Abbakka Chowta
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Rani Abbakka Chowta was the first Tuluva Queen of
Ullal Ullal or ''Uḷḷāla'' is a City Municipality at Mangalore, educational, commercial & industrial hub in Dakshina Kannada district. It is located 10 km from the Mangalore City centre. Ullal City Municipality along with the Mangalore ...
who fought the
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
in the latter half of the 16th century. She belonged to the Chowta dynasty who ruled over parts of coastal Karnataka (
Tulu Nadu Tulunad or Tulu Nadu, also called Bermere sristi or Parashurama Srishti, is a region and a proposed state on the southwestern coast of India. The Tulu people, known as 'Tuluva' (plural 'Tuluver'), speakers of Tulu, a Dravidian language, ar ...
), India. Their capital was Puttige.There are four places in Karnataka and Kerala whose modern name is Puttige or similar. None seems to have ever been larger than a village. Another candidate for the place is Puttur, a town which is the seat of a modern
taluk A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...
(which also includes one of the villages called Puttige). An unsourced statement in the corresponding article in Kannada Wiki calls Puttur "the capital of a dynasty of kings" ( kn, ವಂಶದ ಅರಸರ ರಾಜಧಾನಿಯಾಗಿತ್ತು).
The port town of
Ullal Ullal or ''Uḷḷāla'' is a City Municipality at Mangalore, educational, commercial & industrial hub in Dakshina Kannada district. It is located 10 km from the Mangalore City centre. Ullal City Municipality along with the Mangalore ...
served as their subsidiary capital. The Portuguese made several attempts to capture Ullal as it was strategically placed. But Abbakka repulsed each of their attacks for over four decades. For her bravery, she came to be known as ''Abhaya Rani'' (The fearless queen). She was also one of the earliest Indians to fight colonialism and is sometimes regarded as the 'first woman freedom fighter of India'. In the state of
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
, she is celebrated along with Rani
Kittur Chennamma Kittur Chennamma (23 October 1778 – 21 February 1829) was the Indian Queen of Kittur, a former princely state in present-day Karnataka. She led an armed resistance against the British East India Company in 1824, in defiance of the Paramountcy ...
,
Keladi Chennamma Keladi Chennamma was the queen of Keladi Kingdom in Karnataka. She took birth in the household of a man called Siddappa Shetty, who was a native merchant in the region of Kundapur, Karnataka. She was from the Lingayatha community. Chennamma marr ...
, Rani Chennabhairadevi and
Onake Obavva Onake Obavva ( kn, ಒನಕೆ ಓಬವ್ವ, 18th Century) was a Karnataka hindu warrior who fought the forces of Hyder Ali single-handedly with a pestle (''Onake'') in the kingdom of Chitradurga of Karnataka, India. Her husband was a guard ...
, as the foremost women warriors and patriots.


Early life

The
Chowta Chowta (also spelt Chouta) is a surname from coastal Karnataka in India. It is found among Jains.& Bunts. History It is also the name of the Jain dynasty,34:XVIII,10; Bhatt, Tuluva:68–78; Mahalingam, Mackenzie MSS:II,491-496; Ramesh, A History ...
s followed the system of
matrilineal Matrilineality is the tracing of kinship through the female line. It may also correlate with a social system in which each person is identified with their matriline – their mother's Lineage (anthropology), lineage – and which can in ...
inheritance (
Aliyasantana Aliyasantana, literally " son in law as heir" in Kanarese, is the matrilineal system of inheritance practiced by Tuluver community in the Tulunaad area of Karnataka, India. It is similar to the ''Marumakkathayam'' system of the Malabar region. ...
) of Digambara
Jain Bunt The Jain Bunt are the Jainists of Bunt caste from Tulunaad area of India. It has been said that the Jain Bunts also have the highest per capita income in India. They have a feudal and martial race heritages, because of ties to the erstwhile r ...
community by which Tirumala Raya, Abbakka's uncle, crowned her the queen of Ullal. He also forged a matrimonial alliance for Abbakka with Lakshmappa Arasa Bangaraja II, king of
Banga Banga may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Banga'' (album), a 2012 album by Patti Smith * A song by Ali Shaheed Muhammad from the 2004 album '' Shaheedullah and Stereotypes'' * The name of Pontius Pilate's dog in Mikhail Bulgakov's novel ' ...
principality in
Mangalore Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Ker ...
. This alliance was to later prove a source of worry for the Portuguese. Tirumala Raya also trained Abbakka in the different aspects of warfare and military strategy. The marriage, however, was short-lived and Abbakka returned to Ullal. Her husband thus longed for revenge against Abbakka and was to later join the Portuguese in their fight against Abbakka.


