Name the battle in which the Travancore King defeated the Dutch in 1741.

The Battle of Colachel, fought on August 10, 1741, was a decisive engagement between the Kingdom of Travancore and the Dutch East India Company (VOC) [2]. Under the leadership of King Marthanda Varma, the Travancore forces defeated the Dutch both on land and at sea [1]. This victory is historically significant as it was a rare instance of an Asian power successfully repelling a European colonial force [1]. The battle resulted in the surrender of Dutch Admiral Eustachius De Lannoy, who subsequently joined the Travancore army and helped modernize its military. The defeat at Colachel dealt a crushing blow to Dutch political ambitions in India, eventually leading to the decline of their influence in the Malabar region [3]. Other options like Porto Novo and Pollilore were battles involving the British and Mysore, while Changanassery was a different regional conflict.

Sources

1. [1] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: The Colonial Era in India > The Dutch: commerce and competition > p. 90
2. [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travancore%E2%80%93Dutch_War
3. [3] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 2: Indian States and Society in the 18th Century > Kerala > p. 25