Rani Velu Nachiyar (3 January 1730 – 25 December 1796) was a queen of
Sivaganga estate
The estate of Sivaganga ( ta, சிவகங்கை ஜமீன்), as per British records also known as Kingdom of the Lesser Marava, was a permanently settled ''zamindari'' estate in the Ramnad sub-division of Madura district, Madras P ...
from 1780–1790. She was the first Indian queen to wage war with the
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 South ...
in India
IN, In or in may refer to:
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.
[ Remembering Queen Velu Nachiyar of Sivagangai, the first queen to fight the British]
''The News Minute''. 3 January 2017 She is known by
Tamils
The Tamil people, also known as Tamilar ( ta, தமிழர், Tamiḻar, translit-std=ISO, in the singular or ta, தமிழர்கள், Tamiḻarkaḷ, translit-std=ISO, label=none, in the plural), or simply Tamils (), are a Drav ...
as ''Veeramangai'' ("brave woman"). With the support of
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali ( حیدر علی, ''Haidarālī''; 1720 – 7 December 1782) was the Sultan and ''de facto'' ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born as Hyder Ali, he distinguished himself as a soldier, eventually drawing the at ...
's army, feudal lords, the Maruthu Brothers,
Dalit
Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming ...
commanders, and Thandavarayan Pillai, she fought the East India company.
Life
Velu Nachiyar was the princess of
Ramanathapuram
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 ...
and the only child of King Chellamuthu Vijayaragunatha Sethupathy and Queen Sakandhimuthathal of the
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 ...
.
Nachiyar was trained in many methods of combat, including war match weapons usage, martial arts like
Valari
A valari ( ta, வளரி) is a traditional weapon, primarily used by the Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. The valari resembles, and is used like, a boomerang. It has been used by the Tamil people in ancient battles, for protecting ca ...
,
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 ...
, horse riding, and archery. She was a scholar in many languages and was proficient in languages like
French,
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
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and
.
[ She married the king of ]Sivagangai
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 ...
, with whom she had a daughter.
When her husband, Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar was killed in a battle with EIC soldiers in 1780, she was drawn into the conflict. Velu Nachiyar ran away from Sivagangai as a fugitive and sought the help of Hyder Ali. Hyder Ali helped her with 5,000 soldiers and gunpowder weapons. Initially Hyder Ali refused but later agreed to help her with soldiers, arms and training. Velu Nachiyar sought the help of rich merchants as well. After eight years of planning along with support of many feudal lords, Tipu Sultan, Marudhu brothers and Thandavarayan Pillai she fought against the British East India Company.
When Velu Nachiyar found the place where the EIC stored some their ammunition, Her commander Kuyili made a suicide attack on the ammunition depot, blowing it up.
Nachiyar reinherited the kingdom of her husband, and ruled it for ten more years.
In 1790, she was succeeded by her daughter Vellacci
Vellacci or Vellachi Nachiyar (1770-1793) was the second ruling queen of Sivaganga estate in 1790–1793. She is the daughter of Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar and Velu Nachiyar. She was made the heir to the throne of Sivagangai by her m ...
.[ She granted powers to her daughter with the ]Marudu brothers
The Marudhu Pandiyars (Periya Marudhu and Chinna Marudhu) were Diarchal Kings of Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu, India, towards the end of the 18th century. They were known for fighting against the East India Company. They were finally executed by t ...
to help with the administration of the kingdom. Velu Nachiyar died a few years later, on 25 December 1796.
Popular culture
*On 31 December 2008, a commemorative postage stamp in her name was released.
*OVM Dance Academy of Chennai presenting "VELU NACHIYAR" a Grand Dance Ballet on Sivaganga Queen.
*Professor A.L.I., a Tamil-American hip-hop artist, released a song dedicated to Velu Nachiyar entitled "Our Queen" as part of his ''Tamilmatic'' album in 2016.
*On 21 August 2017, a grand dance ballet was conducted in Naradha Gana Sabha in Chennai depicting the life history of the queen Velu Nachiyar. The play was directed by Sriram Sharma, who researched on the Queen's life history for almost a decade.
See also
* Indian independence activists
The Indian independence movement consisted of efforts by individuals and organizations from a wide spectrum of society to obtain political independence from the British, French and Portuguese rule through the use of a many methods. This is a l ...
* Indian independence movement
The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947.
The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...
* Kuyili
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 who participated in campaigns against the East India Company in the 18th century. She is ...
* Puli Thevar
Puli Thevar was a Tamil
Palaiyakkarar who ruled Nerkattumseval, situated in the Sankarankoil taluk, Tenkasi,formerly Tirunelveli Tamil Nadu. He is notable fighting against East India Company from May 22, 1752 - 1767 in India. Worship of God ...
* Vellore mutiny of 1806
References
External link
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nachiyar, Velu
1730 births
1796 deaths
Indian female royalty
Indian independence activists from Tamil Nadu
Indian women in war
Tamil monarchs
Indian revolutionaries
Indian independence movement
People from Sivaganga district
Women in 18th-century warfare
18th-century women rulers
18th-century Indian women
18th-century Indian people