Which of the following statements best explains the transformation in the role of Palegandru (Palegars) from the Vijayanagara period to the early colonial era?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Solution: The correct answer is Initially military and administrative chiefs under Vijayanagara, Palegars gained semi-independence after its decline and resisted Mysore and British consolidation efforts.
Explanation:
☛ Origin under Vijayanagara: The Palegars (also known as Poligars or Palegandru) were originally appointed as military chieftains and administrative heads under the Nayankara system of the Vijayanagara Empire.
☛ Role and Responsibilities: They were granted tracts of land (called Palayams) in exchange for maintaining troops and paying annual tribute to the central authority.
☛ Post-Vijayanagara Rise: Following the collapse of the Vijayanagara Empire after the Battle of Talikota (1565), these local chieftains asserted their autonomy and emerged as semi-independent rulers in parts of modern-day Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
☛ Resistance to Colonial Expansion: In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the Palegars fiercely resisted the revenue extraction and centralizing authority of the Kingdom of Mysore, the Nawab of Arcot, and subsequently the British East India Company, leading to the famous Poligar Wars (1799–1805).
Extra Exam-Relevant Facts:
☛ Veerapandiya Kattabomman: He was a prominent Poligar of Panchalankurichi in Tamil Nadu who led armed resistance against British revenue demands until he was executed in 1799.
☛ Puli Thevar: Regarded as one of the earliest Indian chieftains to resist the British East India Company, he revolted in the 1750s in Tirunelveli.
☛ Ammaravathi and Dindigul: The southern Poligar confederacy under leaders like Marudu brothers and Gopala Nayak played a crucial role during the Second Poligar War (1800–1801).
☛ Carnatic Treaty of 1801: Following the suppression of the Poligar rebellion, the British annexed the Carnatic territory directly under Madras Presidency rules, disarming the Poligars and abolishing their military tenure.
Important One-Liners for Upcoming Exams:
☛ Under which administrative system were Poligars originally appointed during the Vijayanagara rule? → Nayankara system
☛ Which Poligar leader of Panchalankurichi was hanged by the British in 1799? → Veerapandiya Kattabomman
☛ In which year was the decisive Battle of Talikota fought that weakened Vijayanagara's control over local chiefs? → 1565
☛ Who were the famous brothers that led the South Indian rebellion during the Second Poligar War? → Marudu Pandiyar brothers (Periya Marudu and Chinna Marudu)
☛ Under which British Governor-General's tenure were the major Poligar Wars concluded? → Lord Wellesley