Abdul Salam Arif vs Pazhassi Raja

Arif was a key member of the Free Officers group that overthrew the Iraqi monarchy. He personally led the assault on the Royal Palace and announced the republic on radio, becoming a prominent figure in the new regime.

Following the Ba'athist coup that overthrew Qasim, Arif was appointed President of Iraq. He initially shared power with the Ba'ath Party but soon consolidated authority, sidelining Ba'athist leaders including Saddam Hussein.

Arif's government issued Law 80, which expropriated 99.5% of the concession area held by the Iraq Petroleum Company. This move asserted state control over oil resources and increased government revenue, though full nationalization came later.

Arif died when his helicopter crashed in southern Iraq under unclear circumstances. His death was officially ruled an accident, but suspicions of sabotage persisted. He was succeeded by his brother, Abdul Rahman Arif.

Pazhassi Raja initiated a guerrilla war against the British East India Company in the forests of Wayanad and Kottayam. He refused to pay tribute and resisted British annexation, using local terrain to ambush Company forces for over a decade.

Pazhassi Raja's forces attacked and captured the British fort at Panamaram in Wayanad. The victory temporarily expelled British control from the region and boosted rebel morale, though the British later regrouped and retaliated.

Pazhassi Raja was killed in a skirmish with British forces near Mavila Thodu in Wayanad. His death ended the Cotiote War, and the British subsequently annexed Kottayam. He became a symbol of resistance in Kerala.