Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja , popularly known as the Lion of Kerala was a prince from the royal dynasty of Kottayam which now belongs to Kannur District of Kerala, in India. He had three senior Rajas above him for his claim to the throne. However, when the Mysore army occupied Malabar for a second time (1773-1790) all the seniors of Kottayam Royal family fled to Travancore. Pazhassi Raja who led a well organized guerrilla struggle against the Mysorean invader who were far stronger than the Kottayam army. He emerged in the course of time as the most powerful man in Kottayam as people stood firmly behind their beloved prince who had not abandoned them in their hour of misfortune.His troops were drawn from ranks of warrior Nairs as well as tribal Kurichias & Mullukurumbas.
Pazhassi Raja resisted British imperialism from 1793 onwards till his death in 1805. He fought two wars to resist English intervention in domestic affairs of his kingdom. From 1793-1797 he fought over the question of management of Kottayam and from 1800-1805 over the issue of who is master of Wynad.
On 1805, November 30, Raja and retainers were camped near close to Karnataka on shore of a stream named Mavila or Mavila Tod [not far from Pulpally]. Raja and party were caught by surprise and an intense but short fight followed. Large number of rebels fled away. Six rebels were killed. One of the earliest rebels to be killed was Pazhassi Raja.
To the credit of T. H. Baber, he treated Raja’s body with due respect and arranged for cremation with full traditional honours. Baber justified his respectful treatment in following words.
“I was induced to this conduct from the consideration that, although a rebel, he was one of the natural chieftains of the country, and might be considered on that account rather as a fallen enemy.”
Baber also added:
“Thus terminated the career of a man who has been enabled persevere in hostilities against the Company for near nine years, during which many thousand valuable lives have been sacrificed and sums of all money beyond all calculation expended.”
In the film Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja (2009) as is in popular legend, Raja is depicted as a tall man. But eye witness account of Jonathan Duncan, Bombay Governor in 1797, who held peace talks with Raja describes him as a man with pleasant smile, short in height, long hair and had mustache as well as a beard and frequently wore a red cap.That makes picture of artistic depiction of Raja at beginning of this article some what inaccurate.
Following are some reasons why he can be viewed as a great man:
- When Mysorean army invaded all kings and princes fled in terror leaving their people and land to its fate. But Pazhassi Raja preferred hard life in mountain fastness than comfortable sanctuary in Travancore.
- He led mass resistance against Mysoreans and British, in which all sections of people, directly or indirectly took part.
- His troops worshiped him as he was a fearless warrior and a first rate general who led from the front and lived during wartime as an ordinary soldier-he shared all soldierly hardships with them. He had great physical endurance that enabled him to fight in in the cruel mountain fastness of Puralimala and Wynad.
His life duration was between c. 1753 - c. 1805
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