War Heroes In Medieval South Asia

[KS]

Veerapandiya Kattabomman

Background :

Veerapandiya Kattabomman was born in an Nayakkar family to Aadi Kattabommu and Aarumugathammal on January 3, 1760 and became the 47th king of Panchalankurichi at an age of 30. Veerapandiya Kattabomman's father Aadi Kattabomman was a minister in the court of Jagaveera Pandiyan, a desendent in the Pandya line. Jagaveera pandiyan was issueless and declared Kattabomman as his successor.

History is that Aadi Kattabomman, before becoming a minister at Jagaveera Pandiyan's court, migrated from the present day Andhra Pradesh to Panchalankurichi. His actual name was Bommulu or Bommu. Bommu's physical strength and appearance earned him the name Getti Bommu (strong Bommu) which later, influenced by the local language Tamil, became Katta Bommu (Kattabomman).

Friction against the British:

The Nayak rule in Madurai which controlled the entire West Tamil Nadu after two centuries came to an abrupt end in 1736 when Chanda Sahib of Arcot seized the Madurai throne from the last queen of Madurai in an act of treason.
The Palaya-karrars of the old Madurai country refused to recognize the new Muslim rulers driving the Nawab of Arcot to bankruptcy, who also indulged in lavishes like building palaces before sustaining his authority in the region.
Finally the Nawab resorted to borrowing huge sums from the British East India Company,The Nawab of Arcot finally gave the British the right to collect taxes and levies from the southern region in lieu of the money he had borrowed. The East India Company took advantage of the situation and plundered all the wealth of the people in the name of tax collection.
Many of the Polygars submitted, with the exception of Katta-bomman and a few others who formed an alliance with the Maruthu Brothers of Sivagangai.

Major events :

Kattabomman refused to pay his dues and for a long time refused to meet Jackson Durai the Collector of the East India Company. Finally, he met Jackson at Ramalinga Vilasam, the palace of Sethupathi of Ramanathapuram. The meeting turned violent and ended in a skirmish in which the Deputy Commandant of the Company’s forces, Clarke was slain. Kattabomman and his men fought their way to freedom and safety, but Thanapathi Pillai, Kattabomman’s secretary was taken prisoner.

The new Collector of Tirunelveli wrote to Kattabomman calling him for a meeting on 16 March 1799. Kattabomman wrote back citing the extreme drought conditions for the delay in the payment of dues and also demanded that all that was robbed off him at Ramanathapuram be restored to him. The Collector wanted the ruling house of Sethupathis to prevent Kattabomman from aligning himself with the enemies of the Company and decided to attack Kattabomman.
The British also instigated his long time feuding neighbor Ettayapuram Poligar to make provocative wars over Kattabomman on their long pending territorial disputes.

The Final War:

Under Major Bannerman, the army stood at all the four entrances of Panchalankurichi’s fort. At the southern end, Lieutenant Collins was on the attack. When the fort’s southern doors opened, Kattabomman and his forces audaciously attacked the corps stationed at the back of his fort, and slew their commander Lt. Collins.
The British after suffering heavy losses, decided to wait for reinforcements and heavy artillery from Palayamkottai. Sensing that his fort could not survive a barrage from heavy cannons, Kattabomman left the fort that night.
A price was set on Kattabomman’s head. Thanapathi Pillai and 16 others were taken prisoners. Thanapathi Pillai was executed and his head perched on a bamboo pole was displayed at Panchalankurichi to demoralise the fighters. Soundra Pandian Nayak, another rebel leader, was brutally done to death by having his head dashed against a village wall.

Capture and subsequent execution:

Veerapandiya Kattabomman hid in so many places including Thirumayam, Virachilai and finally stayed at Kolarpatti at Rajagopala Naicker’s house where the forces surrounded the house. Kattabomman and his aides fled from there and took refuge in the Thirukalambur forests close to Pudukkottai. Bannerman ordered the Raja of Pudukkottai to arrest Kattabomman. Accordingly, Kattabomman was captured and on October 16, 1799 the case was taken up (nearly three weeks after his arrest near Pudukkottai).
After a summary trial, Kattabomman was hanged unceremoniously on a Tamarind tree in Kayathar (near Thirunelveli).

Honour and monuments:


Kattabomman became thus the pivot of the emerging feeling of Tamil nationhood. Kattabomman is today recognised by the government as one of the earliest independence fighters opposing the British and has been hailed as the inspiration behind the first battle of independence of 1857, which the British called the Sepoy Mutiny.

1. In 1974, the Government of Tamil Nadu constructed a new Memorial fort. The Memorial Hall has beautiful paintings on the walls depicting the heroic deeds of the saga which gives a good idea about the history of the period.
   
2. The remnants of the old fort are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.
   
3. To commemorate the bicentenary on 16 October 1999 of Kattabomman’s hanging, the Government of India brought out a postal stamp in his honour.
   
   
4. India's premier communication nerve centre of the Indian Navy, at Vijayanarayanam, about 40 km from here, is named as INS Kattabomman .
   
5. Till recently (1999) the state transport buses of Tirunelveli District was named Kattabomman Transport Corporation.
   
6. The district administration celebrates `Veerapandia Kattabomman festival' at Panchalankurichi on his anniversaries.

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**** the majority of this has been taken from Wiki as the intention was just to introduce to the friends from North abt this fearless man who sowed the initial seeds of the nationlistic fervour by opposing the British EIC and serving as an inspiration to the much later yet famous Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 .

 

[KS]

Maaveeran Dheeran Chinnamalai Gounder

Birth and early life:

Theerthagiri Gounder comes from the Royal House of Palayakottai Pattakarar family of Kangeyam. Dheeran was born into the "Payiran Kootam".
Theerthagiri Gounder who later became Maveeran Dheeran Chinnamalai was born in the English month of April, 1756.

Rathanaswamy(father) and his wife Periyathal (mother)had six children in all – five sons and one daughter. The first son was Kulandaiswamy, the second was Theerthagiri, the third was Thambi, fourth was Kirlother and the fifth was Kuttiswamy. Their only daughter was named Parvatham.
The three brothers Theerthagiri, Kilothar and Thambi devoted their attention to the administration and safety of the villages they ruled.
They learnt the native martial arts of Silambam, archery and others from a very young age. They formed Kongu youth organizations for the betterment and welfare of Kongu region and its people. They also trained the Kongu youth in their native martial arts. They protected their areas from kallars, thieves and other evil doers. They conducted Village Panchayats which were the popular and speedy form of judicial systems in those days to resolve disputes arising out of land and civic nature between individuals and families.

Joining forces with Tippu Sultan

Hyder Ali died on 12 July 1782 and his son Tippu Sultan became the Mysore King. After Tippu became Mysore King, hostilities broke out between British and Tippu Sultan, .Tippu Sultan wanted to raise a big army of soldiers to fight the British and invited the Kongus to join him to fight against the British . Chinnamalai, and his brothers Kilother, Thambi decided to join with Tippu Sultan keeping in mind the larger national interest. Chinnamalai was the commander-in-chief of the Kongu Regiment. About thousand young Kongus joined the Kongu Regiment. The war between Mysore King and the British are known as Mysore Wars. The fourth and crucial battle between Tippu took place in the year 1799. Chinnamalai's soldiers battled against the British at Malavalli front and caused severe damage to the British and their large number of allied forces. The Srirangapatnam war front was led by Tippu himself. In the battle that took place, Tippu was killed on 5 April 1799.

