‘It is similar to the brahmastram. As long as it is in his hands, no one can defeat him,’ explained Bajanaimadam Parthasarathy.

‘We must beware of the White man. We should not come under his control. We must be independent. We don’t need his help,’ said Akkayya.

‘Well, we gave him our word. We cannot go back,’ declared Govindappa Nayakkar.

A few days later, the same official from the Company came to Gopalla. This time he didn’t come with his native partner but with a troop of soldiers. It was then the people of Gopalla first saw guns.

They were used to slingshots, spears, and bows and arrows until then. This was a strange sight.

The troop consisted of both White and native soldiers.

It was said that the Whites had a lot of trouble training the natives. Akkayya had tales about the training.

He said that the White man would line up the natives in rows, then stand at the head and stamp on the ground like a potter stamps on his clay and then command them to follow suit.

As they stamped he’d call out, ‘Left, right …’

‘Left, right is his language. What do these asses know about that? And they had to stamp in time; they could not do that. Of course the White man is smart. He came up with an idea. He tied a strip of palm leaf on the natives’ left ankle and a piece of cloth to the right. Now the bunch chanted the way he did and stamped along. This was how they chanted—palm foot, cloth foot; palm foot, cloth foot … for palm foot, you stamp your left, and for cloth foot, the right,’ explained Akkayya, giggling helplessly.

Nevertheless, Parathasarathy thought it was wrong to stamp on Mother Earth for no reason.

39

IN 1858, QUEEN VICTORIA DECLARED that she was taking over ruling India from the Company so that they could find peace and solace.

The Company officials were ordered to take the proclamation to every Indian in even the remotest villages.

The important elders of Gopalla gathered at one place and the declaration was read aloud to them in detail.

It also promised that people’s welfare would be the primary issue and there would be no religious interference.

‘You should not worry because we belong to a different religion. We will never meddle with yours. You have total freedom! Our job is to protect you from bandits and murderers. You have nothing to fear!’

When the people heard that the Company had been dissolved and that they were under the maharani’s rule, they were thrilled. Their thoughts flew to the great Rani Mangamma.

They had heard stories about Rani Mangamma and had themselves witnessed the effects.

Maybe Queen Victoria looks like Rani Mangamma, imagined Govindappa Nayyakar. All he knew about Rani Mangamma was what was told to him by Mangaiathaar Ammal.

In fact the people had a tale about how the main road came to be known as Mangamma Road.