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122-547: The Kavalappara Moopil Nayar, also known as the Karakkattu Kumaran Raman , were one of the four chiefly dynasties or perumpata nayar of ancient Nedunganad . They became independent from the chieftainship of Nedungethiri in the 15th century, soon after the arrival of the Zamorin of Calicut to Nedunganad. Based at Eruppe Desam near Karakkat, Nedunganad , their holdings included some ninety-six villages. Nedunganad, one of

244-670: A pelisse , headgear and ceremonial robes. "As for duties [at Calicut], at one-fortieth, and that too, only on sales, they are even lower than at Hormuz [in the Persian Gulf]", says Abdur Razzaq. While in Calicut, Razzaq was invited by the Vijayanagara ruler Deva Raya II to his court. The envoy arrived from the Vijayanagara king had "asked" the Zamorin to send the Herat envoy on to his court. He also says

366-507: A Polarthiri royal princess and she was welcomed in Kolathunadu (Cannanore) – one of the Zamorin's rivals polities. After the marriage of a Kolathu prince with this princess the Kadathanadu ruling family was born. The name Kadathanadu refers to as the passing way between Kolathunadu and Calicut. Some land and Hindu temple rights were transferred to Calicut during a visit to Kollam by a ruler of

488-400: A battle against Palakkad and the expansion to Naduvattom by a Calicut prince. Kollengode of Venganadu Nambitis was also put under the sway of Calicut during the time. The severe and frequent battles with Valluvanadu by Calicut continued. But even after the loss of his superior ally Kochi, Valluvanadu did not submit to Calicut. The ruler of Calicut followed a custom of settling Muslim families and

610-464: A coastal region called Payyanadu. Payyanadu was a part of Kurumbranadu in early times, and was eventually given as a "royal gift" to Calicut. Calicut easily overran the Kurumbranadu warriors in the battle and Kurumbranadu had to sue for peace by surrendering Valisseri. The ruler of Calicut next turned his attention to the valley of Perar . Large parts of the valley was then ruled by Valluvakkonathiri,

732-790: A decisive victory at Calicut in December, while a second under Robert Abercromby routed the Sultan at Cannanore a few days later. Territory associated with the Nawab of Savanur were lost to the Maratha Confederacy . Such events caused mistrust between the English and the agenda of the Peshwa . Cornwallis' first goal was to take the strong point of Bangalore , which would provide a base for future operations against Seringapatam. He hoped that this would stimulate

854-613: A detachment of British troops from Bombay, began marching toward Mysore. The first several Mysorean outposts surrendered in the face of the large army, and it made steady if slow progress until it reached Darwar in September. The fort was weakly and indifferently besieged for 29 weeks, with the garrison finally surrendering on 3 April 1791. The army then continued to advance, reaching the Tungabhadra River in early May. A second army, consisting of 25,000 cavalry and 5,000 infantry under

976-404: A distinctive social group, something of a "sub-caste" – began to style themselves as " Samantha Kshatriyas ". The Samantas have birth, marriage and death customs identical to other Nair communities. The Zamorin follows a matriarchal system where the present king's sister's son becomes the next king. The direct sisters of the Zamorin are always married to Nambudiri Brahmin men. Consequently,

1098-523: A fort (Koyil Kotta) at a place called "Velapuram" (port) to safeguard their new interests. The power balance in Kerala changed as Eralnadu rulers developed the port at Calicut. The Zamorin became one of the most powerful chiefs in Kerala. In some of his military campaigns – such as that into Valluvanadu – the ruler received unambiguous assistance from the Muslim Middle Eastern sailors. It seems that

1220-461: A help; one British observer wrote that they were a "disorderly rabble" and "not very creditable to the state of military discipline at Hyderabad". On 25 January, Sir Cornwallis moved from Savendroog toward Seringapatam, while Abercromby again advanced from the Malabar Coast. While Tipu's men harassed the column, they did not impede its progress. Cornwallis established a chain of outposts to protect

1342-489: A long time. Further assaults in the east against Valluvanadu were neither prolonged nor difficult for Calicut. The battles along the western borders of Valluvanadu were bitter, for they were marked by treachery and crime. Panthalur and Ten Kalams came under Calicut only after a protracted struggle. The assassination of a minister of Calicut by the chief minister of Valluvanadu while visiting Venkatakkotta in Valluvanadu sparked

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1464-555: A preliminary advance to Kolathunadu. Kolathiri immediately sent ambassadors to submit to whatever terms Calicut might dictate. Kolathunadu transferred the regions already occupied to Calicut and certain Hindu temple rights. The stories about the origin of the Kadathanadu ruling family (Vatakara) are associated with battle of the Eradis with Polanadu. When the Zamorin swarmed over Polanadu, he exiled

1586-473: A religious war, and given that Tipu had given grants to numerous temples, and never prevented Hindus from worshipping, funded the construction of a Gopur temple in Conjeeveram during this war, and even participated in and bore some of the costs of the local Hindu festivals which occurred during his stay. During the summer of 1790, a Maratha army of some 30,000 under the command of Purseram Bhow, accompanied by

1708-609: A slightly modified form of the existing janmi administrative processes to collect revenue. Under this modified system, the janmis were granted leases on land and were responsible for collecting revenue — almost entirely based on a proportion of agricultural produce — on behalf of the EIC. The janmis , such as the Kavalapparas, sublet to tenants known as kanakkarans , who had some security of tenure , and both could sublet to verumpattakkars , who were tenants-at-will . Thus, in 1794,

1830-456: A small polity between Valluvanadu and Palakkad (Palghat). Nedunganadu was overran without striking even a single blow. The chief of Nedunganadu surrendered to the Calicut forces at a place called Kodikkuni. Then the Calicut warriors captured a number of smaller villages around Thirunavaya – such as Thiruvegappuram – from Valluvanadu. The Valluvanadu governor tried to overcome the Calicut prince's advance at Kolakkadu. Near Karimpuzha in Valluvanadu,