Against the British:

The Prelude:

After death of Tippu Sultan, Chinnamalai led all his soldiers through Kaveri River into Kongunadu. However, their loyal friend Velappan was captured by the British and remained in their custody. Velappan promised the British that he would act as their agent. Believing his words, they gave him a position in their army. However, Velappan remained loyal to Chinnamalai and sent notes concerning British activities and helped Chinnamalai in many ways.

The British were very much annoyed that Theeran Chinnamalai was still being an independent King and soverign monarch in Southern India when most of the petty Indian kings who ruled at that time have sided with the British but him able to run his kingdom independently without yielding and subjugating to the British East India company's demands. The British decided to eliminate him and take the land by force. Initially, they sent out a troop of soldiers under the leadership of Colonel Makiskan to arrest Chinnamalai. Velappan who was in serving the British informed Chinnamalai of the British plan through his informers. As Chinnamalai was forewarned, he met Makiskan and his soldiers on the banks of Noyyal River and defeated them in the battle thoroughly. Makiskan was beheaded in the battle and it is said that this head was paraded in the villages of Kongu

Battle to death:

Hearing what had happened to Makiskan, the British sent a cavalry unit under Captain Harris to capture Chinnamalai. Thinking that Chinnmalai might be in the Arachalur Amman temple, Captain Harris entered the temple in search of Chnnamalai. As he could nor find him, he was greatly disappointed and proceeded to Odanilai where Chinnamalai's palace is located.

A sentry at the top of the palace noticed the movement of the troop led by Harris and immediately informed Chinnamalai what he saw. Chinnamalai planned to attack them alone with a hand grenade first. He advised his soldiers to attack them after he had a chance to throw the grenade at them. Chinnamalai mounted a horse and sped towards Harris and his troop. As Harris was still wondering why a single person was approaching him, Chinnamalai swiftly threw his grenade at his horse's side. The horse became bewildered and started running away from the bomb and the smoke. Harris lost control of his horse and pandemonium ensued. Meanwhile Chnnamalai's troop joined him. Harris and his troop had to withdraw . Chinnamalai and his troop drove all the way to Kaveri River in the north. This battle took place in the year 1802.

Hearing what has happened to Harris, the British decided to send in a troop carrying Cannons. As soon as Velappan knew of the British plan, he sent a word through the informers about the impending British attack on Odanilai. Chinnamalai used to wear a new pair of shoes every day. The informer wrote the news in a chit and left it in his shoes. When Chinnamalai was about the wear the shoes, he found the note from Velappan. After reading the note, he left in there by mistake which cost him dear later.
Chinnamalai consulted with his brothers for a plan of action. They decided to leave Karuppan in Melapalayam in a hiding. Chinnamalai and two of his brothers and the cook Nallappan decided to hide in the Karumalai area that is adjacent to well known Palani Malai. Karumalai area was full of thick forests and provided cover for the brothers to cover from the British attack.The British came to Odanilai with their cannons and found that all had vacated the palace.

Meanwhile, Chinnamalai and his brothers stayed during the day time in the Karumalai area and returned in the night to a house at the foot of the hills for dinner and little nap. They ate the food prepared by the cook Nallappan. They always carried guns for in the event of ever present danger.

Betrayed by a traitor:

Cook Nallapan was an informer and traitor. He secretly informed a British agent about Chinnamalai and his brothers and their daily routine of eating food in the house at the foot of the hills. The British dug an underground trench leading to the house and waited for Chinnamalai and his brothers.
As usual when the brothers were entering the house he served them food. That day, he cunningly asked the brothers to leave their guns on the floor, as there was no danger when they were eating food. The brothers believed his words and left their guns on the floor.

When they were about to eat, Nallapan opened the secret door leading to the underground trench and allowed the British soldiers inside the kitchen. The British soldiers surrounded Chinnamalai and his brothers. With all the fury, Chinnamalai hit the traitor and killed him on the spot.

The British arrested Chinnamalai and his brothers and kept them in Sankagiri prison. A four person tribunal consisting of Genaman, Marvul, Horse and Backy Hart was formed. Their loyal servant Karuppan who was in hiding at Melapalayam also surrendered to the British. That tribunal asked Chinnamalai to accept the British rule over his Kingdom and pay taxes to the British. They also offered him amnesty if he tendered an apology. Chinnamalai refused the British offer and informed his decision to face the consequences.
Preparations were made to hang them by rope tied to a Tamarind tree located at the top of the Sankagiri fort. Chinnamalai, his two brothers and Karuppan were brought to the tree on the day of the hanging. They asked the surrounding soldiers to move away from them. Then each one tied the rope around his neck and jumped down. The British saw to that that Chinnamalai name did not become household name by banning books or any literature on Chinnamalai for a long period of time fearing their reputation among the people. Theeran Chinnamalai and his brothers was hanged on 31 July 1805.

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Proud that I can trace my lineage to one of the offshoots of his family back in my native Kangayam.

 

[ganimi kawa]

Why do most of the tales with british end with treachery and treason? As an indian it really saddens me!

 

[lemurian]

Thanks guys.. Reminds me of Amar Chitra Katha comics i read when i was a kid. Not terribly accurate stories but very entertaining, and with awesome illustrations.

 

[ambidex]

"Hemu-Napoleon of medieval India"

'' Unfortunately the Hindus do not pay much attention to historical orders of things'' - Al-Beruni.

Our History books do not pay due respect and honour to his (hemu) rank in annals of the nation and make only a cursory reference to him with reference to Akbar. He was the victor of 22 battles for his superiors earning for him the title of medieval Samundergupta and like the great Chandergupta Maurya, he attempted hard to liberate the country from the yoke of foreigners-the mugals and would have succeeded but for an arrow which struck his eye and went deep up to back of his head in the second battle of Panipat when fighting was in full fury. This did not deter him and as sir Jadu-Nadth Sarkar writes, ''The blood sprouting from the wound was seen by the Afghan near him but he pulled the arrow out bandaged the eye with a scarf and ordered the fight to go on''.

''His defeat was accidental and victory of the Mughals providential'' -R.S.Tripathi.

''But for an accident in a battle which turned victory into defeat, might have founded a Hindu ruling dynasty, instead of Mughals in Delhi'' - R.C Majumdar.

Hem Chandra Vikramaditya

Samrat Hem Chandra VikramadityaSamrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, Hemu Vikramaditya or simply Hemu (Hindi: सम्राट हेम चंद्र विक्रमादित्&#2351 (1501-1556) was a Hindu Emperor of India during the 1500s. This was one of the crucial periods in Indian history, when the Mughals and Afghans were desperately vying for power.

