The Mysore invasion of Kerala (1766–1792) was the military invasion of Malabar (northern Kerala), including the territories of the Zamor...
The Mysore invasion of Kerala (1766–1792) was the military
invasion of Malabar (northern Kerala), including the territories of the Zamorin
of Calicut, by the Muslim de facto ruler and sultan of the Kingdom of Mysore
Hyder Ali. After completing the occupation, Kingdom of Cochin, situated south
of Malabar, was made a tributary state of Mysore. The major reason for the
occupation of Malabar was the desire to have access to the Indian Ocean ports.
The Mysore invasion provided the English East India Company more chances to
tight their grip on the ancient feudal principalities of Malabar and converting
Travancore, over whom Mysore Sultans attacked after Cochin, to a mere protected
ally.
By 18th century, all the petty kingdoms of Kerala had been
absorbed or subordinated by three big states of Travancore, Calicut (ruled by
Zamorins) and Cochin. Kingdom of Mysore, nominally ruled by the Wodeyar family,
rose to prominence in India after the decline of the Mughal empire. In 1761,
Hyder Ali seized control of all of the reins of power in Mysore by overthrowing
a powerful minister and became the "de facto" head of Mysore Kingdom.
He turned his attention towards expansion which included the capture of the
Kingdoms of Bednur (Ikkeri or Keladi[5]), Sunda, Sera, and Canara. In 1766, he
descended into Malabar and occupied the Kingdoms of Chirakkal (former
Kolathunad), Kottayam, Kadathanad, Calicut, Valluvanad and Palghat and King of
Cochin accepted his suzerainty and paid him tribute annually for from
1766[citation needed] till 1790. Faruqabad, near Calicut, was the local capital
of the Mysore ruled Kerala.
Hyder Ali's attempt to defeat Travancore, a British ally
state south of Cochin, failed in 1767 and second effort by his son Tipu Sultan
in 1789–1790 was incomplete. Moreover, Tipu Sultan provoked British invasion in
the form of Third Anglo-Mysore War by attacking the Kingdom of Travancore. Thus
Travancore was only part of present day Kerala state that stood outside Mysore
authority.
By the treaty of Seringapatam (1792), Tipu ceded half of his
territories including Malabar to the English East India Company and their
allies and paid 330 lakhs of rupees as indemnity. By 1801, the Madras Presidency
was created by Lord Wellesley, by attaching Malabar along with Carnatic
territories seized form Mysore.
Travancore was asked by the Company to met the
entire expenditure of the Third Anglo-Mysore war on the plea that the war was
undertaken in defense of Travancore. The new treaty of 1795 reduced Travancore
from a friend and ally of the English East India Company to that of a protected
ally. The King was forced to entertain a subsidiary force far beyond his
capacity to subsidise. The Company also claimed a monopoly in the black pepper
trade of the country.
No comments