The Enduring Legacy of Rani Abbakka: A Beacon of Resistance and Inspiration

In the annals of Indian history, countless bravehearts have etched their names in the sands of time. Among them stands Rani Abbakka, the fearless queen of Ullal, a coastal kingdom in Karnataka, who defied the might of the Portuguese Empire for over four decades during the 16th century. Her story transcends the boundaries of time, serving as a powerful wellspring of inspiration for generations to come.

The Tide of Colonialism

The year was 1555. Portuguese colonial power was at its peak in the 1500s. They had established themselves as a formidable force, destroying the Zamorins of Calicut, defeating the Sultan of Bijapur, wresting Daman from the Sultan of Gujarat, establishing a colony in Mylapore, capturing Bombay, and making Goa their headquarters. Their ruthlessness was evident in the destruction of the ancient Kapaleeswarar Temple in Chennai to build a Church. Their next target: the super profitable port of Mangalore.

A thorn in the Side of an Empire

Just 14 kilometers south of Mangalore lay a small settlement called Ullal, ruled by a feisty 30-year-old woman named Abbakka Chowta. Underestimating her resolve, the Portuguese initially sent a small force to capture her.  Those boats never returned. Shocked and enraged, they sent a much larger fleet under the celebrated Admiral Dom Álvaro da Silveira, only for him to return badly injured and empty-handed. Subsequent attempts by the Portuguese met with similar failures.

Undeterred, the Portuguese captured the Mangalore port and fort, hoping to use it as a base to subdue Ullal. They sent a vast army under João Peixoto, an experienced General, with the seemingly foolproof plan of overwhelming Abbakka’s forces. However, upon reaching Ullal, they found it deserted. Relief turned to chaos as Abbakka, leading a contingent of 200 warriors, launched a surprise attack. General Peixoto was assassinated, many Portuguese soldiers lost their lives, and the remaining forces fled in disarray.

A Force of Nature

Abbakka’s audacity knew no bounds. That same night, she led her men towards Mangalore, laying siege to the fort. Not only did she breach its defenses, but she also assassinated Admiral Mascarenhas, the Portuguese leader, and forced the remaining Portuguese to abandon the fort. Her defiance extended further north, capturing the Portuguese settlement at Kundapura, a full 100 kilometers from Mangalore.

Betrayal and Legacy

Portuguese eventually resorted to treachery, convincing Abbakka’s estranged husband to betray her for money. She was captured and imprisoned, but her spirit remained unbroken. She led a revolt within the prison walls and was killed while attempting to escape. Rani Abbakka Chowta, a brave queen who fought against the Portuguese a full 300 years before the First War of Indian Independence in 1857, stands as a testament to the unwavering spirit of Bharat.

A Call to Action

Rani Abbakka’s legacy extends far beyond her reign. She embodies the unwavering spirit of Bharat, a land that has consistently produced extraordinary men and women who stood up for their freedom and ideals. Her story serves as a potent reminder that true strength lies not in brute force but in the indomitable will to defend one’s motherland.

Rani Abbakka’s tale is a beacon for both young and old alike. It ignites a spark of patriotism, urging us to cherish the values of liberty and justice so valiantly upheld by our ancestors. Her life serves as a testament to the greatness that resides within each of us, a greatness that can be summoned when faced with adversity. As we look towards the future, let us draw strength from Rani Abbakka’s legacy, forever remembering the courage and resilience that lies at the heart of our nation’s spirit.

Brief back ground of ABBAkka

Abbakka’s ancestors were Jain royals from Gujarat, who probably migrated to Karnataka’s Tulu Nadu region around the 12^th century. Having settled in Ullal (a port town near Mangalore), they became completely naturalised citizens, adopting the local language and customs as their own. Although they were Jains, they adopted the Hindu god Somanatheshwara of the nearby Someshwar temple as their family deity. And, like the Tuluva warrior class, they followed a matrilineal system called Aliyasantana. This was similar to the Marumakkathayam matrilineal system followed by the Nairs of neighbouring Kerala. In this system, property passed on from mother to daughter (not father to son). Under Aliyasantana, the  son  would get a very limited share but help the daughter in managing the inherited property. This system evolved in martial communities where most of the menfolk were busy in wars, and so women had a more important role in managing the family. This was also applicable when the inheritance in question was the kingdom itself. The prince who inherited the kingdom was not the king’s son but his nephew (because the property belonged to the king’s sister now!). What if the king had no nephew? The niece could become the queen in her own right. This is what happened in Abbakka’s case.

Abbakka’s uncle Thirumala Raya ruled Ullal during 1510–1544. He had no nephews and so he trained Abbakka in martial arts and state-craft. While it was not common to have a female head of state, it was certainly not unique.* Thirumala got her married to Lakshmappa Arasa (aka Lakkarasa), the Banga king of the neighbouring Mangalore kingdom. The marriage was a strategic alliance during difficult times. In 1544, Abbakka succeeded Thirumala Raya as monarch of Ullal. She stayed at Ullal and raised her children. (Historians have different opinions on why she stayed apart. Was she estranged, or did she follow an Aliyasantana custom of bringing up children in her native home?)

At this time Indian spices, especially pepper, were highly valued in the European markets. The international spice trade  was dominated by the Arabs by virtue of their India connection. When the Portuguese entered India, they tried to brow-beat and arm-twist Indian kings into signing monopsonic contracts with them and break the business relationship that they had with the Arabs and Persians. The Portuguese navy was a glorified pirate fleet which harassed Indian shipping. Using their considerable sea-power they bullied kingdoms on the Indian west coast to pay ‘kappa’ (protection money ). One by one, many kings succumbed to the pressure, but a few resisted. The most powerful resistor was the Zamorin, the king of Calicut. Some small kingdoms like Abbakka’s Ullal  held out too. Abbakka found a natural ally in the Zamorins. Yet, she knew that sooner or later, an armed confrontation would happen.

Abbakka was well prepared when the Portuguese commander Dom Alvaro de Silveira attacked Ullal in 1556. The Portuguese could not break in, but Abbakka could not break them either, and so a temporary truce was agreed. In 1558, the Portuguese attacked again with a larger army under Louis DeMello. This time they caused considerable damage to Ullal. But timely help came from some natural allies – the Moplahs of Malabar (settlers of Arab or Persian descent in Kerala) and the Zamorin of Calicut himself. This was too much for the Portuguese force, which retreated.

Throughout the war, Abbakka’s husband, the Mangalore king, did not help at all.† Anyway, peace returned to Ullal for the next few years and Abbakka boosted the economy by improving irrigation and trade. Ullal was once more a big spice exporter. This obviously did not go well with the Portuguese plans. Around 1568, the Portuguese attacked with a surprisingly large force under General Joao Peixoto and ransacked Ullal. Abbakka escaped and hid in a mosque.

Unfazed, she immediately gathered a guerrilla force of 200, attacked the Portuguese camp and killed Peixoto and forced the Portuguese to retreat. This was followed soon by guerrilla attacks on the Mangalore fort where the Portuguese admiral Mascarenhas was killed.

But the Portuguese managed to recapture the Mangalore fort. Abbakka allied with the Bijapur Sultan and the Calicut Zamorin and continued harassing the Portuguese. Unfortunately, luck ran out for the alliance by early 1570. The Zamorin general was killed in battle and Abbakka was captured and killed. The Portuguese now had control of virtually  the entire west coast trade. This was to last over a century till another western power – the Dutch – dislodged them.

Even today, performing arts like Yakshagana and Bhoota Kola celebrate Abbakka’s heroics. Folklore remembers what academia forgot!

Compiled by Srikanth Rangdal