Historical background

After overrunning
Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
and taking control of it, the Portuguese turned their attention southwards and along the coast. They first attacked the
South Kanara South Canara was a district of the Madras Presidency of British India, located at . It comprised the towns of Kassergode and Udipi and adjacent villages, with the capital in Mangalore city. South Canara was one of the most heterogeneous areas o ...
coast in 1525 and destroyed the Mangalore port. Ullal was a prosperous port and a hub of the spice trade to Arabia and other countries in the west. Being the profitable trading center that it was, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British vied with one another for control of the region as well as the trade routes. They, however, had not been able to make much headway as the resistance from the local chieftains was very strong. The local rulers even forged alliances cutting across caste and religious lines. Abbakka's administration was well represented by
Jains Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
,
Hindus Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
as well as
Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
. Historical research also reveals that during her rule in the 16th century,
Beary The Beary (also known as Byari) is a community concentrated along the southwest coast of India, mostly in the Mangalore district of the south Indian state of Karnataka. They are an ethnic group of Indian Muslims with their own distinct cul ...
men had served as seamen in the naval force. Rani Abbakka had personally supervised the construction of dam at
Malali Malali is a village in Bagalkot district, Karnataka, India.Village code= 142500 Demographics As of the 2011 Census of India there were 345 households in Malali and a total population of 1,781 consisting of 912 males and 869 females. There wer ...
; she had appointed
Beary The Beary (also known as Byari) is a community concentrated along the southwest coast of India, mostly in the Mangalore district of the south Indian state of Karnataka. They are an ethnic group of Indian Muslims with their own distinct cul ...
s for boulder work. 1Her army too consisted of people of all sects and castes. She even forged alliances with the
Zamorin The Samoothiri (Anglicised as Zamorin; Malayalam: , Arabic: ''Sāmuri'', Portuguese: ''Samorim'', Dutch: ''Samorijn'', Chinese: ''Shamitihsi''Ma Huan's Ying-yai Sheng-lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' 433 Translated and Edited by ...
of
Calicut Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
. Together, they kept the Portuguese at bay. The marital ties with the neighbouring Banga dynasty added further strength to the alliance of the local rulers. She also gained support from powerful king Venkatappanayaka of Bidnur and ignored the threat of Portuguese forces.


Battles against the Portuguese

The Portuguese, clearly upset by Abbakka's tactics, demanded that she pay them tribute but Abbakka refused to yield. In 1555, the Portuguese sent Admiral Dom Álvaro da Silveira to fight her after she refused to pay them tribute. In the battle that followed, Rani Abbakka once again managed to hold her own and repulsed the attack successfully. In 1557, the Portuguese plundered
Mangalore Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Ker ...
and laid waste to it. In 1568, they turned their attention to
Ullal Ullal or ''Uḷḷāla'' is a City Municipality at Mangalore, educational, commercial & industrial hub in Dakshina Kannada district. It is located 10 km from the Mangalore City centre. Ullal City Municipality along with the Mangalore ...
but Abbakka Rani resisted them yet again. João Peixoto, a Portuguese general and a fleet of soldiers were sent by the Portuguese Viceroy António Noronha. They managed to capture the city of Ullal and also entered the royal court. Abbakka Rani, however, escaped and took refuge in a mosque. The same night, she gathered around 200 of her soldiers and mounted an attack on the Portuguese. In the battle that ensued, General Peixoto was killed, seventy Portuguese soldiers were taken prisoners and many of the Portuguese retreated. In further attacks, Abbakka Rani and her supporters killed Admiral Mascarenhas and forced the Portuguese to vacate the Mangalore fort. The Portuguese captured Mangalore fort again and
Kundapur Kundapur, also called Kundapura, is a coastal town situated in the Udupi district of the state of Karnataka, India. This town was known as Coondapoor while it was part of the erstwhile South Canara district (1862–1947) of the Madras Pre ...
(Basrur). Despite these gains, Abbakka Rani continued to remain a source of threat. With the help of the queen's estranged husband, they mounted attacks on Ullal. Furious battles followed, but Abbakka Rani held her own. In 1570, she formed an alliance with the Bijapur Sultan of Ahmed Nagar and the Zamorin of
Calicut Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
, who were also opposing the Portuguese. Kutty Pokar Markar, the Zamorin's general fought on behalf of Abbakka and destroyed the Portuguese fort at Mangalore, but was killed by the Portuguese on his return. Following these losses and her husband's treachery, Abbakka lost the war, was arrested, and went to jail. However, even in prison, she revolted and died fighting.


Folklore and legend

According to traditional accounts, she was an immensely popular queen and this is also attested by the fact that she is even today a part of folklore. The queen's story has been retold from generation to generation through folk songs and
Yakshagana Yakshagaana is a traditional theatre, developed in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Shimoga and western parts of Chikmagalur districts, in the state of Karnataka and in Kasaragod district in Kerala that combines dance, music, dialogue, ...
, a popular folk theatre in
Coastal Karnataka Kanara, also known as Karavali is the historically significant stretch of land situated by the southwestern coast of India, alongside the Arabian Sea in the present-day Indian state of Karnataka. The region comprises three civil districts, ...
. In Daiva Kola, a local ritual dance, the persona in trance recounts the great deeds of Abbakka Mahadevi. Abbakka is portrayed as dark and good looking, always dressed in simple clothes like a commoner. She is portrayed as a caring queen who worked late into the night dispensing justice. Legends also claim that Abbakka was the last known person to have used the Agnivana (fire-arrow) in her fight against the Portuguese. Some accounts also claim that she had two equally valiant daughters who fought alongside her in her wars against the Portuguese.


