KB Sundarambal - When life gave her lemons, she made lemonade.

This is the story of a woman, a singer, who is a living memory for many of the older generations in South India. Sundarambal’s life and career coincided with several crosscurrents in twentieth century India - the arrival of an increased number of gramophone companies from Europe into the country in search of new voices, the introduction of cinema and its slowly increasing popularity and the escalation in political activity in India because of the freedom struggle. It was also the time when, increasingly, young women joined the nascent theatre and film industry which stigmatized them rather unfairly. Many traditional patrons of artistes, basically royalty and landed gentry, had lost the resources to continue to extend their age-old support to musicians, actors and dancers. In the changed scenario drama troupes and film studios became the new venues for artistes to showcase their talent, and earn a living.

Photograph taken October, 1932

(https://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:K.B.Sundarambal.jpeg)

The Early Years

Kodumudi Balambal Sundarambal was from Erode, Tamil Nadu, born in October 1908. Her early life was one of extreme privation. At one point, unable to cope with dire poverty, Sundarambal’s mother was about to jump into the Kaveri with her three children, when the little girl convinced her to give life another chance. Sundarambal, even at that young age, promised her mother to earn for the family by her talent for singing. And she kept her word.

Sundarambal began to sing on trains to entertain passengers, and earned money. This was all the musical training Sundarambal had, but one apparently so complete that it stood her in good stead all her life. Her strong and resonant voice, her dignified demeanour and her confidence on stage became her hallmarks. Soon she came to the attention of people connected with Tamil theatre who were on the constant look-out for fresh talent.

Bahinabai - The Traditional Non-Conformist

Bahinabai’s life (1628-1700 CE) and the events in it are known to us today because of her unusual practice of noting them all down precisely in her verses, in seventy-eight abhangas with her exact date of birth. She also wrote her autobiography Atmamanivedana.

Abhanga is poetry with verses in praise of Vithoba, Panduranga or Vitthala, a form of Vishnu predominantly worshipped in Marathi-speaking areas. Abhangas of several poets are sung to this day in temples or enroute on varkari, pilgrimage by vari, pilgrims who walk great distances to temples.

The Bhakti Movement

Bahinabai is one of the important poets of the Bhakti period of India’s history. Her verses are particularly autobiographical. The Bhakti movement is a significant development in medieval India which saw the flowering of religious feeling and devotion to God over a period of nearly 700 years, from the 9th to the 16th centuries CE. Several religious teachers took the message of Sanatana Dharma to the people through personal interaction, verse and song. The Bhakti Movement’s impact on literature and the arts was huge. This peoples’ movement occured spontaneously all over India with no ruler or leader in charge. It touched various facets of life - religion, the arts, women’s status. The result was increased geographical and cultural awareness between different parts of India, especially of far-flung areas, since devotees travelled across the country on pilgrimage and artists for work opportunities. 

The Marathi scribe Mahipati (1715-1790 CE) wrote biographies of Varkari saints. His work is still considered the most authoritative. He wrote hagiographies of Vaishnava poets who lived between the 13th and 17th centuries CE, and mentions Bahinabai in his Bhakta-Vijaya.  

Avantisundari - Princess of Intellect

Avantisundari

Princess of intellect - rhetorician and poet

Avantisundari - Her life and her times

Avantisundari was an exceptionally accomplished woman who lived in the 9th and 10th century CE in the kingdom of the Gurjara-Pratihara, a dynasty which ruled over an extensive area in North India extending upto the Narmada in Central India. Her husband Rajasekhara, court poet and grammarian, writes of her as ‘a jewel of a Chahamana or Chauhan family’ which means she was a princess, in the opinion of Sanskrit scholar and musicologist V Raghavan. The couple entered into anuloma, an intercaste marriage. The practice was accepted by society at the time. 

Rajasekhara the mentor

Rajasekhara was an unusual individual in that he not only encouraged the talented Avantisundari in her literary pursuits but also wrote of other talented poetesses in his own verses. Even today when this open-hearted attitude towards female accomplishments is not all-pervasive, what Rajasekhara did more than ten centuries back was unusual. The references he makes have in turn come down to us today. For example, verses attributed to Rajasekhara in Jalhana’s Suktimuktavali (1258 CE) mention the poetesses Shilabhattarika, Vikatanitamba, Vijayanka among others. Rajasekhara firmly says that poetic ability is not based on gender but is a part of the inner soul. He writes "Women also can become poets like men. Culture is really an element of the soul. It does not make a distinction between male and female. We have heard of and even seen princesses, daughters of great officers of the state, courtesans and the wives of cultured people who had all the refinements of learning and were poets too."

