But the Governor General unwisely revoked the agreement in 1794 and gave Kottayam to Kurumbranad Raja on a five-year lease. The Raja was very angry at this decision and decided to retaliate by ruling his country as per customary law. The year before the lease was concluded the Raja had provided asylum to a Nayar noble, Narangoli Nambiar of the Iruvazinad royal clan, who had been declared an outlaw by the British for the murder of three men who had killed his kinsman. The Raja's kind treatment of Nambiar irritated the British. The British also became angry that the Raja had executed by impalement two robbers as per customary law. The British planned to arrest Raja 'for murder' but gave up the idea as the Raja had a bodyguard of 500 well-armed Wayanad Nayars.