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Saturday, December 17, 2011

புலித் தேவர் - Puli Thevar வெள்ளையனுக்கு எதிராக குரல் கொடுத்த முதல் இந்தியன் (1755)

First Indian to Fight Against the British

Puli Thevar (Tamil: புலித் தேவர்) was a poligar (or palayakarar) who ruled Nerkattumseval situated in the Sankarankoil taluk of Tamil Nadu.[1] Puli Thevar who belongs to the warrior Maravar community was one of the earliest Indian Kings to have fought and defeated the British in India.


History

He is one of the earliest opponents of the British rule in South India. He was involved in a vendetta with the Nawab of Arcot who was supported by the British. Thevar's prominent exploits were his confrontations with Marudhanayagam, who later rebelled against the British in the late 1750s and early 1760s.
Nelkatumseval was the headquarters of Puli Thevar, the first chieftain in India to resist the British.[1]
The author of the Thirunelveli District Gazetteer, H.R. Pate, observes as follows:
Nelkatumseval is chiefly memorable as having been in the eighteenth Century stronghold of the redoubtable Puli Thevar, who figured for many years as the leader of the Marava Confederacy against the troops of the Nawab and the Company. He had a shrewd insight into the political situation of the time and was a veritable thorn against the side of the Nawab's agents.
Pulithevar remains one of the illustrious figures in the chequered history of palayakarars. The vivacity of his character gave him an ascendancy over the western palayakarars, while his determined resistance to the Nawab's overlordship made him a potential enemy of the Wallajahs. He was the principal architect of the coalition of the palayakkars organised against the Nawab. The Nawab acknowledged his victory by presenting him with a gold plate and sword.[2]
Pulithevar is regarded as the first ruler in Indian history, who sowed the seed, by his gallant resistance, to expel foreigners from his native land. His services to the nation are honoured; the government of Tamil Nadu has erected a memorial for him in Nelkatumseval where there are the remnants of his palace. [3]

Puli Thevan War

There were a number of revolts by local powers in the South, the first being as early as 1757. When Mohammed Ali, the Nawab of the Carnatic, supported by the Company, attempted to extend his control over the "Madurai" and "Thirunelveli" districts, the poligars rebelled. The western poligars, led by Puli Thevar of Nelkatumseval, forged individual alliances and then a grand alliance as they revolted against Mohammed Ali. Of necessity, Ali had to seek assistance from John Company, and, though battles were won and lost, the revolt was put down in 1761 by Yusuf Khan, who had been nominated the Governor of "Madurai" and "Thirunelveli" in 1758 by the British, despite Nawab Mohammed Ali's objections.

Western confederacy by Nel Kattum Sevval

"Nel kattum sevval" literally translates to "Rice tribute paying place", but after its ruler Puli Thevan's successful (initially) attempts at defying Mohammed Ali, the name changed to nel kattan sevval ("place which doesn't pay rice tribute"). These palayams declared their independence in 1757. Yusuf Khan, or Marudhanayagam, was sent by the British to bring the poligars under control and make them pay kisthi. Earlier campaigns in 1755 by Mahfuz Khan were unsuccessful in subduing the poligars' partly because of their sticking to each other and partly because British troops had to be withdrawn to raise the French siege of Madras (by Lally). Yusuf Khan quickly intimidated the eastern poligars and moved against Pooli Thevan. A series of sieges of Pooli Thevan's forts followed and eventually the Nerkattansevval fort was razed by British artillery. Puli Thevan was captured and escaped/encountered on the way to incarceration. No verifiable records are found about him after his capture/escape. The rise of the western Poligars of south Tamil Nadu is the first war of Indian Independence and not the 1857 sepoy uprising, as written by Savarkar.

 

Puli Thevar's struggle-quoted From Caldwell's History of Tirunelveli

In 1736, Muhammad Ali, Nawab of Arcot annexed the kingdom of Madura in Western Tamil Nadu, but the Polygars or Lords of Madura Kingdom were in no mood to compromise with Nawab. The Polygars refused to pay taxes and pay homage to Nawab
Meanwhile, Nawab =was dragged into the Carnatic Wars between the French and British which lasted from 1743 to 1763. Their zone of struggle was largely in and near the kingdom of Arcot.
Nawab allied with the British and soon incurred debts with British because of his lavish lifestyle. This gave the British opportunity to interfere in his domestic affairs.
As mentioned before, Polygars viewed Nawab as a usurper who deposed the rightful dynasty of Madura Kingdom. Since Polygars had private armies-with infantry, cavalry, artillery & elephants along with strong forts-often on mountain tops and concealed by forests—they could defy Nawab.
There were 77 Polygars who ruled as they willed in their respective domains and fought one another who posed a real threat to their independence if Nawab were to make a serious effort to subjugate them.
Long before the Carnatic Wars were over, British got their chance to meddle in affairs of Arcot.
In 1755, Nawab unwisely requested British help to bring the turbulent Polygars into control.
British exploited this chance and sent a large army under Colonel Heron to subjugate the country that lay between Trichinopoly and Cape Comorin. Heron’s army behaved like bandits and even looted shrines-an act that made sure that people hated them well.
Heron marched through Polygar country, where he fought a number of Polygars into submission. The strongest Polygar was the Kattabomman of Panjalakurichi. He too surrendered and as he did not pay the full sum demanded by the British as tribute, he surrendered some of his close male relatives as hostages.
This part of the story is puzzling indeed. Kattabomman could have easily paid the sum demanded by British, but he chose to give relatives as surety. But soon, Heron asked Kattabomman to pay the demanded sum and recover his hostages as English were in dire shortage of cash. He calculated that since British army would soon march out of country, why waste money? Let them have hostages-It does not cost himself a rupee-this was his line of thought.
But this crooked line of thought would in future end up as a disaster for Polygars in fututure.
Soon British troops under Heron decided to march out of Polygar country. They could not collect tributes as they calculated and as they marched home, Heron ordered a temporary diversion. British army must bring a minor Polygar who was a turbulent figure-His name is Puli Thevar.
Puli Thevar was the hereditary title of Polygar of Nelkattumseval, now in Sankarannainarkovil Taluk of Tinnevelly District. He possessed only a small estate, but his influence among Western Polygars were considerable-due to the fame of his abilities. That made him indeed a force to be reckoned with.

