Aragalur

Attur Fort

Source: http://www.attur.org/town/fort.htm

It is probable that Gatti Mudaliyar of Kaveripuram, from whom Omalur was taken by Dud Deo Raj of Mysore, was identical with the Gatti Mudali mentioned elsewhere as having built the fort of Attur.

Except for the tradition of the Kalrayan Malaiyali's and the Gatti Mudaliyar legend of Attur Fort, historic interest in the taluk, Which seems to have been but remotely affected by the ebb and flow of South India Politics.

The name 'Attur' means the 'Village by the river'. It dates from 921 A.D and was known as Milattu Attur, Kutratthu Brahmadheyam Malayaman Attur and Malaiyaman Attur. It came to known as Attur Ananthagiri (Attur of many hills) during the beginning of the Mysore rule in 1689 A.D. in 1760 A.D., it became one of the seventeen divisions of the Baramahal. When ceded to the company in 1792 A.D., it became one of the nine taluks of the Southern Division of the 'Baramahal and Salem'. In 1796 A.D., the name was again changed to Attur.

The Attur Fort was built by Gatti Muthaliar, a local Chieftain. It is probable that Gatti Muthaliar built it between the years 1559 A.D. and 1585 A.D. According to a traditional story, Gutti Muthaliar was out hunting, and seeing a hare start from a bush, when to examine the spot, where he found the neck of an iron pot protruding. He dug out seven pots full of gold pieces, with which he built the fort.

The pot is mad of sheet iron 1/16 of an inch and having a convex surface of 15.5 square feet. It is made in two pieces, joined together by iron fish-plates riveted to the upper and lower halves and weighs 383/4 lbs. Its capacity is 53/4 cubic feet and when full it would contain about 1,430,784 pagoda pieces, equal to Rs 50,07,444. The seven pots would, therefore, supposing the story to be true, have contained the equivalent in gold of 3,505,420 pounds.

The area of the fort is 62 acres of which 18 acres under cultivation.

The fort is of square one and its circumference is about one mile. The highest point is the flag staff battery in the centre of the south face. The south side is guarded by the river, which when in flood runs some 20 feet deep, and the other faces are Protected by a ditch, which at the south-west angle is always full of water. The outer wall of the ditch is roughly and the river bank strongly, revetted.
The rampart are of cut stone, well fitted without mortar. Inside are three large and one small bomb-proof chamber, the roofs of the larger magazines being accessible by hidden stairs.

A large vaulted chamber, occasionally used as a Roman Catholic Chapel, is said to have been the Kacheri of Gatti Muthaliar, and a large building with inner court constructed in the Mauresque Style, is supposed to have been his harem and dwelling place; Behind this a quantity of stone shot weighing one maund each was found.

On the South face of the ramparts is Gatti Muthaliar's pleasure-house, a roof on pillars with obtuse pointed arches. Near this is a Watergate cunningly built and strongly defended, leading to the river, and on the west face is another leading into the ditch. On the south-west angle is another flag-staff battery. The fort gate is in the centre of the east face.

The town of Attur lies principally to the south and east of the fort.

The fort contains the temples of Shiva and vishnu and a Shrine of Muniyappan, the Guardians of the fort.

The only portion of Salem which can certainly be named as having been annexed during the reign of Dud Deo Raj was Omalur, captured in 1667 A.D. from Gatti Mudaliar of Kaveripuram.

In 1689 A.D. Attur came into the possession of Chikka Deva Raja of Mysore, by the treaty concluded by 'Lingurajayah with the Aurachu'. It formed part of Hyders dominions till 1768 A.D. when it surrendered to Col.Wood. Hyder presumably regained it, when he wiped out Wood's conquest the same year.

After the restoration of peace in 1792 A.D., Attur was garrisoned by the 23rd Madras Battalion under the command of Captain Campbell. Under Lord Clive's Scheme of 1799 A.D., it was made an ordinance station and was occupied by a detachment till about 1824 A.D., when it ceased to be a military station.

Gatti Mudhali Dynasty came to an end and in 1688 A.D. when Chikka Dheva Raja of Mysore killed the last of the dynasty. In this war, a Kadai Clan Vellala Chieftain named, Varanavasi, allied with the Mysore forces.

Source: http://www.attur.org/town/mudhali.html
Gatti Mudhali Dynasty 11th - 17th C: A renowned dynasty of local rulers of Taramangalam. The title, gatti meant 'solidity' and' firmness' and 'mudhali', 'primary'. They were known for their firmness in word, Veracity, and reliability. Their insignia - a combination containing representations of green mat, unwitting garland of flowers and tiger - is seen in all of the temples built and renovated by them.

some authorities believe that the descendants of Gatti are the Kongu Vellala Class of Athiyar, Kanavalar, Marhavar, Narmudiyar, Vadakaraiyar.

The earliest mention of Gatti is found in the Sangam Literature of Agananooru (first century) in a list of tribes, Konganar, Kalingar, Karunadar, gangar and Gattiyar.

