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General Article

The Siege of Shorapur Raja Venkatappa Nayakas Hunt For Freedom

Struggle For Independence of India Story of Revolt of 1857 unleashed by Raja Venkatappa Nayaka from Shorapur

Karnataka Among the most famous legend to have lived was aggressive and belligerent Beydur Raja Venkatappa Nayaka of Shorapur. Beydur Nayakas ruled for more than three and half century near Gulbarga in central Karnataka. They lost their kingdom, regained it, amassed an empire, lost it again. This is a tale of Raja Venkatappa Nayaka whose palace once glimmered with diamond, garnet and gold. A forgotten kingdom rich in martial art of fighting, skilled in military warfare of besieging forts and citadels. An empire connoisseur for taming elephants, training monitor lizards for taking hold of parapet, ramparts and battlements. An indefatigable saga of confrontational young prince and his unremitting and unrelenting spirit of vengeance which sparked off fire and conflagration among vast horde of tribes of South India for their fight-for-freedom and ultimately at the end the thirst for independence of India... A K Singh

Raja Venkatappa Nayaka was a young prince.

Like his forefathers he was dynamic,

energetic and forceful. His life spanned fewer

than twenty four years but it reshaped the

spirit of revolution and reckoning against the

imperial forces. Though he lived far

too short but his style of warfare and

courage of uprising were

revolutionary. His penchant blend with spirit

of patriotism and sentiment of nationalism

during the first war of independence of India

manifests the legacy of his ancestors of their

resolute and staunch convictions with Turk

Adil Shahs, Maratha Peshwas but against

Mughals and Britishers.

After Raja Krishnappa Nayaka in 1814, his

son Venkatappa Nayaka, born in October

1834, a boy of seven years of age, was

entrusted upon

British resident

Meadows Taylor

a political agent

of Shorapur for

supervision of his

upbringing and

education. His

certainty of mind, fervour of attitude and

zeal of commitment were unremitting

and unyielding. As a child, an

embodiment of a tiger, as an adolescent

a personification of trained tactics of a

monitor lizard and as a youth, a

sovereign prince at twenty four. A

flamboyant star, he was an object of thought

and supposition, gossips and legend in his

own time of radical awakening. At the height

of his power he impressed upon the entire

south India, the last great kingdom of any

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warrior kings. For a transitory moment he

held the fate of Indias struggle for

independence in his hands. A prince known

to behold for a flicker of flash the fortunes

and destiny of India.

For a moment, he was an object of surprise

and consternation among fleet of British

regiments. He was a subject matter of

whisper and conjecture in the corridors of

powers at Government of India. His country

wide upheavals from the hinterlands of

Shorapur reliably reinforce a character of

extraordinarily unforgettable reputation.

Raja Venkatappa Nayakas end was sudden

and sensational. But his memory is lasting

and durable. He lodged himself in our

imagination ever since the nostalgia of

beginning of the fight for our independence.

He was a prince who cocked a snook at the

Britishers and fought hammer and tongs

against the imperial forces till his last breath.

Venkatappa Nayaka was Raja of Shorapur

when it all started. With the winds of rising

insurgence and rebellion in 1857 from

Meerut, Lucknow and Jhansi, he heard of

intrigues and manoeuvrings of Nana Saheb.

He perceived the uprising and revolt of Rani

of Jhansi the Laxmibai. He was influenced

with the campaign of Tantya Tope for his

incessant war of independence. Perhaps he

would have heard the proclamation of Rani

Jhansi where she said: We fight for

independence in the words of Lord Krishna,

we will if we are victorious, enjoy the fruits of

victory, if defeated and killed on the field of

battle, we shall surely earn eternal glory and

salvation.