First Siege of Nelkattumseval, 1755

As soon as Thevar refused the British demand for repayment, they besieged Nelkattanseval but Thevar and his troops resisted. Thevar had a spy in the British camp, the interpreter of Colonel Heron, who relayed the information that the British were short on supplies and also did not have heavy artillery. Thevar was delighted at this news and decided to hold on further.
Heron ordered a massive bombardment of Thevar’s fort, but the British made little progress against the thick stone walls of the fort. Heron was forced to acknowledge that he could not storm the fort, so he asked that a paltry sum of 20,000 rupees be paid, to which Thevar replied-“My country doesn't have that much income.......Besides I know the value of money well and don't expect me to burn even a single rupee......”
The heroic defense of Nelkattumseval by Thevar’s small force along with his efficient spy reports and good diplomacy made sure that British army made no progress in Thevar’s country. Also with his army on the brink of mutiny due to lack of food and pay, Herron retreated at full throttle.
Soon much of Polygar country was in full revolt and many Polygars confederated into a single force led by Puli Thevar. From then on, an epic struggle of Polygars to resist British sponsored Muslim encroachment would last up to 1761.
Once Heron retreated, Thevar let loose his Maravas to seize the whole countryside. Maravas are prominent among the Tamil military caste; their ferocity and predatory warfare made them ideal to fight the British. Thevar himself was a Marava and the majority of soldiers in the Polygar armies were of Marava stock. They looted and ambushed British units, looted and burnt those villages who supported British and overran the whole countryside.

Battle & Siege of Kalakadu, 1755

Puli Thevar also won over three Pathan generals of Nawab named Mudemiah, Mian and Nabi Khan. Mudemiah was a good negotiator so Thevar sent him to Travancore to win Marthanda Varma, Raja of Travancore [whose areas were captured by Heron] to support the Polygar confederacy. Main aim was to expel Mahfuz Khan, agent of Nawab in Polygar country.
Mudemiah returned to Tamil country with a force of 4000 men given to him by Marthanda Varma. Puli Thevar joined Mudemiah with his armies to fight Mahfuz Khan’s armies Mahfuz Khan had a larger army than Thevar, as he had received reinforcements from Nawab and British, but he had scattered his forces and Thevar’s troops, better armed, swiftly defeated these units before they could coalesce into a large formation.
These early swift victories in the open field encouraged Thevar to besiege the fort of Kalakadu. Mahfuz Khan sent a large cavalry force to help the garrison thus besieged. At this critical moment, the Travancore troops retreated as they had to handle a rebellion at home. With a large chunk of his men lost, Thevar knew well that the war was lost so he retreated.

Second Siege of Nelkattumseval, 1755-1756

Thevar knew well that he stood no chance if his small army engaged the huge cavalry force of Mahfuz Khan so he assembled all available troops and guns into his fort of Nelkattumseval. Mahfuz Khan besieged this fort for the second time that year and sent his horsemen in pursuit of Thevar’s Marava troops who had plundered and wreaked havoc in territories held by Arcot troops. The Maravas were chased off and Arcot troops re-established control but Thevar’s troops held the Nelkattumseval fort. Mahfuz Khan had trapped Thevar and driven away the predatory Maravas.

Second Battle of Kalakadu, 1755

Thevar instructed Mudemiah to engage Travancore once more into a war with Arcot troops. This battle ended in a clear victory for Travancore force, but Mahfuz Khan went ahead with the siege, as he could not afford to let Thevar escape.

Retreat of Mahfuz Khan, 1756

Mahfuz Khan’s army unit ran short of supplies, and he requested more from the British, escorted by troops. Thevar got scent of this program and so he sent a band of his crack troops to attack and loot this British convoy and thereby worsen Mahfuz Khan’s misery. Thevar's success gave a rude shock to Mahfuz’s belief that Thevar was running out of options; he realized that he must rush back to his base at Tirunelveli in order to meet payroll and supply his troops. Thevar, equally surprised by his success, planned a large scale offensive on the enemy-Arcot-British troops.
Thevar used his influence among Western Polygars to become leader of the Polygar council. His power of persuasion was so great that even the strongest Polygars obeyed him and sent troops whenever he demanded. He then turned his attention to the Eastern Polygars, led by Kattabomman. Thevar proposed that he and Kattabomman form a union to fight the enemy.
Kattabomman’s earlier decision to not ransom his hostages wrecked the whole enterprise. He still had hostages with Nawab and so although he wanted to join Thevar, he must remain neutral or lose his loved ones held captive by the Nawab. However, Madura Polygars joined Thevar and promised troops in event of war; Thevar could cajole Polygars of Nattam to join him.
The confederacy's aim was to seize the ancient and strategic city of Madura, as that would be a symbolic restoration of pre-1736 order in addition to enabling them to oust the Anglo-Muslim garrisons and seize control the country south up to Cape Comorin. Their objective was to restore native rule in what was once the kingdom of Madura.
British soon learnt of this preparation for war and they were alarmed by the sheer scale of ambitions of Thevar. They blamed Mahfuz’s incompetency for this dangerous situation and resolved to intervene directly. They despatched 1000 sepoys under Yusuf Khan and also put Mafuz's armies under Yusuf Khan’s orders.

Siege of Srivilliputtur, 1756

Puli Thevar had already led the confederate army which he had assembled at Nelkattumseval towards Madura. As they marched, they faced the fort of Srivilliputtur, which they must seize if the wished to march on to Madura.
This fort and neighbourhood was under Abdul Rahim and he and his troops were confident that they could rout Thevar’s host. At first they engaged with Thevar’s men in an open battle outside the fort, but Thevar cleverly had the over-confident Arcot army surrounded. The Arcot troops fought hard to break out of this encirclement and fled to the fort. They were so demoralised by their catastrophic engagement that soon most of the Arcot troops either joined Thevar’s army or fled. With his troops lost, Abdul Rahim also fled the scene. This great victory prompted even the reluctant Polygars jumped into Thevar’s bandwagon. Thevar's overconfidence prompted a fatal change of plans.
The original plan was to march from Nelkattumseval to Madura via Srivilliputtur. With Srivilliputtur in their hands, Madura lay open to capture. Now several Polygars argued that the confederate army must march south and seize Tirunelveli and then move north towards Madura. Their forces were now strong enough that they were confident of victory so Thevar also agreed to this change of plan.
At this time, Madura was only lightly held by Arcot troops. The bulk of the Arcot army, along with Mahfuz Khan, was at Tirunelveli. If the confederates had moved north and seized Madura, Mahfuz Khan would have been trapped in Polygar country and initiative would have passed permanently into Thevar's hands. Kattabomman’s treachery wrecked the whole plan. Mahfuz Khan persuaded Kattabomman to support him in return for large land grants and several concessions. As Kattabomman led the Eastern Polygars, war that began as a war of independence now became a civil war.

Battle of Tirunelveli, 1756

Thevar did not lose heart even then. Both sides were evenly matched with 20,000 men apiece, but Mahfuz Khan had superiority in cavalry. On 21 March of 1756, some 40,000 men clashed. The battle was fierce and bloody. Even after long onslaughts, the confederates could not break through enemy formations and once the opposition began their counter attack, the exhausted confederate troops broke up and retreated. The confederate army disintegrated and Thevar and his troops marched back to Nelkattumseval.
If Kattabomman had not supported Mahfuz, most of Tamil country would have been freed from the control of Arcot Nawab and British. A golden chance was lost-but certainly not due to Thevar. After all, it was he who took Polygars to the brink of a decisive success.

