Short Essay on the Relation between English & Purakkad

As early as 1644 the English had succeeded in making commercial contact with Purakkad, a tiny kingdom which became part of Travancore during the reign of Martanda Varma (1729-58). At a Consultation held at Surat on 21st January, 1662 it was decided to take measures to build a factory at Purakkad. Therefore John Harrington and Alexander Grimsby, who were conversant with the trade of the locality, were deputed to that place for establishing a factory.

They were given specific instructions, upon their arrival at Purakkad, to trade with the King for a monopoly of pepper grown in that country. The King of Purakkad promised to build a house at his own expense for accommodating the English factors and to deliver the full quantity of pepper grown in his country. He was also prepared to sign a treaty with the English.

However, the Dutch victory at Cochin (1663) compelled the king to reconsider his intimacy with the English, especially in view of the rumour that the Dutch were planning for an attack on his kingdom. The Dutch had already established themselves at Purakkad and as such they disliked the English presence in that kingdom. It was with much reluctance that the king of Purakkad signed the treaty with the English. Incensed by the treaty and the consequent concession granted to the English, the Dutch treaty admiral came to Purakkad and demanded their expulsion.

By threat and intimidation the king was dissuaded from rendering any favour to the English. At the same time the English Company also could not offer the necessary assistance and protection to the king so as to enable him resist the interference of the Dutch. The English Factors were, however, apprehensive of the ever deteriorating situation and urged Oxenden, the President at Surat, to send a letter to the king of Purakkad intimating him that the Company would defend its right in his land.

But Oxenden was too prudent to make promises he could not redeem and took no notice of this request. Grisby wrote to Surat that “the natives were growing sceptical of the factor’s assurances, and unless a strong ship came this autumn the reputation of the English would be lost”.

The factors were, however, advised to stick on there with patience. But the king put pressure on them to vacant the scene so that he might be spared from the evil effects of the Dutch displeasure. In these hostile circumstances the English trade at Purakkad had practically come to nil.

In spite of the moral and legal right of the English to stay on at Purakkad, the king could not support them, as it would have jeopardised his relations with the Dutch. As the situation at Purakkad was fast deteriorating, the Anglo-Dutch War in Europe (1665-67) gave a good pretext to the Dutch for harassing the English settlement at Purakkad. On 1st July 1665, the Dutch, with the help of a small force took possession of the English factory, took Grisby as prisoner and carried him to Cochin.

Even after his imprisonment Grisby was hopeful of a resettlement at Purakkad. He dispatched his former interpreter to explore the possibility of continuing the old relation. The messenger returned with the information that the king was friendly and would receive them back provided they arrived with sufficient force to protect the interest of the prince and of their own against the Dutch.

Meanwhile the war ended and Grisby was released but by then the Dutch supremacy at Purakkad had become stable. Grisby became finally convinced that the English could not regain the old position, unless they appeared with sufficient force in order to compete with the Dutch. This they could realise only by the close of the 18th century.

In 1752 Purakkad was annexed to Travancore. By the treaties of 1795 and 1805 with Travancore the English supremacy over that kingdom had become a reality.