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OCTOBER, 1917)
THE HISTORY OF THE NAIK KINGDOM OF MADURA
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simultaneous succession dispute in Hyderabad between Nazir Jang and Muzaffar Jang, and Other events are, it is well known, of the greatest moment in Indian history, and they made the English and the French play for the first time an important and conspicuous part in the political affairs of South India.
The exiled Naik and Chanda Sahib. When Chanda Sahib, with the assistance of the French, overthrew and slew Anwaru'd. din in the battlefield of Ambur and proclaimed himself the Nawab of the Carnatic in his place, the Naik capital, within the walls of which Muhammad Ali, the son of Anwar u'd-din took refuge, became the most important place of contest in South India, the bone of contention between the rival claimants to the Nawabship of the Carnatic. Such a circum stance could hardly advance the claims of the phantom monarch, who lived in obscurity in Râmnâd and declared that Trichinopoly was his. The declaration of Chanda Sahib of his mastery over the Carnatic was followed by two events: first his attempt to reduce the provinces of Madura and Tinnevelly which Muhammad Ali, with the assistance of his English allies, had been cautious enough to secure immediately after his flight to Trichinopoly, and secondly to undertake the siege of Trichinopoly. The dominions of the Ndik kings, in fact, became the chief scene of war, Trichinopoly being, owing to its situation and its direct rule by Muhammad Ali, the heart of the contest, and Macura and Tinnevelly the scene of serious fights and engagements. The general of Chanda Sahib who conquered the Southern provinces was an able adventurer named Alam Khan. Endowed with tact and discretion, with the power of leadership and the knack of managing men, Alam gained over the soldiers of Muhammad Ali at Madura by his personal address, and the tenants by his promise, in Chanda Sahib's name, to free them from the arrears of rent due by them to the State. The superior ability and the remarkable personal influence of Alam Khan were of the utmost service to his master; for his possession of Madura meant to Muhammad Ali the loss of more than one-half of his dominions. It moreover severed the communication between the Trichinopoly and Tinnevelly country, and made Chanda Sahib's power as secure in the region of the Tambapurņi as in that of the Vaigai. It is not surprising that, under these circumstances, Muhammad Ali endea voured his best to reconquer Madura. In 1751 he lespatched Captain Cope for this purpose; but that general was defeated and compelled to retreat back to Trichinopoly. The French, the Nizam, and Chanda Sahib were exultant and hoped every moment to reduce the place and completo the ruin of Muhammad Ali, The latter had not remained idle. He called in the aid of the English to counter-balance the French, the Marathas under Murari Rao who were more than equal to the Nizam, and the Mysoreans, who hoped in the ruin of Chanda Sahib for territorial acquisitsion. Vigorous fighting went on around Trichinopoly and in the provinces, and the fate of South India trembled in the balance.
(To be continued.)
5 Madura was brought under fuhammad Ali by an army of 2,500 horse and 3,000 peons (assisted by A detachment of 30 Europeans under Iones) under the command of Abdu'r-Rahim, Muhammad Ali's brother.
