Wayanad - A Brief History

Wayanad has rich history. Historians believe that human life existed in this part of the world at least thousand years before the Christ. Number of evidences about new Stone Age civilization can be found on the hills of wayanad. The two caves of Ampukuthimala located between Sulthan Bathery and Ambalavayal, with pictures on their walls and pictorial writings, speak volumes of the bygone era and civilization. Documented history of waynad is available from the 18^th century. In the ancient times wayanad was ruled by the kings from Veda tribe. After that wayanad came under the rule of Kottayam royal dynasty.

When Hider Ali became the ruler of Mysore, he conquered wayanad and brought it under his rule. After Hider Ali, his son Tippu became ruler of Mysore and at that time Kottayam dynasty’s rule restored in wayanad. But the English East India company, British had governance over wayanad based the conditions they made with Tippu Sultan at the time sreerangapattanam truce. The atrocities of the East India Company on the people of wayanad forced the prince Kerala Varma Pazhassi Rajah of the kottayam dynasty to rebel against them. The British government ceased Pazhassi Rajah’s palace and his ancestral properties, and he was forced to go to the forest.

                                                            In the wayanad forests Kerala Varma Pazhassi Rajah organized the Kurichya tribe to fight against east india company. He was aided by tribal leader Thalakkal Chanthu many local lords like Edachena Kunkan, Emman Nair, Kaitheri Ambu, Unni Mootha.He fighetd with british for many years in wayanad.He defeated the british many times, even the legendary  Arthur Wellesley.In the end Pazhassi Rajah was killed in 1805 during a fight with soldiers of East India company.

                                Pazhassi Rajha Kudeeram(Tomb of Pazhassi Rajha)

                                                            After wayanad completely fall into the hands of british a new era begun. The British started the cultivation of tea and other cash crops in wayanad.For the transportation of their goods east india company laid roads across the dangerous slopes of wayanad from thalassery to Calicut. These roads were extended to the cities of Mysore and Ooty through Gudalur.The roads made it easy to access wayanad for the people outside Malabar region.This made people from other areas of kerala to come and settle in wayanad.And the forest lands of wayanad proved to be a goldmine for them with excellent yield in cash crops.

                                                            When kerala state was formed in November 1^st , 1956.Wayanad was part of Kannur district. Later, south Wayanad was added to Kozhikode district. After the continous request of the people of Wayanad for development in the area, north Wayanad and South Wayanad joined together to form the present district of Wayanad. This district came into being on November 1, 1980 as the 12^th  district of Kerala.

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