Short History of Wayanad
COFFEE IN WAYANAD - GENERAL
The hill chain of Western Ghats, a treasure trove of biodiversity and the water tower of peninsular India has engrossed the attention of various stakeholders all over the world. This region is identified as one of the eight hottest hotspots of biodiversity and hence attracted worldwide attention. 1 Kerala, a state on India's tropical Malabar Coast, with nearly 600 km of Arabian Sea shoreline, is the second largest producer of coffee in India. It produces 23 percent of the total coffee output in the country. The coffee economy of Kerala is virtually the coffee economy of Wayanad. Wayanad produces 90 per cent of the total coffee output in the State. The history of coffee in Wayanad first begins in Africa. The province of “Kafka'' in Ethiopia is considered the birthplace of the Arabica variety of coffee (Coffee Arabica). Central Africa is believed to be the home of Robusta coffee (Coffea Canephora). In Yemen coffee used to be cultivated under irrigated conditions for a long period. Yemenis did not allow coffee seeds to be taken outside the country. The founding myth of coffee growing in India holds that in the 17th century, the Sufi mystic Hazrat Shah-Janab Alla Magatabi (popularly known as Baba Budan) established the first coffee plantations in India in the hills now known as Bababudanagiri in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka, after smuggling out seven unroasted coffee beans tied to his belly (at great risk to his life) from Mocha, Yemen (Sridhar, 2008). Dates are uncertain as is the historicity of this claim: the website of the Coffee Board of India picks a date of 1600 CE (“The Coffee Board, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India”, 2014) while the website of the Collectorate of Chikkamagaluru says 1670. 2 Some historians believe that the Arabica variety of coffee reached India from Java during the period between 1689 and 1699. During that period coffee used to be cultivated mainly for its flavour nor was coffee cultivated on a commercial scale. Nevertheless, the fact remains that Europeans did find Coffea Arabica growing in India. The first European reference to coffee in the Indian peninsula comes from 1723 (Mohandas, 2014). The complaint of the taste not being “refined” stems from the fact that Indian coffee was shipped to Arabia and remarketed as Mocha to the Europeans (Sridhar, 2008). The second report comes from Francis Buchanan from Kerala that one box was the total export of coffee from Kannur in 1799 and 6 chests and 6 mounds in 1800 (Mohandas, 2014). Before the 1830s, coffee was cultivated mostly in Mudigere, Koppa, Manjarabad, Sakleshpur and Kadur in the much-reduced Mysore state (newly restored to the Wodeyars-Sridhar, 2008) and in Anjarakandy in Wayanad district of Kerala as a hittalu (backyard) crop by the peasantry. 3 Maharaja Krishna Raja Wodeyar III (reigned 1799-1868) and his Dewan Krishnacharya Purnaiah tried to change this into an ‘estate’ based economic model, so they traded land for a share of the coffee produced (batayi), but when unable to collect the revenues so due, handed over coffee collection rights to Parry & Company (now Eid-Parry) from 1823 to 1833. After Parry’s rights were abolished in 1834, coffee cultivation was opened to the capital, and the government imposed a duty of Rs 4 per maund (Sridhar, 2008). Englishmen started coffee cultivation on a large scale in South India during the 1820s (also tea and rubber). During this period coffee estate were started at Chikmagalur, Kadur, Coorg, and Nilgiris. It was then that coffee reached Wayanad and the first plantation started at Mananthavady. 4 MANANTHAVADY 'The capital selected by the Rajas of Kottayam is the station now known as Manantoddy which is an abbreviation of Maha-Ananda-Vati, meaning "Garden of delight." [ Another interpretation is "Mane Eytha Vady", "the place where an arrow was shot at the deer"]. It is no exaggeration to say that no more appropriate name could have been conceived. As the healthiest station in Wynaad, as an open country in the midst of forests, with a beautiful stream running by, with a cool and salubrious climate and an up-todate bazaar, it is still a "garden of delight," to the inhabitants of Wynaad and to those in the plains who desire rest, peace and a cool climate after their experiences in the low country.' 