Aftermath

After this catastrophe, Puli Thevar noticed a drop of morale among his fellow Polygars. He himself evaluated the situation and decided on a double-faced policy. Thevar sent out affirmations of loyalty to the Nawab and the British and even met the Tirtarappa Mudali, a fellow Tamil belonging to the Vellala caste and Nawab’s new viceroy in Madura and Thevar paid him a large sum as tribute. Meanwhile, he loosed his Maravas once more to loot and devastate enemy held territories once more. When Arcot sepoys tried to control them, they looted Arcot camps as Arcot troops watched helpless. Thevar was determined that the British and the Nawab will know no peace.
The military commandant, Yusuf Khan, recognized Thevar’s tricks and ordered him back to Nelkattumseval. Thevar instead met Nabi Khan and Kattabomman, whose treachery had undermined his earlier effort to liberate Tamil Nadu. Thevar also enlisted Mian in this second confederacy and rallied the Polygars who had lost their nerve after the Battle of Tirunelveli. Thevar thus collected and assembled a force of 10,000 men south of Madura and proceeded eastwards into a forest that was held by Kattabomman, which stretched to the outskirts of Tinnevelly.

Capture of Tirunelveli, 1756

Thevar took this torturous route instead of the highway to Tinnevelly to conceal his troop movement and surprise the enemy, basing his plan on a spy's report that Mudali had camped his bulk of force some 20 miles away where he anticipated Thevar’s attack. At the edge of the forest, they could see Tinnevelly but chose to wait till night to begin their invasion. By dawn they had infiltrated into the town in several bands through unguarded points.

Siege of Palamkotta, 1756

Thevar seized Tirunelveli by surprise and camped there for two days. Mudali, who heard that he had been outwitted, rushed back but instead of attacking Tirunelvi, assembled his troops at Palamkotta fort. Thevar had no artillery so ordered his cavalry to encircle the fort and burn a large area around the fort to deprive them of supplies. His troops could not scale the fort walls because of gun-fire by Mudali’s troops; their only option is to wait and starve the enemy. Thevar learnt that Yusuf Khan was on the march in order to relieve the fort so he ended the siege and rushed with all his forces to meet Yusuf Khan.

Battle of Gangai Konda [1756]

The armies met at Gangai Konda, north of Tirunelveli. Thevar’s troops attacked from all sides but suffered huge losses as Yusuf Khan’s artillery took its toll on Thevar’s ranks. Thevar realised that the battle was lost and ordered a retreat. Thevar’s army split into three; the forces of Polygars under Thevar fled into the jungle, Mian with his horsemen went to Madura and Nabi Khan retreated towards Srivilliputtur. As they had no artillery to breach the walls, they attempted to climb the walls but failed, so he and his men left Srivilliputtur.
Puli Thevar had not lost hope. He opened talks with agents of Mysore at Dindigul and offered them 5 lakh rupees in exchange for military help. He also tried to persuade the corrupt officers of Mahfuz Khan to give up Cholavandan, a region through which the only road between Dindigal and Madura passed through a mountain defile. In order to tempt Mahfuz Khan to join his side, Thevar also tempted him with promise of hig office in Mysore.
Thevar’s plan was to oust both Nawab of Arcot and the British from the kingdom of Madura and to restore a member of the ruling dynasty of Madura as the king. The English soon got reports of this effort for a third confederacy and despatched a large force under Yusuf Khan and Mudali; a third of this force was posted at Tirunelveli and another third was assembled in the fort of Palamkotta.
As the English prepared for war, Thevar persuaded Mian and Nabi Khan to join with their cavalry troops at Nelkettumseval. Once Yusuf Khan found that Mian and Nabi Khan were on their way to join with Thevar’s troops, he marched into Srivilliputtur. Yusuf’s plan was a show of might so as to dissuade other Polygars from joining hands with Thevar.
Mudali tried to negotiate a peace agreement, sending his agent Alagappa to Thevar’s camp. Mudali offered large land grants if Thevar were to join Nawab’s side but Thevar was too shrewd to fall for this trick. Instead of refusing outright, he sent his agent along with Alagappa into Yusuf Khan’s camp along with a force of 300 Marava guards for negotiations.
Thevar sent his main army to rendezvous with Mian and Nabi Khan and sent another force to ravage the enemy territories west of Tirunelveli, intending to cause the negotiations to fail. The Nawab’s people themselves withdrew from the talks. As a man driven by a great vision, he had no interest in conceding for paltry gains.
Soon Thevar got what he wanted-Yusuf Khan put to death some of Thevar's Maravas of Thevar, alleging that they had stolen horses and oxen from his camp. Immediately, Thevar’s agent and Marava guards fled to Thevar’s castle and reported this event. Thevar declared that he could in no way tolerate such a cruelty on his own people.
Mahfuz Khan himself was an unscrupulous character and soon thought that his future depended on the good will of Thevar, so he came to Nelkettumseval with his troops by end of 1756. Several of Nawab’s officers in Madura revolted and took control of Madura but as Mahfuz Khan was reluctant to engage in a war, they got no support and were chased away by English troops led by Calliaud. Calliaud and English troops made the mistake of leaving, as Thevar had completed his preparations for a third attempt to liberate Western Tamil country.

Second Capture of Tirunelveli, 1756

In early 1757, Thevar along with Mahfuz Khan and supported by many Polygars marched towards Tirunelveli for the third time at the head of an army of 10,000 men. They camped near Tirunelveli but did not attempt to capture the town. Thevar remembered well what would happen if a largely primitive force engaged with the well-equipped army which held Tirunelveli.
Instead, in an effort to seize the country-side, Thevar sent messages to Mudalis, or tax collectors, that from now on he was in charge and that they must pay tax to him.
Talks were opened with the Raja of Travancore to persuade him to support the confederacy in exchange for which Thevar promised him those territories on which Raja of Travancore coveted.
Soon the troops that held Tirunelveli marched to Madura and Mahfuz Khan marched into the abandoned town. Mahfuz was so intoxicated by this success-in reality only luck-that he on his own, ordered his men to assault the nearby fort of Palamkotta; his men suffered staggering losses. The commandant of Palayamkotta enticed Kattabomman, the rank opportunist to support him in exchange for lucrative land grants.
Kattabomman’s troops routed Mahfuz’s troops who camped some distance away from the fort. After this Kattabomman retreated but Yusuf Khan came to the scene. Mahfuz Khan fled the scene to Nelkettumseval to join Thevar, who had left much earlier as he understood that plans were not working as he had envisaged.
Thevar aided Mahfuz Khan’s repeated but failed to seize Palamkotta. Thevar’s troops helped Mahfuz’s men to capture Kalakadu fort and deeded it to Raja of Travancore in an attempt to win him into side of confederacy.
Yusuf Khan threw a spanner into the confederacy’s plans; originally named Marudhanayagam Pillai, a Hindu Tamil of Vellala caste who converted to Islam, he was one of the most brilliant generals of 18th century, comparable to Baji Rao. Yusuf Khan was a ruthless opportunist who felt no loyalty to any one except himself.
Yusuf Khan’s troops marched towards rebel country in south-west Tamil Nadu. He seized Kalakadu and captured the forts of Papankulam, Alvarkurichi, Brahmadesam and Tarankurichi; the first three were held by Mahfuz and the last by Polygar of Wadagiri, ally of Puli Thevar and most powerful of Western Polygars.
In the summer of 1758, Puli Thevar, for the fourth time, was ready to clash with the English and Nawab. Puli Thevar was supported by Polygars of Wadagiri, Kotaltava, Naduvakurichi and Sorandai. Ettaiyapuram Polygar also joined Thevar’s enterprise and soon confederates persuaded the Polygar of Settur to join them.

