Rani Velu Nachiyar

India's first queen to lead armed resistance against British colonial rule in the 18th century.

Rani Velu Nachiyar (1730–1796) was an Indian queen from Tamil Nadu who became the first documented leader to wage organized warfare against British East India Company forces. After her husband was killed by British collaborators in 1772, she fled to Sitalmati forest where she built a guerrilla army. Her alliance with Hyder Ali of Mysore in 1780 formed a critical front against British expansion.

Nachiayr pioneered military tactics like 'fishnet formation' to trap enemy soldiers and used suicide squads disguised as civilians. Her 1780 attack on the British fort at Rajapalayam marked the first successful resistance battle against the British in India. She established a spy network using female messengers, breaking gender barriers in espionage.

Though overshadowed by later figures like Rani Lakshmibai, Nachiayar’s strategies influenced later independence movements. Her Velu Nachiyar Charithiram (1801) chronicles her campaigns and remains a source for historians. Modern Tamil filmmakers like K. Bhagyaraj have produced documentaries highlighting her contributions. Her legacy is preserved in the Velu Nachiyar Memorial Museum in Virudhunagar, which features her battle plans and weapons.