I-

CHAPTER - I

INTRODUCTION

The Socio-economic conditions of Karnataka have

not yet received the same attention as the other aspects
of its long history and culture. No serious effort has
been made to analyse the socio-economic factors or to
interlink the political and administrative matters with
the development of society and growth of economy. The
history of a region is not merely the study of the career
and achievements of a single person like a king or a chief
or that of a dynasty, but it is the st\jdy of the achievements
of the people in general, as they constitute the society at
large. Hence, an attempt is made here, to throw light on a
few aspects of society and economy.

Significance of the period

The period from 1761 to 1881 A.D covered \jnder the

study is a crucial one in the history of Mysore for several
reasons. It is significant in the sense 'that the region was
passing through a stage of transition from 'Tradition' to
'Modernity'. One could notice the amalgamation of different
communities in the society which played a significant role
in changing the atmosphere of the region. Especially with
the spread of western education, the attitude of the
tradition-oriented people in Mysore vmderwent a change
and they were compelled to effect a deviation to a limited
extent; from the path of their accepted modes of life.

It was a period, which witnessed a political

turmoil for the native rulers of the Wodeyar family, whose
fortunes were bloc teed by the rising power of Haidar Ali,
the dominance of Tipu Sultan and the colonial nature of
the British administration. Stage by stage, Haidar built
up his strength by conquests and consolidation. His
political heir and son Tipu too was involved in an angular
struggle to retain his position and the vast empire that he
bequeathed from his illustrious father. Thus, the internal
adversaries and the external foes did much damage to the
political structure which had a profound impact on the
traditional social fabric and economic order of the region.

With the dawn of the nineteenth century the expansion

of the British administration through various methods
throughout the country was a great historical phenomenon.
The nature of the existing politico-economic structure of
the society based on heterogenous class composition dominated
by orthodox priestly community and degenerated monarchy,
could not resist the penetration of active and dynamic impact
of western civilization. The triumph of Exoropean capitalism
shook the old struct\jre of the society and caused a gradual
transition from old order to a new order. This of coiorse,
in the beginning was done much against the will of the
tradition-bound people. With the spread of English education
and its manifold avenues the tradition-oriented people of the
region were obliged to undergo a change in their social
system. Hence, it may be said, that in the early decades of
the nineteenth cenxury, the social change was more a forceful
penetration of the western ideas, rather than a willing
assimilation of new ideas.

The region witnessed socio-economic changes of

significant nature with the assumption of the administration
of Mysore directly by British in 1831. One cannot miss the
impact of the western social system which was altogether
different in its political consciousness, legal conception,
and economic structure. This was evinced by the series of
legislations passed which aimed at bringing about social
equality based upon democratic ideas of the west. The period
marked the end of an old order and the beginning of a new
vista of thinking which finally led to the emergence of what
might be called 'Modernism'.

Even while accepting the new socio-economic ideas of

the west, the people of Mysore remained vinique, in the sense
that they never uprooted the much valued cultviral traits of
their traditional past. On the other hand, a fine synthesis
between traditionalism and modernism was brought about; the
result of which today remains to be typically of 'Mysoreanism'.
Hence, the significance of the period can hardly be missed as
it provides for analytical and interpretative probing.

Boxindarv of Karnataka during the period vmder study.

The boundary of Karnataka varied from time to time,

according to the capabilities of each ruler reigned . With
the downfall of Vijayanagara empire the boimdaries were
radically altered. The Wodeyars of Mysore who claimed that
they were the successors of Vijayanagara empire began to
consolidate their position on the ruins of the great Vijaya-
nagara and inherited the glorious tradition of the Vijayanagara
rulers . The kingdom was expanded and consolidated under the
rulers like Raja Wodeyar (1578-1617), Kanthirava Narasaraja
ivodeyar <1638-59) and Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar (1673-1704).
Under Chikkadevara ja Wodeyar the kingdom consisted of 8h Gadis"^.
The kingdom of Mysore before Haidar's period (1761-82) included
about 107 groups of towns and villages of which 11 belonged to

