When the East India Company invaded the South Indian kingdom of Sivaganga in 1772, they met with opposition from Indian warrior women. These women were a diverse group from different walks of life – royal household, rural areas, across all caste groups. Although many of their names and stories have not found a place in history, they have survived in local folklore, songs, bharathanatyam performances and have been immortalised as deities in the local temples.
Here is the story of three of these early female freedom fighters: Velu Nachiyar, Udaiyaal and Kuyili. As the earliest women to rise against the East India Company, their lives offer a glimpse into the beginnings of the anti-colonial movements, evoking an image of resilience and fortitude.
Rani Velu Nachiyar was a formidable Tamil Queen, who was both admired and vilified by the British for her valour and bravery in defending her kingdom. She was born in 1730 to the Raja and Rani of the Ramnad kingdom. Skilled in the art of warfare and weaponry, Velu Nachiyar was also a scholar, and mastered several languages including English, French and Urdu. At the age of 16, she married the prince of Sivaganga, Muthuvadugananthur Udaiyathevar. In 1750, Velu Nachiyar and her husband became monarchs of the Kingdom of Sivaganga.
In 1772, East India Company troops, alongside the Nawab of Arcot’s son, invaded Sivaganga and marched towards the Kalaiyar Kovil Fort. The Raja of Sivaganga was killed at the Battle of Kalaiyar Kovil on 25 June. The kingdom fell under enemy control and the Kalaiyar Kovil Fort was plundered. Rani Velu Nachiyar and her daughter Vellachi escaped capture through the sacrifice of Udaiyaal, a village woman who refused to reveal their secret hideout during interrogation and who was killed for her insubordination. Rani Velu Nachiyar and Vellachi fled Sivaganga and sought refuge near Dindigul.
During her eight-year exile, Rani Velu Nachiyar acquired influential alliances with neighbouring rulers (such as Gopala Nayaker, Hyder Ali) who supported her preparations for battle against the East India Company, providing additional soldiers, weapons, resources and training. Rani Nachiyar built an army of fierce female warriors that she named after Udaiyaal.
In 1780, Rani Velu Nachiyar and the Udaiyaal army skilfully infiltrated Sivaganga. Aware of the superior military prowess of the British, Rani Nachiyar used her knowledge of the terrain and employed guerrilla warfare tactics – spies, sabotage, ambush. Rani Nachiyar’s military advisor was Kuyili, a woman from a lower caste background. As a spy for the royal household, she had protected the Rani’s life on multiple occasions and soon rose to the rank of commander-in-chief of the Udaiyaal women’s army.
At the Battle of Sivaganga, Kuyili devised a strategy to attack the East India Company’s weapons storage. Disguised as a rural woman, Kuyili entered the secure storehouse unnoticed and set herself ablaze, destroying the Company weapons and ammunitions. The East India Company and the Nawab fled from Sivaganga in defeat and Rani Nachiyar regained her Kingdom. The Tamil Queen ruled Sivaganga for another decade before handing the kingdom to her daughter.
In recent years India has honoured the memory of these women warriors through issuing commemorative stamps, installing monuments and memorials.
The contribution of these women as warriors vanished at the intersection of colonialism and patriarchy, instead brown women were recast as helpless and in need of saving. I hope this blog post creates curiosity and the excavation of more stories of Warrior Women.
This article first appeared on the British Library’s Untold Lives blog.
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