The son of a food seller, and himself a vendor of saltpetre at Rewari,[1] he rose to become Chief of Army and Prime Minister[2][3] under the command of Adil Shah Suri of the Suri Dynasty. He fought Afghan rebels[4][5] across North India from the Punjab to Bengal[6] and the Mughal forces of Akbar and Humayun in Agra and Delhi,[7] winning 22 battles continuously, without a single setback.[8][9][10][11]

He acceded to the throne of Delhi on October 7, 1556, assuming the title of "Vikramaditya".[12][13] His Rajyabhishek or coronation as Samrat was held at Purana Quila in Delhi.[12] Hemu re-established the Hindu Kingdom (albeit for a short duration) in North India, after over 350 years of foreign rule, on the pattern of a strong Hindu kingdom prevailing in South India for more than three centuries, known as 'Vijaynagar Empire' [13] Hemu struck coins bearing his title.[14]

Early life
Hemu was born at Machheri village of Alwar District in Rajasthan in the year 1501.[15] His father Rai Puran Das, a Brahmin,[16] was engaged in Purohiti,[15] the performing of Hindu religious ceremonies as a profession. However, due to persecution of Hindus, who performed religious ceremonies, by Mughals, Rai Puran Das could not make both ends meet as a Purohit, therefore he gave up Purohiti and moved to Qutabpur (now Hemu Nagar) in Rewari in Mewat, what is present day Haryana. Hemu's father started trading (breaking the caste barrier) in salt in Qutabpur, and Hemu was brought up and educated there.[17]

Apart from learning Sanskrit and Hindi, he was educated in Persian, Arabic and Arithmetic.[18] During his childhood, he was fond of exercise and Kushti (wrestling) and while crushing salt in an Imam Dasta (an iron pot and hammer), he would monitor his strength.[17] He trained in horse-riding at his friend Sehdev's village. His friend Sehdev was a Rajput[17] and he participated in all the battles which Hemu fought later,[17] except the Second Battle of Panipat. Hemu was brought up in a religious environment; his father was a member of Vallabh Sampradai of Vrindavan and visited various Teerth (religious sites)[18] as far as Sindh in present day Pakistan, where he converted the then Governor of Sind, Parmanand in to Vallabh Sampradai.

Family
Hem Chandra was born to saint Purandas, formerly Rai Puranmal and belonged to Dhusar Bhargava community [19], on Ashwin Shukla Vijaidashmi, 1558 V.S. or 1501 A.D.

Hemu's sister was married in to a clan of Rajpurohits, to Gun Chandra Bhargava. Gun Chandra had lived at Qutabpur, Rewari, in present day Haryana [20] and his children were: Ram Chandra (known as 'General Rammaiya' in Panipat war), Shyam Chandra, Krishna Chandra, Mohan Chandra, Hanu Chandra and Ravi Chandra - most of whom died in the Second Battle of Panipat in the year 1556 .

Gun Chandra was a descendant of Sri Chandra (grandson of Indra Chandra), who was Rajpurohit (Chief Priest) for Tomara King Kumarpala in 970 A.D. [21], His descendants continued to be the Rajpurhohits of the state of Indraprastha (Delhi) - Budh Chandra, Mahi Chandra, Arvind Chandra, Dheen Chandra all were Rajpurohits till the times of Prithviraj Chauhan, and the year 1192 A.D..

Rise to fame
At a very young age, Hemu, who was based at Rewari, an important trading centre in medieval times for traders from Iran and Iraq on way to Delhi, started supplying cereals to Sher Shah Suri's army. Slowly he started other supplies like saltpetre (for gunpowder) to Sher Shah's army.[15] Sher Shah had defeated Humayun in the year 1540 and had forced him to withdraw to Kabul. Hemu also laid the foundation of brass cannons casting and manufacturing industry in Rewari, which remains an important industrial brass, copper sheets and utensils manufacturing centre even today.[22] . Hemu obtained the technical-knowhow for Canon making and supplies of Saltpetre from the Portuguese, who were well entranched in Goa by 1510 and were also helping the Hindu Vijaynagar Empire against the Muslim invaders in South India, by supplying Guns, Gun powder and Arabian horses.

After Sher Shah Suri's death in 1545, his son Islam Shah became ruler of North India. Islam Shah recognised the calibre, and administrative skills of Hemu and therefore made him his personal adviser.[18] He consulted Hemu in matters relating not only to trade and commerce, but also pertaining to statesmanship, diplomacy and general politics.[23] Islam Shah initially appointed Hemu as Shahang-i-Bazar, a Persian word meaning 'Market superintendent' who managed the mercantile system throughout the empire.[24] This post gave Hemu an opportunity to interact with the king frequently in order to apprise him of the trade and commercial situation of the kingdom.[25] Abul Fazal says that Islam Shah held Hemu in great esteem[26]. In 1550, Hemu accompanied Islam Shah to the Punjab where he was deputed along with other high officers to receive Mirza Kamran in the fort of Rohtas. Islam Shah consulted Hemu on a variety of matters.[27] After serving as Sahang-i-Bazar,for some time, Hemu rose to become Chief of Intelligence or Daroga-i-Chowki (Superintendent of Post).[28] Islam Shah's health deteriorated in 1552 and he shifted his base from Delhi to Gwalior, which was considered a safe capital. To safeguard Punjab Hemu was sent there as incharge of administration or Governor. Hemu held this position till October 30, 1553, when Islam Shah died.

Islam Shah was succeeded by his 12 year old son Firoz Khan who was killed within 3 days by Adil Shah Suri. The new king Adil was an indolent, pleasure-seeker, drunkard and debauch[5] as well as faced revolts all around.[29] Adil Shah took Hemu as his Chief Advisor and entrusted all his work to him.[18] Hemu now became the prime minister and chief of the Afghan army. After some time, Adil Shah became insane and Hemu became the virtual king.

Many Afghan governors rebelled against the weak King Adil Shah and refused to pay the taxes; Hemu went to various states in North India to crush rebellions. Ibrahim Khan, Sultan Muhhamad Khan, Taj Karrani, Rukh Khan Nurani and several other Afghan rebel officers were defeated and killed one by one by Hemu.[15] At the battle of Chhapparghatta in December 1555, Hemu routed the Bengal forces under Muhammad Shah, who was killed in the battle.

At the time Afghans considered themselves to be natives (and were considered to be natives by the Hindus); on the other hand Akbar, writes Vincent Arthur Smith[31], was considered to be a foreigner. Writer K.K.Bhardwaj in his book "Hemu-Napoleon of medieval India" claimed that Hemu was a native ruler leading a native Afghan army to victory, battle after battle. [8] Thus, Hemu became popular among Hindus as well as Afghans. Another writer K.R.Qanungo writes that, it indicates that the rule which Hemu established, commanding Afghan army was secular and nationalistic.

Victories against Mughals
After the victory of the Mughal ruler Humayun over Adil Shah's brother Sikander Suri, Mughals regained Punjab, Delhi and Agra after a gap of 15 years on July 23, 1555. Hemu was in Bengal when Humayun died on January 26, 1556. Humayun's death gave Hemu an ideal opportunity to defeat the Mughals. He started a winning march from Bengal through present day Bihar, Eastern UP and Madhya Pradesh. The Mughal fauzdars evacuated their positions and fled in panic. In Agra, an important Mughal stronghold, the commander of Mughal forces Iskander Khan Uzbeg ran away from Agra hearing about Hemu's invasion without a fight. Etawah, Kalpi, Bayana, in the present day central and western UP, all came under Hemu's dominion.

