Editing Travancore (section)

==Administrative divisions==

In 1856, the princely state was sub-divided into three divisions, each of which was administered by a Divan Peishkar, with a rank equivalent to a District Collector in British India.<ref name="AHoT 486">{{cite book|last1=Shungoony Menon|first1=P.|title=A History of Travancore from the Earliest Times|date=1878|publisher=Higgin Botham & Co.|location=Madras|page=[https://archive.org/details/ahistorytravanc00menogoog/page/n602 486]|url=https://archive.org/details/ahistorytravanc00menogoog|access-date=5 May 2016|language=en}}</ref> These were the:
* [[Northern Division (Travancore)|Northern Travancore (Cottayam)]] comprising the [[Tehsils of India|talukas]] of [[Cherthala|Sharetalay]], [[Vaikom|Vycome]], [[Ettumanoor|Yetmanoor]], [[Kottayam|Cottayam]], [[Changanassery|Chunginacherry]], [[Meenachil]], [[Thodupuzha|Thodupolay]], [[Muvattupuzha|Moovatupolay]], [[Kunnathunad|Kunnathnaud]], [[Alangad|Alangaud]] and [[North Paravur|Paravoor]];
* [[Quilon Division|Quilon (Central Travancore)]], comprising the talukas of [[Kollam|Quilon]],  [[Ambalappuzha|Amabalapulay]], [[Chengannur|Chengannoor]], [[Pandalam]], [[Kunnathur, Kerala|Kunnattur]], [[Karunagappalli|Karungapully]], [[Karthikappally|Kartikapully]], [[Harippad]] and [[Mavelikkara|Mavelikaray]]
* [[Southern Division (Travancore)|Southern Travancore (Padmanabhapuram)]] comprising [[Thiruvananthapuram]], [[Chirayinkeezhu|Chirayinkir]], [[Thovala]]y, [[Agastheeswaram|Auguteeswarom]], Kalculam, [[Eraniel|Eraneel]], and Velavencode.

===Divisions according to the 1911 Census of Travancore===

====1. Padmanabhapuram Division====

The 1911 Census Report of Travancore states that Padmanabhapuram Division was the original seat of Travancore, where [[Thiruvithamcode]] and [[Padmanabhapuram]] are located.<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor">{{Cite book|title=Census of India, 1911, Volume XXIII, TRAVANCORE, Part-I, Report|last=Iyer|first=A. Subrahmanya|publisher=Government of Travancore|year=1912|location=Trivandrum|pages=19–22|url=http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/files/ideologie/data/CensusIndia/CensusIndia1911/1911%20-%20Travancore%20-%20Vol%20I.pdf}}</ref> The report further states that a vast majority of this division was ethnic [[Tamil people|Tamils]].<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/> Padamanabhapuram Division consisted of the present-day district of [[Kanyakumari district|Kanyakumari]] in [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/> The report also states that the two southernmost Taluks of this division, namely Thovalai and Agastheeswaram, geographically too more resembles to [[Pandya Nadu]] of [[Tamil Nadu|Tamil country]] and the eastern [[Coromandel Coast]] of the [[Madras Presidency]] than the rest of [[Malayalam]] country.<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/>

====2. Thiruvananthapuram Division====

It was the headquarters of Travancore since 1795.<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/> The [[Neyyattinkara]] taluk was a main seat of industry according to the 1911 census report of Travancore.<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/> This division also contained many ethnic [[Tamil people|Tamils]], mostly concentrated in the southern Taluks of [[Neyyattinkara]] and [[Thiruvananthapuram]].<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/> The Trivandrum Division consisted of the present-day [[Thiruvananthapuram district]] excluding the British colony at [[Anchuthengu]].<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/>

====3. Quilon Division====

[[Kollam|Quilon]] was the capital of [[Venad]] and the largest port town in Travancore, and was also one of the oldest ports on [[Malabar Coast]].<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/> The 1911 Census of Travancore states that it was from Quilon division onwards that the genuine country of [[Malayalam]] starts.<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/> However, the [[Sengottai]] taluk of this division which was earlier under [[Kottarakkara]] Thampuran, was a [[Tamil people|Tamil]]-majority region.<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/> Geographically too Sengottai resembled to [[Madurai]] and [[Pandya Nadu]] than rest of the [[Malayalam]] country.<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/> The Quilon division encompassed present-day [[Kollam]] district, [[Pathanamthitta district|Pathanamthitta]] district, [[Alappuzha district|Alappuzha]] district and some parts of [[Kottayam district|Kottayam]] district.

====4. Kottayam Division====

It was situated in the northernmost area of Travancore.<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/> It was a pure [[Malayalam]]-speaking and geographical region.<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/> The [[Vembanad Lake]] was a speciality of this division.<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/>

====5. Devikulam Division====

It consisted most of the present-day [[Idukki district]].<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/> It was also related to [[Pandya Nadu]] and [[Kongu Nadu]].<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/> Devikulam division was [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-speaking region.<ref name="Thiruvithamkoor"/>