Darklord
09-24-2009, 08:47 PM
I went to see an old fort and came across a tomb. Some googling and wiki-ing later, found this interesting history.
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Eustachius Benedictus (Eustache Benoît) de Lannoy (also spelt "Lennoy" and sometimes called 'Captain De Lannoy') ( 1715 - June 1, 1777, Udayagiri Fort) was a Flemish naval commander of the Dutch East India Company, who was sent by the company to help establish a trading post at Colachel, Southern India, but was defeated at the Battle of Colachel by the Travancore army under Maharaja Marthanda Varma in 1741.
While in prison, he was offered a conditional pardon and release by the king, Maharaja Marthanda Varma, whereby he was to train and modernize the Travancore army, which De Lannoy and his men readily accepted.
De Lannoy organized the Travancore army on European lines, introduced gun-powder and firearms, hitherto not used in the kingdom, and increased the regiments and improved defence fortifications. In the process, he earned the trust of the king, who put him in command of the entire Travancore armed forces.
De Lannoy was a skilled military strategist, and together with the tactics of the Dewan of Travancore, Ramayyan Dalawa, and the king, Maharaja Marthanda Varma, the combined skills of the threesome proved very effective in the future military exploitations and annexations of rival kingdoms in the neighbourhood. The statesmanship of king Marthanda Varma, De Lannoy’s military strategy and Ramayyan Dalawa’s tactics were instrumental in the defeat and annexation of Attingal, Quilon, Kayankulam, Panthalam, Ambalapuzha, Edapalli, Thekkanpur and Vadakkanpur with Travancore.
Donadi, De Lannoy’s Dutch naval lieutenant was also made a senior military officer in the Travancore military.
Captain De lannoy’s military skills and trust were recognised not only by King and the state officials, but also by the subjects of Travancore, who called him by the nom de guerre ‘Valia Kaaptain’ (meaning 'valiant Commander' ).
De Lannoy died a natural death in 1777. De Lannoy, who was trusted and liked by both the king and his subjects was buried at the chapel inside Udayagiri fort. His tomb was inscribed with the following words : "Stand Traveller, and behold ! For here lies Captain De Lannoy, who served Maharaja Marthanda Varma and Travancore faithfully for three decades".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustachius_De_Lannoy
81977
81978
81979
81980
81981
Eustachius Benedictus (Eustache Benoît) de Lannoy (also spelt "Lennoy" and sometimes called 'Captain De Lannoy') ( 1715 - June 1, 1777, Udayagiri Fort) was a Flemish naval commander of the Dutch East India Company, who was sent by the company to help establish a trading post at Colachel, Southern India, but was defeated at the Battle of Colachel by the Travancore army under Maharaja Marthanda Varma in 1741.
While in prison, he was offered a conditional pardon and release by the king, Maharaja Marthanda Varma, whereby he was to train and modernize the Travancore army, which De Lannoy and his men readily accepted.
De Lannoy organized the Travancore army on European lines, introduced gun-powder and firearms, hitherto not used in the kingdom, and increased the regiments and improved defence fortifications. In the process, he earned the trust of the king, who put him in command of the entire Travancore armed forces.
De Lannoy was a skilled military strategist, and together with the tactics of the Dewan of Travancore, Ramayyan Dalawa, and the king, Maharaja Marthanda Varma, the combined skills of the threesome proved very effective in the future military exploitations and annexations of rival kingdoms in the neighbourhood. The statesmanship of king Marthanda Varma, De Lannoy’s military strategy and Ramayyan Dalawa’s tactics were instrumental in the defeat and annexation of Attingal, Quilon, Kayankulam, Panthalam, Ambalapuzha, Edapalli, Thekkanpur and Vadakkanpur with Travancore.
Donadi, De Lannoy’s Dutch naval lieutenant was also made a senior military officer in the Travancore military.
Captain De lannoy’s military skills and trust were recognised not only by King and the state officials, but also by the subjects of Travancore, who called him by the nom de guerre ‘Valia Kaaptain’ (meaning 'valiant Commander' ).
De Lannoy died a natural death in 1777. De Lannoy, who was trusted and liked by both the king and his subjects was buried at the chapel inside Udayagiri fort. His tomb was inscribed with the following words : "Stand Traveller, and behold ! For here lies Captain De Lannoy, who served Maharaja Marthanda Varma and Travancore faithfully for three decades".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustachius_De_Lannoy