them are horribly anemic.

Education is crucial to development as it provide the individual

with adequate skill for participating in various economic activities. Education enables

human beings to understand the interrelationship among the tangible phenomena

surrounding them and give skill to translate the knowledge into action. Acquisition of

education helps workers to take advantage of technical changes, which increases their

productivity and earnings.

Chapter I

GEOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND OF NILGIRI

The Nilgiris are lofty range of mountains in Tamilnadu situated between 11010`

and 110 32` North latitude and 76059`and 7700 31` east longitude. They may be to form

an abundant on the great belt of the mountains, which under the name of the Western

Ghats, run down the western side of the Peninsula, from the River Tapti to Kanyakumari.

It is locate on the north, in part by the territory of the native kingdom of Mysore, in part

by Wayanaad in Kerala on the east by the district of Coimbatore; on the south partly by

Coimbatore, and in part by Malabar.33

The Nilgiri plateau is from thirty to forty miles in length, and from ten to twenty-

four in breadth. It contains several lofty peaks, the highest of which, Doddabetta, is

8,642 feet above the sea level. The Coonoor is 5,886 feet; that of Ootacamund 7,416

33
[Link]., An Account of the Primitive Tribes and Monuments in the Nilgiris,Madras,1873,
p.1-3.
feet. The mountain is rise very abruptly to two-thirds of their total height.34 Presenting

from,the plains, unbroken by any lower ridges.35 Their base covered with a belt of dense

jungle, rising to a height of from 2500 to 3500 feet. This is succeeding by an open grace

space, one or two miles wide, nearly destitute of trees.36Above this, the vegetation is

entirely different from that of the jungle below, and the forests assume more the

appearance of those found in minimum temperature chill climates. Along the edge the

plateau is, in parts, especially on the western side, very precipitous, broken by wooded

ravines and exceedingly on the picturesque. The interior of the plateau consists chiefly of

grassy undulating hills, divided by narrows valleys, which invariably contain a stream or

a swamp. In the hollows of the hillsides nestle small beautiful woods, locally known as

shoals37

Climate of the Nilgiri

Ootacamund, the maximum temperature ranges from 60, 60o in May. The hottest

month of the year is April and May, the coldest month of December and January. The

34
EdgarThurston., Provincial Geographies of India. The Madras Presidency With Mysore Coorg
and Associated States, Cambridge, 1913, p. 138.
35
Major Walter Campbell., The Old Forest Ranger, 3rd edition, London, 1853, p.2.
36
W. Francis., Madras District Gazetteers: The Nilgiris, Madras Government Press, Madras, 1908,
p.2.
37
Jervis., Narrative of Journey to The Falls of The Cauvery, London 1834, p.46.
hottest hours of the day in summer and winter do not vary more than normal time

degrees, and the extreme variation of temperature throughout the year is only 21.25o. 38

From rainy to sunny to misty to foggy to chilly, the weather could change within

hours or even [Link] to climatologists, the unique climate of Nilgiris

determined by factors such as its closeness to equator the phenomenon of monsoons, its

position relative to Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea and its distance from Bay of

Bengal besides its Geographical features.39 In recent years, human interference has also

been a factor-affecting climate microclimates in the Nilgiris are decrees. They could

differ of valley to slope, range to range and so [Link] different periods in the year,

different slopes and sides obtain variable weather conditions.40

The climate of the hills is temperate and salubrious round the year. Mornings in

general are more humid than the afternoons, with humidity exceeding 90%. High

elevation of the district results in low temperature. This is further lower by the excessive

moisture content of the atmosphere resulting from the exhalation by the vegetation. The

day temperature ranges from 22o C in summer to 5o C in winter.41 The night’s temperature

touches 0c some times. Nilgiris gets the benefit of both the monsoons. Gudalur, Pandalur,

and Kundha Taluk and some part of Ooty Taluk receive the most from the south-west

38
Asylum., Report of 1885, Madras, 1885, p.86.
39
Jervis., Op cit., p.37.
40
Ibid., p.45.
41
Dharmaliingam Venugopal., The Nilgiris , Nilgiri, 2011, p.32-44.
monsoon while some portion of Ooty Taluk and entire Coonoor and Kothagiri Taluk are

benefits by the north- east monsoon. The average rainfall is between 1500to 3000mm.42

Flora and Fauna

Flora and fauna, hydrology, and soil nutrient cycling have been discussed in detail.

We have also reviewed the dynamics of edge effect in the Shola-grassland ecosystem.

The natural vegetation of the valley is typically a dense and rather low forest with much

undergrowth and many epiphytes, mosses and ferns.43 Both tropical and temperate flora

occur, vegetation being mostly tropical in character at lower elevations and temperature

at higher elevations. Botanically as well as Zoologically and ethnologically, the Nilgiris

forms a distinct ecological realm of its own, the typical forests of the Nilgiris is called

"Sholas". 44

The different types of vegetation are:

1) The Shola grassland vegetation of the Nilgiris plateau

2) The open Sandal bearing scrub of the Sigur plateau

3) The moist deciduous and the dry deciduous Teak forest of the Nilgiris

4) The forests of South Eastern outer slopes

42
[Link]., The Pestilence that Walkth in Darkness. Madras, 1993, pp. 327-328.
43
[Link]., Aspects of the Flora and Ecology of Savannas of South Indian Hills. Journal of
Natural History Society , Delhi, 1970, pp. 522-534.
44
N. L. Bor., The Vegetation of the Nilgiris Indian Forester, Delhi, 1938, pp.600-609.
 The forests are inhabited by elephants, spotted deer, wild bears, Nilgiri langoors,

Wood pecker, etc. Tigers and Panthers are also common to sight.

The North-east Monsoon: (December to March)

This is characterized by fair weather conditions- clear sky, long duration of

sunshine and low humidity.45 The district gets one fourth of its annual rainfall during this

period benefiting the eastern parts mainly, Kothagiri, and Coonoor. Rest of the District,

particularly the western parts (Ooty and Gudalur) is largely dry.46 During this period,

average temperature range from 12o -17oC with the lowest experienced in December,

January. Over large of central and western plateau during the night temperature touches

or falls below freezing point and hoar forms at early morning hours is common. On the

western most parts, night frost may occur from October end of April.47

The First Inter Monsoon: (April to May)

“The season” or the “Hot season” in the Nilgiris characterized by agreeable warm

days (seldom above 25oC) and night not quite as chilly as in the earlier months. April

showers mainly during the afternoon and early night hours break the ling spell of rainless

45
[Link]., The Vanishing Sholas and the Vanquished Grasslands, New Delhi, 2003, p.25.
46
[Link]., and [Link]., (eds) ,Tropical Visions in Age of Empire , The University of Chicago
press, Chicago, 2005, pp.3-5.
47
R Baikie., Observations As The Neilgherries Including An Account of Their Topography.
Climate, Soil and Productions, Baptist Mission Press, 1834, p.25.
winter. The showery rains are often accompanied by thunder and lightning.48 This is the

sowing season for the natives.

