muttadars who complained of the mansabdar's exactions were referred to the Civil Courts, though the hill men are notorious for their dread of the plains. The growing discontent among 'the people was increased by new abkári regulations preventing the drawing of toddy for domestic purposes and leasing the toddy revenue to renters. These renters demanded that the muttadars should pay fees (called chigurupannu) for the right to tap toddy, and the mansabdar threatened to levy an additional tax, called modalupannu, at the rate of one-half or two-thirds of the chigurupannu.
This was the last straw, and was the immediate cause of the 'Rampa rebellion' of 1879. The unpopularity of the police, who had assisted in introducing the new toddy rules and also oppressed the people on their own account, was a contributory cause. The people said that 'they could not stand all the taxes that were being imposed; that three years ago came the chigurupannu; that this year the mansabdar was demanding modalupannu; that the constables were extorting fowls; and that, as they could not live, they might as well kill the constables and die.'1[1] The operation of the civil law of the country was an additional grievance. Traders from the low country had taken advantage of the simplicity of the hill men, 'who would much sooner walk into a tiger's den than put in an appearance in the Rajahmundry court,' to make unfair contracts with them, and then, if these were not fulfilled according to the traders' own interpretation, to file suits against them, obtain ex parte decrees, and distrain as much of their property as they could lay hands on. In satisfaction of a debt of Rs. 5, cattle and produce worth Rs. 100 had. been sometimes carried off in this manner, and sometimes, it was said, the formality of a suit was dispensed with, and the trader, accompanied by a friend personating an officer of the court, made the distraint without any authority whatever. The hill people laid the blame for all this injustice on Government and Government rules and regulations, and thought that their only remedy lay in rising against the authorities.
On the 9th March 1879 the police inspector of Rampa reported that there was reason to apprehend a disturbance. The Collector had gone to Bhadráchalam, so the Sub-Collector and Superintendent of Police set out for the hills with a small body of police. At Gókavaram they met one of the muttadars who was suspected of disaffection, but he tried to allay their suspicions and accompanied them to Chódavaram. The next day, however, two policemen were stopped near that place by
- ↑ 1 G.O, No. 109, Judicial, dated 16th January 1880, p. 10.
