India has had its fair share of female warriors in its history, but one of the first was a woman named Velu Nachiyar, the first Queen of Sivaganga estate. She was the first queen to take on British colonial powers in India, and she emerged victorious, restoring her kingdom to its former glory. During her fight against the British, Nachiyar also earned the less savoury title of the architect of India’s first recorded suicide bombing.
Born in 1730, Nachiyar was the only child of King Chellamuthu Vijayaragunatha Sethupathy and Queen Sakandi Muthathal of the Ramnad kingdom. As such, she was raised as the heir to the throne, meaning she received a prince’s education—she was trained in warfare, horse riding, and archery. Furthermore, Nachiyar was proficient in several languages, including French, English, and Urdu.
At the age of 16, Nachiyar married the king of Sivagangai, Muthu Vaduganatha Periyaudaiya Thevar, and had a daughter, Vellacci, with him. The couple were married for 26 years before things took a nasty turn; the Nawab of Arcot, ruler of the Carnatic region, had joined forces with the British and began seizing Southern dynasties. He levied taxes on Sivaganga, but Thevar refused to give in, leading to a brutal attack by the British. The King was killed, Sivaganga seized, and Nachiyar was forced to flee with her daughter.
Vowing revenge, she sheltered in Virupakshi, Dindigul for eight years, during which time she built an army of women warriors. This army was known as the Udaiyaal (possibly named after an adopted daughter of Nachiyar who died exploding a British arsenal), and they were well trained in warfare.
In Virupakshi, Nachiyar also found strong allies in Gopal Naicker (ruler of Dindigul) and Sultan Hyder Ali, a name you may recognise from my previous article on Onake Obavva. Hyder Ali was impressed by Nachiyar’s fluent Urdu, her bravery, and her determination to get her kingdom back; further, he was not on good terms with the British either.
The Sultan gave his word to help Nachiyar in her mission, giving her monthly support in the form of 400 pounds in gold and providing her with men and weapons. Nachiyar managed to evade the British by constantly changing her base, creating confusion, and, by 1780, she was ready.
Hyder Ali and 80,000 soldiers attacked the Nawab of Arcot’s east-coast territories. With the British and the Nawab distracted, it was the perfect moment for Nachiyar to strike. She and her army of women marched towards Sivaganga; finding it well fortified, they had to blend in among the crowds celebrating the Vijayadashami festival to enter the palace complex.
The British weapons were superior to the Udaiyaal’s, so it was necessary to eliminate them. Kuyili, commander-in-chief of the army, thus made the ultimate sacrifice. Kuyili was incredibly close to the Queen and saved her life on numerous occasions, her bravery and unwavering loyalty earning her this high rank.
Nachiyar had inside intelligence that meant they knew where the British ammunition was stored. Armed with this knowledge, Kuyili had other women in the army douse her in ghee, then she fearlessly walked into the armoury and set herself on fire. The armoury exploded, destroying all weapons stored there, and ensuring victory for Nachiyar.
Due to her bravery, Velu Nachiyar became known as ‘Veeramangai’, meaning ‘brave woman’.
She was crowned Queen of Sivaganga in 1780 and ruled until 1790, at which point she handed power over to her daughter. She also gave powers to the Marudu brothers to assist in administration of the country.
Nachiyar remained close allies with Hyder Ali—to express her gratitude, she built a Mosque and Church at Sarangani, and he built a temple inside his palace. Nachiyar also considered Hyder Ali’s son, Tipu Sultan, as a brother, and she sent him a golden tiger as a present.
Vellacci died in 1793, her mother outliving her by three years. Velu Nachiyar died on 25th December 1796, aged 66, after suffering heart problems for the last few years of her life. Her last rites were performed by her son-in-law.
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