CMRS 9 - contd.

     CMR Story:       

           Part.1. - “The Soil.   - Chapter – 9.  -   ”The Madurai Siege.”

After break fast, Venki mama took leave of Nana’s mother.

He assured her again that he will find a suitable bride for Seenu.

‘Amma, I am also going with mama; I have places to visit but will be back before the lunch time’, said Nana, thinking of the incomplete story in his mind.

Mama’s house at the northern end was about 10 minutes of slow walking from his home.

In between were a variety of trees and several houses with plenty of open space around.

They walked leisurely in silence, looking at the landscape around the vast place.

At the centre of that large rectangular fenced plot was a common hall surrounded by flower pots and kitchen gardens. At some distance was a big well and washing area. Beyond that and nearer the fence were cow sheds and many thatched dwelling units. There were also store houses to stock the cattle feeds and paddy bags.

The entire place was at a higher level, gradually sloping down to river bed, miles away.

Why should there be so much of vacant space for so few houses mama?

It is because your father made it so. - He had a long range perspective.

I don’t get it, said Nana unable to grasp its significance.

You can’t: As long as you confine yourself to the present. - Is it not?

I still do not understand what you mean by that?

I mean your father had future expansions of your family and of others in his mind.

You need to build more houses for your children and grand children. Do you understand?

It is not just only in our colony but in every other part of the village under development.

Oh. - It is a good thinking.

 

Indeed so but nothing like town planning of Madurai’ known as koodal ma nagar. 

It is a city of squares with wide main streets named after the Tamil months that surround the Meenakshi temple as the centre point and with inter-connecting cross roads and lanes.

Mama shall we sit here? – Nana showed a place under a shady jack tree.

It is difficult to keep talking while walking.  - Is it not?

Well, you seem to be keen on our unfinished story, laughed venki mama.

Where did we leave the story last?

You said the Nayakar Dynasty was coming to an end.

True. That was when you were not even born.

But, I already briefed you on the Karnatic war.

You did indeed but not on the story of Madurai siege.

Ok then. Let me be brief to the extent possible.

If you want complete detail you can read ‘Madurai Thala varalaru’ at your leisure.

Was it among the several packages you brought when we shifted?

Oh yes, I did not want to leave it there.

In case, the invaders happen to read it, they may rewrite the history to hide facts.

Did you think that facts can be twisted and rewritten?

What is the doubt?  - Vested interests are in it always.

Any ruler wants his version to be a recorded history. -  Is it not?

After a long time gap, no one can make out what is real and what is not.

I got it mama. Please continue with your story.

It was a trying period when Ramu’s father was the dalavai with our king in exile.

It was in the year 1751 and you were two at that time.

Chanda Saheb’s man Alam Khan took procession of the Madurai fort.

He ruled as far as the Thiruvadi Rajyam. (Trivancore) and appointed his governors.

He gave Madurai to his brother-in-law Mayana and Tirunelveli to one Nabhi khan.

When Mayana sold the Madurai fort to Mysore sultan, there arrived one Kuku Saheb.

He ordered slaughtering of cows and felling of trees inside Madurai temple.

Treating Madurai as salable property infuriated the Sethupathis and Palayakars.

Added provocation was the scant respect shown to the Hindu Gods and temples.

They immediately marched their army and recaptured Madurai fort.

Did they come in person along with our King?

No need. - Sethupathi’s Commander was Vellaian Servaikarar Thandavaraya pillai.

He along with Udaya Thevar, the vassal pradani of Sivaganga zamin had come with their solders to help our Dalavai of Madurai, who was Ramappan’s father at that time.

What happened then?

After purification ceremonies, they opened the temples, restored worship and services.

Since the kingdom should not remain with out a ruler, they brought back the otherwise unwilling Vijayakumara Muthu Thirumalai and crowned him as king in December, 1752.

Is that all with the story of Madurai siege, asked Nana with a disapproving tone?

Mama laughed and said it was only the start.

It was the darkest period for Madurai. - Once a great empire, it had been reduced to the status of a profit-making property, leased out by the victor.

Vijayakumarar’s rule lasted only for 18 months.

He fully realized the vulnerability of his position.

He started preparing for his permanent hide out in case of another attack.

So, the name-sake Nayakar King decided to leave all his power with his Dalavai.

What does it mean? – Leaving the power, asked Nana.

It means a lot. – Vijayakumarar had already relinquished his rights during his hide out at Veellaikkuricci. - This time he parted with his royal seal also.

Other words, the King had given the general power of attorney and permitted his Dalavai to use the ‘Raja muththirai’ as he pleased, before he bid good bye and left.

The helpless Dalavai, acting on behalf of the king, unsure of what was right under the circumstances, had to decide on what was important to conceal from the enemy’s vision.

He took the precaution to explain his plans to his son Ramappan. -

He was to be his successor in the event of his untimely death. –

What he feared did happen.