1. Cubbon, M. General Memorandiom on Mysore, p. 1; Wilks, M.

Historical Sketches of the South of India in an attempt to
trace the History of Mysore, 1, p. 3.
2. Ramakrishna Rao, B. Annals o^^the Mysore Roval FamilY. I,
1916, p. 23; Havavadana Rao. C. History of Mysore. 11.
Appendix III, pp. 745-48.
3. Ramakrishna Rao, B. Annals Op. Cit., I, p. 117; Chamarajendra
Wodeyar. Vamsha Ratnakara. p. 118; Shama Rao, M. Modem
Mysore. I, pp. 5-7.
Srlrangapatam Kasaba, 29 below the ghats, the remaining
78 were towns and Gadis (frontier posts). Besides these,
1
there were forts and 102 'Abhaya Gadis' . The entire
territory thus comprised of the major parts of the modem
districts of Mysore, Hassan, Chikkamagalur (Kadur),
Bangalore, Salem, Coimbatore and Madurai upto Dindigal.
The territory added by Haidar to this kingdom was indeed
very vast comprising in it about 227 places besides 43
tributary districts. At the time of Haidar's death the
kingdom extended upto the river Krishna in the north and
Rameshwaram in the south and over an area with a radius of
40 Gavudas (leagues) or 480 miles from Srirangapatna . Thus
it was under Haidar All, a large number of small and big
principalities including the kingdom of Keladi, were brought
under the Mysore rulers. As a result, Haidar Ali and Tipu
Sultan ruled over a kingdom which included not only the
extensive table-land of Mysore state, but also the rich
districts of Baramahal, Salem, Coimbatore, Calicut, Bidnxor,
Dharwar, Cuddappah and Canara-^. But, with the defeat and

1. Krishna M.H. "Hydernamah on the administration of Hyder

Ali", Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, 3rd
Session. Calcutta, 1939; M.A.R. 1930. p, 100 - also
Appendix 'A* for details p. 103.
2. Krishna, M.H. "The Hyder Namah.... •' Op. Cit. Proceedings
of Indian History Congress. 3rd Session, Calcutta, 1939
pp. 1554 to 1556; Read Alexander. 'Management' Sec. 1
Baramahal records. p. 140.
3. Cubbon, M. General Memorandum, p. 2
death of Tipu, the kingdom was reduced to a limited boundary
and placed permanently londer the native rulers of the Wodeyar
dynasty, under the supervision of a British Resident. It is
to this permanent boundary of eight districts of old Mysore,
the study is confined.

Geographical background

The native state of Mysore occupied physically a well-

defined geographical position in the southern part of Karnataka,
It was situated in between a rocky triangle of the western
ghats, the eastern ghats and the Kilgiris. The general
elevation ranged from 2000 feet to about 3000 feet above the
sea level. It was subdivided into a number of valleys, widely
differing in shape and size, by several chains of hills
running from north to south. Isolated peaks of massive rock
called 'Durgas' (Doorgs) or 'Hill-forts' surroionded on sides,
raising the elevation to roughly four or five thousand feet
above the sea-level. The entire region was surrounded by the
1
collectorates of the Madras and Bombay Presidencies .

Since the partition treaty of 1799, the native state

of Mysore occupied physically a well-defined position. It
lay between 11*38' and 15*'2' north latitude and 74"42' and

1. Imperial Gazetteer of India. XVIII (Oxford), New edition,

p. 161 .
78"36' east longitude which embraced an area of 29,305 sq.
miles as per the survey of the Surveyor-General of India .
The land area extended upto 230 miles fro"- north to south
and 290 miles from east to west.

Influence of Geography

Mysore was divided into two separate blocks, each of

which had well-marked and distinctive features. On the west,
the hilly-region of Malnad was confined to the tracts resting
on the western gnats and it comprised the present districts
of Shimoga, Chikkamagalur and Hassan whicn presented a
beautiful scenery. The gigantic mountains and the thick
forests mainly around the western ghats had made the region
thinly populated. The incessant rains had made the people of
2
this region to confine themselves to their farms . Hence, each
householder lived here independently, securing all his needs
for himself. Due to the hilly nature of this region, the
communication system was poor.

On the east, the open country known as Maidan or

Bayalu seeme occupied a greater portion of the province. It

1. Rice, B.L. ^lysore Gazetteer I, p. 1

2. Rice, B.L. Report on the Mysore Census of 1881. pp. 24-25;
'Memorandum on tne i^ialnad of tne Wagar division showing
existing communications etc.../ pp. 1-35, GiM. File,
KSA.
 8

stretched towards the east and in the north from Shikaripur

to Periyapatna, continued along the southern border to the
Biligirirangana hills . The area in contrast to Malnad, had
spread into vast plains and more populous towns. The
communication system facilitated the people to move from one
place to another place easily. With its moderate climate and
favourable atmosphere, the region attracted many people who
came and settlea here from time to time. As a result, the
population included Karathas, hudaliars, Ladars, Naidus,
Gosayis, Marvadis, Gujarathis, Multanis, Malayalis and many
2
others . These people, in turn, influenced the socio-economic
life of the people of the region.

