Ummini Thampi’s (Marthandam Thampi Iravi, Womana Tomby) overtures against the British.
I wrote about the Munro years in Travancore in 2017, and introduced to readers a fascinating character named Ummini Thampi – Well, I mentioned therein that he was an intriguer in Travancore, the cause of so many misfortunes and deaths and was involved in what was known as the 1812 Quilon plot or the Quilon revolt. How this Dewan, who was squarely on the British side, changed sides and went against them is the thread of the plot, leaving behind questions on whether he was a patriot or schemer.
First, a recap on Ummini Thampi (Thampi Marthandan Iravi –
Woomana Tumby), was considered to be a son of the Dharma Raja, whom we talked
about while introducing Manorama Thampuratti’s exile (Calicut) in Travancore,
and Tipu’s Travancore overtures. As Veluthampi Dalawa was being pursued by the
British, Ummini (who had previously crossed swords with the Dewan and had been
briefly imprisoned) offered help, was rewarded by the Resident Macaulay, and
instated as the Dewan of Travancore in 1809. Going in search of Veluthampi, he tracked
down the body of the late Dewan who had committed suicide, and handed it over
to the British, after which he is said to have done to death many of Velu
Thampi’s relatives. In British accounts, Ummini Thampi is described as a haughty
man, dressed in Mughal outfits (that’s strange!), and one who preferred to have
Pathans in the army (perhaps they were considered more ruthless).
The EIC, following the Veluthampi revolt (I
had covered this previously), levied a large war indemnity and a huge
annual subsidy (190,000 pagoda and 8 lakhs respectively), which Ummini did not
reject. As the new Dewan Ummini was unacceptable to Balarama Varma Raja (Thampi
tried to restrict his temple and festival expenses etc.), many intrigues took
place in Travancore, resulting in the Dewan being summoned to Trivandrum for a
concert with the plan was to have him assassinated at Kazhakootam, or if it
failed, following a second attempt, at the palace. The Dewan fled to Macaulay
seeking support and refuge. After this failed, the situation deteriorated, since
the resident was on the side of the Dewan, and Thampi’s family were
ill-treated, and beaten up by the Raja’s men. Macaulay with Thampi’s support now
suggested an EIC annexation of Travancore, which the Governor General rejected.
At this juncture, Macaulay resigned and left Travancore in 1810, to be
succeeded by John Munro. In Nov 1810, Balarama Varma, the Raja passed away
under mysterious circumstances (It is mentioned that Munro prevented the Raja’s
physician from treating the sick man, and employed another who administered the
wrong medication leading to his death).
Ummini Thampi continued until 1811, but got on the wrong
side of the regent queen and was involved in accusations of graft and
corruption, irritating his benefactor Munro. Studies show that many of these expenses
were related to modernizing the Vizhinjam port and the ire was directed against
restricting royal expenses, as well as Thampi’s attempts at getting his Devadasi
paramour released from the temple institution. We can also see that he did some
good work as a Dewan, like instituting the Kavalpada (with 200 kaval footmen,
to counter brewing political unrest, as a precautionary measure) or police at
Travancore, the establishment of the weaver’s conclave at Balaramapuram, courts
of justice (Insaff Kutcheri) with local Judges and so on. But it was not yet a
time ripe for reform, and the Travancore royals insisted on retaining
traditions and status quo, understandably.
The regent queen wanted Thampi thrown out of office and
jailed, and demanded action from Munro. He
was eventually fired by Munro in 1811 and confined at Quilon. Thampi tried to
influence Madras using Mallan Pillai, a senior minister and a relative of his,
but the ploy failed. Thus, Munro took over as Dewan, with the queen’s complete
support. While a regent was an EIC overseer, the Dewan had vast enforceable
powers. Munro took over the reins, by restricting correspondence in his Rayasam
office, money could be issued only with the Resident’s authorization, and the
Kaval was headed by European officers. The Karyakkars lost authority and were reinstituted
as Tehsildars, while laws were reencoded as Chattavariyolas combining Dharma
Shastra with EIC codes. Missionary activities were increased and promoted,
mainly to support and strengthen British power.
