Ka Phan Nonglait - Freedom fighter from Meghalaya

 Ka Phan Nonglait

Freedom fighter from the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya

Background 

In 1826 the British had control over the Brahmaputra valley in Asom (Assam). Earlier they had captured the Surma valley in Bengal. Now they wanted to connect the two, only possible through the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya which had a very conducive climate for a sanatorium where the sick could recuperate. The road would also save travel time. 

The British approached one of the chiefs in the Khasi Hills, U Tirot Sing, to facilitate road construction through his territory. He was assured complete control over the area so that trade could flourish there. He was also interested in regaining the dooars or passes in the Himalayan foothills in exchange for the permission.

After the road construction began, a rival chief objected to U Tirot Sing’s claim over the dooars, confident that the British would support his claim. Instead he was confronted by British sepoys. 

When news came to U Tirot Sing that the British were amassing troops in Asom, the Khasi Council convened and ordered the British to leave Nongkhlaw. When this was not done the Khasi attacked on 4 April 1829. 

Two British officers were killed in this operation and the British immediately retalitated against the Khasi.

The Anglo-Khasi War lasted for 4 years. The Khasi lacked modern firearms and fought with bows, arrows and swords. When it became obvious these were no match for British firearms, the Khasi resorted to guerilla warfare and were undefeated for 4 years.

Phan Nonglait Falls, Nongrmai, Meghalaya

(Arijitabani, Wikimapia)

Ka Phan Nonglait’s exploits

When British soldiers started to move out of Moirang village and headed for Nongkhlaw, Phan Nonglait set a trap for them with the help of soldiers of Tirot Sing at Langatlehrim. Due to the heat it was but natural that the British soldiers would rest near a milky-white waterfall on the route. This cascade is named Phan Nonglait Falls today. Phan Nonglait made the soldiers of Tirot Sing wait in the shadows nearby.

She made arrangements to provide the British soldiers who rested at the waterfall with cooling drinks to catch them unawares. As they relaxed in the cool environs of the falls Phan Nonglait had her people quietly take away all the weapons of the British soldiers and throw them into a rock hole in the waterfall. Unable to retrieve their weapons the British soldiers could not put up a fight against U Tirot Sing’s men and were easily captured.

The desire for freedom

When the Khasi were facing overwhelming odds with imbalance in technology with the arms they used, they used their native knowledge of local areas and a desire for freedom to keep up the fight for four long years.

Today a park in Shillong has been renamed Phan Nonglait Park in honour of the first Khasi woman who revolted against the British. 

Ref.

https://www.sentinelassam.com/news/phan-nonglait-the-first-khasi-freedom-fighter/

Veena Dhanammal 

Her music transcended all barriers

Veena Dhanammal, also known as Dhanam (1867-1938) is considered the most influential musician of the early 20th century.  Dhanam played the Saraswati Veena to her own exacting standards and set the benchmark for her style - of a melody of alluring, unhurried notes, for proficiency in her artform and for her conduct as a performing artist.

She was a household name in her heydays, much respected for her art and had a career that lasted almost sixty years which is remarkable by all standards. Her’s was a lyrical style of playing known for its simplicity, not of a flashy display of virtuosity. The song forms called pada and javali that she specialised in were also part of dance performances. Dhanammal was able to express the essence of the raga in a succinct and subtle manner, without being too vigorous or fast.

Dhanammal was born in Chennai (earlier, Madras). Her main source of inspiration, and the one who took her musical education in hand, was her grandmother Kamakshi Ammal. She ensured that Dhanam learnt from the best teachers and did not lack for anything that helped in taking her musical education forward.

Veenai Dhanammal, India Post 2010

Dhanammal and her milieu

George Town in Chennai where Dhanam chose to live was buzzing with musicians, scholars and patrons in the late 19th century. Her house saw three generations of artistes in her family live and practice their art for which they became justly famous. Her renowned weekly concerts were also held here. 

Chennai itself was seeing an increase in the number of sabhas and performance spaces for music and Harikatha sessions at this time. Harikatha is a composite art form composed of storytelling, poetry, music, drama, dance, and philosophy. Rich merchants built temples and employed musicians and dancers to perform there. Live bands and orchestras played in public spaces and on special occasions. The Madras of Dhanam’s time was a very happening place. 

