________________
DECEMBER, 1890.]
KANARESE BALLADS; No. 5.
A SELECTION OF KANARESE BALLADS. BY J. F. FLEET, Bo.C.S., M.R.A.S., C.I.E.
No. 5. THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW OF CHANNAVVA OF KITTUR.
-
413
ITTUR, now a Government village in the Sampgaum Taluka or Sub-Division of the K' Belgaum District, was formerly the chief town of a Desai's estate. The last Dêsai was Sivalingappa Rudrasarja, otherwise known as Bâpû Saheb. His father was the Mallappa or Mallasarja, who is mentioned in the ballad. Sivalingappa died in September 1824; leaving a stepmother, Channavva, and a wife, fravva or Viravva, but no children. In order to continue the family, an attempt was made by the Karbharf to pass off, as Sivalingappa's adopted son, a son of the Patil of the neighbouring village of Mastamardi. And the events which followed, ending in the resumption of the estate by the British Government, will be best described by reproducing Col. E. W. West's account (Memoir of the States of the Southern Maratha Country, p. 199 ff.): -
"On the 12th September 1824 one of the Dêsâi's principal servants came to Mr. Thackeray, the Principal Collector at Dharwad," [mentioned in the ballad, verse 4, as Takur Säheb], "to announce that his master was dying, and to deliver a letter purporting to be from him, in which the adoption of a son was announced. The letter was dated the 10th July, but it was stated the adoption had only taken place on the day the letter was received. The Civil Surgeon was immediately sent to Kittûr, which is about eighteen miles from Dharwad, but found the Dêsâî dead, and considered from the appearance of the corpse that he had been dead several hours and most probably before the messenger had left Kittûr for Dharwaḍ. All the circumstances connected with the alleged adoption seemed to Mr. Thackeray not a little suspicious. In the first place the Dêsât had never applied for permission to adopt, though he was aware of the proclamation rendering such application necessary. When Mr. Thackeray had seen him a few months previously, though he was very ill and spoke freely of his affairs, he never expressed any wish to adopt. The signature, too, to the letter was scarcely legible, and the characters were quite different from the Desai's usual handwriting, which was remarkably good and distinct, The conclusion therefore irresistibly pressed on Mr. Thackeray's mind was, that, if the adoption had ever taken place it was not performed till the Dêsâî was either dead or insensible.
"In reporting these circumstances for the information of Government, Mr. Thackeray pointed out that the family of the deceased consisted of his wife, who was only eleven years of age, his stepanother, and the young widow of his brother who had died two years previously. The remaining relations were, like the child said to have been adopted, descended from collateral branches so remote that their descent from the common ancestor could not be traced. He reported that he had proceeded to Kittûr to make inquiries into the alleged adoption, and to preserve order pending the decision of Government regarding the succession, and as, if the estate did not revert to Government, there would be a long minority, he proposed for the present to conduct the administration by means of two managers one on the part of Government, and the other one on that of the Desiî's family.
1 The term Deel denotes an hereditary officer, the chief local administrator of a dia or pargana, i. e. 'district;' another name for the same officer is Déémukh. The duties of the Dêsil or Dêémukh in the district under him, were very similar to those of a Patil in his village; and he had, as his coadjutor, a Dêépândy, corresponding to the Patil's coadjutor, the Kulkarni or village accountant. The offices of Dêsal and Dêépindys do not exist under the British Government; but the titles are still known and used, as in most cases the service-lands have been continued, as private property subject to certain limited assessments, to the descendants of those who held office under the Pêéwa's rule. The wife of
a Dêsal has the title of Désaint.
2 sarja appears to be a Porsian title. It seems to have been conferred upon the Dêsis of Kittür by the Raja of Kolapur (see West's Memoir, p. 196, note).
The Karbhari is the principal executive officer of a Hindu Native State.
