We present this book at the feet of all the freedom fighters who overcame six hundred years of slavery and got rights for us
About
author
Author Dr Kaliraja Thangamani is a professor at
SV Engineering College, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Previously he was a lecturer
in Electronics and Communication Department at Sriram Polytechnic College, Chennai
and SKR Engineering College, Poonamalli. He is a member of Kamarajar Makkal
Katchi and he is runnig Teachers youtube
channel. He is a social activist who is working with the ambition of "Good
teachers make the country".
I
kindly request the people of Tamil Nadu to buy and read this book and benefit
from it.
Rulers of Tamil
Nadu for six hundred years before independence
1. Reign
of Madurai Sultanate (1323-1370)
2. Vijaya
Nagar Rule
2.1
Vijayanagara direct rule (1370-1529)
2.2. Nayaks
rule (1529-1697)
3.European
rule in 17th century
4. Mughal
Rule (1697-1801)
5. British
Rule (1801-1947)
Foreword
A thousand years ago, the Chola Empire stood majestically as the largest
empire in Tamil-speaking southern India. It was ruled by the Cholas. The
temples and lakes built by them look majestic even today. Yes! Thanjavur
temple, Veeranam lake and Madhuranthakam lake still amaze us today.
It was a time when many inscriptions were made
in Tamil language in temples. Tanjore temple inscriptions are the largest inscriptions.
The inscriptions have been written in such a way that all the people of Tamil
Nadu know about the Chola administration even today.
They tamed the elephants, selected the best
elephants and added them to their army, created a strong army of elephants and
strengthened the security. The Tamil people, who built the biggest temples on
that day, became the abode of valor and the abode of art. The society of that
day was also the center of literature. It was a time when Tamils became
cultured and mature people.
It was a time when many Tamil speaking areas
were brought under one umbrella by the Chola kings. Later this land came under
Pandya rule. Even then, the history of governance took place under one
umbrella.
They are the ones who got happiness after
seeing the beauty of the temples of the gods they worshipped. Yes! The Cholas
and Pandyas decorated the Chidambaram Thillai nadaraja temple with gold. It was
the time when Kulasekhara Pandiyan decorated the temple of Tirupathi Venkatesa perumal
temple.
Sources say that Tanjore Temple was built in
1008 AD. Even today we know that North Indian texts tell us that Rajendra
Chola, the son of Rajarajan, who came to power in 1014 AD, went to Gangai and
won , and many North Indian kings were afraid of his invasion. Evidence also
suggests that he operated a large fleet and conquered foreign countries such as
present-day Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
After that, due to their failure to increase
their forces and maintain their strength, few generations later, they lost everything
and became untouchable people, this is
the history of this Tamil land.
The Tamil kings, who conquered the people of
other states with their strength and ruled well, did not know that in a few
centuries their land would be enslaved and their clans would be destroyed and
driven away.
The sad truth of history is that those who
designed and built the Tanjore Temple, which the world still admires, failed to
establish a proper security management system, and their descendants were
forced to live in slavery for hundreds of years.
It is our duty to narrate and know the events
of the time when the leadership of the Tamils who flew the flag was defeated
and the Tamil community was left without
leadership.
The purpose of this book is to understand the
need to create the best leadership for the future generation of Tamil nadu,
maintain it, live and prosper.
November
1311! Tamil land!
The reigning Pandya king Kulasekhara Pandyan
ruled the entire Tamil Nadu and was at the peak of fame, and that was the end
of the era. It was the time when the Italian pilgrim Marco Polo finished his
journey to the Pandyan country and wrote about the pride of the Tamils, the
simple life of the people and the peaceful life.
According to reports, in the fighting between the two sons of
Kulasekhara Pandyan, brother Sundara Pandyan sought help from Malikapur, the
commander of Delhi King Alauddin Khilji to defeat his younger brother Veera Pandyan . Malikapur entered Madurai with an army.
Reports suggest that temples were destroyed, many people were killed, property
was looted and the rampage went on for several days. It was the year in history
when the northern army defeated Tamil Nadu. It was a time when many scenes of
failure and disintegration of the Tamil land took place.
When Malikapur's army left Madurai, we come to know that they carried
wealth on 312 elephants and 2000 horses, and took away 10 crores of gold coins.
Due to the destruction that year, Tamil peoplehad to wait for six hundred years
to recover.
When
Tamil Nadu was reeling after the Malikapur invasion, the Chera king
Kulasekaraperuman seems to have come as far as Kanchi and captured it. But
could not sustain it for long. Following the invasion of Kerala kings, the
Kakkattiyas, a Telugu dynasty, seem to have captured and ruled Kanchi. There is
evidence that they conquered as far south as Srirangam.
