S), who Nagam Aiya describes as "an authority" in the subject, "having spent nearly the whole of his life in the country, first as a Planter for several years on the Travancore Hills, then as the Guardian of the Princes, then as Commandant of one of the battalions in the Travancore army (Nayar Brigade), and lastly as the Director of the Government Museum and the Public Gardens at Trivandrum."
Nagam Aiya did a lot of pioneering, original research and work to obtain a majority of the information of this book.
A detailed study and examination of the physical features, geology, climate, rainfall, meteorology, flora, fauna, and archaeology of the place is also present.
Detailed writings are included on the following: geographical location, boundaries, shape and area of the landscape, mountains, plateaus, mountain passes, rivers, canals, backwaters, coastline, ports, shipping facilities, economic geology, climate, rainfall, meteorology, trees, medicinal plants, flowering and ornamental plants, birds, animals, architecture, sculpture, coins, inscriptions, forts and military works, archaeology, fauna, census and population, language, economic condition and various other topics.
There is either detailed mention or detailed write-up on items such as early missionaries, neighbouring kingdoms, accounts of travellers, Portuguese presence in Malabar and Travancore, Ettuvittial Pillamaar, Marthanda Varma, Zamorin, small kings and kingdoms north of Travancore, small-time rulers of Malabar, the attacks and occupation attempts by Sultan Tipu etc.
[1] His favourite modes of punishment were: imprisonment, confiscation of property, public flogging, cutting off the palm of the hand, the ears or the nose, impalement or crucifying people by driving down nails on their chests to trees, and such like, too abhorrent to record here.
The various false aspirations and claims of the various castes and the tragic sides of their lives have been portrayed with rare honesty.
The general culture of official corruption rampant in Travancore bureaucracy, which was more or less hereditary caste-based, is mentioned in raw words.
In the introduction of the book, Nagam Aiya mentions the following: ultimate success of the English East India Company, our early friendships with them and the staunch support which they in return uniformly gave us through all vicissitudes of fortune, ultimately resulting in a strong bond of political alliance and reciprocal trust and confidence, which assured to us internal security and immunity from external aggression, thus enabling us to achieve the triumphs of peace and good government, until step by step we reached the enviable height of being known as the Model Native State’ of India.
[1]Additionally, King Marthanda Varma’s words on his deathbed are cited as follows: That, above all, the friendship existing between the English East India Company and Travancore should be maintained at any risk, and that full confidence should always be placed in the support and aid of that honourable association.
Beyond that, it is mentioned that each time such social problems happened, the English officials from Madras exerted pressure on the raja family to give the freedom that was demanded by the lower castes.
Even when the lower castes were given some freedom that had not been traditionally given to them, they used the occasion to go beyond what was allowed, which created social problems and rioting.
The history of such incidents could potentially deprive the claims of some lower caste leaders that they were the persons who had spearheaded the social revolution in Travancore.