Yanaon

The main colonial history of Yanam starts with early 18th century. It is mentioned in the book, The botanic garden of Yanam (Le Jardin Botanique de Yanaon) by Médecin-colonel Alfred-Alphonse-Léon Bigot (Colonel A. Bigot), that at first, the French establishment of a warehouse here in 1723 A.D. the La Compagnie des Française Indes Orientales of France established here a trading post of theirs. Since the business became slack and commercial operations had not produced the desired results, it was given up in 1727.[1]

In the west of Yanam, there are still Neelikundilu (Indigo wells). People say that the Dutch constructed a fort here. It is being called by locals as "saali kota" because previously weavers (Saalivandru) used to weave clothes after the exit of the Dutch. They used to keep their currency, minted in the mint at Neelapalli, in this fort.

Colonial Yanaon

The Dutch left Yanam before 1725. Some 25 kilometres (16 mi) north they used to have a colony at Jagannadhapuram (Dutch Jaggernaikpoeram, English Jagannaickpore), now in Kakinada between 1734–1795 and 1818–1825.[1]

Actually it was seized again by Dupleix on July 30, 1731[2] during the time of Pierre Benoît Dumas the then Governor General of French Establishments of India. A firman from Haji Hassan Khan, Nawab of Masulipatam authorised the French Representative Fouquet, then chief of the Company at Machilipatnam to set up a loge[3] at Yanam in the year 1731. Nawab Roustoum khan granted a paravana dated 1735 for French commerce in Yanam. But it was re-established completely in 1742 during the reign of Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah. After 1742 political motives began to overshadow the desire for commercial gain. All factories were fortified for the purpose of defense. Mr. De Choisy administered it. He died here on 24 October 1747.[4] Monsieur Sinfray succeeded him. The annual rent was waived by a document in 1743 for Yanam. Mir Ahmad Ali Khan, Nawab of Arcot, granted all the rights on the lands situated before the quarters at Yanam to the French on October 9, 1748. Unfortunately necessary details are not available for this period i.e. from 1723 to 1750. However, on September 20]] 1750, the Councillor Guillard retook Machilipatnam and Yanaon that were besieged earlier by Nasir Jung.[4] Later, Muzaffar Jang, Nawab Subedar of the Deccan (1750–1751) succeeded Nasir Jung. Muzaffar Jang confirmed the sovereignty of this territory on 31 December 1750 to the French.

Salabat Jang, the son of the Nizam al Mulk, who was indebted for his elevation to the throne to the French East India Company, granted the district of Kondavid to the French in return for their services, and soon afterwards the other Circars. A firman' was issued by the Mughal emperor, confirming all the concessions made to the French by Salabat Jang, the Subedar of Deccan. These concessions were in the shape of the donations and the name `Inam' (gift) was changed into Yanam (Yanaon) by the French in the course of time. In December 1753, a paravana of Salabat Jang, Subedar of Deccan conceded to Bussy the paraganas of Chicacole, Ellore, Rajahmundry and Mustafanagar. with an annual revenue RS.2, 00,000 for the maintenance of the French troops in the Subah in recognition of the help of these Circars amounted up to 10 lakhs of Rupees per year. Bussy helped Salabat Jang to be the Subedar of Deccan. The agreement made between the French and Salabat Jang in Aurangabad bears the signature of Said Loukshur, Minister of Salabat Jang. Yanam acquired considerable importance during the occupation of the Northern Circars by the French.

Regional Administrator Office, Yanam

There is again a dearth of information regarding this place from 1753 to 1765. Another important event in the history was the war between the French and the English fought at Chandurthi in 1758 in which the French were defeated. Salabat Jang made a treaty with British and gave the Northern Circars under a firman to the English. Later Nizam rebelled against the English. A second treaty was the result of war and Northern Circars remained permanently under the control of the British. After 1760 the French lost hold in South India, especially on Northern Circars. In 1765 Lord Robert Clive, the then existing Chief and Council at Vizagapatam obtained from the Mughal emperor Shah Alam a grant of the five Circars.

