Mahakavi Bharatiyar Said,
தண்ணீர் விட்டோ வளர்த்தோம் சர்வேசா
இப்பயிரை கண்ணீரால் காத்தோம்
Lord of the worlds, it wasn’t tended by watering
Our tears nourished it (dream of Swarajya*)
*The italicised part is mine
As the Mahakavi said, our blood, sweat, and tears reinstalled Swarajya. In May 1801, the East India Company forces under Lt Col. Agnew captured Panchalankurichi after a prolonged siege. It was dubbed a costly campaign against Kattabomman that lasted more than a year. That Kattabomman was captured and was subsequently hanged in Kayathar, near Tirunelveli, is history. His brother, Oomathurai, escaped and was provided refuge by the Maruthu brothers. How?
“The cavalry of the enemy in pursuit of the fleeing rebels engaged them in more battles. One of the insurgent parties took its stand near a village and fought a pitched battle but was routed. Most of this group fell wounded and dead…. In the evening of the day of battle… the women of the village hurried to the blood-stained field…. they made a close search for the persons in whom the life might not have become extinct… Among the heaps of the slaughtered they discovered the son of one of them still breathing… To their dismay the afflicted young man rallied the energy that still remained at his command, and whispered into the ears of his mother: ‘Oh mother let me die, but try to save the life of Swamy who lies near me’ – ‘Swamy’ denoting Oomee.”
Source: South Indian Rebellion: The first war of independence, 1800-1801, Prof. K. Rajayyan
It is history that the mother complied with the wishes of her dying son, carried Oomathurai to her village, tended him like her own son, dramatically saved him from the company army and played a massive part in Oomathurai reaching Kamuthi on May 28, 1801.
In October 1801, Kalayarkovil fell, and the Maruthu brothers were captured and hanged. While their entire family was exterminated, Chinna Maruthu’s favourite son, Doraiswamy, was banished to Prince of Wales Island, Penang, Malaysia. Doraiswamy was fifteen when he boarded ‘Admiral Nelson’, the ship that transported the rebels. James Welsh, who had the military custody of the seventy-three rebels who were transported to Penang, says this about Doraiswamy, “With a mild and dignified resignation, this amiable young man bore his cruel fate without a murmur; but such was the melancholy expression in his fine contenance that it was impossible to see and not commiserate him… I still seem to see the combination of affection and despair, which marked the fine countenance of my young friend, Doraiswamy, as I handed him into the boat, and the manly and silent misery, which his companions in affliction displayed, on quitting their dear native land for ever.”
Source: South Indian Rebellion: The first war of independence, 1800-1801, Prof. K. Rajayyan
What made a mother leave her dying son and save his commander?
What made a fifteen-year-old Doraiswamy bear his cruel fate without a murmur?
That feeling, the burning desire for Swarajya that everyone in Jambudveepa (India) carried, is summarised perfectly in the famed “Jambudveepa Proclamation” by the Maruthu Pandiyar brothers.
This is one of the overlooked chapters in Indian history. It is one of the foremost strategic documents advocating for the liberation of Bharat from colonial rule. This proclamation was pasted on the walls of Rockfort in Tiruchi and the Srirangam temple on June 16, 1801. It appeals to the entire country, to all sections of Indian society, irrespective of caste, creed or religion, to come together, up in arms against the East India Company, against colonial oppression. While it emphasises local unity, sustained resistance and makes this a national struggle against the foreign rulers, it also serves as a warning to the locals who collaborate with the oppressors, aiding and abetting the subjection of Indians. This proclamation exemplifies how our forefathers thought of Bharat as one land and how unity is the only way to achieve the vision of a free and great nation.
What can we learn from the Jambudweepa Proclamation?
Of course, we understand how our forefathers saw Bharat as one land united by culture. More than that, the bigger takeaway is the clarion call for unity among all Indians. Even today, we don’t treat certain people as equals, and we assume that a few of us are high-born and the rest low-born in our society. We commit the gravest sin humanity can, through this regressive and divisive thought of treating some of our brothers and sisters as inferior. On the day the great Maruthu Pandiyars put out the Jambudweepa Proclamation, let us all pledge that we will ensure access to water sources, temples, and cremation grounds should be available to all our fellow citizens.
As the proclamation says, “It is certain that the man must die—although he may live a thousand years! And it is as certain that his fame will survive him as long as the Sun and Moon (shine).”
What better fame can we garner than being feted for our contribution to creating an egalitarian, harmonious society?
Let us remember what Tiruvalluvar said,
வசையிலா வண்பயன் குன்றும் இசையிலா
யாக்கை பொறுத்த நிலம். (239)
Vasayila Vanpayan Kundrum Isayila
Yakkai Poruththa Nilam
Behold the land weighted down beneath the tread of an inglorious people: its riches, even though renowned in the past, will wane away – The Kural or The Maxims of Thiruvalluvar by VVS Aiyar.
About the Author: Raja Baradwaj is a marketing communications professional who works with a leading technology multinational company. He is an avid reader, history buff, cricket player, writer, and Sanskrit and Dharma Sastra student.