In 1323 Muhammad Bin Tughluq alias Ulugh Khan, invaded Madurai and
captured it, after which Madurai was brought under the Delhi government and
ruled by a governor. Thus we know that the rule of Muhammadans started in Tamil
Nadu.
R.
Cardwell reports that the Pandyan king Parakrama Pandyan was taken prisoner to
Delhi. It is known that the rule of Madurai Sultans lasted for about 47 years
(1323 to 1370).
It is not known that Tamil people fought against
the rule of the Sultans of Madurai during this period. But the Kannada Koysala
kings, whose capital was Dvarasamutra, were fighting hard to recover Madurai.
It seems that the notes written in Sanskrit by Gangadevi, the cousin of
the Koisala king and Kampanna's wife, about the conquest of Madurai by Kumara
Kampanna, the son of the Vijayanagara king Bhukka, are still preserved in a
private library at Tiruvananthapuram.
Reign of
Madurai Sultans (1323-1370):
After the capture of Malikapur in 1311,
records suggest that in 1314 another large Delhi force attacked Madurai. In 1323
Muhammad Bin Tughluq, alias Ulugh
Khan, invaded Madurai and made it a part of his Delhi empire, and after
that the governors of Delhi ruled Madurai.
In 1335, the ruler of the day, Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan,
declared himself king and ruled Madurai directly. It is known that he ruled for
5 years. We learn that Ala-ud-Din
Udauji Shah , who succeeded Jalaluddin as Raja of Madurai,
was killed in a battle with the Koisala kings. After that we also know that Qutb-ud-Din Firuz Shah took over
the government. A few months after his death, we learn that Ghiyasuddin Mohammed took over
the government.
During this period, the Koisala king Ballala
III ruled with Tiruvannamalai as his capital and also opposed the Madurai
Sultans. A Kannada force was stationed at Kanchipuram. There is evidence of
Phallala III's stay at Kanchipuram.
We
know that Ghiyasuddin Mohammed
was defeated by Vira Ballala III, the King of Koisala. But later, Ghiyasuddin Mohammed won the
battle, killed the King of Koisala, and his body was hanged on the streets of
Madurai.
The notes of the African pilgrim Ibu Baduta reveal that many people were
tortured and murdered during Ghiyasuddin
's reign.
After
Ghiyasuddin 's rule,According to reports, the king who ruled Madurai , Nasir-ud-Din
Mahmud Damghan Shah did kill his
political opponents and then he himself was killed.
From 1357 to 1370, records show that kings like Shams-ud-Din Adil Shah, Fakhr-ud-Din Mubarak Shah and
Ala-ud-Din Sikandar Shah ruled. There are coin proofs for that.
We know that the king of Vijayanagara Bukka 1, whose capital was Hampi, sent
his second son Veera Kampanna to end the rule of the Madurai sultans and
succeeded.
Vijayanagara Government:
The story of Veera Kumara Kampanna's conquest
of Madurai is narrated in a poetic book 'Madurai Vijayam' written by his wife
Ganga Devi in Sanskrit. It is a sad fact that the history of the Tamils is
known only from the poems written by the Kannada queen in sanskrit.
We
learn that Veera Kumara Kampanna first defeated Man- Konda shampuvaraya, the
ruler of Kanchipuram, and installed Raja Narayana Sampuvarayara on the throne,
stayed there for a few days, and then took steps to conquer Madurai.
It says that a woman came to Kampanna to rescue Madurai and Kampanna
believed that 'she is Meenakshi of Madurai'.
We
also know that Veer Kampanna defeated Madurai
Sultan in the battle in Madurai and ended the rule of Sultans and brought
Madurai under Vijayanagara government.
During the rule of the Sultan of Madurai, it is known through many
documents that the local residents were destabilized and subjected to great
hardships.
Today the worship of Goddess Ganga is popular in the northern parts of
Tamil Nadu. 'Does this have anything to do with Gangadevi?' It seems that there
is a need for research on this topic. There is a local holiday in Tirupati on
Ganga Devi festival.
It is very surprising that women's rights and
women's upliftment devotees who are proud of Kannagi, Avvaiyar and Kundavai do
not talk about Gangadevi. When talking about the events of Tamil land, it is
very important to talk about Kampanna and Ganga Devi.
It
seems that after Kumara Kampanna took control of Madurai, he took charge as the
governor and ruled. It appears that he later fought and lost a battle with his
brother Harikara in his father king of the Vijayanagara Empire, Bukka I’s
posthumous succession contest.
