fa 3^ 1 ' V- K*, la m 5 <3 MISOEE ANT) COOltG \ $ ©ajettccr romptUm for tljc ©obemment of Intiia* BY LEWIS RICE, Director ofPiillie Inxtr.„..,n, Mysore and i'oor/y. VOL. Ill COORG. v N G A L 3 E : MYSORE GOVERNMENT TRESS, & 187S. 6- L4 I CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY £ 49 A v ,3 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 1924 071 131 605 The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924071131605 M Y S E E AtfD COORGL % ©ajetteer compile for tfje ©obernmmt of Enota. BY LEWIS RICE, Director of Public Instruction, Mysore and Coorg. VOL. III. COORG. BANGALORE: MYSORE GOVERNMENT PRESS, 1878. v r (:*UUh l If." Y U KM V I Ki-n CONTENTS. Page. Geogbaphv Physical 1 — 1 Physical Features • —Situation. Area, Boundaries, 1; Scenery and general appearance of the coantry, 2 ; Mountains, 3; Geology, 5; Rivers, 7 ; lakes, tanks, wells, 10. Meteorology -.—Seasons, 1 ; Temperature, 12 1 j Rainfall, 13 ; Climate, 14. Floba 15—49 Forests :— Male Kidn, 15; Kanive K4du, 18 j Ferns, 26; Vegetable Products from jungle trees and plants, 27. Crops and Cultivation:—Rice, 29-, Cardamoms, 32; Coffee, 35 ; exports of coffee, 41 ; coffee estates, 41 ; Chinchona, 43 ; Sugar cane, 44; Cotton, 44; Plantain, 45; Rheea, 46; Chocolate, 48; Nutmeg, 48; Fruit trees, 48. Vegetables, 48. Dry Grains, 49. Fauna 50—84 Mammals, 50 ; Birds, 63 ; Reptiles, 69 ; Fishe3, 72 ; Insects, 73. History .85—201 Legendary Period:—K£ve>i Purina, 85; Chandra Varmma,89; Devakanta, 92. Historical Period •,—Kadambas, 93; Cheras, 97; Hoysala Ballalai, 98; Vijayanagar, 98 ; Coorg Rajas, 99 ; Haidar Ali, 109', Tippu Sultan, 110; Dodda Vira Rajendra, 112; Welsh's Reminiscences, 149; flight of Channa Basava, 167; British invasion, 173; deposi- tion of the Raja, 175; annotation of Coorg, 189 ; Col. Fraser, 190 ; Victoria Gauramma» 193 ; the Fretsnder, 195 ; Rebellion, 197; loyalty of the Coorgs, 200. ;; Page. IHHABITANTS ... ... ... ••• 202—256 Aboriginal tribes, 202; Numbers and Castes of the Population, 203; Hindus, 204 ; Brahmans, 204 ; Kshattriyna, 205 ; Vaisyai, 205 Sudras, 206; Jaini, 210; Lingayits, 210; Marka, 210; Panchala, 210; Mendicants, 211; Outcastes, 212; Wandering Tribes, 214; Wild Tribes, 214. Muhammadans, 216. Christians, 217. Kodagas or CoorgS :—Appearance, 218; Dress, 219; Do- mestic arrangements, 221; Takkas or council of elders, 226; Amma Kodagas, 227 ; the Coorg house; 228; prescriptive law of inheritance, 231. Coorg Customs -.—Wedding and married life, 231; Wedding Song, 234; Childbirth, 239; Death and faneral ceremonies, 240; Funeral Song, 241. Coorg Festivals ;—Kaveri feast, 242; Huttari feast, 245 ; Bhagavati feast, 251 ; Kailmurta festival, 253. Urban population, 255 ; Dwellings, 255 ; Occupations. 255. Alphabetical list of castes ... ... ... ... 256 Religion ... ... ... ... 257—279 Coorg deities, 257; Ancestor worship, 259 ; Demon worship, 260 ; Serpent and Tree worship, 263 ; Grama devata, 264 ; Pilgrimages, 266 Hinduism, 269; Muhammadaniam, 271; Christianity, 271; Roman Catholics, 271 ; Protestants, 273. Lahgttagh ... ... ... ... 279—296 its Relationship, KodagU, 279; 279 ; Grammar, 279 ; Orthography, 279 Etymology; Syntax, 290. ; 281 ; Literature, 291 ; Huttari or Harvest Song, 293 ; Queen's Song, 295 ; Proverbs, 396. Art and Industhy ... ... ... ... 297 311 Architectural Remains \—Ancient Sepulchres, 297 ; Kolle-kallu, 298; Kadangas, 300; Forts, 301; Palaces, 302 ; Mausoleums, S04. Industrial Arts, 306. Trade and Commerce, 306; Exports, Imports, Fairs, 307; 308; 309, Wagts and Prices ; —Wages 309; Prices, 311. Administration ... ... ... 312 409 Under the Kajas of Coorg •.—Lar.d System, 312 ; Revenue, 317 ; Panniyas, 318 ; royal authority, 319 ; subordinate authorities, 322; Justice, 322; Police, 324; Military, 325. — ; P«ge- At the time of Annexation:—Land Tenures, 328; Dhuli batta, 342 ; House tax, 343 ; Ghee tat, 343 ; Accounts, 344 ; Jama bandi, 345; Patels346; Panniyas, 347; Slaves, 347 British Administration. .Early System:—Revenue, S51 ; Civil Justice, 353; Criminal Jus- tice, 357 ; Police, 359. : Existing System Civil Departments ; Bevenue and Finance, 361; State Revenue, 361; Land Revenue, 363 ; Jamma tenure, 363; Sagu tenure, 366; Umbali tenure, 358 ; Jodi tenure, 368; Ghee tax, 368 ; House tax, 369 ; Dhuli paddy tax, 369; Waste Land Rules, 371; Coffee, 375; Survey, 379 ; Cardamoms, 379 Forests, 380; Abkari, 383; Sayar, 384; Mohatarfa, 384; Stamp?, 384; Post Office, 385 ; Telegraph, 385 ; Local Funds, 385 ; Municipal Funds, 385 ; State Expenditure, 386.—Law and Justice, :— Legislation, 387; Courts, 388; Civil Justice, 391 ; Registration, 392; Criminal Justice, 393; Prisons, 394; Police, 396.—Public Works, 397.—Public Instruction, 401.—Medical, 408; Vaccination, 409 .—Military, 409. GAZETTEER of principal places, rivers, mountains, &c. ... ... 410—427 Appendices. I.—Names of places in Kannada and Roman letters. ••• (1—5) II.—The Ikkeri, Keladi, or Bedum- dynasty. ... ... (1—5) HI.