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Author:
Publication: Sandesh Bharati
Date: July/Aug/Sept 2005
In our cover story of the last issue, we had discussed how successive Indian Governments have continued to ignore important personalities from the pages of our history. The entire thrust on medieval India has been on what the Delhi Sultans did, what the Mughals did. That is how the Muslim rulers from Central Asia occupied our great country. History in India, especially the medieval period, is being taught from the viewpoint of the Muslim conqueror. And what about those who fought against these invaders, and in many cases kept away these foreigners. Most Indians are not aware of them. Here and there, we have heard of Shivaji, but what about Peshwa Baji Rao (on whose life we had covered in our last issue), Lachit Barphukhan of Assam or Keladi Chennamma, on whom we will cover in this issue
Keladi was a kingdom in the Malnad area of Karnataka. The first king of Keladi was Chowdappa Nayaka who came to the throne in 1500. He was considered a great hero. In about 1645, the able king, Shivappa Nayaka came to the throne. During his reign, many reforms were effected in Keladi. This king became famous as a great ruler because of his far reaching administrative reforms. Government and collection of taxes were so systematized that he came to be called 'Shistina Shivappa Nayaka' (shistu, meaning discipline and order, and it is also known as a kind of local tax).
His younger son, Somashekhara Nayaka became the king in 1664. At that time, the kingdom of Keladi stretched along the entire seacoast from Goa to the Malabar (in Kerala). Somashekhara was a very efficient king. With a good figure, power and wealth, he also had good qualities. He was also religious minded.
The king once went to the Rameshwara Fair. There he saw a very pretty girl, Chennamma, the daughter of Siddappa Shetty of Kotepura. She attracted the king's attention and he fell in love with her. He summoned his chief minister and told him that if he had to marry, he would only marry Chennamma.
The minister was shocked. He said that it had been the custom of the kings of Keladi to only marry with princesses of royal blood, and Chennamma was a commoner. However, the king insisted, saying that if he had to marry, it would have to be Chennamma and nobody else. So, the minister approached Siddappa Shetty; Chennamma couldn't contain her pleasant surprise and delight. The wedding took place in the capital city of Bidanur with great pomp and royal splendour.
Chennamma fulfilled her role as the Queen with great dignity and respect. She looked after her subjects of her kingdom and the servants of the place with great love as if they were her own children. She also gave her husband valuable advise on important state matters. In fact, the married life of Somashekhara Nayaka and Queen Chennamma was like milk and honey put together, it seemed a perfect marriage.
But alas, the most understanding and lovable husband, just and mighty king, fell under the sway of a dancer Kalavathi. The king forgot himself completely in her company; he squandered his wealth on her and neglected his wife and kingdom for the sake of Kalavathi, who lived with her evil foster father, Bharame Mavuta. Gradually, the king went and lived with Kalavathi and Bharame Mavuta, who made the king a puppet in their ambitious hands. Lots of efforts were made by Chennamma and the ministers to bring the king back to his senses, but Bharame Mavuta, who was well versed in black magic and secret harmful medicines, had a tight grip on him.
Hearing of the once great king's weakness, the neighbouring Sultan of Bijapur, thought that it was his golden chance to attack Keladi and destroy it. Seeing that the kingdom was falling in tatters, Chennamma decided that there was only one way out for Keladi. She herself would rule the land and also hold the sword. Since she was childless, Chennamma also took the necessary steps to adopt a boy, Basappa Nayak, as her son so that Keladi would have its rightful heir.
So, much before Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi came to scene, Chennamma's hands, adorned by bangles, now brandished the sword. The Bijapur Sultan heard of all this, and decided to use treachery. He sent his envoy Jannopant to call for 'peace'. On the other hand, to create. confusion in the minds of the soldiers, Jannopant also called on Bharame Mavuta and succeeded in convincing him to murder the king, in exchange for rewards.
Chennamma took the news of her husband's murder in great stride. As the ruler of the kingdom, she could not even weep in public. She was filled with a burning passion to revenge the death of her husband and also to protect her kingdom. The Bijapur army besieged the fort of the capital city of Bidanur kingdom. And the henchmen of Bharame Mavuta gave all help to the Sultan. The Sultan's army was very big and with the help of such traitors, his army looked almost invisible.
Chennamma was advised by her ministers to retreat from Bidanur, because there was no way that she could prevail over the enemy. The time was not ripe, and it was much better to save the day for a bigger fight later. It was important to move one step backward, in order to fight two steps forward later. The throne of the kingdom, the wealth of the royal treasury and all the other valuables were moved to Bhuvanagiri.
The Sultan's army pulled down the fort, but they couldn't find anything for the Keladi army had strategically retreated for now. Now from 'Bhuvanagiri, Chennamma with her able chief minister, Thimmanna Nayaka and generals of the army, were making massive preparations to gather a huge army. When they were ready, they marched towards Bidanur. The Bijapur army already alert to Chennamma's plans, were already marching towards Bhuvanagiri. In between, the two armies met and clashed in the midst of a thick forest and in a narrow pass. The Keladi Army made mincemeat of the Sultan's army - the Sultan's army was badly mauled and escaped to wherever they could. Chennamma's army entered Bidanur to a roaring welcome. The people of Bidanur were overjoyed and there were massive celebrations.