In the words of K.K.Bhardwaj in Hemu the Napoleon of Medieval India, if Vincent A Smith describes Samudragupta as Indian Napoleon[32] we can certainly call Hemu "the Napoleon of Medieval India" as the victor of 22 battles before dying fighting at Panipat due to sheer bad luck. His triumphant march from Bihar to Dilli (Delhi) can be equated to the Italian campaign of Napoleon: "He came, he saw, he conquered".[33] Hemu never saw the defeat in a battle and romped from victory to victory throughout his life (he died in the only battle he lost). If Napoleon promised his soldiers a glorious future they fought bravely in his Italian campaign and instilled in them a new vigour and enthusiasm by an excellent address[34] leading to glorious victories, Hemu practiced[12] it by his lavish distribution of the spoils of war among his soldiers.

After winning Agra, Hemu moved towards final assault on Delhi. Tardi Beg Khan who was Governor of Delhi, representing Akbar, sent a despatch to Akbar and Bairam Khan that Hemu had captured Agra and was intending to attack the capital Delhi which could not be defended without adequate reinforcements.[8] Bairam Khan who visualised the gravity of the situation, sent his ablest lieutenant Pir Muhammad Sharwani with other brave commanders to Tardi Beg to hearten him advising to do his utmost for the time being. Tardi Beg Khan summoned all the Mughal commanders of the neighbourhood to the rescue of Delhi and a war council was held. It was decided to fight Hemu and plans were made accordingly.

Sir Jadunath Sarkar writes in detail about the "Battle for Delhi" at Tughlaqabad:

"The Mughal army was thus drawn up. Abdullah Uzbeg commanded the Van, Haider Muhammad the right wing, Iskander Beg the left and Tardi Beg himself the centre. The choice Turki Cavalry in the Van and left wing attacked and drove back the enemy forces before them and followed far in pursuit. In this assault the Victors captured 400 elephants and slew 3000 men of the Afghan army. Imagining victory already gained, many of Tardi Beg followers dispersed to plunder the enemy camp and he was left in the field thinly guarded. All this time Hemu had been holding 300 choice elephants and a force of select horsemen as a reserve in the centre. He promptly seized the opportunity and made a sudden charge upon Tardi Beg with this reserve."

The result was confusion and defeat for the Mughals. Hemu was helped by reinforcements from Alwar with a contingent commanded by Hazi Khan and desertions of various Mughal Commanders along with Pir Muhhammad Khan who fled away from the battle field to the utmost chagrin and surprise of Tardi Beg who followed suit.

Hemu won Delhi after a day's battle on October 6, 1556. Some 3000 soldiers died in this battle. However, Mughal forces lead by Tardi Beg Khan vacated Delhi after a day's fight and Hemu entered Delhi victorious under a royal canopy.

Hemu's Rajyabhishek (Coronation)
Sir Wolsey Haig[14] writes, "Hemu was so elated by the capture of Delhi as to believe that he had already reached the goal of his ambition."

Vincent A. Smith who puts Hemu as the third claimant to the sovereignty of Hindustan at the time, the other two being the Suris and Akbar, affirms that Hemu after his occupation[35] of Delhi came to the conclusion that he had a better claim to the throne for himself rather than on behalf of Adil Shah and ventured to assume the royal state under the style of Raja Vikramaditya or Vikramaditya, a title borne by several renowned Hindu Kings in ancient times. Hemu assumed the royal robes and declared himself the Emperor of India under the title of Vikramaditya.

His Afghan officers were reconciled to the ascendancy of an infidel by a liberal distribution of plunder,[8][29] and probably also by the fact that Hemu had proved to be a successful general.

Hemu had his formal Rajyabhishek or coronation following all Hindu religious ceremonies in Delhi and became the ruler under the title 'Raja Vikramaditya'. Hemu was crowned at Purana Qila, on 7 October 1556, in the presence of all Afghan Sardars and Hindu Senapatis (military commanders). The picture above shows a painting of the occasion of Hemu's coronation, where he is flanked by his Afghan and Hindu military commanders. K.K.Bhardwaj writes,[8] thousands of guests would have been invited, along with various Rajput chiefs and Afghan governors along with various scholars and Pandits and the festivities continued for three or four days. "Essential parts of a Hindu King's coronation are" writes, Sir Jadunath Sarkar,[36] "washing him (abbhishake) and holding the royal umbrella over his head (Chhatra-Dharam)" and Hemu must have followed these ancient traditions, accompanied by costly gifts and robes to priests. He made various[37] appointments on the occasion, appointing his brother Jujharu Rai as governor of Ajmer and his nephew Rammayya as a general in his army. He also appointed his various supporters as Chhaudhuris and Muqqudams based on their merit so that they continued to maintain their respective positions in the reign of Akbar.

Thus Hemu was the last Hindu Emperor (albeit for a short duration) in North India, after over three centuries of rule by various Islamic invaders and rulers.

Administration under Hemu

Hemu revitalised the administrative set-up which had lagged after the demise of Sher Shah Suri. With his thorough knowledge of trade and commerce, which he achieved as Shangha-i-Bazar, injected fresh blood into the arteries of the mercantile system throughout the length and breadth of the country. He spared none indulging in black-marketing, hoarding, overcharging and less-weighing.[29] After his victory over Agra and Delhi, he dismissed all the corrupt officers and replaced them.[38] He also introduced coins bearing his pictures.

Second Battle of Panipat
Main article: Battle of Panipat (1556)
On hearing about Hemu's continuous victories and fall of large terrories like Agra and Delhi from Akbar's control, the Mughal army at Kalanaur lost heart and many commanders refused to fight Hemu.[5] Most of the commanders advised Akbar to retreat to Kabul as he would be safer there. However, Bairam Khan, the guardian of Akbar and chief strategist for army matters, insisted on fighting Hemu in an effort to gain control of Delhi.

On November 5, 1556, the Mughal army met Hemu's army at the historic battle field of Panipat. Bairam Khan motivated his army by a religious speech and ordered them to move for battle; Akbar and Bairam Khan stayed back eight miles from the battle ground. However, Hemu led his large army himself, sitting atop an elephant. He was poised to achieve victory, when he was wounded in the eye by an arrow, and collapsed unconscious. This led to extreme confusion in the soldiers, as no commander was able to make coordinated decisions. Thus a sure victory was converted by a stroke of chance into defeat.

Unconscious, the almost dead Hemu was captured by Shah Qulin Khan and carried to the camp of Akbar and Bairam Khan to be executed. He was smitten first by Akbar himself, so that Akbar could earn the title of "Ghazi" (holy warrior). He was then beheaded by Bairam Khan.[39]. His head was sent to Kabul, where it was hanged outside Delhi Darwaza, while his body was placed in a gibbet outside Purana Quila in Delhi.

After Hemu's death, a massacre was ordered by Bairam Khan of the followers of Hemu. Thousands of persons were killed to create terror among Hindus and minarets were built of the skulls of the dead. At least one painting of such minaretts is displayed in "Panipat Wars Museum" at Panipat in Haryana. Such minarets were still in existence about 60 years later as described by Petre Mundy, a British traveler who visited India during the time of Jahangir.[40]

For on none of those former occasions was there a ruler of India, possessed of such courage, enterprise and plan (as Hemu) - Abdul Fazal

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

What nations does 'South Asia' cover? Because some definitions include Iran and Afghanistan as well.