Though there were diversities in food habits and

customs of the two blocks of the region namely, Malnad and
Maidan, the physical feat\ires in general, were favourable to
the inhabitants in their respective regions. But the villages
often changed their character in regard to salubrity. Not only
jungles, but places like Srirangapatna and Kabbaladurg were
quite unhealthy for settlements . Epidemics of fever and

1. Rice, E.L, Gazetteer Op. Cit., Vol. 1, p. 3.

2. Rice, B.L. Report on the Mvsore Census of 1881 , pp. 64-55;
Gazetteer, I, Op. Cit., p. 245.
3. Smith. Charles Irving. 'Statistical Report on the Mysore'
(Type script), p. 6 (Mythic Society).
influenza were common throughout the region. Especially
children suffered from various kinds of infantile diseases .
The monsoons supplied abundant water for the region's
agricultural activities. The numerous rocks that surroimded
the region were a conspicuous sight for every traveller.
Thick forests, wild animals of rare species and varieties of
flowers attracted many people.

The means of water-supply and nature of the soil

determined cultivation and food habits of the various parts
of the region. The level plains of black alluvial soil in
the north, encouraged the growth of cotton and millet; the
districts irrigated by channels in the south and the west,
favoured the growth of sugarcane and paddy. The lands under
tanks were filled with gardens of cocoa and areca palms. The
red soil in the east, yielded Ragi and other food crops
peculiar to the region; the stony and wide-spread pasture
grounds in the central parts were covered with coarse grass
and were relieved by shady grooves of trees . Thus, the
people in the northern part of Mysore were accustomed to
millets, jowar etc., while the rest consumed Ragi, paddy, etc.
Thus, the geographical features of the region have played a
great role in building up a typical Mysorean culture.

1. Smith, Charles Irving. 'Statistical Report on the Mysore'

(Typec script), p. 4.
2. Rice, B.L. Gazetteer. Op. Cit. I, p. 3.
 10

Political backdrop to the period

The region of Mysore mentioned in the legendary as

well as the historical sources has a long tradition of its
own. The province derives its name from its capital 'Mysore'
which was in ancient times called ' Puragari' 'Mahisha Mandala'.
n fort was constructed in about 1324 A.D and to which the new
name of Mahisur was given , which commemorates the destruction
of Mahishasura, a buffalo-headed monster, by Chamundi or
Mahishasura mardhini, the form under which the consort of
Shiva was worshipped as the tutelary goddess of the Mysore
royal family. Several parts of the region have been mentioned
in the legends of Agastya, Parashurama, Janamejaya and in the
epics of Ramayana and i^iahabharatha.

The region formed a part and parcel of the Mauryan

empire and Shatavahana kingdom. Tirade flourished between
the Roman world and this region, during the Shatavahana period.
It had a remarkable development in various fields under the
Kadambas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Seunas and Hoysalas.

During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the

Vijayanagara rulers had bestowed on their vassal chiefs

1. Major A.W. Lindsay. 1871 Census Report. Mvsore. 1875, p. 8;

Imperial Gazetteer of India. XVlll, p. 152; also Dasara in
Mvsore. Appendix II. p. 16Q.
 11

various titles and some parts of their kingdom on the payment

of tribute and on terms of rendering military service . The
southern chiefs were placed xander a viceroy, whose seat of
government was Srirangapatna. With the dissolution of the
Vijayanagara empire, several vassal chiefs or palegars
declared their independence. Among these palegars the Nayakas
of Bidnur, Basavapatna, Chitaldurg, Balam, Hagalvadi and the
Gaudas of Yelahanka and Ballapur, the Wodeyars of Mysore,
2
chiefs of Kalale, Umattur and Yelandur were prominent .

The origin of the vvodeyar dynasty is traced to Vijaya,

an adventurous prince of the Yadava tribe who with his brother
Krishna came from Dwaraka (Gujarat) in search of better
opportunities in the south. It is said that these brothers in
the course of their travel, having occasion to stop in the
fort of Hadana, a few miles from the present site of Mysore,
heard that the chief of that place was forced to give his
daughter in marriage to the neighbouring chief of Karugahally,
a man of inferior caste. The two brothers having espoused the
cause of the distressed maiden, marched to Karugahalli, killed
its chief and returned in triumph to Hadinadu. The girl later
on became the willing bride of Vijaya, who took the title of

1. Wilks, M. Historical Sketches. Op. Cit., I, p. 13;

Mahalingam, T.V. Administration and Social Life under
Vi.iavanagara. II. n. 110: Josver. G.R. History of Mysore
and Yadava Dynasty, p. 15; Rice, B.L. Mysore Gazetteer. I,
p. 356.
2. Josyer, G.R. Op. Cit., p. 15; Rice, B.L. Gazetteer. Op.Cit.,
p. 357. '
 12

Wodevar and assijmed charge of Hadinadu and Karugahally and

adopted the religion of the Jangamas (of the Veerashaiva
school) .

