roads were laid for the convenience of military movements. The construction work was started in 1762 and was completed only by 1775 where it was extended to Vypin. The dislike of Tippu Sultan was that parts of the Travancore Lines were built on Cochin territory and a large part of the Cochin State was behind the Travancore lines. This was a violation of Mysore's territorial agreement and was considered as encroachments. Tippu Sultan contacted Travancore Raja to destroy the Lines as early as possible. Tippu Sultan wrote to the Raja, "The Cochin Raja has been my tributary fifty or sixty years – after I possessed the Calicut country you erected lines on a part of the Cochin country. This conduct is not proper you must demolish the line" To which Cochin Raja replied that the areas where the Lines were established was given to him earlier than the cochin country became a tributary to Mysore. "I possessed it and had lines were erected on it when I was included in the Treaty of peace which the Honourable English Company made with you. If I had not a right to it, why did not you then demand it". In about June–August 1787 after learning about the geography of Malabar and Travancore and constructing several roads leading into Travancore both from the north by coastal side and from the east by the Cambam and Guddalur passes, Tippu Sultan then invaded Malabar. He persecuted the people and chiefs massacring all those who refused to take up Islam. Many families including that of Samoothiri fled Malabar and took refuge in Travancore. Around 30,000 Noble Brahmin families were sheltered under Dharmaraja of Travancore. This angered Tippu and he wanted Cochin to surrender all those families who fled Malabar, But Raja refused to give in. Tippu could not make a bold appeal to the war as Travancore was included in the Peace Treaty between Mysore and the East India company as a friendly country to the company. Tippu then resorted to Samoothiri to attack cochin promising him in return the restoration of a portion of his territory. Samoothiri refused to join the plan. Tippu then requested the help of Cochin Raja to speak to Dharma raja to become a tributary of Mysore which was then was defied by stating that nothing would be done against the will of the East India company. This enraged Tippu, who