1952-402: A stronger force, namely Kurumpuranadu, with a force of Seven Hundred although many lesser ones with Five Hundred of Purakizhanadu, Three Hundred of Nantuzhanadu and others. The following table shows available inscriptions mentioning the rulers of Eranad: As per the charter, while residing at Chera capital Kodungallur, king Bhaskara Ravi granted Jewish merchant Joseph Rabban a plate giving him

2074-469: A supply caravan and the Nizam's army, which took place on 12 April about 80 miles (130 km) north of Bangalore. Turning back toward Bangalore, Cornwallis found the Nizam's men to be noticeably unhelpful. He had hoped that the addition of native cavalry to the army would assist in offsetting Tipu's advantage in that quarter, but the Nizam's men, commanded by Teige Wunt, were interested in plunder and in living off

2196-616: The Dutch East India Company two forts in the Kingdom of Cochin , a state paying tribute to Tipu Sultan. In 1789 Tipu Sultan sent forces onto the Malabar Coast to put down a rebellion. Many people fled to Travancore, a state independent of Mysore and to Cochin , a state paying tribute to Tipu, in the wake of his advance. To follow them, Tipu began in the fall of 1789 to build up troops at Coimbatore in preparation for an assault on

2318-641: The East India Company . Eventually, the status of the Zamorin was reduced to that of a pensioner of the company by 1806. Historical records regarding the origin of the Zamorin of Calicut are obscure. However, it is generally agreed among historians the Eradis were originally the autonomous rulers of the Eranadu region of the Kodungallur Chera kingdom. The Kodungallur Chera kingdom was a congeries of chiefdoms, which were ruled by local chiefs. The office of

2440-535: The Eastern Ghats at that point. This prompted Tipu to abandon Pondicherry and make haste for Bangalore, where he perceived his harem to be at some risk. Although Tipu placed defences on some of the passes, Cornwallis, after a number of feints, turned sharply north, and crossed the mountains at the Muglee Pass on 21 February against no opposition. He then continued to advance, against virtually no resistance, until he

2562-559: The Eradi subcaste of the Samantan community of colonial Kerala , and were originally the ruling chiefs of Eranad . The final Zamorin of Calicut committed suicide by setting fire to his palace and burning himself alive inside it, upon learning that Hyder Ali had captured the neighboring country of Chirackal in Kannur . The title zamorin first appears in the writings of Ibn Battuta in 1342. In

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2684-685: The Governor-General of India and Commander-in-Chief for the East India Company in 1786. While he formally abrogated agreements with the Marathas and Hyderabad that violated terms of the 1784 treaty, he sought informally to gain their support and that of the Nizam of Hyderabad , or at least their neutrality, in the event of conflict with Mysore. In 1788, the company gained control of the Circar of Guntur ,

2806-595: The Kadambur Brahmins and the two communities recognise their shared ancient heritage in occasional rituals. The Kavalapparas also claim to have been independent chieftains from the later stages of the Chera dynasty until the arrival of the Zamorin of Calicut in 1748, although this is not historically accurate. K. K. N. Kurup , a historian of the Malabar region, notes that absence of their name from highly detailed documents of

2928-602: The Maratha Confederacy and other actions supportive of Mysore's enemies led Hyder to develop a dislike for the British. After the British took the French-controlled port of Mahé in 1779, Hyder, who had been receiving military supplies through that port and had placed it under his protection, opened the Second Anglo-Mysore War . This war ended with the last British–Indian treaty with an Indian ruler on equal footing,

3050-466: The Nedumkotta , a fortified line of defence built by Dharma Raja of Travancore to protect his domain. Cornwallis, observing this build-up, reiterated to Campbell's successor, John Holland, that an attack on Travancore should be considered a declaration of war, and met with a strong British response. Tipu, aware that Holland was not the experienced military officer that Campbell was, and that he did not have

3172-555: The South Malabar region of India. Originating from the former feudal kingdom of Nediyiruppu Swaroopam, the Samoothiris and their vassal kings from Nilambur Kovilakam established Calicut as one of the most important trading ports on the southwest coast of India. At the peak of their reign, they ruled over a region extending from Kozhikode Kollam to the forested borders of Panthalayini Kollam ( Koyilandy ). The Samoothiris belonged to

3294-450: The Zamorin of Calicut . The procession of the Eralppad was known as kottichezhunnallathu . The Zamorin built a palace at Karimpuzha. This was happened soon after 1487. It was the same Zamorin who, later, in 1498, met with Vasco da Gama . When the Zamorin's procession reached Karimpuzha, the three Nayar chiefs of Nedunganad, came and received him. Kavalappara refused to attend the meeting of

3416-462: The 'stepped mansion' complex, all of which are in derelict condition. Notes Citations Bibliography Zamorin of Calicut The Samoothiri (Anglicised as Zamorin ; Malayalam : Sāmūtiri , [saːmuːd̪iɾi] , Arabic : Sāmuri , Portuguese : Samorim , Dutch : Samorijn , Chinese : Shamitihsi ) was the title of the erstwhile ruler and monarch of the Calicut kingdom in

3538-497: The 1784 Treaty of Mangalore , which restored the status quo ante bellum under terms company officials such as Warren Hastings found extremely unfavourable for the British East India Company. Tipu, who gained control of Mysore after his father's death in December 1782, maintained an implacable hatred of the British, and declared not long after signing the 1784 treaty that he intended to continue battle with them given

3660-454: The Bednore district that Tipu's father Hyder had taken in an earlier war, captured Hooly Honore and Shimoga , although British forces attached to his army did much of the necessary work. Only the threatened arrival of a detachment from Tipu's army prevented him from laying siege to Bednore itself. Bhow did not return to the grand army until after peace negotiations began at Seringapatam. Whereas

3782-556: The Bombay army, and the noose began to tighten around Tipu. By 23 February, Tipu began making overtures for peace talks, and hostilities were suspended the next day when he agreed to preliminary terms. Among the preliminary terms that Cornwallis insisted on was that Tipu surrender two of his sons as hostages as a guarantee for his execution of the agreed terms. On 26 February, his two young sons were formally delivered to Cornwallis amid great ceremony and gun salutes by both sides. Cornwallis, who

