Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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10:51 PM
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Hyder Ali invaded Malabar for a second time in 1773 on pretext that Rajas of Malabar had not paid him tribute as fixed in 1768. Most of Malabar Rajas with their kin and kith fled to Travancore in terrified of Hyder's ferocious troops. Though resistance sprang all over Malabar in response to bigotry, plunder and atrocity perpetuated by Mysorean officers, it degenerated into anarchy as those who should have led resistance had bolted like rabbits. Only Pazhassi Raja declared loud and clear that escape in face of danger is cowardice and stayed in Kottayam where he gathered a force and engaged in guerrilla warfare as he had neither in numbers guns and troops to face Mysoreans in open field. Raja set up a large number of bases in the nearly impenetrable forested mountains of Puralimala* and Wynad and repeatedly inflicted grevious losses to Mysorean army in Kottayam as well as Wynad.
[*Puralimala is a mountain range that extends east-west from Mozhakkunnu to Mattannur. It is not a part of Western Ghats] In 1778, Hyder’s vassal, Raja of Chirakkal besieged Talassery and enforced an economic blockade-under order from Hyder himself. British factors at Talassery armed Pazhassi Raja’s men to enable them to recover Kottayam from Mysorean occupation army. This move by British ensured that Chirakkal army was now in risk of being struck in rear by Pazhassi’s force. So Chirakkal troops began to retreat. But Pazhassi chased and devastated Chirakkal army and then marched in Kottayam where he obliterated Mysorean army of occupation and over-ran all of Kottayam. But at this critical moment when Mysorean army in Malabar could have been destroyed by a joint action on part of British and Rajas, British factors at Talassery was instructed by Governor not to upset the nominal peace with Hyder.Thus British decision not to exploit victory at Talassery was exploited by Mysore well. Chirakkal army reinforced by a Mysorean contingent under Balwant Rao marched into Kottayam. Pazhassi’s men, though secretly supplied with arms and ammunition by English, could not hold or defeat this huge host as he lacked numbers and soon Kottayam army was forced to disperse after a fight. Then Mysore-Chirakkal army captures Kadathanad and installs a puppet Raja who joins hand with Mysore. In 1779, a huge Mysore-Chirakkal-Kadathanad army besieged Talassery. Pazhassi Raja sent a force of 1300 Nayars to aid British defence of Talassery-and this enables factors to hold on successfully.By end of 1779, Sardar Khan, Mysorean general is sent to Talassery to speedily bring the siege to a successful conclusion. Sardar Khan knew that it was Pazhassi’s help that enabled British to resist him and so he opened negotiations with Pazhassi-his offer was restoration of Mysore occupied territories of Kottayam if Pazhassi was to ally with Mysore and pay an immediate tribute of 5 lac rupees. It was well beyond the capacity of Kottayam to raise so huge a sum in so short a time. But Pazhassi did his best to pay Sardar Khan [probably in hope that latter will make concessions] and 60,000 rupees was paid to latter. But Khan was not satisfied and rejected Pazhassi’s request that he be restored his possessions in Malabar. This greedy and tactless approach of Sardar Khan made sure that there was little chance for Mysore to capture Talassery.In 1780, Pazhassi Raja proposed to British a plan to break Mysorean siege of Talassery-He and his men will strike enemy in rear from east as British should come out of fort and strike Mysorean line in front and both armies are to effect a junction that will spilt enemy into two and then Mysorean and allied troops can be routed easily. But it was only in 1781 that British understood the value of this plan and their Bombay authorities agreed with Pazhassi and an operation was carried out as Pazhassi suggested-It ended with destruction of Mysorean force and Sardar Khan himself was killed. What followed was rebellion in Kottayam by Nayar militia led by Pazhassi Raja and soon Mysoreans were ousted from their country. By 1782, Kottayam was once more a free land. But by Treaty of Mangalore [1784] after Second Anglo-Mysore War, British recognised Malabar as Tipu’s sphere of action. Thus with only valuable ally lost, Kottayam was ready to become a vassal state of Mysore. But once more, as Sardar Khan did in 1779, Mysore made an exorbitant rate of tribute. While Ravi Varma, elder brother of Pazhassi Raja agreed to pay 65,000 rupees per year, Mysore demanded 81,000 rupees instead. Hiked rate of tribute meant greater hardship for peasantry [largely Tiyar/Izhava] who had