RANI ABBBAKKA OF ULLAL FOUGHT FOREIGNERS TOOTH AND NAIL MUCH BEFORE THE WAR OF 1857.

RANI ABBBAKKA OF ULLAL FOUGHT FOREIGNERS TOOTH
AND NAIL MUCH BEFORE THE WAR OF 1857.
Dr K Prabhakar Rao

. There are many heroes and Heroines in the history of India who fought invasions by foreigners to protect this land. Many have vanished into pages of history without any recognition unsung and unheard. Due ceridty has not been given to them. Rani Laxmi Bai shines gloriously in Indian history . She fought the Englsihmen in the war of 1857 and lain down her life. This war took place not many years ago and comparatively is a recent one. Prior to her Rani Chennamma of Kittur, Veera Pandya Kattabomman of Panchala Kurichhi, Velu Thambbi the PM of Travancore Cochin state fought the East India company and resisted their domination. They laid down their lives cheerfully. They were fiercely patriotic.Alluri Seetha RamaRaju who waged war against British administration in Andhra agency areas in last century was very recent hero. Rani Abbakka from Karnataka state in 16 th century was one such woman of great patriotism who fought Portugese invaders fiercely. She has not been due credit in our recorded history.
Rani Abbakka was the queen of a Ullal in Tulunadu which is a principality in the region of Mangalore in the present Karnataka state. She is one of the earliest freedom fighters of India much before Jhansi Rani Laxmi Bai ( 300 years). She resisted the Portuguese tooth and nail till she breather her last. Though her kingdom was small she was a woman of great courage, fiercely patriotic and had clear fore thought. Her intense wars with Portuguese are not well chronicled in History. But whatever is available speaks of this great personality of great valor and bravery. It is believed that there were three Abbakkas, mother and two daughters who fought Portugese between 1530 -1599. The second daughter is known to be the most valiant. But legends consider all the three as one. She was popularly known as Abbakka Mahadevi.She was from Chouth dynasty
According to local ballads, Abbakka was an extraordinary and exceptional child and as she grew u and showed signs of being a visionary. There was no equal to her in military science and warfare, mainly in archery and sword fighting. Her father encouraged her in this and after she was well versed in all areas, she was married to a neighboring local king of Bangher. The marriage did no last long with Abbakka breaking the ties The husband thus nurtured revenge against Abbakka and later on joined the Portuguese in a treaty, to fight Abbakka.
Ullal fort, the capital of Abbakka’s kingdom, is located just a few kilometers away from the city of Mangalore, on the shores of the Arabian Sea. It is a historical as well as a pilgrim spot because of the beautiful Shiva Temple built by the Queen and a unique natural rock, called the Rudra Rock. The rock appears to change colors every second, as the sweater splashes on it.

The Portuguese in their first attack in south Canara coast in 1525, destroyed the Mangalore port. Rani Abbakka was alerted by the incident and started preparing herself to protect her kingdom. In 1555, the Portuguese sent Admiral Don Alvaro da Silvereira against the Queen of Ullal Abbakka Devi Chowta who had refused to pay them the tribute. They were repulsed by the queen Abbakka. The Portuguese Army in 1558 in another wanton cruelty on Mangalore, put to death a number of men and women, both young and old, plundered a temple, burnt ships and finally set the city itself on fire.
Again, in 1567, the Portuguese army attacked Ullal, showering death and destruction. The great Queen Abbakka Devi Chowta (Bucadevi I) resisted it.The same year General Joao Peixoto was sent by the Portuguese Viceroy Antony Norohna with a fleet of soldiers. He captured the city of Ullal and also entered the royal court. However the Queen escaped and took asylum in a mosque. The same night, she counter-attacked the Portuguese army, with a help of 200 of her soldiers and killed General Peixoto and 70 Portuguese soldiers.The invaders were forced to flee to their ships in disgrace. The Portuguese soldiers who remained in Ullal were dead drunk, in over confidence and were dancing. Taking advantage of this opportunity, about 500 Muslim supporters , Abbakka Rani attacked the Portuguese and killed Admiral Mascarenhas and the foreign army had to leave the Mangalore fort.In 1569, the Portuguese Army not only regained the Mangalore Fort but also captured Kundapur (Basrur). Abbakka Rani was a source of threat to the Portuguese. They won the confidence of Abbakka’s estranged husband, Bangher and started attacking Ulla. Abbakka Rani fought vigorously.She formed an alliance in 1570 with Deccani Sultan of Ahmed Nagar and the Zanmorine of Calicut, who where also opposing the Portuguese. Kutty Pokar Markar, a General of the Zamorine fought on behalf of Abbakka and destroyed the Portuguese fort at Mangalore but while returning he was killed by the Portuguese.
Abbakka lost the war as her husband assisted the Portuguese by revealing to them her strategies of warfare, which he was familiar with. She was arrested and jailed. However, the warrior that she was, she was, she revolted in the prison and died as a soldier – fighting. Although Abbakka lived in the folklore efforts are being made to revive her memory. But these are not sufficient. Probably there are some more valiant personalities who have gone un noticed and it is most essential that such personalities receive their due credit..
It is very tragic to note that pseudo leaders are being glorified at present by naming everything in their names as in the case of Nehru, Rajeev and Indira as if the whole nation was conceived and developed by the, You look at any thing India it is being named after them shamelessly. The Chief Ministers of congress ruled states shamelessly are after this game of sycophancy to win favors for themselves and eat crumbs of bread for some more days thrown at them by the dynasty.

Bibliography
1. Abbakka Rani, Wikipedia ihttp://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:SxF366oCmHkJ:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbakka_Rani+Abbakka+Mahadevi&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in
2. Kailash kr Mishra, Abbakaka Rani unsung warrior queen, http://www.ignca.nic.in/nl001903.htm