The fatal disaster of Vijayanagar empire in the

battle 01 Talikota in 1565 diminished the influence of its
viceroy at Srirangapatna. Chamaraja, a descendant of the
Wodeyar family evaded the payment of tribute due by him, and
obtained permission to build barriers, on the pretext that
the wild hogs destroyed the crops. The acquisition of
Srirangapatna during the reign of Raja Wodeyar, was one of
the most important events in changing the fortunes of the
Wodeyars. In 1610 A.D, Raja Wodeyar threw off his allegiance
to the viceroy of Vijayanagar empire and made Srirangapatna
2
as the seat of his government . rie also extended his authority
all over the south of the present Mysore district. His
successor Chamaraja captured Channapatna in 1630 and completed
the conquest of the southern Mysore.

The next important ruler of Mysore was Kanthirava

Narasaraja Wodeyar who defended Srirangapatna against the

1. Edgar Thurston. Coins Mysore, Catalogue N0.I , Government

Central System, i'^iadras, pp. 1 and 2; Nanjundaradhya. Kalale
Arasugala Vamshavali. p. 12; Ramakrishna Rao, B. Annals, I
pp. 6-7.
h Wodeyar - a word of respect by which the Jangama priests
\ were addressed.
2. Thurston Edgar. Coins Op. Cit., pp. 2-3; Ramakrishna Rao, B.
Annals. I, pp. 23-24; Hayavadana Rao, C. History of Mysore.
I, pp. 60-62; Bowring, L.B. Haidar All and Tjpu Sultan, p. 15
 13

attack of Ranadullah Khan of Bijapiir and succeeded in

repelling the invader. Further, he overran Dannaikanakote,
Satyamangala, Arakalagud and Bettadapura. He took Hosur in
the north, and at Yelahanka inflicted a defeat on Kempegowda
of Magadi and collected a large booty from him.. With the
heavy booty obtained by these expedition, he improved and
enlarged the fortifications of Srirangapatna and endowed the
principal temples . He also established a mint and issued
coins in his name called Kantirayi huns and fanams .

It was during Doada Deva Raja's reign that Srirangaraya,

the last representative of Vijayanagar dynasty, fled for refuge
to Bidnur. Shivappa Nayaka, the de-facto ruler of Bidnur,
entered upon a range of conquests and came to the borders of
4
Srirangapatna, but was compelled to retreat . The Mysore
armies overran Sakkarepatna, Hassan and other places. Then
the Mysore arm.ies captured Erode and Dharapuram from hadurai
i^ayak and collected heavy tributes from Trichinapally and other
important places. Thus the Mysore kingdom extended from
Sakkarepatna in the west to Salem in the east and from Chikka-
nayakanahalli in the north to Dharapixram in the south .

1. Ramakrishna Rao, B. Annals. I, Op. Cit., p. 69.

2. Ibid., pp. 79, 92.
3. Ibid., pp. 90-91; Thurston Edgar. Coins, Op. Cit., p. 8;
Hayavadana Rao, C. History of Mysore, I, p. 161 .
4. namakrishna Rao, B. Annals. Op. Cit., I, p. 98.
5. Ibid., I, pp. 97-98.
 14

The accession of Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar to the throne

is a turning point in the history of Mysore. The period was
the most crucial one. In the north-west of Mysore, the Ikkeri
rulers assisted by the Golkonda and Bijapur forces and other
cnieftains launched an attack on the Mysore kingdom. On the
other hand the Maratnas imder .:Dhivaji proceeded upto Sriranga-
patna; Chikkadevaraja not only withstood Shivaji's attack, but
was able to repulse him which enhanced his reputation . But
after Shivaji's return, the Maratha affairs in southern India
became an event of concern. The i^iaratha cavalry led by Dadaji,
Jaitaji and Nimbaji encamped in the neighbourhood of Sriranga-
patna and threatened the safety of the capital itself, but they
were routed out by Dalavayi Doddayya, a nephew of Dalavayi
2
Kumaraiah . However, the g e n e r a l p o l i t i c a l s i t u a t i o n in South
I n d i a was \infavo\irable f o r Mysore d u r i n g 1682-86 A.D due to
Sambhaji's movements. A c o n t e s t for supremacy between Mysore
and terathas was developing f a s t i n s o u t h e r n I n d i a . But by
J u l y 1686, a mutual u n d e r s t a n d i n g between the Marathas and
mysore was a r r i v e d a t . Sambhaji was o b l i g e d to r e t u r n , as he
was i n t r o u b l e a t home and t h e f i n a n c i a l c r i s i s of the Marathas
was met by Chikkadevaraja and t h u s Mysore emerged an i m p e r i a l
power i n t h e s o u t h .

1 . Ramakrishna Rao, B. A n n a l s . Op. C i t . , I , p . 1 1 1 .