Meantime, bite of tallow-greased cartridges

loaded with lard of pork and grease of cow in

Infield-Rifled-Muskets sparked off

shivering-wave of Hindu Muslim

divide which contrary to

expectation filled all the lanes and

street with a spirit of patriotism,

loyalty and devotion throughout the

country. British delivered the

message of their intention of evangelism to

people in general and Maharajas in particular

to convert themselves and embrace

Christianity which was greatly resented at

large. British policy of expansionism, the

Doctrine of Lapse expounded by Lord

Dalhousie in 1849 which stipulates; if the

feudal ruler did not leave a heir through

natural process i.e. his own child, not an

adopted one, the land become the property

of the East India Company. It triggered the

sudden outburst of retaliation in the minds of

Maharajas all over India. East India

Companys practice of financial extortion by

heavy taxation and large scale failure to pay

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these taxes almost invariably resulted in

appropriation of property of Rajas. This had

prompted them to revolt, retort and rebel in

reprisal and revenge. Oppressive commands

of feudal lords who were perpetrating

arbitrary extortion of heavy tariffs on

peasantry depreciated all the fibres of hope

and optimism from the face of the poor,

subjugated and downtrodden. Forcible

eviction of Bahadur Shah Jafar the then

Emperor of India for transportation out of

his homeland to Rangoon, produced never

ending shivering and reverberations down

the spines of all the rulers, chieftains and

local barons down-south all over India.

Pangs of gluttony and voracious hunger of

companys regime generated wide spread

anger, annoyance and irritation throughout

vast expanse of country. Imperial tactics of

divide and rule and spread of hatred and

disgust loomed large on the face of Indian

princes and princely states. Raja Venkatappa

Nayaka, being an ancient feudatory of

Peshwas was given an invitation and call of

honour to join the ranks of beleaguered

Maratha warriors against the oppressive rule

of British regime. It was a temptation which

Raja could not resist. It was an inducement

for Raja to show his heredity of indomitable

will and invincible courage. It was an

enticement for Raja to demonstrate his

inborn power of impregnable audacity and

resolute conviction which he inherited from

his forefathers.

If the name is indelible, the image is blurry.

Raja Venkatappa Nayaka must be one of the

most peculiar and honourable figure in the

history of India

but we have little

idea as to what

actually transpired

at the moment.

Only their coins

portrait their

actual life style

issued in the

lifetime of Beydur

Nayakas which

vividly elucidate as

to how the Beydur monarchy and a

fearless empire with a motif of shankh,

nama and chakra would have been. An

Insignia of name, fame and glory spread

far and wide. We quite often remember

him for the wrong reasons. A capable,

clear vision sovereign, he knew how to

build a fleet, raise an insurrection, control

an anger and assuage the feelings of

scorn and hatred. A British political agent

Philips Meadows Talyor vouched for his

grasp of military affairs. Beydur Raja was

incomparably richer, wealthier and affluent in

culture, tradition, customs and practices in

the central Karnataka. And he enjoyed

greater prestige and esteem than many other

rival kings of his age. Raja Venkatappa

Nayaka descended from a long line of

hunters of tiger, huntsmen of leopard,

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trainers of monitor lizard and tamers of

elephants and pachyderms, a martial art used

in war tactics and battle strategy. Battle

tacticians Bydur Kings, unbelievably

ferocious and atrocious in their battle

stratagem were so remarkably awe-inspiring

that imperial powers had to circumvent

recruiting them in their military and forces of

defence . He faithfully upheld the family

tradition but he was for his time and place,

remarkably well behaved and men of high

character and noble spirit. He, nonetheless,

survives as a beleaguered prince,

fraught with an idea of struggle for

freedom and laden with determined

spirit of war of independence for his

own country and for himself. A

genuinely powerful prince, great raja

who had been transformed into a

shamelessly disgruntled rebel but

mutated into a passionately defiant

mutineer, a disciplined freedom

fighter.

Like all lives that lend themselves to poetry,

Raja Venkatappa Nayaka was one of the

disruption and commotion to the alien rule.

He grew up amid unrivalled opulence, to

inherit a kingdom in decline. For fourteen

generations his family had styled themselves

as hunter of wild beasts and disciplinarian of

elephants. Raja Venkatappa Nayaka was

Beydur which means fearless and daringly

valiant. It makes him approximately a

Nayaka a fearless hero, a champion of

bravery and a protagonist of courage and

gallantry. Tender and temperate. Three

hundred fifty years separate Raja of Beydur

Kingdom from his famous ancestor Raja

Kallappa Nayaka 1515 AD at Nastrabad near

Anegundi in central south India peninsula.

