VIRARAJA'S SHARE IN THE WAR.

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to send the spoil up for the use of the army. The second division under Ishvaraya was despatched to plunder the district of Heggada Devana Kote. There was some fighting in that direction, but on his return Ishvaraya said, that the farmers, on hearing of Tippu's advance towards Siddheshvara, had taken to flight, driven away their cattle and buried their gold and silver. He had therefore got nothing but a quantity of sheep and goats. These Viraraja ordered to be delivered to the Commissariat; as well as a large supply of rice. The Rajah replied to the letter which he had received from the Governor General on the 4th March, and renewed his assurances of friendship and fidelity to the Company. He gave also a description of the battle of Siddheshvara. On the first day of Chaitra, Kaliyuga 4901, Siddharti (end of March 1799), Viraraja returned to Nalkanadu.

General Harris had come with a large army from Bengal. The troops of Nizam Ali also had arrived in the vicinity of Seringapatam. General Floyd commanded the Madras Army. The Rajah heard of the arrival of General Floyd at Periapattana, when he set out from Nalkanadu to meet the Madras Commanderin-Chief. He was received with great honors. A salute was fired, a review held, and General Floyd presented Viraraja with his own sword, as a token of his friendship. The Bombay and Madras armies moved towards Seringapatam and the Rajah was requested to stay behind and take charge of the Commissariat. While Viraraja was engaged at Virarajendrapett, inhabitants of the villages of Torrenúru, Hebbàle and Shirangála appeared before him, to invoke his aid against detachments from Mysore, which had invaded Coorg and pillaged their district. Ishvaraya was sent to repel the invaders and to retaliate upon Mysore.

The Coorgs under Subaya and Bopu had been fight

M

ing with the Kumbla Maplis and had plundered the country a good deal. The Rajah now ordered, that pillaging should be put a stop to, and that Cowl should be granted to such as submitted themselves. This was done in the Mangalore, Bàrkúr and Bagvadi Talooks. A small force was left at Víragamba, the rest were sent in detachments to different parts of the country to keep order. Upon this Sàdri Béhári collected a large number of Maplis to attack Víragamba, but the Coorgs ancipated his attack, made a sally and beat their assailants. Sadri Behari fled. His palki and horse were taken; one of his officers, Krishnappa, also fell into the hands of the Coorgs. Another party of Coorgs at Bantwal was attacked by Mir Mohammad Ali, but came off victorious. They lost nine men, and slew fifty. At Udiávara a post of 500 Coorgs was stationed. Sadri Behari and Mir Mohammad Ali, with a large force of Maplis, in all about 3000 men, attacked them. The Coorgs repulsed the aggressors, and drove them back to the Masjid, where they made another stand. But the Coorgs set fire to the Masjid and put them to the route. The Coorgs, on this occasion, lost 51 men, the Musulmans seven or eight hundred. A large spoil fell into the hands of the victors. After that, Cowl was granted. Next, the Bellare fort fell into the hands of the Coorgs, after a siege of two or three days. Here a great number of lives were lost on both sides. Captain Mahoney and the Malabar Commissioners congratulated the Rajah upon these successes. Ishvaraya fought a battle near Basavapattana, in which he lost 27 men killed and wounded. The garrison retreated, but car ried away 43 women and plundered the surrounding country. Ishvaraya granted Cowl to the Ryots.

On the 4th May, Friday, a strong report of cannon was heard in Coorg from the direction of Seringapatam. It stopped suddenly. For a week no letters arrived.

FALL OF TIPPU. TRIUMPH OF VIRARAJA. 135

Then the Rajah received intelligence from Captain Mahoney, that Seringapatam had been stormed, the Sultan killed, his family taken prisoners, and that the Bombay army was under orders to return. Capt. Mahoney begged the Rajah to come to him, as there was much to do. The letter arrived on Sunday, when the Rajah ordered a salute of 21 guns to be fired at Mercara. On the following day he went to Virarajendrapett to meet Capt. Mahoney. The latter told him, that the Capital had been taken on the 1st Chaitra (it ought to be 1st Vaishakha or perhaps 30th Chaitra) that the whole country now belonged to the English, and that he ought therefore to recall his people from the Company's territory. However, it was agreed, that the Coorgs should keep possession until General Stuart returned from Seringapatam. The Rajah sent orders to Ishvaraya to stop plundering. Orders to the same effect were sent to the Tulu country.

