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Kingdom of Tanur

Coordinates: 10°58′N 75°52′E / 10.97°N 75.87°E / 10.97; 75.87
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Tanur
Kingdom
Tanur is located in Kerala
Tanur
Tanur
Location in Kerala, India
Coordinates: 10°58′N 75°52′E / 10.97°N 75.87°E / 10.97; 75.87
Country India
StateKerala
DistrictMalappuram

Kingdom of Tanur (Template:Lang-ml, Veṭṭattunāṭu - literally "Kingdom of Light") was a coastal city-state in south-western India comprising parts of the present day Tirur and Ponnani tehsils in the state of Kerala. One of the numerous similar Hindu principalities along the Malabar Coast at the time, Tanur was ruled by a line of Nair rulers claiming Kshatriya status.[1][2]

The Tanur rulers owed their allegiance to the kings (Zamorin) of Calicut, a regional power on the Malabar coast. With the emergence of the Portuguese in India, the Tanur ruler sided with them against his overlord at Calicut. Believing the propositions put forward by the Portuguese missionaries and officials, the Raja converted to Christianity — though only for a few months — in 1548. He had earlier assisted the Portuguese in the construction of a fort at Chalium, a river island just south of Calicut. [2][1]

The Tanur ruling line became extinct on the death of their last Raja on 24 May 1793. Subsequently, the estate was handed over to the English East India Company. The temple of the ruling family was transferred to the Zamorin of Calicut in 1842.[2][3]

The Tanur rulers were noted patrons of arts and learning. One Raja (r. 1630-1640) is said to have introduced innovations in the art form Kathakali, which has come to be known as the "Vettuttu Tradition".[4]

Political history

Before the arrival of the Portuguese Armadas in India, the political history of Tanur is largely obscure, although the origin of the ruling clan is often dated back to Chera times (c. 9th – 12th century AD). It is generally assumed that the Tanur chief was one of the hereditary provincial governors under the Chera Perumals.[5]

The ruler of Tanur was one of the earliest Rajas on the Malabar Coast to acknowledge the suzerainty of the Zamorin of Calicut. The chief paid a tribute and Succession Fee to the Calicut ruler and sent his Nair warriors to battles, whenever commanded by the king of Calicut.[6] As a result of their "ancient relations" to the Chera Perumals, the kings of Calicut rarely interfered with the internal administration of Tanur "while they kept an ever vigilant eye on the regions ruled by [other] hereditary governors".[7]

The Tanur Raja assisted the Zamorin of Calicut in some of his military expeditions, such as that against the eastern chiefdom of Valluvanatu at Thirunavaya. All minor Rajas who had taken part in the Zamorin's campaign in Thirunavaya received liberal rewards from Calicut. The Tanur Raja obtained the honour of the standing in state [during the Mamankam Fair] under the Kuriyal, midway between the temple of Thirunavaya and Vakayur on the day of Puyam, while facing the king of Calicut on the Vakayur platform.[7]

The Raja of Tanur played a major role in the coronation ceremony of a new Zamorin at Calicut. The ariyittuvazhcha of a new Calicut king (pouring of rice on the head) was jointly carried out by Kothachirakkal Aadhyan and the Tanur Raja, one representing the Brahmins of the Panniyurkur, and the other representing the "Kshatriyas" of Malabar. The new king entered the sacred water tank for pula-kuli hand in hand with the Raja of Tanur and the Raja of Punnathur.[8] Princes from the Tanur royal family, along with princes from other "Kshatriya" royal families such as Beypore (Parappanatu), Kurumburanatu and Cranganore, were eligible to marry princesses from the Calicut royal family. They were generally chosen by the ruling Calicut king personally, for political and strategic reasons.[8]

Defection of Tanur

After their expulsion from the port of Calicut, the Portuguese quickly found allies among the city-states on the Malabar Coast which had long grated under the Zamorin's dominance. Minor powers such as Cochin, Cannanore and Quilon opened their ports and welcomed the Portuguese sailors. Tanur Raja, who was in partial subjection to the Zamorin of Calicut at the time, also saw an opportunity to break away. He secretly offered to place his kingdom under Portuguese suzerainty, in return for "military assistance".[9][10][11]

In 1504, the Raja managed to block a large column of Calicut forces, on the way to recover the southern port of Cranganore from the Portuguese, at Tanur. He sent urgent messages to Lopo Soares de Albergaria of the Sixth Armada for reinforcement. De Albergaria immediately dispatched Pêro Rafael with a caravel and a sizable Portuguese armed force to assist the Tanur warriors. The Zamorin's column was defeated and dispersed in the following engagement by the combined forces of Rafael and the Tanur Raja.[12]

