Kodavas are military caste of Kodagu district of Karnataka.
Kodagu is mountainous country and even today is a well forested.
Kodavas used this mountainous and forested landscape to their advantage - invading armies were lured deep into Kodagu, then relentlessly harassed by guerrilla warfare and then finished off by large scale surprise attacks.
Problems between Kodagu and Muslim rulers of Mysore began as early as 1765.
Hyder Ali of Mysore sent a large force under Fazalulla Khan to conquer Kodagu. Kodavas under Chikka Virappa defeated the force in four major battles and forced them into retreat.
Unfortunately in 1773, a succession dispute in Kodagu was taken advantage by Hyder Ali - Lingaraja, one of the contestants asked for Hyder Ali’s help and he invaded Kodagu with a Mysore army.
This force was thoroughly defeated at Battle of Yedavanad. But Lingaraja being a Kodava himself, persuaded many Kodavas to support his cause and this managed to win over the whole Kodagu without any fight!
Deposed king named Devapparaja and his entire family was murdered by Hyder Ali.
But soon nemesis struck - in 1780, Lingaraja died.
His sons Vira Rajendra and Lingaraja were minors - taking advantage of this situation, Hyder Ali took over the administration of Kodagu directly.
His pretext was that he will rule until princes became adults - though it was clear to all that his aim was annex Kodagu. Both princes were kept in captivity for 8 years (until 1788).
In 1782, a massive revolt broke out in Kodagu as people were angry with Hyder Ali deposing their king.
Kodavas drove out all Mysore forces from their land and became independent (Hyder had died in the meantime).
Now Tipu is the ruler of Mysore - he invades Kodagu in 1784 but was driven out by Kodavas in 1785.
Tipu then sent another army of 15,000 men but were defeated by 4,000 Kodavas at Battle of Ulagulli. Entire Mysore army had flee for their life and their whole baggage was looted by Kodavas.
Then as usual, Tipu used treachery - he promised to make peace with Kodavas and invited them for a peace talk at Talakkaveri.
But Kodava delegation was arrested and their 85,000 followers and their family members were forcibly converted to Islam.
Not content with this, Tipu then ordered his army to kill every single Kodava man they could lay hand on and enslave their women and children.
Terrible atrocities were committed - mass rape, enslavement of women, forcible conversions, destruction of temples, slaughter of cows, wholesale burning of villages, fields and orchards etc.
Kodavas refused to buckle and wage valiant guerrilla warfare from hills and forests.
In 1788, imprisoned VIRA RAJENDRA along with his family escaped from jail (due to help by Pazhassi Raja by some accounts).
Kodavas who were leaderless until then, rallied around this charismatic and energetic 24 year old prince.
He and his men launched a massive campaign that drove out Muslim forces from Mysore and even invaded and sacked Mysore proper itself.
Infuriated Tipu sent a large army under Ghulam Ali to deal with Kodavas - bitter fighting followed. Kodavas fought for every inch of land and Mysore army suffered heavy losses.
Luck also came to help Kodavas as Ghulam Ali and his army was re-directed to Malabar in 1789 to deal with massive revolt by Nayars there.
But Vira Rajendra was determined not to let Mysore army retreat in peace - He and his men launched a massive attack on retreating army of Ghulam Ali and slaughtered a large part of enemy force in Battle of Kodantur.
Another Mysore force sent against him was totally defeated at Battle of Heggala and their entire baggage was looted.
This was followed by Kodavas defeating another Mysore army in Battle of Kushalnagara and seized the Mysore fortress there.
He followed up this victory by defeating Mysore garrison stationed at Beppunad and then seizing several forts and outposts of Mysore army across Kodagu.
In 1790, Tipu sent another large force under Buranuddin into Kodagu - this force too was defeated by Vira Rajendra at Second Battle of Kushalnagara.
His next major victory was occupation of Amara Sulya.
Tipu for the last time, sent a large force under Kader Khan to defeat Vira Rajendra - but Khan was also defeated at Battle of Mullusoge and most important Mysore fort in Kodagu - Mercara was captured.
Rajendra and his troops then invaded Mysore proper once more and pillaged it thoroughly to retaliate the destruction done by Tipu’s troops in Kodagu.
With this, Kodagu was permanently free of Tipu’s threat.
Post Script:
Revengeful Tipu - unable to defeat Rajendra in battle - sent assassins to kill him. But they were caught and executed.
When Tipu faced British threat in Third Anglo-Mysore War, he tried to reconcile with Rajendra and asked his help.
Rajendra told him that he will not help him as he could never forget nor forgive the genocidal cruelty done to his people.
Reference:
Coorg Manual - G. Richter (1870)
Written in Quora by Sagar Meloth
