Which one among the following was not true about the Kerala king Martanda Varma ?

King Martanda Varma (1729–1758) was the architect of modern Travancore. He is renowned for subduing the powerful feudal lords, known as the Ettuveetil Pillamar, to centralize royal authority [1][t1]. He organized a formidable standing army trained on the Western model with the assistance of European officers and equipped them with modern weaponry [1][c3]. Far from bribing European officers to maintain peace, Martanda Varma adopted a policy of aggressive expansion and resistance against colonial encroachment. Most notably, he decisively defeated the Dutch East India Company at the Battle of Colachel in 1741, which effectively ended Dutch political ambitions in India [1][c2]. His reign was characterized by military strength and the annexation of neighboring principalities rather than the payment of bribes to maintain peace with European powers [c1]. Therefore, option 3 is the incorrect statement regarding his rule.

Sources

1. [1] 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