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Manabharana Is Not Malay (Manabharana Bukan Melayu)

In recent times, an alarming narrative has emerged within the Malaysian blogosphere, suggesting a historical event that appears to be a misinterpretation or perhaps a deliberate misinformation campaign. The claim revolves around a so called Malay prince named Manabharana from Srivijaya, purportedly attacking and conquering the Chola kingdom. This misleading story has gained traction and is spreading like wildfire across various social media platforms. The need to address and rectify such inaccuracies is crucial not only for the sake of historical accuracy but also for fostering a responsible and informed online community. To delve into the matter, it is essential to clarify that historical records reveal the existence of multiple individuals named Manabharana throughout history. However, a nuanced understanding reveals that all these figures were Tamils (Damila) hailing from the Pandya kingdom, with references to their exploits documented in Tamil inscriptions and Sri Lankan chronicles
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Kallars - The Original Tamil Polygars of Ariyalur and Udaiyarpalayam Zamins

Ariyalur and Udaiyarpalayam are now taluks under the larger present day Ariyalur district.

In his book "The Heirs of Vijayanagara: Court Politics in Early-Modern South India", author and researcher Lennart Bes of Radboud University Nijmegen states that the Kallar polygar of Ariyalur may have been the son-in-law of the Kallar polygar of Udaiyarpalayam (page 311). This is according to a Dutch source from the late 1670s; NA, VOC, no. 1454, f. 1015; no. 1756, f. 1219v: reports of local VOC envoys to Tanjavur and Ramnad, August 1688, October 1708.

The zamins (earlier palayam) of Ariyalur and Udaiyarpalayam were ruled continously by Kallar polygars until the year 1765 as confirmed by Lewis Moore (see end of article). Both Ariyalur and Udaiyarpalayam were attacked by the combined forces of Nawab and British. After the attack, the Kallar polygars and their families were disposed of their rights and properties.  They took refuge in Tanjore (Tanjavur) and later Mysore. 

They were attacked because both Kallar polygars of Ariyalur and Udaiyarpalayam, together with the Reddy polygar of Turaiyur, refused to pay tribute to the Nawab . In 1780, with the help of Hyder Ali of Mysore, they recaptured both Ariyalur and Udaiyarpalayam. However, this was only temporary. 

After 1783, both these polygars were imprisonned by the British in Trichy for not paying tribute. Following this, the zamins were taken over by the servants of the zamin and the servants of the Nawab. Although the Kallar polygars were allowed to return, they were imprisoned again in 1790. 

Both zamins were then placed under the management of the Nawab in 1798. This continued until the British took over in 1801. The zamins were later sold by the British to few proprietors. 

Rabindranath Tagore mentioned that Ariyalur formerly belonged to a Kallar zamindar in his book The Modern Review Volume 35 No.1 (January 1924).

The present families of both zamins are not the actual descendants of the Kallars who once ruled and later disposed by the British. They are actually descendants of the proprietors who bought the zamin properties from the British. As such, they are not of royal ancestry.

Full evidence pertaining to Ariyalur and Udaiyarpalayam, is provided by Lewis Moore, Acting Head Assistant to the Collector and Magistrate of Trichinopoly in his book Trichinopoly District in The Presidency of Madras. The book was published in 1878. 

I have attached the supporting pages below. 











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