The estate of Sivaganga, as per British records also known as Kingdom of the Lesser Marava, was a permanently settled ''
zamindari
A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous Indian feudalism, feudal lord of a ''zamindari'' (feudal estate). The term itself came into use during the Mughal Empire, when Persian language, Persian was the offi ...
'' estate in the Ramnad sub-division of
Madura district,
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency or Madras Province, officially called the Presidency of Fort St. George until 1937, was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India and later the Dominion of India. At its greatest extent, the presidency i ...
,
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
. Along the
estate of Ramnad, it formed one of the two ''zamindari'' estates of Ramnad subdivision.
The Sivaganga Kingdom was ruled by a branch of the
Marava royal family of
Ramnad
Ramanathapuram (), also known as Ramnad, is a city Municipal Corporation in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Ramanathapuram district and the second largest town (by population) ...
till 1790 by
Rani Velu Nachiyar
"Veeramangai" Rani Velu Nachiyar (3 January 1730 – 25 December 1796) was a queen of Sivaganga estate from 1780–1790. She was the first Indian queen to wage war with the East India Company in India.[Maruthu brothers
The Marudhu Pandiyars (Periya Marudhu and Chinna Marudhu) were '' de facto'' rulers 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 execute ...]
ruled the kingdom from 1790–1801. After their death, the kingdom was reduced to a ''
zamindari
A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous Indian feudalism, feudal lord of a ''zamindari'' (feudal estate). The term itself came into use during the Mughal Empire, when Persian language, Persian was the offi ...
'' by the British in 1803. The ''zamindari'' was abolished through socialist reform on
India's independence
The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events in South Asia with the ultimate aim of ending British colonial rule. It lasted until 1947, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed.
The first nationalistic movement t ...
.
History
The
Pudukkottai
Pudukkottai Municipal Corporation is the administrative headquarters of Pudukkottai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the oldest Heritage city located on the banks of the Vellar River. It has been ruled, at different t ...
and Sivaganga regions were actually parts of the
kingdom of Ramnad when it became independent in the 1680s. In 1725, Ramnad was invaded by the ''polygar'' of Nalkottai who captured two-fifths of the kingdom including the territory of Sivaganga.
In 1773, the British conquered Sivaganga and killed Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar, the king of Sivaganga. His widow, queen
Velu Nachiyar
"Veeramangai" Rani Velu Nachiyar (3 January 1730 – 25 December 1796) was a queen of Sivaganga estate from 1780–1790. She was the first Indian queen to wage war with the East India Company Company rule in India, in India. , fled to
Dindigul
Dindigul (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is a city in the India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Dindigul district. Dindigul City is Located in the Southwest Region of Tamil Nadu. Dindigul is an ancient settlement r ...
and lived under the protection of
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali (''Haidar'alī''; ; 1720 – 7 December 1782) was the Sultan and ''de facto'' ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born as Hyder Ali, he distinguished himself as a soldier, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's ...
. During her exile, she formed an armed force and alliance with Hyder Ali. In 1780, she became the first queen in India to fight against the British colonial power. Till 1790 sivaganga was ruled by
Rani Velu Nachiyar
"Veeramangai" Rani Velu Nachiyar (3 January 1730 – 25 December 1796) was a queen of Sivaganga estate from 1780–1790. She was the first Indian queen to wage war with the East India Company in India.[Maruthu brothers
The Marudhu Pandiyars (Periya Marudhu and Chinna Marudhu) were '' de facto'' rulers 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 execute ...]
ruled the kingdom from 1790-1801. After their death, the kingdom was handed over to the British bondservant Padamathur Gowri vallaba udayana Raja. He died in 1801 and after that it was reduced to a ''zamindari'' by the British in 1803. The ''zamindari'' was abolished through socialist reform on
India's independence
The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events in South Asia with the ultimate aim of ending British colonial rule. It lasted until 1947, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed.
The first nationalistic movement t ...
.
Maruthu brothers
The Marudhu Pandiyars (Periya Marudhu and Chinna Marudhu) were '' de facto'' rulers 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 execute ...
.
In 1803, the British restored the rightful heir Udayathevan to the throne. The kingdom was subsequently reduced to a ''zamindari'' by the permanent settlement of Arthur Wellesley.
Monarchs
* (1730–1750)
*
Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar (1750–1772)
*
Velu Nachiyar
"Veeramangai" Rani Velu Nachiyar (3 January 1730 – 25 December 1796) was a queen of Sivaganga estate from 1780–1790. She was the first Indian queen to wage war with the East India Company Company rule in India, in India. (1780–1790)
*
Vellacci (1790–1793)
* (1793–1801)
;
Zamindar
A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous feudal lord of a ''zamindari'' (feudal estate). The term itself came into use during the Mughal Empire, when Persian was the official language; ''zamindar'' is the ...
under
British rule
The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent,
*
* lasting from 1858 to 1947.
*
* It is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
* or dire ...
(1803–1947)
References
*
Further reading
*
*
{{coord missing, Tamil Nadu
States and territories established in 1725
States and territories disestablished in 1947
Historical Indian regions
Zamindari estates
Madurai Nayak dynasty
Madras Presidency
Sivaganga district
1947 disestablishments in India
1725 establishments in India