Chempil Arayan
Encyclopedia
Chempil Anantha Padmanabhan Valiya Arayan Kankumaran, known as Chempil Arayan, was the Admiral
of the fleet in the service of Avittam Thirunal Balarama Varma
, King of Travancore
. A member of the Arayan
caste, he was born at Chempu
, near Vaikom
, in Kottayam
, Kerala
, India.
Chempil Arayan started one of the earliest uprisings against British Colonialism
in India during the days of the British East India Company
in 1809; among other things he led an attack on Bolghatty Palace, the residence of the then Company Resident, Colin Macaulay
. The Resident escaped narrowly with his life, eluding the attackers through an underground tunnel and fleeing in a small boat. The Arayan was later captured, and freed after the payment of a ransom; he died in battle against the forces of the Company.
Chempil Arayan was well known for his naval exploits using the traditional Kerala
boat known as the "Odi Vallam".
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
of the fleet in the service of Avittam Thirunal Balarama Varma
Balarama Varma
Avittom Thirunal Balarama Varma was a ruler of the Indian princely state of Travancore from 1798 to 1810, succeeding Maharajah Dharma Raja. His rule of Travancore was full of disturbances and internal and external problems...
, King of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
. A member of the Arayan
Arayan
Arayan is a Malayali caste of Kerala, India. They inhabit the coastal regions of the state. The main source of income of this community is fishing...
caste, he was born at Chempu
Chempu
Chempu is a village near Vaikom in Kottayam, Kerala, India. It is bounded by the shores of the Lake Vembanad, and is crossed by various distributaries of the River Muvattupuzha....
, near Vaikom
Vaikom
Vaikom is a taluk and also its capital town, situated in the North-West of Kottayam in Kerala, India. Its western border is the Lake Vembanad, and is crossed by various estuaries of the River Muvattupuzha. It lies between Ernakulam and Kottayam...
, in Kottayam
Kottayam district
Kottayam is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala, India. The district has its headquarters at Kottayam town, located at 9.36° N and 76.17° E. According to the 1991 census, it is the first district to achieve highest literacy rate in the whole of India...
, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India.
Chempil Arayan started one of the earliest uprisings against British Colonialism
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
in India during the days of the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
in 1809; among other things he led an attack on Bolghatty Palace, the residence of the then Company Resident, Colin Macaulay
Colin Macaulay
Colin Macaulay , general, slavery abolitionist and campaigner. Macaulay was a son of the Rev. John Macaulay , minister in the Church of Scotland, grandson of Dòmhnall Cam. and his mother was Margaret Campbell. He had two brothers: Rev...
. The Resident escaped narrowly with his life, eluding the attackers through an underground tunnel and fleeing in a small boat. The Arayan was later captured, and freed after the payment of a ransom; he died in battle against the forces of the Company.
Chempil Arayan was well known for his naval exploits using the traditional Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
boat known as the "Odi Vallam".