Velu Thampi Dalawa was the Diwan of the erstwhile Travancore Province (Thiruvithamkur) of
Kerala during the reign of Raja Balarama Varma in early 19th century. He was an exceptional administrator and led a daring rebellion in 1808 against the British Resident Macaulay’s intervention in the affairs of Travancore.
In his famous Kundara proclamation, in 1809, Velu Thampi made an impassioned plea to the people to rise up against the British. In the beginning, he had many allies including Paliath Achan, the Diwan of Cochin. But in the later stages he fought a lonely battle as his army stood no chance against the modern weaponry of the mighty British. At the brink of defeat, he chose to kill himself than submit to a humiliating surrender. The British made a public display of his corpse in the gallows at
Thiruvananthapuram.
