Cotiote War: The War That Lasted Over a Decade

From 1793 to 1806, the Kottyathu War was fought between the Cotiote king and the East India Company. Even though it is the longest war fought by the company in India, we do not hear about it often or study it in history books.

Arthur Wellesley, Source: Getty Images

The Kottayathu War is known to be the longest war fought in the Indian subcontinent by the British East India Company. The region of Wayanad, located on the Malabar coast, got its name from Vana Nadu, or the forest country. The terrain of the kingdom was mountainous and full of wild animals. It was ruled by the powerful Vedar kings of Wayanad. The British called Kottayam as 'Cotiote'. The king of Cotiote,  Pazhassi 'Kerala Varman' Raja was one of the most revered kings, known far and wide for his courage. He belonged to the royal Lion Clan of Kuttayam.

Born a true leader, Pazhassi Raja faced extreme challenges in his life to safeguard his kingdom, being located on an important trade route and with vast ecological resources. The Mysore kings wished to annex the kingdom of Kuttayam Raja, which was ruled by his uncle in 1773, an endeavour in which they succeeded. Pazhassi Raja had to find refuge in Travancore after the defeat. However, he did not stop there—he found overwhelming support from the people to ascend the throne after his uncle, and he made this happen by defeating the mighty Haider Ali in guerilla warfare.

Pazhassi Raja is known as the Kerala Singham or the Lion of Kerala. He not only fought a war against the rulers of Mysore, but also against the British. Sir Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, fought the Cotiote Raja for 13 long years to establish control in his territory.

The Kottayam kingdom of Pazhassi Raja comprised parts of Tellicherry (now Thalasseri), Kozhikode, and Wayanad districts of what is now Kerala, and even parts of neighboring states.

(Source:Open Magazine)

The revolt had begun as a way of defying the British tax reforms imposed on Kottayam. The Pazhassi Raja had collaborated with the British to oust Tipu Sultan; however, when they emerged successful after the war, the British refused to recognise Kottayam Independence and continued to make advances in the Wayanad region. This led to the breaking out of a war.

Two of Pazhassi Raja's noblemen—Kaitheri Ambu, who was the commander-in-chief of the army, and Kannavath Sankaran, the prime minister—were captured and executed. Kannavath Sankaran had spent considerable time with Pazhassi Raja and had also played a crucial role in the war against Mysore. He was captured and executed by the British in 1801 for leading successful guerrilla wars against them.

The bodies of the noblemen were hung for display. The war had peaked around the same year, and then again in 1803 and 1804. The British identified that the success of Pazhassi Raja was because of the support of his people. They then formed Kolkars, or a group of deceivers who served as spies and traitors. When the Pazhassi Raja died in November of 1805, the war came to an end, and the kingdom of Cotiote was annexed into the Madras presidency.