A document dated 15 May 1765 showed that the villages of Yanam and Kapulapalem (Capouloupalém) with other lands were handed over by Jean white hill and George Dolben, the Englishmen deputed by Mr. Jean Pybus, the head of the English settlement in Masulipatam to Mr. Yoan Yacques Panon, French Commissioner deputed by Jean Law de Lauriston the then Governor General of Pondichéry, for taking them over. This document mentions that France entered into possession of Yanam and its dependent territories with exemption from all export and import duties. Soon after taking possession of this settlement, Mr. Panon obtained a firman from the ruler of Rajahmundry granting the French full liberty of trade at Yanam and another one from the Nawab Mir Nizam Ali Khan Bahadur (Asaf Jah II) calling upon the Zamindars of the Circar Mustafanagar not to hinder the commerce of the French.

After transfer of Northern Circars to the English, Yanam came under the province of Peddapuram in the jurisdiction of Sri Raja Vatsavaya Kala Thimma Jagapathi Bahadhoor (Timma Raja). The French had a modest building in Yanam situated a league from the sea, on the Coringa River into which small vessels could enter.

The documents of 1765 throw light on a dispute of a weekly market or fair in Yanam. A weekly market used to be held here on every Tuesday (Even now market occurs in Yanam on this Tuesday only). People used to come to it for purchasing all their essential commodities once for a week. Neelapalli (Nélapilly), a neighbouring village of Yanam was under the British at that time. It is nearly 3 kilometre away from Yanam. The people in this village also used to hold a fair on Tuesday. Thus there was a clash of interests between Yanam and Neelapalli. After prolonged correspondence with the English authorities at Madras, the French authorities in Yanam succeeded in changing the fair of Neelapalli to another day of the week, Saturday. In this way, Yanam triumphed over its neighbouring village Neelapalli.

Sri Potti Sri Ramulu Yanam Bridge

Jean Law de Lauriston, Governor of Pondichéry (1765–1766) stated in his "Memoire of 1767" as "It is from Yanam that we get our best ‘Guinness’ (fine cloth). It is possible to have a commerce here worth more than a million livres per year under circumstances more favourable than those in which we are placed now, but always by giving advances much earlier, which we have never been in a position to do. From this place we also procured teakwood, oils, rice and other grains both for the men as well as for the animals. A port from commerce, Yanam enjoyed another kind of importance. "The advantages which may be derived in a time of war from the alliances that we the French may conclude with several Rajas who sooner or later cannot fail to be dissatisfied with the English'." Although the English gained an effective control over the Circars, Yanam enabled the French to enter into secret relations with the local chieftains. Yanam had some commercial importance".

It was a centre for the production of salt and this salt constituted the major part of the quantity imported by the French into Bengal region. It was also an important center of cotton goods and supplied a large part of the return cargo of the French ships visiting India. A few French citizens in Yanam were fully occupied by these two kinds of profitable business and they had no interest in political and administrative matters that were left entirely to the chief or commandant. Indian residents wanted nothing better than to be left in peace to carry on their trading activities.

Between 1778 and 1783, Pondichéry was under British occupation. There is again lack of information because of its subsequent English occupation. Yanam was restored again to the French in 1785. Mr. Mallhendre took possession of it and Mr. Bluter succeeded him. It was recommended to them to favour the business of the French East India Company and to protect the interest of some specified merchants.

The French Revolution had its effects in different ways in all the former French settlements. The French trade at Yanam was considerable at that time.

After Bluter, Mr. Pierre Sonnerat became the chief in 1790 in Yanam. He was a scholar and writer. He had a profound interest in natural sciences. He wrote a book,Voyages aux Indes Orientales et à la Chine, in three volumes. He appreciated very much the sonority and the music of the Telugu language. He administered Yanam during the time of the French Revolution.

Sonnerat was involved in commercial businesses, along with other traders. His commercial involvement brought serious consequences to his administrative post. Petitions against him were presented to Camille Charles Leclerc, chevalier de Fresne, the then French Governor in Pondichéry. On 5 June 1790 a Frenchman called De Mars complained about him for the first time. By that time Pondichéry, under the influence of the French Revolution, had already formed the first representative committee. But no action was taken in favour of De Mars either by the Governor or by this committee. Naturally, the French citizens in Yanam were uninterested in the affairs of Pondichéry owing to his failure

.