Rajas Venkatappa Nayakas simple call

of a crow could have gathered not only

numbers of Jamedars the chief

organizers of battle, pack of Inamdars,

team of Nayakvadis but also

thousands of his lieutenants and

associates. He had a readymade clout

of Beydurs of Raichur, Bedas of

Bellary, Nayakas of Dharwar and

Shastradhari warriors of Belguam and

those of Nishads of

Mysore. Had he

risen a bit more

vigorous he would

be a leader of tens of

thousands of

revolutionaries at his

command in the

land of Kannada

ready for

resurrection for the

love-of-God,

battle for life-and-liberty" and for war-of-

independence.

Beydur Nayakas had the temperament of

Tigers and Elephants. They vehemently

opposed the tyranny and repression of Adil

Shahs and the great Moghuls. Raja

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Venkatappa Nayaka hardly forgot his daring

ancestor Gadad Pid Nayakas exemplary

show of taming an insane elephant in 1674

AD before Adil Shah of Bijapur and was

conferred reward in terms of Jagirs at

Shorapur worth annual revenue of Rs nine

lakhs who was given an honourable title of

Gajaganda Bhairanda Gadi Pid Nayaka

Balawant Bahiri Bahadur. Memory of Farman

the Order of Aurangjeb addressed to his

ancestor Pid Nayaka in 1703 was still fresh

with Raja where the Mughal Emperor of

India Aurangajeb desired him to embrace

Islam and be his brother in the conquest of

South India. Farman of Emperor of India

was intensely snubbed and rebuffed by Raja

Pid Nayaka. Instead he waged a furious war

in their multiple attempts to lay seize of

Wakingerah fort at Shorapur when the

Mughal army commander of Aurangajeb

Dalpat Rao and Ghazi Udin were dealt with

crushing defeats number of times for fifteen

years from 1690 to 1705 AD. Shorapur had

distinguished itself for its dexterous

negotiation; for the most part, it retained its

sovereignty. It had also already embroiled

itself in affairs of Maratha combats and

fighting skills of reptilian war fares. Raja

treasured the astoundingly twenty one days

of scuffle of his precursor Pam Nayaka in

1727 with Mudgal taking Tirmal Rao a

prisoner, besieging his fort and delivered him

to Tanashah Abul Hasan of Golkunda who

honoured Pam Nayaka with Turban Crest,

howdah, weapons and armoured costumes.

After demise of Baji Rao Peshwa 1851, Nana

Sahib of Poona was to be heir-presumptive

to the throne and was eligible for an annual

pension from East India Company. However

Company stopped the pension on the

grounds of Doctrine of Lapse that he was

an adopted son and not a natural born heir.

Nana was raging with anger and great

annoyance. It was an outrageous affront and

shockingly despicable disrespect to the

heritage of Maratha folklore. Nana Sahib

was the adopted son of the exiled Maratha

Peshwa Baji Rao II of Poona. Nana

Sahebs planning for assembling the a

force of soldiers for besieging Kanpur was

in the offing. British contingent of East

India Company had taken refuge at

entrenchment. Amid the prevailing chaos

in Kanpur, Nana Sahib and his forces

entered the British magazine. Nana Sahib

announced that he was a participant in the

rebellion against the Company, and

intended to be a vassal of Bahadur Shah

Jaffar the then emperor of India. Nana Sahib

was busy restoring Maratha confederacy

under Peshwa tradition and decided to

launch a nation wide war against British

forces.

Siege of Salar Jangs jaghir of Koppal fort

by Bhim Rao prejudiced Raja after which he

influenced gathering of hundreds of Arabs,

Rohilla mercenaries in addition to his own

social group beydurs. There were clandestine

meetings and surreptitious communication

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with foreign freedom fighters and guerrilla

combatants in Hyderbad in which Raja

Venkatappa Nayaka was conceived to have

been conjured up. Gallery of watchdogs

focussed on Rajas concealed demeanour.

