Wayanad

Wayanad is a wooded upland of the Western Ghats, above the Malabar coast. Its hills and valleys contain evidence of ancient settlement: engravings on the walls of the Edakkal caves record people and signs from long before the kingdoms of the region. The land later came under the Kottayam royal family and was occupied by Mysore under Hyder Ali.

After the treaty of Srirangapatna in 1792, British authority spread into Malabar and disputes followed over the uplands. Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja of Kottayam resisted the Company, taking refuge in Wayanad’s forests. With support from Kurichiya fighters and other local communities, his forces used the difficult terrain in a long campaign. Pazhassi Raja died in 1805 as the British brought the resistance to an end. The forested hills had provided both a refuge and a base for his struggle.