The social development of the location before the advent of the English rule can be understood from the following quotes from Travancore State Manual:

QUOTE: She had a guard of above 700 soldiers about her, all clad after the Malabar fashion; the Queen’s attirement being no more than a piece of callicoe wrapt round her middle, the upper part of her body appearing for the most part naked, with a piece of callicoe hanging carelessly round her shoulders. Her ears, which were very long, her neck and arms were adorn’d with precious stones, gold rings and bracelets, and her head cover’d with a piece of white callicoe. She was past her middle age, of a brown complexion, with black hair tied in a knot behind, but of a majestic mein, she being a princess who shew’d great deal of good conduct in the management of her affairs. END OF QUOTE.

That was Dutch official Nieuhoff’s words about his meeting the Queen of Quilon in March 1664 A.D. The quoted words look quite impressive from a standalone perspective. However, the reality is not to be judged from such mere momentary observations.

See what happened to this Queen of miniscule Quilon:

QUOTE: This is the Queen to whom Van Rheed refers in the extract quoted above in such flattering terms. The Ettuvittil Pillamars and their confederates waited upon the Rani and gave their assurances of allegiance to her and her children only as a take-off to the villainous act of treachery they had determined upon against her and her issue.

Five of the princes were inveigled to go to a bathing tank known as Kalippankulam at Manakad (half a mile south of the Trivandrum town), on a fine moonlight night along with other boys they had set up ostensibly for purposes of swim and play. As the boys were enjoying their swim, a few ruffians hired for the purpose came also to the tank under the pretext of bathing, and seizing the princes drowned them in the water. The confederates then spread a rumour to the effect that the princes were accidentally drowned in the tank while bathing.

The shocking news of the simultaneous death of her five sons left no doubt in the mind of the Queen as to the cause of death and the hands that wrought it. She was entirely helpless and finding her stay at Puthencottah unsafe, she retired with her only surviving son, a boy of nine years, to Nedumangad with a faithful staff of followers. She then gave up all concern in the affairs of her government, her whole thoughts being centred on the safety of her son and heir. END OF QUOTE

Feudal languages create quite treacherous moods inside individuals. The land was in a state of continual belligerence, back-stabbing, betrayals, and other treacherous activities, until the advent of the English administration in around half of the Subcontinent. The rest of the Subcontinent, that is the various independent kingdoms, stood in quite close attachment to the English administration. For, it was for the first time in the recorded history of the Subcontinent that the land had become peaceful and secure.