Southern Division (Travancore)

Last updated

Southern Division
Division of Travancore
1856–1949
India Travancore locator map.svg
Location of Travancore
Capital Padmanabhapuram
  Type Monarchy
Historical eraBritish Raj
 Established
1856
 Disestablished
1949
Today part of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India

The Southern Division, or Padmanabhapuram Division till 1921 and Trivandrum Division from 1921 to 1949, was one of the administrative subdivisions of the princely state of Travancore, located to the South of Quilon and Kottayam Division. [1] It covered the five taluks of Agastiswaram, Eraniel, Kalkulam, Thovalay and Vilavancode and was administered by a civil servant of rank Diwan Peishkar equivalent to a District Collector in British India. The Southern division was predominantly Tamil-speaking in contrast to the other three divisions where Malayalam was spoken. In 1920, the neighbouring Trivandrum was also merged with the Southern division. In 1949, the princely state of Travancore was dissolved and the Southern Division was included in the Travancore-Cochin state of India.

In 1956, the Tamil-speaking taluks of Southern Division were transferred to the neighbouring Madras State as per the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 and forms the present-day Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. The Malayalam-speaking taluks of the erstwhile Trivandrum division form the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. The headquarters of the Southern Division were at Padmanabhapuram.

Before the formation of the Travancore Kingdom, Southern Travancore, Padmanabhapuram, and the Trivandrum division were part of Venad (kingdom) (previously known as Quilon), with its capital at Quilon. Quilon Kingdom covered present-day four southern Kerala districts and Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. Kollam, Pathanamthitta district, and the northern Trivandrum districts were situated to the north of Quilon. Kanyakumari district and the south-Central region of Trivandrum district were situated to the south of Quilon. [2] [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travancore</span> Kingdom in southern India from 1729 to 1949

The Kingdom of Travancore, also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor or later as Travancore State, was an Indian kingdom that lasted from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At its zenith, the kingdom covered most of the south of modern-day Kerala and the southernmost part of modern-day Tamil Nadu with the Thachudaya Kaimal's enclave of Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikyam temple in the neighbouring Kingdom of Cochin. However Tangasseri area of Kollam city and Anchuthengu near Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram were parts of British India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idukki district</span> District in Kerala, India

Idukki is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala in the southwest of the country. It is the largest district in Kerala and lies amid the Cardamom Hills of Western Ghats in Kerala. Idukki district contains two municipal towns - Kattappana and Thodupuzha, and five taluks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travancore–Cochin</span> State of India from 1949 to 1956

Travancore–Cochin, or Thiru–Kochi, was a short-lived state of India (1949–1956). It was originally called United State of Travancore and Cochin following the merger of two former kingdoms, Travancore and Cochin on 1 July 1949. Its original capital was Thiruvananthapuram. It was renamed State of Travancore–Cochin in January 1950. Travancore merged with erstwhile princely state of Cochin to form Travancore–Cochin in 1950. The five Tamil-majority Taluks of Vilavancode, Kalkulam, Thovalai, Agastheeswaram, and Sengottai were transferred from Travancore-Cochin to Madras State in 1956. The Malayalam-speaking regions of the Travancore–Cochin merged with the Malabar District and the Kasaragod Taluk of South Canara district in Madras State to form the modern Malayalam-state of Kerala on 1 November 1956, according to the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 passed by the Government of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thovalai</span> Village in Tamil Nadu, India

Thovalai is a small village located in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India. The area is well known in India for its production of flowers, especially jasmine. The taluk was among the four in Thiruvananthapuram district that with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 were transferred from Thiruvananthapuram district, Travancore-Cochin State to the newly created Kanyakumari district of Madras State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Padmanabhapuram</span> Municipality in Tamil Nadu, India

Padmanabhapuram is a town and a municipality near Thuckalay in Kanyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As of 2011, the town had a population of 21,342Padmanabhapuram mes the capital of Travancore state in the past in 1795, the King of Travancore, Rama Varma (known as Dharma Raja moved the capital hom Padmanabhapuram to Thruvananthapuram. At that time the boundaries of Travancore state included half the area of modem Kerala state. In 1947, after independence, Padmanabhapuram became port of Travancore-Cochin state When Indian states ware neorganized on the basis of language in 1957, Padmanabhapuram alung with other Tamsi-speaking areas cuire to Madras State, while the Malayalam-speaking areas became part of Kerala Later the name of Madras State was changed to Tamil Nadu Padmanabhapurans is a town and a municipality near Thuckelayan Kanyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As of 2011, the town hast a population of 21,342.