2. I b i d . , p. 115.
 15

After reducing Bijapvir in 1586 A.D, the Moghuls tried

to take the place of the I'larathas in the south. But the
diplomatic efforts of Chikkadevaraja averted their domination
in the south. He also sent an embassy to the I^ioghul court,
which enhanced his power and prestige and elevated him to the
1
position of the emperor of Karnataka . Thus, by the beginning
of eighteenth century, the political atmosphere was stabilized
to a great extent.

Simultaneously, the members of the Kalale family rose

to prominence as Dalavayis of Mysore and exercised considerable
influence on the affairs of the kingdom . Matrimonial alliance
between the Kalale and the Wodeyar families and systematic
succession for the post of Dalavayi from Kalale family became
the cardinal features since mid-seventeenth century . With
tne death of Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar in 1704, the administration
of Mysore for more than half a centiory practically passed on to
the hands of the Dalavayis, as the wodeyars who succeeded
Chikkadevaraja were weak. I\lormally, a Dalavayi, a Sarvadhikari
and a firadhan carried on the administration. Sarvadhikari
Wanjarajaiah now combined the last two offices under him and

1. Krishna Row, P. A Brief History of Mysore, p. 2;

Ramaior-ishna Rao. B. Annals, 1. Op. Cit., P P . 144-145;
Krishna, M.H. 'The Dynasty of the Chiefs of Kalale',
Indian Historical Records Commission. XX, 1943.
Dalavayis - The hereditary commanders of the forces.
2. Krishna, M.H. 'The Dynasty of the Chiefs of Kalale',
Op. Cit., IHRC. 1945.
3. Krishna Row, P. Op. Cit., p. 29;'Venupurada Kshatriya
Vamshavali', p. 22 (a manuscript in Kannada), KB 424.
 16

with the support of Dalavayi Devarajaiah secured all the

powers and controlled military affairs, revenue and financial
matters . Further, they followed a clever policy of install-
ing a prince who claimed a very small share in the administra-
2
tion as far as possible . When Chamaraja Wodeyar tried to act
independently, the powerful ministerial party went even to the
extent of confining nim and his wife at Kabbaludurga after
snatching all that they possessed .

The intensity of the Dalavayi menace increased

especially during the minority of Krisnnaraja Wodeyar 11.
Karachuri Nanjarajaiah brother of Devarajaiah succeeded as
Dalavayi and his daughter Devajamma was married to the king
in 1746 A.D . It was during this period that the French and
British tried to compete in south Indian affairs to achieve
5
tneir own interests, by taking opposite sides . The whole of
south India at that time was in a chaotic condition. The
Nizam claimed himself to be the representative of the hoghul
emperor in south India. The Mrathas were also consolidating

1. Nanjundaradhya. 'Kalale Arasugala Vamshavali* (a manuscript

in Kannada), p. 67; Krishna Row, P. Op. Cit., p. 29;
Ramakrishna Rao, B. Annals I, Op. Cit., p. 170.
2. Krishna Row, P. Op. Cit., pp. 29-30.
3. Ramakrishna Row,fi.Annuls, Op. Cit., I, p. 170.
4. Hayavadana Rao, ^. History of Mysore. II, p. 70.
5. Basavaraja, K.R. History and Culture of Karnataka. p. 239;
Hayavadana Rao, C. History of hvsore. II» PP. 121-122.
 17

their authority. Karachuri Nanjarajaiah made a bold attempt

at securing Trichinapally for Mysore by any means and at any
cost. But the seize was a useless effort for three years
costing three crores of rupees and it was given up ultimately.
Meanwhile the pay of the Mysore troops fell into arrears and
they sat in Dharana in front of Nanjarajaiah's house. However,
the problem was solved by naidar All, a young, ambitious
soldier, who paid tneir dues within three days.

The financial condition of Mysore became worse day by

day under Karachuri Nanjarajaiah. The Subhadar of the Deccan
1
invaded Srirangapatna and demanded Peshkash due to him. The
Peshwa's agents at the court of Srirangapatna began to press
p
for Chauth from Mysore. Dalavayi Nanjarajaiah had to beg
peace from the Subhadar by paying him 56 lakhs of rupees.
But the Dalavayi could pay only one-third of it. For the
remaining amovmt bills on the securities of local merchants
were issued and the clerks were pledged as hostages .

