Indian Antiquary Vol 46

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

Page 251

OCTOBER, 1917)
THE HISTORY OF THE NAIK KINGDOM OF MADURA
237
THE HISTORY OF THE NAIK KINGDOM OF MADURA. BY V. RANGACHARI, M.A., L.T., MADRAS.
(Continued from p. 219.)
Chanda's entry into Triehi and his aims. An evil day it was for Madura and its queen when Chanda Sahib made his entry into the Trichinopoly fort. It did not take long for Mînakshi to find out that her friend was really her master, soon an enemy. For the love of power, she had sacrificed the unity of the State and invited the foreigners, and she now found that, in spite of her sacrifice, she was far from exercising power. Greedy and ambitious, Chanda Sahib could not check his interested diligence or voracious appetite. His soaring ambition longed for the time when the queen would be no more in his way, and when he could openly rule as the undisputed master of the region from the Kaveri to the Cape. True, he did not at first sy behave as to divulge the desire of his heart. He had the wisdom to proceed with saution, to use the name of Minakshi in all his actions and proceedings, so as to divert suspicion and invite confidence. An analysis of Chanda Sahib's motive in this period of his life shows that he had three things in view. He wished first to overthrow Baigâru
Tirumala in the name of Minâkshi, so that the Madura kingdom would once again be a strong and united power and free from rebellion and treason. Secondly, the consolidation of Madura achieved, he hoped to depose Mînakshi and place himself, in the capacity of the Nawab's lieutenant, on the throne of Trichinopoly. When this was done, he evidently ho ved, as the last step of his ambition, to turn traitor to his master and declare himself an independent king. The first of these he expected to accomplish by acting in the name of Minakshi and by using the Nawab's countenance, the second by the Nawab's countenance alone, and the third, after his elevation, by his own unaidod resources. Chanda Sahib was, in other words, actuated by a secret motive in every step and a secret understanding against everybody. To use Minâkshi as the means of Bangáru Tirumala's destruction, then to use the Nawab's name against Minâkshi, and then to use his new powers against his master, were the methods which his ambition inspired and planned. No better instance have we in history of a clever schemer who combined the victims and the agents of his ambition in such a skilful manner. The means of his elevation to-day were, according to his plan, to be the victims of his tyranny tomorrow. Self was the only God whom Chanda Sahib knew, and it is not surprising that he proved to be the evil genius of the Naik kingdom.
His tacit allowance of the partition of the kingdom. In accordance with his plan Chanda Sahib seems to have, 03 as Mr. Nelson says, first advised Minâkshi to sacrifice the life of her rival Baugaru, so that ostensibly there could be no scope for the progress of any rebellion in his name, but really that he himself might have a free hand in the administration of the kingdom. It seems that Minakshi displayer on this occasion, & rare generosity, and refused to do so. Ill-treated as she had been by her adopted child's father she apparently forgot or ignored the past, and refused to injure him in any way. Indeed, she did not only protect him by a noble act of oblivion, but evidently came to an understanding with him, by which, in a reasonable spirit of modera
95 Nelson no doubt based his account on the Telugu ch onicle.