Following was the proclamation published by Chikka Vira Raja (Possibly a literal translation) -
Proclamation published for the information and guidance of the Hindus, Musalmans, Palegars, Public servants, Ryots, Chetty Merchants, and people of other castes in Hindustan.
1. It is well known that the Kaffers, Nasara (Christians), low Pheringhies, with the view of converting people of other religions to their dirty faith, have ill intentionally polluted the Devastanams, Muszeeds, and other temples at Bangalore, Cuddapah, Mussulibunder, Nagpoor, Eameetpet and several other countries, sent out their padres and ruined them. This circumstance being certainly too well impressed on the mind of every one, what more need be said?
2. Those who have from time to time strenuously attempted to convert, by force, people of other religions to their faith, have by the commands of God perished—but set this aside, an instance in proof of this may be given. Tippu Sultan attempted to force all the other religions to embrace his religion and with this view ruined a great number of people, destroyed the Hindu temples and committed various sorts of oppressions; which acts not being acceptable to God, he was destroyed. This fact is well known to all of you. Now the Kaffers, Nasara, low Pheringhies have in like manner commenced to destroy the religion observed by people of different castes, and to introduce their own religion. When evil comes, people lose their senses. "When death comes, medicine avails naught; thus then their end is fast approaching. There is no doubt of it. The Hindus and Musalmans having respectively consulted their Shasters have found, that if for the protection of their religions, these Kaffer, Nasara, Pheringhies be now fought with, God will help us and make us successful. There is no doubt of this, so let all be fully convinced of it.
3. These Kaffers, Nasara, low Pheringhies have now wickedly determined to wage war with the Halery Samsthanam, and have accordingly collected some black people of Hindustan whom they are going to send in front, that they may all be cut down and the race thus annihilated in some degree, thinking that by these means they will be able easily to convert the rest to their faith. It is therefore to protect people of all castes against such invasion, the Halery Samsthanam have determined to meet with arms these Kaffers, Pheringhies, Nasaras. Accordingly, if all of you will join the army of the Halery Samsthanam, you will not only be defended but you will also render the devastation of those Kaffers, Pheringhies quite easy; after this is done you will be protected and enabled to live happy and contented, following the religion of your respective castes unmolested. Do not think that another such opportunity will offer itself again.
4. To avert the evil which threatens you now, we have taken all this trouble and published this proclamation. Should any of you pay no attention to it, but keep yourself neutral, you will at last find yourselves under the yoke of the Pheringhies, lose your caste, and experience the greatest misery to the end of your lives, and after death you will not be admitted before God for having thus sinned against him. Do not doubt this. Therefore, if you people of all countries, join the Halery Samsthan and help it, you will meet with every kind of protection from it and be able to live happy. Accordingly it is expected that all of you will come forward and help the Halery Samsthanam.
5. P. S. It is further hereby commanded. Those Nasaras, Kaffers, Pheringhies will, in order to get possession of the Halery Samsthan, spare no pains to gain you over. They will even give ten where one would be enough. Let not this allure you and make you swerve from your real intention or lead you to entangle yourselves; for after they attain their object, they will oppress you and violate your religion. Be sure of this.
In reply, the Governor General, through his Political Agent, Col. Fraser issued the following proclamation —
The conduct of the Raja of Coorg has, for a long time past, been of such a nature as to render him unworthy of the friendship and protection of the British Government.
Unmindful of his duty as a ruler, and regardless of his obligations as a dependent ally of the East India Company, he has been guilty of the greatest oppression and cruelty towards the people subject to his government, and he has evinced the most wanton disrespect of the authority of, and the most hostile disposition towards the former, from whom he and his ancestors have invariably received every degree of kindness and protection.
