This article speaks the biography and history of an Indian freedom fighter Veera Pandiya Kattabomman who lived in 1760 AD. He fought against the British monarchy as a single individual and was a national Hero with might and strength ,which every Indian is proud of. We Indians salute Veerapandiya Kattabomman for his patriotism, courage and sacrifice. He is an unforgettable soul in the minds of all Indian throughout the world.
The early history of ancestors of Veerapandiya Kattamomman in the district of Tirunelveli in Tamilnadu
.The Kattabommu's ancestors had migrated from Andhra Pradesh to settle in a village called "Salikulam" to avoid marital alliances with the Muslim King and to safe guard the heritage of Hindu culture. They belonged to "Thogalavar" community and were skilled fighters who fight until their last breath. The first of the Kattabommu family who settled at Salikulam was appointed as a Chief Guard to the then King Sri Jaga Veera Pandian of Veerapandiyapuram (presently known as "Ottapidaram") in recognition of his bravery and fighting capability. Kattabommu, by his loyalty and devotion, gained the confidence of the King and became the trustworthy guard of the king.
King Jagaveera Pandiyan, having no heir as successor to his throne, crowned Kattabommu as his successor to his kingdom. In memory of the King, Kattabommu christened himself as Jaga Veera Pandiya Kattabommu and effectively ruled the state, with vigour and spirit. One day whilst Veerapandiya Kattabommu was on a hunting mission, he happened to witness a hare chasing a dog. He considered that land as a land of valour and constructed a fort on that soil. He named the fort as "Panchalamkurichi" in memory of the King Pancha Pandiyan who was grand grand father of the King Jagaveerapandiyan.
The Panchalamkurichi fort was of 500 feet in length and 300 feet in breadth with the wall of 12 feet height. The construction material was of black clay mixed with straw of paddy, maize and corn etc; The fort was surrounded by thorny bale bushes. The fort could withstand any attack other than the attack by cannons and tanks.
Veerapandiya Kattabomma Karuthayya Nayakkar (also known as Kattabomman; born: January 03, 1760) was the most valiant early freedom fighter of 18th-century and he boldly rebelled against the British and their oppressive rule. He was a prominent Palayakarrar ('Polygar') or chieftain from Panchalankurichi of Tamil Nadu, India. His parents were Jagaveera Kattabomman and Aarumugathammal. Veera Pandyan was his original name and Kattabomman was the name of his paternal ancestral name. He was one among the five children - with two brothers and two sisters. His brothers Oomathurai (Kumaraswamy) and Duraisingam were also great warriors. His wife's name was Veera Jakkammal. He was a devout Hindu and his presiding deity was Thiruchendur Murugan (Karthikaya).
During the Vijayanagara period Kattabomman ancestors migrated to Tamil Nadu from Kandukuru area of Prakasam district in present day Andhra Pradesh. In his early childhood, he spoke his mother tongue - Telugu and later learnt Tamil, the language spoken in Panchalamkuruchi and other areas. Roughly 60 years before the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 that first started in Meerut (Meerut cantonment is the place where the rebellion started when Hindu and Muslim soldiers were given new model rifles with grease-coated cartridgeswhich, it was believed, contained animal fat of pig and cow), in present day U.P. Kattabomman vehemently opposed the British and their subjugation of Indian natives.