On 31 December 1504, setting out from Cochin, the Sixth India Armada under the command of de Albergaria first headed north, intending to dock briefly at the port of Ponnani and pay his respects to the Raja of Tanur. While negotiating entry at Ponnani, de Albergaria received a message, which led him to the battle of Pandarane (Koyilandy). In the same year, Tanur Raja invited the Portuguese into his domains, whereupon a small Portuguese force visited him. The Raja was still not bold enough for an open defiance, and he sent his new "allies" back with numerous presents and a promise of secret support against the Zamorin.[13]

The raid on Cranganore (October, 1504) and the defection of Tanur to the Portuguese were serious setbacks for the Zamorin of Calicut. These events pushed the front-line of battles north and effectively placed the Vembanatu lagoon out of reach. Any hopes the Zamorin had of quickly resuming his attempts to capture Cochin via the backwaters were effectively dashed. No less importantly, the battles at Cranganore and Tanur, which involved significant numbers of Malayalee captains and troops, clearly demonstrated that the Zamorin was no longer feared in Kerala. Cranganore and Tanur showed that Malayalees were no longer afraid of defying his authority and taking up arms against him.[14]

Gaspar Correia, writing in the 1520s, records that the chief of Tanur carried spice trade with the Portuguese passes from the Governors. He also describes the chief's friendly attitude towards the Portuguese.[15] In 1528, when a Portuguese ship was wrecked off Tanur, the Raja gave shelter to crew and refused to surrender them or the cargo to the Zamorin of Calicut. This strengthened the friendship between the Portuguese and the Raja of Tanur and allowed them to develop confidence in each other.[16]

Aiming to harass the Zamorin and disturb the Muslim (Moorish) trade at Ponnani, the Portuguese planned to construct a fort on the north bank of the Vaikkal river mouth at Ponnani. Governor Nuno da Cunha's envoys entered into a successful intrigue with the Raja of Tanur (later baptised as Dom João de Tanur) to build the fort. But the ships bringing building materials from Cochin were destroyed while trying to cross the dangerous river mouth in a storm. Some Portuguese men were drowned and some were captured. Some of the large cannons in the ships came into the possession of the Zamorin and the design of the Portuguese for a fort near Calicut could not be fulfilled.[17][18]

Fort Chalium affair

The Raja of Tanur was also instrumental in the development of a Portuguese fort (1531) on the island of Chaliyam/Chalium. At the time, Chalium (Pappu Kovil) was ruled by the Calicut vassal Unni Rama. Much like the Tanur raja, Unni Rama was anxious to throw off his subjection to the Zamorin and to enter into alliance with the Portuguese.[19][20] Unni Rama listened to secret overtures from the Portuguese made through the Tanur Raja and allowed them to erect a fort and chapel at Chalium.[21]

The Zamorin soon regretted having allowed this fort to be built so close to his capital and main port, and used ineffectual endeavours to induce Rajas of kingdoms such as Tanur, Caramanlii (?) and Chalium to break with the Portuguese, even going to war against them.[22] In 1538, the Zamorin's forces attacked Tanur and Chalium. Chalium Raja Unni Rama made unconditional peace with the Zamorin while the Tanur Raja, after a protracted fight, was compelled to surrender some of his lands (Karakatirutty and New Ponnani) near Ponnani.

After the fall of Chalium in September 1571, the Tanur Raja was compelled to escort the Portuguese on their return journey. They were later deported to Cochin from Tanur.[23]

Conversion of the Raja of Tanur

Having failed to secure the rewards he had hoped for from the Fort Chaliyam affair, from 1545 onwards, the Raja of Tanur presumed that converting to Christianity was the way to express his political alliance. He demanded that he be allowed to keep certain external signs and customs of Hinduism after conversion. The theologians in Goa were puzzled and undecided on this argument.[24][25] In 1548, the Raja of Tanur was secretly converted by the vicar in Chalium, João Soares, and the Franciscan Frey Vicente de Lagos, who gave the Raja a crucifix to hang on a thread, "hidden on his chest". Bishop Juan de Albuquereque also sent Antonio Gomes, the Jesuit, to Tanur to teach the Raja "the true doctrine". Gomes arrived in Tanur with 60 Portuguese soldiers, and was allowed to build the church in Tanur. He was also able to secretly baptise the Raja of Tanur’s wife as "Dona Maria", and to perform Christian marriage rites for the royal couple.[26]

The Raja of Tanur was not initially permitted in Goa. To stop the Raja from leaving Tanur to Goa and "from relinquishing Hinduism", his relatives and patrons employed numerous arguments, from threatening him with "an army of a thousand Nairs" to calling it a reckless act to leave Tanur. According to Gaspar Correia’s narrative, the Raja was promised honours and lands near Ponnani.[27] The Raja was eventually locked in a fort on the promontory of Ezhimala near the temple of Madayi. However, he escaped with the help of the Portuguese and sailed to Goa where he was received in October1549 with a lavish reception.[27] In October that year, he was sent back to Tanur with honours and gifts accompanied by the bishop of Goa. The bishop later baptized the son and the mother of the Raja.[27] The Tanur Raja now tried to act as a mediator between the Zamorin of Calicut and the Portuguese officials.[27]