It would be needless to enumerate the several instances of his misconduct but it is sufficient to state that, in consequence of asylum having been afforded in the British Territories to his own sister Devammaji and her husband Channa Basavappa, who to preserve their lives had fled from his oppression, the Raja has presumed to address letters replete with the most insulting expressions to the Governor of Fort St. George and the Governor General of India, that he has assumed an attitude of hostility and defiance towards the British Government, that he has received and encouraged the proclaimed enemies of that Government, and that he has unjustifiably placed under restraint an old and faithful servant of the Company, named Kulputty Karnikara Manoon, -who had been formally deputed by the British representative for the purpose of opening a friendly negotiation, thus committing a gross outrage, not only upon the authority by whom the above named individual was deputed, but upon the established rules of all civilized nations, by whom the persons of accredited agents are invariably held sacred.
The ancient alliance and the firm friendship which had so happily subsisted between the predecessors of the present Raja and the Honourable Company, have caused his errors to be treated uniformly with indulgence. The most earnest remonstrances have been in vain tried to bring him to a sense of his obligations, and it is not until further forbearance would be culpable, that His Excellency the Right Honourable the Governor General, at the suggestion and with the concurrence of the Right Honourable the Governor in Council of Fort St. George, has resolved on employing the only means left of vindicating the dignity of the Sovereign State and of securing to the inhabitants of Coorg the blessings of a just and equitable government.
It is accordingly hereby notified, that a British army is about to invade the Coorg territory, that Vira Rajendra Wodeyar is no longer to be considered as Raja of Coorg, that the persons and property of all those who conduct themselves peaceably or in aid of the operations of the British troops shall be respected, and that such a system of government shall be established as may seem best calculated to secure the happiness of the people.
It is also hereby made known to all British subjects who may have entered the service of Vira Rajendra Wodeyar, that they are required to place themselves under the protection of the British authorities, by whom they will be kindly received, aud their rights and privileges respected, and that such of them as may in any way render assistance to the enemy, will be considered as traitors and punished accordingly.
This proclamation will be carefully made known in Chitaldroog, Raidroog, Mysore, Bellary, Malabar, Canara, in order that the relatives of such persons as have taken service in Coorg from those places or adjoining districts, may adopt the earliest means of communicating its purport to the parties in whose safety they are interested.
Upon this Vira Raja, through the Devan, published the following counter proclamation -
The explanation of a proclamation issued for the knowledge of the bad English people, who are mean slaves and servants of the auspicious feet of the Halery Samsthan Maharaja.
In answer to a proclamation of bad Englishman, son of a w**re, who in a state of forgetting Mahadeva (God) and through pride had written on a paper whatever occurred to his mind, for the purpose of giving information to the inhabitants of Halery Samsthan, and fastened the same near the boundary, I the slave of my Master's Majesty, let you know as follows, that the proclamation (containing the evil subjects) which was fastened in the boundary by the wicked Englishman, the son of a slave, is not at all possible even to be seen with our eyes or heard with our ears, and in the very time of tying the said proclamations, which are replete with indecent subjects, the hearts of all of us who are the servants of the king's feet were inflamed as the fire through wind. The wicked Christian European, the son ofa slave, who resolved to prepare this, should be beheaded and his head thrown out, the hands, mouth and bead of the person who wrote this should be cut off, the generation of the low caste blasphemer and bad European should be burnt down. These hopes are to be soon effected. All the above subjects are certain. All the wicked Europeans, the sons of whores, have evil intentions. Very well, very well, we will fill up all your bellies according to your wishes. Be this known to you, written on Sunday, 6 th decreasing of the moon, month of Phalguna, of the year Vijaya, corresponding with 30th March 1834.
Source: Mysore and Coorg, Vol. III by Lewis Rice
Proclamations which brought down Halery Dynasty of Kodagu and eventual Down fall of Hathu Kutumba Hadinentu Gothrada Gowdas in Upper Coorg and Lower Coorg ( Amara Sullia and Puttur Maganes which were under Halery Dynasty) for they being on the wrong side of History i.e. their uprising (Rebellion) against British lead by Kalyanaswamy, Kedampadi Rama Gowda of Sullia, Hulikonda Nanjayya and Guddemane Appayya Gowda all of whom were hanged by British for treason against British Empire.
