{{Short description|Queen of Sivagangai, freedom fighter (1730–1796)}} {{pp-sock|small=yes}} {{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}} {{Infobox royalty | name = Rani Velu Nachiyar | title = Queen of Sivagangai<br />Princess of Ramanathapuram | image = Velu Nachchiyar 2008 stamp of India.jpg | caption = Velu Nachchiyar on a 2008 stamp of India | succession = Monarch of Sivaganga estate | reign = c. 1780-c. 1790<ref name=r2>K. R. Venkatarama Ayyar (1938) ''A Manual of the Pudukkóttai State''. Sri Brihadamba State Press. p.720</ref> | coronation = 1780 | full name = | dynasty = Sethupathi | predecessor = Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar (until 1772) | successor = Vellacci<ref name=r2/> | father = Chellamuthu vijayaragunatha Sethupathy | mother = Muthathal Nachiyar | birth_date = 3 January 1730 | birth_place = Ramanathapuram, Kingdom of Sivaganga (Modern day Tamil Nadu, India) | death_date = {{death date and age text|25 December 1796|3 January 1730}} | death_place = Sivaganga, Kingdom of Sivaganga (Modern day Tamil Nadu, India) | burial_date = 25 December 1796 | burial_place = Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, India | spouse = Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar }}
'''Rani Velu Nachiyar''' (3 January 1730 – 25 December 1796) was a queen of Sivaganga estate from {{circa}} 1780–1790. She was the first Indian queen to wage war with the East India Company (EIC) in India.<ref>Rohini Ramakrishnan (10 August 2010) [https://web.archive.org/web/20110629040635/http://www.hindu.com/yw/2010/08/10/stories/2010081050290300.htm Women who made a difference]. ''The Hindu''.</ref><ref name=r1>[http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/remembering-queen-velu-nachiyar-sivagangai-first-queen-fight-british-55163 Remembering Queen Velu Nachiyar of Sivagangai, the first queen to fight the British]. ''The News Minute''. 3 January 2017</ref> She is also known by the epithet ''Veeramangai'' ("brave woman").<ref>{{cite news|title=Veeramangai Velu Nachiyar|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/cover/veeramangai-velu-nachiyar/article26016399.ece|newspaper=The Hindu Business Line|date=18 January 2019|location=Chennai, India}}</ref><ref name="Journeys English Course Book 6">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WgxL4eT2ayYC&dq=Velu+Nachiyar&pg=PA78 |title= Journeys English Course Book 6|page= 78 |date= 2007 |publisher= Pearson Education India|isbn= 978-81-317-0337-3}}</ref><ref name="Reminiscing Herstories">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=THslEAAAQBAJ&dq=Velu+Nachiyar+haider+ali&pg=PA28 |title= Reminiscing Herstories |page= 28 |date= March 24, 2021 |publisher= BFC Publications |isbn= 978-93-90675-30-2 }}</ref>
==Life== Velu Nachiyar was born on 3 January 1730.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mosse |first=Kate |url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Tv4eEQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Feminist+history+for+every+day+of+the+year&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&ovdme=1&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Feminist%20history%20for%20every%20day%20of%20the%20year&f=false |title=Feminist History for Every Day of the Year: 366 incredible women, from Boudica to Taylor Swift |date=2025-09-18 |publisher=Pan Macmillan |isbn=978-1-5290-6623-4 |pages=16 |language=en}}</ref> She was the princess of Ramanathapuram and the only child of King Chellamuthu Vijayaragunatha Sethupathy and Queen Sakandhimuthathal of the Ramnad kingdom. Nachiyar was trained in many methods of combat, including war match weapons usage, martial arts like Valari, Silambam, Kalaripayattu, horse riding, and archery. She was a scholar in many languages and was proficient in languages like French, English and Urdu.<ref name=r1/> In 1746, she entered into marriage with Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar, serving as a close advisor, mentor, and confidant to the prince.<ref name="indianexpress.com">{{Cite web |date=2024-10-30 |title=Who were Velu Nachiyar and Anjalai Ammal, the two women whom Vijay cited as TVK's inspiration |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-history/tvk-vijay-women-velu-nachiyar-anjalai-ammal-9645813/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
