Hydaru Charitra – Yet another source
Posted by Labels: Hydaru Charitra, Malabar 1766, Malabar Mysore SultansAdditional insights - 1766 attacks, Malabar
There are many books, passages, and secondary sources covering the life and times of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, and there are many books compiled by their detractors as well as supporters. While the supporters paint them as freedom fighters of enviable moral character and secular outlook, their detractors emphasize on the violent methods wrought by these individuals, driven by their Arab background and upbringing, their fighting spirit, treachery and cruel proselytization of subjugated masses. Added to all that, there was a large amount of misinformation and tainted writing by English writers who wanted to slant the Mysore rulers as the vilest of all, in order to obtain support for wars fought against them. As you can all imagine, the truth lies somewhere in between and I had been struggling for years to reconstruct the Hyder-Tipu Padayaottam in Malabar, a venture which I guess will continue for more time.
Among the papers found in the Mackenzie collection was a
Marathi account of the Mysore Sultans – thought to have been penned by one Ramachandra
Rao Punganuri (who had been in the employment of the Mysore Sultans for a long
time). This was translated into English by CP Brown around 1848, cross-referenced and annotated with inputs from the Wilkes account. Tracing its
history, Brown states that it was handed over in the year 1801 by one Lieut.
Col. Barry Close, to Major Mackenzie. Even though the translation was published
as Memoirs of Hyder and Tippoo in 1849, it was mentioned that a revised version
was in the works. But that did not happen.
Thus, the Telugu document D2657 with 165 pages was
translated by Dr N Venkatramanayya (VR), a reader at
the Madras University and published in 1956. Strangely the new team and the
translators did not link this source to the CP Brown version, but a quick check
will show you that they are from an identical source, from the content and the
paragraph numbering.
Both Brown and Venkatramanayya make it clear that the
content has literary pretensions. They clarify that it was written in simple
and crudely spoken Telugu (or in the original Mahrati) in a diary format. As the
critical translation explains, the account has events that are already known
to most students of South Indian history, but occasionally one comes as across
facts not seen in other sources and provides a better picture of their true
characters.
The book starts with the birth of Hyder, his early life at the Sira Subha province of the Mughal empire,
located in the region south of the Tungabhadra river, Kolar to be specific. In the initial sections, we get to read about Hyder’s association with the Mysore Rajas (for a precis of the events, read my article on Hari Singh, linked under references) from 1749 and through to 1757 when Hyder is stationed in Dindigul. You may recall that Hyder had been dispatched to Dindigul, to fight and subjugate the Polygars - Amminayaka, Appinayaka and other Polygars of Palani, Virupaksha & Mille-Mirangi.Around 1758 the Zamorin’s forces stormed into Palghat after
continued friction with the Kombi Atchan of Palghat. It is at this point that
the Pangi and Kelu Achan of Palghat go to Coimbatore to meet the Shankara Raja,
and thence to Srirangapatanam to request help in resisting the Zamorin.
From the Hari Singh study, we gathered that Haider, his
brother-in-law Syed Mukhadam and Dewan Venkata Rao were then deputed out from
Dindigul to fight the Calicut forces. The Zamorin quickly sued for peace and
came to an understanding that he should pay a tribute of Rs. 12 lakhs to Mysore.
The Zamorin also negotiated with Devarajaiah and promised to pay him the stipulated
tribute of Rs. 12 lakhs (in installments) instead of to Haider, if Haider were
persuaded to withdraw from Calicut. When Devaraja asked Haider to come back,
the latter refused to do so unless he was compensated Rs. 3 lakhs towards the
expenses incurred by his army. Devaraja did so and after withdrawing Haider’s
army, sent Hari Singh to collect the 12 lakhs of the promised tribute.
It is at this point that we pick up the story from Ramachandra
Rao’s diary. Note also that the Brown translation uses the terms Hyder Nayak or
Bahadur whereas Krishnayya calls him Bahadar.
A
quarrel having broken out at this time between Devaraja and his younger brother
Najaraja, the former left Seringapatanam for Satyamangalam where he took up his
residence. This information reached Hyder Nayak who was stationed in Dindigul,
while he was passing through Palghatchery during his return journey from
Calicut. He placed 2000 horse, 5000 foot and some cannons under his brother-in-law
Magdum Saheb and his dewan Venkata Rao, and directed them to plunder without
delay the country of the Nayars of Achangar (?), a report of whose vast wealth
had reached his ears. They entered the village of Palghatchery and having taken
possession of it, fixed an amount of revenue in khandini-rukas to be collected
from it, plundered the countries of Kochi and Kallikotta and established
garrisons in important places, so that the king of the Nayars, who was
frightened, agreed to pay a sum of 12 lakh rupees. This happened in the year
Isvara equivalent to EY 1757.