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3904-637: The British East India Company , the Kingdom of Travancore , the Maratha Confederacy , and the Nizam of Hyderabad . It was the third of four Anglo-Mysore Wars . Tipu Sultan , the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore , and his father Hyder Ali before him, had previously fought twice with the forces of the British East India Company . The First Anglo-Mysore War , fought in the 1760s, had ended inconclusively on both sides, with treaty provisions including promises of mutual assistance in future conflicts. British failure to support Mysore in conflicts with

4026-514: The British. Travancore became the most dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerful Zamorin of Calicut in a battle located in Purakkad in 1755. In 1766, Haider Ali of Mysore defeated the Zamorin of Calicut and absorbed Calicut to his state. After the Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790–1792), Malabar District including Zamorin's former territories were placed under the control of

4148-581: The Calicut Granthavari recount the events leading to the establishment of the state of Calicut. There were two brothers belonging to the Eradi ruling family at Nediyiruppu . The brothers Manichan and Vikraman were the most trusted warriors in the militia of the Kodungallur Cheras . They distinguished themselves in the battles against the foreigners. However, during the partition of Chera kingdom,

4270-589: The Calicut control and Perumpadappu ruler again shifted their base further south to Kochi ( Cochin , in 1405). Calicut subjugated large parts of the state of Kochi in the subsequent years. The family feud between the elder and younger branches of the ruling family of Kochi was exploited by the Zamorin of Calicut. The intervention was initiated as Calicut's help was sought against the ruling younger branch. The rulers of Kodungallur, Idappalli, Airur, Sarkkara, Patinjattedam [Thrissur] and Chittur supported or joined Calicut forces in this occupation of Kochi. Some of these were

4392-541: The Calicut. Deva Raya II (1424–1446), king of the Vijayanagara Empire , conquered the whole of present-day Kerala state in the 15th century. He defeated (1443) rulers of Venadu (Kollam, Quilon), as well as Calicut. Fernão Nunes says that the Zamorin and even the kings of Burma ruling at Pegu and Tenasserim paid tribute to the king of Vijayanagara Empire. Later Calicut and Venadu seems to have rebelled against their Vijayanagara overlords, but Deva Raya II quelled

4514-449: The Chera monarch failed to allocate any land to Nediyiruppu. Filled with guilt, the king later gave an unwanted piece of marshy tract of land called Kozhikode to the younger brother Vikraman (the elder brother died in the battle). The king also gifted his personal sword and his favourite prayer conch – both broken – to him and told him to occupy as much as land as he could with all his might. So

4636-507: The Chovvaram and raided Panniyur simultaneously. Thirumanasseri Nadu was overran by its neighbours on south and east. The Thirumanasseri Nambudiri appealed to the ruler of Calicut for help, and promised to cede the port of Ponnani to Calicut as the price for his protection. Calicut, looking for such an opportunity, gladly accepted the offer. Assisted by the warriors of their subordinate chiefs (Chaliyam, Beypore , Tanur and Kodungallur ) and

4758-458: The Coimbatore district to Tipu's forces. On 11 June, 2,000 Mysorean forces laid siege to Coimbatore . Lieutenant Chalmers, the garrison commander, ignored orders from Cornwallis to withdraw if attacked in force, and chose to fight, in spite of having less than 300 men and inferior gunpowder. His defence was spirited, and reinforcements from Palgautcherry prompted him to sortie and successfully take

4880-536: The EIC granted the Kavalappara family a quinquennial lease on lands but it also disbarred from the feudal privileges of collecting death taxes from the Mappilas and some festival offerings from the ryots . All revenue collecting responsibilities were lost in 1796 when they were transferred to direct control of the EIC, although the EIC did return a portion of the funds collected by the system of malikhana that recognised

5002-512: The English and the Dutch. No records indicate the actual personal name of the ruler. Punthura may be the place of their origin, or a battle-field, or a port of great fame. The title "Kunnalakkon" ("Lord of Hills and Waves") and its Sanskrit form "Shailabdhishvara" are mostly found in later literary works (such as Manipravalam and Sanskrit poems). Thrikkavil Kovilakam in Ponnani served as a second home for

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5124-477: The Eradis conquered neighbouring kingdoms and created a large state for themselves. As a token of their respect to the Chera king, they adopted the logo of two crossed swords, with a broken conch in the middle and a lighted lamp above it. The port at Kozhikode held the superior economic and political position along the medieval Kerala coastline, while Kannur , Kollam , and Kochi , were commercially important secondary ports, where traders from various parts of

5246-455: The Eralppad at Karimpuzha. He declared independence and asked the help of Cochin. He was so fortunate, because his land was situated on the banks of River Nila, adjacent to the boundary of the King of Cochin. The family are Moopil Nairs and claim to be descendants of Karakalamma, a child of Vararuchi , a Brahmin saint , and a Pulayar woman. Through this association, they also share kinship with

5368-756: The Four Brahmin Ministers, the Leader of the Thousand Nairs, the Leader of the Six Hundred Nairs of Venadu, Punthurakkon Manavikrama – the chief of Eranadu, and other feudatories, made prayaschittam (penance) for an offence against the Arya Brahmins by donating cereals for the daily feeding of Brahmins and leasing out a Cherikkal for that purpose to the Venadu chief Kumaran Udaya Varma. Duarte Barbosa , in

5490-615: The Hindus of Coorg and Malabar, and the Nairs were in consequence were due to political motives, after they had rebelled "six times" and he had forgiven them, similar to how he punished the Christians of Kanara during the Second Anglo-Mysore War after they had committed treason, rendering invaluable help to the English. In fact, a Maratha raid had destroyed a Hindu temple at Sringeri during

5612-603: The Marathan forces were apparently not nearby, and it seemed unlikely that Abercromby would arrive with the Malabar forces, and his army was on the verge of starvation, Cornwallis then made the difficult decision on 22 May to destroy his siege train and retreat. Only three days later, the Maratha army arrived, Tipu having successfully prevented most of its messengers from reaching Cornwallis before then. Cornwallis' retreat to Bangalore exposed

