Indian Antiquary Vol 46

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

Page 175

JULY, 1917).
THE HISTORY OF THE NAIK KINGDOM OF MADURA
163
and besides gaining enormous spoils, compelled the Raja to pay the arrears of tribute and guarantee its future payment. The spoils of the war included some fine cannon, which were taken by the Dalavâi and planted in the bastions" of Madura and Trichinopoly, 18 The later Mr. Nelson instituted inquiries about them, but he was unable to definitely ascertain their fate.!
War with Tanjore, 1700-1. After the conclusion of peace with Ravi Varma, Mangammal was compelled to declare war against King Shahji of Tanjore. With true Maratha ambition, he had been gradually encroaching into the Madura territory, and annexed a number of villages along the banks of the Kåveri. He had also instituted frequent raids into the Madura kingdom for the sake of spoils. The vigilance of the Tondamân and the martial valour of the Sé tupati baffled many a time the Tanjorean invaders; but Mangammal could not brook the continuance of such a state of things. She therefore ordered Narasappaiya, As soon as he returned from his Travancore expedition, to take steps against Tanjore, Narasappaiya was at first on the defensive. Either the exhaustion of his army or the requirements of economy dissuaded him from an extensive programme and offensive enterprise. He therefore simply stationed his forces on the Southern banks of the river, with & view of checking the detached irruptions of the Tanjore cavalry. The agility and activity of the latter proved more than equal to the slowly moving army of the Vaugas. The depredations into Madura continued, and Narasa had to take firm and immediate steps to chastise the insolence of the Maratha. Not caring to engage the foes before him, he took the route direct to Tanjore. By slow and cautious march he soon found himself in the vicinity of the Maratha capital. Sudden floods of the tributaries of the Kaveri prevented an effective opposition on the part of the Tanjore general, and the army that oame to meet the invaders was practically exterminated. There was at once a panic in the city. The king was alarmed and the people were in despair. Shahji felt that the disaster must be due to the inactivity and treachery of his minister, Vanoji Pandit. Rightly or wrongly he held him to be the author of the trouble and threatened him with instant death, if the enemy were still suffered to progress. Vanoji Pandit vowed to sacrifice his life, if he did not make the enemy abandon the march and return to Trichinopoly in the course of a week. The shrewd minister depended for success, not on a new muster of forces or a new organization of the army, but on the enemy's love of money. In his view every person in the Madura kingdom had a price, and he resolved to coax Mangammal and her Dalavåi by heaps of coins to conclude peace. But the necessary sum was not forthcoming. The treasury was empty and the king unsympathetic. But to the desperate situation of the minister, the ways and means were not wanting. Poor people were compelled to part with their meagre hoards, and merchants were menaced to disgorge their profits. Everybody in the pay of Mangamma! was then made richer. The queen herself was satisfied by a big war indemnity. Her ministers were equally gratified, and above all, the father of Narasappaiya, a person whose love of money amounted to a passion, had full satisfaction! The result was that the Madura army was in a week on its way to Trichinopoly. The life of Vanoji Pandit, as well as the kingdom of Tanjore, was safe.
(To be continued.) 18 For an account of Trichinopoly and its fort in 1719 by Father Bouchet, see Moore's Trichinopoly Manual, 130-131. He points out that the fort was the finest between Cape Comorin and Golkonda, that it was impregnable in the eyes of the people, and that its double wall, with its 60 towers, had 130 pieces of cannon mounted on it. The population, he says, was 300,000.
9 He was the same as the Sri Vanaji Panditar, an inscription of whom, dated 1686-7, is found at Pattukkottai fort, saying that he conquered all Setupati territory as far as the Påmbanár. (Tanj. Gaar., p. 43.) We cannot say how far the Madura scoounts are credible.