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

Mythological Origin of the name "Kodagu"

Kodagu has had three names : the first, Brahma kshetra; the second, Matsya desha; the third, Kroda desha. The origin of these names is described through the following accounts.

When Brahma performed his pilgrimage over the world, i. e. India, he came to Sahyadri (the Western Ghats) where he saw a strange sight. A nelli tree (phyllanihus emllica) stood before him, spreading out a hundred boughs. As he looked at the tree, he  saw the form of Vishnu, with conch (shankha), discus and club. The next moment, when he fixed his eye upon it, he saw nothing but a bare tree. Upon this, Brahma worshipped Vishnu many days, pouring upon the tree out of his holy vessel water from the Viraja, river (this river is not to be found in modern geography). On this account the country from which the holy river Kaveri springs, was named Brahma kshetra.

Of the second name two accounts are given. There is a mountain called Half-moon (arddha chandra) near which there is a holy spring. In it Vishnu took the form of a fish and worshipped Siva. Siva blessed the fish with immortality, and Vishnu gave the country the name of the Fish-country (Matsya-desha). The account of this region contains the root of Coorg tradition.

Siddhartha, the king of the renowned Matsya-desha had four sons. They were learned, heroic, strong in battle. The first of them longed to rule his father's kingdom. The second was addicted to pleasure, and served his elder brother. The third had a turn for philosophy. The fourth, the most talented of the four, gave himself to ascetic exercises, and visited all the tirthas, but he felt also a strong desire for dominion, and was fond of worldly pleasure. His name was Chandra Varmma. In due time he took leave of his father and set out to seek his fortune. He was accompanied by a goodly army. He visited in turn many of the holy places landing at last to Brahmadri (Brahmagiri). Here he dismissed his army and devoted himself to the worship of Parvati.

Pleased with the fervent worshipper, the goddess appeared to him, and permitted him to ask for a boon. Whereupon Chandra Varmma aksed her for a kingdom better than his father's, a wife of his own caste, and a fruitful mother of children. He also asked for victory over his enemies and entrance into Siva's heaven after death. Parvati agreed for everything apart from his wish of having children born by a wife of his own caste owning to sins he had committed in his last life. Then she added, that though he will have a Kshattriya wife, he shall also have a Sudra wife who will bear eleven sons. But they will not be Sudras. Being children of a Kshattriya father and a Sudra mother, they will be called Ugra (fierce men).

Parvati went on to say that in this holy country she will appear, in due time, a river rich in blessings, the daughter of Brahma, the daughter of Kavera muni, the wife of Agastya. From the sacred tank of the rishi, near the roots of the holy nelli tree, in the month of Tula, she will flow.

Chandra Varmma, by Parvati's blessing, celebrated his marriage with a bride of his own caste, according to the shastras. Both the king and the queen were crowned by the holy men, and Chandra Varmma, giving houses and lands to the Brahmans, invited people of other tribes also to settle in his kingdom. As this its first king was a son of the king of Matsya desha, the country was called Matsyadesha.

The third name of the country is Kroda desha. The following account is given of its origin. Chandra Varmma was the best of kings. His Kshattriya queen was barren, but his Sudra wife bore him eleven sons. The first-born of them was Devakanta. He and all his brothers were brought up according to the word of Parvati. Like Kshattriyas they received the name, the holy cord and the tonsure, with due ceremonies. When they arrived at maturity, Chandra Varmma was anxious to obtain for them wives worthy of such princes. He heard that the king of Vidarbha-desha (Berar) had a hundred daughters born of Sudra mothers. Ambassadors were sent to Vidarbha Raya, who cheerfully agreed to give his daughters in marriage to the valiant sons of Chandra Varmma. He himself accompanied them to the mountains of the Matsya country and to the palace of Chandra Varmma. When all the festivities were concluded, Vidarbha Raya returned to his own country, but a good number of his people stayed with his daughters in the country of their adoption. Chandra Varmma's family multiplied greatly. Vidarbha Raya's daughters became, by the blessing of Parvati, fruitful mothers.

When age came upon Chandra Varmma, he grew tired of the world and of his kingdom. Calling his sons together, he placed the crown on Devakanta's head, exhorted his sons to love and union, and retired with his two wives to the Himalaya, there to spend the rest of his days in the worship of Parvati and self-mortifying exercises. Before his departure, he told his sons and grandsons that Parvati would soon be born in their country as the holy river Kaveri.

Devakanta was now king. All the houses of Chandra Varmma's sons abounded in children. Each of them had more than a hundred sons. They were all mighty men of valour, strong of arm and foot. Their nails resembled the fangs of boars. Before long there was not room enough for them. The produce of their fields did not suffice to feed them. But they soon righted themselves. They went out to prepare new fields for themselves. With the nails of their strong hands and feet, they tore up the ground and levelled the slopes of the hills with the valleys in a circumference of five yojanas (60 miles). Then they settled themselves anew in the country, the face of which they had changed by the strength of their own arms.

Because this renovation of the country resembled the renowned deeds of the Varaha or Kroda (the boar incarnation of Vishnu), the country of Chandra Varmma's sons was thenceforth called Kroda-desha, and its inhabitants the Kroda people. This word Kroda is said to have been changed and corrupted by degrees into Kodagu, which is the present, and probably was the original, name of the country.

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