Early Anti British Revolts in Andhra 1766-1857

Foreword Perhaps no questions have so beset historians of India, or political thinkers, as those relating the structural stability of political systems. The larger the political structure, the more acute and persistent the concern. The larger a political system, the more it has been afflicted by structural instability; moreover, the larger the structure, the more problematic its longevity.

The survival of political systems depended not only upon how much political wisdom could inform decisions but also on how long support from local forces could be held. Failures could spell ruin. Failures could also bring serious repercussions. Conversely, the smaller were political entities, the more long lasting was their stability, durability, and antiquity. Some high-born and elite family lineages traced themselves back many centuries. Some middle- sized political entities that last for generations. Where scores of elite communities co-existed, however uneasily, within multi- ethnic and multi-cultural contexts, each claiming distinct ritual purity and status better than the other, where marriage alliances between different lineages were the exception rather than the rule, common grounds for sharing a political commonwealth of authority or legitimacy became difficult to achieve. Under such circumstances, where micro-ethnicities and micro-polities co- existed, like molecules within a colloidal suspension, it was difficult to bring together many "small hard pieces" so as to erect larger and more durable political structures.

Preface The nationwide Sesquicentennial celebrations of the Great Revolt of 1857 a decade ago, has evoked an unprecedented interest not only on the First War of Independence, but also on the nature and content of the revolts that occurred prior to it. The revolts, though sporadic and were on a smaller scale during the century preceding 1857, are of significance as they not only provided inspiration but also specified the direction and ideological background for the later major revolts. They were like the nurseries out of which the anti-British sentiments grew into revolts and eventually snowballed into the struggle for freedom.

The present study, "Early Anti- British Revolts in Andhra, 1766-1857" deals with such Pre-1857 revolts in Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra) region of Andhra Pradesh. As the erstwhile State of Hyderabad was under the Nizam's rule, the rebellions in Telangana area form beyond the scope of this study. However, the Bolaram Mutiny of 1855 is studied for the significant role it played on the eve of the 1857 Revolt which was nationwide. Ganjam, (along with Gajapathi District) which at present is in Orissa State, is included in this study for it was an integral part of the then Northern Circars. The period chosen for the study is between 1766 when the Circars were first acquired by the British and 1857 when the Great Revolt broke leading to the end of the Company administration.

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