Indian Antiquary Vol 46

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

Page 174

162
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[JULY, 1917
the Carnatic into the new Mughal province of Sera45, to sell Bangalore and its neighbourhood, which they had just seized from King Shahji of Tanjore, to himself for three lakhs of rupees. Assiduously cultivating an alliance with Aurangzeb, Chikka Dêva proceeded to extend his territories in directions that would not interfere with the Mughal activi. ties. He deprived, for instance, Bednore of many of its districts. Above all, he invaded the possession of Mangammal, and carried devastation into the disputed areas of Salem and Coimbatore. Almost all the Polygars. of Kongu Nâd yielded, 40 and agreed to pay the peshkash in future to Srirangapatuam instead of Madura. Not contented, the Mysoreans under Dalavâi Kumara Râya were soon at Trichinopoly itself. The Naik capital was besieged, and Kumara Râya vowed that he would never return to Srirangapatnam without capturing the city. The Dalavâi, however, had more enthusiasm than success. An irruption of the Marathas into Mysore in the North necessitated the despatch of a large part of his army to Srirangapatnam; and as a result of this, he had (apparently) to abandon the siege and return to Mysore. It is not improbable that Narassappaiya, the Dalavâi of Mangammal, took advantage of the diminution of the Mysore army to take the offensive and compel its retreat, thereby recovering much, if not all, of the lost territory. The War with Travancore.
The war with Mysore was followed in 1698 by a war with Travancore.7 The Rajas of Travancore had, ever since its subjugation by the Vijayanagar Emperor Achyuta Râya, saluted the Madura flag and paid tribute. But during the troublous times of Chokkanatha, the then ruler Ravi Varma availed himself of the exhaustion of Madura to violate the faith of the previous engagements and withhold the tribute. In the time of Ranga Krinshna there was a reaction, but once again, on the death of that monarch, the king of Travancore became disaffected and imperious. This attitude kindled the anger of the queen-regent. She immediately set military operations on foot, and in 1697, despatched a punitive expedition into the Western kingdom. After a laborious march, the Naik army reached, by way of the rocky defile north of the cape, the town of Korkulam, identified by Nelson with Quilon, whither the forces of Travancore had already marched with a view to check the enemy. When the two armies lay opposite to each other, the Raja of Travancore proposed that, in case his adversary co-operated with him in the overthrow of some of his ministers who had opposed his authority and insulted his dignity, he would surrender the place and agree to pay tribute. The Vaḍugas agreed; the obnoxious ministers were either taken and executed or exiled, and it remained for the Travancore ruler to fulfil his promise. He ceded the town, but he had evidently resolved on treachery from the very beginning. As soon as the forces of Madura occupied the town and felt themselves secure, they were suddenly attacked before they had time to gather, and were almost cut down to a man. A few fortunate men escaped to carry the tale of disaster. The revengeful spirit of Mangammal was at once aroused to a pitch of fury. Mustering all her resources she organized a new and more powerful expedition under the command of the ablest general, Narasappaiya. The course of the war is uncertain, but we know that Narasa succeeded in avenging the recent disgrace, ravaged Travancore, See Appendix The Coimbatore Palayams, for details.
45 Rice, I, p. 387-8. Wilks. 1
47 From 1661 to 1677 the Travancore king was one Adityavarma. He and his relatives were murdered in 1677 and his niece Umayama Rani became regent. Her administration witnessed disaster in a Muhammadan raid, the raider establishing himself in Trivandrum itself. He was however driven out eventually by the General Keralavarma. The regent's son Ravivarma attained age in 1684 and was then crowned. He ruled till 1718 and it was in his time that Mangammal invaded the realm. See Antiquities, II, 239.