'BREAST-CLOTH' CONTROVERSY - THREE DIFFERENT HISTORICAL SOURCES REVEALING THE 'TRUTH' !!!!

I am pleased to bring for the perusal of those interested to know the truth, the Historical material culled from three different sources. All these sources are available in the public domain.

(1)Part 1 is from the The Travancore State Manual  compiled by V.Nagam Aiya, The Dewan of Travancore.  Nagam Aiya  gives us a glimpse of the Origins as well as the Settling down of  Shanars/Nadars in Travancore. The Shanars were invited to settle in Travancore  by the Royal family.Note the attempts of Bishop Robert Caldwell in projecting Nadars as ‘outsiders’ from Ceylon.

(2) Part 2 is  the work of Rev. Samel Mateer. His observations about Travancore  contradict Missionary accounts  of Upper-caste Hindus not allowing females of lower castes from covering their breasts. Since cotton was not cultivated in Travancore, the people there were sparing in the use of textiles. Note the Missionary’s business calculations, in importing inferior textiles from England, capturing  the Travancore market and selling there at huge profits.

(3) Part 3 provides a  detailed account of the disturbances  engineered by the Missionaries, using the pretext of ‘breast cloth’. The dynamics of the strife is neatly brought out by the Deputy Peshcar Shungoony Menon. (Imagine  what would happen if the peon in an  office pulls up a chair in the Sr.Manager's cabin, sit on it, and try to tell him(Mgr.)  that he does not know the theory and practice of his work /job) – This quarrel is not about clothing/non-clothing, but imitation of costumes of the upper-castes. (In India you are not supposed to keep red beacon light on your cars !!! Then there are social restrictions even in this modern world, you are not supposed to breach as a mark of respect to others and their customs)

The  Deputy Peshcar also comments about the work of other Christian Missions in Central Travancore, without creating any Law & Order Problem .

HISTORICAL MATERIAL :-

I.                    Shanars –ORIGIN  AND DESIGNATION.

The Shanars  are a class of Hindus inhabiting  Tinnevelly and the southern taluqs of Travancore. They belong to one of the races that are commonly classed as Dravidians., Tamil being their mother tongue.  The correct  form of the name of this race is Shandrar which is derived from a Tamil word sal. The expressions  Shanrar and Shandrarar are also derived from the same root and are but different forms of Shandrar.

From a few stray hints that are found in the Tamil literature and the traditions peculiar to the race, we learn that the Shanars belong to a wave of warlike adventurers  who migrated towards the south from North India. (The Shanars are called Kali Puthirar (the sons of Kali or Bhadrakali) and this goddess is considered  as their tutelary deity.  – Enathi-Natha-nayanar one of the sixty-three disciples of Siva is described as having belonged  to the Shandrar caste in the  Tamil work Periyapuranam  and as Sakshikula bhava in the Sanskrit work.) Popular legends tend to point out the tract between the Krishna and the Godavari rivers as one of their  earliest homes in India.  But Bishop Caldwell  considers them  as emigrants  from the northern coast of Ceylon  Hence the question as to whence they came has to be solved in common with the other Dravidian races.

 They appear to have, in the earliest times, settled down as rulers  in several parts of the country.  The fact of their having been a ruling race at one time is borne out not only by such expressions as Nadar and Nadalvar. (The expression Nadalvar occurs in some ancient stone inscriptions  of Travancore), but also by numerous customs which are peculiar to them  and by other circumstances. Their rule  was subsequently  overthrown by later waves of Dravidians.

The Shanars of Travancore seem to have migrated into the southern taluqs of Travancore either from or through the Tinnevelly Dist. The traditions  of some of the old families show that their ancestors  had been called into the country by some of the ancient kings of Travancore.  There are eight families to this day known as Ettuveetu-Nadakkal. Of all the taluqs  in Travancore, Eraniel  has the largest number of Shanars. Out of a total of 1,55,864 Shanars in Travancore, 43,044 are found in the Eraniel Taluq, the earliest seat of the Travancore sovereigns, while the Taluqs  of agastisvaram and Tovala, which lie nearer to Tinnevelly than Eraniel, have only 23,718 and 3,263 respectively.  This fact lends countenance to an inference that they were patronized by the ancient kings of Travancore. They have permanently settled down in  the country. The bulk of the Shanars of Travancore are found in Eraniel, Vilavankod, Agastisvaram, kalkulam and Neyyatinkara. They are more numerous than any other caste in these Taluqs except in the last.