Stand At Settur & Aftermath, 1759

Puli Thevar camped his troops inside the Settur fort, only 15 miles from Srivilliputtur and their joint force ravaged the enemy-held surrounding zone. Yusuf Khan besieged the Settur fort, whose Polygar lost nerve and expelled Thevar’s troops, paid a fine and surrendered.
Thevar’s troops re-grouped and they seized all enemy outposts from Nelkettumseval to Tirunelveli and massacred the garrisons they overran. This great success elated Thevar and his confederates and they attacked and captured the Uttumalai fort held by a pro-English Polygar and prepared to capture Palamkotta and Tirunelveli.
The arrival of Yusuf Khan’s troops at Srivilliputtur checked their progress. Instead of an open fight, Thevar wisely chose to strengthen the chain of posts he had captured. He also sent troops to Nelkettumseval to prepare for defence and spread out his troops around Yusuf’s army in order to harass Yusuf’s troops.
Yusuf was far stronger and soon he recaptured all the outposts seized by Thevar and then he marched and destroyed much of Polygar country by fire and sword. But even so his attempt to reduce Polygars went only slowly as Polygars retreated into their strong impregnable forts. Soon Yusuf was forced to retreat because of orders from British authorities.
In 1759, Thevar took revenge; he marched towards Palamkotta and the garrison troops came out and fought Thevar’s men. Thevar devastated his enemy’s force in open field, but retired-as he knew that it would be nearly impossible to storm a well-defended fort. The incident was an embarrassment and shock to the English.
Thevar’s troops overran the countryside from Nattam to Travacore also. Enemy garrisons were safe only in their forts. They once more deputized Yusuf Khan to crush Puli Thevar. Thevar was worried that Mahfuz Khan might switch sides-he was a rank opportunist-and so kept him under close watch.

Second Struggle with Yusuf Khan

The pro-British Kattabomman died and the new Kattabomman loathed them. He, as the leader of Eastern Polygars, pledged support to Puli Thevar, the undisputed leader of Western Polygars. This union was aimed to meet the threat of Yusuf Khan.
Yusuf Khan could have been driven back easily if he had to face so mighty a confederacy alone. Some Polygars were eager to collaborate with enemy. Yusuf came into Polygar country with only 1000 men but soon his army grew to 4000 with support from these renegades. Even so he was not ready. He waited for reinforcements to come. His strategy, till he received reinforcements, was to prevent the armies of Puli Thevar and Kattabomman from joining. He sent a heavily armed force into Ettaiyapuram with this task-they were to fight and block Eastern Polygars’ troops so that he could deal with Puli Thevar and men separately.
Once fully prepared, Yusuf Khan marched on. His force captured the strategic fort of Kollarpetti and reached Tirunelveli. Mahfuz Khan requested a pardon from Yusuf Khan and a jagir for himself if he left Thevar’s camp. Yusuf Khan assured him that his demands would be met.
Puli Thevar surprised an enemy army at Sorandai and massacred and looted it. Yusuf immediately sent another force to retaliate, but Thevar had left by that time. Travancore troops began incursions into lands between Cape Comorin and Kalakadu. The Maravas of Puli Thevar and his allies ravaged all of Tamil country south of Tirunelveli and Yusuf who had to deal with three enemies, appeared in dire straits.
An idiotic action by the Polygar of Wadagiri turned the tables. He had let his Maravas repeatedly plunder the territories of the Travancore Raja who was his neighbour too. The Raja of Travancore, angry at this policy, began to have second thoughts. Yusuf Khan exploited this by opening talks with the Raja of Travancore. This talk was to have fatal consequences. The Raja of Travancore agreed to side with Yusuf, if he left the Polygar confederacy. The Raja sent a large force of musketeers to join with Yusuf’s troops-altogether 20,000 men marched towards the fort of Wadagiri, and Polygar had to escape as he could not withstand them for more than a day.
The Polygar of Wadagiri took refuge with Puli Thevar at Nelkattumseval. Puli Thevar himself was unnerved-the most powerful Western Polygar-Wadagiri Polygar-is finished. He learnt that the French had sent a letter to Mahfuz Khan which stated that soon the English would be finished and that Mahfuz would be crowned as Nawab after the present Nawab, an English puppet, was ousted.
Thevar exploited this situation. He sent a message to Travancore Raja about this letter and argued that since the French will win in the end, what would Travancore gain if they allied with the English, whose man was Yusuf? Thevar offered that if Travancore Raja side with them, he would let Raja have those parts of Tirunelveil of his own choice.
The Travancore Raja told Yusuf Khan of this communication of Puli Thevar. The Raja of Travancore argued that since Thevar had offered him so much, he will side with Yusuf only if Yusuf ceded the land between Cape Comorin and Kalakadu that Nawab had denied to Travancore. He also threatened Yusuf that if he supported Thevar that would mean the end of Nawab’s ambitions in country south of Tirunelveli-which indeed was a real threat.
The Dutch seizure of artillery sent by English meant for Yusuf Khan, opened the prospect of war with Dutch in Tuticorin [Toothukudi]. Yusuf relented and ceded the territories demanded by the Raja and so Puli Thevar’s attempt to win this Raja ended in failure. If the Raja had allied with Thevar, the British conquest of South India might have been delayed by years and even decades.
Thus Yusuf Khan was saved because by that time, Maravas across southern Tamil Nadu had flocked to Thevar’s fort to fight for their hero. It was beyond the capacity of Yusuf Khan to overpower so great a host alone, but with help from Travancore assured, he was confident. Soon, Travancore troops and Yusuf Khan’s units jointly captured the fort of Isvara Thevar, a vassal of Puli Thevar. Isvara Thevar and his men retreated to Nelkettumseval, but this victory had exhausted his ammunition and he was delayed in his next move. As they waited, a force of 6000 Maravas launched a surprise raid on the Travacore camp and killed several troops. But by time Yusuf Khan marched with his men, Marava force had retreated.