By then Krishnaraja Wodeyar II tried to take an active

part in the affairs of the kingdom. But Nanjarajaiah who
disliked himself to be overpowered, stormed the palace and
confined the ruler and cut off the nose and ears of king's
partisans . Devarajaiah was disgusted with the affairs of

1 . Peshkash means a fixed payment made by zamindars to

government.
2. Chauth - One-fourth of the total revenue.
3. Hayavadana Rao, C. Op. Cit., II, p. 192.
4. Rice, B.L. Mysore Gazetteer. I, p. 375.
 18

his brother. So he retired from the capital and fixed his

residence at Satyamangala. Krishnaraja Wodeyar appealed
for help from Peshwa and was ready to seek help from the
French to overthrow Nanjarajaiah. Once again in 1758, the
salaries of tne i^iysore military fell into arrears and Haidar
All was again tne medium of satisfying their demands. Ke
distributed tne wealth he had accumulated and also all the
available state property including the Raja's elephants and
norses . Haidar All placed his own troops to guard the fort
and i'j'anjarajaiah was made to retire to Konanur in June 1759 A.D.
with nis family and friends . Haidar All was assigned four
more districts in addition to the jagnirs he possessed. Fxarther,
Haidar All led a successful expedition to Baramahal and the
bounaary of Mysore was extended. Thus, the atmosphere was very
much favovirable for Haidar All to fulfil his ambitious projects
and ultimately he occupied the position of Nanjarajaiah-^.

The Raja later on realised his mistake of placing

Haidar iili in tne position of Nanjarajaian. When the greater
portion of Haidar All's army was away from capital, the royal
family made a plot to capture him, but Haidar All was able to

1. Rice, B.L. Mysore Gazetteer, p. 375.

2. Hayavadana Kao C. Op. Cit., II, p. 225.
5. Bowring, L.B. Haidar All and Tjpu Sulxan. pp. 32-33;
Hayavadana Rao, C. Op. Cit., I-L, p. 634.
 19

escape along witn his family. By then he had enlisted the

support of Bedar peons and Pindarv horsemen in his arnjy
and had accumulated a large treasure by wnich he maintained
a regular artillery, arsenal and laboratory witn the aid of
skilled artificers under the French masters . So, it was
impossible for the Raoa to curb his power. Moreover, Kaidar
manipulated tne situation by fabricating the letters in the
name of ex-minister and made himself tne Dalavayi and
organised a very big, army. Then ne capturea a numoer of
forts Delonging to r\.hande Rao and finally landed at Sriranga-
patna. Tne Raja was obliged to resign everything in favour of
Haidar All by keeping for himself a jaghir of only 3 lakhs of
3
pagodas . Thus Haidar Ali became the master of the situation
ana managed the affairs of Mysore in the name of the king since
then.

1. Wilks, h. Historical Sketcnes. Op. Cit., I, p. 269;

Bowring, L.B. Oy, Cit.. P. 25;
Krishna Row, P. Op. Cit., p. 39;
Bedars - means Hunters. Haidar Ali captured many Bedar
youths from Chitradurg.
Pindarees were predatory troop receiving no regular pay,
but maintaining themselves by plunder.
2. Peixoto j:^loy Jose Correa. Memoirs of Hyder Ally from the
year 1750 to 1770 - a manuscript, M.A.R. 1937, p. 90.
Krishna Row, P. Op. Cit., p. 40.
3. Rice, B.L. Mysore Gazetteer, pp. 380-381;
Krishna Row. P. Op. Cit.. pp. 52-53.
 20

The period under survey t h a t i s , from 1761 to 1881,

i s analysed under three d i f f e r e n t s t a g e s .

I . The p r e - B r i t i s h society covering the periods of

Haidar All and Tipu Sultan.

I I . The period from 179S to 1831 A.D - events t h a t

led to d i r e c t administration of I'lysore by tne B r i t i s h in
1831 A.D.

I I I . Changes in the socio-economic l i f e of the people

under B r i t i s h administration t i l l the r e n d i t i o n of Mysore
in 1881 A.D.

I . P r e - B r i t i s h society (1761 to 1799 A.D)

The society during the p r e - B r i t i s h period in Mysore

witnessed the a s s i m i l a t i o n of d i f f e r e n t races into i t s fold.
The combination of e x t e r n a l t h r e a t and i n t e r n a l lack of
statesmanship had i n e v i t a b l y given an opportunity t o a
powerful p e r s o n a l i t y i r r e s p e c t i v e of caste or community to
dominate i n - t h e a f f a i r s of the region. Under these
circumstances Haidar All rose to power . During t h e
administration of Haidar All and Tipu Sultan s e v e r a l incentives

1. Hettne Bjorn. The P o l i t i c a l Economy of I n d i r e c t Rule.

p . 28.
 21

were given to the Muslims to come and settle in the region.

They were exempted from paying the house tax and taxes on
grains and other goods meant for their personal use . Most
of the important offices were shuffled and given to Muslims.
.Persian language was used as a medium of accounts in tne
2
revenue aepartment . Of course, the change of hands in the
management of revenue affairs from the age-old monopoly of
the Brahmins to the Muslims naturally created a sort of
irritation among the Hindus in its initial stages.