The South-West Monsoon: (June to September)

The southwest monsoon bursts out in the first week of June and peaks in July

heralding major changes in weather and atmospheric conditions, particularly in central

(Ooty)and western(Kundha) parts.49 During the first half of Southwest monsoon, Kundha

range,and western plateau are characterized by overcast, windy, and extremely wet

conditions. Even Ooty is marked by high cloudiness and low sunshine. Wind speeds are

more than twice as high as during the rest of the year.50 Humidity is extreme (80 to 90%

of humidity.) Mukurty the place of the Nilgiri and the 3 Western catchments of the

Kundha range get the maximum rainfall averaging 2000mm annually.51 The intensity of

rainfall on the plateau during Southwest monsoon depends on the distance from the

Kundha range.52 However, on the leeward side of Doddabetta range in the Ketti Valley

and Kothagiri weather conditions are brighter and far less hostile.

Second, Inter Monsoon: (October to November)

48
[Link] Downes., Ooty Preserved A Victorian Hill Station in India, London, 1967,
p.30.
49
W.G Mclvor., Report on the Horticultural Gardens, Ootacamund, Nilgiri,1852, p.12.
50
Ibid., p.11.
51
Letters on the Climate of the Neilgherries,(unknown author), London 1829, p.82.
52
W. Francis., [Link]., p.3.
 The second inter monsoon is characterized by colonic storms bringing rain to most

of the Nilgiris with the eastern parts and Coonoor, Ghat receiving more than the rest.

Humidity is higher than in the first inter-monsoon period and average temperature hovers

between and 13oC to 16o C. Floods and landslides are frequent during this period.53

Rare Flowers

In the Nilgiris, there are over 3,300 species of flowering plants, of which 112 or so

other said to be endemic to the area. About 80 are exclusive to the Nilgiri hills.

Interestingly, one of the first to visit the hills, in the company of John Sullivan, the

Frenchman had been quite sick on the plains, but once he reached the hills, he became

more vigorous than he had been in months, and in the course of the next three weeks

collected samples of some 200-plant species, many of them unknown.54 It was the first

botanical, record of Nilgiris. Sullivan himself introduced on the hills a profusion of

ornamental heliotrope, violet, mignonette. Besides several other commercially important

species including Oak, Hemp, Flax, Vetch, Lucern and Geranium.55

Kurinji

Species of Strobilanthes grow wild on the Nilgiri ranges between 6000 to 7000

feet. Strobilanthes is derived from two Greek words meaning “a flower relating to or

53
Ibid., p.34.
54
[Link], Cairine, Jake., [Link] Robert, A Revision of the Storbilanthas Kunthiana-
Group, New Bulletin, [Link].1, Scotland 2004, pp. 1-25.
55
Government Museum, Bulleting volumes, Government Press, Madras, 1897, p.184.
resembling a cone,”that is a cone head.56 There are over 200 varieties of

Strobilanthes(Kurinji flower) nearly all in Asia and over 150 species occur in India,

especially in western Ghats and Nilgiris alone claims more than thirty species flower only

at long intervals, such as between six and twelve years usually, and in some even are

longer intervals like 35 years. There are also some annuals. Over the years, the area over

which it occurs has become less and less due to increasing cultivation and spread of tea

plantations.57The most common and best-known species,Strobilanthes kunthianus

(kurinji) occurs on the dry lopes of the eastern side of the hills, where there is little or no

tree forests. It is tall bushy shrub, sometimes eight to ten feet high and, covered with a

profusion of bright and blue- like flowers.58 As in the case of the bamboo, they grow for

a number of years until at the appointed time of maturity, they all burst into flower,

mature their seed, die down, and disappear. The flowering appears once in 12 years. One

interesting result of gregarious flowering of Strobilanthes is the large increase in bees

found in its vicinity during the flowering period.59

Immense quantities of honey become available and the rock bees and common hill

bees visit the plant. Interestingly a systematic record of its blossoming since 1858 has

56
K. Anitha., & Prasad S.N., Mass Flowering and Pollinators of Strobilanthes Consanguine in the
Western Ghats South India., Current scienc, 2007, pp.1680-1681.
57
Mark, Cairine, Jake. M., W. Alexander Robert., [Link]., p. 13.
58
R. MacLeod., Introduction. Osiris. Special issue 'Nature and Empire: Science and the Colonial
Enterprise, Nilgii,2000, pp.15:13.
59
J. Hunt., On Ethno-Climatologic; or the Acclimatization of Man, Transactions of the
Ethnological Society of London, London, 1863, 2: 50-89.
been by M.D. Cockburn of Kothagiri, who built up record of 100 years of the blossoming

of the Kurinji. His grandfather, one of the earliest white settlers in the Nilgiris, was so

struck by the phenomenon that he had also left records about it.60 It was Robert weight

and Colonel Beddoms who initially studied this plant and catalogued over 20 species.

Gamble in his Flora of The Madras Presidency identified about 46 species. Fyson in his

flora of the Nilgiris and Pulney hilltops illustrated and described some more species of

the Strobilanthes.

Nilgiri Rhododendron

Rhododendron Nilgiriciuam is an important genus occurring in the high altitudes

of the Western Ghats having ecological significance and economic importance in

addition to its graceful flowers. The term Rhododendron comes from the Greek word

‘Rhodo’ meaning ‘Rose’ and ‘Dendron’ meaning ‘tree’, in combination rose tree.61 A

total of 72 species and 19 varieties have been listed from India. Among all Indian

Rhododendron species, eastern Himalayan region and other are neighboring countries.62

However, one sub species is found in the south Indian hilltops of Nilgiri, Palani and

Anamalai Western Ghats, this species is confined to the forest type, the Southern

Montane wet temperate forest and grasslands, locally called shola grassland ecosystem.
60
[Link]., Imperial Nature, Joseph Hooker and the Practices of Victorian Science. Chicago,
2000, pp. 3-5.
61
J. Shorrt., An Account of the Hill Tribes of the Neilgherries, Transactions of the Ethnological
Society of London., 1868, pp. 230-290.
62
A. Morrison., Creating a South Indian Hill Station, Ootacamund and the Nilgiri Hills, 1818-
1837. Unpublished thesis, Under Gradual thesis, oriel college, oxford,2000, p.214.
The slow growing and free resistance montane species is significant because all other

members of the genus in India are confined to the Himalayas.63 The species has never

been documented from other sectors of the Western Ghats. This tree with its attractive

red, crimson, or pink flowers is calls Billi in local Badaga language.64The natives use the

flowers as ritual offering on different occasions. There are villages, mountains, hill

valleys, and streams named after this flower.65

Orchids of Nilgiris

The Nilgiri hills are rich in Orchids despite heavy loss of their habitat and

indiscriminate collection. The Mudumalai Sanctuary, Reserved Forest, and especially the

Mukurty National Park provide best home for Orchids. The Orchid family is said consist

of 17,000 species distributed across the world.66 There are about 1500 species of Orchids

identified from the Indian subcontinent.67

Mountains, Rivers, and Lakes

63
G. Prakash., Science Gone Native in Colonial India, Representations. California, 1992, pp.
40,153- 178.
64
J. E. Spencer., and W. L. Thomas, The hill Stations and Summer Resorts of the Orient.
Geographical Review 38, 1948, (4): pp. 637-651.
65
Ibid., p. 652.
66
John, Mackenzie (ed)., The Empire of Nature Hunting, Conservation and British Imperialism.
New York 1992, pp.153-178.
67
Lord Lytton., Letter to Lady Lytton September 1877, quoted by Sir, Price-Ootacamund.
Government Press, Madras, 1908, pp. 4-5.
 Lot of these venerated but the uniform. But there is not a square mile of level

ground in the whole of it, its surface being broke by endless undulations, which in places

swell into considerable and distinct ranges.

