222 Years Of Marudu Brothers' Famous Srirangam Proclamation: Letter Alerting English East India Company Discovered

A letter informing the the English East India Company about the declaration of revolt by the Marudu Brothers of Sivaganga has been discovered in the Government Archives in Chennai.

The proclamation also known as the Srirangam Prakadanam or Jamputheevu Prakadanam was made by them 222 years ago on this day, i.e., 16 June 1801.

It was pasted on the walls of of one of the Poligars in Srirangam and the Nawab’s palace in the Tiruchi fort.

It was removed after its discovery and J Webbe, the Chief Secretary to the Governor wrote a letter about it to Lieutenant Colonel Agnew, who commanded the Company's forces in the southern districts.

The document is a significant historical artefact. It represents one of the earliest organised attempts at evicting the English East India company from India (jamboo dweepa in the proclamation). It was issued by one of the captains of a loosely organised confederacy of Southern poligars who resented the sudden usurpation of power and authority by the English.

Fully developed during the Vijayanagar empire, the poligars were a intermediary class of military and administrative heads who managed small districts and collected revenue for the sovereign. The system continued to be in vogue in many parts of South India even after the Vijayanagar empire had collapsed. They were however overthrown or degraded into zamindars by the English who had taken over the southern country after installing a puppet Nawab in Arcot. Marudu Pandyan brothers were among the foremost poligars who came together to resist English ascendancy over the Nawab’s territories.

The poligar confederacy, short-lived, was eventually defeated. The leaders of the conspiracy, and their children as young as 10-12 years old, were mostly hung to death. A small number were also exiled. The Company set on a policy of thorough disarmament after the rebellion. In fact, all manufacture and possession of arms was made illegal. One hundred and thirty years later the famous Purna Swaraj declaration would lament about how “compulsory disarmament has made us unmanly”.

The Marudu brothers were later defeated by the British and hanged to death at Tirupattur on October 24, 1801.

We reproduce excerpts from the proclamation below. 

“Who ever sees this paper, Read it with Attention.”

“To the castes, nations, Brahmins, Kshetriyas, Vysyas. Sudras and Musselmen that are in the Island of Jamboo in the Peninsula of Jamboo Dweepa this notice is given. “

And although they manifestly suffer, they are still without understanding to discern it. It is certain that the Man must die although he may live a thousand years! And it is as certain that his fame will survive him as long as the Sun and Moon (Shine).

Therefore it is devised and determined that in future each shall enjoy his hereditary Rights, namely to His Highness the Nawab Arcot Subah, Vijaya Ramanah Tirumala Nayak the Carnatic, Tanjore the first place and to others their respective kingdoms all to be given to their rightful sovereigns without any violation of faith and national customs (The Europeans must) confine themselves to a dependent service on the Nawab from which they may expect to derive a real and uninterrupted happiness.

As the authority of the Europeans will be destroyed, we shall enjoy as in the service of the Nawab, constant happiness without tears. It is therefore recommended that every man in his place and palayam fly to arms and unite together in order to make even the name of the low wretches cease.Then all the poor and the needy will get subsistence.

But should there be any who like dogs desirous of an easy life, obey the commands of these low wretches, such should be Karoo or cut off. As all know with what subtility these low wretches, always in unity with each other have subdued the country!

Therefore you Brahmins, Kshetriyas Vysyas, Sudras and Musselmen, all who wear whiskers, whether civil or military, serving in the field or elsewhere, and you subedars, jamedars, havildars, nayaks and sepoys in the service of the low wretches and all capable of bearing arms, let them in the first place display their bravery as follows – Wherever you find any of the low wretches destroy them and continue to do so until they are extirpated. Whoever serves the low wretches will never enjoy eternal bliss after death, I know this. Consider and deliberate on it.

…

To all living at Srirangam the priests and great people, MARUDU PANDYAN, prostrates himself at their feet. The Sovereigns made and kept ports, mud bastions, churches and chapels, The above great Rajahs and People by the injustice of the low wretches are now reduced to poverty. So great a people as you are reduced to this State! Grant me your Blessing”