Who was Rani Velu Nachiyar

Jan. 4, 2023

Recently, The Prime Minister of India paid tributes to Rani Velu Nachiyar on her birth anniversary.

About:

  • Rani Velu Nachiyar was born on January 3, 1730, in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, India.
  • She was the first queen to have ever actively opposed British rule and fought against colonial rulers many years before the Sepoy Mutiny.
  • She is known by Tamils as
  • She was trained in war to match weapons usage, martial arts like Valari, Silambam (fighting using the stick), horse riding and archery. 
  • She was a scholar in many languages and she had proficiency in languages like French, English and Urdu.
  • She married the king of Sivagangai named  Muthuvaduganathaperiya Udaiyathevar, with whom she had a daughter. When her husband was killed by British soldiers, she was drawn into battle. 
  • War against the British: In collaboration with Hyder Ali and Gopala Nayaker, she waged a war against the British and emerged victoriously
  • She granted powers to the Marudu brothers to administer the country in 1780.