People's Revolt

Unit - 4 People’s Revolt Learning Objectives ▶ To know the Palayakkarar (Poligar) system in Tamil Nadu ▶ To understand the role of PuliThevar and Kattabomman in the anti- British uprising ▶ To know about the South Indian Rebellion ▶ To know the causes and effects of Vellore Mutiny ▶ To understand the causes and impacts of Revolt of 1857 Introduction So with the consultation of his minister Ariyanatha Mudaliyar, Viswanatha instituted The establishment of political and Palayakkarar system in 1529. Th e whole economic dominance by the British over many country was divided into 72 Palayams and each parts of India aft er the Battle of Plassey, 1757 one was put under a Palayakkarar. Palayakkarar disrupted the political, social and economic was the holder of a territory or a Palayam. Th ese order of the country. Th is led to the divesting Palayams were held in military tenure and many landlords and chieft ains of their power extended their full co-operation to be need of and estates. Naturally, many of them revolted the Nayaks. Th e Palayakkarars collected taxes, against the British. Th e English assumed the of which one third was given to the Nayak of right of collecting the annual tribute from the Madurai another one third for the expenditure Palayakkarar. Th e fi rst resistance to the British of the army and rest was kept for themselves. was off ered by the Puli Th evar. Since then there had been rebellions by Palayakkarar such as Early revolts of South India the Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Oomathurai, Marudu brothers and Dheeran Chinnamalai. Revolt of the Palayakkars During the 17th and 18th centuries the Origin of Palayam Palayakkarars played a vital role in the politics Th e Vijayanagar rulers appointed Nayaks of Tamil Nadu. Th ey regarded themselves in their provinces. Th e Nayak of Madurai in as independent. Among the Palayakkarars, turn appointed Palayakkarar. Viswanatha there were two blocs, namely the Eastern and became the Nayak of Madurai in 1529. He the Western blocs. Th e Eastern Palayams noticed that he could not control the chieft ain were the Nayaks ruled under the control of who wanted more powers in their provinces. Kattabomman and the Western palayams 35 Unit-4 HISTORY.indd 35 2/21/2020 10:21:08 AM THE REBEL CONFEDERACY 1799 - 1800 N W E S Vellore Madras Sangagiri Erode Chennimalai Odanilai Coimbatore Tiruchirapalli Virupakshi Nagore Naam Pudukoai Dindigul Tiruppaur Madurai Kalaiyar kovil Sivagangai Tondi Ramnad Sivagiri Nerkaumseval Kadalkudi Eayapuram Nagalapuram Kayaar Panchalamkurichi Nanguneri Not to Scale were the Maravas ruled under the control of Puli Thevar Puli Thevar. These two palayakkarars refused to Puli Thevar was the pioneer in Tamil pay the kist (tribute) to the English and rebelled. Nadu, to protest against the English rule in India. The early struggle between the He was the Palayakkarar of the Nerkattumseval, Palayakkaras and the East India Company had near Tirunelveli. During his tenure he refused a strong political dimension. By the Carnatic to pay the tribute neither to Mohammed Ali, treaty of 1792, consolidated the English power the Nawab of Arcot nor to the English. Further over the Palayakkars. The English got the right he started opposing them. Hence, the forces of to collect taxes. The result was the outbreak of the Nawab of Arcot and the English attacked the revolt of Palayakkars. Puli Thevar. But the combined forces were 36 People’s Revolt Unit-4 HISTORY.indd 36 2/21/2020 10:21:08 AM defeated by Puli Thevar at Tirunelveli. Kattabomman met Jackson Puli Thevar was the first Indian king to have In 1798, Colin fought and defeated the British in India. After Jackson, the collector of this victory Puli Thevar attempted to form a Ramanathapuram wrote league of the Palayakkars to oppose the British letters to Kattabomman and the Nawab. asking him to pay the tribute In 1759, Nerkattumseval was attacked arrears. But Kattabomman by the forces of Nawab of Arcot under the replied that he was not in leadership of Yusuf Khan. Puli Thevar was a position to remit the tribute due to the defeated at Anthanallur and the Nawabs forces famine in the country. Colin Jackson got captured Nerkattumseval in 1761. Puli Thevar angry and decided to send an expedition to who lived in exile recaptured Nerkattumseval in punish Kattabomman. However, the Madras 1764. Later, he was defeated by Captain Campell government directed the collector to summon in 1767. Puli Thevar escaped and died in exile the Palayakkarar at Ramanathapuram and without fulfilling his purpose, although his hold a discussion. courageous trail of a struggle for independence in the history of South India. In 1798, Kattabomman and his minister Siva Subramaniam met the Collector Virapandya Kattabomman at Ramanathapuram. Upon a verification of The Ancestors of accounts, Colin Jackson was convinced that Kattabomman belonged Kattabomman had cleared most of the arrears to Andhra. They migrated leaving only 1080 pagodas as balance. During to Tamil country during this interview