Doddabetta Range

On the Nilgiri plateau Doddabetta is the highest peak measuring 8652 feet located

about the middle of the Doddabetta range that runs across the District from north to

south. It is remarkable for the flattened curve of its summit, which commands panoramic

view of the District and beyond. Thick wood decorate the hollows of its slopes.68

Slightly stunned, Rhododendron trees, in the midst of thick coarse grass, flowering sub-

alpine shrubs, and herbs are common sight even very near to the peak.69 The Doddabetta

range, which runs across the district, plays a major role in determining the climate. It

forms a natural barrier, which protects the western tract compromising the station and

Taluk of Ootacamund.

Rivers

The Nilgiri plateau is drained by hundred of beautiful streams, mostly perennial,

almost every pair of undulations reins some stream drain either into the Moyar river on

the east or into the Bhavani, which flows along the southern border.70 The two rivers,

68
D. [Link]., Colonial Urban Development , London ,1976, pp.165-67.
69
Ibid., pp. 166-167.
70
J.N. Postage. and M.A. Powell., Irrigation and Cultivation in Mesopotamia, part II, 1990,
Warsaw, p. 24.
which embrace the Nilgiri hills, drain into the Bhavani Sagar, bordering Erode District,

where the waters are stored by the longest masonry dam in the worlds running to a length

of 8km. The Moyar basin is fed by 24 rivers.71 From the Bhavanisagar Reservoirs 125km

canal carries the waters to irrigate 2.07 lakh acres in Erode and Coimbatore Districts.

Flowing onwards the Bhavani River discharges 70,000 million cft (about one fifth if the

annual discharge into the Cauvery into the Cauvery River above is confluence with

Bhavani).

Kundha

River that drains the southern slopes of Nilgiris originates in the high Peaks along the

dividing ridge between Tamilnadu and Kerala of the Western Ghats.72 In the upper

reaches the Tributaries are Avalanche and Emerald which run down independently and

then merge from the Kundha river feather down,the tributaries Sillahalla, Kanarahalla,

Kowarimullihalla join the main river Kundha and still further Pegumballa.73 Finally,

Kundha River joins the Bhavani River near Pillur (Adhikadavu). Further, down in the

Nelllithorai valley, the river is joined by the combine flows of Kateri, Coonoor, Burliar,

and Kallar rivers.74 Thereafter Bhavani flows east along the base of Nilgiris enter the

71
C.R. Ranganathan., Studies in the Ecology of the Shola grass land Vegetarian of the Nilgiri
Plateau, Indian Forester, 64: 523-541.
72
[Link]., The Nilgiris District Gazetteer, Tamilnadu state, Madras,1995,
pp. 23-25.
73
W.A. Noble., Nilgiri Dolmens, In Anthrops, Cambridge University press, 71: 90-128.
74
P. Hockings. (Ed)., Blue Mountains: The Ethnography and Biogeography of South Indian
Region, oxford Press, New Delhi 1989, p. 10.
plains at Mettupalayam where the Hadathorai River joins it, 30km downstream; it merges

with the Moyar River.

Waterfalls

Picturesque waterfalls point the Nilgiri [Link] highest of them is the

Kolakambain fall, north of the hill of that name, which has an unbroken fall of 400 feet

(120m).Second is [Link] fall, near Kothagiri, with a fall of 250 feet.75The Kalhatty

fall (170feet) off the Sigur ghat, the Kateri fall, near the village of that name are other

major falls. There are numerous lesser falls such as law’s fall that is popular picnic spots.

Lake

There are no natural lakes on the plateau, but several artificial reservoirs have been

created, of which the Ooty lakes is the largest and most popular.76 Of late, the Pykara

Lake and boathouse has been gaining in popularity.

Population and density of Nilgiris district in 1991 and 2001 Census

% of ST

Blocks / Total Population population to

1991 2001 1991 2001

Udhagamandalam 138282 249531 2.61% 1.73%

Coonoor 140138 189744 1.41% 1.26%

75
Ibid., pp. 12-14.
76
Houghs letter on the Nilgiris p. 10.
 Kothagiri 100117 98920 4.74% 6.26%

Gudalur 201911 223946 6.38% 6.90%

Udhagamandalam
81763 93987 0.30% 0.42%
municipality

Coonoor
48003 50196 NA 0.24%
municipality

District total 710214 906324 3.30% 3.19%

British Architecture

The Architectural vegetate of the Nilgiris are spread over a wide area. Expect a

few obscure rock-shelters and forts, none of the early ruling dynasties of the region. The

extreme climate and the difficult terrain may have left behind existing specimens of

architecture such as temples and palaces as is found elsewhere.77 The extreme climate

and the difficult terrain may have dissuaded the early people from undertaken large-scale

confined to European houses and churches. In this context is interesting to recall that all

Christianic churches in India built by the Englishmen have the Prototype-James Gibbs,

St. Martin in the field. Besides, the Churches the palatial residential houses of the English

architecture, According to the Gazetteer of India, two areas of building activity in the hill

77
H.F. Blanford., survey report [Link].S. XV. 75, The Nilgiris,1859, p.10.
stations and in the civil-lines and cantonments of the plains possible to build almost exact

replicas of English houses and public buildings since the climate was suitable and

building materials similar.78 Pitched roofs were necessary for draining rain and snow.

Fortunately, many of the hill stations including those in the Nilgiris retain their British

architectural landscape. Over ninety-nine percent of the buildings in the Nilgiris have a

two-layered roof-an inner layer of zinc or tin sheet above which is a layer of tiles the use

of the zinc sheet ensures the warmth of the rooms given during the severest winters. The

buildings of the affluent had an additional layer of roofing-layer of wooden planks below

the zinc –sheet roof. The liberal use of wood on the roofs and flooring of residences was

borrowed from British architecture.79 The architectural styles of the British buildings in

Nilgiris include the Greco-roman, Scottish and gothic, the last mentioned style being the

most often employed for Churches. Many of these old houses have undergone changes of

different degrees. Many of the European bungalows in India were originally, covered

with light colored plaster, and were lonian or Corinthian in plain. While in Bengal the

British houses were block shaped, in South India (including Nilgiris) such buildings

were, interrupted by Balconies, facades, and porticos.80

Megalithic Culture in the Nilgiris

78
Ibid., pp. 93-94.
79
Ross Kings., Aboriginal Tribes of the Nilgiri Hills, London 1870, p. 40.
80
Ferguson’s., Rude Stone Monuments Madras, Madras, 1872, p. 483.
 The Megalithic Culture of South India is generally ascribed prior or the Age of

Sangam. The Paleolithic culture is no doubt prior to the Age of the Sangam and hence

according to Bruce Foot, “the megalithic culture of the District is ascribable to the Pre-

Sangam Age. An inscription found in the District dates back to Saka 1518(C.E.1596).81

[Link], in his Nilgiris District Gazetteer also confirms this by saying that the cairns

and barrows of this plateau are apparently older while the cromlechs (dolmens) on the

other hand seem apparently [Link] Sangam literature there is a reference to

‘Erumaiyur” which means, the regions of the buffalo from which modern Mysore takes

its name.82 In Gudalur, which is situated on the borders of the then Mysore takes its name

there is a village called ‘Erumad’,Moreover, the buffaloes are sacred said that the

reference in the Sangam works to ‘Erumaiyuran’ and ‘Erumaiyur’ probably denotes the

Nilgiri area.83 If it is so, it becomes true that here might be habitants on the hills during

the Sangam Age and even before. William Allistor Noble, a contemporary author on the

studies of the Nilgiris, He suggests three positive clues to fix the date of the culture.84

They are;-

A potsherd discovered in the district bears the letters of Brahmi character, which the

Government Epigraphists of India have dated to the 1st century C.E.

