Chikka Vira Rajendra - The Proclamations

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

Chikka Vira Rajendra

With the death of Linga Raja, affairs in Coorg did not improve. The unfortunate people had only changed masters. As soon as the young Vira Raja, who was about 20 years old, had taken possession of his father's throne and treasure, he destroyed the people who had displeased or thwarted him during the life of his father. Many members of the family of the Coorg Rajas seem to have fallen at that time. One Channa Vira escaped with his family across the Mysore frontier. But to no purpose; his relative knew how to turn to account his connection with the British Government. Letters and messages were despatched to Mr. Cole, the Resident in Mysore, requesting him to order the seizure of a refractory farmer who had made his escape from Coorg after having committed a crime, and the delivery of the criminal to the servants of the Raja. Mr. Cole had the man apprehended near Periyapatna, and sent him back to Coorg with a letter to the Raja, requesting information as to the guilt of and the punishment awarded to the refugee. No answer was given to the Resident. Channa Vira was carried to Kantamurnad, where he was massacred with his whole family, twenty two souls on one day. After this inaugural bloodshed, the new Raja seems to have shown less cruelty than his father or uncle.

Though less cruel, Vira Raja, young as he was at his accession to the government of Coorg, became a monster of sensuality. He kept the youngest of his father's wives for his use and increased his establishment of concubines to about one hundred. A number of other women, of the best families, were summoned to Mercara after accouchements, and kept in a house near the palace during the period when they gave milk to their babes. Part of their milk was daily taken for the Raja, to be used as a medicinal ingredient of his food, which according to some superstitious notion became thereby more wholesome and nourishing.

To refuse compliance with the demands of the master of Coorg was certain death, not to the recusant party only, but probably to the whole family. The wretch was free to riot as he pleased. He actually demanded to have the choice of all unmarried girls in the country. When hearing of this outrageous resolution, the Coorgs at once—it is said in one night—married all their grown up daughters. The Raja was furious. Many of the unfortunate parents who thus saved the honour of their children were dreadfully flogged or had their ears cropped, or were thrown into prison.

On the 17th September 1832, Mr. Casamaijor, Mysore Resident, reported to the Chief Secretary to the Government of Fort St. George, that a Coorg of the name of Channa Basava and his wife Devammaji, sister to the Raja of Coorg, had taken refuge at the Residency. They had fled their country to save their honor and their lives, and implored the protection of the British Government. Devammaji had long been kept from her husband. After an engagement of eight years she had been permitted to join him. Of late the Raja had made incestuous proposals to her through an old woman-servant, and had threatened to kill her husband, if she refused compliance, on the following Sivaratri festival. In this extremity they had drugged the guard of honor who watched them, and set off from Appagalla, their residence, at nightfall. During the night they reached Beppunad, passed Amadnad in the morning, and were drawing near the Mysore frontier when they were stopped by the Coorg frontier guard. Being fired at, their party returned fire. Channa Basava placed his wife behind him on his horse, and made his escape into Mysore, followed by a few of his attendants. The rest fell into the hands of the Coorgs and were carried to Mercara. Also the child of Channa Basava, a boy of a year and a half, was seized and delivered to the Raja his uncle. This is the substance of the reports of the Resident.

These cruelties of Vira Raja accelerated his downfall. On the 18th January 1833, Sir F. Adam, Governor of Madras, addressed a long letter to the Raja of

Coorg, giving him a sound lecture on the principles of good government, warning him most earnestly, and positively demanding compliance in future with the order of Government communicated to the Raja in 1827, to report all capital punishments taking place in Coorg. But the personal conference of Mr. Casamaijor with the Raja in the beginning of 1833 proved fruitless. The accounts from Coorg continued as bad as ever.

The patience of the most peace-loving Governor General was thus exhausted, and a British force was organized to march into Coorg and depose the Raja. As it drew near his frontiers, the Raja published a proclamation which can be found here - http://thetaleofkodagu.blogspot.in/2012/07/chikka-vira-rajendra-proclamations.html

The invading force numbered six thousand men, and was placed under Brigadier Lindsay, in whom was vested the supreme command of the expedition, whilst Col. Fraser was to accompany him in the capacity of Political Agent of the Governor General for Coorg affairs. On the 5th April, 1834, Devan Apparanda Bopu, with a party of 400 Coorgs, went to meet Col. Fraser, surrendered to him, and offered to conduct the Company's troops to the capital. At 4 p. m. on the 6th April they entered the Fort of Mercara ; the Raja's flag, which was flying on one of the bastions, was lowered and the British colours hoisted in its stead under a salute of twenty-one guns.

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