—Glossary of Coorg words occurring in Revenue and Judicial work. (1—6) Addenda et Corrigenda. Index. ... ... - - (1—H) Illustrations. frontiespiece. Map of Coorg ... - - 7* Coffee Borer beetle ... •• ••• — P" 7 Ovipositor of do magnified ... ... ••• 5 102 SealofViraRajendra ... — ••• — ••• •* A Coorg armed ... ... ... ''" 21° A Coorg with his sons and grandsons ... -• ••• COORG. PHYSICAL FEATURES. What Wales is to England, Coorg is to Mysore, in miniature ; a picturesque mountain region, situated on its western side. But though governed by the same Chief Commissioner, Coorg is British territory, and forms no part of Mysore. Its name, properly Kodagu, said to mean 'steep mountains', graphically depicts the character of this interesting alpine land. The country is formed by the summits and eastern declivities of the Western Ghats, which separate it on the south-west from the woody tracts of the Wynad and North Malabar, and on the north-west from South Canara or the Tulu country. On the north it is partially separated from the Mysore Malnad of Manjarabad, of which it is naturally a continuation, by the rivers Kumaradhari and Hemavati- Eastwards it merges into the tableland of Mysore, the boundary for some distance being marked by the river Kaveri. The greater part of the western frontier is from 20 to 30 miles from the sea. Geographically speaking, it lies between north latitude 11° 55 and 12° 50,' and between east longitude 75° 25' and 76° 14' ; and embraces an area computed at 1,580 square miles* Its greatest length, from the Hemavati in the north to Davasi betta in the south, extends over 60 miles ; and its greatest breadth, from Sampaji in the west to Fraserpet in the east, about 40 miles. Its shape on the map has been compared to that of an infant's knitted boot, the heel pointing north-west, and the toe south-east. A narrow arm, about 12 miles long, by about 6 wide, projects northwards into Mysore on the north east. Standing on a bright November morning on the summit of the Brahma-giri near Tale Kaveri, the head or source of that river, the ob- server is filled with delight and admiration of the grand and picturesque * For this estimate I am indebted to Captain R. M. Clerk, in charge of the Revenue Survey now in progress. Jn the Census Report and subsequent official documents, the area has been assumed as 2,000 square miles, on what ground is not known. Lieutenant Connor's Survey of 18 17 gave an area for Coorg at that time of 2,165 square miles, or 1,585 above the ghats and 580 below,; but the latter\lis- tricts, on the conquest of the country in 1834, were annexed to South Canara, ; * PHYSICAL FEATURES. view that opens out before him. As far as the eye can reach to the north-west and south-east, it beholds ridge after ridge of grassy or forest- clad hills, now gently sloping down in wavy lines, now bold and abrupt, raising their steep summits into the clear blue air. Kudaremukha-betta, the the far seen landmark of the mariner, bursts into view from Canara : Bettadapur and Chamundi hills in Mysore, the Wynad mountains of Malabar, and even the range of the distant Nilagiris are clearly visible while in the west, at a distance of about 30 miles below the steep precipi- ces of the Ghats, the coast-line of North Malabar and South Canara, intersected by broad, bright, serpentine rivers, and beyond, the dark-blue Indian Ocean dotted with sailing craft, fascinate the spectator. Coorg Proper, which occupies the central portion of the country, is covered with forest, save here and there where the clearing of a coffee plantation or ragi patch, or the park-like open glades (bane) with their beautiful greensward and varied foliage, afford a charming variety to the landscape. In vain, however, the eye searches for towns and villages, or other indications of civilized life. Only here and there in nooks and corners, ensconced amongst groves or clusters of cultivated trees, and betrayed by a wreath of smoke, can one discover the thatched houses oftheCoorgs, who love a secluded abode near their fields. The want of permanent sheets of water, such as extensive tanks or prominent rivers, may be considered as somewhat detracting from the perfection of the landscape, but during a heavy mist in November, or in the monsoon, fancy may easily transform the whole country into innumerable islands emerging from a vast agitated sea. The general appearance of the country varies considerably in the different districts. In the vicinity of Somavarpet, in the north of Coorg, the hills are gently rounded, alternating with sloping glades, inter- spersed with clumps of forest trees, resembling the finest park scenery in Europe. Near Mercara, the hills are closer together and more ab- rupt, and the ravines deeper and more wild. Towards Fraserpet, the country assumes the champaign character of the Mysore plateau, with scattered solitary hills. South of Mercara, in the direction of Virajpet, especially in Beppu-nad and Kadyet-nad, the country is open, the woods are neither dense nor high, and beautiful grassy downs rise from extensive rice valleys.