81
The Imperial Gazetteer of India-Provincial Series-Madras-Vol II Calcutta,1908, p. 276.
82
[Link]., Ancient Hindu Refugees, New Delhi, 1980, p.40.
83
M.J. Wall House., Formerly existing Antiquities on the Nilgiris, in Indian Antiquary, Bombay,
1873, pp. 275-278.
84
The Imperial Gazetteer of India, Provincial series, Madras, [Link], Calcutta, 1908, p. 299.
 A Gold coin of Roman Byzantine Empire discovered in the district was assigned to 4th

century C.E.

Under the process of radio carbon dating a pottery discovered in the district is

ascribed to 910 years old (with a plus or minus of 90 years).

Cave Paintings

Pre-historic Cave Paintings had discovered in the district in a place near Sigur

ghat. The Paintings include depiction of an elephant lifting its tusk and before it is a

buxom (a generation ago) man. A tiger also has been dawn and a man is mounting on this

tiger. Other figures drawn are a peacock, a monkey, and a man holding the harness of a

horse. Some other cave paintings had founded in Konavakkerai near Kothagiri of this

district.85 The drawings include a ghost-like figure surrounded by men with swords and

shields in their hands, a cat, a few male figures, and a buffalo with her calf suckling her.

Similar those paintings also have been discovered in a village called mamaram located at

a distance of 10 km. The salient features of these cave paintings are the drawing in red

color of stag and a skeleton like figure. Some figures of deer painted in white color and

these paintings drawn using a white mixture. In the same village, on a rock, some

85
H.B.A. Grigg., Manual of the Nilgiris in the Madras Presidency, Madras, 1880, p. 247.
markings discovered the markings are in the form of human figures, plants, creepers,

trees, bent-squares, rectangles, and animals.86

Coins

According to [Link], a brisk trade between South India and Rome in the

4th century of the Christian era is now an established fact. Erythrean Sea makes it clear

that even in Roman times outside agents were in regular contact with the hill tribes.

Finds of Roman coinage in Cinerary Urns in the Nilgiris suggest that Romans traders

were exploiting the gold mines, which were said to have existed on the hills.87

Early History

History of the upper Nilgiris has been traced form around 1117 C.E, when king

Vishnuvarddhana of the Hoysala dynasty (with their capital at present Halebid) captured

Gudalur and the Nilgiri plateau. He said to have, ‘frightened the Toda, and driven the

Kongas underground and entering the Nila Mountain offered its peak to the Lakshmi of

victory’.88 A grant of 1120 C.E., says that Vishnuvardhan ‘turned the Nila Mountain into

a city’ the title ‘Subeduer of the Nilgiri’ seems too coveted for long afterwards by the

Hoysalas and their successors.89

86
Imperial Gazetteer of India, [Link]., p.300.
87
Ibid., p. 35.
88
Hockings, Paul, (Ed). Op cit., pp. 27-128.
89
B.L. Rice., Epigraphia Carnatica, Vol. V., Part I, Mangalore, 1902, p. 2.
 After 1310 C.E., when Muslim rules of Delhi overthrow the Hoysalas, the Nilgiris

came under the Dannanayakas, with their headquarters at Dannanayakankottai at the

southeastern foothills of Nilgiris.90 The hills were ruled from there up until the end of the

18th century and even after the British occupied the hills, the natives had to go down there

to pay the tax. The fort at the junction of Moyer and Bhavani rivers submerged when the

Bhavanisagar dam was built in 1956.91 To continue with history, the mighty Vijayanagar

kings (with capital at Hampi) drove out the Delhi Muslims in early sixteenth century and

captured both the low lands and the Nilgiri plateau. An inscription of 1527 records the

grant of the present Masinagudi village at the foot of the Sigur Ghat. In 1565, after the

Muslim kings of Deccan overthrew the Vijayanagar dynasty, many of their erstwhile

territories including the Nilgiris came under the sway of their vassals. Thus, from the

beginning of the 17th century the Nilgiri hills came under the control of the Arasus of

Ummathur and later the Wodeyars of Mysore.92 Graphically, the Ancient Tamilnadu was

divided into Thirteen Nadus of which the Cheethanadu is identified as the modern

Nilgiris district by [Link]. Cheetham in Sanskrit means cold and since the

Nilgiris has been a cold-region, it might be called as ‘Cheethanadu.’ The classification of

the Nilgiris as Cheethanadu remains only in literature.93

90
W. Francis., Op. cit., p.13.
91
Ibid., p. 101.
92
Dharmalingam Venugopal., [Link]., p. 13.
93
V. Kanakashabai., The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago,Madras,1904, pp. 12,30.
Sangam Period

The Cheras, the Cholas, and the Pandyas ruled the Tamil country, during the Age

of Sangam, which according to [Link], and others flourished in the first three

centuries.94 The Chera country of the Sangam period comprehended the extreme south of

the Malabar Coast or Travancore and Wynaad, the Nilgiris, Southern portion of

Coimbatore. However, sometimes the Nilgiri was under the rule of the Satavahanas who

had built their empire in the [Link] Satavahanas king who was contemporary to

Cheran Senguttuvan was in friendly terms with the [Link] Ayer, between

125 and 180 C.E. fixed the period of Senguttuvan. During this period the coins of

Pulumayi-II founded in Cuddalore, too, which confirm his supremacy over Tamilnadu.

Moreover, it is inferred that Senguttuvan might have started his second northern

Expedition in the Later of his region and Sri Yajna Satakarni reigned his country from

C.E., 170to 19996. Probably either Pulumayi-II or Sri Vajna Satakarni might have been

the satakarni who ruled the territory upto the Nilgiris, and he might be the friend of

Senguttuvan who invited him to his county on his way to north and assisted [Link]

literary evidence to say that Cheran Senguttuvan as it says that Senguttuvan, while

invading Northern countries to bring suitable stone to install an image of the Goddess of

chastity, (kannagi camped at the Nilgiris along with his army and other paraphernalia

94
K.G. Sesha Aiyar., Chera Kings of the Sangam Period,London, 1937, p. 121.
95
[Link] Iyengar., History of the Tamils, Madras, 1930, p. 600.
96
[Link] Sastri., A History of South India, IV Edn. Madras, 1966, p. 94.
says that the Silapathikaram corresponds to the present Nilgiris). [Link] (1873)

and [Link] (1880) also refer to Cilapathikaram and say that Senguttuvan attended a

dance performance at the Nilgiris with his army. Nevertheless, [Link] Pillai

disputes it saying that these hills do not appear to be the Modern Nilgiris.97 He identifies

the Nilgiris mentioned in Silapathikaram with the rocky hills in Balasore in Orissa state,

situated 16to18 miles off the Bay of Bengal.98 He justifies his identification by saying

that the old navigators as the Nilgiris Mountains knew the rocky hills in

[Link], in his latest work (1980), Paul Hockings interprets the Nilgiris’

mentioned in the Tamil Epic as the Nilgiris of Tamilnadu.99

The Rashtrakutas or Ratta Kings;

‘Kongudesa Rajakal’ a Tamil work gives an account of some of the Kings, who ruled

the region of ‘Kongu’ (the modern districts of Coimbatore, Salem, and Dhamapuri).