The subjugation of the Ealegars under Haidar All and

Tipu Sultan was anoxher important measure which brought about
a change in the socio-economic set up. Haidar had sensed the
danger to his power from some of the turbulent and ambitious
palegars. So, he took up the task of suppressing them, which
was more strictly carried out under the regime of Tipu Sultan .
By this act, the lands held by the palegars were brought under
the Sarkar and a systematic revenue assessment began. However,

1. Gopal, M.H. Tipu Sultan's Mysore; an economic study, p. 68.

2. Gopal, M.H. Op. Cit., p. 71; Hayavadana Rao, C. Op. Cit..
Ill, p. 522.
3. Palegars were the military chieftains living in forts and
served the kings or overlords by lending tneir forces in
times of necessity; Ramakrishna Rao, B. Annals I, Op. Cit.,
o. 225; Krishna, M.H. 'Hyder namah ' Op. Cit.: M.A.R..
1930, p. 86.
4. Narendra Krishna Sinha. Hyder Ali. p. 242;
Mohibul Hasan Khan. History of Tipu Sultan, pp. 322 and 342;
Peixoto Eloy Jose Correa. Memoirs of Hyder Ally. Op. Cit.,
pp. 19-20.
 22

linder Haidar All, a few palegars were left with their

palayams on the condition of paying an annual tribute .
During the period of Tipu Sultan "the palegars were generally
expelled and the revenue of their lands were either rented out
to individuals by the officers of the government, or retained
under their own immediate management" . But it was not until
the first quarter of tne nineteenth century, that these
palegars were eliminated completely under tne British
administration.

Haidar All was shrewd enough anc did not like to incur
displeasure of xne Hindus by introducing drastic changes either
in the administration or in the socio-economic institutions of
Mysore. On the other hand, Tipu Sultan brought about many social
reforms such as ban on the use of liquor and intoxicants, on
the institution of prostitution and on employing female slaves
in domestic services, on human sacrifice and brought restriction
on lavish extravagance for marriages, festivals and chanties .
he also tried to introduce several cnanges in land revenue
administration by means of strict regulations . Tipu Sultan also

1. Rice, B.L. Mvsore Gazetteer. I, p. 595; Krishna, K.H.

'Haidar Namah '. M . A . R T . 1930, p. 85.
2. Firminger, W.K. (ed.). Fifth Report from the Select Committee
of House of Commons on the affairs of the East India Company,
I^ p! 266.
3. Campbell, R.H. Tipu Sultan, p. 11; Bowring, L.B. Op. Cit..
p. 214; Dubois. Abbe 7. Hindu Manners and Customs. p. 78;
Kirkpatrick. Select Letters of Tipu. Letter TMO . 14.
4. Ramachancra Rao Flinganuri. Memo ir s, Op. Cit., p. 136.
 23

made a bold attempt to introduce various industries and some

scientific experiments even before the British introduced
industrialization.

Thus, by various measures,riaidarAli and Tipu tried

to bring some changes in the existing arrangement of the
society and economy. It was during this period that a number
of >iuslim communities were absorbed into tne society of I*iysore.
Eventhough there were cleavages among these different groups,
the interaction and assimilation gave new dimensions to the
existing traditional society.

II. Events leading to the direct administration of tne

British (1799-1831 A.D)

During this period of native rule under the guidance

of British residents, the region felt the impact of British
settlements and Christian missionaries. A number of social
distxarbances starting in the early years of the nineteenth
century, founa their expression ultimately in 1831 in the
taking over of Mysore administration by the British directly.
The establishment of civil station at Bangalore, the suppression
of palegars were some of the important features of this period.
Inspite of limited powers given to the Raja, Dewan Purnaiah
organized the revenue and financial management more systemati-
cally. But after his retirement, the young and inexperienced
Raja was sxirrovmded by flatterers and parasites who became the
 24

masters of the situation. Some of the worst events crept in,

which brought financial crisis in the region. As a result,
the important offices of the state were sold to the highest
bidder and the ryots were oppressed by the amildars xinder
the pretext of oharat system . The ryots became impoverished
and the revenues fell. Revolts broke out in various parts of
the kingdom, which the Raja had to suppress with the help of
tne military. The revolt at Nagar drew the attention of the
British administrators and the administration of the kingdom
slipped once again from tne hands of tne Hindu raja on the
2
pretext of mal-administration .