The Achangar mention is a bit strange and not explained in
the VR translation, but Wilkes had reiterated that this was Travancore who incidentally
had been at war with Cochin and Calicut! It could mean the Achans of Palghat. Also
note that the word plunder is a loose translation of sawari shikari, or
predatory excursion.
While
Hyder was at Dindigul, an order came to him from Dalavay Devaraja summoning him
to Satyamangalam. The reason or this is as follows – The rajah of Nairs sent a
message to Dalavay offering him 12 lakhs, if he agreed to set at liberty an
officer captured by him, and withdraw his army. Accordingly, the Dalavay sent
an order to Hyder through Nanjunda Sastri, commanding him to withdraw his
forces. Hari Singh, who accompanies Nanjunda Sastri withs ome troops said, if
you order the withdrawal of your troops, we shall make arrangements for payment
of your money. Hyder replied – I spent a good deal of money on my army, you
will have to pay all the money expended by me for recruiting the forces,
conducting the war and providing the supplies.
Meanwhile
Hyder had a deed of settlement (tamassuk) drawn up by the (carbari) agent
Veddeda Girganna to the effect that the money mentioned above should be paid to
him. Then he withdrew the army. By this time the Dalavay who came to
Sriranagpatanam from Satyamangalam died there, on the third day of his return,
on Su 12 Jyestha of the year Bahudhanya, corresponding to 15 June 1758.
Nanjaraja
became in the interval, independent, and as Nanjunda Sastri who went to on an
embassy to the country of Kallikotta, died, the troops hat accompanied him
returned. Hyder came to know that they returned without collecting a single
cowrie of the Rs 12,00,000, which the ruler of Kallikotta country had agreed to
pay, he went to the Raja and insisted that the money due to him, according to
the agreement drawn up by that Girganna should be paid to him. The Raja
promised that he would himself pay the money, and wrote and despatched an order
that the monies due from Koyamuttur country should be paid to Hyder.
At this point we can conclude that Hyder’s dues on account
of the march to Calicut had been taken care of. In succeeding paragraphs, we
see the way in which Hyder and Mukhdam Saheb got rid of Hari Singh, capture his
men, horses and cannon and proceed on to Srirangapatanam and eventually proceeds
to fight Mahratta wars. We now come to the important part, his overtures
towards Malabar in 1766. Continuing on in Krishnayya’s words.
He
(Hyder) himself arrived in the Kodiyala country below the ghats with 12000 bar,
10,000 Karnatak foot and 3000 horse: thence he proceeded to Malabar country and
reached Meleswaram by way of Manamur, where he saw Aly Raja. Accompanied by a
large number of Mappilas of his (Aly Raja’s) kingdom, and marching along the
coast, he entered the territories of Tyakalukota, Agadi, Kadathanad etc and
fought with 20/25 thousand troops of the Nayar king of that place. As these
people had never set their eyes on the Moghal (Mohammedan) soldiers, they were
frightened by their fierce appearance, and unable to confront them, fled to the
jungles and hills, and took shelter behind trees and rocks. Some of them died
in the fight. These (Hyder’s soldiers) captured the villages mentioned above,
erected forts here and there, posted garrisons in them and arrived in the
neighborhood of Kallikotta on su1, Chaitra of the year Vyaya corresponding to 11th
March 1766.
The
rajah of Kallikotta, Manavikrama by name, opened negotiations with Bahadar
(Hyder) himself and made peace with him. He informed the Bahadar that he would
meet him personally, if his objects were fulfilled and having obtained from him
(Bahada- Shapatha) a safe conduct, he went to meet him, accompanied by a
retinue of two thousand nayars. He (Bahadar) presented a pearl necklace and
bracelets to the Rajah and earrings to his courtiers. He gave them much
assurance, and said that as soon as he entered Kallikota, he would retain him
(the rajah) in his place. He the rajah should however bear the expenses of the
sarkar’s army. As he agreed to pay the Sarkar a tribute – a sum of four lakhs
Chanari Kasus and said that he would pay one lakh chanari kasus immediately to
the Sarkar and that he would wait on him (Bahadar) as one of the servants in
his service.