They had their capital at Skandapura, identifies with a place near the Gajalhatti pass of

the present Karnataka state (near Mysore).It is said that their rule extended over

southwest Mysore, including, doubtless the Nilgiris. The following reasons may be

attributed for the inclusion of the Nilgiri within their domain.

1. The Rattas ruled the Kongu regions-modern districts of Coimbatore, Salem, and

Dharmapuri-with their capitals in Karnataka, not far beyond the western borders of

97
[Link] Pillai., Op. cit., p. 95.
98
Cilapathikaram, Kalkot Kathai, verse 85.
99
Paul,Haukings, (Ed), [Link]., 1988, p. 14.
 the [Link] Nilgiris was situated between their capital and Kongu region.

Hence,before extending their rule. Some scholars now view that the Nilgiris also

was included in the Kongu country.

2. The Rattas were martial race and delighted in the fight, mounting on horses and

[Link] culture affected the Nilgiris people and it can be seen from the

numerous figures of these animals found in the Nilgiri cairns and cromlechs.100

The Gangas

The Gangas ruled over a greater part of Karnataka from second to the eleventh

century. Their rule was extend to Kongu and the Nilgiris only after the death of last Ratta

ruler Tiruvikrama their grants have been found in all parts, from Coorg in the west to

north Arcot and Tanjore in the east.101The territory of the Gangas was known as

Gangavadi. At the time of foundation of Ganga kingdom, its chief city was Kolar but the

capital was removed in the 3rd century in the South East of the Mysore district.102

The Disintegration of the Gangas

The end of the region of Bhuvikrama witnessed the disintegration of the central

power if the Gangas. Bhuvikrama divided his entire sizable units and left them in charge

of the members of the royal family to be governed by them in subordination to the

100
[Link]., [Link]., pp.74-77.
101
B.L. Rice., Op. cit., 1909, p.29.
102
Ibid., p. 31.
centre.103 One of such division was the Kongu region were termed Kongu Gangas. The

first Kongu Ganga was Vallabharaya, the brother of Konganivarman-III in whose time

the division of empire occurred and the branch of rulers went upto Madhava-II. The

extract relationship between these Kongu Gangas and the central authority is not exactly

known.104

The Kadambas

The beginning of the twelfth century C.E., between the close of the tenth century

C.E. and the beginning the twelfth century these Gangas were throws out from the

Wynaad by a branch of the Kadambas, the dynasty which at one time had its capital at

Banavasi in Canara. The Wynaad was at that time divided into two portions, the Bira

bayalnad, and the chagi bayalnad.105

The Hoysalas

Meanwhile, the Hoysalas whose capital was at Devasamudra, the modern Halebid

in Mysore state, were rising into power, and their king Vishnuvardhana, who ruled from

1104 to 1141, is related to have captured the Wynaad with a frown. He also seized the

Nilgiri plateau for his general Punisa is said in record of 1117 C.E. to have ‘ frightened

the Toda, driven the Kongas underground,slaughters the Poluvas, put to death the

103
M. Arokkiasami., Op. cit., pp.124, 125.
104
W. Francis., Op. cit., p. 91.
105
K. A Nilakanda Sastri., [Link]., p. 192.
Maleyalas, terrified king Kala, and entering into Nila mountain offered up its peak to the

Lakshmi of victory.’This is the first mention hitherto discovered of the name Todas and

Niilgiri.106The Sanskrit forms of the latter, Niladri and Nilachala, also occur in other

inscriptions of about the same date.107 A grant of 1120 C.E., that Vishnuvardhana turned

the Nilamountain intocity’and another of1141.C.E.,states that the ruler of Nirugundanad,

by order of Dednad and Hiriyanad, laid siege to Kukulla fort, above the peak of Niilgiri

fort, burnt the fort, slew the son of Koteya Nayakas (or perhaps of the chief of the fort)

and joining fight with the enemy’s force who opposed him, went to heaven’. It is not

easy to identity these places and no signs of any Kukulla fort, which would answer this

description, survive; but it is worth mention that the natives sometimes call Rangaswami

peak. The title ‘Subduer of the Nilgiri’ seems indeed to have been borne hereditarily for

long afterwards by the Hoysalas and their [Link] one reason that they gloried

in it was that the Nilgiris were holy hills.108 The Abbey Dubois says that even a sight of

their summits was held to be sufficient to removes sin.109

Dannayakas

Authority over the Nilgiris seems to have descended to Madhava Dannayaka, the

son of the Hoysala minister, Perumal Deva Dannayaka , who took the title of Subdeur of

106
B.L Rice., Epigraphica Carnatica, Vol-II Bangalore, 1889, p. 48.
107
W. Francis., Op. cit., p. 101.
108
B.L. Rice., [Link]., p. 101.
109
Ibid., p. 105.
the Nilgiris110 and ruled from Terakanambi in the present Gundalpet taluk, just north of

the plateau, until 1318 C.E., His son followed him, and an inscription of the latter’s time

in the Vishnu temple at Dannayakankottai, the deserted village near the junction of the

Moyar and Bhavani calls that place Nilgiri Sadaran Kottai, or the fort of the Subdeur of

the Nilgiris. Its present name of Dannayakankottai was doubtless given in honor of this

family of Dannayakas. Perhaps this village was the city above referred to as builted by

Vishnuvardhana. It is now, entirely un inhabited and is unapproachable form of the

tangle of prickly –pear which grows all over and around it but the tradition among the

hill tribes, as well as history points to it is one of the place from which even up to the end

of the 18th century the hills were ruled and even after the British occupied the country it

was at one time the head quarters of a Tahsildar. 111

In 1565, the Vijayanagar dynasty was over thrown by the united Musalims kings

of the Deccan at the memorable battle of Talikota and its rulers, though they continued to

maintain a resemblance of power, became so feeble that their vassals in every direction

rose against them and declared themselves independent. In 1610 C.E., one of these kings

Raja Udayar of Mysore drove out of Srirangapatinam the Vijayanagar General and two

years later, he was granted that place, and the Ummattur County near it by the then

nominal king of Vijayanagar, who was living at Penukonda in the Anantapur district.

Henceforth, the kings of Mysore became rulers of the Wynaad, and titular possessors of
110
Indian Antiquary IV.,Bombay, 1925, p. 161.
111
Major General Sir Hugh Gough., Asiatic Journal, XXXI. Bengal, 1863, p.129.
the Nilgiri hills, and the latter were apparently under the immediate rule of dependents of

their called the Udaiyars of Ummatur (a village in the present Chamraj Nagar taluk) who

constantly figure in local tradition of the doings of the Mysore kings in the Wynaad and

on the plateau of the internal history of the district town to the date of the English

occupation in 1799 no record or definite tradition and survives.

Pandyas

As the Ganga kingdom became weak, the neighboring powers began their inroads

into Ganga territory. Pandyas king Sadayan Randhira (680-710 C.E) conquered parts of

Kongu country. His son Arikesari Maravarman is said to have crossed the rive Cauvery

and subdued certain hilly parts of the Kongu country.112 Pandya Neduncheliyan (C.E.