The people of this caste are ordinarily  called Shanars by people of other castes, but they themselves  use the term  Nadar. The word Nadar is also used as a title. The titles Tiruppapur Nadar, Udaya Martanda Nadar, Nagamani  Martanda Nadar,  & C.  were granted to some families of Shanars by the ancient kings of Travancore.  It has to be said in this connection that the Ezhavars (Izhavas)  are sometimes spoken   of as Shanars because some families of that class are called by that name. This is however a mistake. Perhaps some families of Izhavas  were in ancient  times  granted the tiltle of shanars. Izhavas, like oil-mongers, Alavars and others, belong  to the left-hand classes, while shanars occupy a high place among the right-hand classes. The Shanars are known as Valankai-Uyarvu-Kondar  or   Valankai-Uya-Kondar. These terms are found in ancient and modern title-deeds.

The  names used for the headmen of the caste are Periya Nadan, Turattu Nadan, Mutal Pattu Nadan, Karakara Nadan,  & c. The  head-man of the working men is called Mukkandan. (pages 392, 393, Vol. 2, The Travancore State Manual, written by V.Nagam Aiya,First Published 1906, Publisher : Asian Educational Services)

Other information  like  (a) Appearance, dress and ornament (b) Sub-divisions, (c) Marriage (d) Inheritance (e) Religion (f)  Customs and Ceremonies (g) Funeral Ceremonies (h) Occupation (i) Language and Education (j) Condition and Status (k) Food and drink  (l) Distribution across Travancore, are provided , some of them in detail.

In Vol. I of  The Travancore State Manual,from pages 525 to 531, in Section C-Modern History, a portion titled “ Shanar Converts and Hindus –Disturbances in South Travancore” is provided . But since this book was published only by 1906, the account from another book published earlier , ie in 1878 is provided in the coming pages. 

II.                  Cotton manufacture – Chapter XXII

Cotton not being grown in Travancore, and the people having hitherto  been accustomed, even till recently, many of them by law obliged, to go half naked, and to wear only coarse qualities of cloth, the manufacture of this material is carried on to a very limited extent. Most of the calico used for clothing  purposes is imported from other parts, and a Tinnevelly man  may often be recognized  in Travancore by his fuller clothing.   The climate  does not appear to suit the growth of the cotton plant, though attempts were made, some twenty years ago, by the distribution of seeds, to introduce the better kinds of Peruvian, Persian, Bourbon, and other varieties. The raw material required for hand-spinning, and other purposes, is imported from British India. The statistics of forty years ago give the imports of raw cotton as 305 candies, or about 200,000 lbs, yielding  duty 3,020 rupees;  and those of last year state the tariff value as 26,675 rupees, admitted free of duty.

The last part of this chapter   “In addition to the local manufacture, long-cloth, chiefly grey, coloured  handkerchiefs,  and other piece goods, have always  been imported as needed to meet the demands of the population, from the neighbouring  provinces  and from Ceylon. These goods ae now admitted duty free, except those brought direct from England to Ceylon. The tariff value of imports of piece goods in (year) M.E 1054 was 1,117,498 rupees, and M.E 1055, Rs.846,632.  Take a large average of 10 lacs for piece  goods and 2 lacs for yarn imported, and double it for retail cost, say 24 lacs of  rupees  would be the total sum spent by the 24 lacs of inhabitants  in the country, or only one rupee per head per annum for clothing, not very much beyond what is spent upon tobacco !. Here is vast room for improvement.

English long-cloth is little used by the poor native population, and the low quality sometimes imported is complained of as giving less wear than country-made cotton.  They say that four or five common English steam-loom cloths will wear out for one native hand-made cloth; and that the former, when worn out, are useless even for wicks, so much required for oil lamps, burning away too rapidly.