He
entered Kallikota taking along the rajah with him. He lodged him in a big
temple, and himself camped within a small char-divar, that is a place with for
walls. Four or six days afterwards, he asked (the rajah) what he would say
about the money. The Rajah replied that he would gather together all his
mutasaddis and arrange for the payment, but the money was not paid. Therefore,
he kept the rajah in custody, and pressed the mutassadis vigorously for
payment.
The Brown version states - When this treaty was made Hyder
proceeded with the king to Calicut: he placed the king apart, in a large
temple. Hyder took up his quarters in a small quadrangular building. After a
few days (Hyder) asked (the raja) for (the promised) money. The raja replied
saying, I will call my servants together and provide the money. The money
however was not raised: (Hyder) therefore placed a guard and sentries over (the
king) and used violent measures to extort the money from the servants.
The
rajah on hearing this, thought that it was not possible for him to preserve his
honour, closed the doors of the house in which he was lodging, set fire to it
and being burnt in it as a consequence, died. On hearing this news, Bahadar
sent several men with instructions that they should somehow contrive to prevent
his death. Though they spared no pains to carry out his instructions, their
efforts proved fruitless. Then some of
the Rajas followers were kept under custody with the object of coercing
payment, as they were subjected to forces, they paid the money demanded to
them. On the site enclosed by the four walls where they were camping, he
erected a fort with turrets and mounted cannon on them. He sojourned there for a
month, fixed garrisons in all places, appointed a captain for fauzdary at
Kallikotta and made arrangements for administrative work with Murapate Gaudappa
as the superintendent in charge of the territory.
Rao mentions first that the Zamorin was lodged at a (perhaps
Tali) large temple, but later that he set fire to the house he was in, so was
he sent back to his Kovilakom- palace or not? Also, we note that a new fort was
built, was this at the Nadakkavu -Vandiplayalam area? Finally, it was Gaudappa
who was placed in charge of Calicut, not Madanna as we had studied. Brown
observes the anomaly that Wilkes had stated Madanna.
By
this time, the rainy season set in: therefore, he departed from the place
accompanied by the army by way of Pumani (Ponnani). A large part of the army
perished by account of excessive rains, from that place, he arrived at Palghat
by stages. The Amil of the place named Yatakatchi Nayar offered Bahadar
presents and furnished him with articles of which there was a shortage. He
(Bahadar) was pleased and fixing one lakh varahas as tribute, he allowed him to
rule the state. Talks went on about the Kochi Palem and having fixed forty
thousand varahas as its annual tribute, he took an assignment on the bankers
and then entered Koyamuttur.
We can note from this that Palghat which was originally
brought under Hyder’s control has now been ceded to this Ittikombi Achan and
that Cochin had agreed to pay a tribute.
The final part of the account we will now study pertains to Hyder’s
return to Malabar in order to quell the rebellion by the Padinjare Kovilakom
Ravi Varma duo.
He
sent the whole army in detachments to all the taluks, he himself remained at
Koyamuttur in huts they had constructed there. Two or three months afterwards,
the nayars of the whole kingdom, about twenty to thirty thousand sin number and
their rajah joining together destroyed Hyder’s garrisons and having posted
their own, began to plunder the country, owing to excessive rains, streams and
rivers formed everywhere and it was not possible for one to send help to
another.
As
soon as intelligence of this reached the ears of the Bahadar, he set out
immediately with the cavalry, without even harnessing the horses with bridle
and other accouterments and the bar, carrying articles of food which would be
sufficient for just one week. He marched by stages, and entering the region
where the nayars were engaged in, plundering defeated thousands of nayars and
hanged some who fell into his hands and capturing10/15 thousands as prisoners
sent them on to Srirangapatanam, where he ordered them to be imprisoned. Some
fled the country owing to the fear of war, and others reduced to a miserable
condition, stood before him.
Brown mentions here that Hyder’s cannons were carried on
Camels. I can imagine that the Malabar people saw a Came infantry for the first
time.
Having
thus restored law and order throughout the region, he kept large garrisons in
all the places to prevent outbreak of disorders, erected a fort at Palghatchery
and returned with the cavalry to Koyamuttur and bestowed on those who toiled in
the war and others with anklets, bracelets and gifts and increments in
salaries.
However Brown mentions that Hyder was the one awarded all
the titles and gifts by the Nizam of Hyderabad, for his valor and foregoing
actions. Interesting to note the entry of the Nizam into the Zamorin – Hyder
equation.
