Kunnathur Kesavan Raman Pillai, known as Raja Kesavadas was the Dewan of Travancore during the reign of Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma.
22 Facts About Raja Kesavadas
2.
Raja Kesavadas is well known for his military tactics and administrative acumen.
3.
Raja Kesavadas was the mastermind in developing the Alappuzha town.
4.
Raja Kesavadas used this opportunity to gain more economic knowledge and to learn Hindustani, Persian and Dutch.
5.
Raja Kesavadas became quite knowledgeable and influential that even the prime minister used to consult him.
6.
Raja Kesavadas became the Diwan following the resignation of Diwan Chembakaraman Pillai due to old age disability.
7.
Raja Kesavadas was glorified by the British Governor Mornington, by the title Raja in appreciation of his administrative talents.
8.
Raja Kesavadas was well trained in the military art and was competent to command a whole brigade in times of emergency.
9.
Raja Kesavadas learned the Dutch and Portuguese languages under General D'Lanoy and the Persian and Hindustani under the Pattan officers.
10.
Raja Kesavadas developed the economic condition of the people by improving trade.
11.
Raja Kesavadas visited coastal areas from Kanyakumari to Alappuzha and converted two areas such as Alappuzha and Vizhinjam which had the potential to be upcoming ports.
12.
Raja Kesavadas found Alappuzha as the most suitable, because of geographical and oceanic reasons.
13.
Raja Kesavadas constructed two parallel canals for bringing goods to port and offered infrastructural facilities to merchants and traders from Surat, Mumbai and Kutch to start industrial enterprises, trading, and cargo centres.
14.
Raja Kesavadas built three ships for trade with Calcutta and Bombay, and Alleppey afforded a convenient depot for the storage and disposal of goods produce in the east.
15.
The Main Central Road which is the arterial State Highway in the Travancore region of Kerala state was constructed at the time when Raja Kesavadas was the Dewan of Travancore.
16.
The greatest achievement of Raja Kesavadas was his defence of Travancore against Tippu Sultan.
17.
When Raja Kesavadas came to power, Tipu was threatening at the gates of Travancore.
18.
Raja Kesavadas bought the Kranganur and Ayakotta forts from the Dutch.
19.
Raja Kesavadas repaired the fort at other places and strengthened the army with well-trained soldiers; In negotiations with the English at Madras, he secured two of the company's troops and stationed them at the fort.
20.
Raja Kesavadas succeeded in the fight against Tipu and expelled him from the borders of Travancore and even his retreat did not give him peace of mind.
21.
Raja Kesavadas followed Tipu until the soldiers travelled a long distance and took heavy lives.
22.
Raja Kesavadas was proclaimed as a traitor and kept under house arrest which helped Jayanthan Sankaran Nampoothiri to usurp the post of Diwan.