Veeran Sundaralingam
Encyclopedia
Sundaralinga Kudumbanar (died 1799), also known as "Veeran" Sundaralingam , was an 18th century CE general from Tamil Nadu
, India
. He was born in Gavarnagiri village in Tuticorin district. He was a general of the Poligar Veerapandiya Kattabomman
in his fight against the British East India Company
. He belonged to the Pallar
(Devendra Kula Vellalar) community. According to a majority of the accepted historical accounts, he was killed in 1799, while fighting for Kattabomman during the First Polygar War
. Another view is that he was killed in the Second Polygar War (1800-1) while assisting Kattabomman's younger brother Oomaithurai
. In recent years he has been claimed by the Pallar caste based political party Puthiya Tamizhagam as their cultural icon. In 1997, when the Government of Tamil Nadu
tried to rename a division of the state owned bus transport corporation based in southern Tamil Nadu, caste clashes broke out because of the objection of Mukkulathor
s. This led to the government dropping the names of all leaders and personalities from the names of districts and state owned companies of Tamil Nadu. In 2009, the Tamil Nadu government issued a policy note to build a memorial for Sundaralingam at Gavarnagiri.
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was born in Gavarnagiri village in Tuticorin district. He was a general of the Poligar Veerapandiya Kattabomman
Veerapandiya Kattabomman
Veerapandiya Kattabomman also known as Kattabomman was an 18th century Palayakarrar chieftain from Panchalankurichi of Tamil Nadu, India and the 47th King of Panchalankurichi who fought the British. His ancestors migrated to Tamil Nadu from areas in present day Andhra Pradesh during the...
in his fight against the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. He belonged to the Pallar
Pallar
The Pallar are a caste from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They are mostly agriculturalists in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka and amongst the Tamil diaspora...
(Devendra Kula Vellalar) community. According to a majority of the accepted historical accounts, he was killed in 1799, while fighting for Kattabomman during the First Polygar War
Polygar War
Polygar War or Palayakarar Wars refers to the wars fought between the Polygars of former Madurai Kingdom in Tamil Nadu, India and the British East India Company forces between March 1799 to May 1802. The British finally won after carrying out long and difficult protracted jungle campaigns against...
. Another view is that he was killed in the Second Polygar War (1800-1) while assisting Kattabomman's younger brother Oomaithurai
Oomaithurai
Oomathurai , died 16 November 1801) was an Indian Poligar from Tamil Nadu, who fought against the British East India Company in the Polygar Wars. He was the younger brother of Veerapandiya Kattabomman.-Biography:...
. In recent years he has been claimed by the Pallar caste based political party Puthiya Tamizhagam as their cultural icon. In 1997, when the Government of Tamil Nadu
Government of Tamil Nadu
The Government of Tamil Nadu, headquartered at Chennai is the governing authority for the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at the Fort St. George...
tried to rename a division of the state owned bus transport corporation based in southern Tamil Nadu, caste clashes broke out because of the objection of Mukkulathor
Mukkulathor
The Mukkulathor community is native to the southern districts of Tamil Nadu, India. The name "Mukkulathor" alludes to the three roughly designated groups and which make up this large endogamous social group...
s. This led to the government dropping the names of all leaders and personalities from the names of districts and state owned companies of Tamil Nadu. In 2009, the Tamil Nadu government issued a policy note to build a memorial for Sundaralingam at Gavarnagiri.