III. Direct British administration (1831-1881 A.D)

It is true to some extent that tne traditional society

under tne British administration underwent some changes during
this period. The British power brought with it new factors
3
and added to the complexity of the whole process . Gradually

1. Shama Rao, h. History of Modern Mysore. I, pp. 407-409.

Sharat. system - It was a type of contract where an annual
stipulation was made witn each amildar that a certain amount
of revenue would be realised for the state and tnat if the
collections fell short of that amount, he was to be
responsible for the deficiency.
2. Report on the "Origin etc., of the disturbances in Mysore",
1833, p. 15, K.S.AV
3. Shastry, K.N.V. 'Administration in the light of History',
Proceedings of tne Indian History Congress, 1939, p. 1457.
 25

the values and institutions of the society tended to adopt

themselves to the new situation. The emergence of elites
was another important feature of the period. In the wake of
several social legislations an attempt was made to remove
many social evils sucn as slavery, devadasi system, child
marriage etc. It was during this period that the missionary
activities brought radical changes in the existing education
system. Z:ne establishment of educational institutions like
varnacular scnools, residential sciiools, girls schools by
government and private bodies brought about new outlook among
the masses, i^^specially the introduction of English education
revolutionized the wnole social set up. Inspite of the remark
that the education system introduced by the British government
was intended to train up the cheap clerical men to assist in
tneir administration, one cannot ignore the importance of its
contribution to the birth of national movement.

The changed attitude of the British forced them to give

up mercantile system. The British who now became the territoria
masters brought out certain changes in the field of agriculture,
commerce and industries. Eventhougn there was no drastic change
in the condition of the people, the society on tne whole was in
a transitary process, gradually drifting from traditional stage
to modern trends. No doubt the conservative nature of the
people underwent a gradual change with the impact of western
ideas and institutions during this period.
 26

Sources

There is abundant source material available for the

study of socio-economic aspects of this period. The
innumerable records maintained in various archives viz., Tne
Tamilnadu Archives, Madras; ^laharastra Archives, Bombay;
i\ational Archives, Delhi, and the Karnataka State Archives,
Bangalore have been utilized for the study. Files belonging
to the departments of Land Revenue, i^iuzrai, Court, Education
and Agriculxure, reports on the administrative divisions of
the period, Roob-roob Firyads, Private diaries and Newspaper
cuttings preserved in Karnataka State Archives are of immense
help to the study of social and economic conditions of Mysore.
The Mythic Society maintains private collections of Dr.K.N.V,
Shastry which are indispensable for a research student of
Mysore history. The contemporary newspapers of the nineteenth
century preserved in Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs and
also several Travalogues and contemporary secondary sources are
critically probed and analysed for our study.

Chapter divisions

The study of Socio-economic conditions of old Mysore

has been dealt under eight chapters including introduction and
Conclusion. In the introductory chapter, an attempt is made
to describe the significance of the topic, physical featiores,
 27

sources and the political backdrop upto 1751 A.D and a

brief idea of all the chapters.

The second cnapter, Social Organization deals with

general featiires of the Mysore society and the significant
cnanges that took place as a result of the assimilation of
different groups of people into the society. Tne emergence
of new classes, the influence of western ideas and institu-
tions, the changes tnat affected the caste system, family
and status of women are dealt with.

The third chapter deals with tne social fabric and

social re-organization. The traditional society interwoven
witn several superstitious customs was adopting to tne
changing needs of the time. Tne severity of these practices
were losing its intensity with some modifications. At tne
same time a slow process of social reconstruction was visible
with the introduction of Western education system by Christian
missionaries and social reform movements.

The fourth chapter deals with socio-religious -

cultural life of the period. The chapter is divided into
two sections. The first section deals with the role played
by institutions like Temples, Mathas and Chattras in society
and the influence of these institutions on the people at
large. The secona section deals with some of the prominent
cultural activities during the period and the efforts of the
 28

people to gain a remarkable place for Mysore in attaining

proficiency in these fields.

The fifth chapter deals with tne agrarian conditions

of the period. Tne impact of land revenue system and land
tenures on the peasants, and the experiments in tne cnange of
tne policies under different administrators are critically
analysed.

The commercial activities of the people are studied

m detail in tne sixtn chapter. The rulers of hysore took
keen interest in establishing hoth inland and foreign contacts
as early as the eighteenth century. With the introauction of
free-trade policy by tne British administrators and acquiring
monopoly of some profitable articles by the European officials,
the progress of these activities received a set-back to some
extent.

The inaustrial activities of the people are dealt in

tne seventh cnapter. A large number of handicrafts had
provided means of living for its artisans. The British
policy of protecting the merchants and money-lenaers produced
adverse effect on the once flourishing weaving industry. But
encouragement was given to develop silk industry, merino-
farming ana small industries which hardly brougnt any
improvement in the living conditions of the people.
 29

The last chapter includes the summaries of the

seven chapters and observation of the socio-economic
development of the period under study. A brief survey of
nearly 120 years shov.'S that the country was passing through
a period of transition. Keeping in view the social problems
liKe unemployment, gambling, crimes and untouchability and
tne social customs liKe infanticide, sati, sacrifice, child
marriage, the British legal system aimed ax transforming the
society by inculcating the western ideas, H progressive
reformation in conforming with the cnanginr world was attempted
by the British system of administration. On the whole, it was
a period of transition from the medieval to the modern in the
old I'lysore region.