Siege of Vasdevanellur, 1759–1760

In December, 1759, Yusuf besieged fort of Vasudevanellur with his allied troops after he received a large stock of ammunition. This fort belonged to Puli Thevar and was his second strongest fort, located on top of a mountain range and was covered by a vast forest on all sides.
Puli Thevar kept 1000 men in the fort and spread out the rest of his force in the forest that surrounded the fort. These troops raided enemy camps, sniped and ambushed scattered units of Yusuf’s armies and they also disrupted his effort to build a massive construction for artillery batteries-it took three weeks for Yusuf to complete the construction; relentless bombardment caused Yusuf to lose some of his heavy artillery and most of his ammunition. He had breached the wall of this mighty fort and he unwisely decided to engage his troops in a hand to hand combat with Thevar’s soldiers.
Puli Thevar was at this time not at Vasudevanellur-he was at his headquarters of Nelkattumseval. As both sides prepared for the final struggle for Vasudevanellur, Thevar collected 3000 of his ablest Maravas and led them in a night march from Nelkattumseval to Vasudevanellur. Once he approached Vasudevanellur’s neighbourhood, Thevar led his troops through the forest below the fort to avoid detection by enemy and sprang into a surprise attack on Yusuf Khan’s camp.
Thevar’s troops devastated the enemy camp and Yusuf Khan threw a large force into the fray to tilt the balance. The Maravas, intoxicated by their success, fought with great ardour. In the meantime, those Maravas who had concealed themselves in forests and ambushed Yusuf Khan’s troops for the last 3–4 weeks came out of the woods and began to attack Yusuf Khan’s battery positions and the enemy infantry that was trying to move into the fort through the breach.
The Maravas were repeatedly beaten back by Yusuf’s men, but each time they returned to the attacks. These Maravas worked together with the garrison to check the enemy advance into the fort and they were successful. The Maravas then returned to the woods below the fort and lay in wait for a renewed enemy attack in night. But Yusuf Khan was nearly exhausted of his ammunition and he foresaw the catastrophe if he stood before the fort without ammunition.
The following day, Yusuf Khan and Travancore troops retreated and they split into two-Travancore troops went home while Yusuf and his men went to Tirunelveli. Yusuf Khan no longer had the ability to launch an offensive into Puli Thevar’s country so he stayed at Tirunelveli and posted his men at key points to limit Puli Thevar’s raids. For the time being his grand plan to crush this turbulent Polygar was shelved.
Puli Thevar was in a dilemma as to what to do next because Mahfuz Khan had left him for his brother Nawab of Arcot, Muhammad Ali. Thevar hoped that Mahfuz will return to him if Nawab rejected his terms. There were also thoughts about a peace agreement with Yusuf Khan.
Thevar did not leave Yusuf Khan in peace. His Maravas ravaged Tirunelveli country so much that Yusuf Khan himself realised that he could not crush them by force so he bribed many of them to join his side. Yusuf soon found himself at war with Mysore and Dutch, which bought Thevar time. Yusuf Khan crushed a force of 3000 men sent by Kattabomman.
Thevar was in a depressed mood. He learnt that the French were besieged in Pondicherry by the English and that Mahfuz Khan had gone over to Nawab, but his Maravas ravaged lands held by Yusuf Khan so much that he soon deployed the bulk of his force in front of Nelkettumseval in order to force the Maravas to abandon his lands.
He bought several pieces of heavy artillery but had no ammunition and sent a message to the British camp in Trichinopoly to sent him ammunition. As he awaited, Puli Thevar launched a lightning raid on Yusuf’s camp and after killing and wounding several of Yusuf’s men retreated.

The End

Soon Yusuf Khan received huge reinforcements and massive quantities of ammunition. He decided to conquer Thevar's country inch by inch. Thevar and his men put up most valiant resistance but their strongholds fell one by one and finally Nelkettumseval also fell. Thevar and men retreated from fort to fort and once they lost forts they fled in jungle where they continued fight until 1761.
What happened after this point of time is not clear - There are multiple versions of what followed.
One version is that he was forced to go into exile in Ramanad where he died.
Another version is that Thevar soon was caught by a party of Yusuf Khan's troops and he was sentenced to death. He was made to march to a hill named Kalugamala [Vulture's Mountain] to be hanged. It is reported that he escaped on route. But it is also said that he requested his captors to pray in a Parvati shrine before his execution and he sang praises in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and suddenly on sound of chains fall, guards rushed into the sanctum sanctorum only to find his chains - He had vanished.

Character of Puli Thevar

Puli Thevar stands out unique among his contemporaries - not only did he saw the threat of foreign domination but he also clearly understood that disunity was what favored foreign interference in the country. His efforts all his life was to unite his fellow lords for sake of country and fight the foreigner instead of wasting time and energy fighting themselves and serving foreigner.
His skill as a diplomat is amazing in that he could unite the turbulent Polygars for a common cause. That even far bigger and stronger Polygars willingly followed him to field is evidence of his persuasive power. It is reported that he was a passionate speaker - His appeals in Polygar councils always were effective.
A shrewd man, he unlike many of Indian princes had an accurate insight into politics of his day. He understood well that essence of diplomacy with foreign powers is attainment of self-interest and had no other purpose. He understood that treaties and promises have no value unless they serve interest of one's country -hence he had no interest to break promises and violate treaties. Hence in British writings he is reviled for his duplicity.
That he defied might of British and Nawab for 6 years point to his talent as a general. It was only after British and Nawab fielded the best of their troops and general that they could crush Puli Thevar's resistance - But even that would not have happened had it not been for support to British by renegade Polygars.
More than being a man of insight, ability, courage & eloquence, he was fired by a great vision - restoration of the once mighty kingdom of Madurai - but most important was his complete lack of power hunger. He was contend with what he had and wanted no more for himself - instead he loved to put a descendant of the old royal line of Madurai on the throne of re-established kingdom of Madurai. It was his selfless struggle for noble purpose that gained him so much followers even outside his possessions

Friday, December 16, 2011

வீரபாண்டிய கட்டபொம்மன் - Veerapandiya Kattabomman

Veerapandiya Kattabomman (Tamil: வீரபாண்டிய கட்டபொம்மன்; Telugu: వీరపాండ్య కట్టబోమ్ములు) also known as Kattabomman was an 18th century Palayakarrar ('Polygar') chieftain from Panchalankurichi of Tamil Nadu, India. His ancestors migrated to Tamil Nadu from areas in present day Andhra Pradesh during the Vijayanagar period. Also known as Kattabomma Naicker he was among the earliest to oppose British rule in these regions. He waged a war with the British six decades before the Indian War of Independence occurred in the Northern parts of India. He was captured and hanged in 1799 CE. His fort was destroyed and his wealth was looted by the British army. Today his native village Panchalankurichi in present day Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, India is a historically important site.



Early life

Veerapandiya Kattabomman was born to Jagaveera Kattabomman and Arumugattammal on January 4, 1760. He had two younger brothers Dalavai Kumarasami and Duraisingam. Veerapandiyan was fondly called ‘Karuthaiah’ (the black prince) and Dalavai Kumarasami was nicknamed ‘Sevathaiah’ (the white prince) and since Duraisingam was a good orator he was nicknamed ‘Oomaithurai’ meaning the dumb (speech impaired) Prince.

Ancestors

Azhagiya Veerapandiapuram (Ottapidaram of today) was ruled by Jagaveera Pandiyan. He had a minister Bommu, also a brave warrior, who had migrated from Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu during the Vijaynagar times. He was known as Gettibommulu in Telugu after the god Sastha Ayyapan Swamy to describe his strength and fighting qualities which over a period of time, became Kattabomman in Tamil. Kattabomman ascended the throne after Jagaveera Pandiyan, who had no issue, as Adi Kattabomman, the first of the clan of Kattabomman.

