma promises to his spouse, Abhirama to let the children she will bear, to ascend to the throne of Venad; however Dr. P. Venugopalan states that the above account of legend is not valid as Rama Varma was neither the king nor the next heir to the throne during the early days of his relationship with his spouse and he ruled the kingdom only in the last five years of his life. P. Shangoony Menon and V. Nagam Aiya state that Thambi brothers were persuaded by feudatory chiefs and nobles, Ettuveettil Pillas and Madambies to make the claim to the throne. Dewan Nanoo Pillay states that Thambi duo manifested the claim, as they felt degraded from the royal rank after the accession of Marthanda Varma, so Madambies and Ettuveettil Pillas fomented their disaffection. T. K. Velu Pillai states that Thambi brothers attempted to seize the throne for themselves against the custom of Marumakkattāyaṁ (collateral descent through maternal nephews). Even though the above claim and dispute happened after the demise of Rama Varma, in the novel, it is presented that the conspiracy by Thambi brothers were started long before the king was ill and also shows that Padmanabhan Thambi and Sundarayyan lay the plans against Marthanda Varma, to get him deprived from the line of succession. In the novel, it is mentioned that Ettuveettil Pillas gave assurance to Padmanabhan Thambi that they will make him king after the period of king Rama Varma. In the novel, it is also referred that Padmanabhan Thambi did not want to emphasize on Makkattāyaṁ (lineal descent through sons) by raising the concern to Sundarayyan that such a succession may bring his younger brother Raman Thambi against him.
Treaty of Thambi brothers with foreign forces The heirship claim of the Thambi brothers against the then existing custom in Venad led them to seek the aid of foreign forces to confront Marthanda Varma. According to P. Shangoony Menon the elder Thambi brother, Papu Thamby went to Tiruchirapalli in Kollavarsham 905 (1730) to seek aid from Pandyan governor. V. Nagam Aiya states that the Thambi brothers went together to Tiruchirapalli in 1729 to seek aid from Pandyan governor. According to Dewan Nanoo Pillai, only one of the Thambi brothers proceeded to Tiruchirapalli in Kollavarsham 905 (1729-1730). T. K. Velu Pillai mentions that the Thambi brothers secured the mercenary services of a foreign contingent in Kollavarsham 905. In the novel, the younger brother, Raman Thambi goes to Nanjinadu to arrange for additional forces in Kollavarsham 903.
Council of Ettuveettil Pillas Ettuveettil Pillas formed a council at the convention area of an inn at Venganoor, where they held consultation about the plans against the king Marthanda Varma and, the members resolved to assassinate the king on the Aaraattu festival day during his procession. The decision was scripted as palm leaf notes and hidden in the footwears of messengers. According to P. Shangoony Menon and V. Nagam Aiya, the conference happened sometime after Kollavarsham 906. Dr. A. P. Ibrahim Kunju states that above event as happened in Kollavarsham 912. The messengers with the council notes were later detained by the king's men following the lead by a Paṇṭāraṁ (keeper of the inn), who spied on the council members and eventually the plan was foiled. In the novel, the council of Ettuveettil Pillas is convened at the maternal house of Kudamon Pilla near to Andiyirakkam. The council passes the resolution to assassinate the prince Marthanda Varma after the demise of king Rama Varma, when the prince will be heading back after the last rites of the then deceased King. A council note of the same is prepared for Padmanabhan Thambi and entrusts the same to Sundarayyan, who on the way back puts up a fight with Ananthapadmanabhan disguised as a beggar, who tries to snatch the council note and, eventually the note is lost in the Killiyar. In the novel the above events are shown as happened in Kollavarsham 903 before the accession of Marthanda Varma.
Coup attempt by Thambi brothers