![Kilavan Sethupathi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Kilavan_Sethupathi.JPG)
Sriman Hiranyagarbha Ravikula Raja Muthu Vijaya Raghunatha Raja Raghunatha Deva Kilavan Setupati (r. 1671–1710) was the first king of
Ramnad Kingdom
The Kingdom of Ramnad or Ramnad estate was a permanently settled kingdom and later ''zamindari'' estate that existed in the Ramnad subdivision of the Madurai district and later Ramnad district of the erstwhile Madras Presidency in British Indi ...
which is also known "
Maravar
Maravar (also known as Maravan and Marava) are a Tamil community in the state of Tamil Nadu. These people are one of the three branches of the Mukkulathor confederacy. Members of the Maravar community often use the honorific title '' Thevar''. T ...
Kingdom".
[Lists of Inscriptions, and Sketch of the Dynasties of Southern India By Robert Sewell, Archaeological Survey of Southern India] He ruled from 1673 to 1708 and oversaw the growth of the feudal chieftainship of Ramnad into a powerful ''"Ramnad Kingdom"'' which is known as ''"
Maravar
Maravar (also known as Maravan and Marava) are a Tamil community in the state of Tamil Nadu. These people are one of the three branches of the Mukkulathor confederacy. Members of the Maravar community often use the honorific title '' Thevar''. T ...
Kingdom"''. He rescued the Nayak of Madurai from the tyranny of Rustam Khan and also successfully campaigned against the King of
Thanjavur
Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...
, who later ceded all his territories. It is recorded in the Sethupati copper plates that he belonged to the
Surya
Surya (; sa, सूर्य, ) is the sun as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana puja and a m ...
kulam and
Kashyap
The Kashyap Rajput or Kashyap are a caste in India. They are sometimes called the Koshyal or Kanshilya.
History
''Kashyap'' is originally one of the eight primary gotras (clans) of the Brahmins, being derived from Kashyapa, the name of a rishi ...
gothram.
Personal life
He fell in love with Kathali, a girl from the
Kallar caste, later married her and then appointed his brother-in-law as the chief of Pudukottai for the military provided by
tondaiman
The Tondaiman family were Tamil rulers of the ancient Tondai Nadu (Tondaimandalam) division of Tamilakkam in South India. Their capital was at Kanchipuram.
They ruled with the Pallava dynasty, which controlled northern Tamil Nadu and Andhra Prad ...
. He christened him ''Ragunatha Tondaman'' in lieu of his former chief ''Pallavaraya Tondaman'' whom he had replaced. Ragunatha Tondaman would later go on to spawn the
Thondaman Dynasty
The Thondaimans are chieftains who ruled the region in and around Pudukottai from the 17th to 20th century. The Pudukkottai Thondaiman dynasty was founded by Raghunatha Thondaiman, the brother-in-law of the then Raja of Ramnad, RaghunathaKilav ...
of
Pudukottai
Pudukkottai is the administrative headquarters of Pudukkottai District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a large city located on the banks of the Vellar River. It has been ruled, at different times, by the mutharaiyar dynasty , Cholas, ...
.
Also, history states that he had many wives (more than 45) and when Kilavan Sethupathi expired, all of them committed
Sati
Sati or SATI may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Sati'' (film), a 1989 Bengali film by Aparna Sen and starring Shabana Azmi
* ''Sati'' (novel), a 1990 novel by Christopher Pike
*Sati (singer) (born 1976), Lithuanian singer
*Sati, a character in ''Th ...
("Udankattai").
Reign
He was a loyal vassal of
Chokkanatha Nayak
Chokkanatha Nayak (1662—1682) succeeded his father Muttu Alkadri Nayak, as the ruler of the Madurai Nayak dynasty, when he was sixteen years old.
References
{{reflist
Madurai Nayak dynasty
Telugu people
Telugu monarchs ...
, a
Nayak king who conferred him the title of Para Rajakesari ("lion to alien kings"). He helped the Nayaks by defeating the Muslims under Kutbkhan and the poligar of Ettapuram around the time when
mughals under
Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
were also waging campaigns in South India. In appreciation of Kilavan's help the Nayak ruler gave the privilege of celebrating Navarathri festival at the capital city. The Nayak ruler also granted places like Thirubhuvanam, Mannar Koil Tiruchuli to Kilavan. He helped Thirumalai Nayak in his war against Mysore army. Thirumalai Nayak recognized the valuable military services of Raghunatha Sethupathi and conferred the title Thirumalai
Sethupathi
The Sethupathis are a Tamil clan of the Maravar community native to the Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, India. They were from the 17th century considered independent kings who ruled the Ramnad kingdom, also known as ''Mara ...
on him. Sethupathis loyalty towards the Nayaks was over with Thirumalai Nayak. Raghunatha Sethupathi recaptured all the forts and places from the Nayaks and became an independent ruler.
Raghunatha annexed some territories of
Madurai Kingdom.
Aranthangi
Aranthangi is a town chola Nadu in Pudukkottai district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. As of 2011, it had a population of 40,814. And this is one of the part in Chettinadu.
