History of Tamil people in India from 1311 to
1947.
Dr.
Kaliraja thangamani
I
dedicate this book to all the freedom fighters who overcame six hundred years
of slavery and won rights for us.
Greetings
The author, Dr. Kalirasa Thangamani, is a teacher
who has worked in the Department of Electronics and Communication at Sriram
Polytechnic College, Chennai and SKR Engineering College, Poonamallee. He is
working as professor in ECE department, SV college of Engineering, Karakambadi
Road, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. He is a social activist and a political worker,
who works with the motto "Good teachers build the country". He is part
of the Kamarajar Makkal Katchi under the able leadership of Tamilaruvi Manian.
He has written this book with the aim of ensuring that the people of Tamil Nadu
gain complete knowledge about the history of their society. I kindly request
the people of Tamil Nadu to buy this book, read it and benefit from it.
Tamilaruvi
Manian
President, Kamarajar Makkal Katchi
Madras.
Those
who ruled Tamil Nadu in the six hundred years before independence
1. Madurai Sultanate (1323-1370)
2. Vijayanagara rule
2.1 Vijayanagara direct rule (1370-1529)
2.2 Nayak rule (1529-1697)
3. European rule in the 17th century
4. Mughal rule (1697-1801)
5. British rule (1801-1947)
Foreword
One thousand years ago, the Chola Empire rose
majestically as the largest empire in the southern part of India, where the
Tamil language is spoken. The Cholas ruled with great valor and majestically.
The temples and lakes they built look majestic today also. Yes! The Thanjavur
Temple, Veeranam Lake, and Madhurantakam Lake still amaze us today.
That was the time when many inscriptions were made
in temples n the Tamil language. The
Thanjavur Temple inscriptions are very large inscriptions. They have written in
such a way that the people of Tamil Nadu know about the Chola administration
even today.
They tamed elephants, selected the best elephants,
added them to their army, created a strong elephant army, and strengthened
their defense. The Tamil people, who wanted to build very large temples at that
time, were the great warriors and lovers of arts and literatures. The society
of that time was also a place of excellence in literature. It was a time when
the Tamils were also considered to be cultured and sophisticated people.
It was a time when many Tamil-speaking areas were
brought under one umbrella by the kings of Thanjavur. Later, this land came under the rule of the
Pandyas. Even then, the history of rule under one umbrella took place.
They were those who built the great temples for the gods they
worshipped and became famous for their beauty. Yes! The Thillai Nataraja temple
was coated with gold by the Cholas and the Pandyas. That was the time when
Kulasekara Pandyan had the Thipathi Thirumalai Thiruvengadamudaiyan temple
decorated with gold.
The Thanjavur temple is said to have been built in
1008 AD. We know that the North Indian texts still state that Rajaraja's son
Rajendra Chola, who came to power in 1014 AD, conquered the Ganges and that the
North Indians were afraid of his invasion. Evidence also suggests that he led a
large navy and conquered foreign countries like present-day Malaysia and Sri
Lanka.
After that, due to the failure to strengthen their
armies and maintain their armies in good condition, after a few generations,
they lost everything and suffered for many generations under foreign rule.
The Tamil kings, who conquered the people of other
countries with strength and ruled well, did not know that in a few centuries
their land would be enslaved, their clan destroyed and driven out, and their
coming generations would be subjected to unspeakable sorrows.
The true truth of history is that those who designed
and built the Thanjavur temple, which the world still admires and talks about,
failed to create a proper security and administrative system, and as a result,
their descendants were forced to live in slavery for several hundred years.
It is our duty to tell and know about the events of
the time when the leadership of the Tamils was defeated and the Tamil
community was left without leadership.
The purpose of this book is to strive to create the
best leadership for the Tamil Nadu, and to create a very peaceful society which
shines in all the fields, preserve it, live and prosper as a part the human
society.
November
1311! Tamil land!