Once again French lost control over Yanam to the British. During 1793 and 1816 Pondichéry was under British control. So, Yanam fell thrice into the hands of the British. After the Napoleonic wars, by the Treaty of Paris (1814) Yanam along with the factory at Machilipatnam was finally returned to the French on 26 September 1816. From then it was continuously under the control of French until it got independence. The third British occupation is also called as final British occupation.

While the linguist C.P. Brown was working as a judge at Rajahmundry in 1834, he came to know that one Sri Majeti Sarvesalingam possessed a collection of old Telugu books. So Brown contacted the then chief de Yanaon, Capitaine de Lesparda, and requested him to arrange a meeting with Sarvesalingam. It seems he collected nearly 300 books and paid one hundred and fifty rupees for the manuscripts in the library of Majeti Sarvesalingam. Of the 613 manuscripts in this library, 386 were Sanskrit works, the others contained works on grammar, on spells (mantras) and on medicine.[5] Also, many of Brown's manuscripts and other possessions were kept by Mulupuri Sundara Ramayya in his house at Yanaon. He charged Brown Rs. 2,316 for storage of his manuscripts and possessions and for shipping them to Madras.[6]

French Commissaire and Madimchetty, Mayor of Yanam in 1940s

Though the French established colonies in India in seventeenth century itself, it was not until during the end of the 19th century they started civil administration in French India.

Yanam had a dominant pro-French atmosphere prevailing in its people and its leaders. In due course of time due to nationalist struggle by some leaders, conditions became intolerable in Yanam after its mayor and other representatives of Yanam adopted the merger resolution. The mayor, deputy mayor, and over 200 people took refuge in the adjacent areas of India. Police and hired hoodlums from Yanam assaulted refugees on Indian soil. It was then that the refugees marched into Yanam under the leadership of Dadala Raphael Ramanayya and aided by the then-Maire de Yanaon, Monsieur Madimchetty Satianarayanamourty alias Satia and took over the administration. After hoisting the Indian National Flag, they formed the revolutionary provisional government of Yanam headed by Dadala Raphael Ramanayya and adopted a resolution declaring "Yanaon A Libéré" (Yanam liberated). The coup d'état of Yanam was announced by All India Radio and Press.

The Yanam, coup d'état had enraged the French authorities of Pondichéry. Rumours were spread to the effect that the French government were despatching a cruiser to Yanam to capture Merger Leaders and to re-establish their authority. After the coup, the last administrator of Yanam, George Sala, was recalled by André Ménard, then Governor General of Pondichéry, in June 1954.

Dadala was also appointed as Acting Commissioner for Yanam for 14 days. Towards the end of June 1954, Sri Kewal Singh paid a visit to Yanam and requested Dadala's return to Pondichéry to continue his activities there. On 3 July, on Kewal Singh's request, Dadala left Yanam, after making all arrangements for its proper administration.

First Laurel Poet of Andhra, Chellapilla Venkata Kavi (1870–1950), One of the duo of the famous Tirupati Venkata Kavulu lived here. Many poets such as the late Villa Reddi Naidu, V.Venkataswami Naidu. Some important politicians include Kanakala Tatayya Naidou, MD Abdul Razzaq, Majety Subbarao, and Guiry Madhavarao.

• Guiry Soubaraw (Sergent-chef)
• Bezawada Bapa Naidou
• Manga Vincanna
• Bouloussou Soubramaniam Sastroulou
• Kamichetty Venugopala Rao Naidou
• Dadala Rafael Ramanayya
• Samatam Krouschnaya
• Kamichetty Sri Parassourama Varaprassada Rao Naidu
• Kamichetty Savithri
• Manyam Zamindar
• Madimchetty Satianandam
• Guiry Tatayanaidou

• Salabat Jung
• Yanam Municipality
• Marquis de Bussy-Castelnau
• Pondicherry
• Puducherry
• French India
• Municipal Administration in French India
• Coup d'État de Yanaon

• District website
• Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry