Oomaithurai

Last updated

Oomathurai (real name Kumarasamy Naiyakar), was an Indian Poligar (Palaiyakkarar) from Tamil Nadu, who fought against the British East India Company in the Polygar Wars. He was the younger brother of Veerapandiya Kattabomman.

Oomathurai was an active participant in the Polygar Wars, and in the first war, he was captured and imprisoned in the Palayamkottai Central Prison. On 2 February 1801, he managed to escape from prison after more than an year's imprisonment [1] and rebuild the Panchalankurichi fort, which had been destroyed in the first war. In the second Polygar war, Oomathurai formed an alliance with the Marudhu brothers of Sivagangai, Dheeran Chinnamalai, , Kerala Varma of Malabar and other leaders, to resist the British East India Company. [2] The fort was eventually captured by the British after a prolonged siege led by Lt. Colonel Agnew and artillery bombardment in May 1801. [3] Oomathurai managed to escape the fall of the fort and joined the Maruthu brothers in their jungle fort at Kalayar Kovil. Despite their efforts, the British eventually captured Kalayar Kovil in October 1801. Oomathurai and Sevathaiah were captured and beheaded at Panchalamkurichi on 16 November 1801. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Hastings</span> British Governor General of Bengal, 1773–1785

Warren Hastings was a British colonial administrator, who served as the first Governor of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), the head of the Supreme Council of Bengal, and so the first Governor-General of Bengal in 1772–1785. He and Robert Clive are credited with laying the foundation of the British Empire in India. He was an energetic organizer and reformer. In 1779–1784 he led forces of the East India Company against a coalition of native states and the French. Finally, the well-organized British side held its own, while France lost influence in India. In 1787, he was accused of corruption and impeached, but after a long trial acquitted in 1795. He was made a Privy Councillor in 1814.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streynsham Master</span> British colonial administrator in Madras (1640–1724)

Sir Streynsham Master was an English colonial administrator who was one of the 17th-century pioneers of the English East India Company. He served as the Agent of Madras from 27 January 1678 to 3 July 1681, and is credited with having introduced the first administrative reforms in the Madras Government. He banned sati and prohibited the burning of a Hindu widow in 1680 in what is the first official British response to sati. He made English the sole official language and language of court in the Madras Presidency, replacing the Portuguese, Tamil and Malayalam languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Third Anglo-Maratha War</span> War between British East India Company and the Maratha

The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1819) was the final and decisive conflict between the English East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India. The war left the Company in control of most of India. It began with an invasion of Maratha territory by British East India Company troops, and although the British were outnumbered, the Maratha army was decimated. The troops were led by Governor General Hastings, supported by a force under General Thomas Hislop. Operations began against the Pindaris, a band of Muslim mercenaries and Marathas from central India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Anglo-Mysore War</span> War in south India from 1780 to 1784

The Second Anglo-Mysore War was a conflict between the Kingdom of Mysore and the British East India Company from 1780 to 1784. At the time, Mysore was a key French ally in India, and the conflict between Britain against the French and Dutch in the American Revolutionary War sparked Anglo-Mysorean hostilities in India. The great majority of soldiers on the company side were raised, trained, paid and commanded by the company, not the British government. However, the company's operations were also bolstered by Crown troops sent from Britain, and by troops from Hanover, which was also ruled by Britain's King George III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polygar Wars</span> Indian conflict between the British East India Company and Polygars

The Polygar Wars or Palaiyakkarar Wars were wars fought between the Polygars (Palaiyakkarars) of the former Tirunelveli Kingdom in Tamil Nadu, India and the British East India Company forces between March 1799 to May 1802 or July 1805. The British finally won after carrying out gruelling protracted jungle campaigns against the Polygar armies. Many people died on both sides and the victory over the Polygars brought large parts of the territories of Tamil Nadu under British control, enabling them to get a strong hold in Southern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dheeran Chinnamalai</span> Pattakarar of Palayakottai Samasthanam, Kangayam Nadu

Dheeran Chinnamalai was a Palayakkarar and Pattakarar who fought against the British East India Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnatic Wars</span> 18th century wars between the French and the British

The Carnatic Wars were a series of military conflicts in the middle of the 18th century in India's coastal Carnatic region, a dependency of Hyderabad State, India. Three Carnatic Wars were fought between 1744 and 1763.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maruthu Pandiyar</span> Indian revolutionaries

The Marudhu Pandiyars were Diarchal Kings of Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu, India, towards the end of the 18th century. They were known for fighting against the East India Company. They were finally executed by the EIC after being captured by them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sivaganga district</span> District of Tamil Nadu in India

Sivaganga District is one of the 38 districts in Tamil Nadu state, India. This district was formed on 15 March 1985 by trifurcation of Ramanathapuram district into Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar and Sivagangai districts. Sivaganga is the district headquarters. Karaikudi and Sivaganga are the most populous Towns in the district. It is bounded by Pudukkottai district on the Northeast, Tiruchirapalli district on the North, Ramanathapuram district on South East, Virudhunagar district on South West and Madurai District on the West. The area's other larger towns include Sivagangai, Kalayar Kovil, Devakottai, Manamadurai, ilayangudi, Thiruppuvanam, singampunari and Tiruppattur. As of 2011, the district had a population of 1,339,101 with a sex ratio of 1,003 females for every 1,000 males.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Tamil Nadu</span> History of modern Indian state of Tamil Nadu

