CO885(1-2) — Page 174

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

| ། ། ། ། །

C.O.

Reference :-

885

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

8

however, there is no doubt), he was confined a close prisoner at Colombo, where he remained till the year 1825. He was never brought to trial, but was transported in that year to Mauri- tius, where he died in 1829, earnestly imploring the British Government in his will, for the sake of the aid he had formerly afforded it, to pardon two of his dependents who were then in exile with him.

The instigators and leaders of this rebellion, as well as of all the conspiracies and insur- rections which have occurred since, were the chiefs and Buddhist priests. The former, accus- tomed under the Kandian Kings to exercise an absolute controul over the property and persons of the lower classes, were by no means willing that a regular system of executive, and especially of judicial, government, should be established; the necessary effect of which would be to put a stop to these habits of extortion and

1825.

71. May 14.

1829.

60. Oct. 29.

1818.

267. Feb. 9.

tyranny. Mollegodde, the first Adegar, admitted 278. April 12.

to Sir B. Brownrigg, that within two months of the Convention of 1815, a general resolution was taken by the principal chiefs to shake off the British yoke on the first opportunity, to which yoke they had only submitted themselves for the overthrow of the Malabar dynasty. The priests also dreaded the decline of their religion, and consequently the loss of their wealth and influence, from the advance of that of the Christians.

By the Convention of 1815 the immediate Government of the people had been left in the hands of their chiefs; and so completely were the lower orders under the influence of these chiefs, that though during the insurrection they always expressed themselves contented with the English rule, and even in some instances, when about to do so, voluntarily professed their unwillingness to take up arms against it, yet they never refused to obey the call.

This ready obedience arose also in some degree from the frequency of insurrections and armed resistance to the supreme Government in the time of the former race of Kings, which was such that, as a matter of course, each native, on receiving the command from his chief, hid his

:

1819.

317. Jan. 19.

}

9

wife and family in the jungle, assumed his bow and quiver, and followed to the field, without caring against whom or on what pretext he was about to fight.

The fear instilled into them by their priests

that their religion would shortly be attacked, appears to have been the only motive besides this habitual obedience, which affected the mass of the people. Moreover, from the little pomp and ceremony in use among the English, when contrasted with the state and magnificence of the native princes, the poorer classes drew inferences with respect to their comparative power very unfavourable to the former. Hence Sir R. Brownrigg's measures on the suppression of the rebellion were all directed to the destruction of the influence of the chiefs.

These measures are set forth at length in a printed proclamation which was issued November 21, 1818, and which will be found in Vol. I., 1819, of Sir R. B.'s despatches, with despatch 317, 19th January.

The principal change consisted in the appoint- ment of British agents in the different districts, to whom all the chiefs and native officers of Government in those districts were rendered subordinate. The chiefs were also deprived of the power of appointing the different headmen and other officials; the various fees and taxes, &c., formerly paid to them, were abolished, and a land-tax was substituted, which was to be paid to the revenue officers appointed for that purpose. For the loss of property which the different chiefs suffered from this change com- pensation was made in the form of pensions.

That the supremacy of the English might be established in appearance as well as reality, cer- tain honours formerly paid to the Kings were directed to be rendered to the Governor only in future, and others to the different officers of Government, according to their several grades of rank. These consisted principally of certain ceremonies and attendances formerly required of the headmen and people on journeys and state occasions.

The land-tax was in general one-tenth of the produce, but in some districts which hal not

D