Kāyamkulam Kāshu

Jee Francis Therattil

Therattil

Coins having conch on one side and leaves like motif on the other side and the
size comparable with that of one Kāshu of Travancore are quite often met with by
numismatists in the southern districts of Kerala [Alappuzha, Kollam and
Thiruvananthapuram] and in Kanyakumari. On closer observation, one can see that
there is a line inside the leaf like thing and it is definitely not a straight one so as to
impart an appearance of a vein on it, but circular. I am very much inclined to identify
it as representing the ‘eye’ in the peacock feather and the arrangement of the three
peacock feathers as the classical representation of pēlithirumudi – the peacock feather
crown associated with Lord Krishna.

The next thing to bother is whether this one is just one among many varieties of
Kāshu reported from the region, most of which are generally found classified1 under
thirākāshu of Venad and Travancore or bear a separate identity. For this, we have to
closely observe the characteristics of the coins under discussion and compare them
with properly identified coins from the region.

Coin # 1
Diameter: 9mm. max. Weight: 700mg.

Conch is a very common motif found on Venad as well as Travancore coins. But
here, the depiction of ornamentation of conch is strikingly of a different style from
that seen in Venad and Travancore coins. Moreover, this Kāshu is not made up of
thirāvam [bronze2], the alloy of copper with tin, imparting them the name thirākāshu,
but of unalloyed copper, because of which it can be classified only under
chembukāshu. The overall style of depiction also lacks the Venad or Travancore
‘touch’ in it.
 But the most peculiar difference lies in the arrangement of linear and dotted
circles. The coins under study exhibit dotted circle inside the linear one, whereas not
even a single variety of Venad or Travancore Kāshu has been reported other than with
dotted circle outside the linear one. This is a clear instance on the purposeful
specificity to differentiate this issue by deviating from a standard graphic design
pattern adopted by others like Venad or Travancore.

Who shall be the issuer of this who advertises a separate style to establish an
identity of its own?

Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma [1729 – 1758 AD] succeeded in annexing

neighboring principalities to Travancore [then a small principality with a ‘narrow
strip of about 30 miles of coast’ to the south of Kollam] and emerged as the numero
uno in the region. The only other kingdom left in the region was Kochi, to which the
coin is a misfit. So we have to search for the issuer among the principalities existed
prior to this annexation.

The pointer is now towards Kāyamkulam3 [Kayamkulam], the principal thāvazhi

[matrilineal branch] of Ōdanādu4 [Odanad] which once was one of the Chirava
Swarōpams [feudatory] of Venad.5 Lord Sree Krishna [in the Temple at Aeruva6] is the
tutelary deity of the rulers of Kayamkulam. Unfortunately, we could not succeed, till
now, in identifying something which can be confirmed with certainty as royal
insignia of Kayamkulam.

Coin # 2
Diameter: 9mm. max. Weight: 700mg.
 Coin # 3
Diameter: 9mm. max. Weight: 630mg.

The graphics in the later issues [represented by coin # 3] show some sort of
deviation in depicting the basic concept and attained a shape which appears to have
been influenced by European concepts. The striking similarity exhibited by this
insignia with fleur–de-dies depicted in Cache, ½ Doudou and Doudou coins7 minted
at Puthucherry [Pondichery] during the very beginning of the 18th century is worth
observing. The reduction [of 10%] in the weight [from 700mg to 630mg] of the coin
also may be intentional.

In September 1716, William Bakker Jacobsz [the Dutch ‘Councillor Extraordinary’]

addresses in his letter8 as ‘The Raja of Calicoilan’ [Kayamkulam] which provides us the
status of the ruler of Kayamkulam on those days while at the same time we can meet
with at the addressing ‘The Raja of Trevancore’ [Travancore]. Right from 1647, Dutch
had a permanent settlement at Kayamkulam [for the first time in Malabar Coast]
under Mathew van der Broeck9. Even before this, the Dutch was awarded a promise
from Kayamkulam ruler that he will not send any more pepper to the Portuguese
ports of Kochi [Cochin] and Kollam [Quilon] [then under ‘The Raja of Signatty’ –
Deashinganādu - Desinganad] and will not sell to any other European nations if the
Dutch buys his pepper every year. This shows that the ruler was independent and
powerful enough to endeavor in such strategic decisions.

From the above observations, we can safely attribute the coinage to have started
by the second half of the 17th century [represented by coin # 1 & 2] and continued
during the first half of the 18th century [represented by coin # 3] when Kayamkulam
enjoyed a good level of independence and economic thrust until Marthanda Varma
started attack over Kayamkulam in 1734. On 10th June 1734, Kayamkulam king fell in
the battle field10 and eventually it got annexed with Travancore in 1746.
References and Notes:

01. Anantasayanam and Thirai Cash of Venad and Travancore – A study by Barbara Mears,
2000.
02. Page 67, Coins of the Venad Cheras – Beena Sarasan, Poorna Publications, Calicut, 2000.
03. Er. K. Sivasankaran Nair believes that the original word must have been Kāyalkulam
[kāyal is ‘lake’ and kulam means ‘pond’]. Dr. M. G. Sasibhooshan is of the opinion that
Kayamkulam got its name from kayam meaning ‘abyss’. I feel that kāyam [meaning ‘black’
from asafoetida] will be a word worth considering behind Kāyamkulam, the lake with
black mud deposit. Kayamkulam Lake is to the east of present Kayamkulam town.
04. Er. K. Sivasankaran Nair and Dr. M. G. Sasibhooshan are of the opinion that the nādu
[region] must have got its name from Audal, a climber [Sarcostigma Kleinii - Page 222,
Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, New
Delhi, 1956]. I strongly feel that the word denotes ‘region of boats’ from the word audam
representing a type of small boat [as in palliaudam and audivallam].
05. Page 250, Pracheena Keralam – K. Sivasankaran Nair, India Books, Trivandrum, 2006.
06. North-East of present Kayamkulam town.
07. Page 247, The Standard Guide to South Asian Coins and Paper Money Since 1556 AD,
First Edition [ISBN 0-87341-069-6], Krause Publications, Iola, Wisconsin 54990.
08. Page 13, Dutch Hegemony in Malabar and its Collapse – Dr. T. I. Poonen, University of
Kerala, Trivandrum, 1978.
09. Page 19 & 20, ibid.
10. Page 94, ibid.

Acknowledgement:

Dr. N. Sreedhar, Thiruvananthapuram, for crisp high resolution digital image capturing of the coins.

This paper interprets the characteristics of a previously unidentified coin and its
attribution to the Kāyamkulam rulers of whom no coinage is known before. The paper
got unanimously accepted [on 20th January 2008 at the annual conference of the South
Indian Numismatic Society] and the same is included in the volume - X1X [2009] of
their journal.

Jee Francis Therattil,

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
E-mail: jeefrancis@gmail.com