A Prisoner’s Confession before the Special Commission

“The consultation to attack Bellarypet was held at Moodnoor, in Soolya, by K. Ramiah Gowda, the principal man, several Potails, and all the chief inhabitants of Amara Soolya, in number about fifty.

Kallianappa came from the Poomaley jungle, with another Ramiah Gowda, and about 120 armed men. The whole party went to Bellarypet; the public servants and money were seized; Soobryah was sent with a force to Cassergode; the rest advanced to Pootoor, and repulsed the Sepoys. The rebel party here consisted of 200 armed men and 300 Ryots. From the Bungar Rajah's house, P. Antappa Shetty, and 200 armed men of Amara Soolya, advanced upon Mangalore. Many Ryots followed. At the last annual feast at Adoor, Narsojee and a Caffree woman, who were in jail at Mangalore, sent a Cadjan to Soobryah, inviting him to attack the town. After the jail was opened (on the 5th of April), these two, with about 60 of the prisoners, joined Kallianappa.

Three years ago, Apparampara was seized and confined for eight months in jail at Mangalore. He is the son of Rajah Appajee, the elder uncle of Veera Rajah, the last Rajah. On his release he was directed to go to Mysoor. I have heard that he was again seized and sent to Trichinopoly.

Kallianappa was also seized and sent to Mysoor (Bangalore). He (this Kallianappa) is the son of the wife of Veer Rajinder Wadya, an uncle of Apparampara's: the Kallianappa, who attacked Bellarypet, is another person; he is the son of a woman who was kept by the above Veer Rajunder Wadya, and is about twenty-five years of age, rather a fool, short, dark complexioned, and somewhat pock-marked. At the last Nowaratree festival, three persons (named) went to Trichinopoly, to see Apparampara; they saw Kallianappa (the first one) at Mysoor. He told them to raise a force below the Ghants, that he would raise one above. He and a merchant raised a force to attack Merkara (the capital of Coorg).

L. Narnappa, Dewan, heard of the plot from a slave, and gave information to the Sirkar. Guns were placed in Merkara, and a gentleman (a conductor of ordnance) fell from the ramparts and died. The force not appearing, the Dewan was disbelieved and put into confinement.

Ramiah and the others, on this failure, were perplexed; when Ramiah exclaimed, “If even a dog could be found that was born in the palace (of the Rajahs), this dog would rise and command a force against the Government!”

Munjya then said he would bring a person that was born in the palace; he went, and brought the Kallianappa, who attacked Bellarypet. For a month before the outbreak he was lodged in the Poomaley jungle.

The Coorgs and the people of Amara Soolya (the rebels) are in great dread of cannon. When a ship came with a cannon, which made darkness with its smoke (the Hugh Lindsay steamer) the news spread through Coorg in a moment, there being posts at every three miles.”

Brown is emphatic that this confession, fully corroborated by other testimony, proved that the rebels constituted a weak, poorly organized force from the very beginning. It was the cry "The Devil Apparampara is coming" that had spread general panic in Mangalore. Further, proclamations, offering rewards of Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 for information leading to the apprehension of Apparampara and Kallianappa respectively had been in circulation for a while even though, incredibily, both were already in government jails, at Trichinopoly and Bangalore throughout the insurrection.

The Kallianappa who actually came to Mangalore, was arrested and tried before the Court Martial. He proved to be a poor, ignorant, simple-minded young man. Born to an obscure palace concubine, he was living there quietly until he was taken to a rebel assembly in the jungle, paraded on a horse with his legs tied to prevent him from falling off, and told he must be their Rajah.

He was condemned by the Court Martial, and, without reference to Madras, executed.