THE SEPOY MUTINY OF KERALA,1812

Colonel Munro Massacred 29 Indians in Quilon

It is now well known that it was not Jhansi Rani Lakshmi Bai(1823-1858),who revolted first against the British;it was Kitturu Rani Chennamma(1778-1829)of Karnataka,who declared war against them,in 1824,33 years before,Lakshmi Bai.When Chennamma's son died in 1824,she adopted Sivalingappa,as,heir.The East India Company refused to accept it,applying the doctrine of lapse,which was officially codified later,during 1848-1856,by Lord Dalhousie.The Company ordered his expulsion,but Chennamma defied.When the Governor of Bombay,Mountstuart Elphinstone turned down her letter,war broke out.Several people lost lives,including the Collector & Political Agent for Southern Mahratta Doab region,St John Thackeray, and John Munro,Sub Collector of Sholapur.Munro was the nephew of General Thomas Munro,Governor of Madras( 1820-1827),who was distantly related to Colonel John Munro, Resident of Travancore and Cochin,during 1810-1819.Nephew Munro was killed by a match lock ball,when he accompanied the storming party,against the orders of the Commissioner of Poona,W Chaplin.

Munro

Likewise,the first Sepoy mutiny in India,was not in 1857-a Sepoy mutiny happened,45 years before,in Kollam in Kerala.It was an uprising against the British,which was crushed,executing the 29 Indian soldiers,who revolted,by the Resident,John Munro.He implicated the ousted Dewan of Travancore,Ummini Thampi,and the imprisoned 'crown prince',Visakham Thirunal Kerala Varma,behind the conspiracy and sentenced them to death.Kerala Varma was the son of Princess Atham Thirunal of Mavelikara Arattukadavu Koyikkal palace.They originally were from the Chenga palace branch of Kolathunad,in Malabar.Maybe,the reason behind Munro relinquishing his Travancore job in 1814,is revealed in this(he remained an advisor,till 1819).

Here is the story from,History of Madras Army,Vol  III,by Lt Col W J Wilson,published in 1883(in this ,Ummini Thampi is Womanah Tumby and,Kerala Varma,Pichy Rajah;pichy for Pazhassi,not the original Pazhassi Raja)):

On the night of the 24th May,1812,the existence of a conspiracy at Quilon,having for its object the destruction of the European officers and men of the Subsidiary Force in Travancore,was brought to the knowledge of Lieutenant and Adjutant Cox of 2nd battalion of 14th regiment by Jamedar Lyaloo of the same battalion,to whom it had been revealed by a private(sepoy)of his company.

The Subsidiary Force,at this time,under the Command of Colonel Hamilton Hall,was composed of a company of European artillery,the 2nd battalion of 9th regiment,2nd of 11th regiment,3rd of the 14th and 2nd of the 18th regiment of native infantry.

On the morning of 25th,Colonel Hall and his officers in command of battalions met at the residency and it was there arranged that a general parade of the troops should be ordered for that afternoon,and that the principal conspirators should then be seized;the Resident,Lt Col John Munro took steps for the apprehension of such inhabitants of the town and vicinity,as were bribed,to be implicated.

These measures were successfully carried out.Jamedar Shaik Hossain of the 14th together with 2 havildars and 22 men of that battalion,were called out of the ranks and placed in confinement,the troops behaving with perfect steadiness.
Womanah Tumby, ex Dewan of Travancore,an individual claiming to be the nephew and representative of the late Pichy Raja,and several religious mendicants(fakirs),were seized at the same time by Resident's people as being the chief instigators.

Jamedar Shaik Hossain,and private(sepoy),Salabut Khan of the 14th were tried in a summary manner by a board of officers,of which Major Fraser of 2nd battalion of 9th regiment was president.Both were convicted and sentenced to be blown from a gun,which sentence was carried into execution,on the evening of 28th May,at a general parade of the whole force.

Quilon ( Kollam) in 1800s

Two havildars,one naik and 26 privates(sepoys)of the 14th regiment,of whom 19 were Mohammedans,and 10 hindus were tried by ordinary court martial,and sentenced to death.Of these,two privates were pardoned.The rest either shot or hanged.The sentences being carried out into execution at Quilon,Cannanore,Seringapatam,Trichinoply,Vellore and St Thomas Mount,respectively.

Six native officers,and one havildar of the 18th regiment ,two Pardon of native officers of the 9th,and one native officer of the 14th were also sentenced to death,but it was subsequently discovered that they had been falsely accused,and they were consequently pardoned and released,full belief in their innocence being expressed by the Commander in Chief in general orders.