What stands out is the fact that Hyder did get payments
from the Zamorin’s revenue administration, by pressing the Mutassadis. One
document we should search for is the bond/deed of settlement drawn up by the
agent Veddeda Girganna between Devaraja and Hyder and what it states.
Later, I will cover the portions pertaining to Tipu in
Malabar, but it is not quite rich in detail and there are some variances
between the Brown version and the Krishnayya version. Brown’s follows the
British line, especially the Nedumkotta battle.
Venkatramanayyah provides a forthright conclusion, and you
should remember that this is made in the 1950’s a period when there was not
much talk about trying to tilt Tipu and Hyder as freedom fighters fighting the
British. Quoting him.
The
Hydaru Charitra is of immense importance to the historian, as it gives him an
insight into the motives and the characters of the two great Muslim rulers who
played a predominant part in shaping the destinies of the South in the latter
half of the 18th century. They are often represented as patriotic princes, who
opposed the aggression of the foreigners on account of the love which they bore
for their native country. This is far from the truth. What actually prompted Hyder
and Tipu to take up an uncompromising attitude of opposition towards the
English was not patriotism but an unquenchable desire for self-aggrandizement
and power. They were both bereft of feelings of patriotism; they neither loved
the country nor the people over whom they bore away. Their sole aim was to make
themselves masters of South India. In pursuance of their object, they came into
conflict with the English who entertained similar ambitions. Consequently, they
had to wage war on the latter relentlessly to eliminate them from the field. In
this, however, they were not successful, as their rivals proved stronger than
themselves.
He
adds - As Hyder was a realist, he kept the love for his faith generally under
check and gratified it only occasionally by indulging in forced conversions when
he felt certain that his power would not suffer therefrom. Though Tipu was a
cruel fanatic who subjected the Hindu and Christian people of the South especially
Malabar to indescribable suffering, he was superstitious; and in order avert
the wrath of the Hindu gods whom he despised, he made gifts to the temples and
other Hindu religious foundations.
References
Memoirs of Hyder and Tippoo: Rulers of Seringapatam, Written in the Mahratta Language - By Ram Chandra Rao Punganuri, translated by Charles Philip Brown
Hari Singh, Hyder Ali and the Zamorin
The Zamorin’s Demise
Notes
Kallikotta – The account is clear in stating Kallikotta, not
Kozhikode or Calicut. Was that how Calicut was really called? Did Rao mean a
place with a rock or brick fort? Meleswaram, Manamur, are place names which are not quite right - Meleswaram must be Neeleswaram, Manamur is perhaps Cannanore.
Foujdar - In the executive branch of provincial
administration, the post of the faujdar ranked next to that of the nazim
(governor). He was normally, though not invariably the head of the Sarkar,
which was both an administrative and a revenue division. Under the Mughals it
was an office that combined the functions of a military commander along with
judicial and land revenue functions. Note that Sarkar stands for division and
not government, during those periods.The other officers in the Sarkar or
division were the Crori (revenue collector) or the Mutahid – the revenue
officer, the Amil being the Divisional Registrars of land (Adhikari), and the
Mutassadi being the Divisional Accountants. Kotwals were the police
commissioners and Qazis; the judges
4 comments:
Exceptional
Thanks Manu..
Just a brief note on Kallikottai. Apparently, Calicut was called Kakkikotai in Tamil. It is, therefore, probable that the Dindigul forces called it by its Tamil name. I remember there was a two storied structure called 'Kallikottai building' on Kallai Road some sixty years ago. The building housed the Kallikottai Chit Funds. It was to the south of the old Ice cream parlour run by Calicut Cooperative Milk Supply Union long before Milma was born. I suppose the Pillai's Snacks is the new landmark there. Incidentally, there is a Kallikottai village in Ramanathapuram district in TamilNadu, just as there is a Vilathikulam in Thoothukudi district of TN.
Thanks so much, CHF..
Very interesting information. I am sure that there were some more jottings of those times, other than Vella Nambuthiri's chronicles. I have been hunting around for any letters or diaries of the British factor/agent during that period. But so far no luck. What surprises me is that a large palace complex went into ruins, but nobody recorded anything about it and all that land was perhaps grabbed by others or was otherwise uninhabitable by the time the Zamorins families came back in the 1820's...Otherwise, they would have rebuilt the PC among the ruins instead of Mankavu..
I recall that Raghava Varier spoke briefly about it at a CHF meeting, but did he publish anything on it? Any leads would be appreciated.
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