And then there were the devadasis who lent colour and energy to the city. These proficient dancers and singers were known for their repertoire of dance and music, their learning and prowess on stage. Pre-eminent among them was Veena Dhanammal. She commanded clout and respect in this large group of artistes. 

Musical lineage for generations

Dhanam’s music was the authentic classical tradition that had evolved over the centuries. So much so that even as she carried forward the legacy of five generations of her ancestors who were musicians and artistes, she ensured the heritage was preserved and enhanced to the same high standards by her descendants. 

Dhanam’s earliest known ancestor is Papammal who lived in the 18th century. Her daughter Rukmini had a daughter named Thanjavur Kamakshi who was famous as a musician at the court. After the British annexed Thanjavur in 1856 Kamakshiammal moved to Chennai. She was Dhanammal’s grandmother, and a student of Subbaraya Shastri a son and student of the great Shyama Shastri - one of the pre-eminent composer trinity of Carnatic music which includes Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar. Dhanam’s mother Sundarambal, in turn, learnt music from Annaswamy Shastri, Subbaraya Shastri’s son.

The house in George Town was where Dhanam’s grandchildren took their first steps in music and dance - T Brinda and T Mukta the eminent Carnatic vocalists, T Balasaraswati in Bharata Natyam, Abhiramasundari the violinist, T Shankaran the writer, scholar and historian, T Vishwanathan with the flute and T Ranganathan with the mridangam. By all accounts the thirst for the arts continues in the current generation too.

It is indeed very rare for several generations of one family to reach the pinnacle of the art form they practise. Dhanam’s family has shown that such mastery is possible with proper nurturing, the proper atmosphere to imbibe and by learning with good teachers. As the matriarch of the family, Dhanam ensured that the treasure left with her by her foremothers found its moorings with the generations ahead.

Dhanam’s musical inheritance

Dhanam learnt to play the Veena from the age of ten. She took to the veena instead of dance on the suggestion of her uncle. She also sang for her sister Rupavati’s dance performances and performed with her grandmother Kamakshi.

Dhanam inherited a rich legacy of vast learning, including Shyama Shastry’s compositions, from her grandmother and mother. Her first vocal music teacher was her grandmother and later Shatanur Panchanada Iyer who taught her the entire corpus of Tyagaraja’s compositions. His guru in turn was a direct disciple of Muthuswamy Dikshitar so Dhanam received those works too into her repertoire. As a result of these influences her style of music represented all these three important composers. 

Then she became a student of the blind singer Baladas who was an expert on the compositions of Kshetrayya known as padam. Dhanam helped preserve and transmit the tradition of padam through her own concerts and the dance and music of her descendants. Dhanam’s repertoire also included original compositions that contemporary composers wished her to play to perpetuate their work, and their interpretations of classics.

Dhanam the teacher

Dhanam taught music to all her four daughters and it was a proper guru-shishya relationship with no leniency. They were expected to pay her for the classes as soon as they started earning to inculcate the habit of proper preparation for each class, to respect the learning and not to waste the resources of finance and time. It encouraged professionalism and maintained the standard for the arts in the family. Dhanam’s four daughters would sometimes perform in duos as the ‘Dhanam Sisters’. 

One student from outside the family Dhanam taught passionately was her favourite pupil, Saravanam. Listening to both of them play the Veena together has been described as ‘a profound experience’ by family members. The bond they shared was unique. When Saravanam tragically died in childbirth, Dhanam did not accept another student for a long time.

Dhanam the musician

Dhanam was demanding about the atmosphere in the room as she prepared to play. Absolute silence was necessary as was perfect tuning or shruti. She would never start without these in place.

With the traditional reliance on memory and not written notations, Dhanam’s routine of training and daily practice was exacting. As a result, she knew not only her music inside out but also the subtleties associated with performing each composition such that she was able to play it at will, even after a great lapse of time. Later in life she became blind but Dhanam was always well prepared for her weekly concerts at home having a repertoire of over one thousand compositions.

Dhanam was fluent and able to understand the subtleties of poetry in six languages - Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit, Kannada, Marathi and Hindi.

She regularly performed for the raja of Vizianagaram at his palace and at private performances for the Gaikwad of Baroda, the Maharajas of Travancore and Mysore and the musical giants of the era.

