Kuyili is a fictional character introduced by K Jeevabharathi in his book "Velu Nachiyar". She was portrayed as an army commander of queen
Velu Nachiyar
Rani Velu Nachiyar (3 January 1730 – 25 December 1796) was a queen of Sivaganga estate from 1780–1790. She was the first Indian queen to wage war with the East India Company in India.[East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...]
in the 18th century. She is considered the first
suicide bomber
A suicide attack is any violent Strike (attack), attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has suicide, accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have oc ...
and "first woman
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
" in
Indian history
According to consensus in modern genetics, anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. Quote: "Y-Chromosome and Mt-DNA data support the colonization of South Asia by m ...
.
Origin
Kuyili was first introduced by author K.Jeevabharathi in his account on "Velu Nachiyar". Although a fictional character, Kuyili is widely believed to be a real historical figure. The dramatic event of suicide bombing, yet another fictional event from author Jeevabharathi's novel, was largely popularized by the stage shows, finding her a place in the pop culture. There were no references to Kuyili in the works of K. Rajayyan, Sanjeevi, and M.Rajendran IAS who researched and wrote extensively on this subject. The caste of the fictional character has been a point of debate for a long time. Some claim that Kuyili belongs to Paraiyar caste while some claim she belongs to Arunthathiyar caste.
Life
Kuyili was born in the 18th century at Kudanchavadi, near
Sivagangai district. Her mother was also known for her bravery and is said to have died while fighting with a wild bull to save her fields from being destroyed. Kuyili was a devout commander of Velu Nachiyar and repeatedly saved her life. On one such occasion, when she discovered that her ''
Silambam
Silambam is an Indian martial art originating in South India in the Indian subcontinent. This style is mentioned in Tamil Sangam literature. The World Silambam Association is the official international body of Silambam.
Origin
References in ...
'' teacher was actually a spy, she took action to save the queen immediately. On another occasion, when the queen was attacked during her sleep, she attacked the enemy and injured herself in the process. Seeing her loyalty and bravery, she was made the commander-in-chief of the women's wing of her army. Kuyili later played an important role in the
Sivaganga
Sivaganga () is a city and headquarters of the Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Sivaganga is a rani velunachiyar kingdom of Tamil Nadu. It is an important city in this district for official and commercial purposes. Its ni ...
expedition of the queen.
Death
Kuyili is known for her
suicide attack
A suicide attack is any violent Strike (attack), attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has suicide, accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have oc ...
in 1780. While attacking a fort of East India Company, she applied
ghee
Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals.
Description
Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from c ...
on her body, set herself ablaze and jumped into the armoury of the East India Company, securing victory for Velu Nachiyar.
[Remembering Queen Velu Nachiyar of Sivagangai, the first queen to fight the British]
''The News Minute''. 3 January 2017
Legacy
The Tamil Nadu government erected a memorial to Kuyili in the
Sivagangai district.
See also
*
Rani Velu Nachiar
Rani Velu Nachiyar (3 January 1730 – 25 December 1796) was a queen of Sivaganga estate from 1780–1790. She was the first Indian queen to wage war with the East India Company in India.[Suicide attack
A suicide attack is any violent Strike (attack), attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has suicide, accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have oc ...]
References
{{Reflist, 30em
People from Sivaganga district
Indian revolutionaries
1780 deaths
Suicides by self-immolation
Suicides in India
18th-century suicides
Indian women in war