A recent statement by the Revenue Minister, Krishna Byre Gowda, has caused some concern among sections of the Kodava community. The Minister’s broader intent appears to be to assist Kodavas in Kodagu who hold Jamma land by enabling them to obtain full proprietary rights over such land.
One of the long-standing issues faced by Jamma landholders in Kodagu is that revenue records continue to list the landowner as “Pattedara, name so-and-so,” referring to the original head of the Kodava family (Okka). In many cases, these individuals passed away several decades ago, yet their names remain unchanged in the State’s revenue records. This has become a significant issue for some landholders seeking the right to alienate Jamma land, which traditionally was non-alienable.
While explaining this issue in the Legislative Assembly, the Minister made a reference to “Pattedaras,” stating that;
“Patterdaras who supported British Government militarily were made to serve as British Revenue Officials and collect revenue on the lands.”
This statement is historically inaccurate. It is evident, however, that the Minister had no intention of insulting the Kodava community, nor does he claim to be a historian. The remark appears to be an unintended factual error and seems the Minister is referring to the Zamindari system, which has never existed among the Kodavas.
Revenue Collection in Coorg
Historically, the responsibility of collecting and remitting revenue – during both the period of the Haleri Rajas and later under British administration – rested with officials such as the Parpattigara (Revenue Official) and the Shanbhogue (Village Accountant). These officials functioned under the supervision of the Subedar, who acted as the Governor of the Nad (administrative district) and conducted annual village visits during Jammabandhi (annual revenue settlement).
A clear and authoritative explanation of the role of the Pattedara in the context of Kodagu is provided by Historian Kaveri Ponnapa in The Vanishing Kodavas (2013). She writes:
The head of the Okka, known as Koravakara, or Pattedara, was usually the eldest member of the family, whose word was respected by all the members of the family. He held the title deed or Patta for the family, hence the name.
Similarly, Richter in his Manual of Coorg (1870) explains that:
As the Jamma land granted under the Haleri Kings was inalienable, the rights to such land vested in the eldest member of the Coorg (Kodava) family. This individual was traditionally known as the Korakara (Koravakara), while the other family members were referred to as “Kikkara.” The Korakara held the family’s wealth in trust and was responsible for its management and distribution. From the surplus revenue generated from Jamma land, he met the expenses related to marriages, funerals, and other family (Okka) ceremonies.
It is therefore clear that the Pattedara in Coorg was neither a government official nor a revenue or military functionary. The term merely denoted a title holder – the custodian of the Patta on behalf of the family.
Lexically, “Pattadar” is defined as one who holds a lease or engagement for land – Pattadar: One who holds a lease or title to land. The term has been used in revenue records in Persian, Hindustani, Odiya, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil and other languages.
Jammagara to Pattedara
Even during British administration, Jamma landholders were referred to in revenue records as Jammagára (Jamma holder), Jummadakula (family of Jamma holders), or Jummadareita (Jamma farmer).
This brings us to the historical question: when and how did the term “Koravakara” or “Jammagára“ come to be replaced by “Pattedara” in official revenue records? This remains a subject for further research. The term “Pattedara” appears to be a later administrative introduction, possibly during British rule or after Kodagu came under the administration of the erstwhile Mysore State.
Chinnappa, in The Origins of Coorgs (1990), observes that the term “Pattedara,” meaning the holder of a Patte or land designated by a revenue survey number, seems to be either a British administrative legacy or, at best, a development from the period of Lingaraja II (1811–1820).
Notably, the term does not appear to have been used during the reign of the Haleri Kings. A review of The Hukkumnamas of Lingarajendra Wodeyar II (1811–1820), which document land grants and royal edicts of that period, reveals no reference to “Pattedara.”
There was, in fact, no requirement for Kodavas to possess a Patta in the conventional sense, as Jamma land was granted by the Rajas to be “enjoyed through generations” in perpetuity, subject only to a nominal tax and in lieu of providing military, administrative and other state services for the Haleri Rajas.
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