Panchalankurichi

Legend has it that during a hunting trip into the forests of Salikulam (close to Azhagiya Veerapandiapuram) one of the Kattabommans was amazed to see a hare chasing seven hounds. Believing that the land possessed the power to instil courage in his people, he built his fort there and named it Panchalankurichi.
On February 2, 1790, Veerapandiyan, 30, became the king of Panchalankurichi as Veera Pandia Kattabomman, supposedly the 47th ruler of the region and the 5th ruler from the Kattabomman clan and a Palya-karrar (or Polygar), of the Madurai Nayak kingdom.

Role of Palayakkarars

Following its collapse in the mid-16th century, the Tamil governors of the Vijayanagara Empire broke away from the empire and established independent kingdoms. The old Pandiya country came to be governed by Naicker rulers in Madurai, who in turn divided their territories into 72 Palayams. These 72 Palayams were franchised to Palayakarrars (Tamil word) or Polygars or Poligars (anglicised), who had to administer their territories, collect taxes, run the local judiciary, and maintain a battalion of troops on behalf of the Naicker rulers of Madurai. Their function was a mixture of military governance and civil administration.

Origins of the Dispute

The Nayak rule in Madurai which controlled the entire West Tamil Nadu after two centuries came to an abrupt end in 1736, when Chanda Sahib of Arcot seized the Madurai throne from the last queen of Madurai in an act of treason. Chanda Sahib was later killed after the Carnatic Wars and the territory came under the Nawab of Arcot. The Palayakaarars of the old Madurai country refused to recognize the new Muslim rulers driving the Nawab of Arcot to bankruptcy, indulging in lavishes like building palaces even before establishing and sustaining his authority within the region.
Finally the Nawab resorted to borrowing huge sums from the British East India Company, erupting as a scandal in the British Parliament. Eventually he gave the British the right to collect taxes and levies from the southern region in lieu of the money he had borrowed. Many of the Polygars submitted to the demands of the East India Company, with the exception of Kattabomman and a few others who formed an alliance with the Maruthu Brothers of Sivagangai.
Tamil governors of the Vijayanagara Empire broke away from the empire and established independent kingdoms

Major Events

Kattabomman refused to pay his dues and for a long time refused to meet Jackson Durai, the Collector of the East India Company. Finally, he met Jackson at Ramalinga Vilasam, the palace of Sethupathi of Ramanathapuram. The meeting turned violent and ended in a skirmish in which the Deputy Commandant of the Company’s forces, Clarke was slain. Kattabomman and his men fought their way to freedom and safety, but Thanapathi Pillai, Kattabomman’s secretary was taken prisoner.
The Commission of Enquiry that went into the incident fixed the blame on Jackson and relieved him of his post, thinking the Company’s plan to take over the entire country gradually could be marred by Jackson’s fight with Veerapandiya Kattabomman.
The new Collector of Tirunelveli wrote to Kattabomman calling him for a meeting on 16 March 1799. Kattabomman wrote back citing the extreme drought conditions for the delay in the payment of dues and also demanded that all that was robbed off him at Ramanathapuram be restored to him. The Collector wanted the ruling house of Sethupathis to prevent Kattabomman from aligning himself with the enemies of the Company and decided to attack Kattabomman.
The British also instigated his long time feuding neighbor Ettayapuram Poligar to make provocative wars over Kattabomman on their long pending territorial disputes.

War against English

Kattabomman refused to meet the Collector and a fight broke out. Under Major Bannerman, the army stood at all the four entrances of Panchalankurichi’s fort. At the southern end, Lieutenant Collins was on the attack. When the fort’s southern doors opened, Kattabomman and his forces audaciously attacked the corps stationed at the back of his fort, and slew their commander Lt. Collins.
The British after suffering heavy losses, decided to wait for reinforcements and heavy artillery from Palayamkottai. Sensing that his fort could not survive a barrage from heavy cannons, Kattabomman left the fort that night.
A price was set on Kattabomman’s head. Thanapathi Pillai and 16 others were taken prisoners. Thanapathi Pillai was executed and his head perched on a bamboo pole was displayed at Panchalankurichi to demoralise the fighters. Soundra Pandian Nayak, another rebel leader, was brutally done to death by having his head dashed against a village wall.

Kattabomman refused to pay his dues and for a long time refused to meet Jackson Durai, the Collector of the East India Company.

Capture and Sentence

Veerapandiya Kattabomman hid in so many places including Thirumayam, Virachilai and finally stayed at Kolarpatti at Rajagopala Naicker’s house where the forces surrounded the house. Kattabomman and his aides fled from there and took refuge in the Thirukalambur forests close to Pudukkottai. Bannerman ordered the Raja of Pudukkottai to arrest Kattabomman. Accordingly, Kattabomman was captured and on October 16, 1799 the case was taken up (nearly three weeks after his arrest near Pudukkottai).
After a summary trial, Kattabomman was hanged unceremoniously on a Tamarind tree in Kayathar (near Thirunelveli).
Veeran Sundaralingam was a general of the Poligar Veerapandiya Kattabomman in his fight against the British East India Company.According to a majority of the accepted historical accounts, he was killed in 1799, while fighting for Kattabomman during the First Polygar War. Another view is that he was killed in the Second Polygar War (1800-1) while assisting Kattabomman's younger brother Oomaithurai.
Some of the other noteworthy persons who were hanged along with Kattabomman were Veeraghechayan Naicker, Dali Ethalappa Naicker and Palayakarrars of Kaadalkudi, Nagalapuram Puthur, Vripachy, Sivagangai, to death by hanging on charges of treason.
Unknown Facts : Some say that Katabomman committed suicide since he did not want to get killed by the British.

Aftermath

The Fort of Panchalankurichi was razed to the ground and all of Kattabomman’s wealth was looted by the English soldiers. Few years later, after the second Polygar war, the site of the captured fort was ploughed up and sowed with castor oil and salt on the orders of the colonial government so that it should never again be inhabited.

Legend and folklore

In subsequent years, a good deal of legend and folklore developed around Kattabomman and the Marudu Brothers. Kayatharu, where Kattabomman was executed has remained a place of political pilgrimage.
In his Tinnevelly Gazetteer of 1917, H. R. Pate notes the presence, in Kayatharu, of "a great pile of stones of all sizes, which represents the accumulated offerings by wayfarers of the past hundred years. Folk songs recalling the heroism of the Poligar leaders remain alive in Tamil Nadu to this day..."
The popular Tamil slang for a traitor or committing treason is Ettapa or Ettapan, courtesy the Ettayapuram Polygar whom the British later conferred the title of Raja. But it is disputed whether Ettapan ever committed a treason at all because Kattabomman was arrested by the King of Pudukottai. The Campa Cola ground in Chennai belongs/belonged to Ettappan family. Lately, there is an outcry over unfair portrayal of Ettappan in the film Kattabomman in which actor Sivaji Ganesan gave a great performance. It seems that Ma.Po.Si(Ma.Po.Sivanyanam) who wrote the dialogues for the film had some misunderstanding with the Ettappan family.

