IJARED 3(2), 109-116 © The Author(s) 2015 [email protected] www.emeacollege.ac.in ISSN:2348-3342

Encountering Colonial Authoroity: The Case of Kurichias of Wayanad

Firoz. K. T. Department of History and West Asian Studies, EMEA College of Arts and Science, Kondotti. .

Abstract: The word 'tribe' is generally used for a socially cohesive unit, associated with a territory, the member of which regards them as politically autonomous. Often, a tribe possesses a distinct dialect and distinct cultural traits. Kurichiyas are one of the prominent tribal communities of Wayanad. Their traditional way of existence and lively hood was completely destroyed by the colonial policy. So there existed a deep anger and discontent among the tribal people especially among Kurichias of Wayanad. They were the backbone the Pazassi rebellion. After the suppression of the rebellion, the colonial policy was harshened. This led to the Kurichia rebellion of 1812 which had shaken the companies’ authority. The present paper aims to document Kurichia revolt as the most important anti-colonial struggle in Malabar. This research effort brings light in to timely need for documenting the nature and cause of revolt along with the traditional war tactics.

Key words: , Kurichias, Wayanad ,Colonial Encountering

By the end of 18th c Malabar directly came under the rule of English east Company. The company introduced the new methods of administration a notion on private property, new ways of tax collection, and a new concept on land. Various sections of the society had responded to this by different ways. The adverse effects of this policy were mainly felt up on the tribes. Their traditional way of existence and lively hood was completely destroyed by the colonial policy. So their existed a deep anger and discontent among the tribal people especially among kurichias of wayanad. They were the main back bone the pazashi rebellion. After the suppression of the rebellion the colonial policy was harshened. This led to the kurichai rebellion of 1812 which had International Journal for Advanced Research in Emerging Disciplines (IJARED) shaken the companies’ authority. We can discuss about this rebellion in much detail.

Kurichiyas are one of the prominent tribal communities of Wayanad. They are mostly found in , Thavinjal, Periya, Vellamunda, and Edavaka of Mananthavady Taluk and Kariampady, Kaniyampetta, , Padinjarathara, and Vengappulli and Muttil of Taluk. Originally, the Kurichiyas were matrilineal tribe but now they follow nuclear family system too.

Kurichiya or Kurichiyar was a matrilineal tribe of Kerala distributed mainly in Wayanad and districts. Today Kurichiyans is one of the Scheduled Tribes of Kerala which was notified by the government .The word Kurichiyan is derived from two words kuri (target) and chiyan (people). So Kurichiyans are the people who can shoot at the target. This is an indication that they are experts in archery.i The word “Kurichchi’ originated from‘Kurinchi’ a Tamil Sangam word, which means hill country. So the word Kurichchiyan was originated from Kurinchi. The people who inhabited on Kurinchi were known as Kurinchiyar. From Kurinchiyar the word Kurichiyar may be derived.

The kurichya and kurumbas were tribal people of wayanad and they were leading a peaceful and pleasant life in the jungles and mountain slopes .The English interfered in the life and culture of these tribal’s who were the main supporters and militia men of . The revolt led by Pazhassi Raja of and the Kurichiya revolt of 1812, were out bursts of the natives against the colonial revenue policy. The Kurichi’s and the other tribal people of Wayanad under the leadership of Talakkal Chandu had fought against the company forces during the

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Pazhassi revolts. Their guerrilla wars with their traditional weapons had gained decisive victories for Pazhassi.

The advent of the colonialist made intervention into the tribal life of the high ranges of Wayanad, and the rhythm of the tribal life was shattered. This disturbance forced the peace-loving tribes to take up arms against the oppressors and intruders. In the words of T H Babar a British officer the rebellion was mainly to expel the Vattatoppikkar (Europeans) out of the country. The rebellion started on March 25 and continued up to the 8 th May 1812. Even though the rebellion lasted only for less than two months and its scope was severely restricted to the wayanad area, it caused considerable concern to the British authorities, being a mass uprising with a wider appeal.ii

Nature of the Rebellion

After the suppression of the Pazhassi revolts, the British tried to consolidate their position in Wayanad. The tribal people were subjected to severe persecutions by the British for the help they had extended to Pazhassi Raja. The company officials denied freedom to the tribal people and forcibly made them the slaves of the British. The tribal’s like the kurichias and the kurumbas who were leading a free life in the forests of wayanad hills, when forced for slavery, turned as rebels. The rebellious instinct spread deep into their consciousness and they started thinking about an upsurge against the exploiters. The company men were known vattathopikkar (round caped people) and were seen as killers of their beloved ‘Tampuran’ pazhassi raja.iii

The British revenue officers in wayanad used the tribal’s as slaves for their house hold jobs. A new revenue settlement was effected by Thomas warden. After the Pazhassi rebellion the main source

111 International Journal for Advanced Research in Emerging Disciplines (IJARED) of suffering tribes experienced was the revenue settlement effected in wayanad. Traditionally the tribal of Wayanad had been paying their tax in the form of goods and not in the form of money. Now the company authorities strictly demanded that the tax must be paid in cash, and not in kind. The tribal were not to succumb to this new order and in fact they had no money with them as they were buying necessary articles from the outsider for the exchange of forest goods. So the tax becomes arrears. The revenue official of the company tried to extract the arrears of tax by confiscating the property of the tribal, attacking their residences, looting their belonging and evicting them from their property. The discontent of the people steadily increased as the Sheristadars and parbuties the revenue officers, started seizing and selling the property and personal effects of the revenue defaulters. There were a large number of cases of such distrait and sale of properties and forcible entry in private houses. The kurichiyas were also often seized and made to serve as slaves. The many sided repression of the company officials forced the tribal’s finally to take up arms. iv