Battery of surveillance was positioned to

scrutinize Rajas veiled ulterior motives.

Hard-hitting tussle of Tipu Sultan with

British Forces at Srirangapattam in 1779 and

Dhodiya Waghas heroic campaign against

British troops led by Col Wellesley and Col

Darlymple which started as an unprecedented

revolt of an anarchy paving the way for war

of the worlds seeking independence were

not only great nostalgia of that times but a

nightmare. A Wagha a machoistic warrior

with firm determination, enormous

organizing ability with charisma of

gallantry was painted by them as rogue

bandit and crooked-brigand

reminiscence of such events were not still

doomed to oblivion. Memories of

incarcerated queen Rani Chinamma of Kittur,

first woman leader, prolific horse rider,

sword fighter and untiring archer routed the

British forces number of times in 1824 were

still spanking around.

Fazed with overwhelming demonstration of

bravery and heroism by Sangolli Rayanna

from Belgaum in 1829 who started gathering

a compact group fighters and attacking

treasuries, rich land owners and accomplices

in British subterfuge and manoeuvrings. Raja

Venkatappa Nayaka knew that Sangolil

Rayannas revolt has divided the society into

anti and pro British rebels who inspired a

never ending massive chain reaction of

radical uprising and irreversible resurrection

of multitude of ethnic rebellion forces in

entire central south India during 1829.

Nizams rampant and unbridled oppression

with a heavy taxation for maintenance of his

army at Hyderabad and for payment of

exorbitant annual tribute to British military

upkeep and maintenance, given rise to

peasantry revolt led by Koppal Veerappa

who laid siege upon Bahadur Bhanda Fort

near Koppal in 1819 with five hundred

guerrilla fighters who valiantly trounced

Major Doughton and Brigadier General

Pritzler and Nizams general Idrus Khan

which ensued a brutal and ferocious battle

for five days. Veerappas colossal temper and

upright disposition brought wonder and

brilliance to the freedom struggle which

catapulted national insurgent mood to the

brink of explosion. With each passing day

Shorapur had been sinking under heavy debt

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of over burdened taxation by Nizam for

appeasing British Forces which appeared far

too painful and agonizing for the natives of

Beydur principality.

More traumatizing

were the state of

affairs of cultivators

who were obliged to

make advance

payment of revenue to

the government of

Nizam before the

harvest of the crop.

Hence, they were compelled to take

loan, mortgage their ornaments and

valuables with local barons, who used

to advance credits to the borrowing

farmers, levying inflated interest each

time. This caused heavy flocking of

debt burdened peasants and ryots

around the corridors of government to

lodge complaints against their lenders. These

moneylenders also owed massive payment of

handsome money to the government. This

created vicious circle of borrow, cash credit

and money lending which assumed

cataclysmic proportions. This ushered in a

mood of melancholy and sheer helplessness.

A temper of doldrums and indisposition.

Observing Raja Venkatappa Nayaka bent on

organizing his forces commensurate with

Nana Sahibs plan and Tantya Topes

preparations, a strong contingent of British

forces arrived near Shorapur under Col

Malcolm and another under Col Huges from

Madras regiment in Feb 1858. Lingsugur

cantonment division was ready to act in

concert with troops of both the platoons.

Tantya Tope a close associate of Nana

Sahib preparing for laying the siege of

Kanpur placed inducement for Raja

Venkatappa to assemble rebels, organize

mutineers and arrange insurgents in secret to

join in nationwide resurgence to drive a

crushing blow of defeat on British forces.

