Henry Valentine Conolly: For The People

Henry Valentine Conolly was an East India Company official in the Madras Presidency and he served as a District Collector and magistrate of Malabar during the period between 1841 and 1855.  The period witnessed two important events that brought far reaching changes in the social and economic life of British Malabar.  First was the abolition of slavery in Malabar district in the year 1843,  Second was the beginning of teak plantation at Nilambur, the first of its kind in the world.  The British discovered the virtues of teak while searching for a material for the construction of their warships.  Later, when the railways was started teak was used in the construction of tracks.

The shortage of labour in the new plantations in the high ranges was one of the economic reasons that prompted the government to enact a law on the abolition of slavery.  The feudal labour, hitherto tied to land,  was transformed into plantation labour, and they got the payment of periodic wages.  British records say that non availability of free labour market in South Indian territories had created more problems to the emerging capitalist class in plantations.

Some landlords wanted to end it by 1840s.  A slave had to be maintained throughout the year with food and hut.  With commercialization, it became cheaper to keep seasonal wage labourer.

By leasing the land the landlord received a rent called pattam and a one-time lumpsum payment known as kanam. The transaction was a kind of mortgage and the landlord had to repay kanam at the termination of the period of mortgage. Here pattam means rent payable by the tenant; michavaram means landlord's share in the crop after deducting expenses; kanam means security deposit against the mortgage received by the landlord, but repayable at the termination of mortgage deed.  It worked well in the case of long-term crops like coconuts and plantation crops but in the case of wetland cultivation it turned out a failure. As for the landlord the money went to unproductive purposes and the debt increased.  By the 19th century British courts fixed 12 years for renewal and fair kanam interest.  This added to landlord's grievances.

H. V. Conolly was an able and farsighted administrator.  Retrospective studies indicated him to be a balanced and neutral collector.

Westcoast Canal Idea 

Conolly canal and the teak plantation in Nilambur are Conolly's legacy to the people of Malabar.

Canolly Canal is a part of West Coast Canal idea originated by Conolly  The main part of the Canal connecting Elathur Korapuzha river to Kallayi river having a length of ten kilometres was completed during 1848 - 1850.  It was built entirely by human labour at a coast Rs. 19360.  It aimed to bring timber, pepper, coffee and tea to Kallayi port, using Korapuzha and Kuttiyadi river system, for export to Europe.  Then from Kallayi to Beypore another one to connect Chaliyar.  Canolly's larger plan came in 1854: A continuous waterway from Chavakkad (Thrissur) to Kavvai (Kannur) He had completed patches at Badagara (3 miles), Payyoli (1.5 miles), Tanur -Koottayi (15.5 miles), Ponnani - Chavakkad (15 miles).

Kallayi section was very important.  And that was a commercially prominent stretch.  At the southern bank of the river there was a sand dune and mud flat.  Here the workers had to cut the mud flat and sand dune to connect the canal. The mud flat stretched upto modern day Kothi bridge.  Kallayi at that time had world's second largest timber yard. Rafts of rose wood and teak used to float down Chaliyar and then pulled to the canal.

Canolly had not built it from scratch.

Malabar's west coast from  Vatakara to Ponnani already had a chain of natural water bodys like lakes, lagoons, and small streams seperated by sandbars.  Only an official well connected with people could receive such feedback about the territory in which he lived.  The Portuguese and later Zamorin used country boats through this segment when monsoon flooded them, but in summer they were disconnected.

In 1845 Conolly submitted a detailed project report of Elathur Kallayi stretch to Madras for administrative sanction.  Sanction was given in 1846, and the work started in 1848.

Conolly and Choorayi Kanaran 

Choorayi Kanaran was the first Malabar man to rise to the rank of Deputy collector.

During Conolly's tenure in Malabar, casteism was very prevalent in the society.  A social reform narrative that had been circulating in oral tradition focuses on the harshness of the caste system in the office and the intervention Conolly. 

Recognising Kanaran's problem solving skills and linguistic skills Conolly appointed him as the Head Munshi of Malabar District office in 1848. Working under a prominent collector like Conolly provided Kanaran with the high level administrative exposure he needed.

Local traditions circulate the story that when Kanaran took charge as Munshi, the upper caste Namboothiri and Nair officials denied him a seat, and he was forced to sit on a mat and do his duties.  Conolly on his surprise visit the office witnessed it.  When Conolly demanded an explanation, the upper caste officials proudly cited traditional caste customs and stated that Kanaran could not socially sit at their level.  Conolly famously overrode the custom and ordered a proper chair and table to be brought in immediately.  This is only an oral tradition and there is no record to verify its veracity.

Conolly's Attempt at Roof-tiling of Big Bazaar 

In June 1847, Conolly writes a report to Thomas J Bell, the Madras Revenue Board Secretary explaining the necessity of replacing the thatched roof of buildings in Big Bazaar with tiles.  Here we see an administrator who approaches the system with compassion and look at the men (traders and building owners) who move the system. He requested the revenue secretary to let him loan each of the building owners Rs.1000 without interest and repayable in instalments over a period of 5 years. He also recommended a payment of Rs 300 to each building owner as a grant towards repair and maintenance.

September 11th, 1855.  Conolly had been sitting on a sofa in the verandah of his bunglow. Mrs Conolly was nearby. The horses in the stable neighed, as a warning of an impending evil. The rebels jumped out of the darkness beyond dim light of the oil lamps. They were four in number.  Another one at the gate was keeping watch of the situation as a surveillance. Mrs Conolly screamed for help. The peons came and looked, but out fear, they fled.

There were twenty seven wounds. One of his hand was severed.

Later, the assassins - Valassery Emalu etc said at the court they acted shahids to avenge Mambram Thangals exile and to get martyrdom.

Major Haly of Malabar Police Corps had warned the government that there is a talk in Ernad that "Kafir Collector" should be killed.  He is the same officer who finally shot the assassins at Kolathur.

Henry Valentine Conolly was the son of Valentine Conolly of 37 Portland Place, London.  Valentine Conolly belonged to wealthy Anglo-Irish family.  He had bought writership/cadetship for Henry and Arthur.

After the death of Henry, Mrs Conolly was (Anne/Metilda as per Malabar Manual ) immediately sent to Madras under escort.  She was extremely traumatized.  Government gave her pension and passage to England.  They had no children.  He married late in his forties while in Malabar.

Valentine Conolly had other sons in the service of Easy India Company.