The Battle of Colachel: How a South Indian Kingdom Defeated the Dutch
- devanandpaul
- Jan 1
- 8 min read
Updated: Jan 29
A small southern Indian kingdom called Travancore defeated the Dutch at the Battle of Colachel in 1741. This landmark victory—the first major defeat of a European colonial power by an Indian kingdom—reshaped South Indian history. Uncover the events that led to this remarkable triumph and how the victorious Travancore army later became the 9th Battalion of the Madras Regiment.
I live in Nagercoil, a town in Kanyakumari district—the southern tip of India. It’s a scenic region, and as a cyclist, I enjoy riding through the coastal roads at an unhurried pace, taking in the sights as I go. One of my favourite routes is the stretch from Kanyakumari to Colachel. I have ridden it many times, passing by coconut groves, paddy fields, old churches, and sleepy fishing villages.
On one such ride, I stopped at Colachel. It looked like an ordinary fishing village with a calm shoreline. A stone pillar near the beach caught my attention. Interested, I went closer and read the inscription:
‘This pillar commemorates the victory of the Travancore army over the Dutch at Colachel on 31st July 1741.’
I blinked in disbelief.
A battle in Colachel? Travancore defeating the Dutch? Right here?
Curious, I dug deeper, and the story surfaced—Travancore’s victory at Colachel in 1741, during the Travancore–Dutch War, marked the first time in history that an Indian kingdom defeated a European naval power.
In this blog, let’s uncover that noteworthy chapter in history.
A Coast Divided by Pepper and Power
In the early 1700s, Malabar Coast—stretching along the western shores of India from Konkan to Cape Comorin (present-day Kanyakumari)—was one of world’s most important spice trade centres. The region comprised several small principalities, the most prominent being Travancore, Cochin, and Calicut. And at the heart of it all was pepper, which, in Europe, was so valuable that they called it black gold.
European trading powers—the Portuguese, English, Dutch, and French—fiercely competed over India’s riches. Their trade rivalry soon turned into open military conflict. The Dutch were especially forceful; they fought wars, signed treaties, and made deals with local rulers to exclude other European rivals and buy pepper cheaply, enforcing them through coastal naval blockades.
Local kings on the Malabar Coast, fully understanding the power of pepper—a means to buy weapons, raise armies, build palaces, and expand their influence—struck deals with the Portuguese, Dutch, French, and English, often shifting loyalties whenever it served their advantage.
The Rise of Marthanda Varma
In the 1730s, Marthanda Varma, the bold and ambitious ruler of Travancore, began unifying small kingdoms along the Malabar Coast, one of which was Desinganadu (now Kollam, a historical port city and a major commercial hub in ancient times), which he annexed between 1733 and 1734. This alarmed the Dutch East India Company, whose spice trade relied on monopoly contracts with these minor states.
Once Travancore took control, those contracts became meaningless and the Dutch lost their access to buy pepper, in turn losing their hold on the spice trade.
A King Who Refused to Yield
To prevent further loss, the Dutch turned to diplomacy. In 1736, Commander Van Gollenesse reminded Marthanda Varma of the 1688 pepper contract and demanded supplies. But the king ignored his letters and continued selling the pepper to merchants with better prices.
By January 1739, the issue had escalated. The Dutch governor of Ceylon, Gustaaf Willem van Imhoff, personally came to Kochi (now Cochin), hoping to negotiate with Marthanda Varma. But the king declined to meet him on grounds of their low prices and unfair terms.
When Words Failed, Cannons Spoke
Frustrated by the failed diplomacy, the Dutch turned to force. They formed alliances with rulers of small kingdoms like Kochi, Desinganadu, and Vadakkumkur, planning to attack Travancore from multiple fronts, including Nedumangadu and Karunagapally.
As part of their strategy, the Dutch reinstated the queen of Elayidathu (Kottarakkara). She in turn handed over Ayiroor village to them, where they quickly built a small fort to secure their position; however, the Travancore army surrounded it soon after, forcing the queen to flee to Cochin.
The Battlefield Widens
Skirmishes continued, both sides launching attacks and counterattacks. Amidst mounting pressure from their regional allies to weaken Travancore before it grew too strong, the Dutch awaited reinforcements from Batavia (present-day Jakarta), the headquarters of the Dutch East Indies.
Preparing for the Storm
Understanding that a major conflict was brewing, Marthanda Varma recruited former Dutch-trained soldiers, and improved the kingdom’s finances and secured weapons by strengthening trade links with the English East India Company at Anjengo, a coastal town near Trivandrum.
An Alliance of Opportunity
He extended diplomatic ties with the French, leading to a friendship treaty in 1740, which allowed the French to buy pepper and other goods from Travancore.
More importantly, this new alliance paid off quickly: The French thwarted an attack on Trivandrum by dissuading Chanda Sahib and Bada Sahib, key allies of the Carnatic Nawab.
Had they advanced, Travancore would have faced a multi-front war while still dealing with Dutch aggression. But because of their dependence on French funding and military support, they backed down—a major relief for Marthanda Varma.
The Coast Under Blockade
The Dutch soon changed their strategy. Instead of advancing from the land, they turned their focus on the coastline between Colachel and Cape Comorin, a stretch vital for Travancore’s textile trade and tax income. By blocking this route, they hoped to drain the kingdom’s finances and gain the upper hand.
On 29 November 1740, Commander Van Gollenesse enacted this plan by declaring a naval blockade near Colachel—ordering his forces to stop all ships bound for Travancore except English vessels heading to Edava near Varkala.