The Iranian influence (from my limited knowledge of history) was not too great to the East, but the Afghan influence in the form of empires and warriors was considerable.

So if we include Afghanistan in South Asia, we should probably include Ghauri and Ghaznavi as well.

And any information on Sri Lanka?

 

[Kambojaric]

General Shahbaz Khan Kamboh

(1529 – 11 November 1599) was one of the most capable and trustworthy Generals of Mughal Emperor Akbar . He participated in some of the most difficult expeditions of Akbar and annexed numerous territories to the empire. He was too orthodox a Sunni Muslim for Akbar's taste, but not only was he tolerated but also was greatly valued.


Early life and family Background

Shahbaz Khan's real name was Shahrullah. He is believed to have born in 1529 AD. His sixth ancestor, Haji Ismail Kamboh was a disciple of the renowned saint Bahauddin Zakariya of Multan. His fore-fathers were all celebrated for piety, asceticism and religiosity. He belonged to the Kamboh lineage whose roots are traceable to the well-known ancient Indo-Iranian or better, Iranian tribe -- the Kambojas, whose name looms large in ancient Sanskrit and Pali texts as well as in king Asoka's edict records..

Shahbaz Khan Kamboh had entered Mughal service during Akbar's time. The Emperor was very much impressed by his sagacity and sharpness of intellect at the very first sight and soon elevated him to the rank of Mir Tozak (Quarter-Master General) and later to an Amir (minister). Shahbaz Khan was a very capable officer and a brave soldier, and had rendered meritorious service to the Mughal empire in various capacities . From a mansab of 100, he rapidly rose to that of 1000 horses, then to Char-hazari (4000) and soon to 5000 . As a Governor of Bengal, when operating in Brahmputra, Shahbaz Khan had commanded 9000 strong cavalry.

As a General

In 1572, General Lashkar Khan entered the royal court in a drunken state and challenged anybody to come and fight with him. His rowdy and blatant behavior annoyed His Majesty so much that he was ordered to be arrested, tied to the tail of a horse and dragged and finally thrown into the prison. He was replaced with Shahbaz Khan whom the emperor made his Mir Bakshi (Paymaster-General). The title of 'Shahbaz Khan' was also conferred on him.

As soon as Shahbaz Khan became Mir Bakshi, he introduced the Dagh-o-mahali or branding system which had considerably cut down the over-heads as well as the corruption prevalent in the military departments of the kingdom. The system had been earlier in vogue during Alauddin Khilji as well as Sher Shah Suri but was discontinued during Mughal rule and was replaced with fief system which came to be badly misused by the Amirs and the officers. Under this system, the country was divided into numerous fiefs which were distributed among the Amirs. Unfortunately, they had become greedy, corrupt and oppressive and often also rebellious. Major part of the revenue was misappropriated by the fief-holders for personal use. Shahbaz Khan changed the system and handled the branding system with such a skill and competency that not only it ended the rampant corruption but also improved discipline in the military and reduced needless financial burden on the imperial treasury. But the new system had earned Shahbaz Khan the hatred of the nobles like Mirza Aziz Koka who severely criticized the new system.

In 1581, when Emperor Akbar marched against Mirza Hakim to the Punjab, Shahbaz Khan Kamboh came to Fatehpur and for about ten months, he took in his hands the reins of state administration in the absence of the Emperor.

In 1589 AD, General Shabaz Khan led an expedition from Attock against the Eusafzai or Yousafzai Afghans and defeated and dispersed them.

Shahbaz Khan died of illness on 11 November 1599 at Ajmer at the age of over 70 years. He was then on a military expedition against the Rajputs of Rajasthan.

Shahbaz Khan was a very able and efficient officer and his military division was always found in excellent conditions. Historian Abu-L-Fazl Alami, the author of Aiana-i-Akbari, attests that Shahbaz Khan was a very competent and capable General but Abu-L-Fazal also accuses him for his bigoted Sunni views and arrogance. Many a times, he strongly opposed the emperor, but Akbar had a great regard for Shahbaz Khan and took it lightly. But once, the defiant Shabaz Khan had to be imprisoned and was released only after three years.

The 9000 strong cavalry of General Shahbaz Khan is said to have comprised mostly the Kamboj (Kamboh) horsemen and it included both the Muslim as well as the Hindu Kamboj soldiers. He used to pay an annual salary of one lakh rupees each to ten of his officers and none (of his servants) had a subsistence-stipend less than five six thousand [26]. The total annual expenses on his division was over 30 lakh Indian Ruppees during those times. "He did not leave the Kambohs clan in the whole of India unemployed; he took all of them in his service" [27]. Abu-al-Fazl writes: "To Kambohs, he gave so much that no Kamboh in India was in bad circumstances" [28].

Shahbaz Khan was known for his generosity and liberality and the money he spent was so great that it made the people think that he had in his possession Philosopher's stone [29]. He left behind a huge Jagir and treasure exceeding ten millions rupees and other wealth [30] which was seized by Jahangir (Salim), son of Emperor Akbar after his death [31][32].

As a religious man

A leading courtier of Akbar, he was a strict follower of the law of Shari’ah and profusely recited blessings on the Prophet and distributed large sum of money in charities [34]. Every Friday, he would donate one hundred Asharfis (gold coins) in memory of Gavas Sikalayan (Abdul Kadu-i-Jilani).

Shahbaz Khan was deeply religious and pious man. He did not put on dress outside the sanction of simna (i.e. which had no sanction of the Prophet's action). He always carried a rosary in his hand, reciting all the while invocations of God's salutations on the chief of the world (prophet Muhammad) and between the evening and sunset prayers, he would sit down facing west (qibla) and offering nimaz. He did not follow other Khans as long as he was alive in shaving off his beard and drinking wine and did not have (the word) Murid on his signet. He remained steadfast in the religion of Islam and left his name in the world of generosity and religiosity [35].

Emperor Akbar tried his best to bring General Shahbaz Khan and another General Qutb-ud-din Muhammad Khan Koka into his new faith known as Din-i-Ilahi but the move was strongly criticized both by General Shabaz Khan Kamboh as well as Qutb-ud-din Khan.[36] This, according to Abu-L-Fazl had created obstacles in his promotion upwards. On the other hand, many incompetent and junior officers got promoted which they did never deserve.

General Shahbaz Khan Kamboh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kamboh Pride

 

[ambidex]

I think it should be by general definition not by the one Included by UN or called as South Asia sometimes.

Many references has been given about warriors those who conquered or ruled Sri Lanka.

 

[Joe Shearer]

@AgNoStIc MuSliM

What nations does 'South Asia' cover? Because some definitions include Iran and Afghanistan as well.

The Iranian influence (from my limited knowledge of history) was not too great to the East, but the Afghan influence in the form of empires and warriors was considerable.

So if we include Afghanistan in South Asia, we should probably include Ghauri and Ghaznavi as well.

And any information on Sri Lanka?

I took a little time to respond, in order to get the wording correct, and convey the right things.

At this moment, as the mapped reference a few posts after yours indicated, the typical extent of South Asia is more or less the membership of SAARC. Obviously, this is a political and diplomatic definition, and nobody can - or should - really object to Afghanistan being included. Or Burma, for that matter.

Iran is a tougher case.