Some of this rankled the Hindu bureaucracy, and this was
used by Fakirs at Quilon, to whip up resentment among the ranks. Eventually, these as well as machinations by
Ummini Thampi, resulted in a revolt. Most accounts concluded that the main
instigators were Ummini Thampi and a Raja from Pazhassi (the original had been
killed in 1795 if you recall, this was another assumed to be from the Kotiote
family).
The conspiracy precipitated on the night of 24th
May 1812., when Jamadar Ayyalu (Iyaloo) met and reported what he had gleaned
about a conspiracy, from another sepoy Venkatram, to Adjutant Cox, 2nd
Battalion, 14th Regiment. At that time, the subsidiary force, under the command
of Colonel Hamilton Hall, was composed of a company of European artillery, the
2nd battalion 9th, 2nd of the 11th, 2nd of the 14th, and 2nd of the 18th
regiments of native infantry.
The next day, the commander Col. Hamilton Hall, and other
battalion officers met and decided to order a parade of the troops that
afternoon, with the Resident Lt Col Munro presiding. Actions were quick, after
the parade assembled, Jamadar Shaik Hussain, together with 2 Havildars and 22 sepoys,
were called out and confined. Several civilians who were part of the plot were
seized by Munro's agents, and jailed. An investigation was ordered. Following
this, Jamadar Shaik Hussain and Private Salabat Khan were summarily tried by
Major Fraser presiding over a board of officers, and blown from a gun on the
28th of May, while the two Havildars, one Naik and 26 sepoys, of whom 19 were
Muslims and 10 Hindus, were court-martialed and sentenced to death. Two of the
sepoys were later pardoned, and the rest were either shot or hanged, the
sentences being carried out al Quilon, Cannanore, Seringapatam, Trichinopoly,
Vellore, and St Thomas Mount. Many others initially confined and indirectly
involved, were pardoned and let off.
The result of the inquiries held by Munro showed that the
conspiracy was organized by a local group headed by Sheik Hussain, goaded by Ummini
Thampi, the ex-Dewan of Travancore, and an individual claiming to be the nephew
and representative of the late Pazhassi Raja and several Islamic mendicants.
The plan was to confer the sovereignty of Travancore upon the Pseudo Pazhassi
Rajah. The Jemadar was promised the office of Dewan, but this, in all
probability, was intended for Ummini Thampi. The pay of all sepoys who were
included in the plot was to be raised to Rs. 10 per month. The European
officers were to have been attacked while at dinner, and the barracks set on
fire at the same time to distract attention, after which the public treasury
was to be plundered. The homes of Munro and Mrs. Top (a trader in Chicory and
betelnuts who was in debt to the Circar), were to be looted and ransacked.
Lt Col Wilson writes - On the 16th February 1813 Jemadar
Iyaloo of the 14th was promoted to be Subadar, and presented with a palankeen
and an allowance for bearers. He also received a gold medal, and a donation of
1,000 rupees. On his decease, his nearest heir was to be allowed a pension of
35 rupees per mensem. Venkatram, the sepoy who had informed the Jemadar of the
plot, was pensioned on the pay of a Jemadar, and received a donation of 500
rupees. Private Hoossain Khan, who had given information to Captain Ives of the
same battalion on the 24th May, but in rather an incoherent manner, was
pensioned on the pay of a Havildar. Womanah Tumby, and the Pychy Rajah were
tried by the Court of the Travancore, Government. The former was sentenced to
death, but this sentence was commuted to banishment, and he was removed to
Nellore. The Pychy Rajah was banished to Chingleput, but he was released from
confinement in 1815.
Some additional background comes from a resident officer who
wrote to his friend on May 30th which was thence published in the
Scots Magazine Vol 74, pt2 of Nov. 1812 – We can understand from his letter
that a first attempt had failed due to the delay in the arrival of some 30 armed
men to support the rebels, and so a second plan had been formulated, as follows.