Honor and Monuments


Kattabomman memorial at Kayathar

Postage stamp released in bicentennial honour of Kattabomman's hanging
Kattabomman's story is celebrated in many legends and epic poetry in Tamil. Kattabomman is today recognised by the government as one of the earliest independence fighters opposing the British.
  • In 1974, the Government of Tamil Nadu constructed a new Memorial fort. The Memorial Hall has beautiful paintings on the walls depicting the heroic deeds of the saga which gives a good idea about the history of the period. A cemetery of British soldiers are also seen near the fort.
  • The remnants of the old fort are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.
  • At Kayathar, near Tirunelveli on the present day NH7, the place where he was hanged, there is another memorial for Kattabomman.[2]
  • To commemorate the bicentenary on 16 October 1799 of Kattabomman’s hanging, the Government of India brought out a postal stamp in his honour.[3]
  • India's premier communication nerve centre of the Indian Navy, at Vijayanarayanam, about 40 km from here, is named as INS Kattabomman.[4]
  • Till 1997, the state transport buses of Tirunelveli District was named Kattabomman Transport Corporation.
  • Veerapandia Kattabomman Panpattu Kazhagam (Veerapandia Kattabomman Cultural association) is an organisation named in his honour.
  • The district administration celebrates `Veerapandia Kattabomman festival' at Panchalankurichi on his anniversaries.[5]

Movie

Much of the modern currency of the legend comes from the 1959 motion picture starring Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan in lead role portraying the life of Veerapandiya Kattabomman. The Movie was directed by B.R. Panthulu and Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan got a wide international recognition and earned many international awards for his epic performance and this particular film is one of the most remembered in his 45 years of filmdom. The film received ubiquitously positive reviews and adjudged the best film at the Cairo International Film Festival and Sivaji received the prize for best actor from Col. Nasser, the then president of Egypt.

மருது பாண்டியர் - Marudhu Pandiyar

The Marudhu Pandiyar (Tamil: மருது பாண்டியர்) brothers (Periya Marudhu and Chinna Marudhu) ruled Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu towards the end of the 18th century. The Marudhu brothers were the first to issue a proclamation of independence from the colonial British rule from Trichy Thiruvarangam Temple, Tamil Nadu on 10 June 1801, more than 56 years before what is generally said to be the First War of Indian Independence which broke out mainly in Northern India in the year 1857.




Childhood

 

The Marudhu brothers were the sons of Udayar Servai alias Mookiah Palaniappan Servai and Anandayer alias Ponnathal.Marudhu Pandiyar, the Elder was born on 15.12.1748 in a small hamlet called Narikkudi near Aruppukkottai in then Ramnad principal state (now Virudhunagar district). In 1753 the younger Marudhu Pandiyar was born in Ramnad. Their father "Udayar Servai" served as the General in the Ramnad state military and he shifted his family to Virudhunagar from Narikkudi.

Early life

The Marudhu brothers were trained in native martial arts at Surankottai which traditionally served as a training centre for the Ramnad state army. The Valari boomerang is a peculiar weapon unique to India used originally by the indigenous people (ancient Tamils) of the South Asia. Two forms of this weapon are used in India. These are normally made of wood. They are known as Valari sticks in Sangam Tamil. It is said that Marudhu brothers were great experts in the art of throwing the Valari stick and using it as a weapon. It is said that Marudhu brothers successfully used Valari in their Poligar Wars against the British colonial forces. They contested in and won many competitions of martial arts and distinguished themselves as brave warrirors. The Raja of Ramnad Muthu Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathy issued the title of Pandiyas to honour the Marudhu Pandiyargal.

Bravery

The Raja of Sivagangai, a principal state near Ramnad, Muthu Vaduganadhar came to know of their brave and courageous deeds and requested the Ramnad king to assign them to serve the Sivaganga state army. They were appointed as Generals of the Sivaganga military and the brothers left an indelible impression in the military history of India.
In the year 1772, the English military of the British East India Company, under the command of Lt.Col. Bon Jour attacked the state at Kalayar Kovil. During the war, Raja Muthu Vaduganadhar lost his life in the battlefield. But the Marudhu brothers managed to escape along with Rani Velu Nachiar, wife of Raja Muthu Vadughanadhar and arrived at Dindigul which was ruled by Hyder Ali – the Sultan of Mysore as refugees. Hyder Ali supported them in all respects.
The Nawab of Arcot, the alliance partner of British East India Company, was not able to collect any taxes from the people of Sivaganga state for eight long years. He entered into an agreement whereby the rule of Sivaganga was restored to "Rani Velu Nachiar" after he collected his dues from her. The Marudhu brothers with 12,000 armed men surrounded Sivaganga and plundered the Arcot Nawab's territories. The Nawab on the 10th of March 1789 appealed to the Madras Council for aid. On 29 April 1789, the British forces attacked Kollangudi. It was defeated by a large body of Marudhu troops.

Marudhu Pandiyars Battles against the British

They were in close association with Veera Pandiya Kattabomman of Panchalankurichi. Kattabomman held frequent consultations with the Marudhus. After the execution of Kattabomman in 17 October 1799 at Kayattar, Chinna Marudhu gave asylum to Kattabomman's brother Oomaidurai. But the British took this reason to invade and attacked Sivaganga in 1801 with a powerful army. The Maruthu Pandiyars and their allies were quite successful and captured three districts from the British. The British considered it such a serious threat to their future in India that they rushed additional troops from Britain to put down the Maruthu Pandiyars' rebellion. These forces surrounded the Maruthu Pandiyars' army at Kalayar Koil, and the latter scattered. The Maruthu Brothers and their top commanders escaped. They regrouped and fought the British and their allies at Viruppatchi, Dindigul and Cholapuram. While they won the battle at Viruppatchi, they lost the other two battles.

Administration

Marudhu brothers were not only warriors and noted for bravery, but they were very great administrators. Rani Velu Nachiar made a will and paved the way for Marudhu Pandiyar Elder to rule. Marudhu Pandiar younger was made the Dewan of the state. During the period from 1783 to 1801, they worked for the welfare of their subjects and the Sivaganga Seemai was made fertile. They constructed many notable temples like Kalayar Kovil, Sivaganga many Ooranis and Tanks.

Death

The Marudhu Pandiyars and many of their family members were captured at Cholapuram and they were infamously hanged on the English month of October 24, 1801.