The Rajah had a meeting with General Stuart at Muttùr, in the neighbourhood of Periapatna. The General congratulated the Rajah on the fall of his enemy, and the Rajah expressed his joy at having his country now surrounded by the territories of the Company. On the 23rd of May General Harris, the Commander-in-Chief, wrote a letter of thanks and congratulation to the Rajah, which was accompanied by a present of one of Tippu's own horses, one of his Palkis, and one of his Howdas. General Harris expressed also his determination to restore his country to the Rajah of Coorg. General Stuart delivered the presents to Viraraja. General Hartley also presented the Rajab with a horse. The Rajah returned thanks to General Harris in a letter dated the 21st of Vaishakha.

The sick and wounded were sent to Cannanore in advance. Generals Stuart and Hartley followed. Viraraja accompanied them to the Coast. A salute was

fired on their arrival at Cannanore. The Rajah staid a week. He ordered Karanika Subaya to make over the Kodyal district (the Tulu country) to Colonel Wiseman. General Stuart sailed for Madras and Europe, after having promised to the Rajah a sword with the arms of the Company and of Lord Mornington, and his own portrait. When General Stuart em

barked, the Rajah returned to Coorg.

Shortly after, a letter arrived from the Governor Gene

ral, acknowledging the services of the Rajah to the Company in the last and the former wars.

As a mark of esteem and gratitude he remitted the annual tribute paid hitherto by the Rajah, iustead of which Mr. Duncan the Governor of Bombay would inform him, what yearly present would be acceptable.

The Brahmans from Mysore (Púrnaya, the Brahman minister of finance under Tippu, had been placed at the head of affairs by the Government of the Company) came to take charge of the districts held by Ishvaraya, and insulted the Coorgs. The Rajah complained of his old enemies, the Brahmans. Capt. Mahoney replied, he had not known the Rajah's dislike to this particular caste. Had he known it, every collision with them would have been avoided. The Rajah ordered Ishvaraya to withdraw from wherever the flag of the Company was hoisted.

Some correspondence between the Governor General and Viraraja ensued. The Governor General informed the Rajah, that Mysore had been restored to a descendant of the former Rajahs, and begged the Coorg Rajah to refer in future any difference, that might arise between himself and the Mysore Government, to the decision of the Company. The Rajah had a mean opinion of the new Rajah, who was a mere orphan child," and thought, names only had been changed. The Brahmans, his old foes had held power

CAPT. MAHONEY'S CERTIFICATE.

137

under Tippu, and they held it now. They would not fail to do their utmost to embroil him with the Company's Government. If old rights were to be restored, the Coorgs ought to be put again in possession of Periapatna and the contiguous districts, which the Mysore Rajahs had wrested from them by treachery. He would pay the revenue to the Company and make the people happy, &c. The Governor General was little inclined to yield. The obligations of the Company's Government to the Rajah were fully acknowledged, but he was not to have any part of the Mysore country. Capt. Mahoney also was withdrawn, as a Resident was no more required, and the Rajah was requested to put himself in correspondence with Col. Close, who had been appointed Resident at Seringapatam.

Before Captain Mahoney left, it was settled, that the Rajah of Coorg should every year send an elephant to the Company in lieu of the former tribute of Rs. 24,000. A paper to this effect was given to the Rajah by Captain Mahoney at Virarajendrapett on the 13th Oct. 1799. Another certificate also, dated 12th Oct. 1799 was given by Capt. Mahoney. It was as follows: "1, the Rajah has exerted himself to the utmost in the service of the Company. 2, he has collected large supplies of rice and forwarded them to Seringapatam, thus saving the troops from famine. 3, he has furnished 1000 coolies to the army, and for the conveyance of the ammunition to Seringatam 2000 men, without receiving renumeration. 4, he has furnished the Bombay Army with more than 3000 bullocks, 5 elephants, 3000 sheep and 40,000 Batties of rice. 5, for all this trouble and expense he has accepted of no payment or reward. 6, the Rajah's conduct has afforded great satisfaction to the men and Officers of the Bombay army, many of whom have experienced his friendship." Capt. Mahoney returned to Tellicherry in November 1799.