740-770) is also said to have captured “the powerful king of western Kongu with his

elephants and subdued Kongabhumi so that the noisy drum was sounding his fame

throughout the Kanakabhumi. Kanakabhumi literally means the land of gold. There is

a reference that there were gold mines in the Nilgiris, which attracted the Romans to trade

with the country in early centuries. Hence, the view that ‘Kanakabhumi’ mentioned to

have been conquered by Pandya Nedunchelian was the Nilgiris could not be altogether

ruled out.113

The Pallavas

112
Paul Hockings.,(ed). [Link].,1988, p. 91.
113
[Link]., [Link]., p. 205.
 The Pallavas whose powers were on the rise in the 7th and 8th centuries were also

constant enemy to the Gangas. Pallavamalla with the assistance of his general Udhaya

Chandra occupied a half of the Kongu country. By this time, there was a political crisis

in the territory and the regime of the Kongu Gangas was on decline.114 This record

relates, how on the death of Ereyappa, the then king of the Gangas, his son, Rachamalla

and Butuka both claimed succeed to the throne. Rachamalla was in Wynaad at the time

and butuka sent for him and proposed that they should settle their differences by dividing

the country-between them.115 However, Rachamalla’s envoy curtly replied that they did

not wish any other than Rachamalla to rule over the kingdom of Wynaad. Hostilities

between the brothers naturally followed in which Rachamalla was killed and Butuka

became the undisputed master of Wynaad.116

Medieval Period

The power of the Cholas was at its zenith during the reign of Raja Raja-I (C.E

985-1014), the illustrious ruler of the dynasty. He brought the entire South India, part of

Sri- Lanka and many lands in Indian Ocean under his scepter. Thiruvalangadu plates say

that a combined force of Pandya and Chera met Raja Raja in the Malainadu. K.A.N.

Sastri writes as follows on this event.“The chief event of this expedition which took

place sometimes before the year C.E., 1008 was apparently the storming and capture of

114
M .Arokkiasami., Op. cit., p.148.
115
Paul Hockings., (Ed). Op. cit., p.14.
116
W. Francis., Op. cit., p.91.
the strong fortress of Udagai. Malainadu or Kudamalainadu, the western hill country may

be identified with Coorg and the fortress of Udagai must be looked for in the Ghats in

that region or perhaps little to the South.”117Kongudesa Rajakal also corroborates this

event by saying that the Chola king through his general Amarbhujanga affected the

conquest of Kottur, Indragiri, and Nilgiri.118The years between C.E., 990 and 1008 mark

an important landmark in the History of the Nilgiris as Raja, from the year C.E. 999

onwards, was busy in the Nilgiris and its surroundings winning victories that extended his

dominion. The ruler who was conquered by Raja at the Nilgiris was not yet identified but

there are a reasons to conjecture that the vanquished ruler was a Kadambas, as the

Kadambas by that time occupied the Wynaad, driving out the Gangas, at the close of the

10th century, when the Cholas were emerging as a great power in [Link] Raja I

installed a viceroy to administer the conquered areas in the Nilgiris and Kongu. During

the Chola regime, the region was called by different names in different times such as

Mummudi-Cholamandalam, Adhijaraja Mandalam, Chola Kerala Mandalam, Vira

Cholamandalam, etc. The rule of the Chola viceroys continued in the Nilgiris and the

Kongu region, until C.E. 1116.119

Later History of Nelliyalam Chiefs

117
K.A. Neelakanda Sastri., The Cholas, II [Link],1955, p. 171.
118
[Link]., Op. cit., p. 263.
119
B.L. Rice., Op. cit., p. 98.
 The Nelliam Chiefs even after the occupation of the Nilgiris by the British

Government had the right to collect taxes in Todanad, which they referred to as

Nanganad. Early in the 19th century, the used to receive about Rs. 6,000/- annually as

taxes from Todanad.120 In 1856, the chief of Nelliam died leaving his illiterate wife and

infant son.121 But, the collector of Malabar then, under whose jurisdiction was Nellialam,

did not permit either the widow or the infant son of the deceased chief to succeed on the

ground that they were inefficient. Consequently, he moved the court and obtained an

order to occupy it until the attainment of maturity of the infant, Linga Raja. In 1871,

Linga Raja became a major but the territory was not having over to him by the collector

on the grounds “that the boys state of mental backwardness amounts to an infirmity

sufficient to warrant his being still considered an incapacitated proprietor. However, in

1874 Linga Raja was restored the territory. He committed suicide wife on her travail. His

first wife Bavuramaya and the infant born to his second wife survived him. After his

death, this estate was infant son of Linga Raja also died in 1890.122In recent decades,

completely new areas of materials have been discovered. Many examples of rock are of

great interest have been found with religious (Bellare or Vellarikombe) to military scenes

(Wanaga pallam or palayam).123 The existences of so many rocks are emancipated and it

is possible that many more will be discovered. Similarly, work along the lower Nilgiri

120
Paul Houkins., [Link]., p. 38.
121
[Link]., Op. cit., pp. 371-372.
122
Paul Hockings., [Link]., p. 20.
123
Ibid., pp. 11,12.
slopes and its immediate foot land has produced a new picture of Nilgiri [Link]

Non-Nilgiri inscriptions and texts have made mention of the Nilgiris. However, new

investigations have found over 20 inscriptions within the Nilgiri district. These texts

range from circa 9th to 18th centuries. They deal with trade rites. Administrative

divisions, irrigation networks, they mention communities existing and extinct. Depicting

gods and rulers, perhaps as early as the 7th century many New Hero stones had been

discovered along the foothills, many massive Megalithic cemeteries, some containing

hundreds of graves, with individual graves approaching 25mm in diameter covers the

Northern Moyer zone.124 These, sites are approximately 2,500 years old based on pottery

fragments, collected, and indicate that time. Similarly, indications of Neolithic

occupation have been documented.125 Nevertheless, the most of the forest areas have yet

to be explored intensively. The livelihood of important new discoveries, which could

throw light upon early Nilgiri history, is immense.126 Archaeologically the Nilgiris

possesses innumerable pre historic remains, unique in themselves. Paleolithic and

Neolithic culture had flourished on the hills for which there are sample evidences.

Cairns- Circular walls of uncemented stones rising above the mound.

Barrows-Circular Heaps of earth surrounded by a ditch, which it was sometimes

enclosed in one or a number of loose single stones.

round aperture about a foot in diameter sunk down to the level of the ground and

sometimes surrounded with a circle loose stones or earthen tumulus.

Cromlechs (or dolmens)

- Lost Views like structures but have one lied quite open, stand about the level of

the ground and are often sculptured wit figures of men and animals.127 Breeks brought to

light a splendid series of unique pottery jars, iron implements, agate and cornelian

beads, bronze container and bowls, etc., the collections can still be seen in the Madras

Museum.

Cairns

The Badagas of this district call the cairns as hokkallu or navel stones. The most

abundant monument in the district are cairns are called draw will cairns. This type of

cairns to some extent may be compared to the Megalithic monuments reported to be

found near Agra and in Rajasthan.128 These types of pre-historic remains are found only

in the upper Nilgiris.129 The cairns and barrows were contemporaries and were burial

place. The objects buried along the dead, who were found inside the cairns and barrows

were bunt-bones and ashes, pottery, iron weapons and domestic implements, a few

127
[Link]., Op. cit., p. 191.
128
Hockings, Paul,(ed.) Op. cit.,1988, p. 131.
129
J.M. Breeks., Op. cit., 86.
bronze vessels, one or two bronze and copper weapons, a few gold ornament and beads

of glass, agate, and cornelian.130

Contents of Cairns-Pottery

The pottery found in large number of places in the district is unique in South India.