Kattabomman and his Minister, the 11th century. As a Sivasubramaniam, had to stand before the feudatory under Pandyas, arrogant collector for three hours. The Jagaveerapandiaya Collector insulted them and tried to arrest Kattabomman ruled Kattabomman and his minister. Kattabomman Virapandyapuram. Virapandya Kattabomman tried to escape with his minister. Oomathurai Panchalankurichi was suddenly entered the fort with his men and its capital. He later became a Poligar during helped the escape of Kattabomman. But the rule of Nayaks. He was succeeded by his unfortunately Sivasubramaniam was taken as son Veerapandya Kattabomman. His wife was prisoner. Jakkammal and his brothers were Oomathurai Edward Clive and Kattabomman and Sevathaiah. After his return to Panchalamkuruchi, Nawab of Arot Kattabomman wrote a letter to the Madras After the decline of the Vijayanagar Council narrating the behaviour of the Collector empire, the mughals established their Colin Jackson. Edward Clive, the Governor supremacy in the south. The Nawabs acted of Madras Council ordered Kattabomman as their representatives in Karnataka. to surrender. The Madras Council directed Panchalamkuruchi palayam was acted as an ally Kattabomman to appear before a Committee. to the Nawab of Arcot. Hence it paid tribute to Meanwhile, Edward Clive dismissed the the Nawabs. But in 1792, the political condition Collector for his misbehaviour and released had completely changed. Based on the Carnatic SivaSubramania. Kattabomman appeared treaty of 1792, the company gained the right before the Committee, and found Kattabomman to collect taxes from Panchalamkuruchi. The was not guilty. S.R. Lushington was appointed collection of tribute was the main cause for the collector in the place of Colin Jackson, who was rivalry between the English and Kattabomman. eventually dismissed from service. People’s Revolt 37 Unit-4 HISTORY.indd 37 2/21/2020 10:21:08 AM The confederacy of Palayakkarars near Dindigul. During During that time, Marudu Pandyan of this period she organised Sivaganga formed the South Indian Confederacy an army and employed her of rebels against the British, along with the intelligent agents to find neighbouring Palayakkarars. This confederacy where the British stored declared a proclamation which came to be known their ammunition. She as Tiruchirappalli Proclamation. Kattabomman arranged a suicide attack was interested in this confederacy. He tried to by a faithfull follower establish his influence over Sivagiri,who refused Kuyili, a commander Velu Nachiyar to join with alliance of the rebels. Kattabomman of Velu Nachiyar. She recaptured Sivagangai and was again crowned advanced towards Sivagiri. But the Palayakkar as queen with the help of Marudu brothers. She of Sivagiri was a tributory to the Company. was the first queen to fight against the British So the Company considered the expedition of colonial power in India. She is known by Tamils Kattabomman as a challenge to their authority. as Veeramangai and also known as ‘Jhansi Rani So the Company ordered the army to march to of South India’. Panchalamkuruchi. Marudu Brothers Fall of Panchalamkuruchi Marudu brothers Major Bannerman moved his army to were the sons of Panchalamkuruchi on 5th September. They Mookiah Palaniappan cut of all the communications to the Fort. In and Ponnathal. The elder a clash at Kallarpatti, Siva Subramaniyam was brother was called Periya taken as a prisoner. Kattabomman escaped to Marudu (Vella Marudu) Pudukottai. Vijaya Ragunatha Tondaiman, Raja and the younger brother of Pudukottai, captured Kattabomman from Chinna Marudu. Chinna the jungles of Kalapore and handed over to the Marudu was more Marudu Brothers Company. After the fall of Panchalamkuruchi, popular and was called Bannerman brought the prisoners to an Marudu Pandiyan. Chinna Marudu served assembly of the Palayakkarars and after trial under Muthu Vaduganatha Peria Udaya Devar sentenced them to death. Sivasubramania was (1750-1772) of Sivaganga. In 1772 the Nawab executed at Nagalapuram. On the 16th October of Arcot laid seige of Sivaganga and captured ViraPandya Kattabomman was tried before it. Muthu Vaduganatha Peria Udaya Devar, an assembly of Palayakkarar, summoned at died in battle. However after a few months Kayathar. On 17th October 1799, Kattabomman Sivaganga was re-captured by Marudu Brothers was hanged at Kayathar. Kattabomman’s heroic and Periya Marudu was enthroned as the ruler. deeds were the subject of many folk ballads Chinna Marudu acted as his adviser. Due to which kept his memory alive among the people. the terrorist activities against British, he was called as “Lion of Sivaganga”. In the later half Velu Nachiyar of the eighteenth century the rebellion against Velu Nachiyar was a queen of Sivagangai. the British was carried by Marudu Brothers in At the age of 16, she was married to Muthu South India. Vaduganathar, the Raja of Sivagangai. In 1772, Causes for the conflict the Nawab of Arcot and the British troops invaded Sivagangai.

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