Short Essay on Haider’s Second Mission in Malabar

The Malabar Rajas thought that they had nothing to worry about the reconquest of Malabar by the Sultan of Mysore and in consequence, instead of augmenting their defensive preparations and organizing a united front, they once again fell to quarreling with one another as in the past. Haider now decided to make use of the favourable opportunity for the reconquest of Calicut and other Malabar territories.

By November 1773, he conquered Coorg and towards the close of December, a force was dispatched under Sayyid Sahib by way of Tamarassery Pass and another under Srinivasa Rao through Coimbatore and] Palghat. Taken by surprise, the princes of Kerala realised the impossibility of open resistance to Haider and offered submission. Srinivasa Rao and Sardar Khan were made the civil Governor and the Military Chief of North Malabar respectively.

The Zamorin at first escaped to Cranganore and thence retired to Travancore with his family. The Dutch at Cranganore refused to give him shelter. The Raja of Kadathanad became a tributary to Haider on payment of a Nazar of two lakhs of rupees and an annual tribute of Rs. 50,000. Chirakkal Raja also paid a tribute of Rs. 1, 20,000 per annum.

Having established this way in north Malabar Haider turned to Cochin. In 17731 Srinivasa Rao asked the Raja of Cochin for a contribution of 4 lakhs of rupees towards his military expenses. As this amount was paid by the Raja without much delay, the relations between Cochin and Mysore continued to be friendly.

In August 1776, the Commander-in- Chief of Haider demanded a further sum and Cochin was a little reluctant to meet it, whereupon Sardar Khan marched on Trichur via Kunnamkulam and occupied it on the 18th September, 1776.

The annexation of Cochin was the aim of Sardar Khan, but before this could happen, Cochin ruler proposed to abide by the decisions of Haider Padshah and agreed to pay one lakh of Pagodas and four elephants as Nazar as well as an annual tribute of 30,000 Pagodas. Thus Cochin escaped the fate of other Malabar chiefs.

From the moment of the conquest of the Malabar Kingdoms and the submission of Cochin, the subjugation of Travancore was the sole object of Haider. It would have strengthened his hands, had he been able to secure the more vulnerable western flank of the Carnatic kingdom. The generals of the Mysore forces understood that their hold on Kerala would never be safe so long as Travancore provided asylum for the dispossessed Malabar chiefs.

As K.M. Panikkar rightly put it, “The Raja of Travancore was animated not only by a generous desire to help the refugees, but he recognised their political value in creating trouble for Mysore forces if Haider Ali should try to carry out his own design of attacking Travancore.” The exiled and emigre princes of Malabar, sheltered in the palaces of Travancore were also provided with funds to carry on their anti-Mysore activities.

Haider had demanded from the Travancore Maharaja the recognition of the supremacy of Mysore. The outright rejection of this claim was rankling in the mind of Haider that he requested the Dutch commander of Cochin free passage through their possessions to Travancore.

This was not heeded by him for Travancore was then a Dutch ally and the bulk of the produce for Dutch trade came from there. So they were not prepared to antagonise Travancore. Now Haider decided to claim the Dutch areas of Chetwai and Cranganore as part of the Zamorin’s Kingdom which he subjugated. This ended in a fight between the Dutch and Mysore armies, which indirectly saved Travancore from an imminent danger of invasion. Haider’s attempts towards the establishment of Mysore’s supremacy over Travancore were further thwarted by the several conflicts he was engaged in with the English, the Marathas and the Nizam.

The Chetwai fort and Pappinivattam were soon captured. This was followed by the conquest of the territory of the Raja of Cranganore. Sirkhan could not continue his campaigns further south as his onward march was obstructed by the Travancore Lines or Nedumcotta built under the initiative of the Dewan of Travancore, Raja Kesava Das.

Haider managed the administration of his possessions in north Kerala by utilising the services of willing local rulers. The prince Regent of Kolathunad was thus appointed his representative in north Malabar. The prince tried to secure the support of other local chiefs, but Nayar nobility never reconciled themselves to the changed circumstances though Haider had tried to suppress them through draconian measures.

The management of north Malabar by native rulers marked a thorough change in the policy of Haider, for; previously he used to send civil and military Governors directly from Mysore. The local management proved ineffective and within a short while fresh rebellions broke out (1778).

The Rajas of Calicut, Kadathunad and Kottayam now joined together to throw off the yoke of Mysore and the English Company’s agents on the west coast, as usual, encouraged and helped them. The beginning of the Anglo-French wars made the Company to derive out French from Mahe. Haider saw that the road to Europe for trade and to Mysore for arms lay through Mahe and he was unwilling to see it under English control.

He signalled to the Chirakkal Raja to support the French Company wholeheartedly. But the feverish preparations of the English made the Rajas of Calicut and Kottayam to support them, who in turn provided the latter with arms and ammunitions. The English and the French fought each other; side by side the native rulers also fought joining either side, the Raja of Chirakkal supporting the French and Mysore whiles the Rajas of Calicut and Kottayam helping the English. The course of events finally brought Mahe under the control of the English.

The Rajas of Kottayam and Calicut seized the opportunity and recovered most of their dominions from Haider; but with Chirakkal Raja’s assistance Haider mounted the offensive against the English. Meanwhile the English troops evacuated Mahe, and concen­trated their forces in Tellicherry. With Haider’s invasion of the Carnatic the English initiated negotiations for an alliance with the Zamorin and the Raja of Travancore. While the talks were in progress the troops of Sardar Khan laid siege to Tellicherry, both from sea and land in October 1780 the siege lasted for over a year and eventually Tellicherry was saved and Mahe recaptured on 9th January 1782.

The defeat and capture of Sardar Khan in January 1782, made the Nayars of Malabar to rise in rebellion against the Mysoreans. They pursued the Mysorean forces with the support of the English under Major Abington. By the end of February 1782, the only place of importance that remained under Mysorean control was Palghat. It was one of the strongest of Haider’s fortresses which commanded the strategic lines of communication between the coasts of Coromandel and Malabar.

In a pitched battle fought on 8th April 1782 the Mysore army was totally thrown into confusion. Makhdum Ali, the Commander and 300 of his men were killed and over 200 were taken prisoners. The reverses suffered by the Mysoreans promoted Haider to send his son Tipu to re-establish his authority in Malabar, but before any decisive result could be achieved- Tipu reached upto the river Ponnani-Haider Ali passed away on the 7th of December 782 and Tipu rushed to Mysore to occupy his father’s throne. Following the depai of Tipu, the English forces captured Palghat fort and put the Zamorin in Charge of the surrounding areas.