A nadukal of the seventh century mentions Kunra Gatti. A stone inscription of 1289 A.D by a Madhurai King, Sadaiyavarman Sundhara Pandiyan, mentions nine Gatti Mudhali's of Tharamangalam.

According to a manuscript in the Mackenzie collection, the founder of the then Gatti dynasty was a valet in the Service of Thirumalai Nayakan the ruler of Madhurai Kingdom. Having Committed some indiscretion, he left royal service, came to Amarakundhi where he was trained as a barber-medicine man. When he cured the carbuncle on the back of the local vettuva Chief, Kunni Vettuvan, he was rewarded with a palayam. The Mackenzie manuscript mentions thirteen Gatti Mudhali's but lists only the following six in order of succession. Siyazhi, Ragunatha, Immudi, Punkkan, Vanangamudi and Kumara. Francis Buchaman also mentions, 'Guttimodalies'. Their rule extended east-west from Thalaivaasal to Dharapuram and north-south from Omalur to Karur.

Their Chief Capital was Tarmangalam while Amarakundhi served as a second capital. The town of Kaveripuram was another centre of strategic importance of the Border of Mysore.

After the fall of the Vijayanagar empire, the Gatti became the Palayakarar of Omalur are under Thriumalai Nayakan of Madhurai in 1623 A.D.

Gutti Mudhali, Valve (2nd c): 'Gatti of the Strong spear' mentioned in the Sangam literature. He is believed to be the ancestor of the dynasty. He, with six other chieftains, fought a Chera King, Perumboot Chennai and loot.

Gutti Mudhali, Haman (16thC): He built the Hamisvaram Udaiya Nayanar Temple in Tharamangalam.

Gatti Mudhali, Vanna Immudi Hama Nayana (16thC): He made an endowment in 1564 A.D for the un keep of the temples of Kailasanathar and Hamisvaram Udaiya Nayanar in Taramangalam.

Gatti Mudhali, Vanangamudi (17thC): 'Gatti of Unbending head' a pious Gatti who built a Pillaiyar temple and a matam in Chidhabaram. He granted the village of Ilavampatti to the Kailasanathar Kovil in Tharamangalam.

After the departure of the Vijayanagar army, a number of petty chieftain's began to raise in the Kongu Country. Some of them had the title of Mudaliar. Inscriptional records mention some of the achievements and donations of Mudaliar Chieftain's of the Taramangalam region. Apart from the Mudaliars, there were a number of other poligars of large and small palayams. Besides there was a poligar at Salem, who tried to establish his power in the very heart of the District.

The whole region was torn by dissension's among the poligars. Their mutual rivalry contributed to the insecurity of the region.

The Nayakship of Maduri lasted from 1530 A.D to 1736 A.D. During all this period the Kongu Country passed through great vicissitudes.

Visuvanatha Nayak introduced a great feudal system of administation. The Madura Kingdom of which Kongu formed part was divided into 72 palayams and it required the holders of palyam to offer military help to the ruler, palayakars such as the Gatti Mudaliyars of Omalur, Taramangalam and others. Bigger palayakars exercised control over the smaller palayakars.

The kingdom was protected from invasion by a number of forts, well-built and well-garrisoned at strategic places like Sendamangalam, salem, Melur, Attur, Satyamangalam, Erode, Karur, Namakkal, Coimbatore, Dharapuram and Dindigul.

Gatti Mudhaliyars are the most important group of Chieftain's of Kongu during the Nayak period. The Salem district, which constituted, the most dangerously exposed province of the Nayak Kingdom was the seat of their power. The centre of their power, however, seems to have been Taramangalam, where they built a costly temple. In Salem district, they held the important strategic fort of Omalur and Attur.. These forts guarded against invasion from Mysore.

Thurstan derives the origin of 'Mudaliars' from the root 'muthal' literally meaning 'the first', the first in Society. It may also refer to money or capital in business.

An inscription from the Taramangalam records that during the reign of Sadasiva (1542-1552 A.D) a village was given as a gift to the temple of 'Ramakudal' by one of the Mudaliyars of the place. This was apparently the period of the growth of the Mudaliyars of Taramangalam. First heard of as early as the region of Tatavarmen Sundara Pandya II, they now come to fill a large and important place in the history of Kongu. From this time onwards the names of these Mudaliars occur every frequently in inscriptional records of Amarakundi, Sankaridurg. Triuchengodu, Micheri, Idangasalai and Pallampatti places in and around the Taramangalam region. On inscription from Yelacampatti records a grant by a mudaliar, while another from Taramangalam mentions several mudaliyars each one making the grant of a village temple. These records dated in the region of the same Sadasivaraya, whose period of active rulership was between the years 1542 A.D and 1552 A.D., indicate clearly that the rise of this Mudaliyar power was quickly and connected in some way with the ruler Sadasiva himself.

The progress was so quick that by the time this sovereign closed his reign the very term, 'Mudaliyar' in the Kongu region came to refer only to these grandees of worth and power.

In Sangam poems, however, there is reference to the 'Gattiyar' as a fighting race.