The Nedumkotta was a defence fortification constructed along the northern borders of the erstwhile Travancore State. It ...
The Nedumkotta was a defence fortification
constructed along the northern borders of the erstwhile Travancore State.
It passed through the territories of the then Cochin State.
The Nedumkotta was built primarily to resist the invasion
under Hyder Ali Khan against Travancore State. It was raised mainly with
clay and mud, and reinforced with stones, laterite and granite at strategic
places. It started from the Krishan Kotta on the west coast, above Kodungallur,
and stretched upto the Annamalai Hills on the Western Ghats. It was about
48 km long, twenty feet wide and twelve feet high. Its alignment was along
the Periyar river on the west coast upto Chalakudy from where it went
along the Chalakudy river upto the Annamalai Hills in the east. There
were underground cells to store gunpowder and other war materials, special
chambers for soldiers to live, and look-outs and mounted field-guns all
along the fortification. Besides, on the north side of the fortification,
ditches were dug twenty feet wide and sixteen feet deep, and filled with
thorny plants, poisonous snakes, and hidden weapons. On the south side
as well as on the top of the fortification, wide roads were laid for the
convenience of military movements.
The fortification was constructed during the regime of
Rama Varma Raja, popularly known as Dharma Raja of Travancore, and under
the direct guidance and supervision of the then Prime Minister, Ayyappan
Marthanda Pillai, and the then Commander of the Travancore Army, the Portuguese
Captain D'Lenoy. This historic defence line was comparable to the Great
Wall of China except that the latter was more ancient and greater in length.
It was under the protective cover of this Nedumkotta that a small army
of Travancoreans under the command of Raja Keshavadas defeated and frustrated
near Alwaye a formidable army of Islamic fanatics led by Tipu Sultan.
Today there is no physical evidence of the historic Nedumkotta
in the form of even ruins anywhere in the Mukundapuram taluka - Chettuva,
Parur, Kodakara, Chalakudy, Mullurkara, Enamanakhal and Karikodu - through
which it passed. However, some place-names having a reference to the historic
fortification are still popular in the northern borders of the erstwhile
Cochin and Travancore States - Krishnan Kotta (meaning Krishnan Fort),
Kottamukku (fort corner), Kottamuri (part of a fort), Kottaparampu (fort
land), Kotta Vazhi (fort road), Kottalaparampu (magazine ground), Palayam
(cantonment), etc.
Unfortunately, there are no memorials erected anywhere
in Kodungallur, or Trichur, or Alwaye to honour Dharma Raja who gave shelter
in his state to thousands of Hindus escaping from the Islamic brutalities
of the fanatic Tipu Sultan; or Ayyappan Marthanda Pillai who was the architect
of the historic Nedumkotta; or Raja Keshavadas under whose direct command
a comparatively small army humbled and defeated the invading army of Tipu
Sultan; or scores of valiant Hindu soldiers who laid down their lives
to protect their country and faith.
The most despicable and shameful act of the anti-Hindu
secularist government of Kerala since Independence was that instead of
honouring the legendary heroes of the land, a memorial in the form of
a flagstaff was erected near the historic Trichur Palace to perpetuate
the memory of the Islamic bigot Tipu Sultan who was instrumental in the
forcible mass circumcision and killing of Hindus, destruction of Hindu
temples, and devastation of the Malabar, Trichur, Alwaye and Kodungallur
regions.
Attack of Tipu Sultan and its destruction
24 years after his father, Hyder Ali had attacked Kochi, Tipu Sultan started on a conquest to conquer Kochi and Travancore. On December 28, 1789 Tipu attacked the lines and gained entry but was ambushed by a small 20-member team led by Vaikom Padmanabha Pillai of Travancore army and had to retreat. Later in April he came back with reinforcements and this time was able to break in to the territory after making the way through the Nedumkotta. He destroyed the wall at Konoor kotaa or kottamuri and advanced further. He filled trenches for a few kilometers to enable his army to move forward.He destroyed many temples and churches and brought enormous harm to the people. He finally reached the Periyar river banks at Aluva and camped there. However by this time a small group led by Vaikom Padmanabha Pillai and Kunjai Kutty Pillai went upstream and managed to break the walls of a dam at Bhoothathankettu causing heavy flash floods downstream Periyar river. All the ammunition and gunpowder of Tipu's army got wet and became inactive. He was thus forced to return back. Information that the British army was planning an attack on Srirangapatnam hastened his retreat.
Many portions of the wall were destroyed during war, others later eroded away due to heavy rains, and trenches were filled up. The most of the ruins whatever left have also been lost due ignorance about the historical structure among the locals.[1] Unfortunately, there are no memorials erected anywhere in Kodungallur, or Trichur, or Alwaye to honour the Dharma Raja and Ayyappan Marthanda Pillai who were the architects of the fort; or Raja Keshavadas under whose direct command a comparatively small army humbled and defeated the invading army of Tipu Sultan.
24 years after his father, Hyder Ali had attacked Kochi, Tipu Sultan started on a conquest to conquer Kochi and Travancore. On December 28, 1789 Tipu attacked the lines and gained entry but was ambushed by a small 20-member team led by Vaikom Padmanabha Pillai of Travancore army and had to retreat. Later in April he came back with reinforcements and this time was able to break in to the territory after making the way through the Nedumkotta. He destroyed the wall at Konoor kotaa or kottamuri and advanced further. He filled trenches for a few kilometers to enable his army to move forward.He destroyed many temples and churches and brought enormous harm to the people. He finally reached the Periyar river banks at Aluva and camped there. However by this time a small group led by Vaikom Padmanabha Pillai and Kunjai Kutty Pillai went upstream and managed to break the walls of a dam at Bhoothathankettu causing heavy flash floods downstream Periyar river. All the ammunition and gunpowder of Tipu's army got wet and became inactive. He was thus forced to return back. Information that the British army was planning an attack on Srirangapatnam hastened his retreat.
Many portions of the wall were destroyed during war, others later eroded away due to heavy rains, and trenches were filled up. The most of the ruins whatever left have also been lost due ignorance about the historical structure among the locals.[1] Unfortunately, there are no memorials erected anywhere in Kodungallur, or Trichur, or Alwaye to honour the Dharma Raja and Ayyappan Marthanda Pillai who were the architects of the fort; or Raja Keshavadas under whose direct command a comparatively small army humbled and defeated the invading army of Tipu Sultan.
Reference
2. Thiruvithamkur Charitram (Travancore History) by P. Sankunni Menon, p. 161.
3. Kerala Charitram (Kerala History) by A. Sreedhara Menon, p. 55.
4. Malabar Manual by William Logan, p. 455.
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