Marthandam is a major trade centre in Kuzhithurai municipality across National Highway in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, India. Formerly known as Thoduvetty, it was a portion of Kanyakumari district which was added to the state of Tamil Nadu on 1 November 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Padmanabhapuram Palace</span> Travancore era palace in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India

Padmanabhapuram Palace, also known as Kalkulam Palace, is a Travancore-era palace located in Padmanabhapuram in the Kanyakumari district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The palace is owned, controlled and maintained by the government of the neighbouring state of Kerala. Padmanabhapuram is the former capital city of the erstwhile Hindu kingdom of Travancore. It is around 20 km from Nagercoil, 39 km from Kanyakumari town and 52 km from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. The palace is complex inside with an old granite fortress around four kilometers long. The palace is located at the foot of the Veli Hills, part of the Western Ghats. The river Valli flows nearby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thiruvananthapuram district</span> District in Kerala, India

Thiruvananthapuram District is the southernmost district in the Indian state of Kerala. The district was created in 1949, with its headquarters in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, which is also Kerala's administrative centre. The present district was created in 1956 by separating the four southernmost Taluks of the erstwhile district to form Kanyakumari district. The city of Thiruvananthapuram is also known as the Information technology capital of the State, since it is home to the first and largest IT park in India, Technopark, established in 1990. The district is home to more than 9% of total population of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanyakumari district</span> District of Tamil Nadu in India

Kanyakumari district is one of the 39 districts of Tamil Nadu state and the southern most district in mainland India. It stands second in terms of population density among the districts of Tamil Nadu. It is also the richest district in Tamil Nadu in terms of per capita income, and also tops the state in Human Development Index (HDI), literacy, and education. The district's headquarters is Nagercoil.

Thiruvithamcode, is a small panchayat town located in the Kanyakumari district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thiruvithamcode is about 20 km from Nagercoil and 2 km from Thuckalay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sengottai</span> Town in Tamil Nadu, India

Sengottai is a town in the Tenkasi district, of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the gateway to southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Spread over an area of 2.68 km2 with a population of over 26,823, the economy of the town and Sengottai Taluk revolves around the cultivation of rice,coconut,Mango,clove and pepper. Sengottai is well known in Tamil Nadu as a major market of Dosa kal. This town has lot of Black smith shops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramayyan Dalawa</span> Administrator and politician

)Ramayyan Dalawa was the Dalawa of Travancore state, India, during 1737 and 1756 and was responsible for the consolidation and expansion of that kingdom after the defeat of the Dutch at the 1741 Battle of Colachel during the reign of Maharajah Marthanda Varma, the creator of modern Travancore.

Kalkulam is a small village located in Kalkulam taluk, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India. The taluk was among several in Thiruvananthapuram district that with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 were transferred from Thiruvananthapuram district, Travancore-Cochin State to the newly created Kanyakumari district of Madras State.

Kallkkulam taluk is a taluk of Kanyakumari district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The headquarters of the taluk is the town of Kallkkulam.Up to 1957, Kallkkulam Taluk formed part of the Travancore Kingdom and subsequently the Travancore-Cochin State. It was when the States were divided on linguistic basis that Kallkkulam, Thovalai, Vilavancode, and Agastheeswaram Taluks of the erstwhile Thiruvananthapuram District of the then Travancore-Cochin State were included in the then Madras State as Kanyakumari District.

The Travancore Tamil Nadu Congress (TTNC) was a political party in the Indian state of Travancore-Cochin. The party was founded by Sam Nathaniel and led by A. Nesamony, both natives of Palliyadi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Division (Travancore)</span>

The Northern Division or Northern Travancore or Kottayam Division was one of the three administrative subdivisions of the princely state of Travancore in British India. It was established in 1856 and covered parts of Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki in the present-day Kerala. The division was administered by a Diwan Peishkar, a civil servant of rank equivalent to a District Collector. The division was sub-divided into the taluks of Alangadu, Kunnatunadu, Meenachil, Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam, Paravur, Thodupuzha and Vaikom. The headquarters of the division was first located at Cherthala, and later got shifted to Kottayam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trivandrum Division</span> Administrative division of Travancore in British Raj

Trivandrum Division was an administrative division of the princely state of Travancore, located to the south of Quilon or central Travancore. It was composed of eight taluks — Chirayinkir, Nedumangadu, Neyyattankara, Pattanapuram, Shenkotta, North Trivandrum and South Trivandrum and was administered by a civil servant of rank Diwan Peishkar equivalent to a District Collector in British India. The administrative headquarters were at Trivandrum which was also the seat of the Travancore government and the residence of the Maharajah.

The present-day Kanyakumari district and parts of Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu state in India was originally a part of the Travancore-Cochin state. Between 1945 and 1956, especially after the Government of India announced plans to reorganize states along linguistic lines, the people of Tamil-majority Kanyakumari campaigned for its inclusion in the Madras State instead of the Malayalam-majority Kerala state. In Tamil, the campaign is also known as Therkku Ellai Porattam.

References

  1. Thomas Foulkes (1864). A classbook of the geography of Travancore.
  2. Thomas Foulkes (1864). A classbook of the geography of Travancore.
  3. Shungoony Menon, P. (1878). A History of Travancore from the Earliest Times (pdf). Madras: Higgin Botham & Co. p.  486 . Retrieved 5 May 2016.