suffered from years of foreign occupation. So Pazhassi Raja took up this issue and decided to launch a mass resistance struggle once more.By end of 1788, Pazhassi’s loath for Tipu had shot up on account of latter’s policy of forcible conversions and Pazhassi was convinced that British was definitely the lesser evil and so Pazhassi-British ties became stronger than before as now it was a fight to death with Tipu. Not surprisingly, Tipu had sent that year an army under Lally with a mission-Extermination of Nayar warrior caste [chief opponent of Mysore terror] from Kottayam to Palakkad. But in 1790, Tipu abandons Malabar as war in Deccan forced him. Pazhassi Raja joined British with a force of 1500 Nayars in their capture of Mysorean strong-hold in Katirur [near Talassery]. After Katirur, Pazhassi and troops move south-east and captures Kuttiyadi fort from Tipu’s men. Thus once more whole of Kottayam was in control of Pazhassi Raja. In 1790, British also recognized Pazhassi Raja as head of Kottayam as actual Raja was in refuge at Travancore. Raja agreed to pay 25,000 rupees as tribute to British.But by Treaty of Seringapatam [1792] signed between British and Tipu after latter failed in Third Anglo-Mysore War, Malabar was ceded to English. British then began to work for establishment of their supremacy in Malabar. [Logan] This was where British and Pazhassi had opposite opinions-Pazhassi helped British not because he was ready to accept British suzerainty but he wanted his country Kottayam to be a free land. Pazhassi was disturbed when he read the terms which British put forward to Rajas of Malabar in 1792. Though he was unsure in beginning, he made up his mind and agreed to British terms. Their summary is as follows-
1. Raja can rule as before but British will control him “in case of oppressing inhabitants”.
2. A resident will be appointed to enquire about “complaints of oppression”.
3. Two persons on part of British and two persons on part of Raja to make valuation of land revenue of Kottayam.
4. Tax to be paid by each subject to be ascertained.
5. Raja’s tribute to be settled in October of 1792 according to appearance of crop.
6. English’s share of pepper to be delivered at a price fixed by British in December of 1792.
7. Remnant pepper to be bought only by merchants appointed by English.These terms converted monarchs to mere agents of English. Rajas now are stripped of their right to rule as they willed and they also lost control over their economies too.
Why did a man who fought for his country’s freedom for 17 years sign so unfair an agreement? Probably Pazhassi would have thought that British would not interfere in domestic administration of Kottayam as autonomy was practised by tributary Rajas even during Mysore days. If this was how Pazhassi had thought future would look like, he was to be disillusioned with British in near future.
[*Puralimala is a mountain range that extends east-west from Mozhakkunnu to Mattannur. It is not a part of Western Ghats] In 1778, Hyder’s vassal, Raja of Chirakkal besieged Talassery and enforced an economic blockade-under order from Hyder himself. British factors at Talassery armed Pazhassi Raja’s men to enable them to recover Kottayam from Mysorean occupation army. This move by British ensured that Chirakkal army was now in risk of being struck in rear by Pazhassi’s force. So Chirakkal troops began to retreat. But Pazhassi chased and devastated Chirakkal army and then marched in Kottayam where he obliterated Mysorean army of occupation and over-ran all of Kottayam. But at this critical moment when Mysorean army in Malabar could have been destroyed by a joint action on part of British and Rajas, British factors at Talassery was instructed by Governor not to upset the nominal peace with Hyder.Thus British decision not to exploit victory at Talassery was exploited by Mysore well. Chirakkal army reinforced by a Mysorean contingent under Balwant Rao marched into Kottayam. Pazhassi’s men, though secretly supplied with arms and ammunition by English, could not hold or defeat this huge host as he lacked numbers and soon Kottayam army was forced to disperse after a fight. Then Mysore-Chirakkal army captures Kadathanad and installs a puppet Raja who joins hand with Mysore. In 1779, a huge Mysore-Chirakkal-Kadathanad army besieged Talassery. Pazhassi Raja sent a force of 1300 Nayars to aid British defence of Talassery-and this enables factors to hold on successfully.By end of 1779, Sardar Khan, Mysorean general is sent to Talassery to speedily bring the siege to a successful conclusion. Sardar Khan knew that it was Pazhassi’s help that enabled British to resist him and so he opened negotiations with Pazhassi-his offer was restoration of Mysore occupied