332 MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



CHAP. XIII, Collector of Malabar in 1833 as follows : " Land lias^ from time 

 PAKT I. to time, been purcbased from the Todawars by different persons 

 Revenue ^o^ ^^® purposes of building and cultivation, wben a small 

 History, compensation, generally from 10 to 50 rupees, always amply 

 ' satisfied them ; and these purchases were, until the recent orders 

 of Government, generally effected through the Officer Command- 

 ing on the Hills, who, being on the spot, was able to see justice 

 done to all parties." The Todas, he remarks, had " learnt to 

 assert and protect their own rights on all occasions, and never 

 failed to make a good bargain in disposing of their lands ;" 

 and he adds that he had received no complaints of oppression 

 J being used towards them to induce or compel them to part with 



their lands. But there was a notable exception to this — Kandel- 

 mand — which the Todas only alienated to Sir W. Rumbold, who 

 required it to form part of the domain which he desired to attach 

 to the house he was then building, after considerable compulsion 

 on the part of the Peschar and the offer of Rupees 400, their 

 unwillingness being due to the existence of a small temple in its 

 centre, which they alleged contained " the effigies of their gods 

 and the monuments of their ancestors. '^ 

 Sir Frederick So long as Mr. S. R. Lushington held the reins of Government 

 Adam's ^^^ rights of the Todas as well as the Badagas in the land were 



virtually ignored, but with the change of Governors came a 

 violent reaction in the policy of the Government. Shortly after 

 Sir Frederick Adam's accession to power the Government turned 

 its attention to the land question, and caused a searching inquiry 

 to be made into all land transactions with the Hill tribes. As 

 regards the Badagas the Government had themselves been the 

 chief transgressors in the matter of the Kaity Experimental 

 Farm, where cultivated lands belonging to Badaga ryots had been 

 appropriated by Government without payment of any compensa- 

 tion, the assessment only being remitted. As regards the Todas 

 the only important case was that of Sir W. Rumbold, above referred 

 to ; in both instances ample compensation was granted to the 

 sufferers and the land restored. 



The action of Sir Frederick Adam's Government was mainly in 

 accord with the views of the Court of Directors, who, early in 1834, 

 when calling for a report on the past and present condition of 

 the Todas, had expressed a strong desire that the rights of ^this 

 people should be respected, and that they should not be deprived of 

 any of their privileges without ample remuneration. The report 

 called for by the Court opened up the whole question of the 

 Todas' rights in the soil. Mr. Sullivan was at this time Principal 

 '^ Collector of Coimbatore. He at once took up the cause of the 

 Todas, and, succeeding to Council in 1835, he was enabled to 

 caiTy on the contest with advantage and final success, which 