Learning  to cope with change 

Technology

Dhanam’s career was ending when recording devices such as the gramophone began to be first used in India in the early 20th century. Hence there are not many samples of her performances and veena recitals for us today. We instead have the written accounts of her contemporary musicians, and reviews by knowledgeable members of the audience. For a majority of Dhanam’s musical career the equipment for sound at concerts and the output was still rudimentary. 

Given the technology at the time Dhanam believed the veena was an instrument for chamber music. Also that a veena recital did not require any accompaniments.

Society

Dhanammal’s style and lineage are important elements of the changes that Carnatic music was undergoing in the early part of the 20th century. She was at the cusp where the old order was yielding to the new - audience tastes were evolving, the devadasi system that was Dhanam’s milieu was fading away and artistes had to look for patronage from non-traditional avenues, not royal courts nor the wealthy connoisseur or rasika.  

Thus Dhanam performed privately in concerts in the homes of Chennai’s elite and mercantile classes apart from public concerts in sabha or halls. It is believed that in 1895 Dhanammal was the first female musician to perform in a public hall in Madras.

Dhanam the person

Dhanammal’s love of life and sense of humour is the stuff of legend. She is remembered for her uncompromising stance on her music, her love for betel leaf and her wit. Her aristocratic lifestyle and her refined manner of interacting with visitors set her apart. She used the best of perfumes and clothes, was a connoisseur of the best fruits of the season.

Dhanam was famed for her Friday evening concerts amidst Jasmine plants at her home in Ramakrishna Chetty Street in Chennai. Ustad Abdul Karim Khan of the Kirana gharana was one in the audience whenever he was in Chennai. Dhanam would sing as she played the veena. The audience was a mix of vidwans, connoisseurs, people completely new to music and others who just happened to stop by. Dhanam played for two hours, and each week the songs were different. 

Her requirement from the audience was absolute pindrop silence all through the programme, and the patience to sit until the end. Even the slightest noise from outside would make her stop the concert, so her street was cordoned off to tradesmen, and neighbours learnt to ensure no kitchen noises during the time. Members of her audience would rather miss the last train at 8 pm from her area and be ready for the inconvenience, than leave the concert midway and incur Dhanam’s displeasure.  

The room on the first floor of her house seated about 15-20 people and would be packed each week. Dhanam had unfortunately become quite impoverished in her old age due to heavy spending, and was virtually blind in the later years of her life, but the concerts continued. 

She was always open to teaching whoever wished to learn - and her list of such visitors is filled with legendary names from the spheres of Carnatic and Hindustani music - Bangalore Nagarathnamma, Gauhar Jan, and many more.  

Dhanam’s last public performance, sponsored by the Madras Music Academy was on 28 December, 1937. Dhanammal died on 15 October 1938. Even as she lay dying she told her family that her one regret at the moment was of parting with her beloved veena.

As distinguished novelist and journalist R Krishnamurthy, also more famously known as Kalki, said ‘The name Dhanam means ‘auspicious’ and ‘wealth’. There are two different types of wealth: first, the wealth of learning; second, material wealth. Dhanammal has none of the second but all of the first. She is an aged blind lady, there’s a quaver in her voice. But true musicians still go to her house in Georgetown.’ - Ananda Vikatan, August 20, 1933.

References:

1. Veena Dhanammal - The Making of a Legend by Lakshmi Subramanian

2. http://www.madrasmusings.com/vol-29-no-18/lost-landmark-of-chennai/

3. Legacy of Veena Dhanammal - In conversation with Ritha Rajan, www.sahapedia.org 

4. Unfinished Gestures - Devadasis, Memory and Modernity in South India, Davesh Soneji

5. Balasaraswati: Her Art and Life, Douglas M.Knight Jr.

Jerusha Jhirad

A doctor with laser focus on maternal health

The career path of Jerusha Jhirad (1891-1984) in obstetrics and gynaecology is a clear indication of how early influences in one’s life affect the choices one makes in later years, often subconsciously. This is the story of a physician and a pioneer of maternal health in India who forged her way at a time when deaths due to preventable causes were appallingly high. 

