This new book dives into the history of Kochi through a unique king

Why is the triumphant story of Shakthan Thampuran relevant todayThe Phoenix Rises Bloomsbury and all our historical novels this being our fourth are born of a feeling of love and pride in our country These stories have remained untold for far too long because though Indian history has familiarised us with our conquerors they have left our legends in the shadows We tell the stories of Indian legends who ruled built and won Shakthan 17511805 is one such legend a king who inherited a bankrupt disintegrating and lawless kingdom and transformed it into the prosperous cohesive Cochin now KochiShakthan ThampuranEvery year Thrissur celebrates the Thrissur Pooram a secular temple festival The rites are performed by Hindus the pandals are created by Muslims and the decorations are gifted by Christians Itrsquos the largest and longest temple festival in the world bringing in over two million tourists to Kerala each year and yet the people of Kerala have forgotten about the Raja who instituted this festivalRaghu and Pushpa Palat at Kallikotta Palace Thripunithura built by Shakthan Thampuran Pics CourtesyThe authors Wikimedia CommonsWhat were some of Shakthanrsquos qualities that helped him resurrect Cochin to its erstwhile gloryShakthan was an astute strategist He knew Cochin lacked the resources to battle enemies or conquer neighbouring kingdoms so he relied on diplomacy Through skilful alliances he shielded the kingdom from its powerful neighbours mdash Travancore to the south and Calicut to the northHe had a strong instinct for commerce and was keen to boost trade Since the Nairs showed little interest in it he encouraged Syrian Christian traders to settle in Cochin and supported their business The taxes they generated brought invaluable revenue to the kingdomrsquos coffers He used the army he had built to enforce strict order and ensure the safety of his subjects His punishments were swift and decisive creating an immediate impactHow did his governance impact the latterday development of CochinShakthan divided the kingdom into three provinces which were further split into taluks made up of villages He appointed trusted officials at every level each reporting to a Karyakar who reported to the Prime Minister who in turn reported to him This structure allowed Shakthan to maintain direct control over all affairs of the kingdom It is telling of his administrative skills that Kerala continues to maintain the divisions that Shakthan introduced in the 18th CenturyThe Cochin Royal Familyrsquos crest was created by ShakthanHe created detailed guidelines in writing for the officers across grades Captains were appointed to report on the conduct of officers Corruption was not tolerated where offenders were imprisoned and all their property was confiscated He developed infrastructure by building roads water ways markets resthouses and storehousesAvailable Leading bookstore and estoresDid you knowShakthan realised that prosperity of the Europeans was due to maritime trade and purchased eight ships His ships manned by Muslims carried goods up and down the coast He also had a fleet of coasting vessels commanded by European captains that traded from Karachi to CalcuttaHe shifted his capital to Thrissur and planned it according to the principles of Kautilyarsquos Arthashastra Centred around the Vadakkunnathan Temple Shakthan laid out four roads from its four gateways dividing Thrissur into four quarters mdash each designated for a different community