JOIN USA royal adventure, a turn of history
The escape of Veerarajendra, heir to the throne of Kodagu, from Periapatana holds significance in the history of Mysuru and Madikeri, narrates C P Belliappa
On the midnight of 14 December 1788, a historic event took place in the now busy town
of Periapatana. Changalvas reigned in this area before they were displaced by the Wodeyars of Mysore in early eighteenth century. Hyder Ali, who took control of the kingdom of Mysore in 1761, became the ruler of this province along with several other territories in the neighbourhood.
In the next-door kingdom of Kodagu, there was internecine fighting amongst the family members of the Haleri dynasty. Hyder Ali helped one of the claimants to the throne - Linga Raja - to subdue his rivals. Even though Linga Raja sat on the throne of Kodagu (1774-1780), he was beholden to Hyder Ali and had to pay an annual tribute of 24,000 rupees.
Subtle bonds
When Linga Raja died in 1780, Hyder Ali took advantage of the situation to take control over the administration of Kodagu. He seized the family of Linga Raja,
including his three young sons under the guise of giving them protection. He kept them under virtual house arrest at Gorur. On Hyder Ali’s demise in 1782, his son Tipu Sultan moved the scions of the Haleri dynasty to the old fort at Periapatana, built during the rule of Changalva kings. The eldest son, and heir to the throne of Kodagu, was the nineteen-year-old Veerarajendra. Tipu Sultan appointed Hombale Nayaka, a prominent leader, as the caretaker of the royal family of Kodagu. One of Tipu’s confidants, Ismail Khan, was engaged to assist Hombale Nayaka. Over the years, Hombale Nayaka and Ismail Khan became good friends of Veera-rajendra. In the meantime, Hombale Nayaka had fallen in love with Neelammaji, the attractive sister of Veerarajendra.
Political conflicts
Kodava chieftains wanted young Veera-rajendra to ascend the throne. So,
naturally, they revolted against Hyder Ali and Tipu, several times. The Sultans of Mysore put down the uprisings with all their might, but could only manage to hold Kodagu tenuously. Many attempts were made to free the royal family of Kodagu from the clutches of Tipu. It was only in 1788 that the plan succeeded.
During early 1788, Tipu Sultan halted at Periapatana and, in a public audience, berated Veerarajendra and his family in the presence of Hombale Nayaka, Ismail Khan and other officials. Tipu Sultan threatened Veerarajendra with dire consequences if he did not accept his sovereignty over Kodagu. To make matters worse, he abducted Neelammaji, and her cousin Devammaji, to Srirangapatna.
This action enraged Hombale Nayaka. He now actively planned the escape of Veerarajendra, his wife Nanjammaji, and their month-old-baby Rajammaji, along with brothers Appajiraja and Linga-rajendra, out of Periapatana Fort.
A disenchanted Ismail Khan, too, joined the conspiracy to free the royal family of Kodagu. Several Kodava chieftains secretly collaborated and coordinated a strategy.
The great escape
The date for escape was fixed for the moonless night of 14 December 1788. A feast was arranged in the house, where the royal family resided, and the guards were also invited to partake in the repast. The food served to the guards was drugged and they soon fell into a deep slumber. The royal family then scaled the high wall surrounding the fort and made their escape.
However, just as they were walking out of the fort complex, child Rajammaji, who was carried by Appajiraja, started crying. Some of the dogs barked and it would have been only a matter of time before the soldiers guarding the fort would have been alerted. In a desperate move, Veera-rajendra instructed Ismail Khan to take the child from Appajiraja and strangle her. But Ismail Khan, who was in the habit of chewing tobacco, took a shard of the leaf and fed the child, who then fell silent and went to sleep.
Kodava supporters, waiting at the border village of Muthoor received the royal family and escorted them to Kodagu. Thinking the child was no more, Veera-rajendra was about to tell his wife about their child, when Ismail Khan came with Rajammaji sleeping soundly in his arms. A relieved and elated Veerarajendra thanked Ismail Khan profusely; he
promised Ismail Khan and Hombale Nayaka handsome rewards once he regained his legitimate kingdom.
This escape from Periapatana had significant influence on the history of Mysore and Kodagu, and on a larger scale the history of India. Once Veerarajendra (popularly known as Dodda Veera-rajendra) regained his kingdom, he signed a treaty with the British in 1790 to fight their common enemy - Tipu Sultan. The help rendered by the Raja of Kodagu was substantial for the British in the Third and the Fourth Anglo-Mysore Wars.