The poet and his patrons: Tamil Nadu’s Ettayapuram honours Subramania Bharati

The contested legacy of Ettayapuram, one of the palayams in southern Tamil Nadu, evokes mixed reactions. For all its contribution to the patronage of music and Tamil, the palayam, also known as a zamindari, remains tainted by its role during the period when the British East India Company was expanding its presence in the region.

Ettappan, the ruler of Ettayapuram, was accused of colluding with the British against Veerapandiya Kattabomman, the Poligar of Panchalankurichi. His name has since become synonymous with betrayal. The zamindari’s patronage of art, music, and Tamil has done little to erase this notoriety.

Now, Jagaveera Muthu Thanga Kumara Rama Venkateswara Ettappa Naicker, the present zamindar of Ettayapuram, has brought out a book on Subramania Bharati, the national poet who received the patronage of his ancestors. Bharathi Porchitiram: Mahakavi Bharathiyin Sarithira Pugaipad Aavana Thoguppu, written by Kadarkarai, sheds light on various aspects of Bharati’s personality, the places where he lived, the cases he faced, and the journals and newspapers he worked for. It also traces the history of the Ettayapuram zamindari from its inception. Photographs and facsimiles of original documents add to the appeal of this coffee-table book.

The book traces how Ilasai Subramanian came to be known as Ettayapuram Bharati. Ilasai is another name for Ettayapuram, while the title ‘Bharati’ was conferred on Subramanian by the zamindar of Ettayapuram. Bharati’s earliest known piece of writing, dated January 24, 1897, was an appeal addressed to the Ettayapuram Poligar. It begins: “Thennilasai Nannagari Singam Venkatesuretta Kannan Samuagathirku.”

Bharati and Ettayapuram

British records refer to the rulers of Ettayapuram as Poligars. The title ‘Rajah’ was conferred on the 37^th ruler, who became known as Rajah Jagaveera Rama Venkateswara Ettappa Nayakka Iyen and reigned from 1899 to 1915. The book features portraits of the 32^nd Poligar and successive rulers up to the present-day zamindar.

During his lifetime, from 1882 to 1921, Bharati witnessed the reigns of three rulers of Ettayapuram. The 36^th ruler accompanied King Edward VII to Kovilpatti along the newly laid railway line.

Ettayapuram had a population of 1.5 lakh and comprised 349 villages. Its landholdings included 9,000 acres of wetlands and another 2,90,000 acres of other lands. The zamindari had an annual revenue of ₹3.5 lakh.

Bharathi was close to Rajah Jagaveera Rama Venkateswara Ettappa Nayakka Iyen, the 37^th ruler. “But they did not have a photograph taken together. It is a great loss. Yet, Ettayapuram continues to live in Bharati’s writings,” writes Kadarkarai.

The principal historical account of the Ettayapuram palayam is Vamsamani Deepikai, written by Pandithar Kavikesari Sri Sami Dikshitar. It records events from November 13, 1868, to August 1, 1878. Its first edition was published in 1879, three years before Bharati’s birth.

Written at a time when Tamil prose was yet to evolve fully, the work was composed in Manipravalam, a blend of Tamil and Sanskrit. Bharati was keen to render it into chaste Tamil and expressed his desire to do so in a letter to the then ruler, Sriman Maharaja Poojitha Maharaja Raja Sri Ettappa Naicaka Iyen.

In the letter, written from Kadayam, the village of his wife, Chellammal, on August 6, 1919, Bharati said he could render the work in “good, sweet, clear Tamil prose” and that it could be prescribed as a textbook in the schools of the palayam. He also expressed his willingness to settle in Ettayapuram if the ruler permitted him.

“But it remained a dream. If Bharati had rewritten it, we could have had a fine history of Ettayapuram,” says Kadarkarai.

Documenting Ettayapuram

Of the 72 palayams in Tamil Nadu, Panchalankurichi became renowned for the deeds of its ruler, Veerapandiya Kattabomman, and his brother Oomathurai. Ettayapuram was another palayam that gained prominence, though for a different set of reasons.

The territory that came under Ettayapuram was reportedly granted as a “blood gift” to Muthukrishnappa Naicker, one of the generals of the Madurai Nayak king. He was killed by an arrow during a war against Eraniel, in present-day Kanniyakumari district. In recognition of his service, his family was granted Kazhugumalai and adjoining areas in the western parts of present-day Thoothukudi district. Subsequently, villages within a 37-km radius of Ettayapuram came under its control.

Another account of the region’s history appeared in 1890, when Ganapathi Pillai published Ettayapuram Past and Present. The new book reproduces photocopies of the cover of this publication.

During periods of financial distress, Bharati wrote to the king of Ettayapuram seeking assistance. His appeals included Olai Thooku, Seetukavi and letters.

“Pannalavu Uyarnthathu En Pan, Paavalavu Uyarnthathu En Paa,” he wrote in his Seetukavi, referring to the worth of his poetry.

Bharati also urged the king to listen to his songs and reward him with shawls, bags of gold, a jathi pallakku (ceremonial palanquin) and other gifts. However, the king declined to grant his requests, as it would antagonise the British.

“But the present zamindar fulfilled Bharati’s expectations. He carried Bharati’s idol in a ceremonial palanquin to the palace and installed a separate statue in his honour,” says Kadarkarai.

According to Kadarkarai, Bharati also made indirect references to Ettayapuram in his writings. “There is less water and less money; paddy is not cultivated; banana, coconut, mango and jackfruit are rare. There are no flowers, but plenty of poets,” Bharati quips.

The last observation was not without basis. Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the Trinities of Carnatic music, received the patronage of the Ettayapuram ruler, spent his final days there, and is commemorated by a memorial that still stands in the town. Ettayapuram was also home to several Tamil scholars, reflecting the zamindari’s contribution to the region’s literary and musical traditions.