The pottery jars are surmounted by lids on which are modeled grotesque representations

of human beings and animals.131The bearded men riding on horses, large horned

buffaloes, which might have been modeled from the Toda buffaloes of the present day

migration of the sacred herd of buffaloes, form the place, bearing a bell round the neck,

peacocks, deer’s with spreading antlers, sheep, elephants and other animals are some of

the interesting figures depicted on the pottery jars.132

Contents of Cairns-Weapons

The weapons include short handled axes, heads of spears, javelins and arrows,

swords, and daggers, and the domestic implements consist of sickles, razors, knives,

shears with spring handles, tweezers lamps and bells, the bronze vessels found are a few,

but well preserved, exquisitely designed and comparable to the Grecian and Egyptian art.

130
Thurston Edgar., Op. cit., p. 145.
131
Robert Bruce Foot., Catalogue of Pre-historic Antiquities in the Government Museum,Madras-
1901, p. 55.
132
Imperial Gazetteer of India, Provincial serious, Madras, [Link], part-II, Calcutta, 1908,
p. 299.
The gold ornaments are also prettily designed and the beads are cleanly arranged,

sometimes engraved with varied patterns filled with a kind of white enamel.133

The Age and Authorship of the Cairns

The Age and authorship of these cairns and barrows are not free from controversy.

Iron Age is chronicled after Bronze Age in other parts of the world. Nevertheless, in the

Nilgiris it is not so since, both the iron and bronze artifacts are found either together or

side by side and both of them belong to the same age. Interferences in the monuments as

to their age are not clear in them, but the nature of the relics does not point to a remote

antiquity.134It is also opened that none of the hill-tribes can claim these monuments as

belonging to their [Link] only relationship of existence between the Toda trine

and the monuments available is the depiction of buffaloes in various forms in these

monuments. It is also viewed that the monuments belong to a different race other than the

present races, which might have lived prior to them and had later disappeared. 135 B. S.

Ward, whose survey memoirs of 1822,appears to be the earliest, reference to the

monuments, and who was the most careful enquirer, the predecessors of the Todas, built

them. J.W. Breeks, who delivered deep into this research, assigns the cairns to the Todas.

133
[Link]., [Link]., p. 97.
134
Ibid., p. 98.
135
J.W. Breeks., Op. cit., p. 87.
Azarams

The Azarams or stone funeral circles, in some cases resemble cairns of ruder form.

They are identical to the circles in which the Todas deposit relics of their funeral even

now. J.W. Breeks found Azarams, which were deposited charcoals and bones, some brass

bracelets and some iron spearheads and chisels. It all needs mention that brass found

inside. In the cairns, though Toda women wear brass anklets.136 J. W. Breeks mentions

that he had explode this kind of monument on the hill just east of the top of the Sigur

ghat.137

Dolmens

Badagas of the hills call these cromlechs of dolmens as Silakallu or sculptured

stones and the Kurumbas and the Irulas call them as Bira-kallu or hero [Link]

monuments have the connection whatsoever with the other types of monuments found in

the district. The dolmens or stone tables of upright stones with a capstone resting on them

18 to 22 inches high are believed to build by a race of Pandava dwarfs, who were

nevertheless able to lift the huge stones. The dolmens on the Nilgiris are supposed to

make by a race of pygmies, assisted by hares and porcupines.138

136
Ibid., p. 88.
137
Edgar Thurston., [Link]., p. 40.
138
W. Francis., [Link]., p. 100.
The Builders of the Dolmens

The sculptural portrayal in the dolmens reveals that their builders were faith and

the only Saivates who had originally settled in the district are Badagas. The Badagas also

worship the dolmens and regard them with much reverence. When the authorship of the

dolmens ascribed to the Badagas, a question arises that the Badagas were not proficient.

In stone cutting, this was required to erect a dolmen. It is remarked that, why Badagas

who have apparently always imported necessaries of the life from the plains, then and

there, should not have brought stone masons, when need arose as indeed they do always.

The Badagas of the district had turned the dolmens into sacred places, not looking them

as temples but actual gods. During the early years of this century when it was proposed to

remove some of the stones to a Museum, the Badagas remonstrated saying, “They are our

Gods.”Hence, the conclusion that the builders of the dolmens were the ancestors of the

Badagas has little doubt.139

Forts

There are many forts in this region, constructed mostly during the later part of the

medieval period the Ummathur Rajas, the history of whom is dealt elsewhere, had built

forts in the district at Malaikota fort situated about 8 [Link] West of

Udhagamandalam near the ghat road running to Sigur was utilized by Tipu Sultan.140 It

139
Paul Hockings., [Link]., p. 40.
140
Report from the Archaeological officer, Department of Archeology, Government of Tamilnadu,
Coimbatore, dated: 14 October 1988, p. 23.
is locally, called as Bakasuran kotai near this fort, are also two successive forts built .

Another fort built by him was discovered near Masinagudi (Gudalur taluk). It is a mud

fort now in a very dilapidated condition. Near Masinagudi, in Westbury Estates, there is

a mud fort around a Siva temple surrounded by a moat-like structure of 2 meter width.

This fort might have links with the Ummathur Rajas and Tipu who held this country

under their scepters.

Discovery of the Site of Ootacamund

There are different stories told as to what took them there.141 One is that they

were in pursuit of a band of tobacco smugglers, and followed them up by a pass to the

north east of Kothagiri. Another is that they were on a shooting trip, the third that the

expedition was purely exploratory and the fourth is to be found in jervis a journey to the

falls of the Cauvery and Nilgiri hills;(1834) he is in error in his date (1819), as 1818 was

undoubtedly the correct one.142“From the year 1799 upto 1819, these mountains were in

the daily view of all the authorities from the plains of the Coimbatore province, and a

revenue was collected from them by a renter (a chitty),and paid into the Cutchy of the

collector of that province. However, of the country nothing was then known.143 After

twenty years the possession by the company, two young civilians Messrs. Whish and

Kindersley were induced in consequence of the maltreatment of some riots in the low

141
Frederick Price., Op. cit., pp. 6,7.
142
[Link]., statement to [Link] Quoted in the District Manual, Nilgiri,1818, p.280.
143
Ibid., p. 281.
country by a Polygar. Who fled up the pass of Danayankencottach to follow his tack; and

not being encumbered with his as a prisoner they afterwards proceed to a little of the

interior of the hills, as they had for some time before intended. 144 Their first halt was at

the village called Dyaud, about nine miles to the eastward of Kotagherry near

Rangaswami’s peak (the most sacred mountain on the Nilgiri), where they found the man

they were in search of in a hut.145They then proceeded across the hills, and descended by

the Kelloor pass, but they had seen and felt quite enough to excite their own curiosity and

that of the collector John Sullivan. He establishing his general residence there, continued

to live in this delightful climate with his family, in health and comfort, for the greatest

part of the succeeding ten years.146

British Colonization of the Nilgiris

The British authorities deputed Francis Buchanan to inquire into the territory

added to the company viz. Nilgiri plateau. On the 25th October 1800, he took a very long

and fatiguing walk to the top of the western hills in order to see a combay’ or village

inhabited by [Link] says that the place reached by Buchanan was Aravankadu

below Rangasamy peak.147 On the old track from Devanaienkota to Kothagiri, and that

by which, some years later on, travelers, for a time, ascended the hills. This seems highly

144
F. Metz., Tribes Inhabiting the Neilgherry Hills, Madras 1856, p. 44.
145
Jervis., letters 15 March 1828, pp. 102-106.
146
The South Indian Mission of the C.M.S, 1905, pp. 12-14.
147
H.B. Grigg., A Manual of the Nilgiris in the Madras Presidency, Madras, 1880, p. 247.
probable, but whether Buchanan visited Arakad, or some point above it, there can be no

doubt that he only climbed what is practically an outlier of the Nilgiris, and he therefore

could have had no idea, as he looked eastward on to the plains, of the existence of the

wide and lovely plateau which lay but a few miles behind him. The one day excursion

constituted all the acquaintance that he made with the Nilgiris, Srimugai, the village from

which he turned his back upon them, was destined to be, some twenty years afterwards

the starting point of the first road-though not a particularly satisfactory one from the

plains to Ootacamund.148The visits of Colonel Mackenzie’s surveyors to the Nilgiris must

have taken place sometime after 1806, as records show that the survey of North

Coimbatore was not begun until certainly that year.149In the early part of the year 1818 J.

