Revolt
of Puli Thevar 1755–1767

· In March 1755 Mahfuzkhan (brother of the Nawab of Arcot) was sent
with a contingent of the Company army under Colonel Heron to Tirunelveli.

 · Madurai easily fell into their hands. Thereafter Colonel Heron
was urged to deal with Puli Thevar as he continued to defy the authority of the
Company.

 · Puli Thevar wielded much influence over the western palyakkarars.
For want of cannon and of supplies and pay to soldiers, Colonel Heron abandoned
the plan and retired to Madurai. Heron was recalled and dismissed from service.
Confederacy and Alliance with Enemies of the British

· Three Pathan officers, Nawab Chanda Sahib’s agents, named Mianah,
Mudimiah and Nabikhan Kattak commanded the Madurai and Tirunelveli regions.
They supported the Tamil playakkarars against Arcot Nawab Mohamed Ali.

· Puli Thevar had established close relationships with them. Puli
Thevar also formed a confederacy of the Palayakkars to fight the British.

· With the exception of the Palayakkarars of Sivagiri, all other
Maravar Palayams supported him.

· Ettayapuram and Panchalamkurichi also did not join this
confederacy. Further, the English succeeded in getting the support of the rajas
of Ramanathapuram and Pudukottai.

· Puli Thevar tried to get the support of Hyder Ali of Mysore and
the French. Hyder Ali could not help Puli Thevar as he was already locked in a
serious conflict with the Marathas. Kalakadu Battle

· The Nawab sent an additional contingent of sepoys to Mahfuzkhan
and the reinforced army proceeded to Tirunelveli. Besides the 1000 sepoys of
the Company, Mahfuzkhan received 600 more sent by the Nawab.

· He also had the support of cavalry and foot soldiers from the
Carnatic. Before Mahfuzkhan could station his troops near Kalakadu, 2000
soldiers from Travancore joined the forces of Puli Thevar.

· In the battle at Kalakadu, Mahfuzkhan’s troops were routed. Yusuf
Khan and Puli Thevar

· The organized resistance of the palayakkarars under Puli Thevar
gave an opportunity to the English to interfere directly in the affairs of
Tirunelveli.

· Aided by the Raja of Travancore, from 1756 to 1763, the
palyakkarars of Tirunelveli led by Puli Thevar were in a constant state of
rebellion against the Nawab’s authority.

· Yusuf Khan (also known as Khan Sahib or, before his conversion to
Islam, Marudhanayagam) who had been sent by the Company was not prepared to
attack Puli Thevar unless the big guns and ammunition from Tiruchirappalli
arrived.

· As the English were at war with the French, as well as with Hyder
Ali and Marathas, the artillery arrived only in September 1760.

· Yusuf Khan began to batter the Nerkattumseval fort and this
attack continued for about two months. On 16 May 1761 Puli Thevar’s three major
forts (Nerkattumseval, Vasudevanallur and Panayur) came under the control of
Yusuf Khan.

· In the meantime, after taking Pondicherry the English had
eliminated the French from the picture.

· As a result of this the unity of palyakkarars began to break up
as French support was not forthcoming.

· Travancore, Seithur, Uthumalai and Surandai switched their
loyalty to the opposite camp. Yusuf Khan who was negotiating with the
palayakkarars, without informing the Company administration, was charged with
treachery and hanged in 1764. Fall of Puli Thevar

· After the death of Khan Sahib, Puli Thevar returned from exile
and recaptured Nerkattumseval in 1764.

· However, he was defeated by Captain Campbell in 1767. Puli Thevar
escaped and died in exile.