It is wholly mistaken to say that Iranian influence was not too great in the East - permit me a liberty in making this blanket statement and running away, but at a later stage, all going well, I hope to return to this; you might find the exegesis interesting.

If somebody were to include Iran and forward an account of a military personality from there, I doubt strongly that there would be violent protests. [In fact, I have some very interesting profiles in mind, but as the Colonel said, that's another story].

One of the reasons why I would hesitate to include Afghanistan and Iran at the moment is because I do not know if we are really mature enough to handle what might ensue. You pointed out correctly that Ghazna and Ghor would then figure. This is a minefield. Mahmud of Ghazni and Muhammad of Ghor are figures loaded with nuance and meaning in the annals of the sub-continent. I can foresee very easily that a situation might arise very very rapidly where the thread degenerates rapidly into a Hindu-Muslim dogfight. Having said that, the possibility of this happening is no reason to fiddle with history. Afghanistan definitely ought to be considered South Asian. If so, stories from there should find a place.

Obviously it will be up to the contributors, to a lesser extent, to the readers, to keep objective, and to concentrate on the lessons that arise out of this narration. Our aim, after all, is the cultivation of military history; any digression, and a sidetracking of the aim will be far more dangerous than any other kind of conflict.

In my opinion, profiles should be written by authors selected by a panel of readers. This panel, to be drawn from Pakistan and Indian readers, should select Indians to do Mahmud and Mohammed, Pakistanis to do Rana Pratap, or Ajit Singh Rathore. I suspect we will see a lot of fun and games, and unexpected insights in that case.

Oh, and I have not seen much writing on Sri Lanka. If time permits, I would love to jump into that!

Regards,

 

[Bhairava]

Thanks for all members to spread awareness about our forgotten heroes.I too will follow the steps and contribute my two cents.

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Maruthu Pandiyar

Overview:

The Marudhu Pandiyar brothers (Periya Marudhu and Chinna Marudhu) ruled Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu towards the end of the 18th century. The Marudhu brothers were the first to issue a proclamation of independence from the colonial British rule from Trichy Thiruvarangam Temple, Tamil Nadu on 10 June 1801, more than 56 years before what is generally said to be the First War of Indian Independence which broke out mainly in Northern India in the year.
1857.

Childhood and early life:

The Marudhu brothers were the sons of Udayar Servai and Ponnathal. Marudhu Pandiyar, the Elder was born in 1748 in a small hamlet called Narikkudi near Aruppukkottai in then Ramnad principal state . In 1753 the younger Marudhu Pandiyar was born in Ramnad. Their father "Udayar Servai" served as the General in the Ramnad state military and he shifted his family to Virudhunagar from Narikkudi.


The Marudhu brothers were trained in native martial arts at Surankottai which traditionally served as a training centre for the Ramnad state army. They contested in and won many competitions of martial arts and distinguished themselves as brave warrirors. The Raja of Ramnad Muthu Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathy issued the title of Pandiyas to honour the Marudhu Pandiyargal.

Bravery:

The Raja of Sivagangai, Muthu Vaduganadhar came to know of their brave and courageous deeds and requested the Ramnad king to assign them to serve the Sivaganga state army. They were appointed as Generals of the Sivaganga military and the brothers left an indelible impression in the military history of India.

In the year 1772, the English military of the British East India Company, under the command of Lt.Col. Bon Jour attacked the state at Kalayar Kovil. During the war, Raja Muthu Vaduganadhar lost his life in the battlefield. But the Marudhu brothers managed to escape along with Rani Velu Nachiar, wife of Raja Muthu Vadughanadhar and arrived at Dindigul which was ruled by Hyder Ali – the Sultan of Mysore as refugees. Hyder Ali supported them in all respects.

The Nawab of Arcot, the alliance partner of British East India Company, was not able to collect any taxes from the people of Sivaganga state for eight long years. He entered into an agreement whereby the rule of Sivaganga was restored to "Rani Velu Nachiar" after he collected his dues from her. The Marudhu brothers with 12,000 armed men surrounded Sivaganga and plundered the Arcot Nawab's territories. The Nawab of Arcot on the 10th of March 1789 appealed to the Madras Council for aid. On 29 April 1789, the British forces attacked Kollangudi. It was defeated by a large body of Marudhu troops. It is said that the Marudhu brothers could kill a tiger without using any weapons

Battles against the British

They were in close association with Veera Pandiya Kattabomman of Panchalankurichi. Kattabomman held frequent consultations with the Marudhus. After the execution of Kattabomman in 17 October 1799 at Kayattar, Chinna Marudhu gave asylum to Kattabomman's brother Oomaidurai (mute brother). But the British took this reason to invade and attacked Sivaganga in 1801 with a powerful army. The Maruthu Pandiyars and their allies were quite successful and captured three districts from the British. The British considered it such a serious threat to their future in India that they rushed additional troops from Britain to put down the Maruthu Pandiyars' rebellion. These forces surrounded the Maruthu Pandiyars' army at Kalayar Koil, and the latter scattered. The Maruthu Brothers and their top commanders escaped. They regrouped and fought the British and their allies at Viruppatchi, Dindigul and Cholapuram. While they won the battle at Viruppatchi, they lost the other two battles.


Capture and death:

The Marudhu Pandiyars and many of their family members were captured at Cholapuram and they were infamously hanged on the English month of October 24, 1801.1873

 

[KSRaj]

It is our duty to learn about these great men and pass this heritage to the next generation. I request you to please post stories of such heroes from your part of the country for others to read and take inspiration from!

Well... let me go against your advice and post something about a woman instead!

About a queen...

Before telling you the actual story, as written by Neria Harish Hebbar, let me post you a view about this lady by an Italian tourist, Pietro Delavale.

“Alighting from the canoe, I was walking along the bazaar in search of a house where I could spend the night, whereupon I virtually stumbled upon the queen quite inadvertently, so to speak. I saw her coming in my direction from the opposite side. Barring a couple of soldiers, perhaps as escorts, there were no women accompanying her. The soldiers were marching in front of her. They had put on clothes sparingly as was customary here. A piece of cloth round the waist and another over the shoulder running across the body and knotted at the other end. They had sword and armour in their hands. A few were marching behind the queen as well. One of them was holding an umbrella, made of pinnate fronds of palm tree, over the queen.

She was dark complexioned. She was obese yet agile. Her steps were measured and quick. She must have been around forty. She had worn a dull white sari. She had no sandals on because Indian women of gentile birth usually remain bare footed, be it indoors or outdoors. And men follow suit. Only some wealthy people use footwear. Save for a piece of garment worn round the head and one hanging down her arms and breast, above the waist, the queen did not have any other embellishments on her person.

I wondered if this was the woman who was eulogised and made a cult figure all over Europe overnight for having made Portugal bite the dust by decimating its troops with a vengeance. Whatever her appearance, she was all dignity and aplomb in her bearing. Her words were soft and balmy. It looked as though she had a clear-cut vision and a well-defined purpose. And I feel the way she covered her face at times during interlocution represented the politeness and geniality of the Orientals. It would be wrong if I do not add that though a bit fat, she never looked ugly. She must have been beautiful in her youth. Her sober and nonchalant elegance has earned her the nick name `tough woman”.