Resistances and Revolts

The rebellion started in 1812.it was not a spontaneous one; instead, they had been making detailed arrangements for the upsurge. It spread to areas like Munandadu, Cherankodu, Nambolakodu Setc. They stacked the police and committed severe atrocities against Englishmen. The lower grade officials of the company, the and Tiyyas had been getting information about the skill full preparation of the kurichias for an upsurge under the leadership of Raman Nambi, but they kept it as a secret because, basically they were also against the rule of British. The native Nair and Tiyyas were working in the revenue and police department of the company and were thoroughly dissatisfied by the treatment of the company. In the later stage of the revolt, these native officials

112 International Journal for Advanced Research in Emerging Disciplines (IJARED) indirectly helped the kurichias to make their struggle against a British a more popular one. The tribal gods and the oracles permitted the beginning of the revolt. Some of the kurichias were among the kolkaran group of the company. The whole Kurichia kolkaranas, expect four, resigned their job prior to the revolt and join with rebel.

The revolt of the kurichiyas and kurumbrars look the shape of a peasant uprising. They attacked the company forces with their traditional weapons like the bow and arrows in their own guerrilla method. In the beginning the police could not resist the attack of the tribal with poisonous arrows and they retreated. Within a short while, the kurichias rebel occupies the military strategic point of wayanad and started their attack against the military camps of the British. The revolt was such a big event that it succeeded in bringing about a wonderful unity among the people of Wayanad. The local people flocked to the rebel camp to fight the British. Within two days rebellions spread to all parts of Wayanad, all roads to wayanad were guarded by the Kurichiyars and supplies to British troops were cut off.v

As argued by Ranajith Guha the pre 20th century peasant revolt was characterized by its territoriality.like any other part of India kurichya revolt is also characterized by this factor. Its scope and extent was limited within the region of wayanad. This enabled the company to suppress the rebellion within two months. The imp factor which differentiates this rebellion from other rebellions in India was the lack of proper leadership and a messianic ideology.vi

Suppression

To quell the rebellion Baber had to requisition the military forces from Malabar and Canara. The administration found itself helpless

113 International Journal for Advanced Research in Emerging Disciplines (IJARED) as it could not find provision for Army stationed there. The British resident in detached 2000 Mysore troops to protest the frontier and the major general Wetherall sent a strong detachment of troops of the garrison of Seringapattanam. From Cannanore also another battalion was sent to relieve the distressed troops. The fresh company forces with modern weapons moved to wayanad but were attacked by the kurichias at the kuttiyadi pass. Many of the company soldiers were wounded and they had no other way except to retreat. The British armed forces with the modern weapons entered into wayanad from different passes to fight against the guerilla warfare of the kurichiyas. The company forces entered the dense forest of wayanad from different direction. The kurichias fought valiantly but many of them were killed. One by one all leaders surrendered before the superior force of the British. By May 8th 1812 the rebellion was completely suppressed and peace returned to Wayanad.vii

The rebellion lasted for two month and it caused considerable concern to the British authorities. It had its sorrowful effect on the English army engaged in the operation. Welsh has said in his military Reminiscences that several of their officers in Wayanad died shortly and afterwards and also that the casualties among the men and families were truly distressing. With the revolt of the kurichias, the upsurge against British became continuous process. The kurichia revolt was also the resistance of the ancient traditional culture against the intrusion of the modern culture, apart from the fight against the modern imperialism in economic and political realms. It helped to open the eyes of the company Government to the bad effects of the extortionate revenue policy followed by them. It also convinced the revenue authorities about the need for a human approach towards problems of poverty among the peasantry.viii

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Conclusion

James welsh pointed that “It is not nationalism or patriotism of the locals but fury and desperation caused by the mad revenue policies of the English that gave birth of this rebellion”.ix The revolt was considered as a total uprising of the people. The Kurichiya Rebellion ranks among the resistance movements against British authority. It’s more important as popular revolt inspite of its nature as pure and simple revolt.

End Notes and References

Aiappan .A, Mahadevan M. Ecology, Economy, Matriliny, and Fertility of Kurichiyas, Delhi: B. R. Publishing Corporation 1990. P 64

Kunhikrishnan. V.V (1993), Tenancy legislation in Malabar (1880- 1970), Northern book centre, New Delhi. p 11

Rao Bahadur C. Gopalan Nair. Wynad : Its Peoples and Traditions. P 78

Sredara Menon A.A,Survey of Kerala history(1967). D C Books, , p 265.

Encyclopedia of Dravidian tribes Vol.II International School of Dravidian Linguistics Tcm. 1996.

Ranajith Guha, Elementary Aspects of Pheasant Insurgency in .OUP,Newdelhi.1983

Ravindran T.K .et.al. History of . p122

K. Rajayyan (1971) South Indian rebellion: the first war of independence, 1800-1801,Rao and Raghavan.p 146

Sredara Menon A.A, Op. cit.p 265

The south Indian rebellions (before and after 1800), 2007. Palanaippa Bros ,Asian printers, .

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Hockings, Paul (ed). The Blue Mountains. The Ethnography and Bibliography of a South Indian Region .New Delhi: Oxford University press.

K.S.Singh, People of Kerala, India East West Press Pvt.Ltd., New Delhi,2002

Logan, William (1951), Malabar Manual, Madras.

P.R.G Mathoor, Tribal Situation in Kerala, Kerala Historical Society.1966.

K.rajayyan (1971) South Indian rebellion: the first war of independence, 1800-1801,Rao and Raghavan

Luiz, A.A.D (1962). Tribes of Kerala, Bharathiya Adima Jathi Sevak Sangh, Delhi.

Thurston, E. (1909). Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Madras: Govt. Press

Velappan, K. (1994). Adhivasikal, Lekhanangal, Current Books, .

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