34 HISTORICAL REMARKS ON 



into Malabar, fprcad considerable alarm ,* and the in. 

 jured parties, as well as the great body of Nayrs and 

 Hindus, who juftly feared for what might happen to 

 themfelves, rallied around, and looked principally up 

 to, that Prince of the Samoory's family, called the 

 younger Ruvee Vurma, (who with his elder bro- 

 ther, of the fame name, had fome years before forced 

 Hyder's officers to purchafe their temporary and 

 doubtful neutrality,) through whofe afTiftance upwards 

 of thirty thoufand Brdhmens (including their wives and 

 families) efcaped from July to November, 1788, from 

 the Calicut diftri&s into Travancore ; befides which, 

 refenting thefe opprefllons by Tippoo on thofe of 

 his feci: and religion, Ruvee Vurma proceeded to 

 open hoftilities with the officers of Tippoo's govern- 

 ment, and proving victorious, and being affifted by 

 the Nelemboor and Perefnaad converts, as well as by 

 the Nayrs in general, and even by fome of the Ma- 

 nillas, a general infurredHon took place throughout the 

 fouthern diftricls, and the infurgents becoming maf- 

 ters of the open country, inverted Calicut, fo that 

 Tippoo found it neceffary to difpatch Monfieur Lally 

 with a ftrong force to its relief, on whofe arrival the 

 Rajah retreated, and was afterwards attacked in differ- 

 ent places, without, however, being driven quite out 

 of the field; infomuch that Tippoo, fearing, perhaps, 

 for the ftability of his dominion in Malabar, followed 

 Monf. Lally in perfon, in January or February, 1789; at 

 which period his defigns were generally reported to aim at 

 the entire converlion, or extirpation, of the whole race 

 of Rajahs, Nayrs, and other Hindus; many of whom 

 were accordingly feized on, and circumcifed; whilft 

 others efcaped ; or, failing in the attempt, put themfelves 

 to death, to avoid lofs of caff ; one affecting inftance of 

 which is related of the Rajah of Cherical, who, finding 

 that he wasalfo to be circumcifed, attempted toefcapej 

 and being purfued by Tippoo's troops, and feeing no 

 likelihood of being able to maintain any long rcfiftance 

 again ft them, he, after providing for the fafety of his 

 fitter and her fon, by fending them off to Travancore, 



preferred 