Capt Rose Campbell early in January 1858

was deputed by resident Meadows Taylor to

watchdog Rajas acts and deeds. Princely

state of Shorapur included Devadurg,

Dhgaon, Andola and Shahpur in 1857. One

Nana Sankeshwar in November 1857 was

sent with a message to Nana Sahib Peshwa

by Raja. Bhim Rao Mundargi of Dambal,

Babasahib Bhave of Nargund, Purushottam

Bava of Talikote, Appa Sahib of Jamkhandi

and Zamindar of Malkhed were stationed in

league with Raja of Shorapur. Agents and

emissaries were despatched to different

British army positions to bugle insurrection

from the ramparts of the Shorapur. Mahipal

Singh, Chhotu Singh and Lakshman Prasad

sent from Shorapura and Jamkhandi were

caught red handed sharing stealthily the top

secrets with Devi Din Jamedar in Belgaum at

29th Native Infantry Regiment. Mahipal Singh

was immediately tried by British Court and

blown away from the gun. On 7 th Feb 1858

British Forces under Capt Arthur Wyndham

arrived before the fort of Shorapur.

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Systematic and well organized exercise was

conducted by British forces to lay upon the

siege of Shorapur.

Next day 8th Feb 1857 Shorapur Beydur

cavalry under Jamdar Tasdiq Hussain,

Lakhman Singh took British forces by

surprise delivering a fierce and ferocious

attack. Raja Venkatappa Nayaka and his

force fought valiantly and gave an

enormously tough fight . Violent and brutal

battle ensued between the patriotic army

and imperial forces. One of the most

ferocious and viciously violent tussle, one of

the most stern and fiercest skirmish British

forces ever met in the history of India.

Larger reinforcements arrived under Maj

Huge and Capt Newberry the same day. Capt

Campbelle became the gruesome target of

attack by many freedom fighters who wanted

to finish him in an instant. Capt Newberry

was killed in shockingly horrific and dreadful

encounter the same day under the command

of Raja of Shorapur. Enemy made the

passage through secret path towards fort of

Shorapur and the town by evening and

plundered it for hours together looting all the

precious belongings and valuable possessions

from the palace of Shorapur and

surroundings.

Amid such chaos and meyham Chief of

Shorapur Raja Venkatappa Nayaka

surrounded by four legions of army felt

highly vulnerable and in jeopardy. Town of

Shorapur was highly impregnable, full of

defensible battlements, with approaches

difficult to access, walls, ramparts and

bastions positioned with freedom fighters.

Massive cavalry and defence of Raja were

waiting for Col Malcolms forces. Raja

observing the enormous array of Col Huges

army of 74th Highlander march pasting

towards Shorapur from a bit distant

western frontier left with no chance except

to arrive at Hyderabad to gain further

reinforcement from Arabs, Sikhs and

Rohillas. But Raja Venkatappa Nayaka was

left in lurch. Raja was apprehended there and

summoned before the Prime Minister Salar

Jung who further sent him to the British

resident.

Raja was made a prisoner in the main guard

of the Royals at Secunderabad and was

handed over to the Military Commission for

trial by a special Military Court of Brigadier

William Hill and six other British military

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officers on charges of collecting troops for

which documentary evidence in Rajas own

hand was available which adjudged Raja

Venkatappa Nayaka guilty for the offence of

treason, sedition and disloyalty. Commission

sentenced him to death.Capt Meadows

Taylor, who took his parental care met him

and had long conversation with Raja. The

young prince who was then 23 years of age,

told him calmly: If they ( British Court)

press me to disclose the names of those

who incited me, I wont divulge the names

at all ! I would rather die than be

transported for life over to Cellular Jail at

Port Blair or imprisoned at fortress ? No !

The pettiest Beydur cant live if he is

detained and incarcerated like this ! Shall

I, a Raja, a King of Shorapur ? I shall not

tremble even if they tie me up to a canon and

blow me off ! Do let them hang me, I have

done nothing to be punished for like a

robber.

Capt Meadows Taylor got Rajas sentence

commuted to transportation for life.

Punishment was further commuted by

Governor General Lord Charles John

Canning to four years and Raja to be kept at

Chinglepet in Madras presidency. He was

allowed company of his wives, family and his

own servants. Government asked him to

show sign of improvement, evidence of

reforms and steadiness so that his lost

principality of Shorapur was to be restored

back to him. Lieut. Pictet was in command of

the escort to the Raja of Shorapur. Their first

halt was at Ambarpet six miles from Husain

Sagar. During the halt, Lieut Pictet took off

his belt, in which there was a loaded revolver,

hung it over a chair and went out side the

tent. Raja Venkatappa Nayaka was found in

the pool of blood in the camp on 11th

May 1858. The ball had entered the

stomach and pierced through his spine.

