Peoples Revolt

Class 8 | Social Science — History | Unit 4

Class 8 Unit 4 History

Unit 4 People's Revolt

Learning Objectives

• To know the Palayakkarar (Poligar) system in Tamil Nadu
• To understand the role of PuliThevar and Kattabomman in the anti-British uprising
• To know about the South Indian Rebellion
• To know the causes and effects of Vellore Mutiny
• To understand the causes and impacts of Revolt of eighteen fifty seven

Introduction

The establishment of political and economic dominance by the British over many parts of India after the Battle of Plassey, Seventeen fifty seven disrupted the political, social and economic order of the country. This led to the divesting many landlords and chieftains of their power and estates. Naturally, many of them revolted against the British. The English assumed the right of collecting the annual tribute from the Palayakkarar. The first resistance to the British was offered by the Puli Thevar. Since then there had been rebellions by Palayakkarar such as the Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Oomathurai, Marudu brothers and Dheeran Chinnamalai.

Origin of Palayam

The Vijayanagar rulers appointed Nayaks in their provinces. The Nayak of Madurai in turn appointed Palayakkarar. Viswanatha became the Nayak of Madurai in 1529. He noticed that he could not control the chieftain who wanted more powers in their provinces. So with the consultation of his minister Ariyanatha Mudaliyar, Viswanatha instituted Palayakkarar system in 1529. The whole country was divided into 72 Palayams and each one was put under a Palayakkarar. Palayakkarar was the holder of a territory or a Palayam. These Palayams were held in military tenure and extended their full co-operation to be need of the Nayaks. The Palayakkarars collected taxes, of which one third was given to the Nayak of Madurai another one third for the expenditure of the army and rest was kept for themselves.

Early revolts of South India

Revolt of the Palayakkars

During the 17th and 18th centuries the Palayakkarars played a vital role in the politics of Tamil Nadu. They regarded themselves as independent. Among the Palayakkarars, there were two blocs, namely the Eastern and the Western blocs. The Eastern Palayams were the Nayaks ruled under the control of Kattabomman and the Western palayams were the Maravas ruled under the control of Puli Thevar. These two palayakkarars refused to pay the kist (tribute) to the English and rebelled. The early struggle between the Palayakkaras and the East India Company had a strong political dimension. By the Carnatic treaty of seventeen ninety two, consolidated the English power over the Palayakkars. The English got the right to collect taxes. The result was the outbreak of the revolt of Palayakkars.

Puli Thevar

Puli Thevar was the pioneer in Tamil Nadu, to protest against the English rule in India. He was the Palayakkarar of the Nerkattumseval, near Tirunelveli. During his tenure he refused to pay the tribute neither to Mohammed Ali, the Nawab of Arcot nor to the English. Further he started opposing them. Hence, the forces of the Nawab of Arcot and the English attacked Puli Thevar. But the combined forces were defeated by Puli Thevar at Tirunelveli. Puli Thevar was the first Indian king to have fought and defeated the British in India. After this victory Puli Thevar attempted to form a league of the Palayakkars to oppose the British and the Nawab. In 1759, Nerkattumseval was attacked by the forces of Nawab of Arcot under the leadership of Yusuf Khan. Puli Thevar was defeated at Anthanallur and the Nawabs forces captured Nerkattumseval in 1761. Puli Thevar who lived in exile recaptured Nerkattumseval in 1764. Later, he was defeated by Captain Campell in 1767. Puli Thevar escaped and died in exile without fulfilling his purpose, although his courageous trail of a struggle for independence in the history of South India.

Virapandya Kattabomman

As a feudatory under Pandyas, Jagaveerapandiaya Kattabomman ruled Virapandyapuram. Panchalankurichi was its capital. He later became a Poligar during the rule of Nayaks. He was succeeded by his son Veerapandya Kattabomman. His wife was Jakkammal and his brothers were Oomathurai and Sevathaiah.

Nawab of Arcot

After the decline of the Vijayanagar empire, the mughals established their supremacy in the south. The Nawabs acted as their representatives in Karnataka. Panchalamkuruchi palayam was acted as an ally to the Nawab of Arcot. Hence it paid tribute to the Nawabs. But in seventeen ninety two, the political condition had completely changed. Based on the Carnatic treaty of seventeen ninety two, the company gained the right to collect taxes from Panchalamkuruchi. The collection of tribute was the main cause for the rivalry between the English and Kattabomman.

