Sultan Bathery

Sulthan Bathery, previously known as Sultan's Battery, is a town in Wayanad district of Kerala, India. It derives its present name from Tipu Sultan of Mysore who used the abandoned Jain temple here and used it as his battery here in the 18th century, hence the name Sultan's Battery. This town was part of Kidanganadu Village, which got its name because the presence of the Kidangans the tribes. Later, it came to be known as Sultan Bathery, the Malayalam version of its name. It is also known as Sultan's Battery of Wayanad district. Though the fort does not remain any more, the place is worth the visit for the famous Jain Temple. The place was previously known by the name of Sulthan's Battery. It is the Taluk headquarters of Sultan Bathery. It lies on the Kozhikode–Kollegal National Highway (NH 766) 98 km from Kozhikode. It is 115 kilometers from Mysore and about 100 kilometers from Ooty (Udagamandalam). It is also connected with Nilambur. The people primarily depend on agriculture for a living.

Sulthan Battery is situated at about 930 metres above mean sea level. One can find beautiful folded hills across the horizon. The climate is pleasant throughout the year. The town has the National Highway 766 passing through it. The town is the centre of tourism in Wayanad District. It has become a very popular destination among tourists from India's software valley of Bangalore. 
History
Sultan Bathery is a historical place and its ancient history goes in sync with the history of Wayanad.The recorded history of this district exists only from the 10th century onward. In 930 AD, emperor Erayappa of Ganga Dynasty led his troops to south west of Mysore - an invasion to the prosperous kingdom he had heard of from traders and Jain monks. Mission accomplished and he called the conquered kingdom Bayalnad meaning the land of swamps. After Erayappa, his sons Rachamalla and Battunga fought each other for the new kingdom of their father’s legacy. Rachamalla was killed and Battunga became the undisputed ruler of Bayalnad. In 12th century AD, Gangas were dethroned from Bayalnad by Kadamba dynasty of North Canara. In 1104 AD Vishnuvardhana of Hoysala invaded Bayalnad followed by Vijayanagara dynasty in 16th century. In 1610 AD Udaiyar Raja Wadiyar of Mysore drove out Vijayanagara General and became the ruler of Bayalnad and the Nilgiris. Bayalnad is the present Wayanad. When Wayanad was under Hyder Ali’s rule, the ghat road from Vythiri to Thamarassery invented. Then the British rulers developed this route to Carter road. When Wayanad was under Tipu Sultan's rule British invasion started. Tussle and turbulent times followed. The British claimed Wayanad under 1792 treaty of Srirangapatna citing it was part of Malabar. Tipu Sultan went in appeal before the Governor General. Considering his arguments, relying on the successive Karnatic rule for centuries in Wayanad and its geographical detachment from Malabar, in 1798, Governor General Lord Mornington declared by proclamation   that Wayanad had not been ceded to the East India Company by the treaty of 1792. Consequently the British troops withdrew from Wayanad conceding to Tipu’s rule. In 1799, after the fall of Sultan, the British handed over Wayanad by treaty of 1799 to the Raja of Mysore and . But by a supplementary treaty dated 29 December 1803 the East India Company repossessed South Wayanad and thereafter administrated by Col. Arthur Wellesley from Srirangapatna.