It is regrettable that the details of the reign of the hero Kumara Kampanna,
who laid the foundation for Madurai to become a part of the Vijayanagara
government for about 400 years, are not well known.
Historians divide this Vijayanagara rule into 2 divisions. From 1370 to
1529, the rulers of Madurai, i.e. the Vijayanagara government, ruled directly.
After that, the Telugu Nayaks ruled with full power from 1529-1697.
Direct rule
of Vijayanagara in Tamil Nadu (1370-1529):
The Vijayanagara rule started by Veera Kumara
Kampanna was a Kannada dynasty rule. Earlier Kannada rulers had conquered Tamil
Nadu many times but it was not a complete rule.
Under
the direct rule of this Vijayanagara Empire, Tamil Nadu was divided into many
camps and ruled. Especially the old fort of Palayankota seems to have been
built during this period by a Kannada general named Palayan. The Kannada
embankment and canals built across the Tamiraparani during that time are still
today talked about matter. The Kannada Canal is still in use today. R. Cardwell
also mentions in his note that dams were constructed at six places in
Tamiraparani during that time.
Although the whole of Tamil Nadu was divided and ruled into several
palayams during this period, the descendants of the Pandyas seem to have come
under the rule of Vijayanagara over a small part with Tenkasi as their capital.
North Tamil Nadu was a part of Chandragiri Mandal. It was during this period
that the fort was built at Vellore. Also, Kanchipuram came under the rule of
Chandragiri, a Telugu dynasty.
The Telugu Cholas, who born due to the
marriage between the Cholas and the Vengi Telugu kings, established Nellore as
their capital in the late 13th century. Then Kanchipuram came under their rule.
Kanchipuram seems to have come under various attacks during this period. After
that the Vijayanagara rule under Kumara Kampanna continued here.
In
between there is evidence of the 15th century Orissa king Kapileswara Gajapati
conquering Kanchi. He went all the way to Tanjore and was successful. His reign
seems to have lasted for a very short time in the region.
Though there were invasions of Kakkattiya, Andhra Velama kings and
Orissa kings in northern Tamil Nadu, their rule was short-lived, but there is
evidence that the rule of the Vijayanagara Empire continued till the 18th
century. You can find out about this in the English book “Sri Varadaraja Swamy
Temple History, Art and Architecture” written by History Professor K.V.Raman.
An important point is that there is evidence that King Krishnadevaraya,
during his stay at Kanchi, settled a dispute between Shaivas and Vaishnavisms
in Kanchipuram regarding the 'chariot road'. There are many inscriptions which
prove that Vijayanagara generals continued to stay and governed Kanchi puram.
Nayaks rule
(1529-1697)
It seems that the Tenkasi Pandyas tried to
take over the rule of Madurai again in 1526. At that time the Vijayanagara king
Krishnadevaraya sent an army under the leadership of his general Nagamma Nayak
and suppressed the Pandyas. As the victorious Thalapati claimed Madurai for himself,
he sent Nagamma Nayak's son Vijay Natha Nayak and subdued Nagamma Nayak. Later,
Vijayanatha Nayak was appointed as the Governor of Madurai by the King. Thus
began the rule of the Nayaks in Madurai. The Madurai Nayaks are of Telugu
descent.
It
seems that a Tamil general named Ariyanathar took part in oppossing the Pandyas
along with Vijayanatha Nayak. At that time he was very prominent.
Tirumala Nayak can be mentioned as the best king of the Nayak dynasty.
The Madurai Nayak Mahal Palace, built during his time is still seen with great
beauty and luster. Thus, when Madurai Nayaks were ruling Madurai, a Nayak
family was also ruling in Thanjavur. Later we learn that the Madurai Nayakas
shifted their capital to Trichy.
During Nayak's rule, some of their former
commanders were appointed as camp chiefs. Prominent among the palayakars
appointed in this way were Ramanathapura Sethupathi, the ancestors of
Nelkatusheval Pulipandi Devar, Sivagiri palayakars. It is noteworthy that these
Palaiyakars belong to the Tamil dynasty. They used to pay taxes properly to the
Nayaka king and help him by sending troops when needed.
The
facilities like roads laid during the Nayak period and hostels for wayfarers
are still talked about. Thus, the Madurai Nayak rule of the Telugu dynasty was
found to be strong in Tamil Nadu. They were at war with other Tanjure Nayaka
kingdoms and the neighboring kingdom of Travancore. Later, the Travancore
rulers captured the southern parts of the Pandyan country and brought them
under their rule. It is true that the Travancore government was never
successful enough to capture Madurai. But it seems that they wanted to prevent the
Nayak rule reaching their country.
