Vizagapatam/Gazetteer/Palkonda Taluk
PÁLKONDA TALUK.
Pálkonda ('the pot of milk,' so called from its fertility) lies on the north-east of the district, adjoining Ganjám, and is drained and irrigated by the perennial Nágávali or Lángulya and its tributary the Suvarnamukhi. It is one of the three Government taluks of Vizagapatam, is the richest portion of the district, and contains a greater and a denser population than any other taluk therein. Statistics regarding it will he found in the separate Appendix to this volume. It consists of two widely differing parts; namely, the ordinary tracts, which form a level plain, nearly one half of which is paddy-fields, inhabited by Telugus; and the Agency in the group of low hills on the north, which run up to 3,000 feet and are 160 square miles in extent, where three-quarters of the people are backward Játapus or Savaras and cultivation has hardly emerged from the kondapódu stage. The forests on these hills have been referred to on p. 113 and the Sítámpéta pass through them on p. 142.
The taluk has had an eventful history. Visvambara Deo I, Rája of Jeypore from 1672 to 1676, is said to have granted it to a Játapu on whom, 'seeing his wisdom and his skill in archery,' he also conferred the title of Naréndra Rao. In 1779 the country was reduced by the Rája of Vizianagram with the help of the Company's troops (internal disturbances affording a pretext for interference) and the Pálkonda fort was captured. The taluk was soon afterwards restored, and the Committee of Circuit's report of 1784 says that Viziaráma Rázu, the then representative of the Játapu familji , paid the Rájas of Vizianagram a tribute of Ks. 52,000 besides rendering service with his paiks, 'who are esteemed the best troops in the country.' From 1793 to 1796 1[1] he was in open revolt against the Company, but Víraghattam and others of his strongholds having been seized, he surrendered and was deposed. His son Sítaráma (who had taken no part in the rebellion) succeeded, but died in 1798 and was followed by his minor brother Venkatapati Rázu, with whom the permanent settlement was made in 1803 on a peshkash of Rs. 55,000. In 1811 Viziaráma, his deposed father, assembled a body of followers near Víraghattam, and began collecting the revenue and plundering. A brigade and two guns were sent after him and he escaped across the hills to the Nagpur country.1[2]
In 1828 Venkatapati Rázu quarrelled with his díwán and had him and his brother murdered at Pálkonda. The police there consisted of only five men and did nothing, and the District Magistrate reported that as there was no clear proof of guilt he 'did not consider it advisable to attempt the seizure of a powerful zamindar in possession of an extensive hill country, almost inaccessible to the inhabitants of the plains, fatally noted for the insalubrity of its air and inhabited by a turbulent race of the zamindar's own dependents.' He contented himself with sending a clerk of his office 'to discover, if possible, some clue to the mysterious circumstances with which the murder was attended.' Nothing, of course, came of this, and in October !828 Venkatapati died.
He was succeeded by his eldest son Kúrma Rázu, who, though illegitimate, was recognized by the late zamindar's widows — he had left no less than eight — as the rightful heir. The lad being a minor, the estate was managed by one of the widows. Each of these ladies (the ablest of whom was Pedda Jagayya, a dancing-girl) had however a factious following of her own among the mokhásadárs and leaders of the hill men, and a party had also formed to oust Kúrma Rázu in favour of his younger brother, Viziaráma Rázu. The rivalries of these factions resulted in endless disturbances and even in the plundering and burning of villages within three or four miles of Pálkonda itself. At the expiration of the minority in 1831 the arrears of peshkash were Rs. 93,000 and the Collector reported that the turbulence of the zamindari was of so serious a nature as to render it necessary for him to continue the management. Among other outrages, a party of sibbandis at Búrja had been attacked in broad daylight, two of them being killed and seven wounded, ten muskets being captured and the village plundered. The young zamindar was by this time entirely under the influence of Pedda Jagayya the dancing-girl.
