Velu Nachiyar

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Velu Nachiyar
Velu Nachiyar was a queen of Sivaganga estate in South India. She is regarded as the first queen who fought against the British colonial power in India. She was born on 3 January 1730. Her parents Muthathal Nachiyar and Chellamuthu Sethupathy. She took training in handling weapons, in martial arts, horse riding and archery. She had brilliant language skill in English,French,Urdu. At the age of 16 she married Muthuvaduganathur Udaiyathevar. Nachiyar and Muthuvaduganathur Udaiathevar had a daughter named Vellachi. After the British soldiers and son of Nawab of Arcot conquered Sivagangai and killed her husband. She fled with daughter and lived at Virupachi some days. 
At Virupachi she had lived under protection of Palayakkarar Kopaala Nayakkar. Build her army and joined hands with Naayakkar and Sultan Hyder Ali to wage war against the British and regained her kingdom. She is also credited as the first person to apply human bomb. During her stay at Virupachi she gradually built a powerful army to fight against British. Sultan Hyder Ali gave his word to support the queen in her crusade to retrieve kingdom. She was also allowed to stay at Virupachi or Dindugal fort by Sultan where she was revered and treated as a royal queen. She sought 5000 infantry 5000 cavalry from Sultan to fight against British. Also Sultan gave full support to Nachiyar.
Sultan Hyder Ali also equipped her with necessary weapons so that she could put up a tough fight against British. In 1780 she came face to face with the British became the first queen in India to fight for freedom against British . She is known as Veeramangai it means brave woman. An army commander and loyal follower of the queen Kuyili came forward and carryout the mission. Kuyili drenched herself with ghee and then set herself on fire before jumping into armoury and blowing up thereby procuring a victory for the queen. Kuyili who may consider as an adoptive daughter of Nachiyar is regarded as the first woman suicide bomber. 
Velu Nachiyar built up a womans army and named it Udaiyal. After recapturing the Sivagangai state Nachiyar ruled kingdom for ten years. In 1780 she also bestowed powers to Maruthu brothers. Nachiyar then died on 25 December 1796 at the age of 66. Veeramangai Velu Nachiyar memorial inagurated at Sivagangai on 18 July 2014. The life of Nachiyar the first queen of India who fought the British before Jhansi Rani.

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