5734-533: The Marathas (a dangerous boon) or have set up some miserable pageant of our own, to be supported by the Company's troops and treasures, and to be plundered by its servants." The territories taken deprived Mysore of much of its coastline; Mysore was also obligated to pay some of the allied war costs. On 18 March 1792, Tipu agreed to the terms and signed the Treaty of Seringapatam , ending hostilities. A fourth and final war

5856-500: The Muslim judge of Calicut offered all help in "money and material" to the Zamorin to strike at Thirunavaya. Smaller chiefdoms south of Calicut – Beypore, Chaliyam, Parappanadu and Tanur (Vettam) – soon had to submit and became their feudatories one by one. The rulers of Payyormala, Kurumbranadu , and other Nair chiefs on the suburbs of Calicut also acknowledged the supremacy of Calicut. There were battles between Calicut and Kurumbranadu for

5978-536: The Muslim naval fleet under the Koya of Calicut, the Zamorin's fighters advanced by both land and sea. The main force under the command of Zamorin himself attacked, encamping at Thripangodu, an allied force of Valluvanadu and Perumpadappu from the north. Meanwhile, another force under the Eralppadu commanded a fleet across the sea and landed at Ponnani and later moved to Thirumanasseri, with intention to descend on Thirunavaya from

6100-546: The Mysore highlands. On 21 July, Medows entered Coimbatore unopposed, after having taken some of the smaller fortifications in the district by either abandonment or the immediate surrender of the garrison. His only opposition consisted of 4,000 cavalry under Sayed Sahib that Tipu had detached to observe and harass his operations; most of these were eventually driven across the Bhavani River by Medows' cavalry. Further strong points in

6222-528: The Mysorean army from fording the river and as Tipu received the news that the British campaign from Madras began to take shape as a significant threat, he retreated from Travancore. The plan of attack developed by Medows called for a two-pronged attack, with the main thrust against the Coimbatore district and a diversionary thrust into Mysore from the northeast. Cornwallis was unhappy with this plan, due in part to

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6344-1171: The Mysorean forces and their allies regrouped, Governor Holland, much to Cornwallis' dismay, engaged in negotiations with Tipu rather than mobilising the military. Cornwallis was on the brink of going to Madras to take command when he received word that Holland's replacement, General William Medows was about to arrive. Medows forcibly removed Holland, and set about planning operations against Tipu while building up troops at Trichinopoly . Maritime contacts Sangam period Tamilakam Cheras Spice trade Ays Ezhil Malai Confluence of religions Mamankam festival Calicut Venad - Kingdom of Quilon Valluvanad Kolattunadu Cochin Arakkal kingdom Minor principalities Age of Discovery Portuguese period Dutch period Rise of Travancore Mysorean invasion British Period Battle of Tirurangadi Malabar District North Malabar South Malabar Battle of Quilon Communism in Kerala Lakshadweep Economy Architecture It

6466-542: The Polarthiri at his base, resulting in a 48-year-long standoff. The Eradi was unsuccessful, and then he propitiated the Bhagavati , bribed the followers of Polarthiri and even the consort of the ruler of Polanadu and won them to his side. Learning of this treachery Polarthiri fled from Kozhikode. The Eradi emerged victorious and shifted his seat from Nediyiruppu to Kozhikode – then also called "Thrivikramapuram". The Eradis built

6588-410: The Portuguese Book of Duarte Barbosa (c. 1516), the title of the ruler of Calicut is given as çamidre or zomodri , derived from the local Malayalam sāmūtiri . In Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen written by Zainuddin Makhdoom II in the 16th century CE, the word is pronounced as Sāmuri . This was once thought to be derived from Sanskrit samudra ("sea") and have the meaning "lord of the sea". In fact,

6710-415: The Pulpatta temple. Fine is prescribed for the violation of the rules. The Uralar are authorised to take over from Pattavalan (officer in charge of collection) in case of obstruction. Manigramam was a famous merchant guild (active in southern India and south-east Asia) organised by native Indians. Although there is no solid basis for the famous partition legend (the Cheraman Perumal tradition) surrounding

6832-404: The Sultanate of Bengal, been stranded at port Calicut, and on this occasion had been received by the Zamorin of Calicut. Impressed by the description of the Timurid influence, the Zamorin decided to send his own embassy to Herat. Abdur Razzaq, an employ of Shahrukh, was soon engaged on a mission to Calicut (November 1442 – April 1443). He carried a series of presents from Herat, including a horse,

6954-417: The Zamorin's King’s lineage was always half Zamorin and half Nambudiri Brahmin . In the royal family, thalis of the princesses were usually tied by Kshatriyas from Kodungallur chief's family, which the Zamorin recognised as more ancient and therefore higher rank. The women's sambandham partners were Nambudiri Brahmins or Kshatriyas. Royal men married Samantan or other Nair women. Zamorin's consort

7076-448: The Zamorins in the late 15th century were Panthalayini Kollam, and Calicut . The Zamorin of Calicut derived a greater part of his revenues by taxing the spice trade through his ports. Smaller ports in the kingdom were Puthuppattanam (Kottakkal), Parappanangadi , Tanur (Tanore) , Ponnani (Ponani) , Chetuva (Chetwai) and Kodungallur (Cranganore) . The port of Beypore served as a ship building center. According to K. V. Krishna Iyer,

7198-431: The Zamorins of Calicut. Other secondary seats of the Zamorin of Calicut, all established at a much later time, were Trichur (Thrissur) and Cranganore (Kodungallur). The 147th Samoothiri Raja, Sree Manavedan Raja , who was married to Bharathy Thamburatty from Nilambur Kovilakam, became the last Zamorin in the dynasty's 682 year history to hold power over the Guruvayur Temple . The chief Kerala ports under control of

7320-421: The allies to step up their activity. Anticipating that Tipu would engage in a scorched-earth campaign in the highlands of Mysore, he made significant arrangements for provisions. To assist in the hauling of supplies and heavy armaments he also retained a significant number of elephants. Cornwallis took over the main Company army at Vellore on 29 January 1791. A week later he marched west, as if to pass through

7442-414: The allies would be available. Spies were sent to infiltrate Tipu's camps, and he began to receive more reliable reports of the latter's troop strengths and disposition. The relations between Cornwallis and the allies were difficult. The Marathan military leaders, Purseram Bhow and Hurry Punt, had to be bribed to stay with the army, and Cornwallis reported the Hyderabadi forces to be more of a hindrance than

