Kodagu's History - Part 1

The Coorgs, according to the traditions, are of the Ugra race and descendants of a prince named Chandra Varmma. These statements point to the Kadamba kingdom in the north-west of Mysore as the seat when the first colonists of Coorg migrated. A reference to the history of the Kadambas will show that the name of Chandra Varmma was a familiar one among the first princes of that line, and also that their possessions embraced all the countries contiguous to Coorg. According to three stone inscriptions dating back to A.D. 857, south Coorg was ruled by the Cheras.

To the Chera and Chalukya dominions in Mysore, the Hoysala Ballala kings succeeded. Their dynasty first rose to power in the 1Oth century, and as the Karkala rulers are known to have been subject to them, as well as the Malabar country, there is little doubt that Coorg too came under their sway. When the Ballala dominion was overthrown by the Muhammadans under Kafur in 1310, the western provinces, and Coorg amongst them, seem to have escaped the ravages of the conquerors, for the Ballala king retired to Tondanur (Tonnur, near Seringapatam). But ten years later, when Mubarak Khilji made his expedition into the Deccan and put an end to the Yadava dynasty of Devagiri, he sent a force under his favourite, Khusru Khan, to conquer Malabar, which the latter effected in the course of a year and brought a great treasure to Delhi. In this conquest it is supposed that Coorg was included.

In 1336 was founded the city of Vijayanagar, whose princes, also said to have derived their origin from the Kadambas, were the paramount sovereigns in the south of India until 1565. It seems that under the Vijayanagar empire Coorg was subdivided into a number of small districts called Kombus, ruled by chiefs styled Nayaks, who, like the Palegars of Mysore, were doubtless tributary to the supreme power but exercised rights of sovereignty. According to tradition Coorg was divided into 12 Kombus and 35 nads. The Nayaks guarded their respective territories by the boundary and defensive ditches called kadangas but were engaged in constant feuds among themselves, until they finally succumbed to the wily encroachments of the Haleri Palegars.

(the below para is as-of 1878, hence feedback needed)
The number of principalities governed by separate Nayaks is not known, there may have been one to each Kombu. The kaimatta or ancestral monument of the Achu Nayaka of Anjigeri-nad in Kiggatnad taluk is still in good preservation. The family was exterminated about 60 years ago. Of the Beppu-nad chiefs, the name of Utta Nayaka of the Armeri house is still in popular remembrance. In Padinalknad the name of Karanembau, the chief of Bhagamandala, is mentioned with veneration. There may have been others, but the names of their houses are no longer known.

It appears that in between 16th to 18th century, an Ikkeri prince came to Coorg and settled in Haleri nad. At first he assumed the pious garb of a Jangam or Lingayat priest, and as such gained a considerable influence over the people of the surrounding nads. When feeling sure of his position, he imposed upon his followers, instead of the voluntary offering of dhuli batta (the dusty grain of the threshing floor), a regular tax of one and a half butty of rice, and nine annas eight pies in cash per house per annum. His next step was to require alternate parties of the people to guard his dwelling on the Haleri farm. These watchmen were called chaudigara, a name ever afterwards retained for the Coorg Raja's troops.

Having at length openly declared himself, and being acknowledged by his adherents as ruler of Haleri and of the surrounding nads, Karanembau, Nayak of Padinalknad, also submitted, and so did the others, under the condition that they should receive three-fourths of the revenue and pay one-fourth to the Haleri chief. But his increasing power soon threatened the safety of the Coorg Nayaks, who at last were put to death, and the whole country brought under the Haleri government.

The following is the succession of the line of Coorg Rajas thus established, so far as it has been traced :—

                                Period A. D.
Vira Raja
Appaji Raja
Muddu Raja                1633-1687
Dodda Virappa            1637-1736
Chikka Virappa           1736-1766
Muddu Raja, Muddaya  1766-1770
Devappa Raja             1770-1774
Linga Raja                 1775-1780
Dodda Vira Rajendra    1780-1809
Linga Raja                 1809-1820
Vira Raja                   1820-1834 deposed
(died 1862)

With the ascendancy in Coorg, of the Haleri princes, who spoke Kannada, this language became the written official medium, and counteracted the Malayalam influence.

contd.

Source: Mysore and Coorg, Vol. III by Lewis Rice