Kattabomman met Jackson

In 1798, Colin Jackson, the collector of Ramanathapuram wrote letters to Kattabomman asking him to pay the tribute arrears. But Kattabomman replied that he was not in a position to remit the tribute due to the famine in the country. Colin Jackson got angry and decided to send an expedition to punish Kattabomman. However, the Madras government directed the collector to summon the Palayakkarar at Ramanathapuram and hold a discussion. In 1798, Kattabomman and his minister Siva Subramaniam met the Collector at Ramanathapuram. Upon a verification of accounts, Colin Jackson was convinced that Kattabomman had cleared most of the arrears leaving only 1080 pagodas as balance. During this interview Kattabomman and his Minister, Sivasubramaniam, had to stand before the arrogant collector for three hours. The Collector insulted them and tried to arrest Kattabomman and his minister. Kattabomman tried to escape with his minister. Oomathurai suddenly entered the fort with his men and helped the escape of Kattabomman. But unfortunately Sivasubramaniam was taken as prisoner.

Edward Clive and Kattabomman

After his return to Panchalamkuruchi, Kattabomman wrote a letter to the Madras Council narrating the behaviour of the Collector Colin Jackson. Edward Clive, the Governor of Madras Council ordered Kattabomman to surrender. The Madras Council directed Kattabomman to appear before a Committee. Meanwhile, Edward Clive dismissed the Collector for his misbehaviour and released SivaSubramania. Kattabomman appeared before the Committee and found Kattabomman was not guilty. S.R. Lushington was appointed collector in the place of Colin Jackson, who was eventually dismissed from service.

The confederacy of Palayakkarars

During that time, Marudu Pandyan of Sivaganga formed the South Indian Confederacy of rebels against the British, along with the neighbouring Palayakkarars. This confederacy declared a proclamation which came to be known as Tiruchirappalli Proclamation. Kattabomman was interested in this confederacy. He tried to establish his influence over Sivagiri, who refused to join with alliance of the rebels. Kattabomman advanced towards Sivagiri. But the Palayakkar of Sivagiri was a tributary to the Company. So, the Company considered the expedition of Kattabomman as a challenge to their authority. So, the Company ordered the army to march to Panchalamkuruchi.

Fall of Panchalamkuruchi

Major Bannerman moved his army to Panchalamkuruchi on 5th September. They cut of all the communications to the Fort. In a clash at Kallarpatti, Siva Subramaniyam was taken as a prisoner. Kattabomman escaped to Pudukottai. Vijaya Ragunatha Tondaiman, Raja of Pudukottai, captured Kattabomman from the jungles of Kalapore and handed over to the Company. After the fall of Panchalamkuruchi, Bannerman brought the prisoners to an assembly of the Palayakkarars and after trial sentenced them to death. Sivasubramania was executed at Nagalapuram. On the 16th October ViraPandya Kattabomman was tried before an assembly of Palayakkarar, summoned at Kayathar. On 16th October 1799, Kattabomman was hanged at Kayathar. Kattabomman's heroic deeds were the subject of many folk ballads which kept his memory alive among the people.

Velu Natchiyar

Velu Nachiyar was a queen of Sivagangai. At the age of 16, she was married to Muthu Vaduganathar, the Raja of Sivagangai. In 1772, the Nawab of Arcot and the British troops invaded Sivagangai. They killed Muthu Vaduganathar in Kalaiyar Koil battle. Velu Nachiyar escaped with her daughter Vellachi Natchiyar and lived under the protection of Gopala Nayaker at Virupachi near Dindigul. During this period she organised an army and employed her intelligent agents to find where the British stored their ammunition. She arranged a suicide attack by a faithful follower Kuyili, a commander of Velu Natchiyar. She recaptured Sivagangai and was again crowned as queen with the help of Marudhu brothers. She was the first queen to fight against the British colonial power in India. She is known by Tamils as Veeramangai and also known as 'Jhansi Rani of South India'.

Marudu Brothers

Marudu brothers were the sons of Mookiah Palaniappan and Ponnathal. The elder brother was called Periya Marudu (Vella Marudhu) and the younger brother Chinna Marudhu. Chinna Marudu was more popular and was called Marudu Pandiyan. Chinna Marudu served under Muthu Vaduganatha Peria Udaya Devar (1750-1772) of Sivaganga. In 1772 the Nawab of Arcot laid siege of Sivaganga and captured it. Muthu Vaduganatha Peria Udaya Devar, died in battle. However, after a few months Sivaganga was re-captured by Marudhu Brothers and Periya Marudhu was enthroned as the ruler. Chinna Marudhu acted as his adviser. Due to the terrorist activities against British, he was called as "Lion of Sivaganga". In the later half of the eighteenth century the rebellion against the British was carried by Marudu Brothers in South India.

Causes for the conflict

Kattabomman was hanged to death and his brother Umaithurai and others fled to Sivaganga, where Marudu Pandya gave protection to them. The merchants of Sivaganga did not like the interference of the company in their internal politics. The company waged war against Sivaganga for these two causes.