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7564-438: The ancient hereditary chief of Valluvanadu. The principal objective of Calicut was the capture the sacred settlement of Thirunavaya . Soon the Zamorins found themselves intervened in the so-called kurmatsaram between Nambudiris of Panniyurkur and Chovvarakur. In the most recent event, the Nambudiris from Thirumanasseri Nadu had assaulted and burned the nearby rival village. The rulers of Valluvanadu and Perumpadappu came to help

7686-469: The army's supplies instead of foraging and scouting against Tipu. The Company then embarked on a series of operations to secure most of the area around Bangalore before moving on to Seringapatam. When Cornwallis was seeking a ford at which to cross the Cauvery River , Tipu offered him battle at a ford near the village of Arakere . In the ensuing battle on 15 May, Cornwallis flanked Tipu's position and drove him to retreat behind Seringapatam's walls. Since

7808-436: The arrival of Europeans in the area, the Kavalapparas were able to exploit the uncertainty and unrest to their advantage. They successfully fought in an alliance with forces from the kingdom of Travancore against the Zamorin and by around 1760 they had reached a deal with the kingdom whereby they gained independence from interference in return for ceding to it a monopoly of the pepper growing on family properties. Unhampered by

7930-438: The battle, which dragged on for almost a decade. At last the Valluvanadu minister was captured by Zamorin's warriors and executed at Padapparambu, and his province (Ten Kalams, including Kottakkal and Panthalur) were occupied by the Zamorin. The Kizhakke Kovilakam Munalappadu, who took a leading part in this campaign, received half of the newly captured province from Zamorin as a gift. The loss of this fiercely loyal chief minister

8052-409: The battles, the Nairs abandoned the settlement and Calicut infested Thirunavaya. The capture of Thirunavaya was not the end of Calicut's expansion into Valluvanadu. The Zamorin continued surges over on Valluvanadu. Malappuram , Nilambur , Vallappanattukara and Manjeri were easily occupied. He encountered stiff resistance in some places and the fights went on in a protracted and sporadic fashion for

8174-494: The chief of Eranadu, and other feudatories, made amends for (some) offence against the Arya Brahmins by donating paddy for daily feeding the Brahmins and leasing out a Cherikkal for that purpose to Venadu chief Kumara Udaya Varma. (c. 11th century) The chief of Eranadu Manavepala Mana Viyatan creates an endowment for Tiruvilakku at Trichambaram temple. The Six Hundred of Eralanadu and the Three Hundred of Etattirai Nadu, among others, make provision for "uttu" by assigning land to

8296-431: The chief/senior prince of Eranad (Eralanadu Utaya) is assumed to be hereditary. The earliest reference to the chief and chiefdom of Eranad is the Cochin Jewish copper plate (c. 1000). Old Malayalam inscriptions name two titles for the rulers of Eranad – Manvepala Manaviyata (c. 11 century) and Manavikrama (c. 12th century). In the later period, Manavikrama, Manaveda and Viraraya were the only names given to male members in

8418-497: The chronological seniority of the incumbent in the different thavazhis of the swaroopam and constituted what is called in the records as "kuruvazhcha". Unlike in the case of Cochin (Kochi), there was no rotation of position among the thavazhis. Thus no particular thavazhi enjoyed any privilege or precedence in the matter of succession, as the only criterion for succession was seniority of age. Five sthanams existed in Calicut, each with its own separate property enjoyed in succession by

8540-440: The close relationship that Campbell and Cornwallis had (both had served in North America in the American Revolutionary War ), probably decided that this was an opportune time to attack. On 29 December 1789, Tipu marched 14,000 troops from Coimbatore and attacked Nedumkotta . The first phase was a defeat for Tipu, when the Travancore forces under Kesava Pillai inflicted severe losses on the Tipu's forces and drove them back. While

8662-479: The coastal "marshy lands" and established the city of Calicut. To corroborate his assertion that the Eradi prince was a member of the inner circle of the last Chera king Rama Kulasekhara (c. 1089 – 1122), scholars cite an old Malayalam inscription (1102) found on a granite pillar set up in the courtyard of the Ramashwaram temple, Kollam . According to the inscription, the king, residing at Panainkavu Palace at Kurakkeni Kollam, sitting in council with Arya Brahmins,

8784-534: The command of Hurry Punt assisted by a detachment of British soldiers from the Madras army, left Poona in January 1791, eventually reaching Kurnool without significant opposition. Hurry Punt went to confer with the Nizam, who had not crossed into Mysore in fear that Tipu's large army would overwhelm his before it could be joined to that of one of the other allies. On receiving word that Cornwallis had captured Bangalore and

8906-461: The commander of the eastern forces. Anchuvannam was a merchant guild in Kerala organised by Jewish, Christian and Muslim merchants from the Middle East. The Chera king Rama Kulasekhara, residing at Kollam, sitting in royal council with Arya Brahmins of the temple, the Four Brahmin Ministers, the Leader of the Thousand Nairs, the Leader of the Six Hundred Nairs of Venadu, Punthurakkon Manavikrama –

9028-541: The commerce was repeatedly hampered by the forces of the Zamorin of Calicut. The Kunjali Marakkars , the famous Muslim warriors, were the admiral of the fleet of Calicut. By the end of the 16th century the Portuguese – now commanding the spice traffic on the Malabar Coast – had succeeded in replacing the Muslim merchants in the Arabian Sea. The Dutch supplanted the Portuguese in the 17th century, who in turn were supplanted by

9150-519: The court historian in Calicut, the members of the royal house of Zamorin belonged to the Eradi subcaste of the sub-caste Samantan of the Nair caste. The Samantas claimed a status higher than the rest of the Nairs. The Hindu theological formula that the rulers must be of Kshatriya varna may have been a complication for the Samantas of the Kodungallur Chera monarch. So the Samantas – already crystallized as

