Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala – Under British
Rule
After the death of Aurangzeb in AD 1707, the Mughal
Empire collapsed in India and it was a period of unrest as far as South India
was concerned. The kingdom of Golkonda and Bijapur also disappeared and the
Marathas were waxing strong during this period. The British and the French were
also poised against one another, each trying to establish supremacy in the
country over the other. The role of the English under Robert Clive, the
struggle of the French under Dupleix and Bussy to establish a foothold in South
India, the Carnatic wars in which the Nawab of Carnatic was a helpless pawn.
During the early years of this period, the mother of Bajirao and Bajirao's wife
were said to have worshiped the Lord of Tirumalai at Tirupati.
With Clive's victories at Arcot in 1751, the French
began to lose the war. With the recall of resourceful Dupleix in 1754, the
French failure in the Carnatic was complete. Muhammad All, the protege of the
British, became the Nawab of Arcot, and he made over to the English government
of Madras certain revenues of the Carnatic, which included of Tirupati.
Political conditions, however, were still settled and the English had to reckon
with the Marathas. The forces of Mysore and the enemies of Muhammad Ali, the
lawful ruler of Carnatic, Tirupati with its rich revenues, was coveted by
resourceful generals and ambitious rulers. In 1753 it was surprised by Muhamad
Kamal one of the generals of disbanded army of Raja sahib, son of Chanda Sahib.
The main English forces were engaged around Trichy and
further south and hence only a small band of three companies of sepoys and
forty European troops with three pieces of cannon alone could be sent from
Madras to the relief of Tirupati. This was defeated by Muhammad Kamal, who
however, ultimately lost the battle as his elephant was shot and killed and his
standard bought down7*. His soldiers fled in panic, the English army was helped
by Nazibulla, the brother of Muhammad All. In 1757, Nazibulla rebelled against
Muhamad Ali and advanced against Tirupati after capturing Nellore. This time a
large English force came to Tirupati and established its camp there. Nazibulla
gave up his plan of attacking Tirumala.
In 1758 Tirupati was threatened by Abdul Wahab, another
brother of Muhamad Ali. He entrenched himself at chitoor and Chandragiri and
advanced against Tirupati. In 1759 Tirupati was attacked by Gopal Rao, a
Maratha general who had camped at Damala Cheruvu. The Marathas had originally
come to the help of Tanjore and later Muhamad Ali but were staying on to fish
in troubled waters. Gopal Rao's eyes was on the revenues of Tirupati, when he
had to go at the call of the Peshwa of Poona, he left a small force under
Narayana Sastri.
Abdul Wahab overpowered him and wrote to the English
that he be permitted to farm the revenues of Tirupati, but this was promptly
refused. Narayana Sastri moved his headquarters to Karkambadi few kilometers to
the north of Tirupati, levied troops from the Polygars, collected a large force
and advanced against Tirupati. A small English force was easily driven back.
His army went up the hill and over-powered the sepoys and Guards some of whom
were killed even in the premises of the Temple. He had to withdraw, however,
when French, English forces attacked Karkambadi. A company of troops was also
sent to the help of Tirumala but it was not permitted to go up as a Majority of
Soldiers were non- Hindus.
Robert Clive himself was not above utilizing the revenue
of the temple during this period to further the interests of the East India
Company. Through lease arrangement, the Nawab of Arcot had collected the
revenue out of the income of the Temple. The revenue of the temple were
assigned to the English and it is said that the English obtained about 3 lakh
rupees in the year 1753-58 from the whole revenue of the Temple from whatever
sources derived was under the management of and appropriated by the Government
A regular establishment was entertained and paid salaries and a horde of
Brahmins are maintained by lands appropriated for that purpose, over the force
of surrounding country called manniyains or estates enjoyed on very favourable
terms under government's subject only to a slight tax.
The head general officer, called Tahsildar, whose
business is the general superintendence over the others to see that the
pilgrims are well treated and lodged in proper place; supplies are kept fairly
in the Bazaars, ceremonies performed as paid for, and that no bribery, tyranny
or oppression of any sort takes place. During the Brahmotsavam or nine-day
festival an additional Sibbandi is allowed with twenty-five persons; twenty
putwars and five scouts to bring intelligence of the arrival of any Pilgrim of
rank and to keep the peace among the enormous crowd that annually fills this
part of the country.