Avantisundari and her work

Such were Avantisundari’s abilities that Rajasekhara freely acknowledged her poetic talent and quoted her in his work Karpura Manjari written in Prakrit. He acknowledges that he produced and staged this work at her encouragement and request.

Avantisundari had opinions on three aspects of literary criticism that Rajasekhara mentions in his Kavyamimamsa. These were -
what is meant by maturity of expression
what exactly is the poetic idea
the broader aspect of poetic borrowing, which at a base level becomes plagarism.

These are issues that creative artists are grappling with even today, more than ten centuries later!

Avantisundari wrote in Sanskrit and Prakrit. Apart from that, Avantisundari’s work as a rhetorician led to her stanzas being quoted by Hemachandra in the 11th century CE in his Deshi Namamala to illustrate the meanings of Prakrit expressions. 

Nothing much else is known about this interesting literary luminary who chose to specialise in an esoteric aspect of rhetoric and poetry. Today we only know of Avantisundari thanks to references to her works in others’ anthologies. Unfortunately none of her works has been discovered so far.

Relevance of the Avantisundari-Rajasekhara partnership today

Reading about Avantisundari and Rajasekhara’s mindsets at the period from the end of the 9th century CE to the beginning of the 10th century CE brings one thought to mind. Trends and thought processes in society seem to go around in circles. What goes around comes around. It’s fascinating how the issues we face today on gender parity, encouragement to female education and intercaste marriages are nothing new at all. We really don’t need to reinvent the wheel, we only need to take a look at how Avantisundari and Rajasekhara twelve centuries back negotiated their way with finesse and an openmindedness we would do well to emulate. 

Do you agree with me? Do write in. 

Reference:

Prekshanakatrayi - V Raghavan

Great Women of India - Editors: Swami Madhavananda and Ramesh Chandra Majumdar

Abbakka Chowta - She fought the Portuguese

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.

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. 

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

1. http://flagsaudrapeaubandeirasandstamps.blogspot.com

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

Naikadevi

The Queen from Karnataka who Ruled Gujarat and Defeated Mohammad Ghori

The saga of Naikadevi’s regency (1175-1178 CE) during the rule of the Chalukya in Gujarat is one about her cool thinking, unfazed bravery and of not being taken in by the reputation of the enemy. The adversaries - Naikadevi and Mohammad Ghori of Ghor in Afghanistan - were equally determined to achieve their goals. Naikadevi was defending her kingdom, Ghori was bent on conquering it and had come all the way to Gujarat in the hopes of adding to his realm. However, the result of their encounter was a drubbing Ghori could not stomach.

Mohammad Ghori
Ghori made several incursions into India to expand territory.  He was not content with looting the fabled riches of India but also tried to conquer. He was defeated multiple times over the years by defending rulers but never let that hold back his ambitions. The factor in Ghori’s favour was the lack of unity amongst the rulers of various kingdoms in India who would not present a common front against him.

Rudramadevi - A Queen True to Her Calling

Rudramadevi

A Queen True To Her Calling

Rudramadevi (reign 1260 - 1290 CE) of the powerful Kakatiya dynasty ruled from her capital Orugallu, present day Warangal in Telangana.  The area was naturally rich in diamonds and was throughout the target of several attacks and invasions by vying rival kings seeking to expand their territories and increase their wealth.

Early Life

Rudramadevi was brought up like a boy by her father Ganapathideva who had two daughters to succeed him. Ganapathideva was a very prominent monarch of his line. At the end of a largely successful reign, he apprehended an attack by Jatavarman Sundara Pandian I from near Madurai. The Kakatiya empire needed a strong front to defeat this threat. Rudramadevi was trained in the art of war under her guru Sivadevayya. He coached her thoroughly in planning her campaigns, tactical moves on the battlefield and managing the enemies' moves. She was given a thorough grounding in politics and administration. She was taught the fine arts - music, dance and literature to prepare her to be a good administrator. She toured the kingdom, meeting officials and people to gain first hand knowledge. 

