Pazhassi Raja
Veera Pazhassi Kerala Varma Raja, King of Kottayam in the erstwhile Malabar Province, now in Kerala is undoubtedly the first Indian ruler to wage a war against the imperial British domination. In the
beginning, he feigned friendship with the British
civil and military officers in a tactical way and
fought against the invader Tipu along with
them. Later when the British ignored their
ally Pazhassi Raja and started collecting tax
unilaterally from the people of his country
the Raja could not remain silent and he
revolted. His palace was surrounded by the British army and he tactfully retreated to the nearby jungles of Wayanad, which he found to be the right location to attack the British army through
Guerrilla warfare. He organized a powerful battalion of the tribal people of Wayanad like Kurichiars and fought vigorously. Pazhassi’s army fought virulently and almost decimated the British soldiers including Captain Dickinson and Lt. Col. Maxwell. Duke of Willington, who is known otherwise as Col. Arthur Wellesley, who had been appointed as the commander of the British battalion against Pazhassi was profoundly shocked at the shameful.defeat of his forces before the relatively less sophisticated forces of Pazhassi Raja. Subsequently miltary rule was enforced in Wayanad. A series of battles followed at the end of which the British army shot the great warrior king to death on 30th November 1805. Then the Sub-Collector T.H. Baber, who was an eye-witness to the scene, could not resist the temptation to record the Raja’sextraordinary and unconquerable will, couage and love of the country. He even went to the extent of letting the Raja’s body carried to Manathody in his own palanquin, where he was put to eternal rest. It is unusual for a hero to command even his rival’s regard and respect as the valiant fighter king Pazhassi did.