5 The pioneers in coffee cultivation in Wayanad were the soldiers of the army of the English East India Company. In 1792 after the fall of Seringapatam, the end of the third Anglo-Mysore war, North Malabar including Wynaad was transferred to the East India Company and was placed under the government of Madras. A regiment of the British Army had been stationed at Mananthavady during the 1820s to suppress the courageous leader and freedom fighter Pazhassi Raja, the "Lion of Kerala" (Kerala Varma Raja of Pazhassi Kovilagam (Pazhassi palace) of the Kottayam dynasty). The British suffered enormous losses until the warrior Hindu prince and de facto head of the kingdom of Kottayam was betrayed. His strategic forest warfare cost the British more than the Third Anglo-Mysore War and had no parallel in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century history of India. When the 'rebellions' were over in 1805, the service of the sepoys of the regiment was later used for cultivating coffee in the numerous kunnus-hills near the army camp in Mananthavady. It's said that the coffee was first introduced into Wayanad from Anjarakandy, near Kannur, by the energetic, erudite Murdoch Brown, 1750-1828. CANNANORE Magistrate, Thomas Hervey Baber, probably obtained coffee seeds or seedlings from nearby Mr Brown and set up a very early, culturally and eco-sensitive coffee planting experiment on the town outskirts at his Pallikkunnu property, which he later gifted to local people because did not want what was essentially his conservation "forest reserve" to fall into the less sensitive European hands (it doesn't appear to have operated as a commercial plantation). "Thomas had been managing the Wayanad Property so that as many of the sacred trees (to the "aboriginal first people") were protected. Later, the Haris family connections [Indian - Harith] confirm they indeed ran the estate strictly in accordance with TH Baber's instructions. He employed only tribesmen from the first people up there although they were difficult to work with at the start because they were essentially hunter-gathers who did some slash and burn agriculture". 6 Thomas' son Henry thought in Manantoddy: "Purchased a very extensive tract of ground, which was soon disencumbered by trees and planted with coffee" (with seed from Pallikkunnu no doubt).
The Harrisons and Crossfield Ltd.
Its plantation activities in Southeast East Asia and India. Harrison and Crossfield Ltd were owners and managing agents and secretaries to three companies in India namely The Malayalam Rubber and Produce Company Ltd; The Rubber Plantation Investment Trust Ltd and East India Tea and Produce Company Ltd. Meppadi –Wynaad Tea Company Ltd. The Wallardie Tea Estates Company Ltd. East India Tea and produce Company Limited a London registered company with Harrison and Crosfield Ltd as agents. The company was formed in 1907 when various estates were acquired in Wynaad taluq. Each estate at the time of purchase has been partly planted with tea, coffee or pepper. The estates are Achoor, Perrangodda, Chundale, Pootumulla, Poonoopuya, Touramulla Cherambadi, Wendworth and Mayfield. The properties originally comprised of 16,637 acres with 13,700 acres planted, further purchases bought the total up to 23,473 acres’ district of Malabar. Chundale, situated about a mile and a half distant from the post office at Vayitri, is of 1348 acres. Practically the whole of 577 acres are planted with tea. The factory produces black and green tea. Some areas are dedicated to pepper. Chundale estate of 1,348 acres, belonging to the East India Tea and Produce Company, Ltd. Practically the whole of the 577 acres of cultivated land are planted with tea, as only a very minute portion is given up to the production of pepper.During the year 1914 the factory which had previously been a single-storied building for the manufacture of green tea alone was enlarged by the construction of three upper floors, in order that additional machinery and plant for the out¬ put of black tea, as well as green, might be installed. The building, which is on the main road between Calicut and Ootacamund, is now equipped with a 40-h.p. “National” suction gas engine, a steamer for green tea, three rollers, three dryers, one sifter, cutting and packing machines, and sirocco-cased withering fans. The factory has a capacity for dealing with 400,000 lb. of “made” tea, and prac tically the whole of each year’s crop is shipped to London. The property was bought from E&S. The Estate was opened by Winterbotham. Winterbotham, his wife, infant son, dog, car and butler are buried in the cemetery above the bungalow as on a tragic day he shot evey family members and Shot Himself. Chundale .is 2,500 ft. above the level of the sea. The superintendent — Mr. W. Morres — is assisted in the management by Mr. H. C. Davies. Mayfield Is the name of four estates, the total acreage is about 2000; 700 acres are being planted with tea. Coffee and pepper thrive remarkably well at Mayfield. Location is 90 miles from Calicut. 1200 labourers find permanent work.