In January 1833 — or only a few weeks after Mr. Russell, the Special Commissioner (see p. 57), had arrived in the district — the insurgents had the audacity to make an attack on the ámin's office in Pálkonda to rescue a notorious offender kept in custody there. It failed, and to procure the release of the prisoners taken by the Government's men on that occasion, a very extensive plan of operations was organized. The rebels collected in the fort of Atsapavalasa, near Pálkonda, and on the 9th March Lieutenant Curre, commanding at Pálkonda, resolved to forestall them by attacking them there. He was beaten off at the first assault and narrowly escaped being shot himself, but eventually the rebels evacuated the place and fled.1[3] Within the fort were found by chance a number of letters, some from Pedda Jagayya to the insurgents supplying them with information, money and ammunition, suggesting plans for 'taking care of' (murdering) the ámín and the Government manager of the estate and proposing methods of combating the troops; and others in like terms from the zamindar himself and several members of his family. On reaching Pálkonda, Mr. Russell in consequence marched a detachment of sepoys into the fort there, before resistance could be made, and captured ten of the zamindar's household, including Pedda Jagayya. The zamindar himself was arrested later. Six of these people were tried by court martial (Mr. Russell had already proclaimed martial law), and two were executed. Pedda Jagayya and the zamindar were condemned to death, but eventually they and all the latter's family were detained as State prisoners. The zamindari was forfeited (1833) and became Government property. The zamindar died in Gooty fort in 1834. Forty-five years later his younger brother, the Viziaráma Rázu mentioned above, who was confined at the time in the fort at Vellore, brought a suit against the Government for the possession of the estate with mesne profits, but this was dismissed by the High Court in 1882 and an appeal to the Privy Council was also rejected. One of the family is still resident in Madras, and that they are not forgotten in the district is shown by the fact that in 1900 one of the Korravanivalasa fitúridars (see p. 304) wrote and asked this man to join that luckless enterprise.
After its forfeiture in 1833, the estate was managed by the Collector until July 1846, when it was leased, with the zamindari of Honzarám, to Messrs. Arbuthnot & Co. for five years at an annual rental of Rs. 1,10,908. This lease was renewed on the same or enhanced terms for periods of five and ten years until 1892, when the taluk was again taken under the management of Government.
Honzarám was one of the estates formed in 1802 out of the havíli land. It was purchased by the Rája of Vizianagram in that year. He sold it in 1810, and in 1811 it was bought in by the Collector at a sale for arrears of revenue and became Government land.
During their lease Messrs. Arbuthnot greatly encouraged the growth of sugar-cane, from which sugar was manufactured at their factory at Chittivalasa, made unsuccessful experiments with Mexican cotton and foreign paddy and, from 1848, stimulated the cultivation of indigo. This last venture was a great success, and the taluk is still dotted with the ruins of the factories which were put up to deal with the crop. When the taluk was taken under Government management the mustájari system in the three muttas (Konda, Kottam and Ráma) in the Agency, which had led to serious abuses, was abolished and the ryotwari tenure introduced.1[4] A new settlement was carried out shortly afterwards (see p. 173)in the ordinary tracts.
The places of interest in the taluk include the following : — Pálkonda : The head-quarters of the taluk and a union of 15,625' inhabitants. It lies about four miles south of the hills on low ground amid wet fields and contains the remains of the zamindar's fort above mentioned, in which a market is now held, and a half-finished Roman Catholic chapel. To the east, on higher ground commanding a beautiful view of the hills, are a picturesque drinking-water tank covered with lotuses, the taluk and other public offices,2[5] the travellers' bungalow, the house used by the gentlemen who from time to time managed the taluk during Messrs. Arbuthnot's lease, and that firm's office and indigo warehouse.
RÁZÁM: About fourteen miles from Pálkonda and eleven from Chípurupalle railway -station; a union of 5,096 inhabitants and the head-quarters of a district munsif. The latter's court is within the old fort, which once (see p. 241) was commanded by the famous Bobbili sirdar, Tándra Pápayya, and was afterwards captured by Vengal Ranga Rao on behalf of the son of the Bobbili Rája who was slain in 1757 by Bussy's forces. The weaving and silver-work of Rázám have been referred to on pp. 123 and 126.
