Rani Velu Nachiyar

About Rani Velu Nachiyar: 

• She was born on January 3 1730 to the Raja and Rani of the Ramnad kingdom.
• She was the princess of Ramanathapuram and the only child of Raja Chellamuthu vijayaragunatha Sethupathy and Rani Sakandhimuthal of the Ramnad kingdom.
• At the age of 16, she married the prince of Sivaganga, Muthuvadugananthur Udaiyathevar. 
• She is known by Tamils as Veeramangai.
• She was trained in war to match weapons usage, martial arts like Valari, Silambam (fighting using the stick), horse riding and archery. 
• She was skilled in the art of warfare and weaponry, Velu Nachiyar was also a scholar, and mastered several languages including English, French and Urdu.
• In collaboration with Hyder Ali and Gopala Nayaker, she waged a war against the British and emerged victoriously.
• She was the first queen to fight for freedom from the British in India. She granted powers to the Marudu brothers to administer the country in 1780. 

Q1: What is Silambam?

It is a modern and scientific martial art in Tamil Nadu, was promoted by Pandyas, Cholas, and Cheras during their reign. 

Source: Prime Minister remembers Rani Velu Nachiyar on her birth anniversary