Perrengodda bungalow
Perrengodda is favourably situated in favourable altitude of some 2500 feet which has an extent of 4851 acres of which 587 acres are planted with tea. Seedling was first planted in 1884 and there is only one other estate in the district of Wynaad which has been successfully cultivated for tea for such a long time. Potoomulla is the name by which two adjoining estates near Meppadi, about 966 acres are planted with tea. The labour number is about 1200 coolies. Touramulla is dedicated to tea, Wentworth estate of 3126 is situated one mile away from Cherambadi. Four hundred and fifty acres have already been planted. The factory at Wentworth is a fine three–storeyed building capable of handling 5,20,000 lbs of Made Tea Annually. Cherambadi estate adjoins Wentworth and the crop is sent to the latter for processing. There are extremely well equipped factories at all of the properties, excepting Poonopoya and Cherambadi.the harvest of the season in 1913-14 amounted to 2,038,250 tons of made tea which is shipped out to London from Calicut Port. The nearest towns of importance are as follows: Achoor, Perrengodda and Chudale is Vythiri; Pootomulla and Poonoopoya are Meppadi; Sultan Battery is the nearest town to Touramulla. Cherambadi and Wendworth are adjoining states served by Cherambadi Post office. May field which is at a reasonable distance from Nellakotta along Ooty – Calicut road, 42 miles from Ootacamund. The properties are managed by the following staff.
Achoor: JWG Bisset assisted by WG Craig
Perrengoodda: TP Gauld assisted by HC Coverly
Chundale: W Morres assisted by Mr HC Davis
Pootumulla: A.D Mcbain
Poonopoya: A.E. Vernede assisted by A.W. Mackay
Touramulla: R. Copland assisted by J.P. Wilson
Cherambadi: P. Guard
Wentworth: E.R. Howlett assisted by E.A. Cheeseman
Mayfield: Bisset assisted by I Stuart & P Naylor.
Achoor estate double storied bungalow.
THE MEPPADI-WYNAAD TEA COMPANY, LTD. The estates of Arrapetta, Kardoora, and Sentinel Rock — comprising 5,304 acres — situated in the Wynaad, were purchased in 1910, when the Meppadi-Wynaad Tea Company was formed. At that time there were 1,122 acres of matured tea bushes, 12 1 acres of younger ones, 125 acres of coffee, 276 acres of pepper, 57 acres of Para rubber, and 3,603 acres of reserve land. Other purchases of small properties took place, which made an aggregate of 5,304 acres, and subsequent extensions of the tea and rubber plan¬ tations increased the area of these to 1,569 acres and 105! acres respectively. All tea bushes, with the exception of 162 acres at Arrapetta, are fully matured. There was a substantially built factory on each of the estates when they wene acquired by the company, but these buildings have been considerably enlarged, and important additions of modern machinery have been made. The manufactured tea is shipped by Messrs. Harrisons and Crosfield, Ltd., from Calicut to the London market. The properties are most fortunately situated with regard to postal facilities, as the Meppadi post and telegraph office adjoin the Kardoora estate, while the Vellaramalla post office is 3! miles distant from Sentinel Rock. The permanent buildings include bungalows, lines for coolies, stores, and sheds.