Siripuram : Four miles west of the Lángulya river and the same distance north-east of Pondúru railway station; population 2,988. Is known for its great tank, the embankment of which is two miles long. This, says local tradition, was made by two sisters, dancing-girls named Chinna Kanchamma and Pedda Kanchamma, to expiate an offence against religious precepts; and after breaching several times, was at last rendered safe by the sisters burying themselves alive in the embankment. On this latter are still standing some stone images of the two girls, and numerous legends cluster about their names. Formerly, it is declared, poor people who could not afford the jewels and so on indispensable for their weddings used, to pray to the sisters and next day find these requisites lying on the embankment. Custom required them to be eventually returned, but one day an avaricious potter kept them. He and his wheel and all that was his were turned into stone in consequence; since when no potter has dared sleep in Siripuram.
The village is the chief place in the proprietary estate of the same name, which is one of those carved out of the havíli land and sold by auction in 1802. It was bought then, says Mr.Carmichael, by the Rája of Vizianagram, who in 1811 sold it to Rája Rao Venkataráyudu, who transferred it shortly afterwards to Bobbili Venkatakrishnama. In the same year 1811 it was sold for arrears and passed to Yellumahanti Parasuráma Pátro, who sold it to the Inuganti family, relations of the Rájas of Bobbili. In 1868 it belonged to Inuganti Sítarámasvámi, díwán of Bobbili, and it is now the property of Inuganti Rájagópál Rao.
This same gentleman is also the proprietor of the three estates of Mantena and Ungaráda in this taluk and Kintali in Chípurupalle. At the sale of estates in 1802 Kintali was bought by Kálabariga Chinna Lakshanna. It was subsequently divided into the two properties of Kintali and Mantena under orders of the Northern Provincial Court conveyed by a precept of the Zilla Court at Chicacole dated 16th July 1832, and these were held respectively by the above Lakshanna and one Yenkanna. These two sold the estates in August 1837 to the Rája of Bobbili, who resold them to Inuganti Ráma Rao, husband of his half sister Inuganti Sítáyamma, in 1841. This Ráma Rao had already, in April 1825, purchased from Bobbili the estate of Ungaráda in the Pálkonda taluk. On Ráma Rao's death the three estates — Kintali, Mantena and Ungaráda — fell to his son Ráyadappa, who died childless and unmarried in 1861. His mother Sítáyamma succeeded, and on her death in 1886 left the estates to her daughter, Ravu Lakshmi Kantayammi. The present holder lnuganti Rájagópál Rao, however, brought a suit for them, claiming to be the reversionary heir of Ráyadappa, and won his case.1[6]
Víraghattam: Stands nearly midway between Pálkonda and Párvatípur; population 5,738. Contains the remains of a considerable mud fort, in which are now located the dispensary and the police lines. This was strongly held by Viziaráma Rázu, zamindar of Pálkonda, in the disturbances of 1793-96 above referred to. In February 1795 the Company's troops, which had no guns big enough to effect a breach, were twice repulsed in attacks upon it by escalade. The village does a great trade in leaf-platters, which are sent as far afield as Madras.
- ↑ 1 Mr. Russell's report of 18th Novembtr 1834, published in 1856 as No. XXIV of the Selections from the Madras Records, paras. 10 to 61 of which give a detailed narrative from which the following account has been greatly abridged.
- ↑ 1 Wilson's History of the Madras Army, iii, 322.
- ↑ 1 A detailed account of the affair appears in the Asiatic Journal xiii, 24.
- ↑ 1 See the report of Deputy Collector V. Jagannatha Rao in G.O., No. 2731,Judicial) dated 1st December 1887, which contains a quantity of information about the Agency.
- ↑ 2 Lest antiquarians should hereafter be puzzled by the two apparently aimless arches which flank the taluk office, it may be explained that they were erected to test the stability of the soil and the depth of the foundations required; or buildings constructed upon it.
- ↑ 1 I.L R., Madras XXI, 344-46 and 349-51.