The region of Tamil Nadu in the southeast of modern India, shows evidence of having had continuous human habitation from 15,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE. Throughout its history, spanning the early Upper Paleolithic age to modern times, this region has coexisted with various external cultures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dindigul Fort</span> Dindigl fort

The Dindigul Fort or Dindigul Malai Kottai and Abirami amman Kalaheswarar Temple was built in 16th-century by Madurai Nayakar Dynasty situated in the town of Dindigul in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. The fort was built by the Madurai Nayakar king Muthu Krishnappa Nayakar in 1605. In the 18th century the fort passed on to Kingdom of Mysore. Later it was occupied by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan the fort was of strategic importance. In 1799 it went to the control of the British East India Company during the Polygar Wars. There is an abandoned temple on its peak apart from few cannons sealed with balls inside. In modern times, the fort is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India and is open to tourists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maruthanayagam Pillai</span> Indian military leader

Muhammad Yusuf Khan was a commandant of the British East India Company's Madras Army. He was born in a Tamil Velir caste family in a village called Panaiyur in British India, what is now in Nainarkoil Taluk, Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu, India. He converted to Islam and was named Muhammad Yusuf Khan. He was popularly known as Khan Sahib when he became a ruler of Madurai. He became a warrior in the Arcot troops, and later a commandant for the British East India Company troops. The British and the Arcot Nawab employed him to suppress the Polygar uprising in South India. Later he was entrusted to administer the Madurai country when the Madurai Nayak rule ended.

Sivagiri is a panchayat town and a tourist place in Tenkasi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Sivagiri is located at a distance of 50 km north to Tenkasi, 20 km south to Rajapalayam, 95 km north-west to Tirunelveli, 95 km south to Madurai, 540 km south to Bangalore, 150 km north to Thiruvananthapuram and 580 km south to the state capital Chennai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vellore Fort</span> 16th-century fort in India

Vellore Fort is a large 16th-century fort situated in heart of the Vellore city, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India built by Vijayanagara kings. The fort was at one time the headquarters of the Aravidu Dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire. The fort is known for its grand ramparts, wide moat and robust masonry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polygar</span> Regional administrators of south India

Palaiyakkarars, or Poligar, in Tamil Nadu refers to the holder of a small kingdom as a feudatory to a greater sovereign. Under this system, palayam was given for valuable military services rendered by any individual. The word pālayam means domain, a military camp, or a small kingdom. This type of Palayakkarars system was in practice during the rule of Pratapa Rudhra of Warangal in the Kakatiya kingdom. The system was put in place in Tamilnadu by Viswanatha Nayaka, when he became the Nayak ruler of Madurai in 1529, with the support of his minister Ariyanathar. Traditionally there were supposed to be 72 Palayakkarars. The majority of those Palaiyakkarar, who during the late 17th- and 18th-centuries controlled much of the Telugu region as well as the Tamil area, had themselves come from the Yadhavar, Kallar, Maravar and Vatuka, pala ekari communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Madras</span> Battle of the War of the Austrian Succession

The Battle of Madras or Fall of Madras took place in September 1746 during the War of the Austrian Succession when a French force attacked and captured the city of Madras from its British garrison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Madras Presidency</span>

Madras Presidency, was an administrative subdivision (presidency) of British India. At its greatest extent, Madras Presidency included much of southern India, including the present-day Indian State of Tamil Nadu, the Malabar region of North Kerala, Lakshadweep Islands, the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh, Brahmapur and Ganjam districts of Orissa and the Bellary, Dakshina Kannada, and Udupi districts of Karnataka. The presidency had its capital at Madras.

The Indian independence movement had a long history in the Tamil-speaking districts of the then Madras Presidency going back to the 18th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puli Thevar</span> Palaiyakkarar of Nerkattumseval

Puli Thevar was a Tamil Palaiyakkarar who ruled Nerkattumseval, situated in the Sankarankoil taluk, Tenkasi, formerly Tirunelveli Tamil Nadu. He is notable for fighting against East India Company from May 22, 1752 - 1767 in India. Ondiveeran and Venni Kaladi were the generals of Thevar's army, to fight against the East India Company. He is known for the Polygars revolt against the British. He maintained a good relationship with the Kingdom of Travancore but later the allegiance was broken by one Yusuf Khan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tulaji Angre</span> Maratha admiral

Tulaji Angre, called Tulajee Angria by English historians was the grand admiral of the Maratha Navy and ruler of Colaba State in modern-day India. Similar to his famous father Kanhoji Angre, he too was an extremely skilled admiral and attacked several European trading ships. His achievements and naval prowess are considered to be greater than that of his father by some scholars and chroniclers. On various occasions he fought against the English, Dutch, Siddis And Portuguese maritime Powers. However, he alienated himself from the Maratha Peshwa, Balaji Baji Rao which led to his capture by the East India Company and Peshwa's forces at the Battle of Vijaydurg in 1756.

References

  1. State), Madras (India; Bahadur.), B. S. Baliga (Rao (1957). Madras District Gazetteers: Ramanathapuram. Superintendent, Government Press.
  2. Nandakumar, J. (10 December 2022). Swa: Struggle for National Selfhood Past, Present and Future. Indus Scrolls Press.
  3. Welsh, James (1830). Military Reminiscences. Smith, Elder, and Company.
  4. Antony Raj, Jekila. "Marudhu Brothers -Valiant Brothers in South Indian Rebellion". Mukt Shabd Journal. XI: 708–713. ISSN   2347-3150.

Further reading