9272-469: The defenders' supply train in August. Eight thousand more Mysoreans then arrived, but Chalmers held out until 6 November. In violation of the agreed terms of surrender Chalmers and his men were taken prisoner. Following the allied retreat to Bangalore, the armies of Purseram Bhow and Teige Wunt left the grand army to pursue territorial gains in Mysore's northern territories. Purseram Bhow, desirous of recapturing

9394-505: The destruction of churches and temples which are cited as evidence for his religious intolerance. He also reneged on his promises of humanely treating and releasing the prisoners of wars, e.g. in one case noted by a chronicler, he killed a local king who had submitted to him and got his body dragged through the city. Many Christian missionaries also documented his torture of local Christians and destroying their churches and temples. However, others have pointed out that Tipu's actions against

9516-464: The district fell, with Palghat and Dindigul requiring significant action to capture. Although the campaign was successful in gaining complete control of the Coimbatore district, Medows had to divide his forces to hold it, with the largest detachments at Coimbatore, Palghat, and Sathyamangalam . The attack from Bengal, and a third from Bombay , were late in getting started when Tipu made his counterattack. On 2 September, Tipu left Srirangapatnam at

9638-481: The earl's younger brother, Commodore William Cornwallis , was engaged in the naval Battle of Tellicherry , Charles spent the remainder of 1791 securing his supply lines to Madras. To this end he laid siege to Nundydroog in November and Savendroog in December, both of which fell after unexpectedly modest efforts. He also ordered a massive supply operation to ensure that adequate supplies and pay for his army and those of

9760-484: The early 16th century, mentions the "Cheraman sword" among the three swords and other royal emblems of the Zamorin usually taken out in ceremonial processions. The sword was worshipped by the Zamorins in their private temple everyday and especially at the time of the coronation. The Cheraman sword was burnt in a surprise attack by the Dutch at Kodungallur (1670) while the Zamorin was residing with Velutha Nambiyar. A new sword

9882-419: The end of Kodungallur Cheras, it is a possibility that following the mysterious disappearance of the ruler, the land was "partitioned" and that the governors of different nadus asserted independence, proclaiming it as their gift from the last overlord. There is some ambiguity regarding the exact course of events that led to the establishment of Eradi's rule over Calicut, their later seat. Some historians are of

10004-526: The end of the previous war. Indirect attempts to take over the kingdom had failed in 1788, and Archibald Campbell , the Madras president at the time, had warned Tipu that an attack on Travancore would be treated as a declaration of war on the company as per the Treaty of Mangalore . The rajah of Travancore also angered Tipu by extending fortifications along the border with Cochin into territory claimed by Mysore as belonging to its vassal state, and by purchasing from

10126-437: The families of other Hindu generals who had allegiance to him, in the captured areas of Valluvanadu. Calicut occupied Valluvanadu (now shrunk to Attappadi valley, parts of Mannarkkad, Ottappalam and Perinthalmanna) but could not make much progress into its hinterland. Calicut was also successful in bringing the polity of Kolathunadu (Cannanore) under their control. During his expansions, the Zamorin occupied Pantalayini Kollam as

10248-623: The head of a 40,000-man army. Descending the mountain passes beginning on 9 September, he began to move toward Sathyamangalam. While the 2,800-man garrison there withstood an initial assault from Tipu's force on 13 September, Captain John Floyd , the garrison commander, opted to withdraw. Under cover of night, they crossed the Bhavani and headed for Coimbatore. Tipu, slowed by heavy rains, sent 15,000 cavalry in pursuit. These eventually caught up and captured much of Floyd's baggage train, and continued to pursue

10370-410: The head of a large column, and stormed Thirunavaya. In spite of the fact that the warriors of Valluvanadu did not get the timely help of Perumpadappu, they fought vigorously and the battle dragged on. In the meantime, the Calicut minister Mangattachan was also successful in turning Kadannamanna Elavakayil Vellodi (junior branch of Kadannamanna) to their side. Finally, two Valluvanadu princes were killed in

10492-574: The king of Vijayanagara does not possess "jurisdiction" over the kingdom of Calicut, but the Zamorin was apparently "still in great awe of the Vijayanagar king". Third Anglo-Mysore War British victory [REDACTED] Mysore [REDACTED]   Great Britain The Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790–1792) was a conflict in South India between the Kingdom of Mysore and

10614-415: The lateness of the season (combat being much more difficult during the monsoon season), and the lengthy supply lines from Madras that the plan entailed. However, he was willing to give Medows the opportunity for independent command. Medows moved out of Trichinopoly in late May. Hampered by weather and equipment problems, his progress was slow. He met little resistance, as Tipu had withdrawn his main forces to

10736-409: The loyalty of certain ruling families. In common with many of his peers, the Kavalappara chieftain had amassed considerable arrears in revenue monies that he was supposed to hand over and as a result of the transfer of revenue collection he now became nothing more than a landed aristocrat without political influence. Some feudal rights were retained, notably of control over some temples, but by the end of

10858-607: The nineteenth century the family estates were being administered by the Court of Wards and remained so until 1910. Today the traditional eight-acre palace complex that was long the seat of the Kavalappara Nair is mostly in ruin, with many core palace structures demolished or destroyed by storms. The present complex retains only the Oottupura or ceremonial banqueting hall, the Agraśālā , and

10980-414: The objections previously raised by the Zamorin and by the raja of Cochin, they constructed a kottaram as a physical symbol of their independence. This residence took a form common to the royal family of Travancore and thus different from the kovilakam palaces that traditionally belied the status of Malabar rulers. Thereafter, the Kavalapparas and the royal house of Travancore retained close ties and it

11102-527: The opportunity. He refused to free British prisoners taken during the war, one of the conditions of the treaty. Tipu Sultan further strengthened his alliances with Ali Raja Bibi Junumabe II the Muslim ruler and the Mappila Muslim community of a region under the Zamorin of the Calicut empire, thus expanding the Sultanate of Mysore 's sphere of influence. British General Charles, 2nd Earl Cornwallis became

11224-449: The period indicates that they were no more than "dependent landed aristocracy", variously of the rajas of Palghat and of Cochin . They were naduvazhi of the raja of Palghat, meaning that they were a form of feudatory governor who inherited their role, which included some political powers, but were subservient to him. During the period when clashes between the Zamorin of Calicut and the king of Cochin were common, which coincided with

