a large East India Company force of over 10,000 men swarmed all over Kottayam and Wayanad and they blocked all passes that linked Wayanad with Malabar. Before so large numbers, rebels thought wise to go under-ground for time being. Raja also found that he could no longer contact his supporters in Southern Wayanad and Southern Malabar. Raja became a wanderer in forests but even then, to surprise of the East India Company, he ruled out compromise it seems he understood that there was no alternative to full freedom. Raja had six close aides and 25 musketeers in his wanderings. First, he went north via Payyavur along montane forests of eastern Chirakkal to rally support. But the EIC were on his trail but failed to catch him. Raja then visited his secret bases in Kottayam and then moved into Kadathanad and into jungles of Kurumbranad. The East India Company were angered that where ever he went, nobles supported him in secret and decided to punish them for their help to rebel Raja. As a part of their policies to quell the rebellion, Peruvayal Nambiar who was arrested was hanged. The East India Company also threatened to issue a penalty and confiscation of property for all those rebels who failed to surrender in six weeks time. But a pardon was also issued for surrendered rebels. But none of these threats and temptations worked and Raja was still at large. But some of his chief supporters were arrested of whom Kannavath Sankaran Nambiar was most famous. Kannavath Sankaran Nambiar and his son were hanged too and their property was confiscated. Following execution of Kannavath Nambiar, a deceptive calm descended on North Malabar-calm before the storm. Collector Major MacLeod believed that war was over and went ahead with his charged duties. He immediately declared total disarmament of Malabar and threatened those who kept arms with the death penalty. He also doubled the rate of tax and ordered a reassessment of tax of whole Malabar in a mere forty days. All these 'reforms' paid back in 1803 when Malabar was on verge of revolt as people quickly became incensed. MacLeod tried to calm this with corrective measure-He cancelled all his 'reforms' and old system was reinstated. But it was too late for Wayanad where Raja's men were prepared for a rebellion. Capture of Panamaram Fort The first major event was the capture of Panamaram Fort.