Dheeran Chinnamalai (1756-1805), Biography, British Conquest, Polygar War

Dheeran Chinnamalai was one of the earliest and most formidable anti-colonial warriors of South India who challenged the British East India Company much before 1857. He was born in 1756 in the Kongu region of present day western Tamil Nadu. He emerged as a powerful Palayakkarar and military leader known for his mastery of Guerrilla Warfare. He resisted both Mysore’s exploitative tax system and British political domination. As a key commander during the Second Polygar War, Chinnamalai inflicted repeated military defeats on British forces. His execution in 1805 reveals the brutal suppression of indigenous resistance movements.

Dheeran Chinnamalai Biography

Dheeran Chinnamalai was born as Theerthagiri Sarkarai Manradiar on 17 April 1756 near Kangeyam in present day Tiruppur district.

• He belonged to the Kongu Vellalar clan and was born to Rathnasamy Manradiar and Periyatha. His family controlled land and local administration in the Kongu Nadu region, giving him early exposure to governance and rural defense.
• Theerthagiri earned the title “Chinnamalai” after asserting sovereignty between Sennimalai and Shivamalai hills. This title symbolized his authority over the Kongu region against external rulers and tax collectors.
• He was skilled in archery, horse riding, weapon handling and guerrilla tactics, later strengthened by exposure to French style military training during his association with Tipu Sultan.
• As a local chieftain as ‘Palayakkarar’, he protected villages, resolved disputes and organized armed resistance while functioning as both administrator and military leader in western regions of Tamil Nadu.

Dheeran Chinnamalai British Conquest

Dheeran Chinnamalai directly confronted British expansion after resisting Mysore’s tax exploitation in Kongu Nadu.

• He forcibly collected taxes from Diwan Muhammad Ali. This resulted in the Battle of Noyyal River, where Chinnamalai defeated Mysore forces, asserting Kongu’s autonomy.
• He supported Tipu Sultan during the Third and Fourth Anglo Mysore Wars.
• After Tipu Sultan’s death in 1799, Chinnamalai built the Odanilai Fort, transforming it into a strategic resistance base against the British East India Company.
• British officers repeatedly attempted treaties and military assaults, but Chinnamalai refused submission, forcing the Company to deploy large troops and artillery to neutralize him.

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Dheeran Chinnamalai Role in Polygar War

Dheeran Chinnamalai was a central military leader in the Second Polygar War between 1800 and 1805.

• After the deaths of Kattabomman and Tipu Sultan, Chinnamalai emerged as a key commander, coordinating resistance across Kongu Nadu during the British campaign.
• He defeated British forces at the Cauvery River in 1801, Odanilai in 1802 and Arachalur in 1804 using jungle warfare, surprise attacks and terrain advantage.
• British columns suffered heavy losses and repeatedly failed to capture him, forcing prolonged and costly military operations in western Tamil Nadu.
• In 1805, he was betrayed by his cook, captured along with his brothers and hanged at Sankagiri Fort on 31 July 1805, with some records noting 02 August.
• His resistance during the Polygar Wars exposed British vulnerability and highlighted the intensity of pre 1857 regional revolts against colonial rule in India.