Cotton cloth purchased by retail in a market in Travancore seems, as far as we can judge, to cost fully a fourth more than the retail price in England.” – (pages 239, 241, 242,  NATIVE LIFE IN TRAVANCORE  by  The Rev. Samuel Mateer, F.L.S of the London Missionary Society,and Author of “The Land of Charity,”  First Published : London ,1883,  Publisher : Asian Educational Services )

III. Deputy Peishcar Shungoonny Menon's account of the Disturbance.

  “Soon after the Governor’s departure, the deputy Peishcar Shungoonny Menon  rejoined his division in the south, but he had the mortification to find, that, during his absence fresh misunderstanding had arisen  between the Hindus and the Shanar converts.  The spirit of hostility  between these two sections of the inhabitants had lain dormant for some time chiefly  through the interference  of the Sircar authorities, but it seemed to have been again roused up, and the disputes  this time were of a more serious nature.  The Peishcar’s efforts to throw oil on the troubled waters and bring matters to a satisfactory  conclusion proved in the long run abortive; although he succeeded in restoring harmony between the parties temporarily.

The misunderstanding  had originated entirely from the Shanar Christian females assuming the costume of high caste Hindu females.  They had been doing this from the early days of their conversion, and instead of endeavouring to suppress what might eventually cause serious complications, the Missionaries encouraged them and fostered among them a spirit of hostility against the high caste Hindus. The Sircar had been necessitated, in 1814, to interfere and legislate for the future guidance of the Shanars,but notwithstanding this during a period of fifteen years there were quarrels on various occasions between the parties. Matters now looked serious and the interference  of the Govt. seemed to be again called for.  There had been a legislative enactment in 1829, at the very commencement of the reign of the greatly renowned Maha Rajah who died in 1022 M.E (1847 AD). In this enactment, it was clearly laid down that the female Shanar converts were at liberty to cover their bosoms with a jacket, and a strict prohibition was laid down against their adopting high caste Hindu costumes;  but the aim of the converts  had been persistently to defy the higher class Hindus and to despise their brother Shanars, who professed Hinduism (certainly with a hidden motive), and the converts were supported all along by the Missionaries whose intention apparently was to introduce  English customs as if they were in civilized England instead of Travancore.  They also claimed perfect toleration and liberty for their converts, without taking into consideration the time, the country, the nature of the Government, and their own position in foreign land and the consequence was that it was difficult to settle the dispute at once, while on the part of the Shanars there was an open defiance of the laws of the land, which, on account of the encouragement they received from the Missionaries, it was difficult to curb. And the Travancore Government, being reluctant to come in contact with the Missionaries, owing to its regard for the paramount power, desisted from taking active measures, and the result was that the Hindus and the Shanar converts and their respective supporters openly assumed hostile positions against each other.

Such a feeling existed between the parties from the earliest period of the Mission works in south Travancore, but by the strong protection and toleration afforded to the promotion of the Christian Missions by the Travancore Govt., the work of the Missionaries progressed most rapidly, and in the course of the next thirty years conversions to Christianity increased, and in the villages in Nanjenaud and the adjacent districts numerous Chapels, Churches and Schools were built.  These places were crowded with large numbers of Shanar converts, and the Catechists commenced to itenerate through all Hindu villages with their tracts and books and began preaching to the Hindus. This circumstance must naturally have roused the jealousy of the Hindus, while the converts instead of keeping themselves within bounds, took advantage  of their support by the Missionaries and began to prove themselves a source of annoyance to the Hindu portion of the people, by openly defying them whenever there was an opportunity and the result was the complication above alluded to.

It is a matter worthy of particular remark, that the Mission work of conversion in south Travancore was mostly, if not exclusively, confined to the Shanars, Parayars, and other low caste people, who form but a minor portion of the population of the districts, while conversions among the higher orders were seldom effected. At the same time, while the Church Mission Society in the north did its work quietly  and without endeavoring to introduce  reforms violently, the London Mission in the south seemed to pursue quite a different policy for nearly half a century.

The system adopted by the London Mission savored more of the undue and illegitimate exercise of power than persuasion and  well meant endeavours to impress upon people the truth of the principles of religion, and hence, the chief cause for the Hindus to be dissatisfied with them and to consider their proceedings offensive.