Mention of Courtcase in Trichy during British rule

The House of Lords of the British Parliament submitted a Report on the sessional papers on Slavery in the British Colonies in 1841, which narrates at length the existence of the slavery system in the Colonies. It deals with two judgments delivered by the Southern Court of Appeal at Trichinopoly ( India ) dated 17 March 1806. 1. Meenammal, widow of late Sivagnanam the daughter in law of Marudu servai. 2. Veerayee Aathal, widow of Marudu Servai 1) Meenammal preferred a complaint against the Zamindar of Sivaganga in the Zilla court at Ramnad regarding the recovery of jewels valued at 1542 Star Pagodas and again for the recovery of jewels valued at 1100 Star Pagodas as the property appeared to have been taken by the Zamindar during the operation of military law in Sivaganga district. She placed the jewels under the care of her servant, Alagu in September 1801. 2) Veerayee Athal filed a case against the Zamindar of Sivaganga in the zilla Court at Ramnad for the recovery of jewels valued at 4125 Star Pagodas and she secreted the above jewels in September 1801 and the above jewels were taken away the Zamindar. The Decision of the Zillah Court at Ramnad dated 1 November 1805 was in favour of both of the widows, ordering the Zamindar to restore the jewels to their owners. The Sivaganga Zamindar, Padamathur Gowri Vallabha Thevar preferred an appeal against the verdict of Lower Court with the Southern Provincial Court of Appeal at Trichinopoly. The Court of Appeal considered the following points in consultation with the Hindoo Pandits and pronounced the final verdict in favour of the Zamindar. “ The husband is the master of his wife, if the husband be a slave; although his wife be born of free parents, she is also a slave. Any riches acquired by slaves in consequence of the assumption of the master’s property, belong not to the slave but to the master- are of opinion, that the claim of Veerayee Aathal to the recovery of jewels valued at 4125 Star Pagodas from the Zamindar is inadmissible . ........ Marudu Servai the slave to the housae of Naalukottai and Veerayee Aathal, although free born becomes by her marriage with a slave, a slave also.” “ The wife of the slave is also the slave of the master. The husband and the wife are one and the same and by a verse from smriti chandrika in its chapter concerning the Slaves. The husband is the master to his wife if that husband be a slave ; although his wife be born of free parents, she is also a slave, and the answer to the second of these questions being “ any riches acquired by a slave, in consequence of the assumption of his master’s property, belong not to the slave, but to the master” – the Provincial Court are thence of opinion that Meenammal, being a slave, can have no right to the above jewels which she claims and valued at 350 Star Pagodas “ Exract taken from the Sessional Papers of the House of Lords 1841 which contains the Judgment delivered by the Southern Provincial Court of Appeal Trichinopoly dated 17 March 1806 on pages 463 and 464



 

 



Thursday, December 15, 2011

Hollywood Movie Style Fonts

Do you want Hollywood Movie Style Fonts kindly click the link Below.
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TAMILNADU RTO-REGISTRATION NUMBERS FOR VEHICLES OF DIFFERENT DISTRICTS

TN—Tamil Nadu

TN-01 Chennai Central (Ayanavaram)
TN-02 Chennai West (Anna Nagar)
TN-03 Chennai North East (Tondiarpet)
TN-04 Chennai East (Basin Bridge)
TN-05 Chennai North (Vyasarpadi)
TN-06 Chennai South East (Mandaveli)
TN-07 Chennai South (Thiruvanmiyur)
TN-09 Chennai West (K.K. Nagar)
TN-10 Chennai South West (Valasarawakkam)
TN-18 Red Hills, Chennai
TN-19 Chengalpattu
TN-20 Tiruvallur
TN-21 Kanchipuram
TN-22 Meenambakkam
TN-23 Vellore
TN-24 Krishnagiri
TN-25 Thiruvannamalai
TN-27 Salem(Old)
TN-28 Namakkal
TN-29 Dharmapuri
TN-30 Salem West
TN-31 Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Neyveli
TN-32 Villupuram, Ulundurpettai, Tindivanam, Kallakuruchi
TN-33 Erode
TN-34 Thiruchengode
TN-36 Gobichettipalayam, Sathy
TN-37 Coimbatore South (Peelamedu)
TN-38 Coimbatore North (Thudiyalur)
TN-39 Tirupur North
TN-40 Mettupalayam (Coimbatore rural), Annur (Coimbatore rural), Avinashi (Tirupur)
TN-41 Pollachi(Coimbatore rural)
TN-42 Tirupur South
TN-43 Uthagamandalam, The Nilgiris
TN-45 Tiruchirapalli
TN-46 Perambalur
TN-47 Karur
TN-48 Sri Rangam (Tiruchirapalli)
TN-48Z Thuraiyur
TN-49 Thanjavur
TN-50 Thiruvarur
TN-51 Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai
TN-52 Sankagiri
TN-54 Salem East
TN-55 Pudukottai, Aranthangi
TN-56 Perundurai (Erode)
TN-57 Dindigul, Palani
TN-58 Madurai South
TN-59 Madurai North
TN-60 Periyakulam, Theni, Cumbum, Bodinayakanur, Uthamapalayam
TN-61 Ariyalur
TN-63 Sivagangai
TN-64 Madurai Central
TN-65 Ramanathapuram
TN-66 Coimbatore Central
TN-67 Virudhunagar
TN-68 Kumbakonam
TN-69 Tuticorin, Tiruchendur, Srivaikundam, Ettaiyapuram, Vilathikulam, Kovilpatti
TN-70 Hosur
TN-72 Tirunelveli
TN-73 Arakkonam
TN-74 Nagercoil
TN-75 Marthandam (Nagercoil)
TN-76 Tenkasi
TN-77 Attur, Valapadi (Salem)
TN-78 Dharapuram, Udumalpet
TN-/N State Transport Undertakings
TN-/G State Government Vehicles

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Gradients for Fonts

In Photoshop we can use many styles and Gradients to type text in various styles as shown below
I give the link of varies gradients for fonts by which you can type text in various styles.
Enjoy and Dont forget to follow

Monday, December 5, 2011

Google Earth Pro

Hope You Guys all are familiar with the Google Earth the Extra-ordinary Application that allows to see the Topographic View of Earth with the help of the Satellite Imagery.
Here I give the link for the Pro version of the Google Earth.

GoldWave Audio Editor

GoldWave Audio Editor is an effective tool for editing your Audio Files Cutting, Maximising the Volume, Changing the Equalizer Effects and so on.


Sunday, December 4, 2011

Nitro PDF Professional

Nitro PDF Professional is an Efficient tool for editing and creating PDF Documents.



CheatBook

CheatBook Contains the Database for cheats for many games download, install and enjoy.
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Saturday, December 3, 2011

Best Download Managers

The Default Download manager of Windows Doesnot allows the resuming facility that others do.
Here I Gives you two best Download Managers for you guys.Enjoy and dont forget to Follow.

1.Internet Download Manager IDM
2.Download Accelerator Plus



Free Video Chatting



I think you are all aware of Skype.
The Famous Software allows the user to chat and also u can share u can see the screen of your friend and what he is doing.
Hence the Skype is used by many Project development centers and Teachers who wants to teach their students step by step how to perform some work remotely.
When you browse for the Skype software you always gets a small sized file which connects to its server and downloads and completes the full installation.Sometimes it sucks more time depending on the network problems.
Hence i Hereby Attach the Full Setup of the Skype by which u can simply install and use it.
Dont Forget to Follow if u like it...............