Nothing transpired to prove that the conspiracy tended beyond the 2nd battalion of the 14th regiment.The 2nd of the 11th(22nd M N I)was specially reported as having,"manifested distinguished attachment and discipline", through out.

The result of the enquiries made by the Resident,which occupied some time,led him to the conclusion that Womanah Tumby ,the pseudo Pychy Raja and jamedar Shaik Hossain of the 14th regiment had been the originators of the conspiracy.

The design was to confer the sovereignty of Travancore upon the Pychy Raja.The jamedar was promised the office of Dewan;but all this,in all probability,was really intended for Womanah Tumby.The pay for all sepoys as might join in the plot was to be raised to rupees 10 per mensem.

The Chief body of conspirators consisted of discharged sepoys,fakeers and disaffected natives of the province.The European officers were to have been attacked while at dinner,and the barracks set on fire at the same time,in order to distract attention,after which the public treasury was to have been given up to plunder.

On the 18th February(1813),jamedar Lyaloo of the 14th was promoted to be subedar,and presented with a palanquin,and and an allowance for bearers.He also received a gold medal and a donation of 1000 rupees.At his decease,his nearest heir was to be allowed a pension of 35 rupees per mensem.

Vencatram,the sepoy who had informed the jamedar of the plot,was pensioned on the pay odf a jamedar,and received a donation of 600 rupees.

Private Hoosain Khan,who had given information to Captaion Lyes of the same battalion on 24th May,in rather an incoherent manner,was pensioned on the pay of a havildar.

Womanah Tumby,and the Pichy Raja were tried by the court of Travancore Government.The former was sentenced to death,but this sentence was commuted to banishment ,and he was removed to Nellore.The Pychy Raja was banished to Chengelpet,but he was released from confinement,in 1815.

kollam fort

The Mutiny was planned to be executed on May 22,1812;a report appeared in the 1812 November issue of The Scots Magazine & Edinburgh Literary Miscellany,Volume 74,page 860;it reported that,just before the departure of the ship,Doris from India,intelligence reached of a dangerous mutiny in Travancore,in the form of a letter from an officer at Quilon to his friend at Madras.It was dated,May 30.Though the magazine says it was a letter,from the content,it appears that it was an intelligence report to the highest authority.Here is the 'letter':

We have had as state prisoners,a Dewan of Travancore,lstely for some misdemeanor deposed;also a man called Pyche Raja.These together by bribery had corrupted a native officer of the 14th regiment of Infantry,and they engaged him to bring into their plans the greatest part of the native troops of Quilon;in a great measure succeeded.The Raja,the prime instigator,proposed that when sufficient members of sepoys came into their views ,to attempt the murder of all the European officers.

The 18th regiment was to be reviewed on a certain day,and that every officer in the Cantonment,the Resident included,were to dine at our mess in the evening.The supporters were to fell upon us,when assembled and to strike off  the head of every one.After that,they will be quiet till morning,on the appearance of which the drums were to beat to arms;and the three corps were to be thus disposed off:one was to march to southern lines;another to north;third to Arunghaut(Aralvaimozhi) pass,for the purpose of preventing the march of troops into the country.Several battalions to be raised,to possess Travancore.Lines were to be fired;If the officers left the mess,they intended to bayonet them.

This abominable and atrocious design was prevented only by the absence of one man,who had promised to make his appearance with 50 associates.  

Two days after,a sepoy overheard why it was not accomplished.(postponed to)Next public party, on June 4. The Commanding officer was informed.

The Brigade was immediately ordered out;the native officer was called to the front,with about 30 sepoys,by name of 14th regiment.Immediately put on irons and sent to main guard.

The following morning,a board of officers held,few sepoys gave evidence.They didn't implicate anyone.The following morning,a fakir called out a great member by name,from the 14th native officers;live from the 18th,2 or 3 (battalion)from the 11th(regiment)and 9th.Implicated some of the Resident's peons,natives of the place and several officers' servants.Nearly all sepoys of 14th and several from other corps were engaged.The man in charge of public committee bribed;many others too.

Quilon was in great agitation and alarm.It was deemed necessary to make an immediate example of one or two of ring leaders.All implicated native officers were sent immediately to Trichinopoly,under guard of 50 of Resident's peons,all under charge of a 14th officer.The 14th(regiment)was asked to leave Quilon,with European officers,and march to the same place.But 12 hours is too much;so were asked to march day befoe yesterday(28th)itself.

