Socio-cultural Processes and Livelihood Patterns at Tirurangadi - CDS

The British army was led by Col.Hartley. Martab Khan was routed and Husain Ali khan,
cut off from joining Martab Khan was forced to retreat to the Tirurangadi Fort. The
British army surrounded the fort and Husain Ali Khan surrendered with 900 of his men
(Logan, 1951; 469-70). This was one of the crucial battles that sealed the Mysorean’s fate
in Malabar, and facilitated the transfer of the area to the British, which took place in
1792. The equally interesting feature is that despite the defeat on the first occasion, the
Mysoreans did not surrender the fort or shift to another ‘safer’ place.
Another interesting feature of this episode is the participation of the Mappilas. The
British account does not mention who mobilized them to support Mysore and what was
the role that they played in the battle with Hartley. While the rebellions by Hydros Kutty
Mooppan and Athan Gurukkal, were more in the character of individual actions, the
mobilization of Mappilas at Tirurangadi was the first collective action against the British,
though in support of Mysore. No Mappila is mentioned as participating in the battle
between Makhdum Ali and Humberstone. Was it that the Mappilas, or whoever led them,
were aware of the prospect of a British conquest if Mysore lost the battle? Or was it a
simple expression of religious solidarity, or at best, a story cooked up by the British to
demonstrate the existence of such solidarity? The latter position seems to be difficult to
accept as the Mappilas do not show any consistency in demonstrating such solidarity in
all the battles between British and Mysore forces in Malabar. The more likely answer is
that the participation of the Mappilas was a local phenomenon more related to the defense
of the fort. Their source of inspiration is a point that requires further investigation. But
the battle appears to signify on the one hand, the downfall of Mysore, and on the other,
the emergence of Mappilas as a collectivity.
The British rule