They had heard that the 18th regiment was to be reviewed
on a certain day, and that every officer in the cantonment, the Resident
included, were to dine at our mess in the evening. The conspirators were to
fall upon us when assembled, and to strike off the head of everyone. When this
horrible murder was accomplished, they were to remain quiet till morning, on
the appearance of which the drums were to beat to arms, and the three corps
were to be thus disposed of: one was to march to the southern lines, another to
the northern, and the third to the Arunghaut pass, for the purpose of
preventing the march of troops into the country. Several battalions were also
to be immediately raised, and by these means they expected to keep possession
of Travancore. I must tell you, that, to accomplish the intended massacre, and
to make it more easy, the lines were to be fired and if the officers left the
mess-house, which they expected they would do, they intended to bayonet them as
they came out. This abominable and atrocious design was prevented only by the
absence of one man, who had promised to make his appearance with fifty
associates. It was two days after found out by a sepoy, who overheard a few of
the conspirators talking of the business, and lamenting why it was not
accomplished, and appointing the next public party, which they expected would
be on the 4th of June, as the day of business. The Commanding Officer was
informed of the whole by this man.
"The brigade was immediately ordered out, for what
purpose not an officer knew. The native officer above-mentioned was called to
the front, with about thirty sepoys, by name these were from the 14th regiment,
and were immediately put, in irons, and sent to the main-guard, A field
officer, one captain, and 2 subalterns, were immediately ordered on duty; and
it was then that the officers knew the extent of the danger they had
providentially escaped, but never dreamed that more of the native troops were
concerned. The following morning a board of officers was held, and a few sepoys
turned King's evidence. They informed the Committee of what I have already told
you, but did not implicate another person. It was thought strange that so few
should have the temerity, without other assistance to attempt such a vile
murder; but the following morning a Fakeer, and one or two other persons, were
taken up on suspicion, and when the Committee had met, they gave in evidence
that two-thirds of the troops, with the native officers, were concerned.
The Fakeer called out a great number, by name, from the
14th native officers; five from the 18th, two or three from the 11th and 9th;
implicated some of the Resident's Peons, natives of the place, and several
officers' servants: he also said, nearly all the sepoys of the 14th, and
several from the other corps, were engaged in the plot; said, that the man in
charge of the public cattle had been bribed, and many others.
"The danger was now thought very great, and Quilon
was in great agitation and alarm. It was deemed necessary to make an immediate
example of one or two of the ringleaders. All the native officers who had been
implicated from the different corps, were sent off to Trichinopoly that day,
under the guard of fifty of the Resident's Peons, and the whole under the
charge of an officer of the 14th. The 14th itself was ordered to leave Quilon,
with its European officers, the following morning, and to march to the same
place; but they march in the course of this day instead, as twelve hours was
rather too short a notice. On the same day that this information was received
(the day before yesterday,) the troops were ordered under arms, and formed a
line in brigade at five o'clock.
Three guns were advanced to the front of the line, about
one hundred paces from the centre; also, a gun from each flank the same
distance. The latter were primed and loaded with grapeshot, and pointed towards
the battalion, as it was expected the sepoys would make some opposition to the
severe measures in contemplation. Two of the guns in the centre were only
loaded with powder. Two prisoners, the Jamadar, that I first mentioned, and a
writer, who had been most guilty, was brought forward, without ceremony were
lashed each to the muzzle or gun. The troops, upon seeing this, were still as
death-not a murmur-no, not even breath was to be heard-and at this awful
crisis, Balmain, the Brigade-Major, read over the sentence that had been
awarded to the prisoners, by the board of officers which sat in the morning,
and the Colonel gave the words "Ready, Fire!"
An involuntary shudder ran through the whole line, but
nothing more. The Colonel then informed the troops why he was obliged to have
recourse to this severe measure, and ordered the whole line to march round the
bodies, and return to their barracks.”
It looks like Munro was in a quandary, he felt and opined
that all this was not really the doing of Thampi or the so called Pazhassi
Raja, who he felt did not really know each other. He believed that this was
planned by the deposed Kerala Varma, the exile at Tellicherry and Chingleput.
In fact, Munro even believed that Thampi who sported Mughal dress, though not
converted or overtly in favor of Islam, and selected Muslim sepoys for the
conspiracy, wanted to establish Muslim power in Travancore.
BN Mehta who studied the revolt says - It is just
possible that Womana Thampi who was known to favour Islam succeeded in
enlisting the support of the Fakir and through him, of the Muslim section of
the army. But Munro subsequently changed his opinion and put forward the theory
of the establishment of a Muslim power in Travancore, which as we have seen
above, is not tenable. That the plot was laid by Womana Thampi for the sake of
revenge and his probable restoration to power appears to be quite a reasonable theory.
