Thekkumkur

Thekkumkoor (also transliterated as Thekkumkur or Thekkumcore) was a small independent kingdom that existed before 1750 in the southern part of Kerala, India. The literal meaning of the title is the southern regent and the attribute southern distinguished them from another kingdom known as Vadakkumkoor (northern regent) which bordered it in the northern side. The royal household, Thekkumkoor Kovilakam, were at Neeraazi Kottaram, near Kavil Bhagavathi temple, Pizhavathil of Changanasseri, Vennimala near Puthuppally and Thaliyilkotta near Thazhathangadi in Kottayam. Many mistake Laxmipuram Palace, in Pizhavathil as the royal residence of Thekkumkoor kings. But Lakshmipuram palace was built after the last Thekkumkoor kingdom was conquered by the Marthanda Varma, the king of Venad in 1750. This was for accommodating the fleeing Parppanaattu royals from Malabar during the raid of Tipu Sultan.

The ruler of Thekkumkur had sided first with the Kingdom of Kayamkulam and then with the principality of Ambalapuzha against Travancore under Marthanda Varma. After the fall of Ambalapuzha, and as the ruler of Thekkumkoorr refused to come to terms with Travancore, his capital city was taken on September 11,1750 by Ramayyan Dalawa, the general and prime minister of Marthanda Varma and the state was annexed to Travancore in 1753. The details of the battle are described in the '' by P. Shankunni Menon, erstwhile Diwan Peshkar (a rank equivalent to Deputy Prime Minister) of the Travancore State and father of another noted historian K. P. Padmanabha Menon.

From the beginning of the ninth century AD, the history of Thekkumkoor and of Kottayam are virtually indistinguishable. Kottayam then was a part of Vempolinad, an area in the Kulasekhara Empire (800 – 1102 AD). By about 1100 AD, the Kingdom of Vempolinad had split into the Kingdoms of Thekkumkur and Vadakkumkur. After their separation, Thekkumkur became an independent kingdom, while Vedakkumkur became a vassal of Cochin.

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