In the history of Bharat’s fight against the British rule, Freedom Fighter Azhagumuthu Kone (1728 – 1757) may be called the first freedom fighter and martyr of Tamil Nadu who boldly opposed the rule of the foreigners and vehemently denied subjugation to the British orders by refusing to pay any tax.
Even as he was tied to the canon and blown to pieces by the canon ball, his loyalty to the Ettayapuram King and his devotion to the motherland stood sturdy and unshaken.
Not many sources are available regarding this freedom fighter but folklores continue to sing his fame across centuries which has motivated historians in the past few decades to search for sources that give more facts of this less known, unsung warrior.
The Politcal Backdrop
Azhagumuthu Kone’s forefathers were the ancient residents of Aayarpaadi and Vanagapadi situated in the banks of the Palar River. Several of his ancestors served as guards, soldiers, and commanders in the army of the Chola kings.
Azhagumuthu was born to Kattalankulam Chieftain Periya Azhagumuthu and Alagu Muthammal in1728 at Kattalankulam. Kattalankulam is currently situated 17 kms Southwest of Kovilpatti and it comes under the jurisdiction of Kovilpatti Taluk of the Thoothukudi District. His grandfather was Servaikarar Azhagumuthu Kone who ruled between 1691 and 1725 and became martyr in the Palangkottai battle.
Azhagumuthu’s father died in the Hanumanthakudi battle in 1750. Soon, in the same year, at the age of 22, Azhagumuthu became the King of Kattalankulam. His paternal uncle Chinna Azhagumuthu was his aide.
On 26th August 1751, Robert Clive along with an army of 500 soldiers went from Chennai and captured Arcot.
Due to the frequent wars between French and English, the British funds deteriorated. As a result, they decided to collect tax. In this effort, in order to collect tax from Arcot Nawab and his Palayankarars (polygars), the East India Company sent a troop of 500 European soldiers, 2000 native soldiers headed by Khan Sahib, and Arcot Nawab Muhammed Ali’s brother Mabus Khan under the commandership of Colonel Alexander Heran,
This troop left from Trichy towards South in February 1755. When the troop arrived at Dindigul, Dindigul Lakshmana Nayakar gave the amount asked by Heran and bowed before him.
Ramanathapuram Senapathy gave two Ports to the English and surrendered. Likewise, several chieftains submitted the demands of the British.
By 1750, the British East India Company had established its control over Tamil Nadu. The Arcot Nawab who was bankrupt in debt had to hand over the right to collect taxes to the British in return for some loan. In 1755, the Company started directly collecting the taxes from the Palayakarars (Polygars) of the Tirunelveli region. Khan Sahib was appointed by the English as the Commander of Madurai and Tirunelveli areas to collect taxes from the Palayakarars of these regions. They sent notice to Ettayapuram also asking to pay the taxes.
In 1755, Ettayapuram was ruled by Jagaveeraraam Ettappa Naickar. At the same time, Bhoothalaipuram in the Southeast of Ettayapuram was ruled by Bhoothalaipuram Ettaya. On the other side, the Kurumalai part of Ettayapuram was ruled by yet another relative of Ettayapuram King, Kurumalai Durai. All the three of them were called ‘Ettappan’ by the people and they ruled Etayapuram.
When the Ettayapuram king received the notice from the British asking him to pay the taxes, he had a discussion with one man – Azhagumuthu Kone.
The Making Of A Warrior
Azhagumuthu did not accept it. He argued with the Ettayapuram King saying, “Why should we pay taxes to immigrants?” Azhagumuthu refused to pay the taxes to the English. Ettayapuram King also accepted the feelings and logic of Azhagumuthu and refused to pay the tax.
Consequetively, Colonel Heran and Khan Sahib who were camping at Ellainayakanpatti, on the advice of Kovilpatti Vaithiyalinga Mudhaliyar, came to Ettayapuram to collect taxes. Now, stationed at the Eastern gate of the Ettayapuram Fort, they informed Jagaveeraraam Ettayappar of their purpose of coming. The Ettappa King refused to pay tax.
Seeing an opportunity, Bhoothalaipuram Ettaya told Khan Sahib that if he (Khan Sahib) made him the King of Ettayapuram, he would pay the taxes.
The English artillery attacked the Ettayapuram Fort. Hearing this, Azhagumuthu Kone came with his army and fought fiercely against Khan Sahib’s troop. The British army destroyed the Temple of Lord Shiva and the Poosai Mandabam in the East. When they were going to destroy the Perumal Temple, Azhagumuthu’s warriors headed by his paternal uncle Chinna Azhagumuthu prevented them. Chinna Azhagumuthu was shot dead by hidden soldiers of the enemy’s troop.
Meanwhile, as the defender of the Ettayappa King, Azhagumuthu continued fighting at the Melvasal – the Main Entrance against the British force. When he heard that the Company’s army is gaining control over the Fort, Azhagumuthu secretly rescued Jagaveera Ettappa Naickar and his warriors from the South gate and sent them to safe abode at Perunaalikadu.
