VIZAGAPATAM
field, padmanábham will long be remembered as the Flodden of the Rájputs of Vizianagram. THe Chief and Council might well deem the fight decisive, as they proceeded to the principal objects they now had in view, viz., that the settlements of revenue be made, and the business of cultivation be forwarded as expeditiously as possible.'
Matters however were very far from being at once adjusted. The late Rája had placed the ladies of his family, with his young son, Náráyana Rázu, a boy of eight years of age, at Annamarázupéta, a village about two kos from Padmanábham; and on the eve of the battle he sent the lad instructions to surrender, in the event of his own death, to the Chief and Council. It had become necessary for him to yield up his life to save his honour; but the 'Company were very just people' and would not visit their quarrel with the father on his young son. He at the same time induced his wife and mother to swear to him that they would not kill themselves on receiving the news of his death.
No sooner however was the fate of Viziaráma Rázu and his army known, than the guardians of the women and child fled precipitately with their charge to Kásipuram, at the foot of the hills. This place was at that time in the possession of one Mukki Rájabhúpala Rázu, who, claiming descent from the ancient zamindars of that portion of the district, had seized upon Kásipuram by force on the sequestration of the Vizianagram zamindari by the Government, and had continued ever since to defy the power of the Company and to resist their troops. This man received the fugitives with every attention, and shortly afterwards escorted them to Makkuva, still further to the north. From this place negotiations were opened with the other zamindars, especially with Rámachandra Deo of Jeypore, who then resided at Náráyanapatnam. The young Rája was soon surrounded with several thousand armed peons; the leaders collected the kists from the ryots, and seemed resolved to set the Company's government at defiance. Detachments of sepoys were rapidly pushed forward to the more important positions, but the Commanding Officer at the same time reported that if matters continued as they were it would not be practicable for him to hold the country without an additional force of three battalions at his disposal.
In these circumstances a temporizing policy was adopted by the Chief and Council. Letters were despatched to the chief surviving members of the late Rája's family inviting them to come in and bring Náráyana Rázu with them, since it was not
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