[citation needed] Varma rose to power after Hyder Ali's second conquest of Malabar in 1774.
Manavikraman Raja of Calicut fled to Travancore and thus his second-in-command Krishna Varma became de facto head of state.
[1] Krishna Varma operated from the traditional seat of Eralpad in Karimpuzha, present Palghat district, commanding a large resistance movement which took the form of guerrilla warfare.
His nephew Ravi Varma the Elder acted as Commander In Chief of rebel military force.
The rebels foiled all effort of Mysore government to set up a working administration in South Malabar.