In 1671, Chennamma was officially crowned as Queen and absolute ruler of Keladi at the fortress of Bhuvanagiri. She honoured the chiefs and soldiers who had stood by her through thick and thin. The Queen brought peace and prosperity. She arranged for special temple honours and worship with great pomp to the deities of Rameshwara, Aghoreshwara and to Goddess Mookambika, whose grace she felt had warded off all dangers. She offered diamond-studded crowns and golden lamps to these deities. She gave gifts of lands to Mutts and other religious instructions. She invited scholars from all over to come and settle in her kingdom, and had an entire street with houses on either side formed for them.
The Queen also arrested Bharame Mavuta, the person who was responsible for the death of her beloved husband, and put him to death.
The neighbouring Mysore Army, seeing Keladi's growing stature, declared war on Chennamma. Some chieftains under the control of Keladi also rebelled. But, Chennamma defeated the Mysore army not once, but twice. But Chennamma treated the captured soldiers of the Mysore army with utmost respect. Mysore was also a Hindu kingdom, and the magnanimity of Keladi won the admiration of the Mysore king, Chikkadevaraya. After this, the two kingdoms signed a treaty of friendship.
Each day, after the Queen's midday prayers and worship, she would spend an hour giving alms to monks, sannyasis, priests and the poor. It so happened that one afternoon, four monks came upto the Queen. Their behaviour did not show them to be like monks. The leader among them came closer to the Queen and @d that actually they were not monks but were in disguise. Surprised, the Queen asked who they were. The leader answered that he was none other than Rajaram, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
The Queen was baffled. "Are you the son
of the same Chhatrapati Shivaji, who saved Hinduism in
Maharashtra"? When she got an affirmative answer, she was very happy
to be of service to the son of a person who was admired by Hindus all over
the country.
Rajaram told Chennamma everything, of how his brother Sambhaji had been murdered by the evil Mughal Aurangzeb. Rajaram had escaped, and the Mughals were searching for him. Rajaram also added how the other Hindu kings and chiefs that he had approached, had refused to give him shelter, for fear of incurring the wrath of Aurangzeb.
Chennamma was shocked and furious at all these Hindu kings and chiefs. She couldn't believe how these kings could be so cowards and shameless as to not even give shelter to the great son of Shivaji Maharaj, who had fought for our Dharma and independence.
She stood up and said that it was her duty and pleasure to give shelter and protection to Rajaram and she did not care for any Aurangzeb or any other barbarian. She had full faith in GOD that her kingdom would be protected. She gave clear instructions to all her ministers to treat Rajaram as a most honoured guest and to be looked well after.
Many of her own ministers, including Thimmana Nayaka, sounded a word of caution to Chennamma, saying that they may not be able to face the huge and powerful army of Aurangzeb, who were already camping in Maharashtra and wouldn't take long to reach Keladi.
But Chennanuna stood firm. She said that the kings of Keladi have always given shelter to anyone who sought it. And this was not just anybody. This was the great son of Shivaji, who did so much for Hinduism and our country. Her son, Basappa Nayaka supported his mother to the hilt. And agreed that they will fight their best and leave the rest to GOD, who will surely protect them in this just cause. Rajaram was given shelter in the impregnable Jinji fort.
Keladi immediately got ready in battle gear. Aurangzeb sent his son, Azamath Ara with a huge army to invade Keladi. The Queen was fully prepared for the war. The brave soldiers of Keladi were ready and confidently waiting to block the path of the Mughal army. The way to Keladi lay through a thick jungle. And the rainy season had set in.
The Mughal soldiers who were accustomed to the dry climate of the North, found it extremely difficult to pass through the forests in the heavy downpour of the Malnad area. The Keladi Army, on the other hand, even though much smaller in number, knew the terrain too well. They took position in the thick jungle, and began butchering the Mughal soldiers. Azamath Ara was shocked. He who had defeated innumerable chieftains and kings had to suffer a very humiliating defeat at the hands of a woman. He had no choice but to bargain for peace as his soldiers had no more motivation to proceed further, seeing the might of the Keladi Army.
Chennamma agreed and released the Mughal soldiers and accordingly, the Mughals accepted the might of Keladi and promised not to touch it again.
Rajaram wrote a letter of gratitude to the Queen, "When kings and rulers of bigger kingdoms refused to help me, you bravely gave me shelter and helped to protect Hinduism. I can never forget this bravery and generosity of yours. May Goddess Bhavani give you all happiness. I pray to GOD that your land may be a home of happiness."
After this, no enemy kingdom dared face the wrath of Chennamma. She ruled the kingdom ably from 1671 to 1696. Her life was a life of fame and grandeur.
The name of Queen Chennamma is written in golden letters in the history of India. We can see that she imbibed many of Shivaji's qualities. Her leadership qualities played a major part in defeating the Bijapur Sultans and the Mughal army, both of them far bigger adversaries. If only medieval India had been blessed with more people like the Maharana Sanga, the Sisodiyas of Mewar, the Vijayanagar Empire, Shivaji Maharaja, the Peshwas, the Ahoms, the Sikhs and Chennamma, then perhaps the history of India would have been different. These people overcame tremendous odds to fight against the foreign invaders and ultimately prevailed.
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