Perhaps releasing the futile nature of the propositions put forward by the Portuguese, the Tanur Raja soon returned to the Hindu fold. By this time, Tanur was loaded with gifts from Governor Jorge Cabral and the Jesuits. The fourth Pepper War broke out sometime before June 1550, over a disputed territory — the island of Bardela — between the King of Cochin and the Raja of Vadakkumkur (Pimenta). A series of bloody encounters ensued, and the Zamorin of Calicut — supported by no less than eighteen of his vassals including the Raja of Tanur on the side of the Raja of Vadakkumkur — opposed to the Portuguese and their ally state Cochin. This event clearly demonstrated the renewed allegiance and faith of the Tanur Raja.[28]

The chiefs of Tanur and Chalium were to remain at Cochin as sureties for the king of Calicut during an allied siege by them and the Portuguese against the Kunjali Marakkar. At the end of this siege, Marakkar was hanged by the Portuguese.[29]

Adoptions from Tanur

In 1658 the crown of the Kingdom of Cochin fell vacant. Five princes from the Tanur and Aroor royal families were taken into the palace by the regent of Cochin, Gangādhara Lakshmi (1656–1658), and given the "right to succeed". The regent queen was under the influence of the Portuguese. Later on, the eldest member of the adoptees from Tanur, Rama Varma (1658–1662), was crowned ruler.

An elder branch (mūtta tāvazhi) of the Cochin royal family ignored the adoptions and appealed to the Zamorin of Calicut for help. The leader of the elder branch was the dispossessed prince Vīra Kērala Varma. The Zamorin decided to help the elder branch and Āditya Varma, the king of Vadakkumkūr, the king of Edappally and the chief of Pāliyam rallied around the Zamorin in support of the elder branch's dispossessed prince. Conversely, the king of Purakkad supported the ruling Tanur princes. On the advice of the chief of Pāliyam, the dispossessed prince set sail for Colombo in Ceylon and asked for help from the Dutch governor, Joan Maetsuycker, against the Portuguese-supported ruling princes. Later he sought exile in Colombo. The Dutch now found a huge opportunity to establish influence in the politics of Malabar.

In 1661, the Dutch led the allies of the dispossessed prince, with the armies of the Zamorin of Calicut, against the Portuguese and the ruling Cochin king (Tanur adoptee). The city of Cochin was attacked and the battle resulted in a disastrous failure for the Portuguese and Cochin rulers. Three of the Tanur princes including Rama Varma died in the war, Rani Gangadhara Lakshmi was sent to prison and the ruling king escaped to Eranākulam where he was given refuge by the king of Purakkad. After the death of Rama Varma and the other adopted prince Goda Varma (1662–1663), the only survivor from Tanur, was crowned. On 7 January 1663, the Dutch again attacked the port of Cochin and the prince surrendered. Vīra Kērala Varma (1663–1687) was later crowned as the King of Cochin by the Dutch.

Mysore invasion and the end of the dynasty

The Tanur royal family lost many of its members during the invasion of the Malabar Coast by the Kingdom of Mysore in the 18th century. The royal palace was destroyed by the Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan in 1784. Under the Treaty of Seringapatam, Mysore ceded the region of Malabar to the English East India Company (EIC).

Raja Rama Varma, the then ruler of Tanur despite his exile to Travancore, sent a petition to the EIC through his secretary Chandu Menon requesting that the royal family be appointed manager of the estate/kingdom on behalf of the EIC, as "Tanur had formerly belonged to him and his ancestors". The Raja agreed to pay Rs. 35,000, the revenues collected after the expenses of revenue collections and maintenance of the Tanur royal family as a yearly rent for his kingdom. The EIC was granted the right to appoint any person they pleased to inspect the accounts. If the revenue from Tanur amounted to more than Rs 35,000, the difference was paid to the EIC.[30] The Tanur Raja died on 24 May 1793. With no natural or adoptive heirs to succeed him, his kingdom was declared forfeit to the EIC.[31]

The temple of the Tanur royal family was transferred to the Zamorin of Calicut in 1842.[31]

Vettuttu Tradition (Kathakali)

The so-called "Vettuttu Tradition" of the Kerala dance drama Kathakali is attributed to a Raja of Tanur (1630-1640). The Raja introduced several important developments into the presentation of Kathakali;[32]

  • Introduction of two professional background singers
  • Introduction of chengilas (cymbals) to beat the tala (rhythm)
  • Introduction of chenda, a powerful drum played with sticks. Chendas were originally played in the outdoor temple ceremonies to accompany shadow puppets.
  • Two singers, the Ponnikkaran and the Sinkidikkaran, were introduced to add the Thiranukuu. Thiranukuu is a method of introducing the evil characters of the play to the audience from behind a large satin curtain, held up at the front of the stage.