When the central leadership of the
Vijayanagara Empire was defeated in the Battle of Thalikot in 1565, its capital
was completely destroyed. But a part of the royal dynasty moved to a place
called Benagota and lived there. As their power waned, the Madurai Nayaks seem
to have come to respect the chieftainship, even as they implemented themselves
as a self-governing state. Their faith seems to have remained undiminished to
their king. Among the Madurai Nayak governments, Tirumala Nayak's efficient
rule and victories are worth recalling.
It seems that the whole of Tamil Nadu was brought under the capital
Chandragiri as part of an attempt to recreate the Vijayanagara state on a
larger scale.
An
important point is that the Nayaka kings of Madurai were the generals of the
Vijayanagara state. But the Nayaka kings of Tanjore belonged to the royal
family of Vijayanagara. By the end of the 16th century, the Golconda Sultans
again conquered the northern parts of the Vijayanagara kingdom.
During this period the Kannada government of
Mysore was completely freed from the control of the Vijayanagara government and
began to gain strength. There is evidence that the generals of the Chandragiri
government stayed and administered at places like Vellore, Kanchipuram and Poonamalli.
It
is noteworthy that in 1639, the 2 sons of Senna, the commander of the
Chandragiri Governor, gave the present-day Chennai Fort area of Chennai to the
British for trade.
It is
a sad fact that when the Golconda Sultanate forces attacked the Chandragiri
government, the Nayaks of Senchi, Thanjavur and Madurai did not help.
The
British who built a fort in Chennai and
did business, they kept informing their country about the political events
happening here. Therefore, all the events that happened in Tamil Nadu from this
period have been recorded.
In a
letter written by the British in 1643, they reported that the Muslim army was
coming towards Tamil Nadu and assumed that the Muslims would conquer the whole
of Tamil Nadu.
When Sriranga, the governor of Chandragiri,
took over as king of the Vijayanagara state, there seems to have been
opposition. Vellore seems to have been the residence of Chandragiri Governor
during that period.
In
1645, a combined force of the Golconda Bijapur states attacked the Chandragiri
region and captured the Vellore fort. Golconda commander Mirjamla's army
captures the senchi Fort.
Thus the rule of Muslims began to spread in
Tamil Nadu. The Madurai Nayak army defeated the Thanjavur Nayak king in 1643
and captured Thanjavur. The Bijapur Muhammadan king sent an army under the
Maratha general Vengoji and captured the Nayaka kingdom of Tanjore.
Maratha Shivaji's invasion of Tamil Nadu in 1676 is notable. Shivaji's
forces captured the Vellore Fort and Senchi Fort and returned to Marathas after
making his step brother Ekoji alias Vengoji the King of Tanjore who had
conquered the Tanjore Nayak kingdom. It is noteworthy that the Maratha rule
thus formed in Tanjore continued for 200 years.
In
1688, Mughal king Aurangzeb's army conquered Tamil Nadu. The Mughal army
defeated the Golconda Bijapur states and defeated the Maratha army in the
battle of Kanchipuram that year. Later captured the Senchi Fort and brought the
entire South East under its control.
Madurai Nayak was forced to pay tribute to the Mughals through a treaty
with the Mughals in 1697 during Rani Mangamma's rule. It seems that during this
period, the Ramanathapura Palayakar Khilavan Sethupathi's attempt to capture
Madurai was not completely successful. Later, the headquarters of the Nayak
government was shifted to Trichy and it seems to had been functioning.
An
English officer Charles Stewart Crowle has written about the condition of the society of Tamil Nadu in
the 17th century, in 1688. We are very saddened. He writes as follows “There is
no one to act for the welfare of the people!. People suffered in silence. They
did not make a single record of their suffering”.
European
rule in 17th century:
There is evidence of Muslims taking part in
the administration of Tamil Nadu in the 13th century when the Pandyas ruled
Tamil Nadu. After the defeat of the Pandyas, the Madurai Sultans came to rule
themselves. There is evidence that Muslims gained strength in the coastal
region of Tamil Nadu when the rule of the Madurai Sultans ended and
Vijayanagara rule was established.
In
1532, during the struggles between the Muslims and the coastal Tamils,
realizing that they were not strong enough, 70 Tamils sought help from the
Portuguese who was ruling Kochi that day. All of them were first converted to
Christianity in Cochin. After the Portuguese army defeated the Muslims, another
20,000 people were converted to Christianity. Thus in 1532, the Europeans
brought the coastal region of Tamil Nadu under their rule. The Europeans
operated with Punnaikayal near Tuticorin in the Southeast as their
headquarters. Later they shifted their headquarters to Tuticorin. That was the
time when Xavier was the leader of the Europeans. There are many incidents of
fighting between the Europeans and the Nayak rulers during that time.