Rudramadevi could also draw upon the formidable experience of her father who had ruled for nearly 60 years. He eased her into the battlefield and the court so she could prove her mettle and gain confidence. Above all she learnt to keep the welfare of her subjects as her primary goal.

On the advise of his councillors, Ganapathideva performed the putrika ceremony which invested Rudramadevi with the authority of a male heir. She assumed the name of Rudraraja from the age of fourteen and wore male attire as co-ruler. Shortly thereafter, life threw up challenges that the young queen had to face head-on. Even as she fended off Sundara Pandian the Kakatiya kingdom weakened, her father took ill, and soon died.

A Fight to Retain the Kingdom

Rudramadevi then took independent charge. Soon after, she faced rebellion from family members and nobles clearly disgruntled at a female ruler on the throne. When Rudramadevi and her daughter were visiting a temple at Mogalicharla, the fort of Warangal was forcibly occupied by the rebels. She crushed the uprising with the help of citizens, courtiers and troops that remained loyal to her. Rudramadevi had her work cut out keeping the kingdom intact against invaders such as the Yadavas of Devagiri who laid siege to her capital for fifteen days. She defeated the Yadavas and captured several of their troops who were later released after a ransom was paid. The Odia and the Chola who were looking for a chance to take over were also defeated. Rudramadevi not only proved that she was a good warrior but was also able to instil awe in the minds of her enemies for her personal bravery and her tactical intelligence. She was a feared adversary.

Naganika - The Empress Who Wrote in Stone

Naganika

The Empress Who Wrote in Stone

Queen Naganika (also referred to as Nayanika) was of the mighty Satavahana empire, one of the biggest kingdoms in Indian history - you probably have faint recollections of reading about the dynasty in History class at school. Unless you are a Indian history or archaeology afficionado, the name may not ring a bell. But at one time, in the 2nd century BC, theirs was one of the pre-eminent empires of the Indian mainland. Historians believe that the Satavahana empire included present-day Telangana and Maharashtra, and at times northern Karnataka, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Saurashtra. Roman sources mention that it comprised several villages and 30 walled towns. The army was huge with 1,000 elephants. The Satavahana developed the port of Machilipatnam (also known as Masulipatnam) at the mouth of the River Krishna. It was a great natural harbour on the Bay of Bengal. The Satavahana connected Machilipatnam on the east coast and Sopara on the Arabian Sea on the west coast by a land route across the kingdom spanning the width of the Indian mainland.

The Satavahana capital was Pratishthana (modern Paithan in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra) in western India. Naganika was consort of Satakarni. He ruled over the vast area south of the Narmada, traditionally called the Dakshinapatha region, for about 56 years. Naganika was very deeply involved in the governance of the kingdom. She was born in the powerful Amgiya or Ambhiya family who were called Maharathi (warriors with mastery over all forms of combat and weapons).

The Satavahana kingdom was based in the Godavari valley and their rule lasted from 221 BC to 

102 CE. The exact dates are disputed by historians, but this period is generally accepted. Satakarni twice performed the Ashwamedha Yagna (the horse sacrifice), a fact that indicates that his undisputed power was acknowledged by neighbouring rulers.

During the Ashwamedha Yagna, a specially chosen horse was allowed to run free for a fixed 

period of time (one year or half a year, depending on sources) outside the boundaries of the 

empire, followed by a retinue who made sure it was well looked after. If the ruler of the territory in which the horse ran accepted the overlordship of the ruler who had sent the horse, he would 

welcome it into his kingdom. If he challenged it, however, he would have to fight the army 

accompanying the horse. Upon defeat he would have to accept that he was the vassal of the ruler who sent the horse. It follows that the Ashwamedha Yagna was performed only by the truly powerful kings and the very fact that one performed it was a known mark of power.

Naneghat Pass stone steps
(www.commons.wikipedia.org
Author - Pratikbuttepatil52)

Naganika lived more than 2000 years ago. Apart from sources such as the Puranas and other 

texts that mention that era, we know of Naganika because of an inscription in her name in a cave in Naneghat, a mountain pass in the Western Ghats which links the road from Pratishthana and other parts of the Deccan to ports on India’s west coast, i.e. the Konkan, and to the ancient town of Junnar, an important political and trading centre. Recently a silver coin with the names of Satakarni and Naganika inscribed on it was found near Junnar.