Puli Thevar

Puli Thevar

Subject : History

Section : Personality

Context: The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to brave Puli Thevar on his birth anniversary.

Concept: 

• Puli Thevar was a Tamil Palaiyakkarar who ruled Nerkattumseval, situated in the Sankarankoil taluk, Tenkasi, formerly Tirunelveli Tamil Nadutold the East India Company that “not even a grain can be paid as tax”.
• Mahfuzkhan (brother of the Nawab of Arcot) was sent with a contingent of the Company army under Colonel Heron to Tirunelveli to deal with pulithervar. Colonel Heron abandoned the plan and retired to Madurai. Heron was recalled and dismissed from service.
• Puli Thevar also formed a confederacy of the Palayakkars to fight the British. The English succeeded Puli Thevar in getting the support of the rajas of Ramanathapuram and Pudukottai.
• Puli Thevar tried to get the support of Hyder Ali of Mysore and the French. Hyder Ali could not help Puli Thevar as he was already locked in a serious conflict with the Marathas.
• The Nawab sent an additional contingent of sepoys to Mahfuzkhan and the reinforced army proceeded to Tirunelveli.
• Aided by the Raja of Travancore, from 1756 to 1763, the palyakkarars of Tirunelveli led by Puli Thevar were in a constant state of rebellion against the Nawab’s authority.
• Yusuf Khan was sent by the company , he began to batter the Nerkattumseval fort and this attack continued for about two months. On 1761 Puli Thevar’s three major forts (Nerkattumseval, Vasudevanallur and Panayur) came under the control of Yusuf Khan.The unity of palyakkarars began to break up as Frenchs support was not forthcoming.
• Puli thevar went into exile.
• Puli Thevar returned from exile and recaptured Nerkattumseval in 1764. However, he was defeated by Captain Campbell in 1767. Puli Thevar escaped and died in exile.