In 1658, the coastal areas passed from the
Portuguese to the Dutch. The Dutch built a fort in Tuticorin and started
ruling. It seems that there was a good cooperation between the Dutch and the
villagers.
There
is also a history of the Dutch building a fort in Tharangambadi and doing good
business. One of the items they had taken from Tamil Nadu at that time were 21
copper plates inscribed with 'RaJendra Cholan Proclamations'. All of them are
joined by a single chainand attached to a plate engraved with the Chola symbol.
Out
of these 21 copper plates, 16 are written in Tamil and 5 in Sanskrit. These
copper plates are still safely preserved in the library of the University of
Leiden in the Netherlands. These can be viewed online if you enter the Leiden
University website. But we have to pay to study.
This is an example of how the properties of the Tamil governments were
dispersed and lost.
The history of French with building a fort in Pondicherry is a different
but a unique history.
Mughal Rule
(1697-1801):
After Aurangzeb's army conquered Tamil Nadu,
the Mughal general Dawood Khan was appointed as the representative of Tamil
Nadu. He started operations with Arcot as his headquarters. Thus the Mughal
rule spread strongly in Tamil Nadu.
After Dawood Khan, another colleague of his, Syed Muzaffar, assumed
office as the Nawab of Arcot in 1710 and took over the administration of Tamil
Nadu. Thus it is true that under the eyes of the British, Tamil Nadu became a
region ruled by the Mughal authorities.
In 1736, the Nayaka royal family had trouble. When the Nawab of Arcot
tried to bring the South-East under his direct rule, a Maratha army came to
Tamil Nadu from Maharashtra and defeated the Nawab of Arcot and brought Trichy
and Madurai under their rule. Their rule was short-lived. Again the Mughals
defeated the Marathas and brought Tamil Nadu under their control. Thus the rule
of Nawab of Arcot resumed. In 1744, Anwar Udin Khan was appointed Nawab of
Arcot by the Nizam of Hyderabad. Anwar Udin Khan appointed Anwar Khan for tax
collection in Tirunelveli.
After the Golconda and Bijapur armies were
defeated by the Mughal army, many Muslim warriors served the Nawab of Arcot.
Some worked under Tanjore Saraboji and some under Mysore government. Hyder Ali
was such a soldier who later became a great ruler. His son was the hero Tipu
Sultan.
In 1751, Nawab's army of Arcot went towards South East of Tamil Nadu.
The force consisted of 2500 horsemen, 3000 artilaries and 30 Europeans
belonging to the East India Company. They started the business of tax
collection with Palayankota as their headquarters. Thus the British started
interfering in Tamilnadu government affairs. During this period the Nawab's army
was commanded by Mohammad Yusuf Khan, a Tamilian-turned-Mohammedan.
In
1755, 500 Europeans joined the force and
went to suppress Alam Khan, the governor of Madurai, who was acting against the
Nawab. This force was commanded by English officer Heron. Thus the British
started working as servants of the Nawab. During this period we learn that the
Muslim commander sold the Kalakatu area to the Travancore government.
At one point some Muslim commanders along with
Nelgattu Cheval Palayakar Pulidevar, with the help of the Travancore force,
defeated the Arcot Nawab's force aided by the British. Kattabomman refused to
accept the plan of Pulithevar and Panchalankurichi villagers to oppose the
Nawab of Arcot. Thus it seems that there was no unity among the palayakar camp
workers.
It seems that 3 Patan brothers who belonged to Afghanistan, Mohammad
Barki, Mohammad Maina, and Nabi Khan, participated in that fight. It is known
that they refused to accept the British.
It is learned that while Pulidevar along with Patan commanders and some
paliyakars opposed the Nawab of Arcot, Kattabomman's grandfather fought
alongside the Nawab of Arcot and the British.
We know that in 1758, when the French forces attacked Chennai, the
British called Mohammad Yusuf Khan, who was fighting with Pulidevan, to
Chennai.
At one point some Muslim commanders along with
Nelgettu Cheval Palayakar Pulidevar, with the help of the Travancore force,
defeated the Arcot Nawab's force aided by the British. Kattabomman refused to
accept the plan of Pulithevar and Panchalankurichi villagers to oppose the
Nawab of Arcot. Thus it seems that there was no unity among the camp workers.
