We all know about Rani Laxmibai, the Queen of Jhansi. Rani Laxmibai occupies a significant portion of our history pages for fighting against the British in the 1857 war of independence. People across India, from Lakshadweep to Ladakh and Kutch to Kameng, revere her and celebrate her as the valiant lady who fought till her last breath.
No doubt that she should be celebrated and seen as a symbol of woman power. But, over a period of time, some of the other brave women who made the supreme sacrifice while fighting the foreigners and oppressors much before Rani Laxmibai have been lost to time.
One such brave woman was Kuyili.
Early Life
Kuyili was born in Kudanchavadi near Sivagangai into an Arunthathiyar family. Some sources say that she belonged to the Sambavar community while most sources mention that she belonged to the Arunthathiyars. Both her parents worked in the fields to sustain themselves. When Kuyili was a child, her mother Raku died while saving the fields from a wild bull.
Later, her father Periyamutthan along with his daughter moved to Mutthuppatti, a village close to Sivagangai where he worked as a cobbler and eventually became one of the spies to Queen Velunachiyar.
Being a spy to the queen had its perks. Both the father and the daughter had unrestricted access to Queen Velunachiyar. This paved way for a strong bond to develop between both Kuyili and the Queen.
As a child, Kuyili grew up listening to the courageous acts of her mother who was known for her bravery and also of Queen Velunachiyar. This seems to have had a huge impression on her as she would go on to perform valiant acts that would make her become a folk legend of sorts.
Kuyili’s Instincts
Kuyili seems to have inherited her spy instinct from her father. Two instances stand testimony to Kuyili’s bravery and her astuteness as a spy which earned her the queen’s trust as well.
Queen Velunachiyar went into exile after her husband Raja Muthu Vaduganatha Thevar was killed in the Battle of Kalayar Kovil that was fought against the British troops headed by Colonel Smitt.She, along with her daughter Vellachi Nachiyar and a few others that included her soldiers, her silambam master Vetrivel and Kuyili camped at Virupaatchi near Dindigul.
One day, Vetrivel asked Kuyili to hand over a letter to Mallari Rayan, a polygar loyal to the British. Kuyili had always been suspicious of Vetrivel.
So, she opened the letter and found out that Vetrivel was in fact sending details about Velunachiyar’s hideout details and her plans to attack Mallari Rayan and the British.
Enraged, Kuyili killed Vetrivel.
In another instance, when an intruder tried to murder Velunachiyar in her sleep, Kuyili saved the queen by getting herself injured.
Since then, both Velunachiyar and Kuyili became inseparable.
The Rise of a Warrior
During the exile period at Virupaatchi from 1772 to 1780, Kuyili was trained in arms and spying by the Marudhu Brothers.
Thereafter, Kuyili trained the women’s wing of the army called Udayal Padai, named after the lady who saved Queen Velunachiyar’s life when she was escaping from the British troops.
The women army was trained on kalari, silambu and also on spying. Looking at her skills and acumen, Kuyili was made the Chief Commander of the Udayal Padai by Velunachiyar.
But life wasn’t easy for Kuyili. Her becoming the close confidante of Velunachiyar upset many of the Queen’s advisors.
It is said that when Kuyili was appointed the Chief Commander of Udayal Padai, the Queen’s council of advisors did not deem her worthy of the position, as they considered her to be a low born.
But Velunachiyar paid no heed to them as she was someone who respected talent and looked beyond caste and religion.
In another incident, when Kuyili refused to reveal Velunachiyar’s plans to the British, they excruciated her community by committing various atrocities against them.
But Kuyili wasn’t cowed down by such acts. She had one goal and one goal only – to save her motherland from the foreigners.
The Flame That Gave The Chills
After Raja Muthu Vaduganatha Thevar was defeated in the Battle of Kalayar Kovil in 1772, the palace at Sivagangai came under the control of the British.
This palace was constructed in 1730 by Sasivarna Periya Udayana Thevar, the first polygar of Sivagangai. This palace used to be the spot where Kattabomman and Marudhu Brothers frequently met to discuss about overthrowing the British.
The palace has a temple dedicated to Goddess Sri Rajarajeswari. This temple exists even today.
Back then, there was an underground armoury used for the safe keeping of arms.
After the British took over the palace, they began to use this underground chamber to keep their ammunition. For security reasons, they stopped allowing people to worship at this temple.
However, an exception was made on Vijayadasami day.
Kuyili found out that women were being allowed into the palace on Vijayadasami day to worship at the temple.She devised a plan to take on the British on the auspicious day – a day to commemorate the triumph of good over evil.
Kuyili suggested to Velu Nachiyar that the Udayal Padai can be disguised as worshippers with weapons tucked into their clothes. Velunachiyar agreed to the plan.
On the day of Vijayadasami, Queen Velu Nachiyar, Kuyili and the Udayal Padai entered the palace and proceeded towards the temple. After a round of worship, Velu Nachiyar and her army charged at the British.Captain Benjour and his troops were caught unawares and many British soldiers were slain.
As the British rushed to get their ammunitions, Kuyili doused herself in ghee, set herself ablaze and exploded the warehouse destroying all the arms and ammunitions of the British.
Thereafter, the British stood no chance against the Queen’s forces. Captain Benjour surrendered. Begging for his life, he pleaded with the Queen and promised her that he would never interfere in Sivaganga’s affairs. The magnanimous queen spared his life.
Kuyili’s brave act not just allowed Velu Nachiyar to win the battle but also helped her in reclaiming her kingdom.
This incident that happened 77 years before 1857 down south in Tamil Nadu, that had sent shivers down the spine of the English men was reduced to a footnote in our history textbooks.
Where is Kuyili today?
The sacrifice of this legendary woman has largely remained unacknowledged. Not many people in India know about Kuyili. I myself did not know about her until recently and I am ashamed of it. It was only recently that she was given a small due.
In commemoration of her supreme sacrifice, the Tamil Nadu government under Jayalalithaa decided to construct a memorial in honour of Kuyili in 2013. The project saw its completion in July 2014.
Over glorification of values like non-violence overshadowed the values of sacrifice, loyalty, bravery, courage, justice and dharma instilled by revolutionaries like Kuyili.
Even though our history pages have failed to recognize Kuyili, she continues to live through local legends and folklore.