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[Full title: Works written in Prasasti (eulogies) style: Kesavadasa Prasasti]

The Kesavadasa Prasasti^[1] is a short poem of seven stanzas written by poet whose name is not known. It describes the greatness of Raja Kesavadas whose name is well known in Kerala History. Kesavadasa was the minisiter of Ramavarma alias Dharmaraja, ruler of Travancore (1758 -1798 AD). He has an adorable place in the people鈥檚 memory as the hero who save the counry from the grasp of a powerful enemy namely Tipu Sultan^[2]. He was born in 920 M.E. He entered the service of the Maharaja in 940 M.E. and became the palace Samprati in 943 M.E. He became Valiyasarvadhi karyakkar in the year 963 M.E. and in 963 he was made Dewan^[3]. On the 8th medam 974 M.E. his life was taken by poison^[4].

The poem describes in a lucid style the qualities of Kesavadasa who is mentioned in it as Kesavamantri. This wood suggest that the poem was written after 964 M.E. in which year he has appointed Dewan^[5]. An important point for history furnished by the poem is that in those days the Dewan鈥檚 office was located at Trivandrum. The expression鈥�so'ya峁� ananda艣ayane vijej墨yate鈥攕uggest that Trivandrum was his station, a fact which goes against the popular supposition that he had his office shifted to Alappy^[6]. It has to be learnt from this poem that if at all Kesavadasa鈥檚 headquarters was at Alapuzha, that was just before his becoming the Dewan, possibly during the period when he was supervising the commericial activities at Alapuzha^[7].

Instead of quoting the verses, we will enumerate the adjuctives applied to him in the poem. Each adjectives has its own historical significance. The first i.e.鈥�惫补帽肠颈产丑奴谤补办峁�a峁嘺产补诲诲丑补诲墨办峁Ｄ佲赌�indicates Kesavadasa鈥檚 selfless services in defending Travancore against the invasion of Tipu. The king was pretty old at that time, and he had the best confidence in the capability of his minister, so he left the entire responsibility of the defence to Kesavadasa, who was invested with the supreme command of the Travancore forces. Even the minute details of the defence build up received his best attention. In these circumstances there is nothing strange in the adjective. The attribute 蝉补箩箩补苍补谤补办峁�a办补 may refer to Kesavadasa鈥檚 services in the settlement of the dispossesed chiefs of Malabar after the Mysorean occupation was over, an exceedingly onerous work for the efficient and satisfactory execution of which the governer general found no other competent person than Kesavadasa. The attributes 艣补迟谤奴肠肠丑腻诲补苍补辫别艣补濒腻 and 蝉奴谤腻驳谤补驳补峁噛补 would refer to his excellence in the battle against Tipu. After Tipu rushed back to Srirangapatanam, Kesavadasa, together with the British, followed up enemy, and the Travancore army fought valiantly against Tipu on many fields at Palakkad, Coimbatore, Dindigal etc.

His talents in diplomacy and also his political experience indicated in the expression 迟补苍迟谤补尘补苍迟谤补办耻艣补濒腻 and 艣膩str膩rthabodhe pa峁璾岣� The purpot [purpose?] of the usages 补尘颈迟补尘补迟颈尘补惫腻辫补迟补岣� and 驳耻峁嘺办补濒腻诲腻尘别 have been expressed without much difference in the tribute paid by the Earl of Mornington to Kesavadasa. The Earl coferred on him the exalted order of Raja in recognition of his ability and prudence. So too, the attribute 办补惫颈办耻濒补尘补濒腻谤办腻 is justified by Pantalam Subrahmania Sastri famous request made to Kesavadasa.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Pub. V.R. Parameswaran Pillai, Raja Kesava Dasa (Malayalam) Kottayam, 1973, Pp 132 -136

[2]:

Travancore State Manual (Rev) Vol. II -P -448

[3]:

V.R. Parameswaran Pillai Loc. cit -Pp -17,27,28,68-69

[4]:

P. Sankunni Menon -Travancore history, Tvm 1878 -P. -291

[5]:

The royal Nittu to this effect, dated 8th Kanni 964. M.E. was issued from the Maharajas camp. at Mavelikkara.

[6]:

There is a local belief that Kesava Dasa鈥檚 official residence was at Sreevaraham, Tvm and this has been mentioned by C.V. Raman Pillai in his historical romance Ramaraja Bahadur.

[7]:

The port and town of Alapuzha was founded by Kesava Dasa.