>Suneye1 at 14:47, 6 October 2021

2021-10-06T14:47:56Z

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{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox monarch
| name = Dheeran Chinnamalai
| title = Pattakarar of Palayakottai, Kangayam Nadu
| image = Dheeran Chinnamalai1.jpg
| caption = Statue of Dheeran Chinnamalai at Odanilai modelled after actor [[Sivakumar]]'s drawing
| full name = Theerthagiri Sarkarai Uthama Kaminda Manradiar
| predecessor =
Kongunaadu region
| successor = [[British Rule]]
| father =Rathnasamy Gounder
| mother =Periyatha
|religion=[[Shaivism]] | birth_date = {{birth date|1756|04|17|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Melapalayam or [[Kasbah]] Palayakottai, [[Kangeyam]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1805|07|31|1756|04|17|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Sankagiri]], [[Salem district]], [[Tamil Nadu]] or Karumalai, [[Oddanchatram]], [[Dindigul district]], [[Tamil Nadu]] ([[Madras Presidency]])
| date of burial = July/August 1805
| place of burial = Odanilai, [[Arachalur]], [[Erode district]], Tamil Nadu }}

'''Dheeran Chinnamalai''' (17 April 1756 – 31 July 1805) was a [[Palayakkarar]] Pattakarar who fought against the [[British East India Company]].

==Early life==
Dheeran Chinnamalai was born on April 17, 1756 in present-day [[Kangeyam]], to a noble family.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-04-18|title=Celebrating Dheeran Chinnamalai: Saluting his ideals or inciting casteist passions?|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/celebrating-dheeran-chinnamalai-saluting-his-ideals-or-inciting-casteist-passions-41796|access-date=2021-06-27|website=The News Minute|language=en}}</ref> His birth name was Theerthagiri.<ref name="History">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/10/stories/2007071051470300.htm|title=Dheeran Chinnamalai statue to be installed in Odanilai soon|date=10 July 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201093126/http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/10/stories/2007071051470300.htm|archive-date=1 December 2007|url-status=dead|work=[[The Hindu]]|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Polygar wars==
Chinnamalai is said to be one of the commanders in the [[Polygar Wars]], notably during the [[Polygar War#Second Polygar War 1800-1802|Second Polygar War]] that took place in 1801–1802.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}

After [[Kattabomman]] and [[Tipu Sultan]]'s deaths in 1799, Chinnamalai sought the help of [[Dhondia Wagh]] and [[Maruthu Pandiyar]] and lead the local Pattakarars [[Polygars]], notably Varanavasi Gounder and Vella Gounder of Erode, Chinnamalai's sister's husband Kumara Vellai of Perundurai, Appachi Gounder of [[Paramathi Velur (Namakkal district)|Paramathi-Velur]], Aravakurichi Periya Thambi, Somandurai Muchadayandi Vanaraya Gounder of Pollachi and the [[Naicker]] [[Polygars]] of [[Dhali, India|Dhali]], Virupakshi and Ramagiri among others, to attack the British at [[Coimbatore]] in 1800.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}

British forces managed to stop the armies of the allies and hence Chinnamalai was forced to attack Coimbatore along with the above Polygars of Kongu Nadu. His army was defeated and he escaped from the British forces.<ref name="Life"/> Chinnamalai engaged in [[guerrilla warfare]] and defeated the British in battles at [[Cauvery]] in 1801, Odanilai [[kangeyam]] in 1802 and [[Arachalur]] in 1804.<ref name="History"/>

==Death==
Chinnamalai was betrayed by his cook Nallapan and was captured by the British in 1805. Nallappan usurped the title of Nallasenapthi Sarkarai Manradiar with British support.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}} Some sources say he was hanged at [[Sankagiri Fort]] on 2 August 1805, as also were his two brothers; other sources give the date as 31 July.<ref name="Life">{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/Chinnamalai-a-lesser-known-freedom-fighter-of-Kongu-soil/article15270841.ece|title=Chinnamalai, a lesser-known freedom fighter of Kongu soil|work=The Hindu|date=2 August 2008}}</ref><ref name="toi050412"/>

==Legacy==
[[File:Dheeran Chinnamalai memorial.jpg|thumb|Dheeran Chinnamalai memorial at Sankagiri]]

Statues and memorials commemorating Chinnamalai exist in [[Chennai]], [[Tiruchirappalli]], [[Erode]] and [[Arachalur|Odanilai]].<ref name="History"/><ref name="Times">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Memorial-of-Dheeran-Chinnamalai-set-for-a-facelift/articleshow/19607361.cms|title=Memorial of Dheeran Chinnamalai set for face lift|date=18 April 2013|work=The Times of India}}</ref>

On 31 July 2005, a commemorative postage stamp commemorating him was released by [[India Post]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://postagestamps.gov.in/Stamps2005.aspx|title=Postage Stamps|work=postagestamps.gov.in|access-date=12 September 2015}}</ref>

Until 1997, [[Tiruchirapalli]] division of [[Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation]] was known as Dheeran Chinnamalai Transport Corporation.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8As_ndJ17jcC&pg=PA143|title=State Transport undertakings|author=P. Jegadish Gandhi|publisher=Deep and Deep|year=1998|isbn=9788176290845}}</ref>{{pn|date=July 2020}}

The headquarter of [[Erode Municipal Corporation]] was named after him.<ref name="toi050412">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/In-memory-of-a-valiant-Kongu-Chieftain/articleshow/12540624.cms|title=In memory of a valiant Kongu Chieftain|date=5 April 2012|work=The Times of India}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|3}}

{{Commons}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chinnamalai, Dheeran}}
[[Category:1756 births]]
[[Category:1805 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian revolutionaries]]
[[Category:Tamil monarchs]]
[[Category:People from Erode district]]
[[Category:People executed by British India by hanging]]

Dheeran Chinnamalai - Revision history

>Suneye1 at 14:47, 6 October 2021