and restore order. Madurai was then under control of Barkadthullah (with the support of Hyder Ali of Mysore), who had angered the locals by allowing an old fakir to prepare to build a dargah (Islamic tomb) for himself atop the Madurai Meenakshi Temple. Yusuf Khan arrived with as little as 400 troops, defeating Barkadthullah's large army, forcing him to flee to Sivaganga Zamin with the fakir likewise expelled. Disturbances continued to prevail in Madurai. The Kallars ravaged the country; Hyder Ali was with difficulty beaten off, and little revenue could be collected. The British failed to convince the Nawab to recall his brother, Mahfuz Khan, who may have been the cause of the trouble. Soon after, to meet their needs elsewhere, they compelled the withdrawal of Yusuf Khan. His departure was the signal for wilder anarchy, and company's garrison in Madurai could only collect taxes from the country directly under its walls in order to support themselves. The Company later sent Yusuf Khan back, renting both Madurai and Tinnevelly to him for five lakh (500,000 rupees) per annum. Yusuf Khan restored lands to the plundered Meenakshi temple and by the spring of 1759 began cutting roads through the woods to pursue bands of armed robbers plaguing the countryside. Through the relentless pursuit and execution of criminals, he brought the country to order and the Polygars into submission. He also renovated the temple tanks, lakes and forts damaged by Hyder Ali. All of these actions increased revenue to the Nawab and British, and made himself extremely powerful. Controversial wars with Palayakkars During this time Yusuf Khan battled with Puli Thevar, a Polygar of Nerkattumseval (a.k.a. Nelkettaanseval, a small town to the south-west of Madurai), who was rebelling against the Nawab and the British. Yusuf Khan first convinced the Raja of Travancore to make an alliance with the Nawab, breaking his alliance with Puli Thevar. Yusuf Khan then captured some of Puli Thevar's forts where Mohammed Ali had failed. However, in 1760, Yusuf Khan suffered a minor setback in his attempt to capture Vasudevanallur, which was one of Puli Thevar's principal forts.He succeeded in his second attempt. Puli Thevar later escaped from Sankarankovil and disappeared from the pages of history for a couple of years.Puli Thevar is today recognized by the Government of Tamil Nadu as a freedom fighter. Also during this time, Yusuf Khan successfully repulsed an attempt by the Dutch