Geography
The town lies 10 degrees north in latitude and 70 degre ...
,
Thirumayam
Thirumayam is a place of historical importance located about 22 km from the town of Pudukkottai & 22 km from the town of Karaikudi. The noted Indian independence activist Sathyamurthy was born in Thirumayam in 1887.
Etymology
Thirumay ...
,
Piranmalai
Piranmalai is a village located in Singampunari Taluk in Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu, India. The nearest town is Singampunari located at away.
Piranmalai is a fortified hill at an elevation of over . This is a last outcrop of the Easter ...
. He opposed the spread of Christian missionary activities. Kilavan Sethupathi liberated the
Marava country (area around Rameswaram) from the control of Madurai Nayak. After defeating
Rani Mangammal
Rani Mangammal (Mangamma)(died 1705) was a queen regent of the Madurai Nayak kingdom (in present-day Madurai, India) during the minority of her grandson Vijaya Ranga Chokkanatha in 1689—1704. She was a popular administrator and is still wide ...
’s army, he declared independent Marava country in 1707. He shifted his headquarters from
Pugalur
Pugalur is a municipality in Karur district in Tamil Nadu, India. It has two parts: Nanjai Pugalur and Punjai Pugalur. Nanjai refers to land with plenty of water, and Punjai refers to land with few bodies of water.
Geography
Pugalur is on th ...
to
Ramnad
Ramanathapuram (), also known as Ramnad, is a town and a municipality in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Ramanathapuram district and the second largest town (by population) in ...
. Kilavan
Sethupathi
The Sethupathis are a Tamil clan of the Maravar community native to the Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, India. They were from the 17th century considered independent kings who ruled the Ramnad kingdom, also known as ''Mara ...
established the Nalcottal palayam (later Sivaganga) and appointed Udaya Thevar as governor. He endowed villages to a temple at Thiruvadanai and Kalaiyar Koil. He constructed a fort around the Ramanathapuram, the capital city. He constructed a dam across the Vaigai.
It was during his reign, that the capital was moved from
Pogalur to
Ramnad
Ramanathapuram (), also known as Ramnad, is a town and a municipality in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Ramanathapuram district and the second largest town (by population) in ...
. He was succeeded by his adopted son
Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathi I.
Death and war of succession
Bhavani Shankar revolted against Raghunatha Kilavan in 1720, after securing the help of the
Thanjavur Maratha king
Serfoji I and
Raja of Pudukkottai
''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...
, invaded Vijayaraghunatha Sethupathi's seat at
Aranthangi
Aranthangi is a town chola Nadu in Pudukkottai district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. As of 2011, it had a population of 40,814. And this is one of the part in Chettinadu.
Geography
The town lies 10 degrees north in latitude and 70 degre ...
. While defending the city, Vijayaraghunatha Sethupathi fell victim to plague and died. Just before his death, Vijayaraghunatha Sethupathi nominated
Tanda Deva
Tanda may refer to:
Places
*Tanda, Ambedkar Nagar, India, a city and municipal board
* Tanda (Bor), Serbia, a village
*Tanda, Bengal, a historical medieval city
*Tanda Dam and Lake, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
*Tanda Department, a department in Ivory Coast ...
, a great-grandson of Raghunatha Kilavan's father to succeed him but before he could acceded to the throne, Bhavani Shankar overthrew him with the support and influence of one of Kilavan's concubines.
See also
*
Ramnad Kingdom
The Kingdom of Ramnad or Ramnad estate was a permanently settled kingdom and later ''zamindari'' estate that existed in the Ramnad subdivision of the Madurai district and later Ramnad district of the erstwhile Madras Presidency in British Indi ...
*
Sethupathi
The Sethupathis are a Tamil clan of the Maravar community native to the Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, India. They were from the 17th century considered independent kings who ruled the Ramnad kingdom, also known as ''Mara ...
, title of Raghunatha Kilavan and his descendants
*
Maravar
Maravar (also known as Maravan and Marava) are a Tamil community in the state of Tamil Nadu. These people are one of the three branches of the Mukkulathor confederacy. Members of the Maravar community often use the honorific title '' Thevar''. T ...
, community to which Ramnad / Sethupathi kings belonged
*
Thanjavur Nayak kingdom
The Thanjavur Nayak kingdom or Thanjavur Nayak dynasty were the rulers of Thanjavur in the 15th and 17th centuries. The Nayaks of the Balija social group, were originally appointed as provincial governors by the Vijayanagara Emperor in the 15th ...
, once and ally and later adversary of Sethupathis
*
Madurai Nayak dynasty, once and ally and later adversary of Sethupathis
*
Marava War of Succession
The Marava War of Succession was the war of succession between, Vijayaraghunatha Sethupathi the heir apparent and eldest son of Raghunatha Kilavan and Tanda Thevar for the throne of Ramnad kingdom, also known as the Maravar Kingdom. The war of s ...
, war of succession after Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathi
References
{{reflist
History of Tamil Nadu
1710 deaths