ReplyDeleteConsequently Gowdas both in Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu faced discrimination at the hands of British resulting in sever hardship and perticularly in Puttur Magane they became Tenants of their own lands and were at the mercy of middlemen, money lenders belonging other powerful communities who were on the right side of history.
In 1790, Dodda Vira Rajendra signed a treaty with the British, who promised to protect his kingdom against Tipu. In 1792, Coorg became independent of Mysore once again. Eventually, Dodda Vira Rajendra backed the British troops and Tipu fell on 4 May 1799. According to the 1799 Asiatic Annual Register, the Assud Illahee of Srirangapatana were converts and of two kinds: Ahmadis who were Carnatic Christians and the Mohammadies who were Kodavas.
ReplyDeleteDuring the Mysore War in 1791, one night the British attacked the Tipu's army. That day the Asadullai (converts) who were seized at Kodagu and other places escaped with their weapons to Kodagu. These Kodava Muslim converts remained Muslims as they could not be reconverted, even if they had so desired. Their descendants, many of them now inter-married with the Mappilas and Bearys, are known as Kodava Maaple and constitute a small minority in Kodagu. In spite of their change in faith, they maintained their original Kodava clan names and dress habits and speak Kodava language, although now they do follow some Mappila–Beary customs also.
Now the question is, who sided with the British at the first instance? Kodavas or Dodda/Chikka Vira Rajendra and his Jangamas?
The first war of Indian independence began in 1857. However down south in Kodagu state the war against British was first fought in the year 1783. The first war against British army was commanded by Codava nayaka Mathanda Appacha on behalf of his Haleri Raja, Appacha lead the troop of 500 Kodava warriors in bare foot and Voddikatti (Sword used by Kodava Warriors) to attack the mighty British army which was well equipped with cannons and cartridge. This war lasted for 35 days near today’s Harangi water reservoir, Kushalnagara. Appacha along with his army of 500 warriors managed to kill more than 1200 Brit army person which included 3 British officers and forced the British army to return back to Mysore, thus marking their first victory to protect the Kodava land from the British.
But unfortunately their Lingayat Raja ditched his state & Kodavas, escaped and surrendered to the British under mysterious circumstances shocking the kodavas. Later his successor Chikka Veera Rajendra who was dilly dallying with the Britishers was a torture, sex maniac whose cruelty on kodavas is well known. His daily milk supply was from the lactating kodava women. Finally Britishers sent him away from Kodagu around 1833.
Later in 1834 Aparampara a lingayat Jangama in the guise of a saint came to claim the throne claiming himself to be a descendant of Haleri Rajas. And few fools in Sullia thought their king has come back and in the name of Jangama fought to install Aparampara as the king of Kodagu through a revolt of not paying taxes. Few kodavas were smart enough to understand this conman and his con-revolt to install a fake king to further their agenda of atrocities on adivasi kodavas.
And now some claim kodavas sided with the British. Did they really? BR Ambedkar's father and grandfather worked in the English army, can we call them siding with the British? The atrocities on the adivasis (kodavas) of Kodagu is well documented. We dont need conman writers to twist history now to meet their political agendas with their concocted stories.
Didnt you have well to do Kodagu Gowdas too with 100's of acres of land during the British? Dont Kodagu Gowdas own Umbli land too Mr.Puttur Gowda? And only a few kodavas had the privilege of learning new things from the Britishers. And the rest were still struggling in the Nadd then and even today. The privilege kodavas used it well to improve the living conditions of their adivasi community who had faced atrocities under the majority communities until then.
Mr.Writer, from now on you can always remember the first person to fight the British were Kodavas in 1783 under Nayaka Mathanda Appacha. We didnt start this fire. You have started this with your conman book and history and calling adivasi kodavas as traitors. Now learn to live with it too Mr.History twister.