It seems that Pudukottai Thontaimans fought along with the Nawab of
Argattu and the British in the fight against Nelgettu Cheval Palayakar
Pulidevar, who participated in the fight along with the 3 Patan brothers
Mohammad Barki, Mohammad Maina and Nabi Khan, who owned Afghanistan.
When
Mohammad Yusuf Khan, who was the greatest commander, tried to rule the Palayan
Fort alone with the help of French soldiers, the British army opposed him. He
was betrayed by a French soldier. The British commanders of the day, without
informing the Nawab of Arcot, showed no mercy and hanged Muhammad Yusuf Khan
like killing a dog in 1764.
Notable was the attack on Nellikotta, 40 miles south of Tirunelveli in
1763. In this British-led attack took place. Out of 400 people who stayed in
the fort, only 6 survived. It was a sad incident where women and children were
killed.
During this period Ramanathapura Sethupathi agreed to the Nawab's rule
and offered to give some coastal areas to the British.
It
is revealed that Heron, the then commander-in-chief of the British forces, was
dismissed because of the attack on Nellikotta and the unsuccessful attempt to
attack Pulidevan's fort. It is known that they refused to accept the British.
It is learned that while Pulidevan along with Pathan commanders and some
paliyakars opposed the Nawab of Arcot, Kattabomman's grandfather fought along
with the Nawab of Arcot and the British.
We know that in 1758, when the French forces attacked Chennai, the
British called Mohammad Yusuf Khan, who was fighting with Pulidevan at that
time, to Chennai.
It seems that the Pudukottai Tondaimans fought
alongside the Arcot Nawab and the
British in the fight against Pulidevan.
When
Mohammad Yusuf Khan, who was the greatest commander, tried to rule the Palayan
Fort alone with the help of French soldiers, the British army opposed him. He
was betrayed by a French soldier. The British commanders of the day, without
informing the Nawab of Arcot, showed no mercy and hanged Muhammad Yusuf Khan
like killing a dog in 1764.
Notable was the attack on Nellikottai, 40 miles south of Tirunelveli in
1763. In this British-led attack, out of 400 people who stayed in the fort,
only 6 survived. It was a sad incident where women and children were killed.
During this period Ramanathapura Sethupathi agreed to the Nawab's rule
and offered to give some coastal areas to the British.
It
is revealed that Heron, the then Commander-in-Chief of the British forces, was
dismissed because of the attack on Nellikottai and the unsuccessful attempt to
attack Pulidevan's fort.
While writing about the Tirunelveli area in 1783, the English commander
Fullerton wrote about the state of Tamil Nadu at that time along with its
prosperity.
He
states that 'the north-western part up to Ottan Chatram was under Tipu Sultan'
and the parts south and west of Tirunelveli were under the Travancore
government. He also advises the higher officials that the tax collection in the
region can be increased.
It
is known that many Brahmins were killed in a scuffle during the Mukaram rally
in Tirunelveli in 1779. During this period, Tipu Sultan's Mysore Tippu sultan
government forces seem to have been fighting the Nawab of Arcot and the
British. It was the time when the history of the English army along with the
Nawab of Arcot army fighting Tipu Sultan.
Hyder Ali, the father of Tipu Sultan, who later became known as the
Tiger of Mysore, and Tipu Sultan were defeated by the British. It was also the
time when the historical many events
happened when the British killed them.
The heroic history of Veera Pandya Kattabomman is the greatest event in
Tamil land.
Although he had paid tribute to the Nawab of Arcot many times, but
sometimes could not pay it in full, he dared to oppose the British authorities
due to incidents of disrespect towards him.
It is
true that not only he but also his father was hanged and died fighting the
British and his grandfather also died in the fight.
The British attacked Panchalankurichi totally
6 times. The British were defeated for the first time in 1755. It is true that
they failed in 5th time but won in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th times.
Veerapandiya Kattabomman Kambalathu, who acted as a symbol of valor,
belonged to the Telugu Nayak class.
After arresting him in 1799, English officer Bannerman summoned all the
villagers, made Kattabomman stand in the hall where they were all sitting and
humiliated Kattabomman, fearing the others and giving judgment.
He
also issued orders for executions without informing the leadership of the
English East India Company. Not only that, the minister of Panjalankurichi
Palayam, Subramania Pillai, was beheaded and planted on a pole in
Panjalankurichi. The British officers razed the Panchalankurichi fort to the
ground. They also put a restriction that no one should come out of the house
after 9 pm. No one was allowed to possess weapons.
