ABBAKKA RANI : THE WARRIOR QUEEN ( 1525 - 1570 )

Posted on : 08-September-2022 15:09:48 Writer : Mishell Goyal

The warrior queen of Tulu Nadu , Abbakka Rani also known as Abbakka Mahadevi who bravely fought against Portuguese in the later half of the 16 th century . She belonged to the Chowta dynasty who ruled over the area from the temple town of Moodabidri , the port town of Ullal served as their subsidiary capital .

            If we throw light on Abbakka's personal life then she was an extraordinary child and as she grew up she showed signs of being a visionary . There was no equal to her in military science and warfare , mainly in archery and sword fighting . Her father encouraged her to do so.

          This dynasty followed a matrilineal system which resulted in the coronation of the queen of Ullal in 1525 . While performing matrimonial alliance with Lakshmappa arasa, the powerful king of neighbouring Mangalore , the worries for Portuguese increased . Tirumala Raya who known to be as her uncle , trained Abbakka with different aspects of warfare and military strategy . The journey of her marital life was too short ,  so she returned to Ullal and faced harsh criticism because her husband later joined with Portugals due to the ultimate motive to take revenge from the queen of Ullal. Portuguese made several attempts to capture Ullal as it strategically placed. But Abbakka repulsed each of their attacks for over four decades . For her bravery , she came to be known as Abhay Rani ( The fearless queen ) . Sometimes she is regarded as the first woman freedom fighter of India as she was also one of the earliest Indians to fight the colonial powers . While Rani of Jhansi has become symbol of courage , Abbakka, nearly 300 years of her predecessors has been largely forgotten by history . Her furious wars with Portuguese are not recorded well . But whatever is available speaks of a luminous personality of awesome valour and bravery.

           Ullal was a prosperous port and a hub of the spice trade to Arabia and other countries in the west . Though Abbakka was a Jain by faith , her administration was well represented by Hindus and Muslims as well . Her army too consisted of people of all sects and castes including the Mogaveeras, a fisher folk community . She even forced alliances with the Zamorin of Calicut and other South Muslim rulers of Tulunadu towards this end .

                The first attack by the Portuguese in South Kanara coast was in 1525 , when they destroyed the Mangalore Port . Rani Abbakka was alerted by the incident and started preparing herself to protect her Kingdom.

             The Portuguese clearly upset by the Abbakka's tactics demanded that she have to pay them tribute but Abbakka refused to yield . In 1555 , the Portuguese sent Admiral Don Alvaro da Silveira to fight with her , but then also she refused to pay them tribute.

            In this battle that followed Rani Abbakka once again managed to hold her own and repulsed the attack successfully. She constantly resisted the attacks full of death and destruction .  Abbakka's memory is much cherished in her home town Ullal as THE VEERA RANI ABBAKKA UTSAVA. It as an annual celebration held in her memory. The Veera Rani Abbakka Prashasti is awarded to distinguished women on the occasion.

         In 2009 , the Indian coast guard launched ICGS Rani Abbakka , a first in a series of fine Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPVS) at Vishakhapatnam .

Mishell Goyal