The South Indian Rebellion (Eighteen hundred to eighteen not one)

In February eighteen not one the brothers of Kattabomman, Oomathurai and Sevathaiah escaped from Palayamkottai prison and reached Kamudhi. Chinna Marudu took them to Siruvayal, his capital. They reconstructed their ancestral fort at Panchalamkurichi. The British troops under Colin Macaulay retook the fort in April and the Palayakkarar brothers sought shelter in Sivaganga. The English demanded Marudu Pandyas to hand over the fugitives, the latter refused. Col. Agnew and Colonel Innes marched against them. The Palayakkarar War assumed a much broader character than its predecessor. It was directed by a confederacy consisting of Marudu Pandiar of Sivaganga, Gopala Nayak of Dindigul, Kerala Varma of Malabar and Krishnappa Nayak and Dhoondaji of Mysore. The English declared war against the confederacy.

The Tiruchirappalli Proclamation (eighteen not one)

The Marudu Pandyas issued a proclamation of Independence called Tiruchirappalli Proclamation in June eighteen not one. The Proclamation of eighteen not one was the first call to the Indians to unite against the British. A copy of the proclamation was pasted on the walls of the Nawab's palace in the fort of Tiruchi and another copy was placed on the walls of the Vaishnava temple at Srirangam. Thus, Marudhu brothers spread the spirit of opposition against the English everywhere. As a result, many Palayakkarars of Tamil Nadu went on a rally to fight against the English. Chinna Marudhu collected nearly 20,000 men to challenge the English army. British reinforcements were rushed from Bengal, Ceylon and Malaya (Malaysia). The rajas of Pudukkottai, Ettayapuram and Thanjavur stood by the British. Divide and rule policy followed by the English split the forces of the Palayakkarars.

English annexed Sivagangai

In May 1801, English attacked the rebels in Thanjavur and Tiruchi areas. The rebels went to Piranmalai and Kalayarkoil. They were again defeated by the forces of the English. In the end, the superior military strength and the able commanders of the British army won the battle. The rebellion failed and English annexed Sivagangai in eighteen not one. The Marudu brothers were executed in the Fort of Tirupathur in Ramanathapuram District on 24 October eighteen not one. Oomathurai and Sevathaiah was captured and beheaded at Panchalamkuruchi on 16 November 1801. Seventy-three rebels were sentenced to Penang in Malaya, then called the Prince of Wales Island. Though they fell before the English, they were the pioneers in sowing the seeds of nationalism in the land of Tamil. Thus the South Indian Rebellion is a land mark in the history of Tamil Nadu. Although the 1800-1801 rebellion was to be categorized in the British records as the Second Palayakkarar War. Under the terms of the Karnataka Treaty on 31 July 1801, the British assumed direct control over Tamil Nadu. The Palayakkarar system was abolished.

Dheeran Chinnamalai

Dheeran Chinnamalai was born at Melapalayam in Chennimalai near Erode. His original name was Theerthagiri. He was a palayakkarar of Kongu country who fought the British East India Company. The Kongu country comprising Salem, Coimbatore, Karur and Dindigul formed a part of the Nayak kingdom of Madurai but had been annexed by the Wodayars of Mysore. After the fall of the Wodayars, these territories along with Mysore were controlled by the Mysore Sultans. After the third and fourth Mysore wars the entire Kongu region passed into the hands of the English. Dheeran Chinnamalai was trained by French military in modern warfare. He was along the side Tipu Sultan to fight against the British East India Company and got victories against the British. After Tipu Sultan's death Chinnamalai settled down at Odanilai and constructed a fort there to continue his struggle against the British. He sought the help of Marathas and Maruthu Pandiyar to attack the British at Coimbatore in 1800. British forces managed to stop the armies of the allies and hence Chinnamalai was forced to attack Coimbatore on his own. His army was defeated and he escaped from the British forces. Chinnamalai engaged in guerrilla warfare and defeated the British in battles at Cauvery, Odanilai and Arachalur. During the final battle, Chinnamalai was betrayed by his cook Nallapan and was hanged in Sankagiri Fort in 1805.

Vellore Revolt (1806)

The family members of Tipu were imprisoned at Vellore fort after the fourth Mysore war. Some three thousand ex-servants and soldiers of Hyder and Tipu had also been moved to the vicinity of Vellore and their property in Mysore confiscated. It was quite natural that they were all unhappy and they hatred the English. The Vellore fort consisted of large majority of Indian troops, a good part of it recently been raised in Tirunelveli after the Palayakarar uprising of 1800. Many of the trained soldiers of the various Palayams were admitted into the English army. Thus the Vellore fort became the meeting ground of the rebel forces of South India. In 1803, William Cavendish Bentinck became Governor of Madras. During his period certain military regulations were introduced in 1805-06 and were enforced by the Madras Commander-in-Chief Sir John Cradock. But the sepoys felt that these were designed to insult them.

Causes for the revolt

The strict discipline, new weapons, new methods and uniforms were all new to the sepoys. The sepoys were asked to shave the beard and to trim the moustache. The wearing of religious mark on the forehead and the use of ear-rings were also banned. The English treated the Indian sepoys as their inferior. There was the racial prejudice.