The time, when the Pandya king Kulasekara Pandian,
who was in power, ruled the entire state of Tamil land and was at the peak of
his fame, had just ended. That was the time when the Italian traveler Marco
Polo, completed his journey through the Pandya country. He has written about
the glory of the Tamils, the simple life of the people, and the peaceful life.
There was a
competition between the two sons of Kulasekara Pandian to achieve the throne.
When the younger brother Veera Pandian got the position, his elder brother Sundara
Pandian sought help from Malik kafur ,
the commander of the Delhi king Alauddin Khilji. Malik kafur entered Madurai with
a very big army. The records indicate that temples were destroyed, many people
were killed, property was looted, and this violence lasted for several days.
That was the time in history when the northern army conquered Tamil land. That
was the time when many scenes of Tamil people being defeated and their
properties being destroyed occurred.
When Malik kafur's army left Madurai, we learn from
the news that they carried 312 elephants and 2000 horses, carrying wealth, and
also carrying 10 crores of gold coins. It took six hundred years for the Tamil
people to recover from the devastation
that occurred that year.
When Tamil land was reeling after Malik kafur's
invasion, it seems that the Chera king Kulasekara Peruman came as far as Kanchi
and captured it. But he could not hold it for long. Following the invasion of
Kerala, it seems that the Kakatiyas, a Telugu dynasty, captured Kanchi and
ruled it. There is evidence that they went as far south as Srirangam and were
victorious.
In 1323, Muhammad bin tughlaq, also known as Ulugh Khan , invaded Madurai
and captured it. After that, Madurai was brought under the Delhi government and
ruled by a governor. Thus we learn that the Mohammedan rule began in Tamil land.
R. Cardwell states that the Pandya king Parakrama
Pandya was taken prisoner to Delhi. It is known that their rule, known as the
Madurai Sultanate, lasted for about 47 years (from 1323 to 1370).
During this period, the Tamil kings are not known to
have fought against their rule. But the Kannada Koysala kings, who had
Dwarasamudra as their capital, fought hard to recover Madurai.
The poems named as Madurai Vijayam written in Sanskrit
by Gangadevi, a relative of the Koysala king and the wife of the Vijaya nagara
prince Kumara Kampana, about the conquest of Madurai by Kumara Kampana, the son
of the Vijayanagara king Pukka Raya 1, are still preserved in a private library
in Thiruvananthapuram.
Rule
of the Madurai Sultans (1323-1370):
After the invasion of Malik Kafur in 1311, another
large Delhi army attacked Madurai in 1314. It is also known that in 1323,
Muhammad bin Tughlaq 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 then ruler Jalaluddin Ahsan khan declared himself the king and ruled
Madurai directly. It is known that he ruled for 5 years. After Jalaluddin Ahsan
Khan, Alauddin Udaji took power as the king of Madurai, was killed in a war
with the Koysala kings. We also know that Qutb ud din Firuz took over the
reign. We also learn that Ghiyasuddin Mohammad Talam Khan assumed power a few
months after his death.
During this period, the Koysala king Pallala III
ruled from Tiruvannamalai as his capital and also came against the Madurai
sultans. A Kannada army was stationed in Kanchipuram. There is evidence that
Pallala III stayed in Kanchipuram.
Although Mohammad Talam Khan was defeated by the
Koysala king Pallala III, we learn that he won the next battle and killed the Koysala king, and his body was hung
on the streets of Madurai.
The writings of the African pilgrim Abu Batutta
reveal that many people were tortured and killed during the reign of
Ghiyasuddin. The reports say that Nasyiddin Mohammad Tamkhan Shah, the next king of Madurai, killed his political
opponents and was later assassinated.
Records indicate that kings like Shamsuddin Adil
Shah, Bakiruddin Mubarak Shah and Alauddin Sikandar Shah ruled from 1357 to
1370. There are coins to prove it.
We learn that the Vijayanagara king Bukka Raya 1,who
ruled Hampi as his capital, sent his second son Veera Kumara Kampana to
Madurai. Kampana defeated Madurai Sultans and brought Madurai under Vijaya
nagara rule.