Later, Lieut Pictet was tried for neglect

of duty while in command of the escort

to the Raja.

Raja Venkatappa Nayaka lost his life in

mystery. Meadows Tayor told the death of

Raja was ambiguous and shrouded in

mystery.

Returning back to Shorapur the family

members of Raja Venkatappa Nayaka were

not allowed to enter the palace. When

Ranagmma the eldest wife demanded that the

jewellery and clothes taken away from the

palace be returned, she was given just a pair

of clothing.

Capt Meadows Taylor on his return back to

Shorapur found the treasury accounts in

shambles, new debts and balance sheets

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contracted, repair of roads, bridges in mess

and muddle, irrigation projects he started

were in jumble and disarray by the end of

1859. Finally upset and disturbed Meadows

Taylor gave over charge to his assistant Mr

Ricketts in 1860 and left for Europe for two

years sick leaves, never to return back again.

In 1860 the treaty of 1853 with Nizam

concluded by Lord Dalhousie was revised

and modified. Princely state of Raja of

Shorapur Venkatappa Nayaka was

confiscated and ceded to His Highness

Nawab Afzul-ud-Dowla Bahadur the Nizam

of Hyderbad, as an acknowledgement of his

services to the British Imperial Government

in 1860.

For staggering sum of annual stipend,

Meadows Taylor secured the official position.

A friend and ally of the Beydur people. He

discovered that it was not sufficient to be a

friend to the people of Shorapur, it was

essential to befriend India as well.

Affairs of the state of Shorapur declined,

leaving us with affairs of heart for ever. A

commanding King of Shorapur, Raja

Venkatappa Nayaka well versed in his fight

for struggle for freedom, well acquainted

with diplomacy and governance of his times,

fought a battle for our emancipation. He was

fluent in five languages, firm-tongue,

charismatic, joint creation of Maratha

theatres of warfare and critical adversary,

crucial challenger to the Mughal emperor

Aurangjeb has placed an indelible and deep

rooted mark in our heart as a legend, brave

heart, a Beydur Nayaka which means a

fearless hero who never yielded in the time

of hardships and adversity. He rose for the

revolution, for renaissance, the time of our

awakening and arousal of self respect, esteem

and admiration of values of deliverance and

liberation. Raja was intimate with British right

from the beginning and could have

supported them like princes of that crucial

time of reckoning. He was chief amongst vast

multitude of rebel tribal and non tribal forces

of South India. He never wanted to betray

his companions therefore lost his life in

saving them. Raja was victimized by shrewd

and perceptively insightful imperial forces

and perhaps murdered in most mysterious

circumstances. He survives in our memory, in

our folksongs, language and literature. An

inspiring character, protagonist for equity,

justice and fair play. Leading role for crusade

against colonial injustice, imperial massacres,

alien atrocities and racial discrimination. A

King who fought a never ending war for our

liberty, freedom and independence.

References: 1. Forgotten History of Shorapur by

Bhaskar Rao, Shahpur Yadgir. 2. South India in 1857 War of

Independence by V D Divekar 3. Shorapur, Ancient Byedur Raj by Nawab

Framurz Jung Bahadur the then Deputy Commissioner Raichur

4. Story of My Life. A Biography by Capt Phillips Meadows Taylor.

5. Cultural History of Surpur, A case study by Vidyashree P Nayak

6. Anti Colonial Uprising in Karnataka 1800-60 by Shivanand Kanvi

7. The Forgotten Empire by Rober Sewell 8. History of Aurangjeb by Jadunath Sarkar 9. Foreword Notes by Raja Venkatappa

Nayaka 10. The Grand Resistance by M Y Ghorpade 11. History of India by John Key

A K Singh is the member of Indian Forest Service and presently serving as Working Plan Officer in Ministry of Forest and Ecology, Government of Karnataka. Contact: aksinghifs@gmail.com, 9481180956, Date 20.12.2012