11346-518: The proprietorship of the merchant guild Anchuvannam and other 72 special trade privileges. Rabban was also exempted from all payments made by other settlers in the town to the king, and in-turn, all the rights of other settlers in the town were extended to him. The document was attested by the chief feudatories of the Chera king – Govardhana Marthanda (Venadu), Kotha Chirikanthan (Venpalinadu), Manavepala Mana Viyatan (Eralanadu), Rayiran Chathan (Valluvanadu), Kotha Ravi (Netumpurayur-nadu) – and Murkan Chathan

11468-479: The rebellion. As the Vijayanagara power diminished over the next fifty years, Zamorin of Calicut again rose to prominence in Kerala. Zamorin built a fort at Ponnani in 1498. An embassy from the Zamorin of Calicut, in which the chief envoy was a Persian-speaking Muslim, came to the Timurid court of Mirza Shahrukh at Herat in the 15th century. Some Herat officials had, some years earlier, on their return journey from

11590-599: The royal family, the Zamorin always being known as Manavikrama. Historians assume that Manaveda might be a corruption of the old Malayalam title "Manaviyata". Scholars tentatively identify Manaviyata and Manavikrama with the titles of the elder and younger brothers of the famous origin legend. The strength of the "Hundred Organisation" of the senior prince of Eranadu was "Six Hundred". Several organisations with same capacity are also found in Ramavalanadu, Valluvanadu, Kizhmalanadu and Venadu. Scholars come across only one nadu with

11712-584: The same time between the king of Cochin and the Madras Presidency , which allowed for the king to have control of the Kavalappara territories. In 1792, the Kavalappara chieftain — who was seeking reinstatement in Kavalappara itself and in Edatara, Kongad and Mannur  — was given a one-year reinstatement in a subordinate role by a Joint Commission instituted by the EIC in the Bombay Presidency. This

11834-634: The senior members of the three kovilakams of the family: The three thavazhis were: The senior female member of the whole Zamorin family, the Valiya Thamburatti, also enjoyed a sthanam with separate property known as the Ambadi Kovilakam. Women were not allowed to be the ruler of Calicut. And so the oldest male member traced became the next Zamorin. Brahmanic legends such as the Keralolpathi (compiled in its final form c. 17th – 18 century) and

11956-401: The seventeen districts during the Chera regime of Kodungallur , was situated between Kalladikkodan hills to the seashore villages of Ponnani -Purang. The chieftain of Nedunganad, known as Nedungethirippad, was an inefficient ruler. Kavalappara Nayar with other three (Thrikkateeri Nayar, Vattakkavil and Veettikkad nayars) became more powerful than Nedungethiri. Nedungethiri asked the help of

12078-421: The smaller Bengal force. This force, about 9,000 men led by Colonel Maxwell, had reached Kaveripattinam and strongly fortified his position. Unable to penetrate the defences, Tipu withdrew to the south on 14 November after learning that Medows was on his trail again. Medows and Maxwell joined forces on 17 November, and pursued Tipu, who had decided to make a move toward Trichinopoly. Unable to do more than pillage

12200-528: The south with help of the warriors of the Thirumanasseri Brahmins. Eralppadu also prevented the warriors of Perumpadappu joining Valluvanadu forces. The Muslim merchants and commanders at Ponnani supported the Calicut force with food, transport and provisions. The warriors of the Eralppadu moved north and crossed the River Perar and took up position on the northern side of the river. The Koya marched at

12322-476: The southernmost of the Northern Circars , which the company had acquired under earlier agreements with the Nizam . In exchange, the company provided the Nizam with two battalions of company troops. Both of these acts placed British troops closer to Mysore, but also guaranteed the Nizam would support the British in the event of conflict. Travancore had been a target of Tipu for acquisition or conquest since

12444-410: The supply line from Bangalore. When the massive army reached the plains before Seringapatam on 5 February, Tipu's began showering the force with rockets. Cornwallis responded with a night-time attack to dislodge Tipu from his lines. After a somewhat confused battle, Tipu's forces were flanked, and he retreated into the city, and Cornwallis began siege operations . On 12 February, Abercromby arrived with

12566-462: The term derives from Sanskrit svami and sri (which in combined form becomes tiri ), which Krishna Iyer glosses as "emperor". He gives the complete title as Svami Tiri Tirumulapad ("august emperor"). The Zamorins used the title Punturakkon or Punthurakon (Victor/Lord of Punthura?) in inscriptions from c. 1100, in palace records known as the Granthavaris, and in official treaties with

12688-605: The town before Medows arrived, Tipu then moved on to rampage through the Carnatic , destroying towns and seizing supplies as he went. He ended up at the French outpost at Pondicherry , where he attempted to interest the French in supporting his efforts against the British. As France was then in the early stages of its revolution , these efforts were entirely unsuccessful. Medows at this point moved toward Madras, where he turned over command of his army to Lord Cornwallis. Tipu sultan had turned

12810-503: The untouchables – the Cherumas and Panans of Kotta – resisted the advancing Calicut forces. The Calicut won their affection by gifts and presents. Calicut prince was met by an ancestor of Kavalappara Nair, a vassal of Valluvanadu, at Karakkadu. The chiefs under Palakkad surrendered to Calicut at Vengotri, Nellayi and Kakkathodu. Zamorin of Calicut appointed the Eralppadu as the ruler of southern Malabar region during this time. The provincial seat

12932-457: The vassals of Kochi. The Kochi chief was defeated in a battle at Thrissur and his palace was occupied. But, the defeated chief escaped to further south. Pursuing the chief to south, the Calicut forces under Zamorin penetrated and occupied the town of Kochi. Unable to withstand the attacks, Kochi finally accepted Calicut's rule. The prince from the elder branch was installed on the throne of Kochi as vassal. The battles against Kochi were followed by

13054-486: The view that the Eradi was in fact a favourite of the last Kodungallur Chera king as he was at the forefront of the battles with the Chola – Pandya forces in south Kerala. The Eradi seems to have led the Chera army to victory. The king therefore granted him, as a mark of favour, a small tract of land on the sea-coast Calicut in addition to his hereditary possessions (Eralanadu province). The Eradis subsequently moved their seat to

