21th
August 2017.
This
scheduled walk of “The Arcot Nawabs Trail at Triplicane” kick started on 20th
Aug 2017, after a delay of 20 minutes
around 06.20 hrs, from Madras University
entrance on Walajah Road. This walk is a part of Madras day celebrations.
Registered for this walk well in advance. Since all the gates except one, of PWD offices are closed, reached back side of the Khalsa mahal through
small passage. Mr Anwar gifted us a small bottle of “ather”, a perfume extracted from the natural flowers,
which normally used by the Muslims before going to the Mosque and functions. The
he started explaining the details of the Kalsa Mahal and Humayun Mahal. The story of the Nawab’s Chepauk
Palace goes like this…
The
Carnatic usually refers to South India, once the power center of various
dynasties like Mughals, Marathas, British, French and also The Nawabs of Arcot.
This dynasty of Arcot was controlled between Mughals and Marathas during 17th
century. Till date the present Prince, Nawab Mohammad Abdul Ali holds the seat of
power as Arcot and Madras, presently called Chennai as their Home.
At
the end of 17th Century, while Marathas are trying to establish their
base in South, Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor
wants to overtake Marathas. So he sent Zulfikar Khan, who could not
do anything for about 6 years. Seeing this the local chieftain Yechamma
Nayak had written a letter to Aurangzeb saying that Zulfikar
Khan is fooling the Emperor and if he is given power, he would defeat Marathas
within a weeks time. But the letter some how landed on the hands of Zulfikar
Khan. So he called Yechamma Nayak cunningly for a meeting, without revealing,
how he got the letter written to the Emperor
and killed him. After Marathas were defeated Zulfikar Khan was recalled to Delhi and also Zulfikar Khan was asked to make Yechamma Nayak's son to the throne. ( This shows that Aurangzeb knew the feud between Zulfikar Khan & Yechamma Nayak ). Saadatullah Khan or Mohammad Saiyid, the successor of Zulfikar Khan has become the Nawab of Arcot.
While
the Arcot Nawabs grew, the British East India company also established their
strong hold from Fort St. George. The friendship between Nawabs and British
also grew slowly. The British supplied liquor and expensive gifts to the Nawab
Daud Khan Panni, who was a drunkard. He has the funny character of giving
villages in the drunken state and ask British to return back during normal.
Zulfikar
Khan’s successor Saadatullah Khan or Mohammad Saiyid wants to suppress the
business of British by establishing a Port at Mylapore, but landed at Kovalam.
He invited Armenians and Belgium East India Company for the trading to get more revenue. The
Robert Clive and Dupleix clashed in the
wars of carnatic, British won the war and Mohammad Ali Wallajah came to the Power of Arcot. When Wallajah
wants to move to Madras, where there are no friends, asked British to build his Palace in side the St.George Fort which
was turned down. ( There is an another version that the Governor himself asked Wallajah to built a Palace within the fort, which was denied ). A new Palace was built at Chepauk on the banks of River
Cooum. The Palace’s north boundary the present Madras University has become the
bathing ghat for the Wallajah.
The
present Chepauk Palace consists of two blocks namely Khalas Mahal, which was
built in mid 1760's with minaret entrances on west and south and
Humayun Mahal with a single story. It was believed that the Khalas
Mahal was designed by Paul Benfield. In
the mean time the Khalas Mahal was taken over by the British for the debt of Wallajah. Robert
Chisholm made alteration in both blocks
and converted in to offices for the Revenue board of Governor Lord Napier. The
original single story Humayun mahal was added with madras terrace first floor. Both blocks are inter connected with a
75 feet tall domed and minaret square tower called Records tower in 1870 CE, by Robert Chisholm.
Since
we are not allowed to enter the Khalas mahal under renovation and all the gates are closed, we returned
back on the same way and headed towards Wallajah Big Mosque.
Khalas Mahal an old Photo – Courtesy :
The Hindu & Mr Muthiah
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