References

  1. ^ a b Menon, A Sreedhara. A Survey of Kerala History. Kottayam: DC Books, 2007. Print
  2. ^ a b c William, Logan. Malabar Manual (Volume I). Madras: Asian Educational Services, 1887. Print.
  3. ^ Madras Legislative Assembly Debates. Official Report by Madras (India). Legislature. Legislative Assembly, p. 373
  4. ^ Menon, A Sreedhara. A Survey of Kerala History. Kottayam: DC Books, 2007. Print
  5. ^ Iyer, KV Krishna. Zamorins of Calicut: From the earliest times to AD 1806. Calicut: Norman Printing Bureau, 1938. Print.
  6. ^ The Tanur raja was expected to field 4,000 Nair warriors ready for battle when so required. At his accession, the Tanur raja paid the Zamorin a succession fee of 100 bags of rice, 3,000 coconuts and 1,000 fanams (local currency issued from Calicut).
  7. ^ a b Iyer, KV Krishna. Zamorins of Calicut: From the earliest times to AD 1806. Calicut: Norman Printing Bureau, 1938. Print.
  8. ^ a b Iyer, KV Krishna. Zamorins of Calicut: From the earliest times to AD 1806. Calicut: Norman Printing Bureau, 1938. Print.
  9. ^ Biblio Mania
  10. ^ Iyer, KV Krishna. Zamorins of Calicut: From the earliest times to AD 1806. Calicut: Norman Printing Bureau, 1938. Print.
  11. ^ William, Logan. Malabar Manual (Volume I). Madras: Asian Educational Services, 1887. Print.
  12. ^ Kurup, K K N. India's Naval Traditions: The Role of Kunhali Marakkars. New Delhi: Northern Book Centre, 1997. Print.
  13. ^ Iyer, KV Krishna. Zamorins of Calicut: From the earliest times to AD 1806. Calicut: Norman Printing Bureau, 1938. Print.
  14. ^ Biblio Mania
  15. ^ Biblio Mania
  16. ^ Iyer, KV Krishna. Zamorins of Calicut: From the earliest times to AD 1806. Calicut: Norman Printing Bureau, 1938. Print.
  17. ^ Kurup, K K N. India's Naval Traditions: The Role of Kunhali Marakkars. New Delhi: Northern Book Centre, 1997. Print.
  18. ^ GENERAL HISTORY and COLLECTION of VOYAGES and TRAVELS, ARRANGED in SYSTEMATIC ORDER: ROBERT KERR Columbia University, New York [1]
  19. ^ Marco Ramareni. Colonial Voyage – Portuguese Cochin
  20. ^ GENERAL HISTORY and COLLECTION of VOYAGES and TRAVELS, ARRANGED in SYSTEMATIC ORDER: ROBERT KERR Columbia University, New York [2]
  21. ^ GENERAL HISTORY and COLLECTION of VOYAGES and TRAVELS, ARRANGED in SYSTEMATIC ORDER: ROBERT KERR Columbia University, New York [3]
  22. ^ GENERAL HISTORY and COLLECTION of VOYAGES and TRAVELS, ARRANGED in SYSTEMATIC ORDER: ROBERT KERR Columbia University, New York [4]
  23. ^ William, Logan. Malabar Manual (Volume I). Madras: Asian Educational Services, 1887. Print.
  24. ^ Whiteway, RS. The Rise of Portuguese Power in India 1497-1550. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services, 1989. Print
  25. ^ Ines G. Županov. Missionary Tropics: The Catholic Frontier in India (16th - 17th Centuries) . University of Michigan Press, 2005
  26. ^ Ines G. Županov. Missionary Tropics: The Catholic Frontier in India (16th - 17th Centuries) . University of Michigan Press, 2005
  27. ^ a b c d Ines G. Županov. Missionary Tropics: The Catholic Frontier in India (16th - 17th Centuries) . University of Michigan Press, 2005
  28. ^ Biblio Mania
  29. ^ Iyer, KV Krishna. Zamorins of Calicut: From the earliest times to AD 1806. Calicut: Norman Printing Bureau, 1938. Print.
  30. ^ Logan, William. A Collection of Treaties, Engagements, and Other Papers of Importance Relating to British Affairs in Malabar. Madras: Asian Educational Services, 1891. Print
  31. ^ a b Logan, William. A Collection of Treaties, Engagements, and Other Papers of Importance Relating to British Affairs in Malabar. Madras: Asian Educational Services, 1891. Print
  32. ^ Menon, A Sreedhara. A Survey of Kerala History. Kottayam: DC Books, 2007. Print
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