Palayakarars who helped Veera Pandya Kattabomman lost their
palayams. Thus, the British took the palayams of Panjalankurichi, Nagalapuram,
Ejayairam Farma, Kollarpatti, Kalkudi and Kulathur and ordered the forts of
these camps to be demolished. These camp workers and Veerapandiya Kattabomman
brothers were put in jail.
Veerapandiya Kattabomman's younger brother Umaithurai, who had escaped
from Palayangottai Jail, and his friends ran barefoot from Palayangottai
through the night and arrived at Panchalankurichi. Their heroic struggle to
renovate the Panchalankurichi fort is also worth remembering.
The
Maruthu brothers i.e. Periya Maruthu and
Chinna Maruthu, who were the Sivaganga peasants, earned the hatred of the
British for helping Veerapandiya Kattabomman. So they also had to fight with
the British. Although they paid taxes to the Nawab of Arcot, the British fought
them on the grounds that they "did not pay taxes properly". It was
during this period that the British arrested and hanged the Maruthu brothers.
The story of their mother Velunachiyar who
adopted the Maruthu brothers as her
children is also a heroic story.
Velu
Nachiyar's husband was killed by the British in 1772 for resisting the Nawab of
Arcot with the friendship of Mysore king Hyder Ali, a villager of Sivagangai.
After some time Velu Nachiar fought with the
help of Hyder Ali and recovered Sivagangai Palayam in the year 1780 which is a
historical event.
After the death of Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Maruthu brothers, Haider
Ali and Tipu Sultan, the British expanded their territory and finally brought
the whole of Tamil Nadu under their rule.
Coimbatore, the western part of Tamil land, like the rest of Tamil Nadu,
was under the Pandyas in 1311, then the Madurai Sultans ruled the region, then
the Koisala government, the Vijayanagara government, the Madurai Nayaks and
Thanjavur Nayaks. Palaiyams were also formed here. Later Mysore kings Hyder Ali
and Tipu Sultan ruled. Dindigul was brought under them. It seems that during
the war between the British and Tipu Sultan, these areas changed hands many
times.
Finally,
after the British defeated Tipu Sultan, these areas were completely brought
under the Nawab of Arcot and then under British rule.
Theeran Chinnamalai was a villager from Kongu country. A villager who
took part in Tippusultan's war with the Nawab of Arcot. He was a supporter of
Tipu Sultan. He won many battles against the Nawab of Arcot and the British. He
was eventually defeated and hanged by the British in 1802.
The fighting skills and subtle approach of
Pulithever, who operated around Nelkattuseval as his headquarters, is
astonishing even if we think about it today. The bravery and loyalty of
Veerapandiya Kattabomman and the manner in which he fought and fell against the
British is very surprising. It is also worth remembering how the minister of
Veerapandia Kattabomman, Subramanya Pillai and the Maruthu brothers, who were
hated by the British for helping Kattabomman, fought and died. The history of
Velu Nachiar's resistance to the British is also memorable.
British Rule
(1801-1947)
The British started collecting taxes directly
from the people themselves for the cost of the British army's participation and
assistance in the war with Hyder Ali, after the approval from the Nawab of Arcot. Thus, the British, who
were involved in the political events of Tamil Nadu as tax-collecting servants
of the Nawab of Arcot, leased the entire right to collect taxes from the Nawab
of Arcot. Then "How can the tax be collected more?" They seems to
have calculated that and made development works for it. After that, the British
paid an annual sum to the Nawab of Arcot and assumed full administrative
responsibility from 1801 onwards.
During this period the British brought not only Tamil Nadu but finally
the whole of India under their rule.
In
1806, Tipu Sultan's soldiers in Vellore Jail fought against the British.
In 1855, the British took away the rest of the rights left by the Nawab
of Arcot under the Act of Annexation of Princely States without Succession to
the British Government. Thus Tamil Nadu came under the British rule completely
by the East India Company.
After
the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, the whole of India came under the direct rule of the
British royal family in 1858.
It
has to be admitted that when they started schools, started factories, built
dams and did not interfere in religious matters, the British established a good
administration that kind of things were not there before.
We know that in the 19th century cholera
affected the people of Tamilnadu on a large scale. It is also known that the
British established medical facilities for that at that time.
It
is worth noting that the British showed their might and military strength in those years by establishing the laws that "Weapons
should not be carried and the towns should go to sleep at 9 p.m." The
British took the riches of art and riches from India to their country.
Local
people were unable to start businesses. The British ruled with many
restrictions such as "locals cannot engage in shipping".
Those
period , People were educated and the educated people knew that ther were under the British
rule, knowing that 'all of India' was under foreign rule, fought for rights
seems to be a happy period in Indian history. People who did not know that
Tamils have been enslaved for about 600 years are involved in this struggle and
it is heartwarming.