[Link] and N.W. Kindersley, Assistant and Second Assistant respectively to the

collector of Coimbatore,went up by Danayakankottai,Denad route,crossed the plateau in

a southwesterly direction, descended by the Sundapatti pass from Mnajanakombai to the

Bhavani valley,and returned Coimbatore. Their exact route was not clear but it suggested

that they might have gone by way of Wellington and Kateri and thus missed

Udhagamandalam.150

Expedition of Sullivan and Leschenault in 1819

148
Frederick price., Ootacamund A History, Madras,1908, pp. 2-3.
149
Ibid., p. 3.
150
W. Francis.,Op. cit., p. 107.
 The next expedition was in May 1819 C.E., when John Sullivan, accompanied by

the French naturalist M. Leschenault de a Tour and so official records show assistant

surgeon Jones, paid another visit to the Nilgiris. No detailed account can found of the

movements Which according to a letter, dated 5th July 1819 C.E., written from

Pondicherry by M. Leschenault, describing the tour, was on the climate, inhabitants

productions, etc., in the original French, with an indifferent translation into English. It

gives no route, but the description that it contains of the some places inclined to black,

and very fertile.151SThe French men had been sick in the plains but soon after reaching

the higher elevation, he became more vigorous that he had been in plains energetically set

to collect samples of over 200 species of plants. Sir Frederic price, considers that they

stopped at Dimhatti and that John Sullivan might on this occasion, have commenced the

construction of a bungalow there in which he afterwards resided. It was probably on

February 22, 1821, that john Sullivan first visited wotkymund with a Badaga guide. He

acquired the stone house hill which was a funerary mund not inhabited by the Todas and

started building the first house of Udhagamandalam, the stone House, in which the

Government Arts College is now housed. In building the stone house, Sullivan was

assisted by his Scottish gardener, Johnson and by some local people. The first church

built was in 1823, a small Roman Catholic chapel. In the following years, seven housed

also had sprung up.152 John Sullivan from 1820 to 1827, pleaded to the directors of East

151
Frederick Price., [Link]., p. 11.
152
Paul Hockings., Op. cit., p. 335-342.
Indian Company to develop the Nilgiris as a sanatorium for sick European troops in

India. Responding to his request , the Government decided to develop the infrastructural

facilities for the hills. The roads leading to Udhagamandalam were developed, houses for

convalescent soldiers in the town were rented and a resident medical officer and

cantonment done by army choppers, though it was much encouraged by John Sullivan’s

advice.153 In 1826, he improved another pass up to the southern side of the hills. This

was latter known as John Sullivan’s ghat. His interests were thus very broadly concerned

with the development of the districts. He wish to the Nilgiris become an area of British

[Link] Thomas Munroe and Lushington,the then governors of madras

presidency also had interests in developing the Nilgiri hills.154

The Name Ootacamund

The meaning of the name Ootacamund is a point regarding which no convincing

solution has hitherto been offered, the word is certainly no corruption of the Tamil

tongue nor has it is origin in anything derived from the English language. The name of

the“mund”(Toda village) stood where stone house was subsequently built he was so

harkens in his a description of a singular aboriginal race inhabiting, the summit of the

Nilgiri hills in 1832 states “Pathk Morrt”, the former word being, it is alleged by him.

The name of the owner, and the latter signifying “home” or “grange” of “Ootacamund”

153
Burton Richard., Op. cit., p. 270.
154
W. Francis., Op. cit., p. 111.
itself, he writes, “it is needless to search for the derivation of this word, which has

evidently gone through many stages of corruption.”

Metz, in his tribes inhabiting the Nilgiris states that it is a corruption of the Badaga

word Hottaga mund and that he whole valley took its name from this mund; Yule and

Brunel, in Hobson quote from Metz, the same derivation. Neither of these authorities

attempts any explanation of the meaning of [Link], of Mecca fame, says of it, in his

Goa and the Blue Mountains, which refer to a visit to the Nilgiris, “Ootacamund,

wootacamund or wotay.’ Mund means a village in the language of the hill people.155

‘Ootac’ is a corruption of the Toda spoken word Hootkh a word unpronounceable to the

Indians of the plains. He however, offers no etymological explanation, and gives no

grounds for his statement.156 A very rich Toda named parth-kai lived at old Ooty, his

house being on the piece of land, which now belongs to one job. The rich Todas have

usually at some distance from their houses single stones planted in the ground, on which

they place the presents made by them to their Gurus or religious preceptors, as these

persons not receive anything from the hands the Todas themselves, on the ground, that

they are thereby polluted, when John Sullivan visited the mund, the Todas received him,

and pointing to the single stone which stood on the spot now occupied by stone house,(

said, by way of welcome),‘jellokoa mandu’ (take this stone village; let it be yours).

Ottakal is the Tamil expression for a single stone; hence Ootakal-mund (the village of the
155
Rivers William Hales., The Todas, London, 1906, pp. 719-730.
156
Frederick Price., [Link]., p. 14.
single stone).This afterwards became corrupted into Ootacamund.157If these are accepted,

the tale of the Toda passed by the Rev. Kofoed, and the theory that the name Ootacamund

is a corruption of the Tamil Otte-kal-mund both fall to the ground as does the derivation

propounded by Grigg. For in all human probability Whotokamund knew it in 1820.158

Ootacamund: English Eden in the Nilgiris

The First Record of European interest in the Nilgiris is in the year of 1602, when

Francisco Roy the first Roman Catholic bishop of the Syrian Christians dispatched a

priest, and a deacon to investigate stories of a lost tribe of Christians “in a country called

Todamala,” with the aim “that priests and preachers should be sent their immediately to

redeem them to the Catholic faith Baptise them, etc.” They found the Todas, whom they

believed to be degenerated from “the Ancient Christian missionary of St. Thomas.” The

priest reported that he conversed with a Toda priest and presented “looking glasses and

hanks of thread” to Toda women, but returned with “no information leading to the sup-

position that either they or their ancestors ever had anything to do with any form or

profession of Christianity.127 There was almost no European interest in the region for the

next two hundred years. From 1799 onwards, the Nilgiri Mountains were included in the

revenue area of Coimbatore, and Frederick Price reports that a Chetty would periodically

collect revenue. In 1819, two Europeans in pursuit of a Poligar accused of robbing

157
W. Francis., Op. Cit., p. 102.
158
H.B. Grigg., Op. Cit., p. 277.