New book brings to life untold story of TN uprisings that predated 1857 revolt

Chennai: Any talk of an uprising in India first brings to mind the Great Revolt of 1857. But it was not the first outbreak of discontent. The Tamils were the first to express opposition to the establishment of British rule, claims a new book.
"Popular uprising in India with special reference to Tamil Nadu 1750-1857", released here on Thursday, says Tamils adopted guerilla warfare techniques and succeeded in occupying all the territory extending from Panchalakurichi to the coast, including Tuticorin.In 1801, they liberated Ramnad and made forays into Thanjavur. Gopal Nayak established authority in Dindigul and Palani and Kallar tribes occupied the western part of Madurai. Unfortunately, stories of such small but acts of great bravery are are little known. Scholars feel knowledge of uprising in Tamil Nadu is limited to that by 18th century chieftain Veerapandiya Kattabomman, thanks to Sivaji Ganesan's unforgettable role in the 1959 movie of the same title.
The earliest expressions of opposition to the British rule took the form of localized rebellion, according to G Venkataraman, a contributor to the book and former head of department of history, University of Madras. "The main among this was the revolt of the Palayakkarars (poligars) against the East India Company. The Palayakkarar system had evolved with the extension of Vijayanagar rule into Tamil Nadu. Each Palayakkar held a territory or Palayam (usually consisting of a few villages), granted to him in return for military service and tribute. They regarded themselves as independent and when the British questioned them, they rebelled," he said.
Born to Sellamuthu Sethupathy and Sakandhimuthal of Ramnad kingdom in 1730 AD, Veera Mangai Velunachiyar was the first queen who raised the banner of revolt against the English before Jhansi Rani in the north, he said. The 1806 Vellore mutiny, says Venkataraman, was the outcome of discontent against the Raj widely prevalent among Indian soldiers in the British army.
Forts played a crucial role in the early uprisings. The poligar revolts (1798-1805) and the Vellore revolt of 1806 involved several forts, said G Balaji, scholar and a contributor to the book. Kattabomman fort, 500 feet long and 300 feet wide, was built entirely of mud and had square bastions and short curtains. "When Major Bannerman arrived in Panchalakuruchi, he was surprised to see a large body of villagers gathered before the fort. They were easily driven away by the British... After defeating Kattabomman, the British destroyed the Panchalakuruchi fort," he said.
Published by CPR Institute of Indological Research, the book is a collection of papers presented during a two-day national seminar in 2015 on the same title.