This fact can be seen from a fact connected with the founder of the London Mission in Travancore, the Reverend Mr. Ringeltaube, who, on paying a visit to the then Dewan Velu Thamby, for the express purpose of endeavouring to obtain a footing for the London Mission in Travancore, in 1806, being asked by the minister what religion  he professed, the Reverend gentleman answered “Colonel macaulay’s Religion,”(See Reverend Mateer’s Land of Charity, page 262) instead of saying the Christian religion or the religion established by Christ, who He was, when and how Jesus Christ was born, what wonders and miracles Christ had performed in the world, how He became the Saviour of mankind, how He suffered, and how His resurrection  took place after His crucifixion and burial and so on.  Let the reader note the severe rebuke implied  in the following remark which that great Hindu Statesman made on hearing what Mr. Ringeltaube  said about his professing “Colonel Macaulay’s religion,” “I never knew that there was such a religion”  said the dewan, meaning of course, a religion invented or professed by a private individual, for Christianity was in existence in Travancore for more than a thousand years before that period.

Acting under such selfish principles, it is no wonder that the Missionaries considered themselves to be entitled to respect from the Hindus. Why the Society did not think  of proceeding  in a more conciliatory manner with the Hindu portion of the population, and why they endeavoured to create in the Hindus a spirit antagonistic to the Christian religion are points for inquiry.

The very illustration in Mr. Mateer’s work, page 277, will show plainly how the females of the Shanar converts were taught to imitate the costume of the higher class Hindus, while there are numerous modes  of costumes adapted for Christians which would be more desirable from a European point of view. It is clear that this style of costume adopted by the Shanar converts was with the express object of annoying  the Hindu section of the population of the districts.

The costume in question was not the only cause for offence which the Shanar converts gave to the higher classes, but in various other ways they rendered themselves obnoxious to the Sudra community.

For instance, one Shanar Puthathan Cutty and his  wife, Eshakee, were the cultivators of madom Pillay, a Sudra landed proprietor. These became converts and left Madom Pillay’s service, and Puthathan Cutty subsequently became a Catechist under a Missionary, and his wife assumed a costume similar to that of Madom Pillay’s wife. Now, both the Catechist and his wife came to Madom Pillay’s house and began to converse with him, on terms of equality, commencing a discussion with Madom Pillay on the subject of religion and calling him “an ignorant man” and a sinner (as all the heathens are put down by the Mission people in the vernacular, in the category of  “Agjanikal”- ignorant men). Was it possible for Madom Pillay not to resent the impertinence of those who were but lately his dependents; and their sole object in coming to his house- the wife dressed in a costume similar to that of madom Pillay’s wife – must have been to cause him annoyance ? It is also worthy of note that on a quarrel ensuing between the Shanar converts  and Madom Pillay, the Missionary who used to support him , espoused the cause of the Catechist and appeared  himself before the authorities and adopted measures for the punishment of Madom Pillay in which favoured by the advantages of his color and position  he succeeded. Here is a solution  of the question why the Missionaries are considered by the Hindus as acting partially towards the converts and prosecuting the Hindus. Besides if even a reasonable complaint were made by sircar official, he would be represented by the Missionaries as partial and in a communication to the resident denounced as corrupt, unprincipled, and so forth. 

The Missionaries at the  same time did not hesitate to drag the Govt.  into the discussion.  The Missionaries by their writings can make the world believe that terrible persecutions against Christianity are carried on in Travancore, and the British Govt.  invariably  gives credence to statements thus disseminated, and being the paramount power, they can come down upon the Travancore Sircar with rebuke and strong disapproval, ignoring the fact that Christianity as professed by the Syrians and Roman Catholics existed in Travancore from time immemorial.  A convincing  instance in support of this statement shall be given presently.

Though the matters connected with the upper cloth dispute between the Shanar converts and the Hindu  were temporarily  adjusted by the exertions of the  deputy Peishcar, yet the disputes broke out again in a short time and several quarrels and disturbances took place between the parties in the markets and throughfares where the females of Shanar converts appeared in Hindu costumes. Just at this time, the Dewan Madhava Row paid a visit to the south and finding the serious nature of the rupture between the parties, he issued a proclamation on the 27^th Dec 1868, as a precautionary measure and with  the view of preventing further disturbances. The tenor of the proclamation was that, it was clearly wrong to violate ancient usages; that the law laid down for the observance of the parties  concerned, by the royal proclamation in the year 1829, should be respected; that whoever infringed the law would be liable to severe punishment, that Shanars were to bear the same in mind and act accordingly; that Sudras and people of the higher caste were not to do anything themselves against the Shanars and cause a breach of the peace, and that should they commit anything contrary to the law, due notice would be taken of their conduct.