According to Mackenzie manuscripts, the East India
Company acquired a portion of Carnatic from the Nawab of Arcot in 1748 together
with the arrangement of revenues from the Lord Venkateswara Temple. Muhammad
Ali, the Nawab of Arcot, was only a nominal ruler. He was himself deeply in
debt to the English Company at Madras and to various private persons, who
charged him to intact as high as 30 to 36%. The Nawab of Arcot's debts became a
scandal and the creditors were often granted assignments on the revenues of the
district, the creditors thus becoming petty Nawabs in their own areas.
The real power was in English company, which was not
prepared to assume administrative responsibility thus from 1749 i.e., middle of
the 18th century, the East India Company cane into possession of the
income of the Tirumala Temple and later it took over direct management of the
temple. In the beginning of the 19th century when they arrived at an
agreement with Muhammad Ali's son. In 1801 Wellesley, the Governor General,
took the decision to assume responsibility. The evil of the double government
was put an end to and Umadat-ulumra's successor Azimud-Doulla became a
pensioner of the English.
The company covered all the districts and appointed district
collectors to examine the sources of revenue and collect the revenues
themselves. Chittoor was the first headquarters of the North Arcot district. The
district officials came to Tirumala temple and made detailed enquires not only
about the revenues but the day to day Kainkaryas or services, the rights
connected with them etc. On the basis of these enquires a set of rules, called
Bruce's code, was drawn up in 1821. Whatever lands the temple had acquired
after the establishment of peaceful government after the close of Carnatic
wars, were resumed by the company and in their place a fixed annual grant was
made. This was called a Tasdic allowance. Such an allowance was fixed for all
the major and minor temples of Tirupati.
When peace was established in the sub-continent, the
East India Company investigated all matters relating to the temple, such as its
management, its income and its sources, the worship of the Deity, daily food
offerings and special offerings on certain days of the week, fortnight, month and
other occasions and other relevant items and got up five records. i.e,
1. The Dittam: containing the rations for food-offerings
for all Deities and icons of the Vaishnava Alvars, Acharyas and others.
2. The Kainkarya-Patti: laying down the duties and emoluments
of the different classes of functionaries and servants prepared twice, once in
1801 and again in 1820.
3. The Bruce's Code: for an objective administration of
the temple and all its affairs, and prepared by the Collector on 25-7-1 821
4. The Sawal-Jawab-patti: giving a list of questions and
answers relating to the duties of functionaries and their income, religious
services, endowments and other similar items, prepared in 18 19
5. The Paimayishi Account: containing measurements of
Temples and other buildings, and an account of the Deities and images enshrined
and preserved in them, produced in I819.
The Administration of the Tirumala temple during the
Company time was according to a set of rules called the Bruce's code. According
to Dairy and consultations in Fort St. George, Chennai from 1751 onwards there
are records to show what amounts were collected every year, the agency employed
for doing it. The Code embodied 42 provisions, according to which the
administration of the temple was carried on by the Company till 1843, when the
temple was entrusted for management to Sri Mahant Sevadas, the head of the Sri Hathiramji
Matha of Tirupati. The revenues were vigorously collected every rupee received
in the temple. They were received in three principal instalments known as the
September, December and June corresponding to (Brahmotsavam, Mukkoti Ekadasi
and Anivari Astanam).
Thomas
Munro visit to Tirumala:
Thomas Munro was the Governor of Madras during 1820-27.
He was very sympathetic towards the Indian people. During his governorship that
he entertained a desire to visit Sri Venkateswara temple and arrived at
Tirupati one day on the night of which God appeared to him in human form and
dissuaded him from ascending the hill, he is being a non - Hindu. He returned
to Madras, but his strong attachment to the God reflected itself in his
provision for a food offering to God each day permanently from the produce of a
piece of land assigned, as it appears, to the Sarkar Archaka who was enjoined
to carry on the service. This food offering was made to the Deity each day
during the time of the first bell (i.e., first Naivedya at which time bells are
rung). He died of Cholera in 1827.
