The rebellion by Budi Basavappa and his allies against the British and the native rulers supported by them is a chapter in the history of Karnataka that is not remembered by many.
The rebellion by Budi Basavappa and his allies against the British and the native rulers supported by them is a chapter in the history of Karnataka that is not remembered by many.
The struggle of the people against the British and the native kings who ruled on behalf of the imperial rule had a long history of bloodshed and sacrifice. Among them, the Peasants’ Revolt in Karnataka’s Malnad region – called the ‘Nagar Rebellion’ – in 1830–31 against the taxation and inhuman practices of the rulers to evade taxes, deserves a prominent place.
The rebellion, which forced the rulers of Mysore and the British to deploy heavy forces, ended in the deaths of at least 250 people, although there were statements by the authorities to suggest a higher toll.
The town, now in Shivamogga district, was the headquarters of a district in the early 19th century. It was then part of the Kingdom of Mysore, which was indirectly under British rule. Earlier, the district was under the Keladi rulers. Hyder Ali conquered the Keladi Kingdom in 1763 and it remained with him for some time in the hands of the British until the death of his son Tipu Sultan in 1799. Later, according to the treaty between the Mysore rulers and the British, Nagar continued with the Kingdom of Mysore.
better times
Before becoming part of the Kingdom of Mysore, the Keladi Nayaks had a separate land-revenue system, which was considered relatively “pro-people”. However, the new tax regime and the cruel methods adopted to evade taxes caused unrest in the city.
Budi Basavappa Nayaka, who claimed himself to be the “king of the city”, organized the peasants and held several meetings until the mid-1830s. He promised people reduction in land rent and compensation for damages. In August 1830, with an army of 200 men, he attacked the fort at Anandapur, now in Sagar taluk. Though his attempt to capture the fort failed, it led to many such violent conflicts with the rulers.
As the clashes escalated, it was difficult for the local authorities to stop them. Then King Krishnaraja Wadiyar III ordered the authorities to take strict action on the rebels. Those who refused to pay taxes were subjected to severe penalties. By the end of December 1830, more than 50 people had been killed in various incidents.
The king himself visited Channarayapatna in Manjarabad district, now Hassan, on 18 December 1830. He saw a huge gathering of rebels. The crowd was dispersed by resorting to violence. Five people were put to death on the spot. Later, the Company government became actively involved in efforts to suppress the rebellion. Lieutenant Rochfort, a resident of the Kingdom of Mysore, advised the Mysore rulers on how to deal with the rebellion. They eventually succeeded in capturing the forts won by the rebels.
massacre
During one such incident, the Mysore army captured 180 rebels from a fort and a temple on March 12, 1831 at Honnali, now in Davangere district. Of these, 99 were later hanged on the road leading to Shikaripur. It is one of the major incidents of violence during the rebellion. By April 1831, the rulers were successful in taking the city under their control.
The British government had set up a committee to investigate the rebellion and submit a report. Committed in his report based on testimonials and written sources, mentioned that 240 people were killed during the rebellion. The then Diwan of Mysore submitted that 164 were killed. However, an officer in charge of Nagar claimed that he alone had killed over 700 rebels. The rebels also killed several civil servants. After the rebellion, the Kingdom of Mysore went under the control of the British in 1831. The king handed over the rule to the company on October 19, 1831. For the next 50 years, the state was under the direct rule of the British.
eat something
The story of Budi Basavappa Nayak and the massacre at Honali is in the memory of the old people. DB Shankarappa, a retired teacher and former president of the Shivamogga district unit of Kannada Sahitya Parishad, has written two novels based on the life of Budi Basavappa Nayak and the massacre in Honnali. Norwegian native Kire M. Lind did a study on city uprisings for the University of Oslo in 2004. The primary source of study is the report of the committee set up by the British government to investigate the rebellion in 1830. -31.