Immediate Cause

In June 1806, military General Agnew introduced a new turban, resembling a European hat with a badge of cross on it. It was popularly known as 'Agnew's turban'. Both the Hindu and Muslim soldiers opposed it. So the soldiers were severely punished by the English.

Course of the Revolt

The Indian soldiers were waiting for an opportunity to attack the English officers. Tipu's family also took part. Fettah Hyder, the elder son of Tipu, tried to form an alliance against the English. On July 10th in the early morning the native sepoys of the 1st and 23rd Regiments started the revolt. Colonel Fancourt, who commanded the garrison, was their first victim. The fort gates were closed. Meantime, the rebels proclaimed Futteh Hyder, as their new ruler. The British flag in the fort was brought down. The tiger-striped flag of Tipu Sultan was hoisted on the fort of Vellore.

Suppression of the Revolt

Major Cootes who was outside the fort rushed to Ranipet and informed Colonel Gillespie. Col. Gillespie reached Vellore fort. He made an attack on the rebel force. The revolt was completely suppressed and failed. Peace was restored in Vellore. On the whole, 113 Europeans and about 350 sepoys were killed in the uprising. The revolt was suppressed within a short period. It was one of the significant events in the history of Tamil Nadu.

Effects of the Vellore Revolt

The new methods and uniform regulations were withdrawn. The family of Tipu as a precautionary measure was sent to Calcutta. William Cavendish Bentinck was removed from his service.

Causes for the failure of the Revolt

There was no proper leadership to guide the soldiers properly. The rebellion was also not well organised. Divide and Rule policy of the English, split the unity of the Indians. V.D. Savarkar calls the Vellore revolt of 1806 as the prelude to the first War of Indian Independence in 1857.

The Revolt of Eighteen fifty seven

The early uprisings did not succeed in threatening the British in India. It took the Revolt of 1857 to bring home to the Company and the British thought that their rule was not accepted to a large section of the population. The Revolt of 1857 was a product of the character and the policies of colonial rule. The cumulative effect of British expansionist policies, economic exploitation and administrative innovations over the years had adversely affected the positions of all rulers of Indian states.

Causes of the Revolt

The most important cause of revolt eighteen fifty seven was a popular discontent of the British policy of economically exploiting India. This hurt all sections of society. The peasants suffered due to high revenue demands and the strict revenue collection policy. Policies of doctrine of lapse, subsidiary alliance and policy of Effective Control created discontentment among people. Annexation of Awadh (Oudh) proved that even the grovelling loyalty can't satisfy British greed for territories. The conversion activities of Christian missionaries were looked upon with suspicion and fear. The priests and the maulavis showed their discontent against the British rule. Abolition of practices like sati, female infanticide, support to widow remarriage and female education were seen by many as interference in their Indian culture by the Europeans. The Indian sepoys were looked upon as inferior beings and treated with contempt by their British officers. They were paid much less than the British soldiers. All avenues of the promotion were closed to them as all the higher army posts were reserved for the British.

Immediate cause

The immediate cause was the introduction of new Enfield Rifles in the army. The top of the cartridge of this rifle was to be removed by the mouth before loading it in the rifle. The cartridges were greased by the fat of pig and the cow. The Indian sepoys believed that the British were deliberately attempting to spoil the religion of both the Hindus and the Muslims because while the Hindus revered the cow, the Muslims hated the pig. The soldiers, therefore, determined to refuse their service and, ultimately revolted. Thus, the primary and the immediate cause of the revolt was the use of the greased cartridges.

The Outbreak of the Revolt

On 29 March 1857 at Barrackpur (near Kolkata) Mangal Pandey, a young Sepoy from Bengal Regiment, refused to use the greased cartridge, and shot down his sergeant. He was arrested, tried and executed. When this news spread many sepoys revolted.

Course of the Revolt

On 10 May 1857, the Sepoys of the third cavalry at Meerut openly revolted by swarming the prisons and releasing their comrades. They were immediately joined by the men of the 11th and 20th Native Infantries, and they murdered some English officers and then marched to Delhi. The arrival of Meerut sepoys at Delhi on 11th May and declared of Bahadur Shah 2 as the Emperor of India. Delhi became the centre of the Great Revolt and Bahadur Shah, its symbol. The revolt spread quickly. There were mutinies at Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Bareilly, Bihar, Faizabad, and many other places in north India. Many of them found that it was a good opportunity to burn the papers of their landlords. Many others whose titles and pensions were abolished by the British who participated in it, inorder to take revenge.

In Central India the revolt was guided by Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi. She was one of the greatest patriots of India. Sir Hugh Rose occupied Jhansi. Rani Lakshmi Bai fled from Jhansi and joined hands with Tantia Tope who had assumed the leadership of the rebel army at Gwalior. But the British captured Gwalior in June 1858. Rani was killed in the battle. Tantia Tope fled away but was captured and later executed. According to the British historians, present at the time of revolt, Rani Lakshmi Bai was the best and the bravest among the leaders of the Revolt of eighteen fifty seven.

