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History of Wayanad

Wayanad is a mountainous region with an elevation of 700- 2100 meters above sea level. It has dense forests, hills, slopes, and lowlands, which make the region cultivable. Trade caravans frequently used Ghat routes and passes in the region to access Kerala’s plains and coasts.

Prominent among them is the mountain pass known as Thamarassery Churam, which was the primary trade route that connected the region with Mysore via Kozhikode. In addition to facilitating trade activities, it served as the access point to the Deccan-Kannada dynasties.

Origin of name

There exist different opinions regarding the origin of the name ‘Wayanad’. The word is thought to have come from the words “bayalu” in Telugu and Kannada, which translate to “an open field or space”. The word “nadu” refers to the medieval administrative division that existed in south India. This serves as evidence that the area was formerly a part of the Kannada nation, ruled by the Kadambas of Banavasi, the Gangas of Talakad, the Hoysalas of Dwarasamudra, and later the Kadambas of Bayal-Nadu.

Bayal-Nadu is mentioned in numerous Hoysala records as being a part of their imperial domain. Although the Madras Manual of Administration states that the Sanskrit name of the place was ‘Mayakshethra’, which eventually became “Mayanadu” and then “Wayanad.”.

Historical background

According to historians, the pictorial writings on the walls of the Edakkal caves point to early human settlements in the region. However, recorded history can be traced back to the 10th century B.C. During ancient times, the Rajas of the Veda tribe ruled this area. Further, in the 10th century, the Kottayam royal family, whose origins are unknown, took control of the region. Under their rule, the taluks of Kottayam, Wayanad, and Gudalur came to be known as Puraikizhanad, and the local feudal lords were referred to as Puraikizhars.

Later, the Pazhassi Raja of the Kottayam royal dynasty came into power and divided the land into Wayanad and Parakkuthu. Thereafter, when Hyder Ali became the ruler of Mysore, he invaded Wayanad and brought it under his control. When Tipu, Sultan , the son of Hyder Ali, came to power he demanded a deed of relinquishment of rights over Wayanad in 1786. During his period, large-scale migrations from central Kerala occurred in the region. This led to an increase in agricultural practices in the region. However, following the fall of Sreerangapatnam in 1799, Tipu handed over his control of the Malabar region to the British. It was the British who introduced the cultivation of cash crops in the region.

Wayanad district was formed after India’s independence from British rule. During the reorganization of states that followed, Mysore state (modern-day Karnataka) claimed Wayanad due to its unique historical and geographic features.

However, the 1951 linguistic survey found that only 6.2% of the population as a whole spoke Kannada and majority of those living in Wayanad (87.5%) at the time were native Malayalam speakers. Thus, while the Kerala state was formed in 1956, Wayanad remained a part of the present-day Kannur district. Later, South Wayanad was added to the Kozhikode district. Eventually, the North and South Wayanad joined together to form the present-day Wayanad district. The Wayanad district came into existence on November 1, 1980, as the 12th district of Kerala state.

People

The Wayanad plateau was originally sparsely populated by tribes like the Paniyar, Adiyar, Kurumar, and other numerically small groups. It is believed that Kurichiar travelled to Wayanad along with Pazhassi Raja to fight the British upon their invasion of Malabar. However, unable to return after the war, they eventually settled there. During the years 1799–1805, the Kurichiar and other Wayanad tribal groups, led by Pazhassi, engaged in guerilla warfare against the British. After the defeat and death of Pazhassi in 1805, the tribals who had been given land by him for cultivation continued as peasants, while the other tribes continued as slaves. In 1805, these tribal peasants became responsible for paying land revenue directly to the English government.

The Kurichia and Kuruma peasants revolted in 1812 when the British insisted on the payment of land revenue in cash instead of in kind. These armed uprisings, which were primarily led by tribal people like the Kurichiar, Paniyar, and Kurumar, were held to restore the traditional social order that the company had disrupted.

The arrival of Tipu Sultan in Malabar brought a number of Muslims to Wayanad. Their settlements were spread out in different places, especially in Sultan Bathery. Further, with trade aspirations, Nairs, Goudas, Cettiars, and Reddiars came to Wayanad in small groups. With the beginning of British and Indian plantations in the region, Christians from different parts of Kerala also came as estate workers. Consequently, some tribals were converted to Christianity by the Wayanad church. Wayanad became more populated after India gained independence from the British, due to migration from the Ernakulam, Kottayam, and Alleppey districts of Kerala.

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