The Fall of Colachel
On 13 January 1741, the Dutch warship Maarseveen anchored between Thengapattanam and Colachel. And on 10 February, a larger fleet of seven ships and several smaller vessels arrived north of Colachel.
Local accounts say the Mukkuvar fishermen stood beside the king. They lined the shore with oars resting on their shoulders, which, from a distance, looked like soldiers holding rifles. Also, palm trunks were placed on bullock carts to resemble cannons aimed at the sea. The illusion caused a momentary confusion for the Dutch, but they soon advanced and captured Colachel.
Dutch Expansion and the Wait for Reinforcements
The Dutch built wooden stockades near Colachel harbour and made it their base. Their troops then moved down the coast, capturing Thengapattanam, Midalam, and Kadiapattinam, before advancing inland to Eraniel. Van Gollenesse now aimed to occupy the entire stretch from Colachel to Cape Comorin.
To secure the coastline they had just captured, the Dutch relied on reinforcements from Batavia and Ceylon. But Batavia, caught up in the Java War, could not send the troops.
Short on manpower, Van Gollenesse urgently requested 300–400 soldiers from Ceylon. The troops arrived late, underestimating the situation, and failed to break Travancore’s resistance.
Desperate for local support, the Dutch tried to win over the Mukkuvar fishermen with money. But the fishermen, loyal to their king, refused. Frustrated, the Dutch turned to Jesuit priests, hoping they could persuade the fishermen. The priests, however, firmly declined to interfere. Enraged, the Dutch bombarded the Jesuit church in Colachel, killing one of the priests.
The King Strikes Back
Marthanda Varma, then in Trivandrum, learned that the Dutch reinforcements were delayed, and seized the moment, quickly marching south with all available forces. He also summoned his chief minister Ramayyan Dalawa, then campaigning in North Malabar, to bring additional troops to Colachel.
The King Arrives at Kalkulam
Reaching Kalkulam, an important military centre of Travancore, Marthanda Varma received fresh intelligence: the Dutch were preparing to attack Padmanabhapuram, the Travancore capital. He immediately enrolled an additional 2000 Nair warriors to strengthen his army.
After Ramayyan Dalawa arrived at Padmanabhapuram with Travancore’s infantry, cavalry, and artillery, patrol boats were deployed along the coast to disrupt Dutch supply routes, and the main army took up strong defensive positions between Nagercoil and Eraniel.
A Siege of Patience
Lack of heavy siege equipment forced Marthanda Varma to choose a different strategic approach—isolation and starvation: Travancore forces, nearly 12,000 to 15,000 men, encircled the Dutch camp. The Dutch, with only about 400 soldiers (including 150 Europeans), soon felt the pressure.
Nature Turns Against the Dutch
Moreover, heavy rains, floods, and rough seas prevented Dutch supply ships from landing. And their wet gunpowder became unusable. Several of their vessels carrying provisions were driven back by Travancore army’s continuous firing.
A Blast That Changed the Course of the Battle
On 5 August 1741, using a newly acquired Indo-British gun, the Travancore army fired a cannonball; it landed in a barrel of gunpowder inside the Dutch stockade, causing an explosion that destroyed their entire food supply.
Surrender of the Dutch
On 7 August the Dutch surrendered. Their muskets, swords, and cannons were confiscated, and 24 senior Dutch officers were captured and imprisoned at Udayagiri Fort in Puliyoorkurichi.
From Enemy to Ally
Marthanda Varma treated the captured soldiers with dignity, returned their weapons, and invited them to join the Travancore army. Several accepted, including naval commanders Eustachius de Lannoy and Duyvenschot.
The Rise of De Lannoy
De Lannoy served for nearly 20 years in the Travancore army. He rose to the rank of Valiya Kappithan (Senior Admiral), becoming one of Travancore’s key military architects. Under his guidance, Travancore modernized its army and built several forts, including the Nedumkottai fortifications—defences that later helped resist Tipu Sultan’s 1789 invasion.
The Dutch Seek Peace
Meanwhile, Reinicus Siersma, the new Dutch commander, realized that the kingdoms in the Malabar Coast no longer feared Dutch power and that their spice trade in the region was on the verge of collapse. So, he signed a peace treaty with Travancore on 22 May 1743 to continue pepper supply.
Travancore Army Marches Forward
Marthanda Varma continued expanding his empire. By 1750, he had annexed Thekkumkur and Vadakkumkur. And in 1753, he signed the Treaty of Mavelikkara with the Dutch, which barred them from supporting Travancore’s enemies. It also formalized trade in cotton and pepper; in return, the Dutch agreed to supply military equipment.
With this agreement, the Dutch political and commercial influence on the Malabar Coast ended.
Transformation of Travancore’s Royal Army
Travancore’s military tradition lives on well into the modern era. When the princely states merged with independent India, Travancore’s infantry units became part of the Madras Regiment (from 1 May 1954)—its first battalion becoming the 9th and the second becoming the 16th. The 9th Battalion, once known as the Nair Brigade (Nair Pattalam, comprising Nair warriors), remains the oldest battalion in the Indian Army.
The crest of the Madras Regiment—an Assaye elephant above crossed Malabar swords and a shield at their intersection—still carries the spirit of Travancore warriors.
In 2004, a postal stamp was issued to commemorate 300 years of the 9th Battalion.
This long, unbroken line of military heritage ties the story of Colachel to the history of modern India.
The Pillar That Keeps the Battle of Colachel Alive
I started cycling back.
Despite all its history, the coast now appears ordinary. The lone victory pillar stands as the only testament that reminds us of
a king who refused to bow,
a coastal people who lifted oars like rifles,
a small kingdom that challenged an empire,
and the day Travancore defeated the Dutch.
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