Muthuvel Karunanidhi was an Indian writer and politician who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for almost two decades over five terms between 1969 and 2011. He was popularly referred to as Kalaignar (Artist) and Mutthamizh Arignar for his contributions to Tamil literature. He had the longest tenure as Chief Minister Of Tamil Nadu with 6,863 days in office. He was also a long-standing leader of the Dravidian movement and ten-time president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam political party. Karunanidhi has the record of never losing an election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly, having won 13 times since his first victory in 1957. Before entering politics, he worked in the Tamil film industry as a screenwriter. He also made contributions to Tamil literature, having written stories, plays, novels, and a multiple-volume memoir. Karunanidhi died on 7 August 2018 at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai after a series of prolonged, age-related illnesses.
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 lives were lost 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.
Ramanathapuram, also known as Ramnad, is a town and a municipality in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Ramanathapuram district and the second largest town in Ramanathapuram district.
Dheeran Chinnamalai was a Palayakkarar Pattakarar who fought against the British East India Company.
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.
Veerapandiya Kattabomman was an 18th-century Tamil Palayakarrar and king of Panchalankuruchi in Tamil Nadu, India. He refused to accept the sovereignty of the British East India Company and waged a war against them. He was captured by the British with the help of the ruler of the kingdom of Pudukottai, Vijaya Raghunatha Tondaiman, and at the age of 39 he was hanged at Kayathar on 16 October 1799.
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.
Polygar was the feudal title for a class of territorial administrative and military governors appointed by the Nayaka rulers of South India during the 16th–18th centuries. The majority of those poligars, 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 Kallar, Maravar and Vatuka communities.
Kallar is one of the three related castes of southern India which constitute the Mukkulathor confederacy. The Kallar, along with the Maravar and Agamudayar, constitute a united social caste on the basis of parallel professions, though their locations and heritages are wholly separate from one another.
Thirumohoor Kalamegaperumal Temple is a hindu temple near Melur, Madurai district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th centuries AD. It is one of the 108 Divyadesam dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Kalamega Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Mohanavalli Thayar. As per Hindu legend, the presiding deity is believed to have appeared as a female Mohini to lure the asuras to support Devas, the celestial deities. The temple is also known as Mohanapuram and Mohanakshetram.
Thenpandi Singam is a Tamil historical novel written by Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi, who based his novel on a legendary story of Valukku Veli Ambalam, a Petty chief ruling Paganeri Nadu, one of the Kallar Nadus in the 18th century. Malayalam poet S Ramesan Nair translated Thenpandisingam to Malayalam.
Sundaralinga Kudumbanar, also known as "Veeran" Sundaralingam Kudumbanar, was an 18th-century CE general from Tamil Nadu, India.
Muthuraja or Mutharaiyar is a Tamil and Telugu speaking Landowning community prevalent in southern India.They are believed to be the modern descendants of the Mutharaiyar dynasty.
Puli Thevar was a Tamil Polygar who ruled Nerkattumseval, situated in the Sankarankoil taluk, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. He is notable fighting against East India Company at 1759 - 1761 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.
Tiruvannamalai Adheenam, or Kunnakudi Tiruvannamalai Mutt Adikam is a Saivite monastic institution based in the town of Kunnakudi in South India established during the 16th century. The Mutt is involved in inculcating Saiva Siddhanta philosophy, a branch of the Hindu sect of Saivism. The temple maintains and administers the Shanmughanathar Temple.
Devarattam is a Tamil Word derived from the words "Devar" or Thevar and "Attam". Traditionally, it was performed by the kings and warriors after a successful battle particularly in pandyan dynasty, Later it was danced by the some group of peoples of Maravar clan belongs to mukkulathor community who is refereed as Devar in present Madurai and nearby regions believe they are related to the Pandya dynasty, parallelly devarattam was also performed by the kings and warriors of the chola dynasty in ancient days as a joy of victory, still it was followed by some group of peoples of Kallar clan belongs to mukkulathor community who claim descent from the Chola dynasty and also refereed as Devar in present Thanjavur and nearby regions of south-east Tamil Nadu, After the fall of both chola and pandya dynasties both clans not celebrates the joy of victory by devarattam. In the period following Indian independence, devarattam is performed mostly by the Rajakambalathu Nayakkar a Telugu origin community those believes they are migrants from Andhra Pradesh Vijayanagar dynasty of South India and settled in Tamil Nadu for many generations and upkeep Tamil traditions and religious practices also socially friendship with Mukkulathor Devar as well as all communities of Tamil Nadu, at present devarattam was mostly performed only by the professional dancers of the same community during the temple festivals and other functions in Tamil Nadu
Ramanujar is an Indian Tamil historical soap opera, written by former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Dr. M.Karunanidhi, starring Gowsik, Chanthirakanth, Gayathiri and Lakshmiraj. It aired Monday through Friday on Kalaignar TV from 1 June 2015 to 27 January 2017 at 7:30PM IST for 433 episodes. It had been receiving the highest ratings of Tamil serials and received high praising from viewers.
Thenpandi Singam is a 2016 Tamil-language historical drama starring Benito Alex, Devipriya, Nesan, Krish and Srikanth. It aired Monday through Friday on Kalaignar TV from 15 September 2016 to 13 April 2017 at 8:30PM IST for 151 Episodes. The show has been created and written by author and screenwriter Karunanidhi. Thenpandi Singam is based on true story of the life of The Valukku Veli Ambalam.
Maveeran Alagumuthu Kone, from Kattalankulam in Thoothukudi District, was the first freedom fighter against the British presence. In Tamil Nadu he waged a war against British colonial army from 1750 - 1759. Born into a Konar family, he became a military leader in the town of Ettayapuram and ruler of Kattalangulam, As military commander of Ettayapuram army Alagamuthu Servai is known for re-capturing guns from Maruthu Pandiyar. Alagamuthu was defeated in battle against the British and Maruthanayagam's forces and was executed in 1759.
The Kallakudi demonstration was organised by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on 15 July 1953 in Kallakudi in the erstwhile Tiruchirappalli district against naming the place as Dalmiapuram. Ramakrishna Dalmia, a businessman from Bihar, established a cement factory in Kallakudi and the place was renamed Dalmiapuram on his request. DMK opposed the move as a suppression of South Indians by North India. It was the first notable demonstration by M Karunanidhi, the five-time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and his party, the DMK. The DMK party blocked passenger trains during the protest.