When her husband, Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar, battle was held in maravar manglam 12 km from kalaiyar Kovil.second day killed in attack EIC soldiers in 1772 at KalaiyarKoil, she was drawn into the conflict. Velu Nachiyar ran away from Sivagangai and sought the help of Hyder Ali, Dindigul is border state ruled by Hyder Ali . She stayed in virupaachi fortress.After eight years of planning — along with support of many nattu ambalars, commanders Marudhu brothers, and Thandavarayan Pillai—in war time support by tippu sultan she fought against the British East India Company.<ref name="Journeys English Course Book 6"/><ref name="Reminiscing Herstories"/><ref name="Soma Basu">{{cite news |author=Soma Basu |date=24 December 2007 |title=Uphill, for history's sake |url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/12/24/stories/2007122450130300.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228192224/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/12/24/stories/2007122450130300.htm |archive-date=28 February 2008 |newspaper=The Hindu |location=India}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Last Sethu Queen |date=25 Feb 2026 |publisher=Vishwakarma Publications |isbn=9347216011 |language=en}}</ref>
In 1772, Sivaganga minister Thandavarayan Pillai wrote a letter on behalf of Rani Velu Nachiyar to Hyder Ali, looking for military support: {{Blockquote|text=The Nawab of Arcot is encroaching on both Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga kingdoms and wreaking havoc. After escaping from there, I stayed with the Kallar leaders in the forests and continued the revolt. In this effort, anyone who can help me can make even better achievements. Therefore you have five thousand horsemen. If I could send five thousand soldiers, I would be able to bear their allowance and join them in recapturing these two princely states, and also send troops to Madurai and start counter-operations throughout the country. The Polygars there will also cooperate with us.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ta.m.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%80%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%81_%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%80%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%88/%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%B5%E0%AF%87%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%81_%E0%AE%A8%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D|title=சீர்மிகு சிவகங்கைச் சீமை/விருபாட்சியில் வேலு நாச்சியார் |language=ta |trans-title=Sivagangai's pride/Virupatchi's Velu Nachiyar |website=ta.m.wikisource.org}}</ref>}}
In 1780, Velu Nachiyar waged war against the British and successfully reclaimed her kingdom. She governed for ten years and died in 1796.<ref>Rohini Ramakrishnan (14 August 2010) [https://web.archive.org/web/20110629132608/http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/kids/article560774.ece Women who made a difference]. ''The Hindu''.</ref><ref name="indianexpress.com"/> In 1790, she was succeeded by her daughter Vellacci.<ref name=r2/> She granted powers to her daughter with the Marudu brothers to help with the administration of the kingdom. Velu Nachiyar died a few years later, on 25 December 1796.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sivaganga.tn.nic.in/history.htm|title=History-Sivaganga district|publisher=Sivaganga dist. – Tamil Nadu govt., India|access-date=24 November 2011|archive-date=28 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928180303/http://www.sivaganga.tn.nic.in/history.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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==Popular culture== *On 31 December 2008, a commemorative postage stamp in her name was released.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indiapost.gov.in/Stamps2008.html|title=India Post – Stamps 2008|publisher=Postal department, Government of India }}</ref> *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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://professorali.com/2016/03/07/international-womens-day |title=International Women's Day Dedication to Queen Velu Nachiyar |work=Professor A.L.I. |date=7 March 2016 |publisher=professorali.com |access-date=7 March 2016 |archive-date=20 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320015313/https://professorali.com/2016/03/07/international-womens-day/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> *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 * Indian independence movement * Kuyili * Puli Thevar * Vellore mutiny of 1806
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category-inline}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nachiyar, Velu}} Category:1730 births Category:1796 deaths Category:Indian female royalty Category:Indian independence activists from Tamil Nadu Category:Indian women in war Category:Tamil monarchs Category:Indian revolutionaries Category:Indian independence movement Category:People from Sivaganga district Category:Women in 18th-century warfare Category:Women Indian independence activists Category:18th-century women rulers Category:18th-century Indian women Category:Indian queens regnant Category:18th-century Indian royalty