A monolith outcrop of granite, rising 900 feet from the ground, is a mute spectator to a gory history that shaped south India from the Second Century AD. Now known as the Rockfort (Malaikottai) in Dindigul, this outcrop may have been surrounded by thick forests during the megalithic period when areas like Thandikudi and Kodaikanal boasted of civilisation. In time, settlements could have sprung up. If Dindeechuram, as mentioned by St. Appar in Thevaram, is Dindigul, scholars say there is historical evidence to prove the existence of Dindigul from the 8th Century as a flourishing town. Archaeologist C. Santhalingam says Dindigul became a strategically important place not because it found itself on the emerging spice route but because of the vantage position of the hill that helped the rulers keep a watch on any marauding invaders. The rock hill also reveals the influence of Jainism in the region, as there are Jain beds carved out on one face of the rock. Mr. Santhalingam says these Jain beds, unlike those found in Madurai, have no Brahmi inscriptions. One of the reasons may be that Jainism had a fleeting influence in the region.
Silappathikaram, the Tamil epic written around the 5th or 6th Century AD, says Dindigul was the northern border of the Pandya kingdom with its capital in Madurai. Historians say Dindigul was also on the border of regions occupied by ‘moovendars’ of ancient Tamil Nadu: the Pandyas, the Cheras and the Cholas. Being the outpost for Pandyas, Dindigul should be the first town to fall for the Cheras, the Cholas and the Pallavas to enter Madurai. Hence, this place frequently turned into a battleground and resounded with beating of drums and battle cries. Historians say the region would have witnessed more than 30 wars. During the early Pandya period, this hill that lies between the mountains of the western ghats and the eastern range of the western ghats had to be buttressed to consolidate and protect the kingdom. sentries may have climbed the granite rock face and taken position to keep tabs on any intruders. By 1336, the Vijayanagara Empire had been established in the northern part of south India and the early Pandya period had come to an end. Dindigul and Madurai were in the hands of the Chera kings.
M.S. Kandavel, in his book History of Dindigul, says that at that time Chadrakumara Pandiyan sought the help of the Vijayanagara Empire to fight the Cheras. An army was sent under Senapathy Kambanna Udaiyar and the kingdom was retrieved and given back to the Pandya kings. Again, around 1500, the Cheras came up to Cumbum and Gudalur, posing a threat to the Pandyas. This time, in 1538, Achutha Devarayar arrived from Vijayanagara and defeated the Chera King. It is Devarayar who built the first permanent structure of a temple on the fort, writes Kandavel.
A temple on the hill
It was in this little prelude of peace that a temple for Abiramiamman and Padmagirinathar was built on the hill and there are fragmentary inscriptions to vouch for it. Up on the hill, artisans and sculptors would have chipped at the rocks slowly revealing intricate stone carvings as soldiers would have sat by taking a well-deserved rest.The temple reflects Pandyan architecture. The niches in the outer wall of the temple are empty unlike the temples built under the influence of Chola architecture. The central shrine has intricate stone carvings. “The style of carving recalls the influence of delicate artistic traditions on soapstone of Karnataka,” says a publication of the Archaeological Survey of India, Trichy Circle, titled ‘Dharohar monuments/sites of Trichy Circle at a glance’.
The stones used in the temple could have been bought from surrounding areas like Manaparai and Pudukottai, say historians.
After a brief lull, there was again a period of unrest: with the Vijayanagara Empire on the wane, the Naickers who were administering Madurai declared independence. It was during King Thirumalai Naicker period, around 1623, that the compound wall of the fort was built. Permanent structures like the sentry posts were added. By the 1740s, there was again a churning in the northern kingdoms with the arrival of the East India Company. The Mysore kings saw this as an opportunity to expand their empire. In 1745 Mysore General Bergi Venkata Rao waged a war with Rama Naicker and won Dindigul. But, by 1755, the Palayakkarars around Dindigul, who owed their allegiance to the Naickers, battled with Rao. During this period, Hyder Ali had become a de facto ruler of Mysore and until 1783 Dindigul was under his control.
It is then that the fort played a pivotal role and finds numerous mentions in historical records. Having forged a working relationship with the French, Hyder Ali used their expertise and trained his artillery companies. He brought cannons, gunpowder and installed it on the fort. Perhaps it was then that Dindigul saw a number of blacksmith forges coming up. The narrow bylanes around the fort would have had sheds with men hammering and heating iron to make it malleable so that weapons could be forged.More buildings were added inside the fort, which has a circumference of 2.75 km.
The walls were redesigned for loaded cannons to be placed on them. On the fort premises, other than barracks for soldiers, even cells were constructed for prisoners of war. A small Diwan hall where meetings could be held was also built. These columns would turn mute spectators as a fledgling uprising against the British was being formed. In Sivaganga, Muthuvaduganathaperiya Udaiyathevar had been killed in a battle with the East India Company at Kalayarkoil. His wife Velu Nachiyar escaped from Sivagangai and sought the help of Ali. Maybe, it was in the durbar hall on the hill that legend says Nachiyar dressed as a man came and met Ali. In 1772, Ali helped Nachiyar with his army to recapture Sivaganga. Till then she and her daughter lived under the protection of Hyder Ali in a place called Virupatchi, about 30 kms from the fort.
Alliances against the British
By 1780, Ali’s son Tipu Sultan had taken charge and the fort was turning into a stage where alliances against the British were being forged in secrecy. In 1781, the East India Company had started collecting tax and by 1782 people were suffering from the tax burden, compounded by poverty. These trials and tribulations saw the Palayakars coming together to wage a war with the Britishers.In 1788, fearing the coming of foreigners, it is said the deities in the temple were removed and hidden in the town, where later a temple was built. Legend also says Umaithurai, jailed in Tirunelveli, by the East India Company escaped and came to Dindigul seeking men and weaponry to fight the British. He and Gopal Naicker, the head of the palayakars, along with Tippu Sultan had hatched a plan to destroy the East India camp at Kovai. The plan did not come to fruition as they were betrayed.But Naicker’s daughter-in-law and grandson were given protection in the fort. The fort in the hands of Ali had turned into a fine example of military architecture. It was cemented with double walls to withstand heavy artillery. An arms and ammunition godown was also built. The fort had a spacious kitchen and with two rainwater reservoirs on the hills, it also became a safe place for many.During the second war of Mysore, in 1790, the British Army gained control over Dindigul and in 1792, Tipu ceded Dindigul to the English. Dindigul was the first region to come under English rule in the then Madurai district. In 1798, the British Army strengthened the fort with cannons and built sentinel rooms in every corner. The soldiers stayed in the fort from 1798 to 1859. Now under the ASI control, the fort is being maintained well, say residents. On a clear day, from the rampants of the fort one can see the dark hills of Kodaikanal, maybe a little breeze will bring in that goosebump that tells the lives of those who lived and died on the hill. Down the hill, a small band of blacksmiths still survive and with skilled hands use gas forges to make the famous locks. At the entrance of the hillock is the Corporation’s pumping station. Leakage from the pipes and overflowing tankers have made the approach road a slushy affair. This is a sore point not just for the residents but also for tourists coming to the fort.
