Indian Antiquary Vol 45

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 95

MAY, 1918)
THE HISTORY OF THE NAIK KINGDOM OF MADURA
87
day. One of the MSS.10 attributes even the forts of Tanjore, Srirangapatnam and Vellore to him,-a statement which it justifies by saying that, though staying in Madura, he was a generalissimo of the whole Empire. The gratitude of Aryanatha, moreover appointed villages to remit hundis or bills of a exchange to distant Benares for the daily feeding of 1,000 Brahmans in the name of Xambi, the priest of the Ganéśa temple, to whose encouragement and education, he owed all his greatness as a gencral and statesman.
Krishnappa's subjugation of a local rebellion. While the relation between Kumara Krismappa and the Emperor is thus one of uncertainty, there is nothing uncertain in his dealings with his own feudatories. Here he showed himself a true son of his father, a firm and determined ruler. It has been already mentioned how the Polygar system had, with all its benefits, one great disadvantage. The loyalty of tue Polygars was an elastic thing, an evanescent feeling, strong under & strong king and woak under a weak one. As long as Visvanatha held the reins of government, the conduct of the Polygars was characterised by willing obedience ; but the death of that hero and the absence of Aryanatha in the North, relieved them from the yoke of discipline, and gave them the opportunity for a rising. The man who took advantage of this state of things was the turbulent Thumbichohi20 Nâik. We have already seen how, in days previous to the Naik conquest, he had enjoyed an extensive territory and power, and how the advent of Visvanatha gave a check to his ambition and a blow to his authority. Evidently Tumbichchi had looked on the author of his disgrace more with hatred than loyalty; but prudence and fear had prevented him from rebellion. And now, when Visvanatha was dead, and his faithful Dalavâi away in the North, Tumbichchi felt that a suitable opportunity for the recovery of his old prominence was come. With a few brother chiefs, who evidently shared his discoatent and his views, he raided the country, and seized and fortified the important village of Paramakudi21 on the Madura-Râmnad road, 40 miles south-east of the former and 20 miles north-west of the latter. Kumara Krishya found all remonstrance and warning futile, and so acted with firmness and promptness. He despatched an army of 18,000 men, commanded by 13 officers, under his trusty general Kesavappa Naik, & tried soldier who, as we have already seen, had served Visvanatha I. with a faith and courage second only to that of Aryanatha. Kêśavappa marched to the enemy's camp and promptly laid siege to it, but the gallant veteran fell in one of the sallies in the course of the siege. His son and namesake, however, immediately stepped, with Krishnappa's sanction, into his position; and urged by the feeling of revenge and the desire for distinction, prosecuted the operations with vigour. Before long, he silcceeded in taking the place by storm and compelling Tumbichchi to surrender. The pious zeal of the captors instantly separated his head from his body, and despatched it as a trophy of victory to the king. Kumâra Kșishịa was now in a position to teach a lesson of severity and example to refractory elements by the annexation of the rebel estato. But Krishnappa, a man of valour as he was, had less valour than clemency. The true son of Visvanatha, be believed as much in conciliation as in coercion. When therefore the two
19 The Mirt. MSS. 20 See the Hist. of the Palayam in the appondix for a discussion of the question
2 It is now in the Râmnad Zamindari, and has a population of about 9,000. It is on the south bank of the Vaigai. Ita large stone pavilion and chatram is famous as a centre of charity. The inhabitants are mostly weavors and the ironamiths aro Musalmans. Madras Manual III, p. 653. The account of thie robollion is fully given in Sinhaladvipa Katha, for which see Taylor's Rais Catal. III, pp. 153-6.