 

[KSRaj]

The Intrepid Queen
Rani Abbakka Devi of Ullal

Little is written about the valiant Queen of Ullal in the history books. In her infallible bravery and indefatigability she is in par with legendary Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi and Rani Chennamma of Kittur, who fought the British in the 19th century. Like them she fought imperial foreigners gallantly and roused her forces to do the same. People of all faiths responded to her call, with the common goal of preserving motherland and defeating the invaders. Rani Abbakka Devi was the only woman in history to confront and fight the Portuguese, handing them defeat repeatedly, thus foiling their designs for supremacy of the Western Indian coast. When the Portuguese tried to exact the tax (known as ‘kappa’), the Queen, incensed and exasperated, refused to pay. Thus began her heroic battles for freedom and honor. Yet, she is rarely mentioned in history, and her accounts of her encounters with the Portuguese are mired in ambiguity.

Nestled in the strip of land between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is the small coastal town of Ullal. The confluence of River Netravati and River Gurupura pouring its water into the sea on its northern border makes the little settlement a unique port. It is about 8 km from the city of Mangalore, a major settlement even in the sixteenth century, the period of this story. Ullal and the nearby Someshwar (where the Somanatheshwara temple is located) played a major role in the sixteenth century India when the Portuguese were vying for control on the West coast of India.

The Tulu Nadu, as region is referred to, along the western coastline of the State of Karnataka, is a fertile land that gets plenty of rain from the Southwestern monsoons. The Western Ghats are thick with rain forests and the villages and towns along its shoreline are natural harbors and ports. Fishermen and traders sailed from their ports taking their wares across the Arabian Sea to the Arab peninsula, well before recorded history. Trade routes with the Arabs had been established as early as the seventh century and the Maplah (Muslims of Malabar) communities of Kerala and Biary (Muslims of Tulu nadu) communities of Tulu nadu were also thriving in maritime trade of pepper and ginger.

In the year 1498, Vasco da Gama from Portugal landed his vessel in the town of Kozhikode (Kerala), to the south of Tulu nadu. In the ensuing years, the Portuguese consolidated their power and Goa became their colony. The Portuguese were interested in all the harbors and ports along the western coastline of India so that they could monopolize the spice trade. In their competition for supremacy of the high seas with the British and the Dutch, the Portuguese had an upper hand. They had full control over the Arabian Sea and thus all the vessels attempting to come to the Indian shores had to navigate through the blockade of the Portuguese naval armada. The Portuguese intended to control all trade between Europe and the Western Indian coast. To this extent they were largely successful in the sixteenth century.

However, smaller settlements along the coast like the port of Ullal, ably led by their rulers, did not obey the Portuguese laws and refused to pay the taxes imposed by the imperialists. In this effort they were also joined by the Maplah communities of Malabar and the Zamorin of Kozhikode. The effrontery of the Queen of Ullal, Rani Abbakka Devi infuriated and frustrated the Portuguese government headquartered in Goa.

Rani Abbakka Devi’s Reign

Rani Abbakka Devi II had been crowned as the Queen of Ullal by her uncle Thirumala Raya. They belonged to the Jain royal dynasty of the Chautas,** ruling their tiny kingdom but the family deity was from the Hindu temple at Somanatheshwara. Chauta rulers were one of the many small feudatory states in Tulu nadu that paid their allegiance to the rulers of Vijayanagara. The Chauta dynasty followed the matrilineal system, and the ruler Thirumala Raya had carefully prepared his niece both in art of diplomacy and the martial arts, in anticipation of her taking the reign of the kingdom. By the time she came to rule, she was well versed in fencing and cavalry combats. She had been taught the strategies and the nuances of warfare.

The peaceful kingdom was caught in the wave of the Portuguese colonization and commercial exploitation through hegemony in the region. The Portuguese ploy was to bargain for trade links as the initial step. Once control of trade is accomplished, conquest of land followed suit.

The Rani was fiercely independent and was a symbol of the patriotic fervor of her subjects. She refused to bargain with the Portuguese and prevented them from having any foothold in the region. Rani Abbakka Devi became a major thorn in the side of the Portuguese imperialistic design. She, in turn rallied her people in stubbornly opposing any Portuguese advances. She deservedly earned the sobriquet Rani Abhaya – the fearless queen.

The Chauta king Thirumala Raya astutely arranged an alliance of marriage between Abbakka Devi and Lakshmappa Banga-raja of the powerful Banga dynasty of Mangalore. This strengthening of the position of Queen Abbakka Devi foiled the calculations of the government at Goa. The export trade from the port of Ullal was revamped and expanded by the queen to such an extent that the Portuguese desire of control of the maritime trade was rattled.

A demand of payment of tribute by the Portuguese was promptly rejected by the Rani. She knew that any such payment would be construed as her succumbing to the Portuguese authority. The first battle at Ullal took place in the year 1556, under the command of Don Alvaro de Silveyra. When there was no clear winner, an uneasy truce was declared. The second battle took place two years later under the command of Louis De’ Mellow. The Portuguese had attacked with a larger force this time, and were able to ransack the settlement at Ullal. However, stiff resistance by the people with the aid of the Maplahs, the Arab Moors and the Zamorin of Kozhikode was too much for the Portuguese force. The battle plans were personally drawn by the queen, and her masterly diplomatic skills as well as the expertise in the warfare became the subject of folklore for centuries to come.

After a period of lull, the Portuguese were alarmed at the pace of expanded trade at the port of Ullal under the Rani, and resorted to harassing tactics again. First they passed a series of edicts against Ullal calling her alliance with the Zamorin of Kozhikode illegal, and her trade with Persia an unfriendly act. All commercial transactions could only be conducted solely through Portuguese intermediaries, who must be permitted to set up trade posts in the port of Ullal. Rani Abbakka Devi dismissed these rulings with contempt and with scorn.

The stunned Portuguese decided to bide for time. What could not be won on the battlefield, they knew could be won by treachery and larceny. Lakshmappa Arasa, the Banga king of Mangalore, Abbakka’s husband, was warned not to send any reinforcement to Ullal under the threat of burning his capital of Mangalore. His nephew, Kamaraya was secretly recruited to plot against his uncle, and usurp the throne at Mangalore. The conspiracy by his own nephew and the threat of a Portuguese invasion left Lakshmappa Banga-raja helpless and unable to aid his wife during the next offensive by the Portuguese. In 1567, when Abbakka Devi stopped paying tribute, there was another encounter with the rani, in which she was defeated and sued for peace. Yet, Abbakka remained a non-conformist and a rebel, which irritated the Portuguese to no end.

Viceroy of Goa, Anthony D’Noronha led 3000 strong troops and several battleships against Ullal with designs of overthrowing the queen and annexing the port. The surprise pre-dawn attack, in the year 1581, caught Abbakka Devi off guard. She was returning from a trip to the family temple at Somanatheshwara but wasted no time in donning her battle garments and mounting her horse to fight the aggressors. Her clarion call was to defeat the invaders and push them back to sea. “Let us fight them on land and the sea, on the streets and the beaches” was her battle cry, as she faced the enemy in fierce counter offensive. Unfortunately, she was wounded in a barrage of gunfire and was whisked away by her loyal soldiers to a secluded place. The Portuguese searched in vain for the wounded Queen. Until the end, she was encouraging her soldiers and asking them never to give up the fight for their motherland.