Khan Sahib captured Ettayapuram. In April 1755, he declared Bhoothalaipuram Ettaya as the King of Ettayapuram. He collected the tax amount from the newly crowned king and left Ettayapuram for Tirunelveli with the war prisoners.
Bhoothalaipuram Ettaya, in due course of time, could not pay the tax. Seeing the circumstance, Kurumalai Durai, who wanted to become the king of Ettayapuram, expressed his wish to Khan Sahib’s friend Vembathoor Siva Shankaran Pillai.
In April 1756, Khan Sahib and Mabus Khan met at Kayathar and went to Ettayapuram on their way to Thiruviliputhur. At Ettayapuram, seeing the inability of Bhoothalaipuram Ettaya to pay taxes and keeping in consideration the eye of Kurumali Durai on the Ettayapuram throne, Khan Sahib arrested Bhoothalaipuram Ettaya and made Kurumalai Durai the King of Ettayapuram. Kurumalai Durai paid the tax amount of Rs.18,700/- to the British and Khan Sahib left from Ettayapuram.
Hearing that Kurumalai Durai had paid tax to Khan Sahib, Azhagumuthu got angry. At Perunaalikadu, Jagaveeraraam Ettayappa Naickar died of sorrow that his brother Kurumalai Durai had also betrayed him. Immediately, Azhagumuthu handed over the sword to Venkateshwara Ettayappar, son of Jagaveeraraam Ettayappa Naickar and crowned him the King. Since then, even today, Azhagumuthu Kone’s heirs are honoured by the descendants of Venkateshwara Ettayappar in the festivals of Ettayapuram Samasthanam.
When Khan Sahib came to know about the crowing of Venkateshwara Ettayappar, he felt highly insulted and got angry with Azhagumuthu Kone.
In order to retrieve Ettayapuram Fort, Azhagumuthu began to gather the army. He summoned warriors of Bethanayakanoor region, trained them and merged them with his army. He thus created a huge army. He divided it into two divisions. One troop was led by Venkateshwara Ettayappar and the other army was led by Azhagumuthu Kone himself. Both of them left with their respective armies in two different directions towards the Ettayapuram Fort.
The troop led by Azhagumuthu Kone halted at night at the Bethanayakanoor Fort to take rest. Having spied this, Siva Shankaran Pillai informed it to Khan Sahib and told him that it is the right time to attack them. He also incited Khan Sahib that if he does not destroy Azhagumuthu, not only will Ettayapuram be taken away from the hands of the English but also will give the guts to the other Palayakarars who will also start rebelling against payment of taxes. He added further that in order to revolt against Khan Sahib’s power, Azhagumuthu may gather all others.
Realizing the threat due to Azhagumuthu and the insult he cast to Khan Sahib by crowning Venkateshwara Ettayappar, Khan Sahib decided to assault Azhagumuthu’s army that night itself. Khan Sahib surrounded the Bethanayakanoor Fort and suddenly attacked Azhagumuthu’s aoldiers who were deep at sleep. Unable to respond to the sudden attack, several warriors of Azhagumuthu were killed and 255 others including Azhagumuthu were held captives.
Khan Sahib asked the captives – Azhagumuthu and his warriors, the whereabouts of Ettayapuram King. He asked them to beg pardon and agree to pay the taxes. But, none of the 255 captives agreed to bow before Khan Sahib. Instead, Azhagumuthu Kone roared saying, “In order to safeguard the honour of our Motherland, we are ready to accept death”. Azhagumuthu’s this patriotic conviction and fierce determination made Khan Sahib to tremble. Hence, Khan Sahib caused severe tortures on Azhagumuthu Kone and his captive-warriors.
As a punishment for not obeying the orders of the British, Khan Sahib cut the right hand of 248 of the captive soldiers. The remaining seven of them – Azhagumuthu Kone, Kechilanan Servai, Venkateswara Rettu Servai, Muthalagu Servai, Parivaram Muthirulan, his brother Segaveera Rettulakshmanan, and Thalaikattupuram Mayilupillai were tied to the mouth of the canon and shot. This brutal atrocity happened in between the mid night of Friday and early dawn of Saturday on 18th November, 1757.
Azhagumuthu Kone had sown the seed for Indian Independence against the British rule in the Tamil Nadu Soil 100 years before the First War of Indian Independence in 1857.
On 26th December, 2015, the Government of India released a Postal Stamp as a tribute to Freedom Fighter Martyr Azhagumuthu Kone.
REFERENCES:
1. Servaikarar Subash S.P.S, “Kattalankulam Servaikarar Alagumuthukone,” 2009
2. Pillai K.K., “South India and Srilanka,” 1958
3. Ganapathy Pillai W.E., “Etaiyapuram – Past and Present,” 1890
4. “Yadhavar Sigaram,” July 2015, Vol.-01:Issue-01