This proclamation had nothing new in it. It was entirely founded upon  the enactment passed under the judicious advice and counsel of Colonel Munro in 1814, and in 1829, with the full concurrence of the able Resident, Colonel Morrison, C.B.

The rules prescribed by the Circular Order of 1814, and the proclamation of 1829, were precisely the same, and were calculated to prevent collisions and preserve peace between the contending parties. The sum and substance of those rules were that Shanar females, converted to Christianity should wear the costume worn by other Christian females, ie., jackets similar to those used by the lace-making Shanar females, as represented in the “Land of Charity,” page 272, but no prohibition whatever had been issued against the convert females  covering their bodies. Those rules were observed  and matters went on smoothly  for about thirty years. The Missionaries, for the time being, were contented with these rules, and preferred to wait for an opportunity to get them amended in a manner favouring the aims and fancies of the Shanar and Parayar converts.

Under these circumstances, Dewan Madhava Row’s judicious proclamation was considered by the Missionaries as a proof of his “gross and unconcealed partiality,” and they therefore at first petitioned the Maha Rajah  and then the Madras Govt. praying for the cancelling of the Dewan’s proclamation, the Circular Order of May 1814, and the proclamation of Feb.1829.

By this time, Lord Harris, the Governor of Madras retired, and was succeeded by Sir Charles Trevelyan, before whom the question was laid for decision.  His Excellency seemed to have taken a one-sided view of the question, and without giving  the matter calm and deliberate consideration, and reflecting on the real meaning of the Circular Order and proclamation alluded to, came to the conclusion that the privilege of covering their bosoms had been denied to the females of the Shanar converts by the Travancore Govt., and under this impression wrote in the following decisive terms to General Cullen :- “I have seldom met with a case in which not only truth and justice, but every feeling of our common humanity are so entirely on one side. The whole civilized world would cry shame upon us if we did not make a firm stand on such an occasion. If anything could make this line of conduct more incumbent on us, it would be the extraordinary fact that persecution of a singularly personal and delicate kind is attempted to be justified by a royal proclamation, the special object of which was to assure to her Majesty’s Indian subjects, liberty of thought and action so long as they did not interfere with the just right of others. I should fail in respect to her Majesty, if I attempted to describe the feelings with which she must regard the use made against her own sex of the promises of protection so graciously accorded by her.

It will be your duty to impress these views on His Highness the Rajah, and to point out to him that such prohibition as those conveyed in the Circular Order of May 1814, or in the proclamation of the 3^rd of February 1829, are unsuited to the present age, and unworthy of an enlightened Prince.”

This communication from the new Governor startled the old General, and he pressed upon the Maha Rajah to pass an act in accordance with the views of His Excellency but by adopting such a sweeping measure, The Maha Rajah apprehended still greater evils, and, consequently, after due and long deliberation and consultation with the able Dewan, a new royal proclamation was prepared and published in July of the same year 1859, making further concessions to the Shanar females in the matter of their dress. But this concession did not imply any permission to the convert females to assume the costume of Brahman women. The Missionaries were not quite satisfied with this proclamation, but it sufficed to check further disturbances on the score of dress.

The spirit of the Missionaries in this matter is evident from the Rev.S.Mateer’s work entitled “Land of Charity:” Chapter XII, pages 295-306. In his quasi-sensational writings, The Reverend gentleman animadverts rather strongly, and it must be said, with a good of unfairness, on the proceedings of a Govt. which had tolerated Christianity  hundreds of years before Protestantism  came into existence and which  had protected the very London Mission itself  from its cradle, so to speak, and this in a country whose people and sovereign profess orthodox Hinduism.

The unfair animadversions of the Missionaries cast a reflection on the reputation of the Maha rajah and of his Govt. and created an unfriendly feeling between them and the Hindus, who charge them with want of gratitude, after they had been allowed to work freely and open Missions  in their land.” (pages 503-511, Chapter VIII, History of Travancore From The Earliest Times, by P. Shungoonny Menon., First Published : 1878, Current Publisher : Asian Educational Services)