territories of Kottayam if Pazhassi was to ally with Mysore and pay an immediate tribute of 5 lac rupees. It was well beyond the capacity of Kottayam to raise so huge a sum in so short a time. But Pazhassi did his best to pay Sardar Khan [probably in hope that latter will make concessions] and 60,000 rupees was paid to latter. But Khan was not satisfied and rejected Pazhassi’s request that he be restored his possessions in Malabar. This greedy and tactless approach of Sardar Khan made sure that there was little chance for Mysore to capture Talassery.In 1780, Pazhassi Raja proposed to British a plan to break Mysorean siege of Talassery-He and his men will strike enemy in rear from east as British should come out of fort and strike Mysorean line in front and both armies are to effect a junction that will spilt enemy into two and then Mysorean and allied troops can be routed easily. But it was only in 1781 that British understood the value of this plan and their Bombay authorities agreed with Pazhassi and an operation was carried out as Pazhassi suggested-It ended with destruction of Mysorean force and Sardar Khan himself was killed. What followed was rebellion in Kottayam by Nayar militia led by Pazhassi Raja and soon Mysoreans were ousted from their country. By 1782, Kottayam was once more a free land. But by Treaty of Mangalore [1784] after Second Anglo-Mysore War, British recognised Malabar as Tipu’s sphere of action. Thus with only valuable ally lost, Kottayam was ready to become a vassal state of Mysore. But once more, as Sardar Khan did in 1779, Mysore made an exorbitant rate of tribute. While Ravi Varma, elder brother of Pazhassi Raja agreed to pay 65,000 rupees per year, Mysore demanded 81,000 rupees instead. Hiked rate of tribute meant greater hardship for peasantry [largely Tiyar/Izhava] who had suffered from years of foreign occupation. So Pazhassi Raja took up this issue and decided to launch a mass resistance struggle once more.By end of 1788, Pazhassi’s loath for Tipu had shot up on account of latter’s policy of forcible conversions and Pazhassi was convinced that British was definitely the lesser evil and so Pazhassi-British ties became stronger than before as now it was a fight to death with Tipu. Not surprisingly, Tipu had sent that year an army under Lally with a mission-Extermination of Nayar warrior caste [chief opponent of Mysore terror] from Kottayam to Palakkad. But in 1790, Tipu abandons Malabar as war in Deccan forced him. Pazhassi Raja joined British with a force of 1500 Nayars in their capture of Mysorean strong-hold in Katirur [near Talassery]. After Katirur, Pazhassi and troops move south-east and captures Kuttiyadi fort from Tipu’s men. Thus once more whole of Kottayam was in control of Pazhassi Raja. In 1790, British also recognized Pazhassi Raja as head of Kottayam as actual Raja was in refuge at Travancore. Raja agreed to pay 25,000 rupees as tribute to British.But by Treaty of Seringapatam [1792] signed between British and Tipu after latter failed in Third Anglo-Mysore War, Malabar was ceded to English. British then began to work for establishment of their supremacy in Malabar. [Logan] This was where British and Pazhassi had opposite opinions-Pazhassi helped British not because he was ready to accept British suzerainty but he wanted his country Kottayam to be a free land. Pazhassi was disturbed when he read the terms which British put forward to Rajas of Malabar in 1792. Though he was unsure in beginning, he made up his mind and agreed to British terms. Their summary is as follows-
1. Raja can rule as before but British will control him “in case of oppressing inhabitants”.
2. A resident will be appointed to enquire about “complaints of oppression”.
3. Two persons on part of British and two persons on part of Raja to make valuation of land revenue of Kottayam.
4. Tax to be paid by each subject to be ascertained.
5. Raja’s tribute to be settled in October of 1792 according to appearance of crop.
6. English’s share of pepper to be delivered at a price fixed by British in December of 1792.
7. Remnant pepper to be bought only by merchants appointed by English.These terms converted monarchs to mere agents of English. Rajas now are stripped of their right to rule as they willed and they also lost control over their economies too.
Why did a man who fought for his country’s freedom for 17 years sign so unfair an agreement? Probably Pazhassi would have thought that British would not interfere in domestic administration of Kottayam as autonomy was practised by tributary Rajas even during Mysore days. If this was how Pazhassi had thought future would look like, he was to be disillusioned with British in near future.
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