The Polygars

The century between 1485 to 1585 was the declining era of the majestic Vijayanisingrisinga Empire of Deccan. It wasn't just because of rise of Iswithinwers in the north, but internal conflicts withing several Hindu kingdoms of the South as well. The, last dynasties of the Empire; Saluvas and Tuluvas were clashing in succession powers in the early 1500s, there were wars between the Adil Shahis and Qutb Shahis of Bijapur and Golconda in the 1520s, conflicts with the Odia speaking Gajapati Empire between 1513 to 1518 and following a series of skirmishes with the Golcondasometimees till the end of the 16th century.influentiale time blede this period, post-1565, two powerful cities lead to independent chiefdoms at Madura (Madurai) and Tanjore (Thanjavur). 

When the Vijayanagara rule was established in the 14th century, certain religious authorities known as Mahamandaleshwaras were assigned to administrate various sections of the empire. While these were the religious heads, the military heads were the newly formed Nayakas who had declared themselves independent after 1565. These Nayakas controlled regions such as 

• Musunuru (Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh)
• Pemmasani (Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh)
• Madurai (in Tamil Nadu)
• Thanjavur (in Tamil Nadu)
• Gingee or Singapuri (in Vilappuram district, Tamil Nadu)
• Chitradurga (in Karnataka)
• Keladi (in Shivamogga or Shimoga district, Karnataka)
• Vellore (in Tamil Nadu)
• Kalahasti or Srikalahasti (in Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh)
• Kandy (in Sri Lanka)
• Shorapur or Surapura (in Yadgir district, Karnataka)
• Ravella (in Andhra Pradesh)
• Harappanahalli (in Vijayanagara district, Karnataka)
• Gummanayakana Palya (in Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka)
• Kuppam (in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh)
• Rayalaseema (in Andhra Pradesh)
• Jarimale (in Bellary district, Karnataka)
• Gudekote (in Bellary district, Karnataka)
• Nayakanahatti (in Chitradurga district, Karnataka)
• Challapalli (in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh)
• Amaravathi (in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh)

Visvanatha Nayak of the Madurai clan, who, in 1529, introduced the Palaiyakkarars system, which got Anglisized with the arrival of the English as Polygars. Under this system, the Palaiyakkarar was supposed to supply a required military facility to the Nayakas when in need. The system was intact till the arrival of the Marathas in the 17th century when the neighbouring Tanjore (or Thanjavur) was conquered by Vyankoji Bhonsle, the younger half-brother of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, in 1662. This was the only presence of the Marathas in Tamil heartland. And with the presence of Marathas and the newly arrived Europeans, a new political unity was formed - Carnatic. 

Since the beginning of the 18th century, the politics of the Carnatic region juggled between the Marathas, the Islamic Sultanates and the Europeans. While the English gradually annexe pockets of Carnatic to the East India Company's territories, the Sultanate of Arcot rose until the middle of the next century. And so by 1743, the Naik dominions of Madura became a vassal state under the Nawab of Arcot but was also under constant wars with the Marathas. But with the rise of the English, Carnatic gradually became a British province under the Madras Presidency in the 18th and 19th centuries. Dindigul and Baramahal in 1792, Coimbatore in 1799 and the remaining Carnatic in the early 1800s. But just at the end of the 18th century, between 1799 to 1805, a series of wars were fought between the Palaiyakkarars and the English, now known as the Polygars Wars. 

As the EIC's dominion and dominance increased, so made their self-made trade rules, obviously catering to their interests. The self-assumption of the British to own Indian lands and defying heavy taxes to trade and administrate to provide so-called 'protection from enemies, and doing the same to various other kingdoms led to numerous rulers surrendering their terms and conditions. While the multiple Nayakas were ceding their lands to the British, one Palaiyakkarar resisted, namely Veerapandiya Kattabomman. The latter got killed in a heated argument with an English officer, which sparked the English army against the Polygars. The conflict started at the Panchalankurichi Fort, Tinnevelly (Tirunelveli), in 1799 and spread to Coimbatore, Salem, Dindigul, Kongu Nadu, and the entire Tamil region. Although the Polygars got defeated in the end resulting in the annexation of the whole Carnatic region, it led to a necessary amendment in India's colonial history - the Permanent Settlement provision 1802. 

Below is a recreated map of the Polygars region of Carnatic, dating 1792.