The troops were ordered under arms,and formed a line at 5'0 clock.3 guns were advanced to the front of the line,about 100 paces from centre;also a gun from each flank,the same distance.The latter were loaded with grape shot,and pointed towards the battalion;as it was expected the sepoys would make some opposition to the severe measures in contemplation.Two of the guns in the centre were only loaded with powder.Two prisoners,the jamedars and a writer were brought forward,and without ceremony,were lashed each to the muzzle of a gun.The troops,upon seeing this,were still as death-not a murmur-no,not a breath was heard-and at this awful crisis,(Alex) Balmain,the Brigade Major,read over the sentence awarded to the prisoners by the board of officers that sat in the morning,and the Colonel gave the words-"READY,FIRE!".An involuntary shudder ran through the whole line,but nothing more.The Colonel then informed the troops why he was obliged to have recourse to this severe measure,and ordered the whole line to march round the bodies,and return to their barracks.(Balmain's marriage was in 1819 March 2,to Jane,third daughter of Forrest Dewar,at Edinburgh).

This eyewitness account reveals that the reporter was not one among the troops;he was a commander,who watched the reaction of the troops.Maybe,Colonel Hamilton Hall himself,reporting to the Commander in Chief at Madras.Hamilton Hall had entered the Company's service in 1781,rose to the rank of Lt Colonel in 1807.He died on 12 May,1827,as Lt General,and as Commander of the Southern Division at Trichinopoly.There is Hall's road in Chennai,stretching from Casamajor road to Egmore high road-Hall had lived in Egmore.

The informant,in a couple of accounts,is Iyaloo,or Jallo.Iyaloo is a name,heard among Telugu Naidus.

Residency,Kollam

The important part in these accounts,is terming,Kerala Varma of Mavelikara,as Pazhassi Raja,to invoke the memory of another rebellion,deliberately.He has been called the pseudo nephew of Pazhassi Raja.He never belonged to Pazhassi/Kottayam in Malabar;he was from the Chenga branch of Kolathunad(Chirakkal).He was very close to Ummini Thampi and the murdered King,Balarama Varma.Ummini Thampi is suspected to be the man behind the murder,which took place on November 7,1810,days after the arrival of Munro as Resident.Kerala Varma,who claimed the throne,was denied it by Munro.Reigning Queen of Attingal,Lakshmi Bai was given the crown.Munro removed Thampi,from the position of Dewan.Both had reason to revolt.At the same time,when the mutiny was being planned,both of them were under house arrest.So the key player in the episode,is the person who failed the mutiny by not appearing on the scene,with 5o associates.He was never caught.

If Kerala Varma and Thampi were involved directly,they could have been hanged.Instead,Munro,who presided over the appeal court which gave them death sentence,wrote to the Madras Governor to commute the sentence.Maybe,Samuel Thamby,Ummini Thampi's brother,who became a Christian in 1811,played a part.Samuel Thamby was deprived of his property,by Nairs,and his palace allowance was stopped.He disappeared,mysteriously.

That,Kerala Varma was released from captivity,in 1815,says a lot.

The 14th regiment which plotted the assassination of Munro,was predominantly a Muslim regiment,and the two muslims,Sheikh Hussain and Salabut Khan,by their names,are not keralites.The chances of Thampi and Varma,engaging them are remote.

Pazhassi Raja had died 7 years ago;but the Vellore mutiny was 6 years ago.

What was Vellore mutiny?Sir John Cradock,the Commander in Chief,ordered wearing a round hat;the new dress included a leather cockade.This was intended to replace the existing turban.This offended sensibilities of both the hindu and muslim sepoys.Tipu Sultan's several wives and children were housed in a palace inside the Vellore Fort,and the nikah of a daughter was fixed on 9 July,1806.The sepoys selected that day for the mutiny-200 Britishers were killed.It frightened British officers all over India;a number of officers became skittish,inclined to see rebellion every where.

For Munro,he had just escaped Madras mutiny,as Quarter Master General in 1909,inside the army,against him,after his recommendation to abolish the tent contract system.

Maybe,Munro and the Quilon British officers read too much into the Quilon mutiny.Munro was waiting to implicate Thampi and Varma,and he made a suitable script.

I shuddered when  Hussain and Salabut were lashed to the muzzle of the gun.It would have affected,Munro more;hence,his exit from Travancore.

Thus,we learn the first sepoy mutiny was in Madras-1806. 

Reference:The Pioneer Protestant Missionary in Travancore/C M Augur

See my Post,TAMBARAM AND MURDER OF KING BALARAMA VARMA