Abbakka Chowta
She Fought the Portuguese
Europeans in India
In the 1500s, after reports of the successful voyage to India of Portugal's Vasco da Gama reached home, European powers first came to India to trade for spices. Over the next few centuries they were sometimes granted trading rights by some local rulers, fought with yet some others in order to keep and expand their trading rights, and then finally asserted their political power. This progression from traders to rulers saw the Portuguese having to confront many Indian rulers who flatly refused to accept foreign suzerainty and fought to keep their autonomy.
Apart from the Portuguese, Indian rulers had to confront other Europeans also, such as the British, when they started to increase their influence from merely trading to interfering in the political arena. One such ruler who put up strong opposition was Velu Nachiyar of Sivaganga nearly a century after Abbakka Chowta.
Who was Abbakka?
Abbakka Chowta (1525 - 1580s) was one of the earliest opponents to European colonizers in India. She stood up to the Portuguese who constantly tried to take advantage of Indian rulers who could not present a united front. The only exception was the Samoothiri (Zamorin) of Calicut who forged a military alliance with her to fight the Portuguese.
Abbakka ruled from Ullal near Mangalore and was of the matrilinear Bunt community that lived in coastal Karnataka and Kerala. The Chowta were an ancient clan. One of the early Chowta rulers was a feudatory of Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara empire. The Chowta dynasty ruled from 1160 to 1833 CE, had 25 rulers of whom 11 were women. They were a Jain dynasty and ruled from Moodabidri. Ullal was a subsidiary capital.
Ullal was situated at the mouth of the river Netravathi. This enabled ships to sail from the port of Ullal up the river into the interiors of the mainland, a huge advantage that the Portuguese wanted to capitalise by holding the port. They first tried to tax Abbakka in exchange for allowing shipping. Then they demanded an annual tribute from her. Other kingdoms had capitulated to Portuguese demands and they thought Abbakka would fall in line. But Abbakka had no intention of giving in to extortion.
The Portuguese in India
When the Portuguese first arrived in India the Vijayanagara empire was at its apex. The Portuguese built forts all along the west coast, ostensibly to safeguard their trading interests. They were in contention with local rulers who ruled under the protection of the Vijayanagara empire. The Portuguese were also trading Arabian steeds with the empire through Vijayanagara's ports in Goa and Mangalore, from where they shipped spices and the famed Indian textiles onward to Europe. The spice trade was so lucrative that it was vitally important for the Portuguese to control these ports.
In a few decades, the Portuguese became extremely powerful with their new naval technology. They were the dominant force all along much of the trade route in the Indian Ocean and levied a charge on all trade using the route. This situation lasted for nearly a century until the British and Dutch started to assert themselves.
After capturing Goa, and making it their headquarters the Portuguese turned their attention to other ports along the coast. They destroyed the Kapaleeswarar temple at Chennai. In Calicut, they defeated the powerful Zamorin. Daman and Mumbai were captured.
The Portuguese monopoly led to constant fighting with smaller Indian kingdoms that resented their overlordship. One such a kingdom was that of Ullal.
The Portuguese monopoly led to constant fighting with smaller Indian kingdoms that resented their overlordship. One such a kingdom was that of Ullal.
Abbakka’s mindset and fighting spirit
Abbakka and her sister Padumaladevi were brought up to be well-versed in the martial arts and in statecraft. Legend has it that Abbakka was particularly good at sword fighting and archery. When her sister who was the ruler of the Chowta dominions died without children, Abbakka succeeded her to the throne.
Drunk on their military and commercial successes thus far, the Portuguese gave no serious thought to the young queen of Ullal which is about 100 kms from Mangalore. They casually sent a small contingent in boats to capture and bring her to Goa. No boats returned.
Next, a huge fleet under Admiral Dom Alvaro da Silviera was despatched. A thoroughly defeated and much injured admiral returned, minus queen.
Not to be outdone, the Portuguese sent yet another fleet, but again only a few troops straggled back.
In the meantime, the Portuguese captured Mangalore fort, which made it easier to attack Ullal. Soon another huge contingent under an experienced general Joao Peixoto sailed forth to nab the indomitable queen.
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| Veera Rani Abbakka Devi Special Cover issued 15.1 2003 at MANGALAPEX-2003 |
Winning tactics of the battle-hardened queen
When they reached the fort of Ullal, they found it deserted. Just as the Portuguese were about to declare victory, Abbakka and her loyal soldiers attacked the fort and decimated the opposition, killing the general. Not resting on her laurels, the very same day Abbakka was on the road to Mangalore and laid siege to the Mangalore fort. Her forces successfully captured the fort, killed Admiral Mascarenhas, had the Portuguese vacate the fort, and rode onwards 100 kms to Kundapura, and captured the Portuguese settlement there as well.
Unexpected betrayal
Going by the accounts of Abbakka’s exploits, it appears she would have continued to fight the good fight and rout the Portuguese at every turn. However, the stumbling block she faced, and perhaps didn’t expect, was her estranged husband Banga Lakshmappa Arasa who betrayed her to the Portuguese. This led to her capture and imprisonment. She died fighting in jail.
Remembered in song and verse
There are three queens in the Chowta dynasty named Abbakka. The queen profiled here is Abbakka II who ruled from 1544 to 1582 and appears in Portuguese and local records. She is known for having fought the Portuguese several times and for her great naval victory against them.
Abbakka's exploits and bravery made her famous in far-flung countries such as Persia (now called Iran) which was also fighting the Portuguese at the time. The Italian explorer Pietro Della Valle had heard so much of Abbakka from the Shah of Persia that he made sure to stop at Ullal to meet her on his travels. He was struck by her confidence yet simple lifestyle, focussing on the welfare of her subjects.
One of India's Inshore Patrol Vessels for the Indian Coastguard built at Hindustan Shipyard in Visakhapatnam is named Rani Abbakka.
Folklore and Yakshagana enactments have kept the legend and memory of Abbakka alive for nearly six centuries. They commemorate a never-say-die ruler who fought until her last breath.
Reference
2. Selections from The Travels of Sig. Pietro della Valle. Translated by G Havers.
3. Chowtas of Puttige Moodabidri - Dakshina Kannada Jilleya Prachina Itihasa by M Ganapathy Rao. Translated by Mahi Mulki. Tulupedia.com
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