When Mayana and Nabhi khan joined hands and marched their army that was backed by the armed men of the French company, the king had already disappeared.

There was a fierce battle and Madurai was captured again.

Many lost their lives and the Dalavai was also one.

So, Ramappan became the dalavai. - Ramu was very worried.  –

He wanted our opinion on his plans before implementation.

You have no idea of how difficult it is: the decision making in such critical times?

Yes, mama. - It is a risky venture doing things and being unsure of its consequences.

It is not the question of credit or discredit. The worrying aspect is unpredictable results.

Correct. Worst still, we couldn’t be sure if we were using or abusing the authority given.

Why you think so?

Let me explain.

In every previous occasion, the crisis was temporary and what ever was removed from the palace and the temples for safe keeping was temporary till normalcy was restored.

How it is different now? - Earlier also it was many years before order was restored.

Yes. Order will be restored but this time it would be not by our friends but by our foes. We knew in whose hands the administration and control of Madurai country will fall.

“Please explain”, asked Nana who had no idea what was the real crisis then

We anticipated the Europeans armed traders, whether French or English, to become too powerful to have their way and dictate the puppet rulers of north Indian princely states or the sultan of Mysore or the Nizam of Deccan or the Nawab of Arkad.

What we feared indeed happened ten years later, proving that our basic assumption on which we took decisions, turned out to be correct and sensible.

The events that followed vindicated our actions.

What were those events? – Was it anything to do with Madurai Siege?

It was of course. - It had every thing to do with the fate of Madurai.

First of all, every one had their eye on Madurai for different reasons.

For the Nizam or the Nawab or the Sultan, holding the Madurai fort was a sign of victory. It proved their military superiority and sway over Hindu domination in south India.

For the French company it was a commercial advantage over its rival in business.

The same was true for the British too but they were more ambitious. They wanted property rights as they successfully did in Bengal under Robert Clive who became Divan and getting the rights for revenue collection.

So, the repeated attempts for Madurai siege started.

The British officer Captain Caillaud who was in charge of Trichinapalli fort arrived with his army and joined Yusuf Khan who was camping near Thirupparankunram.

They made a vain attack to scale the walls of Madurai fort but were repulsed.

Finally, Captain Caillaud ordered retreat and summed up the event of May -1757, with a remark in his diary thus, “made a breach, attacked it and got a damnable drubbing.”

A wise alternative for the British was to pay Rs.1, 70,000/- to the so called kallar rebels who guarded the Madurai fort, which was promptly sanctioned by the Madras council.

This happened to be a timely action because Madurai would have otherwise gone into the hands of Haidar Ali of Mysore who invaded the Madurai country by end 1757 when he took over the forts of Dindigul and Sholavandan, but found the Madurai fort too strong and well guarded. – So he went back after plundering the Madurai country

Now, Madurai country was in the management of Yusuf Khan as revenue receiver.

In turn, he was to pay a rent of Rs.9 lakhs to the Nawab, through the East India Company.

Very soon, Yusuf Khan switched sides and declared that he had allied with the French and had hoisted French Flag and changed the colours on Madurai fort.

That was in the year 1763.  - It provoked the British to send Col Mason and Preston.

They made an unsuccessful failed attempt to recapture Madurai.- Col Mason’s report admitted that the ability and strength of Yusuf Khan had been grievously under-rated.

The siege of Madurai was recommenced by Major Campell in Feb 1764.

This time some prior underhand dealings might have been arranged in advance, because one Marchand, the French commander under Yusuf Khan, rebelled and treacherously handed over the brave Muslim General into the hands of the British.

They ordered the hanging of Yusuf Khan, on the night of 15^th.october 1764.

Thus, the protracted siege of Madurai ended.

For the British, their valour failed but their treacheries succeed as usual.

Nawab of Arcot slowly lost his control as the English men established themselves.

By 1781, the revenues of the district of Madurai were assigned to the British and a “Receiver of Assigned Revenue” was appointed.

The first Receiver sent to Madurai was Mr. George Proctor who was virtually the first Collector.  - He was succeeded by Mr. Eyles Irvin in 1783.

This is the story of Madurai siege that you were so eager to hear about. - Is it ok, Nana?

Oh my God. – Mama, you say so many things with out revealing any secrets.

Please tell first what those strange decisions were and what your dilemma was then.

That is a secret to which your father and I were bound by our oath on secrecy.

If at all any one can reveal that to you, it was our Dalavai Ramappan and not me.

 

Nana finally asked mama,

” Where is Dalavai now?” – Are you in touch with him?

To this impatient question, the uncle’s smug reply to his nephew was,

“I am not in touch with him; but he is, as and when he wants.”

Before Nana could talk further, they saw a villager running towards them. He said,

“Ayya, Unga veettu thinnaile.. suruli malai siddar sami vanthu kunthikkinu irukkango.”

Venki mama jumped to his feet and hurried up to his house with out a word to Nana.

Next issue, we will see the happenings of the next 10 years and move to CMR 1800.