Mysorean invasion of Malabar

1766 – 1792

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April 10, 2026

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"Even a summary of Tipu’s atrocities in the Malabar makes for painful reading. Colonel Fullerton’s report on the matter is one such account. During his 1783 siege of the Palaghat fort,Tipu’s soldiers daily exposed the heads of many innocent Brahmins within sight from the fort for Zamorin and his Hindu followers to see. It is asserted that the Zamorin rather than witness such enormities and to avoid further killing of innocent Brahmins, chose to abandon the Palghat Fort. In fact, it is not inaccurate to say that Tipu’s (later) Malabar campaign was—apart from trying to secure strategic advantage—a campaign motivated by extreme religious fanaticism against the Hindus of Kerala. Tipu and his army spared no section of the Hindu society—Brahmins, Nairs, Thiyyas, Christians, women, and children. Fullerton continues, It was not only against the Brahmins who were thus put in a state of terror of forcible circumcision and conversion; but against all sections of Hindus. In August, 1788, a Raja of the Kshatriya family of Parappanad and also Trichera Thiruppad, a chieftain of Nilamboor, and many other Hindu nobles who had been carried away earlier to Coimbatore by Tipu Sultan, were forcibly circumcised and forced to cat beef. Nairs in desperation, under the circumstances, rose up against their Muslim oppressors under Tipu’s command in South Malabar and the Hindus of Coorg in the North also joined them…"

- Mysorean invasion of Malabar

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"Wherever Hyder Ali’s men marched, Hindus were massacred in cold blood. Everywhere, dead bodies deformed by sword cuts and bullet injuries were laying in pools of blood. All the temples and houses on the way were pillaged and set ablaze. To escape from swords of the Mysore army which engulfed the area like flood waters, many resorted to hiding themselves in deep forests. When Hyder’s force reached near Bharatha river, they inflicted heavy damages to life and properties in Vettatthu Nadu by plundering homes and temples and setting fire to everything belonging to Hindus indiscriminately. Big temples which were pillaged and damaged partly or wholly were Nava Mukunda temple of Thirunavaya, Temple of Brahma and Siva at Thavanur, Kodakkal Tali temple, Mahadeva temple at Thruprangod, Mahadeva temple at Trikkandiyur, Vamana temple at Kalad, Lakshmi Narasimha temple of Edamana. Further several small temples were also destroyed. Hyder Ali and his army demolished the eastern gopuram of Trikkandiyur Mahadeva temple and entered the inside premises and smashed the wooden structure holding a lakh of lamps and the Gopurams (entrance tower) and Mukhamandapam (sacred pillared pavilion in front of the sanctum). The head of the idol of sacred bull (Rishabha) was severed. They tried to enter the sanctum sanctorum and pluck out and throw away the idol but could not succeed. Hence it was badly disfigured. The remnants of the attack of Hyder are still visible in the temple. Even now the idol of the deity worshipped at Thrikkandiyur temple is the same which bears the cut mark inflicted by Hyder."

- Mysorean invasion of Malabar

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"Vella Nambudiri who was a direct witness of the atrocities committed by Hyder Ali and his army, records some of the incidents as under. “After Nawab went to Coimbatore and remained there, thinking that this land can be recaptured by a war, one king of Puthiya Kovilakam collected some fighters and started fighting. They could claim back some areas. Then “Madannan”was at Thirunavaya. There also the war commenced. Then they remained within temples and royal residences. They also fought. Chonakara also fought with all vigor. Then, there, Kalat Gopala Pisharody was appointed head man at Ponnani. He is also there. Hearing this news at Coimbatore, Nawab and his army came fast. At the same time Bouddha ( Muslim s) also came to the southern bank and fought. All the lords and a big group of people are there. When the fight began there, they all ran away from there. The Nawab and his army came to Vellanattukara, and seized girls and Brahmins as slaves, torched houses, executed many by the noose or sword. Then the Nawab and his people came to the northern bank. With Muslim s on the southern bank, they torched all the houses, temples, and the schools where Vedas were being taught to children. Many people of Vettatthunadu were forcibly converted to Islam. Then they went in different directions. Such a confrontation has not happened before. What more danger is there to come? Particularly Thirunavaya temples and entry towers were all torched. This is the facts.”"

- Mysorean invasion of Malabar

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"It is sufficient here to merely recall the earlier stated writings of Paolino da San Bartolomeo, a Portuguese Roman Catholic missionary who stayed in Malabar for about twelve and a half years, from 1776 to 1789: The manner in which he [Tipu] behaved to the inhabitants of Calicut was horrid. A great part of them, both male and female, were hung. He first tied up the mothers, and then suspended the children from their necks. The cruel tyrant caused several Christians and Heathens [Hindus] to be brought out naked, and made fast to the feet of his elephants, which were then obliged to drag them about till their limbs fell in pieces from their bodies. At the same time, he ordered all the churches and temples to be burned or pulled down or destroyed in some manner. Christian and pagan [Hindu] women were compelled to marry Mohammedans. The pagans were deprived of the token of their nobility, which is a lock of hair called kudumi; and every Christian, who appeared in the streets, must either submit to be circumcised, or be hanged on the spot. This happened in the year 1789, at which time I resided at Verapole [Varapali in Travancore]. I had then an opportunity of conversing with several Christians and Pagans, who had escaped from the fury of this merciless tyrant; and I assisted these fugitives to procure a boat to enable them to cross the river which runs past that city. This persecution continued till the 15th of April 1790.33"

- Mysorean invasion of Malabar

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"A. Sreedhara Menon writes: The brutalities committed by the Mysorean troops led to large scale migration from Malabar of people belonging to all strata of society. The hardworking peasants took refuge in the forests and jungles. Consequently, agriculture was ruined. What was once a fertile and flourishing country now assumed the appearance of a cheerless desert. The Nair gentry was dispossessed and shorn of its military and political power. The decline in agriculture resulted in their economic impoverishment also . . . moreover, many a flourishing town had been laid waste by the Mysore troops. Trade and commerce also declined steadily. The cultivation of pepper on which depended the economic prosperity of the country was suspended over large areas and Kerala’s once prosperous pepper trade practically came to a standstill. The once flourishing sea ports of Kerala now presented a deserted look. Gold and silver which the country had amassed by centuries of trade with foreign countries virtually disappeared from the land. Extensive fields lay uncultivated, houses of nobles and landlords were in ruins and daily worship in many important temples was suspended. The economic depression that set in was so severe that the common people were on the verge of famine and starvation. To add to the economic distress of the times, the Mysorean invasions created a cleavage between the Mappilas and the Hindus and destroyed social harmony. The former had helped the Mysore Sultans in their campaigns in Kerala and aroused the active hostility of the Hindu population. With the expulsion of Tipu, the Mappilas who had enjoyed political power for more than 30 years lost their privileged status. They were unable to reconcile themselves to this discomfiture and were thereafter in a state of general revolt against established authority. The Mappila outbreaks of the 19th Century were thus in a way a legacy of the Mysore invasions."

- Mysorean invasion of Malabar

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