In the early 18th century, the Carnatic region of South India was a complex arena of Mughal governance, local power struggles, and emerging European influence. Raja Swarup Singh Bundela, the commander of Gingee Fort, played a pivotal role in this dynamic landscape. His interactions with the English at Fort St. David, near Cuddalore, reveal a relationship that oscillated between uneasy peace and open conflict, driven by disputes over trade, territory, and financial obligations. Drawing from English records and local chronicles, this blog post explores Swarup Singh’s early relations with the English, culminating in the renters’ crisis and war of 1710–1712, a defining episode in his tenure.
Early Relations: A Fragile Peace
Swarup Singh, appointed commander of Gingee Fort by Emperor Aurangzeb in 1700, governed a jagir worth 12 lakhs of pagodas annually, encompassing eight parganahs, including Cuddalore, Tirupapuliyur, and Manjakuppam. His jurisdiction overlapped with the English settlement of Fort St. David, acquired by the English East India Company in 1690 from Maratha ruler Rama Raja. Initially, Swarup Singh maintained peaceful relations with the English, as noted in an October 1711 despatch to England: “We had enjoyed perfect peace with the people of Gingee. They never disturbed us, nor ever thought of doing so,” until tensions arose in 1710.
The first recorded quarrel occurred in 1700, when Swarup Singh hindered the free carriage of provisions and firewood to Cuddalore, as documented in a Fort St. David Council letter dated April 8, 1700. The letter speculated on his motives, questioning whether he aimed to “amuse us or allure their friendship by a present.” Despite this incident, no further enmity is recorded until 1710, suggesting a period of relative stability.
In 1701, fears emerged that Nawab Daud Khan, Swarup Singh’s superior, planned to seize Fort St. David and transfer it to the Dutch, who were rumored to be interested in purchasing it. A Fort St. George Council record from April 24, 1700, noted Dutch surveyors at Conimeer, a former English factory, accompanied by Daud Khan’s mauldars, prompting concerns about Dutch ambitions. The English resolved to counter this by diplomatic means, with Governor Conans informed to prevent further Dutch progress. By May 27, 1700, Daud Khan’s approach to Chidambaram raised fears of “ill designs,” leading the Fort St. George president to travel to Fort St. David with reinforcements. These fears subsided, and no direct link to Swarup Singh’s actions is evident, indicating his early relations with the English remained largely non-hostile.
The Renters’ Crisis: Seeds of Conflict
Tensions escalated in 1710 over Swarup Singh’s management of his jagir’s revenues. He rented out territories like Valudavur and Tegnapatam (adjacent to Fort St. David) to local inhabitants, including Sheva Reddi Nayak and others with mercantile ties to the English. These renters, described as wealthy residents with dealings at Fort St. David, often evaded their financial obligations to Swarup Singh. The situation worsened when Governor Gabriel Roberts, who had stood security for the renters, failed to ensure their compliance. Frustrated, Swarup Singh took drastic action in 1710, capturing two English officers, Lieutenant James Hugonin and Ensign Ray, and confining them in Gingee Fort, where they were treated with “great barbarity.”
The Fort St. David Council’s inaction exacerbated the crisis. A 1711 despatch to England accused Roberts of “sacrificing the interests of the Company to his own filthy lucre” by protecting the debtors and allowing their escape, possibly with the complicity of a dubash, Venkata Krishna, who received 300 pagodas to facilitate their departure. Swarup Singh had repeatedly demanded justice from both Fort St. David and Fort St. George, but his pleas went unheeded, prompting the seizure of the officers. A November 1711 letter from Hanumaji Pantulu, Swarup Singh’s representative, to Serappa, a Company merchant, detailed his grievances, claiming the English had unlawfully expanded their control over Cuddalore and Tirupapuliyur through “craft and bribery,” infringing on Mughal grants. The letter demanded restitution of revenues, compensation for plundered villages, and the return of escaped renters, threatening further action if unmet.
The War of 1710–1712
The renters’ crisis ignited open hostilities between Swarup Singh and the English in 1710. The Fort St. David Council’s attempt at retaliation led to fatalities, escalating into a full-scale conflict. In August 1711, a “smart action” resulted in the deaths of Captain Coventry and Ensign Somerville. The English dispatched Robert Raworth as Deputy Governor of Fort St. David, supported by Captain Roach with ships and reinforcements. The conflict persisted until 1712, when M. Hebert, the French Governor of Pondicherry, mediated a resolution. The captured officers were released after two years, and peace was restored, predating the 1713 Anglo-French treaty.
Swarup Singh’s actions were rooted in his assertion of Mughal authority over his jagir, which he believed the English had encroached upon. His 1711 letter claimed the English held towns like Cuddalore and Tirupapuliyur, worth 12,000 chuckroms annually, without legitimate title, accusing them of acting like “fuckeers” (beggars) who “make a trade of begging and are generally the greatest thieves.” He demanded compensation for losses, including 8,000 chuckroms owed by Sheva Reddi Nayak, damages in the Waldore country, and the return of plundered goods.
Additional Tensions: Wrecked Vessels and Territorial Claims
Beyond the renters’ crisis, Swarup Singh’s relations with the English were strained by disputes over wrecked vessels. In 1709, he claimed the right to seize wrecked boats and their cargoes within his jagir, a claim the Fort St. David Council rejected as “contrary to several cowles and parwanas” granted by previous rulers and Zulfikar Khan. A notable incident occurred when a British ship ran aground between Fort St. David and Porto Novo, and Swarup Singh’s men seized it. The English recovered the goods by force, as noted in a Council consultation of October 27, 1709, which ordered 12 soldiers and 20 peons to retrieve the boat without hostilities.
Another case involved Woodga Naik (or Wodde Nague Beddi), a renter and Fort St. David resident since at least 1697, when he reported thieves from Gingee stealing horses. By 1708, Woodga Naik’s son, Sheva Naik, complained of Swarup Singh’s persistent troubles, highlighting the ongoing friction over rental arrears. After Woodga Naik’s death, his family fled Fort St. David, and their property was confiscated, prompting Sheva Naik to demand its restoration in 1713.
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