Act 1 - Early Life

Pazhassi Raja was born on 3rd January of 1753. He would have lived and died in obscurity had it not been for a series of radical events that changed the course of Indian history.

First point to be mentioned – Pazhassi Raja was not a Raja or sovereign at any point of his time. He was only third in line of succession even at moment of his death.

But he was bolder, subtler and more active than his elders. These characteristics were visible in him since childhood. Same features enabled him to become de facto head of his country in times of seemingly insurmountable crises.

Uddhanda Sashtri, famous 16th century poet of Calicut Raja’s court, was impressed by the proverbial invincibility and scholarship of Kottayam Rajas and is said to have sang -

"Yeshaam Vamshe Samajani Harishchandranaama Narendraha

Pratyaapaththi  Pataga! Yadupancham Cha Kaumaarilaanaam 

Yudhdhe Yaeshaamahitahataye Chandika Sannidhaththae

Teshaameshaam Stutishu Na Bhavael Kasya Vakratham Pavithram"

English translation would be - 

Ones born in lineage of Harishchandra, 

He who spread philosophy of Mimamsa, 

Them, whose enemies are slayed in war by Goddess Chandika herself, 

Impossible it is, not to have a pure mind describing them.

Point was that Kottayam Rajas were unbeatable in field of war. There is an element of truth in this assertion. In spite of being a small kingdom with small manpower, Kottayam Rajas thwarted efforts of all their stronger aggressive neighbors to dominate them – that seems a great achievement – this kingdom was an ancient one – nearly 1000 years old at time of her annexation by British in 1806. Throughout her history, this landlocked kingdom constantly fought with stronger rivals who had access to sea and foreign commerce.

But in 1766, a giant threat loomed over not only Kottayam but over whole of Kerala. Armies of Hyder Ali of Mysore swept across Malabar (Northern and Upper Central Kerala) which was divided at that time into motley of squabbling states who could not resist the larger and modern army of Hyder Ali.

Armies of Hyder Ali and then his son Tipu Sultan imposed a system of cruel taxation.

Revenue assessment was often as high as eighty percent of output.

Mysore administration was run by corrupt, inefficient and bigoted men who unleashed a reign of terror to exact tax dues. As Rajas and great noblemen of Malabar had fled away to impregnable kingdom of Travancore in Southern Kerala, people were organized by princes and younger noblemen who refused to flee.

Resistance to Mysore rule was in form of guerrilla warfare waged from mountains and forests. Loss of men suffered by Mysore army was severe and they lost tens of thousands of troops and vast sums of money and materiel in their effort to subdue resistance in Malabar – but they failed to crush resistance and impose their rule on land.

I do not aim to elaborate about resistance and reprisal that Malabar witnessed for nearly quarter of a century but focus more on Pazhassi Raja. He was only 13 when armies of Hyder marched across Malabar and even armies of once invincible Kottayam were defeated in spring of 1766 by Mysore army.

But even so, most of Kottayam was not yet captured by enemy on account of her wild terrain. This gave time for Kottayam generals to meet the threat. They took careful preparation for a year and in 1767, when 4,000 Mysore troops marched into occupy Kottayam, a Kottayam army of 2,000 “Nairs” surrounded this Mysore army in night and annihilated the whole enemy force. Their entire baggage, arms, ammunition and horses fell into Kottayam hands.

This defeat was the first major setback in Malabar and soon this encouraged rebels all over Malabar to rise in revolt en masse and by 1768 Hyder Ali found that 20,000 of his crack troops were trapped in blockhouses in Malabar with no scent of success – on contrary, Mysore troops faced threat of being overrun. Threatened by Marathas and Nizam from north, Hyder negotiated with rebels and restored their kingdoms and left Malabar with his troops.

During this period, Pazhassi Raja was only an adolescent. But he fought in all the engagements with laudable valor and skill as a boy soldier along with his friends – many of whom would later rise to become his aides.

After Mysorean retreat in 1768, Rajas of Malabar soon returned to their old ways. They took no measures to modernize their arms or to coalesce with fellow Rajas of Malabar to form military alliances. They would pay dearly for their folly six years later.

In 1774 – after Hyder had overcome threats from Marathas and Nizam – overran Coorg and then marched into Malabar. Rajas of Malabar fled away and history repeated once more.

But this time the boy soldier of 1766 had grown up to become a young man of 21. His uncle Ravi Varma was the Raja. Second in line of succession was Vira Varma and third in line of succession was another Vira Varma. Fourth in line of succession was a prince named Ravi Varma. Kerala Varma aka Pazhassi Raja was fifth in line of succession. Vira Varma second in line of succession later became Kurubranad Raja and one of main opponents of Pazhassi Raja. Both Vira Varmas were uncles and Ravi Varma was a cousin of Pazhassi Raja.

Real Raja Ravi Varma fled to Travancore after in his inability to fightback Mysore army. In this vacuum, Pazhassi Raja took over leadership and became supreme military leader and  de facto head of government on account of his active and brave nature. He took initiative to fight back invading Mysore army and rallied people to a freedom struggle. He vowed to remain in his country and fight invading enemy. His courage and patriotism earned him respect of his subjects, high and low alike. 

Pazhassi Raja made use of religious imagery to rally people to support war of independence. Perumal and Bhagavati (Shiva and Parvati) were patron deities of principality of Kottayam and all his appeals were made in their names. He also exhorted his people to fight for what was termed as Kerala Maryada or Kerala Dharma– a body of ancient customs which regulated political and social life, but now threatened by tyranny and disruption practiced by Mysore occupation authorities.

But it would be a folly to think that Pazhassi Raja was only concerned with questions of customs and traditions – His approach to his people and followers may not be modern but they were in best tradition of paternalism. He took care to ensure welfare and justice of his subjects from uppermost to lowliest and soon became respected by his people for his efficient and impartial administration.

His love of independence as well as his love for his subjects both did not go well with Mysore authorities who wanted to set up a centralized government and collect heavy tax from Kottayam folks – Pazhassi Raja thwarted all their effort to set up their administration in Kottayam through mass resistance in form of guerrilla warfare.

Mysore army was a modern well equipped army with cavalry and artillery whereas like rest of rebels in Malabar, Pazhassi Raja had only feudal levy troops of light infantry who did not stand a chance before artillery bombardment. Hence guerrilla warfare was used by rebels and Pazhassi Raja also did the same.

Pazhassi Raja soon emerged as the ablest enemy of Mysore in Malabar – unlike rest of rebels Pazhassi Raja established a sound army organization that included large number of secret camps and depots in forests and an elaborate covert procurement system of food, weapons and gun-powder.

Generalship of Pazhassi Raja was of high order – he remained unbeaten and he engineered the worst defeat of Mysore army in Malabar even though he was only a tiny army under his command.

Pazhassi Raja during war led life of a simple soldier and shared all hardships of his soldiers and took part in a number of dare devil exploits and his men – nobles and troops - gave him unconditional respect and obedience.

Not even Pazhassi Raja would have imagined that from 1774 onward until his heroic death in 1805, he will know no rest – which he will use up his whole adult life in constant warfare on enemies who eyed his country.