Suppression of the Revolt

Lord Canning, the governor-general took immediate steps to suppress the revolt. He collected the forces of Madras, Bombay, Sri Lanka and Burma. On his own initiative, he called the British army which was deputed to China by Britain to Calcutta. He ordered the loyal Sikh army to proceed to Delhi immediately. The British regained their lost positions very soon. Delhi was recaptured by General John Nicholson on 20 September, eighteen fifty seven and deportation of Bahadur Shah II to Rangoon where he died in 1862. Military operations with the recovery of Kanpur were closely associated with the recovery of Lucknow. Sir Colin Campbell occupied Kanpur. Nana Saheb was defeated at Kanpur and escaped to Nepal. His close associate Tantia Tope escaped to central India, was captured and put to death while asleep. The Rani of Jhansi had died in the battle-field. Kunwar Singh, Khan Bahadur Khan were all dead, while the Begum of Awadh was compelled to hide in Nepal. The revolt was finally suppressed. By the end of eighteen fifty nine, British authority over India was fully re-established.

Places of Revolt	Indian Leaders	British Officials who suppressed the revolt
Delhi	Bahadur Shah 2	John Nicholson
Lucknow	Begum Hazrat Mahal	Henry Lawrence
Kanpur	Nana Saheb	Sir Colin Campbell
Jhansi & Gwalior	Lakshmi Bai, Tantia Tope	General Hugh Rose
Bareilly	Khan Bahadur Khan	Sir Colin Campbell
Bihar	Kunwar Singh	William Tailor

The Causes for the Failure of the Revolt

Various causes were responsible for the failure of the revolt. Lack of organisation, discipline, common plan of action, centralised leadership, modern weapons and techniques. The rebel leaders were no match to the British Generals. Rani Lakshmi Bai, Tantia Tope and Nana Saheb were courageous but they were not good generals. Non-participation of Bengal, Bombay, Madras, western Punjab and Rajputana. The modern educated Indians did not support the Revolts as they believed that only British rule could reform Indian society and modernize it. The British managed to get the loyalty of the Sikhs, Afghans and the Gurkha regiments. The Gurkhas actually helped the British in suppressing the revolt. The British had better weapons, better generals, and good organisation.

Consequences of the Revolt

The Revolt of 1857 marked a turning point in the history of India. It led to changes in the system of administration and the policy of the Government. The administration of India was transferred from the East India Company to the British Crown through the 'Queen's Proclamation' in 1858. The governor general was given the title of viceroy. The Board of Directors and the Board of Control were replaced by the Council of 15 members headed by the Secretary of State to supervise Indian affairs. The Indian Army was thoroughly reorganised. More Britishers were employed in the army. The British military policy came to be dominated by the idea of 'divide and counterpoise'. In fact, the Revolt of 1857 played an important role in bringing the Indian people together and imparting them the consciousness of belonging to one country. The Revolt paved the way for the rise of the modern national movement. It was at the beginning of the twentieth century that the 1857 Revolt came to be interpreted as a "planned war of national independence", by the Historian V.D. Savarkar in his book, 'First War of Indian Independence'.

Recap

• The Vijayanagar rulers appointed Nayaks in their provinces. The Nayak of Madurai in turn appointed Palayakkarar.
• The English got the right to collect taxes and the result was the outbreak of the revolt of Palayakkarars.
• The collection of tribute was the main cause for the rivalry between the English and Kattabomman.
• Marudu brothers were the sons of Mookiah Palaniappan and Ponnathal.
• Dheeran Chinnamalai was trained by French military in modern warfare.
• Tipu Sultan fought against the British East India Company.
• Rani Lakshmi Bai was the best and the bravest among the leaders of the Revolt of 1857.

GLOSSARY

Beheaded hanged to death தூக்கிலிடு Betrayed give away information about somebody காட்டிக்கொடு Cartridge bullet தோட்டா Eventually in the end முடிவாக Infantry an army unit consisting of soldiers who fight on foot காலாட்படை Tribute payment made periodically by one state கப்பம் Swarm crowd கூட்டம்

Evaluation

Exercise 1. Choose the correct answer

1. The Palayakkarar system was instituted in

a) Fifteen nineteen b) Fifteen twenty c) Fifteen twenty nine d) Fifteen thirty

2. Which of the following Palayakkarar of Tamil Nadu was the pioneer against the English rule

a) Puli Thevar b) Yusuf Khan c) Kattabomman d) Marudu brothers

3. Colin Jackson was the collector of

a) Madurai b) Tirunelveli c) Ramanathapuram d) Tuticorin

4. Veera Pandiya Kattabomman was hanged at

a) Panchalamkurichi b) Sivagangai c) Tiruppathur d) Kayathar

5. Velu Nachiyar was a queen of

a) Nagalapuram b) Sivagiri c) Sivagangai d) Virupachi

6. Tiruchirapalli proclamation was issued by

a) Marudu Pandiyars b) Krishnappa Nayak c) Velu Natchiyar d) Dheeran Chinnamalai

7. Which of the following place was associated with Dheeran chinnamalai

a) Dindigul b) Nagalapuram c) Pudukottai d) Odanilai

8. Rani Lakshmi Bai led the revolt at

a) Central India b) Kanpur c) Delhi d) Bareilly Exercise 2. Fill in the Blanks

1. The Eastern Palayms were ruled under the control of .

2. Vishwanatha Nayakar instituted the Palayakarar system with the consultation of his minister .

3. The ancestors of Kattabomman belonged to .

4. was known by Tamils as Veera mangai and Jhansi Rani of south india.

