Coorg War

The Coorg War, also known as the Coorg Campaign of 1834, was a military conflict fought between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Coorg (Kodagu), a small but strategically significant region located in the Western Ghats of present-day Karnataka, India. The war resulted in the annexation of Coorg by the British and marked the end of its independent rule under Raja Chikka Veera Rajendra, the last ruler of the Haleri dynasty. Despite its brevity, the war is remembered for the bravery and resistance of the Coorg people against a far superior colonial force.

Background of the Kingdom of Coorg

The Kingdom of Coorg, ruled by the Haleri dynasty since the seventeenth century, was a small principality known for its martial traditions, coffee cultivation, and unique cultural identity. Its capital was Madikeri (Mercara), and its rulers maintained a degree of autonomy through alliances and conflicts with neighbouring powers such as Mysore and Travancore.
During the late eighteenth century, Coorg had come under the domination of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan of Mysore, who invaded and temporarily subdued the region. However, after Tipu Sultan’s death in 1799 during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, Coorg regained independence under British protection. The British recognised Veera Rajendra Wodeyar and later his successors as legitimate rulers in exchange for political allegiance.
By the early nineteenth century, Coorg’s relations with the British deteriorated due to disputes over administration, trade, and the Raja’s growing autocratic tendencies.

Causes of the Coorg War

Several interrelated factors led to the outbreak of the Coorg War in 1834:

1. Despotic Rule of Chikka Veera Rajendra: The Raja, who ascended the throne in 1820, was accused of tyranny, cruelty, and erratic behaviour. His harsh treatment of nobles, relatives, and subjects led to widespread resentment within Coorg.
2. British Intervention and Political Tensions: The British East India Company, under the Madras Presidency, increasingly interfered in Coorg’s internal affairs, citing the Raja’s misrule as justification. Relations worsened when Chikka Veera Rajendra refused to accept British “advice” and sought to assert full sovereignty.
3. Rebellion and Refugees: Several local nobles (known as Arebashe leaders) rebelled against the Raja and sought asylum in British territories. The British used these events as a pretext to launch a military expedition, claiming to restore order and protect the people of Coorg.
4. British Expansionist Policy: The annexation of Coorg fitted within the Company’s broader policy of territorial consolidation in South India, following its successes in Mysore and Kerala.

Course of the War

The Coorg War began in April 1834 when British forces invaded the region from multiple directions. The campaign was led by Colonel Lindsay, Colonel Fraser, and Colonel Gilbert Waugh, under the overall command of Sir William R. Grant, the commander-in-chief of the Madras Army.

• The British launched four simultaneous columns from Mysore, Cannanore, and other neighbouring territories, converging on Madikeri.
• The Coorgs, though vastly outnumbered, fought fiercely using their intimate knowledge of the hilly terrain and guerrilla tactics.
• Early battles, such as those at Soamwarpet, Siddapur, and Heggala, saw stiff resistance from the Coorg warriors.

Despite their courage, the Coorgs lacked the heavy artillery and organised military resources of the British. Within a few weeks, British troops captured most key strongholds, including Madikeri Fort.
On 11 April 1834, Raja Chikka Veera Rajendra surrendered to Colonel Fraser after a brief but valiant resistance.

Outcome of the War

The British declared victory, effectively ending the independence of Coorg. The aftermath included:

• Annexation: Coorg was annexed by the British East India Company and placed under the administration of the Madras Presidency. It was later made a Chief Commissioner’s Province under direct British rule.
• Deposition of the Raja: Chikka Veera Rajendra was deposed and taken as a state prisoner to Benares (Varanasi), where he lived under surveillance with a British pension. He later went to England to plead his case but was never reinstated.
• Confiscation of Estates: The Raja’s property and treasury were confiscated, and his loyalists faced exile or imprisonment.
• Reward to Loyal Chiefs: Local leaders who cooperated with the British were rewarded with administrative positions and land grants.

Resistance and Legacy of the Coorg People

Though defeated militarily, the Coorgs (Kodavas) are remembered for their heroic resistance and martial skill. British accounts themselves acknowledged their bravery, discipline, and loyalty to their homeland. The British later admired their warrior ethos, recruiting many Coorg men into the British Indian Army, where they gained a reputation for valour and service.
The memory of the Coorg War continues to occupy a place of pride in Kodava history and oral tradition. Folk songs and local legends commemorate the courage of the Coorg warriors who defended their land against colonial conquest.

Significance of the Coorg War

1. End of Indigenous Rule: The war marked the end of the Haleri dynasty’s sovereignty and the absorption of Coorg into the expanding British Empire.
2. Strategic Gain for the British: The annexation of Coorg strengthened British control over the Western Ghats and secured a strategic passage between Mysore and the Malabar Coast.
3. Administrative Changes: Under British rule, Coorg was developed as a well-administered province with improved roads, plantations, and law enforcement. It became famous for coffee cultivation, introduced on a large scale in the mid-nineteenth century.
4. Colonial Propaganda: The British justified the war as a humanitarian intervention against tyranny, using it as an example of the “civilising mission” that often accompanied colonial expansion.
5. Cultural and Historical Legacy: The Coorg War is remembered as a symbol of regional pride, resistance, and self-determination in southern India’s history.

Aftermath and Later Developments

Following annexation, Coorg remained a small but distinct province under British administration until Indian independence. Its peaceful governance, coffee estates, and disciplined local militia made it a model territory in the eyes of colonial officials.

• In 1881, when the Kingdom of Mysore was restored to native rule, Coorg remained a separate province under British control.
• After independence in 1947, Coorg became a Part C State of the Indian Union, with its own legislature.
• In 1956, under the States Reorganisation Act, Coorg was merged with the Mysore State (now Karnataka).