Vijayanagara
rule:
The story of Veera Kumara Kampana's conquest of
Madurai is narrated in a poetic book written in Sanskrit by his wife Ganga
Devi. It is a sad fact that the history of the Tamils is known only from the
poems written by the Kannada queen in the vernacular.
We learn that Veera Kumara Kampana first defeated
the ruler of Kanchipuram, Man Konda sampurva Rayar, and installed Raja Narayana
Sampurva Rayar on the throne. After staying there for a few days, he then took
steps to conquer Madurai.
It is stated in the poems that a woman came to
Kampana and asked him to rescue Madurai, and Kampana believed that she was the
Meenakshi of Madurai.
We also learn that the brave Kampana defeated the
Madurai Sultan in the battle of Madurai and ended the rule of the Sultans and
brought Madurai under the Vijayanagara rule.
It is known from many documents that during the rule
of the Madurai Sultan, the local people were demoralized and subjected to great
suffering.
Today, the worship of Goddess Gangamma is popular in
the northern parts of Tamil Nadu particularly Tirupati area. It seems that a
study is needed on 'Is there any connection between Ganga Devi and the worship
of Gangamma?'
It is very surprising that the women's rights and
women's advancement advocates who boast about Kannagi, Avvaiyar and Kundavai do
not talk about Gangadevi. It is very important to talk about Kampana and
Gangadevi when talking about the events of Tamil land.
It seems that after Kumara Kampana took over
Madurai, he took charge and ruled as the governor. Later, after the death of
his father as the king of the Vijayanagara Empire, he fought a war with his
brother Harikara in the power struggle that took place, and it seems that he
lost.
It is regrettable that the details of the reign of
the great warrior Kumara Kampana, who laid the foundation for Madurai to become
a part of the Vijayanagara Empire for about 400 years, are not known exactly.
Historians divide this Vijayanagara rule into 2
parts. The period from 1370 to 1529, when the Vijayanagara Empire ruled the
Madurai directly. After that, the Nayak rule, which ruled with full power from
1529 to 1697.
Vijayanagara
direct rule in Tamil Nadu (1370-1529):
The Vijayanagara rule in Tamil Nadu, started by the
direct ruler Veera Kumara Kampana, was a rule of the Kannada dynasty. Although
Kannada rulers had conquered Tamil Nadu many times before, it did not become a
complete rule.
During the direct rule of this Vijayanagara empire,
Tamil Nadu was divided into several palayams and ruled. In particular, the old fort of
Palayamkottai seems to have been built during this period by a Kannada
commander named Balayan. The Kannada dam and canals built across the
Thamirabarani during that period are still talked about today. The Kannada
canal is still in use today. R. Cardwell states in his notes that dams were
built at six places in the Thamirabarani during that period.
Although the entire Tamil Nadu was divided and ruled
into several palayams during this period, it seems that the descendants of the
Pandyas ruled a small part under the Vijayanagara rule with Tenkasi as their
capital. North Tamil Nadu was part of the Chandragiri region. It was during
this period that a fort was built in Vellore. Kanchipuram was also under the
rule of the Telugu dynasty which ruled from
Chandragiri, Tirupati, their head quarters.
The Telugu Cholas, who were influenced by the
marriage between the Cholas and the Vengi Telugu kings, ruled Nellore as their
capital in the late 13th century. At that time, Kanchipuram was under their
rule. It seems that Kanchipuram was under various attacks during this period.
After that, the Vijayanagara rule started by Kumara Kampana continued here.
In the meantime, there is evidence that the Orissa
king Kapileswara Gajapati conquered Kanchi in the 15th century. He went as far
as Thanjavur and achieved victory. It seems that his rule lasted for a very
short time in this area.
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 great freedom fighter 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, and his life 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
