Vaikom Padmanabha Pillai
Encyclopedia
Vaikom Padmanabha Pillai (1767–1809) was a militia leader and military officer of the Kingdom of Travancore (now roughly the Indian
state of Kerala
). In 1808 he led an uprising
against British control in Travancore. He was captured in 1809 and hanged for his role in the rebellion
.
invaded Travancore. He was one of the 20 reserve soldiers from the Nandyat Kalari
who ambushed the huge Mysore Army in the Nedumkotta
fortifications in December 1789. He also played an active role in the defeat of Tipu Sultan at the hands of the Travancore Army during the second battle on April 1790. After this he served as a general in Travancore Maharaja's militia.
When Velu Thampi Dalawa
rebelled against the British East India Company
, Padmanabha Pillai was his army chief. Nair
s under Padmanabha Pillai attacked British Resident Col. Macaulay in Poonjikkara Residency (now, Bolghaty Palace) in December 1808, but could not capture him. Later he ambushed a party of British soldiers at Pallathuruthy
near Alappuzha which resulted in the deaths of 13 British soldiers. Padmanabha Pillai was captured by the British and hanged in public a few days later at Thiruveli kunnu in Vaikom.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
). In 1808 he led an uprising
Travancore War
The Travancore War was fought between the British East India Company and the State of Travancore in 1808-9.British occupation of the Malabar Coast at the end of 18th century had faced stiff resistance from the locals and there were several revolts against British rule...
against British control in Travancore. He was captured in 1809 and hanged for his role in the rebellion
Indian independence activists
This is a listing of people who campaigned against or are considered to have campaigned against foreign domination and cultural imposition on the Indian sub-continent...
.
Life
He was born in the principality of Vadakkumkoor and was called up in to the Travancore Nair Army in 1789, when Tipu SultanTipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
invaded Travancore. He was one of the 20 reserve soldiers from the Nandyat Kalari
Kalari
The word Kalari means battle ground in Tamil and translates as "threshing floor" or "battlefield" in Malayalam. Training for Kalarippayattu, a martial art of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, is traditionally done inside the Kalari....
who ambushed the huge Mysore Army in the Nedumkotta
Nedumkotta
Nedumkotta or Travancore lines was a wall built as a protection against consistent invasion and threats from northern kingdoms mainly Zamorins of Kozhikode...
fortifications in December 1789. He also played an active role in the defeat of Tipu Sultan at the hands of the Travancore Army during the second battle on April 1790. After this he served as a general in Travancore Maharaja's militia.
When Velu Thampi Dalawa
Velu Thampi Dalawa
Velayudhan Chempakaraman Thampi was the Dalawa or Prime Minister of the Indian kingdom of Travancore between 1802 and 1809 during the reign of His Highness Maharajah Bala Rama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal...
rebelled against the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, Padmanabha Pillai was his army chief. Nair
Nair
Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...
s under Padmanabha Pillai attacked British Resident Col. Macaulay in Poonjikkara Residency (now, Bolghaty Palace) in December 1808, but could not capture him. Later he ambushed a party of British soldiers at Pallathuruthy
Pallathuruthy
Pallathuruthy is a village in the Kuttanad region, in the district of Alappuzha, in the state of Kerala, India. Pallathuruthy is a water bound region surrounded by the Vembanad lake. Also, the Pallathuruthy Canal passed through the region...
near Alappuzha which resulted in the deaths of 13 British soldiers. Padmanabha Pillai was captured by the British and hanged in public a few days later at Thiruveli kunnu in Vaikom.