Links:

1. The Intrepid Queen

2. ABBAKKA RANI : THE UNSUNG WARRIOR QUEEN

3. Abbakka Rani

 

[KSRaj]

One more article on the same... just posting it as it describes the influence that our queen 'supposedly' had in Persia and Europe!

Abbakka: The Warrior Queen of India

Excerpts from the above blog:

Warrior Queen Abbakka
Four hundred years ago, the emperor of Spain was fuming with anger and asked his Minister to bring the Commander of the Portuguese forces to his presence immediately.

The Portuguese Commander presented himself before the emperor soon. The emperor chastised the Commander and shouted with anger, "Are you not ashamed of being defeated again and again by a black dwarfish Indian woman by name Abbakka? Who is she? Is she superhuman as to challenge us? The entire Europe today is talking about our defeat; in the Clubs, the Churches, the markets and everywhere people are discussing about our defeat by a woman. Though she is our enemy, I have great admiration for that heroic woman Abbakka. Tell me something more about her".

The Portuguese Commander heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Your Majesty, there is a small State called Ullala, very near Mangalore, where we have our trading centres and that area is under our control. Abbakka belongs to a family known as Chauta; her husband belongs to Banga family and Mangalore is under his control. But husband and wife do not like each other and have fought many battles too. Taking advantage of their quarrel, we helped the husband to wage a war against his wife Abbakka, but she repulsed us and we had to withdraw many times."The Portuguese Minister joined the conversation and said, "There are two queens by the same name Abbakka, the mother and the daughter. Both of them have defeated us but the daughter Abbakka is more dangerous and she is the one who has brought disgrace to us". Are there no kings in that kingdom, asked the emperor. "Your Majesty! They have a different system of succession. If a king dies, his sister's son becomes the King. If the sister has no son, then the daughter gets the kingdom. This is called Aliya Santana in their language. That is how senior Abbakka's kingdom has come down to junior Abbakka about whom we are talking". The emperor walked out in disgust.

Pietro Della Valle was an Italian traveller and when he was in Persia, he had an audience with Persian emperor Shiya Abbas. During the conversation with the emperor, Pietro told him that he would be visiting India shortly. The Persian emperor was supremely happy and told Pietro, "When you go to India, please go to Mangalore without fail. There is a pepper queen by name Abbakka, who is the talk of the town in Europe for her victory over the Portuguese. Do not miss to meet that heroic woman.

The wretched Portuguese are most unethical I have seen. There was a family quarrel between Abbakka and her husband Narasimha, and taking advantage of this, the treacherous Portuguese sided with the husband and made him fight a war against his own wife. Of course, ultimately queen Abbakka taught a lesson both to her husband and to the Portuguese. I admire that great queen". Pietro became curious and he came to India, went to Ullala and met the queen Abbakka many times and had dinner with her and subsequently wrote gloriously about her. The Portuguese had the monopoly of trade in the Western coast and compelled all the kings and merchants to sell pepper, cardamom, cotton, rice and other commodities to them only at very low prices.

Abbakka refused to the Portuguese terms of trade. She sent ships laden with pepper and other commodities directly to Arabia and Persia and earned huge profits. The Persian and Arabian merchants were also happy because the prices quoted by Abbakka were far less as compared to the prices demanded by the Portuguese and hailed Abbakka as a trader practicing fair means. She became famous as pepper queen. The Portuguese obstructed her trade and waged wars against her. Undaunted Abbakka with the help of Keladi King Venkatappa Nayaka and Zamorin of Calicut, fought against the Portuguese, seized four Portuguese ships and made the Portuguese withdraw.

But the Portuguese did not keep quiet. Again and finally in 1618 AD, the Portuguese attacked Abbakka again and she crushed the Portuguese and their allies and this made great news in Europe, Persia and other countries. Abbakka, though a queen of a small kingdom of Ullala, took great interest in the welfare of her subjects helping them in agriculture by building dams. She also took other measures to help the people.

Actually, she always worked with her people taking part personally and earned a good name as a benevolent queen. She was very simple, always dressed in simple attire and Pietro mistook her for the first time for an ordinary common woman. She never used a parasol or a white umbrella as all queens do but carried an umbrella made of palm or areca tree feather - like leaves.

But she was the first person to stand against the foreigners, in this case the Portuguese, and put an end to their political ambition, commercial malpractices, religious conversions and destruction of temples. From this point of view, she may be considered as an early freedom fighter. But alas! The historians have not paid attention to this aspect and have neglected her. But she received rich encomiums from Persians and many Europeans including her enemies and they saluted her silently. That is the greatness of Abbakka.

Prof. A. V. Narasimha Murthy, Former Head,Department of Ancient History & ArchaeologyUniversity of Mysore.
Courtesy: Star of Mysore

 

[Joe Shearer]

One more article on the same... just posting it as it describes the influence that our queen 'supposedly' had in Persia and Europe!

Abbakka: The Warrior Queen of India

Great job done! Is there any information about the strategy used by these alliances against the Portuguese, the coalition of Zamorin and Maplah and Beary and Bunts of Tulunadu? About their arms and equipment and tactics in battle? They were up against experts in naval warfare, sailing in ships far in advance of anything available in the Arabia Sea at the time, and with ship-mounted artillery which was wholly superior to local resources. Any information?

What about dates? Who was regnant in Portugal at the time (between 1567 and 1581)? Was Portugal under Spain? Who was the common ruler of Portugal and Spain? This was within 7 years of the date of the defeat of the Armada by the English, but were the Portuguese ships like the ships of the Spanish Armada or much smaller, better suited for unknown waters and dangerous coastal waters? Also, how could cotton-clad soldiers handle themselves in battle against cuirasse-clad Portuguese men-at-arms and knights?

 

[KSRaj]

wow... lot of questions!

Unfortunately, I do not know the answers to them all... though I can try getting them at a later point of time.

From what I have heard, the Portuguese had their huge ships with cannons mounted on them. Not much of an army, but mainly a very strong and tested navy. They would anchor their ships at some distance from the harbour and then bombard the ports as well as the city, forcing the city into submission. The port city of Mangalore is supposed to have been razed down by them using this tactic.

To counter this technologically superior navy, Abbakka Rani used the Snake boats.... a recent import which is most definitely an idea borrowed from the Zamorins. These boats were very small and narrow which made them very manoeuvrable against the heavy ships deployed by the Portuguese. The cannons were pretty much useless against these small, fast boats.

Also, her navy was supposed to have used the 'Agni baana'. I am not very sure what it really was. But even in wars earlier than this, armies in this region had used explosive laden hollow metal balls which were lighted and then 'manually' thrown. So maybe, 'Agni baana' was an arrow with some explosives laden at the tip!

Using these fast moving boats and flame arrows, few archers mounted on them would follow a shoot-and-scoot approach. A bunch of these boats following a kind of 'guerilla warfare' technique would harass and damage the Portuguese ships. These tactics were rigorously practiced and people specifically trained as boatmen and archers for the task. Also, they had informers patrolling the seas and the same was done even by the neighbouring kingdoms who would forewarn of any incoming enemy ships.

This strategy would make approaching the ports an expensive affair to the Portuguese and prevented them from coming anywhere near to shooting-distance of the ports!