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| Rani Velu Nachiyar of Sivaganga, Tami Nadu, India.swapsushias.blogspot.com |
There is no dearth of patriots and warriors from the southern belt of Tamil Nadu beyond Tiruchirapalli. Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Puli Thevar, Maruthu Pandiyar, Mahakavi Bharathi, Vanchi Nathan, V.O. Chidambaran pillai and a host of others - made remarkable contributions in their own and innovative ways to free India from the British and their daring exploits ought to be etched in golden letters for the progeny.
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| Sivaganga, Location in Tamil Nadu, India. en.wikipedia.org |
Not satisfied with turning the affluent Indian Maharajahs and Nawobs of North India into penniless and powerless rulers, the British East India company moved down south with the help of some traitors and reduced many local Maharajahs and rulers to poverty and squalor. Thus, through out India, the corrupt British company earned a bad name and as for the crown, it got a bad rap for being a mute spectator to their atrocities in the Indian sub continent.
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| Rani Velu Nachiyar of Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, India.en.wikipedia.org. |
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| Sivaganga palace entrance, Tamil Nadu, India.en.wikipedia.org |
Rani Velu Nachiyar (1730-1796), was an 18th century Indian queen from Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, S. India. Sivaganga Kingdom, comprising a small area was founded by Sasivarna Periya Oodaya Thevar in 1730 and was subsequently ruled by his successors and ultimately by princess Velu Nachiyar under the able guidance of Warrior Maruthu Pandiyar, a patriot and a sworn enemy of the British. She was the first queen to have revolted against the mighty British and their oppressive rule and their poor treatment of native people right on their own soil. Her fight for freedom from the British preceded the revolts by Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi, Madhya Pradesh who boldly stood the ground and fought against the British and their way of land grabbing under the garb of the ''doctrine of Lapse,'' introduced by Lord Dalhousie.
Rani Velu Nachiyar, the princess of Ramanathapuram and daughter of Chellamuthu Sethupathy married the king of Siva Gangai and had a daughter - Vellachi Nachiar by him. Her husband Muthu Vaduganatha periya Udaiyathevar was killed along with his second wife by the British and their alley, the Nawob of Arcot's son in a battle. Undaunted by the unstable and unfavorable political situation on account of lack of male member in her family to rule the kingdom with frequent threats from the British and Arcot Nawob forces, she made up her mind to fight back her enemies at the right opportunity. So, after some deliberations, she escaped with her daughter and went to Virupachi near Dindigul (now in Tamil Nadu) and sought the help of Hyder Ali of Mysore, a sworn, but fearful enemy of the British, who was camping there. Palayakarar one Gopala Nayak was quite helpful to her in her stay there. During her long stay at Dindukal for about eight years, burning with anger, revenge and patriotic fire, she formed a formidable army and entered into an alliance with Hyder Ali.
In 1780 Rani Velu Nachiyar attacked the British settlements in a lightning speed that they had not seen before. She developed a separate well trained women's army whose members were equally brave, patriotic and disciplined. In the battle, upon finding the ammunition depot, Velu Nachiyar had her first human bomb - a dedicated woman warrior by the name of ''Kuyili,'' carry out the difficult job. That brave, young woman, after dousing herself with inflammable oil, walked into the arsenal and lit herself. Seconds later the entire place was ablaze. There was, nothing but destruction and chaos all around. After this humiliating defeat by an army led by a dynamic, woman warrior, the British left the place for good, never to turn back. This patriotic young woman, who was a human bomb, sacrificed her precious life for the freedom of her mother land from foreign rulers.
Velu Nachiyar, as a ruler kept the woman's army and named it “udaiyaal” in honor of her adopted daughter — Udaiyaal, who died detonating a British arsenal at the battle. Her courageous exploits against the British company took place long before the Sepoy mutiny of 1857.
Queen Velu Nachiar found successors in Marudu brothers who were equally competent to administer the country in 1780. Velu Nachiar having ruled her country for some period, died in 1796. her exact date of death is a a subject of debate.
The Indian government honored this great, valiant patriotic queen from the south by releasing a commemorative postage stamp on December 31 2008. This remarkable woman's courageous exploits are well niched in the annals of Indian history and they will keep inspiring people for generations to come.
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| Queen Velu Nachiyar of Sivaganga. firstpost.com |
Above image: Remembering the brave Rani Velu Nachiyar on her birth anniversary Shri Modiji observed: Her indomitable courage shall keep motivating the coming generations. Her strong commitment to fight colonialism was remarkable. She personifies the spirit of our Nari Shakti.. On 3 rd January 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modiji through Twitter paid rich tribute to Rani Velu Nachiyar on her birth anniversary. Perhaps, she may the earliest woman ruler to have fought against the diabolical English company rule in India as the Queen of Sivagangai. Earlier wars like Plessey (1757), Buxor (1764) and first Angelo -Mysore war (1767-1769) were fought by male rulers No doubt, she became an immortal personality in India's struggle against the colonial rule. her patriotic zeal will inspire several generations in the future........................
https://www.firstpost.com/india/pm-modi-remembers-rani-velu-nachiyar-on-her-birth-anniversary-says-she-personifies-nari-shakti-10253231.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velu_Nachiyar
http://www.sivagangaiseemai.com/velunachiyar/
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http://www.sivagangaiseemai.com/velunachiyar/
(minor modification done 18 January 2022))
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