Raman Menon

''Diwan Bahadur'' Palakkal Raman Menon ''Dalawa'' ''Mannadinayar'' (also Palakkad Raman Menon and Ankarath Raman Menon) was Dewan of Travancore, serving Maharani Gowri Lakshmi Bayi, and then Maharani Gowri Parvati Bayi during their successive regencies for Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, from 1815 to 1817, and Dalawa of Travancore thereafter, holding auxiliary office as Fouzdar.

Previously he served as a Sheristadar and justice of the Huzhur Court of Travancore, as Sarvadhikari of the kingdom of Cochin, serving Kerala Varma III, and as Sarvadhikari of the kingdom of Calicut. Colonial administrator General John Munro, 9th of Teaninich was his patron, and, later, antagonist.

Reddy Row's successful intriguing displaced Menon from the Diwanship to the obsolete offices of Dalawa and Fouzdar in 1817, whereupon Menon elected to not even bother dignifying the sinecures' demands. He did ally to himself a young Rai Raya Rai Venkata Rao, then new to Munro's retinue as a fresh, scholarly, English-speaking young bureaucrat, facilitating Rao's selection as ''Diwan Peishkar''. When Reddy Row accepted the small jagir of two villages in Sengottai (Sambavarvadakarai) from Maharani Gowri Parvati Bayi as thanks for having skilfully married off Princess Rukmini Bayi, and, concurrently, Newall retired, Menon and Rao struck; highlighting the prospect of corrupt dealing to the incoming Resident, who opened an investigation into possible impropriety. Reddy Row was ultimately forced from the Diwanship in only 1821, whereupon R. Venkata Rao succeeded him.

In 1828 the new Maharaja of Cochin, Rama Varma XI, apologized for the expropriation of Menon's family's assets, restoring them, and conferring the title of ''Mannadi Nair'' on Raman Menon, his brother, and their descendants, with women receiving the style of ''Nethyar Amma''. Provided by Wikipedia