13176-409: The war in 1791, committing sacrilege by plundering the temple and killing or wounding locals, which included locals and Brahamins, leading its Swami to plea for help from Tipu, who quickly dispatched men and funds to help restore the temple. That Tipu had appointed various Hindus to high posts at court and as officers in his army during the war stands contrary to the claims that he turned the battle into

13298-565: The wars against the British, Kerala and the Marathas into a religious war, as evidenced by his personal letters. He massacred numerous Hindus and Christians, not sparing even the women and children and destroyed numerous churches, Hindu temples and even synagogues. Tipu has been a controversial figure and criticised for his repression of Hindus and Christians. Various sources describe the massacres, imprisonment, forced conversion, and circumcision of Hindus ( Kodavas of Coorg and Nairs of Malabar ) and Christians ( Catholics of Mangalore ) and

13420-462: The weary garrison. That evening, the full force of Tipu's army fell upon them as they camped at Cheyoor. A desperate stand by the infantry repulsed repeated assaults, and only the arrival of reinforcements sent by Medows rescued them. Tipu then embarked on a campaign of harassing the British supply and communications, while screening the movements of his main force. In early November, he successfully misled Medows, moving much of his army north to attack

13542-683: The world would gather. The Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama visited Quilandy (Koyilandy) in 1498, opening the sailing route directly from Europe to South Asia . The port at Kozhikode acted as the gateway to medieval South Indian coast for the Arabs , the Chinese , the Portuguese , the Dutch , and finally the British . The Portuguese efforts to lay the foundations to Estado da Índia , and to take complete control over

13664-580: Was May before Medows was prepared to march. In the meantime, Tipu had renewed his attack on Travancore, and successfully breached the Nedumkotta line in late April 1790, despite the heavy losses inflicted by the Tranvancorean army. The Travancorean army made a strategic retreat to the further bank of the Periyar River and regrouped, preparing to contest the crossing of the river. The monsoon rains prevented

13786-442: Was at Karimpuzha. Talappilli (present day taluk of the same name and coastal regions from Ponnani to Chetwai) and Chengazhinadu submitted to Calicut without any resistance. Calicut then completed the subjugation Ponnani taluk from Valluvanadu and captured Vannerinadu from Perumpadappu. The Perumpadappu ruler was forced to shift their base further south to Thiruvanchikkulam. When Thrikkanamathilakam near Thiruvanchikkulam came under

13908-453: Was challenged by the king of Cochin, who said that the Kavalappars were his "acknowledged dependent[s]" and paid tribute to him, but the arrangement was continued with some financial amendments in 1793. The traditional system of land tenancies and land ownership in Malabar, known as janmi , had resulted in a small number of families owning most of the land. The EIC had determined to use

14030-475: Was dignified by the title "Naittiyar". The family of chieftains that ruled the polities in premodern Kerala was known as the swaroopam . The rulers of Calicut belonged to "Nediyirippu swaroopam" and followed matriliny system of inheritance. The eldest male member of Nediyirippu swaroopam became the Zamorin of Calicut. There was a set pattern of succession, indicated by sthanams in the royal line. Five sthanams were defined in Calicut. These positions were based on

14152-464: Was fought between the British and Mysore in 1799, in which Seringapatam was taken , and Tipu was killed in its defence. The victors, rather than partitioning the country, forced Tipu's family into exile and restored control of Mysore to the Wadiyars . One notable military advance championed by Tipu Sultan was the use of mass attacks with rocket brigades, called cushoons , in the army. The weapons used by

14274-545: Was made in 1672 out of the fragments of the old. The broken parts of the 1672 sword, kept in a fully sealed copper sheath, are still worshipped daily in the Bhagavathi temple attached to the palace of the Zamorins at Thiruvachira. The 17th century work, Keralolpathi describes the events following the gift of Calicut to the Eradi prince. Kozhikode and its suburbs formed part of Polanadu ruled by Polarthiri. The Eradi marched with his Nairs towards Panniyankara and besieged

14396-518: Was moving toward the Mysorean capital, Srirangapatnam , Hurry Punt moved out from Kurnool, and made junction with Cornwallis on 28 May. The Nizam's army, led by Mahabat Jung, advanced to Koppal , which they besieged in October 1790. Poor-quality cannons impeded the conduct of the siege, which was not successfully concluded until April 1791. British forces succeeded in taking control of the Malabar Coast late in 1790. One force under Colonel Hartley gained

14518-451: Was not interested in significantly extending the company's territory, or in turning most of Mysore over to the Mahrattas and Hyderabad, negotiated a division of one half of Mysorean territory, to be divided by the allies, in which the company's acquisition would improve its defences. He later wrote, "If we had taken Seringapatam and killed Tippoo, [...] we must either have given that capital to

14640-406: Was the greatest blow to Valluvanadu after the loss of Tirunavaya and Ponnani . Calicut faced defeat in their next assault on Perumpadappu swaroopam. The combined forces of Perumpadappu and Valluvanadu resisted Calicut warriors and a vicious battle ensued for three days, at the end of which Calicut forces was on the retreat. After a period of uneasy calm in Kerala, Calicut occupied Nedunganadu,

14762-600: Was to Travancore that the family fled when the Mysorean occupation of Malabar dispossessed them of their properties. The Kavalappara joined with Kesava Pillai and forces of the East India Company (EIC) in the Third Anglo-Mysore War , supplying both soldiers and grain. In recognition of this, Pillai, who was Diwan of Travancore and acting for the Bombay Presidency , reinstated their position as chieftains. A dispute arose because this arrangement contradicted one made around

14884-444: Was very nearly before the gates of Bangalore on 5 March. Tipu had fortified the city and supplied the garrison, but he stayed with his main force on the outskirts of the Company positions as Cornwallis began siege operations . After six weeks of siege, in which the Company had to repeatedly beat off attacks and skirmishes from Tipu, they successfully stormed the citadel. After securing Bangalore, Cornwallis turned his army north to meet

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