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First Polygar War

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'''Polygar War''' or '''Palayakarar Wars''' refers to the wars fought between the [[Polygars]] (''[[Palayakarrar]]s'') of former [[Madurai]] Kingdom in [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]] and the [[British India|British]] colonial forces between March 1799 to May 1802. The British finally won after carrying out long and difficult protracted [[jungle]] campaigns against the Polygar armies and finally defeated them. Many lives were lost on both sides and the victory over Polygars made large part of territories of Tamil Nadu coming under British control enabling them to get a strong hold in India.

==First Polygar War 1799==
The war between the British and [[Kattabomman]] Nayak of [[Panchalankurichi]] Palayam in the then [[Tirunelveli]] region is often classified as the First Polygar war. In 1799, a brief meeting (over pending taxes) between [[Kattabomman]] and the British ended in a bloody encounter in which the British commander of the forces was slain by the former. A price was put on [[Kattabomman]] head prompting many Polygars to an open rebellion.

After a series of battles in the Panchalankurichi fort with additional reinforcements from [[Thiruchirapalli]], Kattabomman was defeated but he escaped to the jungles in [[Pudukottai]] country. Here he was captured by Pudukottai Rajah (after an agreement with the British) and after a summary trial Kattabomman was hanged in front of the public in order to intimidate them, near [[Kayattar]] Fort, close to the town of Kovilpatti and in front of fellow Polygars too who had been summoned to witness the execution.

Subramania Pillai, a close associate of [[Kattabomman]] Nayak, was also publicly hanged and his head was fixed on a pike at Panchalankurichi for public view. Soundra Pandian Nayak, another rebel leader, was brutally done to death by having his head dashed against a village wall. Kattabomman’s brother [[Oomaidurai]] was imprisoned in Palayankottai prison while the fort was razed to ground and his wealth looted by the troops.

==Second Polygar War 1800-1805==
Despite the suppression of the First Polygar War in 1799, rebellion broke out again in 1800. The Second war was more stealthy and covert in nature. The leaders operated more cohesive and united with people from [[Kerala]] and [[Mysore]] taking part. Also it marked the joining of entire west [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Malabar]] and south [[Mysore]] regions (which was under British domain after the death of Tipu Sultan).[[Dheeran Chinnamalai]] commanded a vast army,He settled down at Odanilai and constructed a fort there to continue his struggle against the British, whom he defeated in battles at Cauvery in 1801, Odanilai in 1802 and Arachalur in 1804. Later, [[Dheeran Chinnamalai]] left his fort to avoid cannon attack and engaged in guerrilla warfare while he was stationed at Karumalai in the Palani region.

He was betrayed by his cook and captured by the British, who hanged him at Sankari Fort on July 31, 1805.

==Defeat==
The British finally won after a long expensive campaign that took more than a year. However, the superior [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|British]] military who had recently defeated the powerful [[Tipu Sultan]] of [[Mysore]] quickly asserted itself. The British had better artillery compared to the [[Polygar]] troops who had country-made gunfire artillery, barring a few proper ones received from erstwhile [[Tipu Sultan]]'s army. The war being regional in nature, the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] forces could easily mobilize additional forces from other regions.
So savage and extensive was the death and destruction wrought by the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|English]] that the entire region was left in a state of terror.
==Results==
[[Dheeran Chinnamalai]] was betrayed by his cook and captured by the British, who hanged him at Sankari Fort on July 31 or August 2, 1805. At last entire region of Tamil Nadu came under the control of Britishers after the end of Chinnamalai.

==Later day folklore ==
Tamil Nadu government constructed a "mani mandapam" (memorial) for [[Chinnamalai]] in Arachalur, Erode district at a cost of about 30 lakhs. Tamil Nadu government placed a statue of [[Chinnamalai]] in Chennai.[1]

==References==
* Theeran Chinnamanlai Gounder by Pulavar S. Rasu, Samba Publications, 152 Peters Road, Chennai, India 600 086, 1996.
* Kongu Nattu Lion Singham Theeran Chinnamalai by Kavignar Magudam Manickam, Sakunthla Publications, Rangoli Graphics, 329 E.V.N.Road, Erode, TN, India 638 009, year 2001.

[[Category:History of India]]
[[Category:Wars]]
[[Category:1799]]
[[Category:1800]]
[[Category:1801]]
[[Category:1802]]
[[Category:History of the United Kingdom]]

Polygar Wars - Revision history

2409:4072:6D86:29AD:AA3A:B7D0:794A:D154: /* First Polygar War */

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>つがる: Reverted edits by 50.115.173.114 (talk) to last version by Ricky81682