Kunjipilla took his responsibilities seriously. As he grew up, he became aware of the difficulties Cochin faced. Most of its land was taken over by the Portuguese or Travancore, leaving the state in a state of poverty. However, after the Zamorin’s defeat, Komi Achan introduced a new order based on the system implemented in Travancore by Marthanda Varma, but it had to be nurtured. Kunjipilla realized that the weakness in his kingdom was due to power being spread among several hereditary chiefs rather than centralized in the hands of the king. He appreciated that Komi Achan had already implemented part of Marthanda Varma’s reforms soon after the Zamorin was expelled from Cochin. He realized that to make the state prosperous, he had to promote trade, develop commerce and at the same time, make the state safe and secure. It was indeed a tough task for an 18-year-old young man.
Kunjipila realized that Prime Minister Komi Achan was a resourceful man, who was loyal to Cochin State and committed to its development… so he decided to seek his advice…
Kunjippilla went to Achan and asked him for help and advice. Komi Achan was pleased and advised him to first travel across the kingdom and become familiar with the country. He suggested that he also visit Travancore and understand how the country is governed. Only then will he be in a position to work for the well-being and prosperity of Cochin State. Kunjipila agreed…
Achan and Kunjipila traveled throughout the country and observed the internal situation of the country. In the evening, he and Achan would discuss what they had observed and what steps they could take to make things better. Achan found Kunjipila not only an interested and quick learner, but also decisive.
Kunjippilla, or Shakthan (as he was now known), knowing the size of his country, its strength and lack of wealth, was unwilling to wage war, especially as Cochin was caught between two very strong powers – Travancore and Mysore. He said, ‘My job is to secure the state from enemies within and without, maintain peace and protect its wealth. This is what I have sworn to do and this is what I will do. I will not allow anyone to work against the state. Anyone who dares to do so will be severely punished, even if they are my relatives. Shaktin’s first initiative was to raise an army. The king had no standing army and in times of war, he depended on the Nair chiefs and landlords to provide troops to fight for him. The king had only a few soldiers to protect and defend himself. On the other hand, the Zamorin and the Raja of Travancore had large standing armies, which they used very effectively for their aggressive conquest and occupation. Shaktin changed this by recruiting capable youth regardless of caste, color or religion. He stressed that one person from every family must be in the army. He recruited not only Nairs but also Ezhavas and Christians in this army. However, unlike an army that went out and fought, it was a police force whose purpose was to maintain law and order and protect citizens.
The recruits were trained by Dutch officers and dressed in uniforms similar to those of conscripts in the Dutch army. The Dutch Governor Engelbeek sent an apprentice, a drill master and an Ezhava corporal to Shaktan. The soldiers were trained in both old and new methods of fighting. Shakthan also had a Carnatic army.
The army was divided into companies, each led by a Kapitan, who in turn reported to a Valiya Kapitan. Each palace and fort had its own companies to provide security and protection. Each Nair company of the army had 75 soldiers, one Jamadar, two Havildars, two Naiks, two Lance Naiks, a drummer and a bugler. Companies of Christian and Ezhava armies also did the same. In addition, there was a special squad for the king, similar to the Praetorian Guard. ..
Shakthan also formed a navy to patrol the backwaters and rivers to deal with the menace of pirates and robbers. Naval personnel were trained in swimming, fast boating and capturing criminals. Due to their expertise in navigation and familiarity with water, Muslims constituted the majority among naval personnel.
Since his uncle was incompetent, crime flourished in the kingdom. Shaktan knew that unless the country was secure, he would not prosper and his subjects would not be safe. The backwaters scattered across the state were dens of bandits, and he took upon himself the task of driving them out. Shaktan himself would accompany his troops in some of these operations.
Once a group of Namboothiris were going from Ernakulam to Thrissur… When they were on the way, two Muslim youths stopped them. These young men said to them ominously, ‘It is near sunset. Aren’t you afraid of travelling?’
One of the Nambudiris said, ‘Why should we be afraid? Our savior is Shakthin Thampuran. He sees that all the passengers are safe.
The Muslim youth burst out laughing. ‘Shaktan Thampuran will not be able to protect you here. It is we who set the terms and rule here.
‘Let us show you,’ said the other, shining his dagger at them.
The villains took all the valuables that the Namboodiris had and disappeared into the dense vegetation surrounding them. Namboodiri… then went to meet Shakthan in his palace at Thripunithura and told him his tale of sorrow.
Shaktan called his commander Valiya Kapitan and asked him to capture the robbers and bring them before him. Walia Kapitan immediately proceeded with some soldiers and the robbers were captured. He was brought to Tripunithura and presented before Shakathan. ..The Namboodiris who were robbed…confirmed that these were indeed the robbers and identified their goods.
The robbers were now very scared. He begged for mercy. Shaktin overpowered him and said, ‘Are you confident of my power? Who rules here?’
The robbers, trembling with fear, begged him to let them go. He said he has learned his lesson. Shaktan said that he would not forgive them and they would be drowned in the deepest channel of the backwater.
To put into practice the adage that for a king, the messenger is his face and the spy is his eye, Shaktan created a powerful network of spies who regularly provided him with valuable information about almost everything happening in the kingdom. This helped them to attack criminals unexpectedly and create terror among unpleasant elements in the state.
To find out how his people were living and to know about their concerns, Sakthin, always inquisitive and shrewd, would often disguise himself as a mendicant or Namboodiri and wander through towns and villages, visiting quietly with his subjects to gather news and whispers of intrigue…
In the first five years of his administration, until his uncle’s death in 1776, Kunjipila’s energy, perseverance, authority and intelligence became known to all. He immediately subdued the disrespectful Brahmins, unreliable Nair chiefs, stubborn Muslims and cunning Christians in his territory. The finality of his decisions and the severity of his punishments convinced everyone. It was because of this that he became known throughout the world as Shakthin Thampuran or Strong Thampuran – an apt name, given that his uncle was the exact opposite.
Komi Achan often brought shakhathan to Thrissur, as it was the largest and most important city in the state. Achan also had another reason to visit the city, as he had entered into a sambandham with a lady from the Kuruppath family – a very aristocratic and highly respected family in the kingdom – who bore him four daughters and two sons, whom he loved dearly. Shaktin often accompanied Achan to the Kuruppath Tarwad home, and he became very friendly with Achan’s children. But it was the youngest in the family – Parukutty – with whom he was infatuated. When he was sure that he wanted a relationship with her, he first went to his aunt and asked for her opinion. He asked her to interrogate him adequately, while also commenting that any girl who married him would have great difficulty adjusting to him. Since he was sure about Parukutty, he contacted Achan and the chief of Kuruppath Tharavad, and asked for permission to enter the Sambandham with Parukutty. They were happy, because Shakthan was the real ruler and he was destined to become the king. He allowed her and gave his blessings, although there were some objections to the Sambandham – the elders cited Parukutty’s widowhood. However, Sakthin was adamant on the union, and the Sambandham took place at Kuruppath Tharavad in 1775.
Although simple and beautiful, Parukutty was tactless, weak and too timid to handle a caged lion like Shaktan. However, Shaktan loved her dearly and took her with him whenever he traveled around the kingdom.
A year after getting into a relationship with Parukutty, they had a daughter, whom he loved very much. However, this happy time came to an abrupt halt with the invasion of Malabar by Hyder Ali of Mysore. Shakthan had to spring into action to defend the area.