It also turned out that letters had been sent out to all the
Rajas of Malabar to join them in the conspiracy, as well as the Paliat Achan in
Cochin. Many of the Sarvadi Karyakkars of Travancore friendly with Thampi, were
supposedly in favor and the group even planned to invite the French to join and
support! Further, the sepoy who would murder Munro would be made the Ameen of
the state! The Fakirs involved were Muhammed Baksh and Hussain Shah of Quilon.
As matters turned out, the Travancore Courts passed the
sentence of death on both Ummini Thampi and the so-called Pazhassi Raja who
were found to be the principal conspirators, but the latter was pardoned. Munro
suggested clemency for Ummini Thampi as he had helped the British on various
occasions and - his lack of talents or courage, the unlikelihood of any
recurrence of the circumstances which had helped the conspiracy, and his habits
of intemperance which were threatening to cut short his life early.
The Madras government (the Rani consented eventually)
commuted the sentence and banished Thampi to the Nellore in 1813. Thampi then
requested that his paramour, partner/wife, the dancer named Ummaiammah be sent
with him to Nellore, but the Rani refused permission stating that releasing a
bonded (devadasi) temple dancer set a bad precedent. A monthly allowance of Rs
60/- plus house rent Rs 10/- was sanctioned for Thampi’s stay, out of the
Travancore treasury. Thampi left for Nellore without the dancer, and years
after, is seen to have requested permission to go to Benares, which was
sanctioned by the new resident Mc Dowell (after Munro retired). Approval was
accorded in 1834, so it is likely that Thampi visited Benares and died there,
never to see Travancore again.
Readers would have wondered who this pseudo-Pazhassi Raja
was. Well, he turned out to be a total imposter and seems to have been an
incredibly adventurous person to have gotten involved in this dangerous plot.
Following interrogation at Chingleput, the commanding
officer of the British forces at Trichy reported in 1813 – On investigation,
it was found that the person who styled himself as the Pyche Raja did not
belong to the family of the Koliat Raja. He gave a declaration that he was the
son of a woman named Nedungadi Kunji of the Nedungadi Veedu in the village of
Pulimugham in the taluk of Cherapulissery in Calicut. His name was Unni
Rarichan. Owing to distress, he came into the Fort called Valiakotta to gain his
livelihood. On hearing that an order had been issued to apprehend the Koliat Raja,
he thought that he could get something for his expenses if he pretended that he
was one of the Rajas.
Did he, a commoner from, Cherplassery in Palghat, really
think he would become the sovereign of Travancore? Well, Thampi must have had
great persuasive talents to have made him feel so.
Munro returned to Britain, but not before having an island
in Quilon named after him. Before he left, he made sure that the Dewans of
Travancore were always non-Travancoreans and had a reformed Westernized
outlook. As VJ Varghese explains “Consequently, the office of Dewan soon
became “a gift of the Resident” and as the turn of subsequent events testified,
the primary allegiance of the Dewan was to the British. As a consequence, the
system was reordered in such a way that in all matters of importance “the Resident
ruled, the Dewan executed and the Raja sanctioned,” though in theory,
the division of authority was, roughly speaking was, Raja to rule, the Dewan to
execute and the Resident to advise. Munro is viewed differently by
different classes of Travancoreans, some believe he did good for the state, while
others believe he was manipulative, selective, and quite crafty.
References
Ummini Thampi, The Dewan of Travancore 91809-1812) – TK
Vijayamohan
The Quilon Sepoy Conspiracy – A Sathiyaraj
KSC papers Vol2, Series & Col Munro – Ulloor Parameswara
Aiyer
A little-known event in the history of Travancore: the Quilon
plot – BN Mehta
Kerala Varma – A forgotten patriot of Kerala – B Sobhanam
History of the Madras Army – Vol 3 – Lt Col WJ Wilson
Historic Alleys – Munro Years https://historicalleys.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-munro-years-travancore.html
Pics - wikimedia
Note – Why were rebels blown away from a cannon? Munro seems
to have favored it all along his career – It was due to the widespread belief
in Eastern religions that mutilation debarred a man from entering paradise.
Probably from an early date native princes found that this form of punishment
acted as a strong deterrent to rebellion, and it thus became the customary
punishment for soldiers found guilty of mutiny to be blown away.
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