The work
of Tamil Nadu-based Vijaya Ragavacharya, who acted as the all-India leader of
the Indian freedom struggle in 1920, is noteworthy.
The history of Tamil Nadu Freedom Struggle
where countless soldiers went to jail, suffered unspeakable sufferings and lost
their lives is a heart-wrenching historical event.
V.O.
Chidambaram Pillai's fight against the British, his trading of ships, his
involvement in the freedom movement, and his suffering for it is a heroic story
written in gold in the history of Tamil Nadu.
The
way Bharatiyar awakened the Tamil people through his songs, when he went to
Pondicherry and participated in the freedom struggle, Tamil people are still
grateful to him by singing his songs and being grateful to him is a proof of
Bharathi's pride.
Subramania Siva, who devoted himself fully to the freedom struggle, we do not know how to thank the sacrifice for
continuing his struggle even after falling ill!.
When
Mahatma Gandhi traveled to Tamil Nadu in 1919 and recruited people for the
freedom struggle, one event took place in Virudhunagar.
When the carriage stopped at the railway station, many people came and
paid their respects to him, and he asked, "How many people in your town
are willing to join the freedom struggle?" . Then only one person said “I
am coming”. He is not Kamarajar but someone else. Then Gandhi asked, "How
many people are there in your town?" They immediately said, "3000
people". Gandhi laughed and said, "Only one in 3000 is ready to
participate in the freedom struggle?".
People were ignorant about the freedom
struggle and its necessity. That's why V.O. Chidambaranar, who had suffered and
went through lot of hardship in jail, was greeted by only 2 people when he came
out of jail.
It
is also a sad fact that when Bharti died, only 14 people attended his funeral.
Chakravarty Rajagopalacharyar, who wrote many good books in Tamil and
worked as an energetic advocate, led the salt satyagraha struggle in Tamil Nadu
along with various protests and did countless works, which is worth writing in
golden letters in the history of Tamil Nadu.
The
work of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, who took Gandhi's advice and fought against the
toddy shops and led the freedom struggle as Tamil Nadu Congress President, is
unforgettable.
The
history of Kodigatha Kumaran, who took the leadership of the Mahatma and took
his own life in the non-cooperation struggle, is also an admirable history of
sacrifice.
It
is also worth noting that Vanchinathan shot himself dead after shooting an
English officer named Ash at Maniachi railway station.
The history of the struggle of Theerar Sathya
Murthy, who shouted heroic slogans for freedom in a time when it did not
manifest as a complete freedom struggle, is a history that will never leave our
hearts.
The
story of Muthuramalinga Devar, a Southern soldier who remained unmarried, fully
engaged in the freedom struggle, accepted the leadership of Netaji Subhash
Chandra Bose, languished in prison for 9 years and spoke heroically for the
freedom of this country, is a history of sacrifice.
The
history of sacrifice of Kakan, who participated in the struggle to remove the
ban on "All Tamils cannot enter Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple" and
dedicated himself completely in the freedom struggle, is also worthy of praise.
As
the President of Tamil Nadu Congress from 1940 to 1947, Kamaraj, who took the
leadership of the freedom fighters and devoted himself fully to the freedom
struggle, is the success story of the freedom struggle history of Tamil Nadu.
Thus
we got freedom on August 15th, 1947 by the hard work of thousands of faceless
freedom fighters and known leaders.
Thus
the new history is that the Tamil Nadu society, which was enslaved since 1311,
became a free society in 1947 after gaining full rights.
It
is our sincere thanks to our forefathers who have borne countless hardships for
so many generations and realize the greatness of the freedom they have achieved
for us.
We
will know our history, we will celebrate the rise of labor, we will be proud of
our rights, and we will continue to work to cherish and protect it.
References
1.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parantaka_Chola_II
2.
www.historicalleys.blogspot.in/2011/08/malik-kafur-in-malabar-myth.html
3.
Mehrdad Shokoohy - Muslim architecture of South India, Publisher: Routledge
4.
www.sandeepweb.com/2012/06/25/the-madurai-sultanate-decline-and-extinction
5. www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/a-poetic-princess/article2871955.ece
6.
www.indianetzone.com/21/prince_kumara_kampanna_vijayanagar_india.htm
7. Sri
Varadarajaswami Temple, Kanchi: A Study of Its History, Art and Architecture
By K.V. Raman, Abhinav Publications (15 June 2003)
8. A Political and history
of the district of Tinneveli by R.Caldwell ,www.forgotten books .org
9. https://socrates.leidenuniv.nl/R/-?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=2905867