5. was called as 'lion' of sivagangai.

6. was described the revolt of 1857 as First War of India Independence.

Exercise 3. Match the following

1) Delhi
2) Kanpur
3) Jhansi
4) Bareilly
5) Bihar

Options: Kunwar Singh, Khan Bahudar Khan, Nana Saheb, Lakshmi Bai, Bahadur Shah 2

Exercise 4. State true or false 1. The Vijayanagar rulers appointed Nayaks in their provinces. 2. Sivasubramania was the minister of Marudu pandiyas. 3. Kattabomman was hanged on 16th October 1799. 4. Fettah Hyder was the elder son of Tipu Sultan. Exercise 5. Consider the following statements and tick ( ✓ ) the appropriate answer

1. The Vellore revolt was held in 1801.

2. The family members of Tipu were imprisoned at Vellore fort after the fourth Mysore war.

3. At the time of Vellore revolt, the Governor of Madras was Lord William Bentinck.

4. The victory of revolt of Vellore against British was one of the significant event in the history of India.

a) 1 & 2 are Correct b) 2 & 4 are Correct c) 2 & 3 are correct d) 1, 2 & 4 are correct Exercise 6. Find out the wrong pair (a) Marudu Pandiyar - Ettayapuram (b) Gopala Nayak - Dindigul (c) Kerala Varma - Malabar (d) Dhoondaji - Mysore

Find out the odd one

(a) Kattabomman (b) Oomaithurai (c) Sevathaiah (d) Tipu Sultan Exercise 7. Answer the following in one or two sentences

1. What do you know about the Palayakarars? Name some of them.

2. What was the part of Velu Nachiyar in the Palayakkarar revolt?

3. Who were the leaders of Palayakkarar confederacy in the south Indian rebellion?

4. What was the importance of Tiruchirappalli proclamation?

5. Bring out the effects of the Vellore revolt.

6. What was the immediate cause of the Revolt of 1857?

Exercise 8. Answer the following in detail

1. What do you know about the Puli Thevar?

2. Explain the events that led to conflict between Dheeran Chinnamalai and the British.

3. What were the causes for the Great revolt of 1857?

4. What were the causes for the failure of the Revolt of 1857?

HOTs

Prove that there was no common purpose among the leaders of the Great revolt of 1857.

Exercise Map skill

On the River map of India mark the following centres of the revolt of 1857.

• Delhi
• Lucknow
• Meerut
• Barrackpore
• Jhansi
• Gwalior
• Kanpur

Exercise Project and Activity

collect pictures of Palayakkarars and prepare an album.

REFERENCE BOOKS

• Rajayyan, K. - South Indian rebellion : The First War of Independence 1800-1801, Mysore : Rao and Raghavan, Mysore 1971
• Bipan Chandra - History of Modern India, Orient Blackswan Private Limited 2018
• Ishita Banerjee-Dube - A History of Modern India, Cambridge University Press 2014

INTERNET RESOURCES

• https://www.britannica.com
• https://www.ducksters.com/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vellore_mutiny
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Rebellion_of_1857

Book-back Exercises — Questions & Answers

Answers generated strictly from the Samacheer Kalvi textbook content. Attempt each question first, then click "Show Answer" to check.

1. Choose the correct answer

1. The Palayakkarar system was instituted in

a) 1519 b) 1520 c) 1529 d) 1530

Answer: c) 1529

Explanation: Viswanatha became the Nayak of Madurai in 1529 and with the consultation of his minister Ariyanatha Mudaliyar, instituted Palayakkarar system in 1529.

2. Which of the following Palayakkarar of Tamil Nadu was the pioneer against the English rule

a) Puli Thevar b) Yusuf Khan c) Kattabomman d) Marudu brothers

Answer: a) Puli Thevar

Explanation: Puli Thevar was the pioneer in Tamil Nadu, to protest against the English rule in India. He was the first Indian king to have fought and defeated the British in India.

3. Colin Jackson was the collector of

a) Madurai b) Tirunelveli c) Ramanathapuram d) Tuticorin

Answer: c) Ramanathapuram

Explanation: In 1798, Colin Jackson, the collector of Ramanathapuram wrote letters to Kattabomman asking him to pay the tribute arrears.