Memory

Abbakka's memory is much cherished in her home town of
Ullal Ullal or ''Uḷḷāla'' is a City Municipality at Mangalore, educational, commercial & industrial hub in Dakshina Kannada district. It is located 10 km from the Mangalore City centre. Ullal City Municipality along with the Mangalore ...
. The "Veera Rani Abbakka Utsava" is an annual celebration held in her memory. The Veera Rani Abbakka Prashasti award is given to distinguished women on the occasion. On 15 January 2003, the Indian postal department issued a special cover on Rani Abbakka. There have been calls to name the
Bajpe Bajpe is a locality in Mangalore city of Dakshina Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, now also known as Bajpe Town, India. It is around from the city of Mangalore. The Mangalore International Airport is located at Bajpe and was p ...
airport. A bronze statue of the queen has been erected in
Ullal Ullal or ''Uḷḷāla'' is a City Municipality at Mangalore, educational, commercial & industrial hub in Dakshina Kannada district. It is located 10 km from the Mangalore City centre. Ullal City Municipality along with the Mangalore ...
and another in
Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
. Amar Chitra Katha published a book named 'Rani Abbakka- The Queen who knew no fear'.The ''Karnataka Itihasa Academy'' has called for renaming the Queen's road in the
state capital Below is an index of pages containing lists of capital cities. National capitals *List of national capitals * List of national capitals by latitude *List of national capitals by population * List of national capitals by area * List of capital c ...
as 'Rani Abbakka Devi road'. Actress Barkha Sengupta portrays Rani Abbakka in Tv series
Swaraj Swarāj ( sa, स्वराज, translit=Svarāja '' sva-'' "self", '' raj'' "rule") can mean generally self-governance or "self-rule". It was first used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to attain self rule from the Mughal Empire and the Adil ...
of
Doordarshan Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest bro ...


Rani Abbakka-class patrol vessel

The
Indian Coast Guard The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its territorial waters including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. The Indian Coast Guard was formally esta ...
ship ICGS Rani Abbakka, the 1st of a series of five inshore patrol vessels (IPV) built at Hindustan Shipyard Ltd is named after Abbakka Mahadevi was commissioned in
Visakhapatnam , image_alt = , image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura (S20), INS ...
on 20 January 2012, and is based in
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
.


Veer Rani Abakka Festival and Award

The festival of "Veera Rani Abbakka Utsava" is celebrated in
Ullal Ullal or ''Uḷḷāla'' is a City Municipality at Mangalore, educational, commercial & industrial hub in Dakshina Kannada district. It is located 10 km from the Mangalore City centre. Ullal City Municipality along with the Mangalore ...
every year in memory of Rani Abakka during which the Veera Rani Abbakka Award is given to distinguished women in recognition of their contributions in various fields. The award consists of cash prize and award panels. The Abbakka Award 2018-19 was given to Dr. Sandhya Pai, for achievement in the field of literature and to Urmila Ramesh Kumar, for her achievement in various field except literature.


See also

*
Ullal Ullal or ''Uḷḷāla'' is a City Municipality at Mangalore, educational, commercial & industrial hub in Dakshina Kannada district. It is located 10 km from the Mangalore City centre. Ullal City Municipality along with the Mangalore ...
*
Tulunadu Tulunad or Tulu Nadu, also called Bermere sristi or Parashurama Srishti, is a region and a proposed state on the southwestern coast of India. The Tulu people, known as 'Tuluva' (plural 'Tuluver'), speakers of Tulu, a Dravidian language, are ...
*
Goa Inquisition The Goa Inquisition ( pt, Inquisição de Goa) was an extension of the Portuguese Inquisition in Portuguese India. Its objective was to enforce Catholic Orthodoxy and allegiance to the Apostolic See of Rome (Pontifex). The inquisition primaril ...
*
Battle of Colachel The Battle of Colachel (or The Battle of Kulachal) was fought on between the Indian kingdom of Travancore and the Dutch East India Company. During the Travancore-Dutch War, King Marthanda Varma's (1729–1758) forces defeated the Dutch East ...


Footnotes


Notes


References


Abbakka Rani - The unsung warrior queen

Queen Abbakka's triumph over Western colonisers


External links






Abbakka, the warrior queen of Karnataka



Brave Abbakka still awaiting her due


{{DEFAULTSORT:Chowta, Abbakka 16th-century women rulers 16th-century Indian monarchs History of Karnataka Indian female royalty Indian women in war Mangaloreans People from Dakshina Kannada district Tulu people Women in 16th-century warfare Jain queens 16th-century Indian women 16th-century Indian people Hindu monarchs Indian military leaders