From around 1780 until 1790, Rani Velu Nachiyar (born 3 January 1730; died 25 December 1796) ruled the Sivaganga domain. She was the first queen of India to engage in combat with the East India Company there.Tamil speakers refer to her as Veeramangai (Tamil: "brave woman"). She fought the East India company with the aid of Hyder Ali's army, feudal lords, the Maruthu Brothers, Dalit leaders, and Thandavarayan Pillai.
Life:
The only child of King Chellamuthu Vijayaragunatha Sethupathy and Queen Sakandhimuthathal of the Ramnad kingdom, Velu Nachiyar was the princess of Ramanathapuram. Nachiyar received training in a variety of fighting techniques, including the use of war match weapons, martial arts like Silambam and Valari, horseback riding, and archery. She was fluent in numerous languages, including French, English, and Urdu, and was a multilingual scholar.She had a daughter with the Sivagangai king with whom she was married.
She became involved in the fighting after her husband, Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar, was murdered in a fight with EIC soldiers in 1780 at KalaiyarKoil. In order to escape Sivagangai, Velu Nachiyar turned to Hyder Ali for assistance. With 5,000 men and gunpowder weapons, Hyder Ali assisted her. Hyder Ali initially objected, but he later consented to provide her with men, weapons, and training. Rich merchants were also sought out by Velu Nachiyar for assistance. She battled the British East India Company after eight years of preparing and with the assistance of numerous feudal lords, Tipu Sultan, the Marudhu brothers, and Thandavarayan Pillai.
As soon as Velu Nachiyar learned where the EIC kept part of their ammo, her leader Kuyili launched a suicide strike on the supply depot. She raced into the ammunition godown, put herself on fire, and blew it up. Nachiyar reclaimed her husband's kingdom, which she ruled for a further twelve years.
She was replaced in 1790 by her daughter Vellacci.In order to aid in the rule of the kingdom, she gave her daughter authority over the Marudu brothers. Following a few years, on December 25, 1796, Velu Nachiyar passed away.
Popular culture:
On December 31, 2008, a commemorative stamp bearing her name was issued. The epic tale of Nachiyar is told in a grand dance ballet titled "VELU NACHIYAR" that is performed by the OVM Dance Academy of Chennai.
On July 18, 2014, late Jayaram Jayalalithaa, the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, opened the Veeramangai Velu Nachiyar Memorial in Sivagangai through video conference. The queen's six-foot bronze statue was also inaugurated by Jayalalithaa, who also declared that her brave birthdate of January 3 will be honoured each year.
She was honoured with a song named "Our Queen" by Tamil-American hip-hop artist Professor A.L.I. as part of his album "Tamilmatic."
A huge dance ballet portrayed the life of Nachiyar, the first queen of India who fought the British decades before the renowned Rani of Jhansi, Lakshmibai. The epic life of this brave queen was the subject of roughly ten years' worth of research by the ballet's director, Sriram Sharma. It was presented in the Chennai Naradha Gana Sabha on August 21, in Mumbai on September 9, and in Delhi on September 21, all in 2017.