4. Veera Pandiya Kattabomman was hanged at

a) Panchalamkurichi b) Sivagangai c) Tiruppathur d) Kayathar

Answer: d) Kayathar

Explanation: On 16th October 1799, Kattabomman was tried before an assembly of Palayakkarar, summoned at Kayathar and was hanged at Kayathar.

5. Velu Nachiyar was a queen of

a) Nagalapuram b) Sivagiri c) Sivagangai d) Virupachi

Answer: c) Sivagangai

Explanation: Velu Nachiyar was a queen of Sivagangai who was married to Muthu Vaduganathar, the Raja of Sivagangai.

6. Tiruchirapalli proclamation was issued by

a) Marudu Pandiyars b) Krishnappa Nayak c) Velu Natchiyar d) Dheeran Chinnamalai

Answer: a) Marudu Pandiyars

Explanation: The Marudu Pandyas issued a proclamation of Independence called Tiruchirappalli Proclamation in June 1801.

7. Which of the following place was associated with Dheeran chinnamalai

a) Dindigul b) Nagalapuram c) Pudukottai d) Odanilai

Answer: d) Odanilai

Explanation: After Tipu Sultan's death Chinnamalai settled down at Odanilai and constructed a fort there to continue his struggle against the British.

8. Rani Lakshmi Bai led the revolt at

a) Central India b) Kanpur c) Delhi d) Bareilly

Answer: a) Central India

Explanation: In Central India the revolt was guided by Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi. She was one of the greatest patriots of India.

2. Fill in the Blanks

1. The Eastern Palayms were ruled under the control of ______.

Answer: Kattabomman

2. Vishwanatha Nayakar instituted the Palayakarar system with the consultation of his minister ______.

Answer: Ariyanatha Mudaliyar

3. The ancestors of Kattabomman belonged to ______.

Answer: Pandyas

4. ______ was known by Tamils as Veera mangai and Jhansi Rani of south india.

Answer: Velu Natchiyar

5. ______ was called as 'lion' of sivagangai.

Answer: Chinna Marudu

6. ______ was described the revolt of 1857 as First War of India Independence.

Answer: V.D. Savarkar

3. Match the Following

1. Match the Following

1) Delhi	Kunwar Singh
2) Kanpur	Khan Bahudar Khan
3) Jhansi	Nana Saheb
4) Bareilly	Lakshmi Bai
5) Bihar	Bahadur Shah 2

Answers: 1-Bahadur Shah 2, 2-Nana Saheb, 3-Lakshmi Bai, 4-Khan Bahudar Khan, 5-Kunwar Singh

4. State true or false

1. The Vijayanagar rulers appointed Nayaks in their provinces.

Answer: True

2. Sivasubramania was the minister of Marudu pandiyas.

Answer: False

3. Kattabomman was hanged on 16th October 1799.

Answer: True

4. Fettah Hyder was the elder son of Tipu Sultan.

Answer: True

5. Consider the following statements and tick (✓) the appropriate answer

1. The Vellore revolt was held in 1801. The family members of Tipu were imprisoned at Vellore fort after the fourth Mysore war. At the time of Vellore revolt, the Governor of Madras was Lord William Bentinck. The victory of revolt of Vellore against British was one of the significant event in the history of India.

a) 1 & 2 are Correct b) 2 & 4 are Correct c) 2 & 3 are correct d) 1, 2 & 4 are correct

Answer: c) 2 & 3 are correct

Explanation: The Vellore revolt was held in 1806 (not 1801), and it failed (not victorious), so statements 2 and 3 are correct.

6. Find out the wrong pair / Find out the odd one

1. Find out the wrong pair

a) Marudu Pandiyar - Ettayapuram b) Gopala Nayak - Dindigul c) Kerala Varma - Malabar d) Dhoondaji - Mysore

Answer: a) Marudu Pandiyar - Ettayapuram

Explanation: Marudu Pandiyar was associated with Sivaganga, not Ettayapuram.

2. Find out the odd one

a) Kattabomman b) Oomaithurai c) Sevathaiah d) Tipu Sultan

Answer: d) Tipu Sultan

Explanation: Kattabomman, Oomaithurai, and Sevathaiah were all Palayakkars, while Tipu Sultan was a ruler of Mysore.

Answer the following in one or two sentences

1. What do you know about the Palayakarars? Name some of them.

Answer: Palayakkarar was the holder of a territory or a Palayam. They were appointed by the Nayak of Madurai under the Vijayanagar system. Some prominent Palayakkars were Puli Thevar, Kattabomman, Marudu brothers, and Dheeran Chinnamalai.

2. What was the part of Velu Nachiyar in the Palayakkarar revolt?

Answer: Velu Nachiyar was the queen of Sivagangai who organized an army and employed intelligent agents against the British. She recaptured Sivagangai with the help of Marudhu brothers and was the first queen to fight against the British colonial power in India.