Sentinal Rock estate
A huge boulder, soaked in the rain, with a small rock sitting next to it – that’s the Sentinel Rock ... Vellarampara was given the name “Sentinel Rock” because it's considered as the guardian of the tea plantations. Sentinel Rock estate which overlooks the Nilambur Valley comprises 343 acres. They first planted coffee in the 1890s. Later, in 1909-1910 they turned to tea cultivation The bulk of the crop, consisting of high-class tea, is sent to Calicut or Madras for shipment to England. Sentinel Estate is one of the oldest tea-producing areas. The estate is approximately 914 meters above sea level and is located 15 km from Meppadi on the Kozhikode - Ooty road. The present factory was constructed in 1958 after the original building of Sentinel Estate was demolised in 1957 Zip line and cycling at Churalmala, glass bridge at Attamala and camping at Puthumala Division Sentinel Rock at Mundakai is reached after Soochipara waterfalls and 900 Kandi. Tea on the Wynaad Hills Tea began to be planted in various Estates from 1892 onwards. The Saga of the Tea Estates in Manantoddy starts after that. Manantoddy was considered North Wayanad and was a part of the Cannanore District. It was separated from South Wayanad by the Manantoddy River, and vehicles had to cross over on a ferry. The Estates of Cherakara, Jessie, Talapoya and Tatamala were initially opened by a Patta dated April 11 1911, possessed by the British and Continental Tea Plantation Trust and thereafter by Co-operative Wholesale Society Limited of Manchester and the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society Limited of Glasgow then trading in partnership as the English and Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society Limited of London. Parisons Estates and Industries purchased these Estates as per a Deed of Sale dated December 24, 2004.
The Anapura Coffee Works Company, Ltd. This is a coffee planters’ company which was formed in the year 1891, and the directors are Messrs. J. Christie, A. G. Nicholson, J. H. Pascoe, and G. A. Marsh, while the Hon. E. F. Barber isgarblers are employed, whose duty it is to remove all beans of unsatisfactory quality. The manager is Mr. W. J. Campbell.
AUDA TODE ESTATE
. Mr. WinterbothamAn account of the experiences of pioneer planters in India may provide interesting reading matter for the frequenters of libraries or for the occupants of cosy drawing-rooms in Belgravia, but the recollection of those early days of struggles with difficulties is a stern fact to the men who had to face them. Mr. H. B. Winterbotham, the owner of the Auda Tode estate, arrived in India in the year 1861. The land which he of them double-storied have been erected on the estate. selected was an almost impenetrable jungle; there were no roads worthy of the name; wild animals were numerous and enterprising; and food for master and man was extremely rough and difficult to get; and, as a matter of fact, he had been living on the property for no less than seven years before he set eyes upon a European lady.
The Estate gets its name from a shrub plant that is called audu thodadidu (in Tamil) The estate is 650 acres in extent, andthe owner was engaged in the growing of coffee until 1903, when, owing to the ravages of leaf disease, the greater por tion of the cultivated land was given up to tea bushes. The latter have been planted upon 130 acres, but each suc eeding year witnesses a considerable extension in cultivation. The Assam hybrid variety is usually grown, and the annual yield on this property has gone up to 7 1 2 lb. of “made” tea to the acre. The dust tea, which is produced at Auda Tode, meets with a very ready sale in the district of Malabar, but the remainder of the crop is shipped at Calicut for the London market. Mr. Winterbotham has erected a comfortable residence together with a number of suitable out-buildings, which include a factory in which 600 lb. of “made” tea can be turned out daily. The estate is about 2,600 ft. above the level of the sea, and the average annual rainfall since the year 1890
(when records were commenced) has been in. The post office at Perindotty is about 1 mile distant from the property.Mr. Winterbotham is, further, the owner of the Muricarp estate, about 8 miles from Auda Tode, consisting of about 300 acres, one-third of which is taken up with the cultivation of peppertrees. As many as 24 tons of dried pepper have been obtained in a season. The cost of production of pepper is not more than 2%d. lb., and the selling price in the market at the present time is about 5d. Mr. Winterbotham manages the estates personally, and he employs about 200 hands regularly.