Battle of Colachel
Colachel (Kulachal), Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India
What happened
The army of King Marthanda Varma of Travancore fought the Dutch East India Company force under Eustachius De Lannoy. The Dutch East India Company landed troops at Colachel on the Malabar Coast and built a fortified camp. Travancore's forces surrounded it and fired on it, and a cannonball set off a barrel of gunpowder, destroying the Dutch food supplies. The Dutch surrendered in August 1741.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the turning point of the Travancore-Dutch War. Travancore's army was later trained in European methods by the Dutch commander it had captured.
What came next
The captured Dutch commander, De Lannoy, joined Travancore's service and trained its army in European methods. He became its commander and is buried at Udayagiri Fort.
Did you know?
Locals still call Udayagiri Fort 'Dillanai kottai', meaning 'De Lannoy's fort'.
Timeline
- 1729Marthanda Varma becomes ruler of Travancore.
- 10 August 1741Travancore defeats the Dutch at Colachel.
- 1749-1750Marthanda Varma dedicates his kingdom to the god Padmanabha.
- 1758Marthanda Varma dies.