3. Who were the leaders of Palayakkarar confederacy in the south Indian rebellion?

Answer: The confederacy consisted of Marudu Pandiar of Sivaganga, Gopala Nayak of Dindigul, Kerala Varma of Malabar and Krishnappa Nayak and Dhoondaji of Mysore.

4. What was the importance of Tiruchirappalli proclamation?

Answer: The Tiruchirappalli Proclamation of 1801 was the first call to the Indians to unite against the British. It spread the spirit of opposition against the English everywhere and many Palayakkarars of Tamil Nadu joined the fight against the English.

5. Bring out the effects of the Vellore revolt.

Answer: The new methods and uniform regulations were withdrawn. The family of Tipu as a precautionary measure was sent to Calcutta. William Cavendish Bentinck was removed from his service.

6. What was the immediate cause of the Revolt of 1857?

Answer: The immediate cause was the introduction of new Enfield Rifles with cartridges greased by the fat of pig and cow. Indian sepoys believed the British were deliberately attempting to spoil the religion of both Hindus and Muslims.

Answer the following in detail

1. What do you know about the Puli Thevar?

Answer: Puli Thevar was the pioneer in Tamil Nadu to protest against English rule and was the Palayakkarar of Nerkattumseval near Tirunelveli. He refused to pay tribute to Mohammed Ali, the Nawab of Arcot and the English. He defeated the combined forces of the Nawab and English at Tirunelveli, becoming the first Indian king to fight and defeat the British in India. He attempted to form a league of Palayakkars against the British. Though he recaptured Nerkattumseval in 1764, he was later defeated by Captain Campbell in 1767 and died in exile.

2. Explain the events that led to conflict between Dheeran Chinnamalai and the British.

Answer: Dheeran Chinnamalai was trained by French military in modern warfare and fought alongside Tipu Sultan against the British. After Tipu's death, he settled at Odanilai and constructed a fort to continue his struggle against the British. He sought help from Marathas and Maruthu Pandiyar to attack the British at Coimbatore in 1800. When British forces stopped the allied armies, Chinnamalai attacked Coimbatore alone but was defeated. He then engaged in guerrilla warfare and defeated the British at Cauvery, Odanilai and Arachalur. During the final battle, he was betrayed by his cook Nallapan and was hanged in Sankagiri Fort in 1805.

3. What were the causes for the Great revolt of 1857?

Answer: The most important cause was popular discontent of British economic exploitation affecting all sections of society. Peasants suffered due to high revenue demands and strict collection policies. Policies like doctrine of lapse, subsidiary alliance and effective control created discontent. Annexation of Awadh showed British territorial greed. Christian missionary conversion activities created suspicion. Abolition of practices like sati and support to widow remarriage were seen as interference in Indian culture. Indian sepoys were treated as inferior beings, paid less than British soldiers, and denied promotions to higher army posts reserved for the British.

4. What were the causes for the failure of the Revolt of 1857?

Answer: The revolt failed due to lack of organization, discipline, common plan of action, centralized leadership, and modern weapons. The rebel leaders were no match to British Generals. Non-participation of Bengal, Bombay, Madras, western Punjab and Rajputana weakened the revolt. Modern educated Indians did not support believing British rule would reform society. The British managed to get loyalty of Sikhs, Afghans and Gurkha regiments who actually helped suppress the revolt. The British had better weapons, better generals, and good organization which led to their victory.

HOTs

1. Prove that there was no common purpose among the leaders of the Great revolt of 1857.

Answer: The revolt lacked organization, discipline, and a common plan of action among leaders. Different regions had different leaders with varying motivations - some fought for restoration of their territories, others for religious reasons. The absence of centralized leadership and coordination between regions like Delhi, Kanpur, Jhansi, and others showed lack of unified purpose. While Bahadur Shah II was declared Emperor, there was no effective central command. The rajas of Pudukkottai, Ettayapuram and Thanjavur stood by the British, showing the divide and rule policy successfully split the Indian forces.

📝 Summary

1. The Palayakkarar system was instituted in 1529 by Viswanatha Nayak of Madurai, who divided the country into 72 Palayams, each under a Palayakkarar who collected taxes and maintained military forces.
2. Puli Thevar was the first Indian king to fight and defeat the British in India, refusing to pay tribute to both the Nawab of Arcot and the English, and attempting to form a league of Palayakkars against British rule.
3. The Carnatic treaty of 1792 consolidated English power over the Palayakkars by giving the British the right to collect taxes, which led to widespread revolts by the Palayakkars.
4. Palayakkars were divided into two blocs - the Eastern Palayams under Kattabomman's control and the Western Palayams (Maravas) under Puli Thevar's control, both of which refused to pay tribute to the English.
5. The British establishment of political and economic dominance after the Battle of Plassey in 1757 disrupted India's existing order, leading to the divestment of many landlords and chieftains of their power and resulting in numerous revolts.