Jerusha Jhirad

Many firsts to her credit

Jerusha was the first recipient of a Government of India scholarship to study medicine in England. Dr. Jhirad was the first Indian to serve as Medical Officer at The Cama and Albless Hospitals for Women and Children, Mumbai from 1928 to 1947, the previous incumbents had only been British. 

Early life

Jerusha Jhirad was from the minuscule community of Bene Israel Jews in India. She was born in Shivamogga, Karnataka in 1890 in a family of six children. Her father managed his father-in-law’s coffee estate and Jerusha’s early idyllic childhood was spent there amidst nature.

She was homeschooled with her siblings by her parents but was soon on her way for higher classes to a boarding school in Pune, Huzurpaga School for Girls.

 

At home, in the meanwhile, disaster struck in the form of the insect called ‘Planter’s Pest’ that decimated the coffee estate, which had to be abandoned. Jerusha’s family moved, with her father finding employment in the Railways and her mother and siblings living in Pune. 

The silver lining in the dark cloud hovering over the family was that Jerusha’s grandfather sponsored her education while she was at school. But soon she won enough scholarships to pay her own way through her education. Jerusha’s single-minded aim ensured she was motivated to excel at school, at Grant Medical College in Mumbai and her medical studies in England.  

As a child Jerusha had vowed to herself to work as an obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Cama Hospital at Mumbai where her older sister’s life had been saved, even as her newborn twins had died. Cama Hospital for Women was also entirely staffed by women. 

Another incident that impacted Jerusha was when her brother-in-law’s sister bled to death after childbirth, because of a lack of female doctors. The patient’s mother would not admit the male doctor into the room and he could only verbally instruct the midwife and the nurse from another room, which was inadequate care. This episode brought home to Jerusha the vital need for female obstetricians and gynaecologists.

Stellar academic record and work experience

Jerusha graduated from Grant Medical College in 1912. Her superb academic record ensured she won a majority of the prizes at college that year. Jerusha had now become the first woman from the Bene-Israel community to become a doctor.

After graduation Jerusha set up private practice in Mumbai since Resident positions were not open for women. In her rented rooms her first patients were Arab women. As her practice grew because of her medical skills, so did her confidence.  

 

Her aim was to get an MD degree from London but the qualification for that was that she had to be a Medical Officer. Also scholarships for MD was only available for male students. A Tata loan scholarship for MD at the London School of Medicine for Women came to her rescue. Six months into the programme she got a scholarship from the Bombay government of 200 pounds per annum for five years, as a special case.

Jerusha was in London studying medicine as World War I raged. Due to the war there was a shortage of doctors, who had signed up and were at the war front. This opened up rare work opportunities for qualified female doctors, even if they were Indian. Jerusha worked as obstetric assistant and house surgeon at hospitals in England, gaining experience. She could now apply for MD since the condition of at least 6 months residential post could now be fulfilled.

Wider outreach than only medical help

Upon graduating she returned to India in 1920 and was felicitated by a group of Bene-Israel women for her accomplishments. 

Many of these women were living largely isolated lives in the restrictive confines of a traditional family structure with their in-laws, without avenues to explore their personalities and talents. Jerusha created a Stree Mandal, women’s association. It became a venue for informal meetings, lighthearted entertainment, daily afternoon classes of cooking, languages, needlework which led to employment opportunities for many of the women who had not studied further due to marriage or poverty. Stree Mandal was open to all women.

Unexpected stumbling block

Now she was back in India with an MD in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from the University of London, a first for an Indian woman. Jerusha applied at the one hospital in which she had always aspired to work - Cama Hospital - but was rejected. They did not hire Indians. 

Undeterred at being rejected for her nationality in her own country inspite of all her qualifications and work experience Jerusha worked at other hospitals in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. At Bengaluru she developed services for pregnant women, trained nurses and midwives. Some wealthy patients donated for a labour room and an operation theatre. Some even volunteered to work with mothers and babies. 

Jerusha reapplied at Cama Hospital in 1925. This time, her stellar reputation at work saw her being accepted. Three years later she was Medical Officer at Cama Hospital. Medical officers are senior physicians who manage all aspects related to patient care within their departments.  

Her life’s work - at Cama Hospital and elsewhere

Dr. Jhirad was at Cama for nearly 20 years. In addition to her regular duties at the hospital, Jerusha was deeply involved in improving medical facilities in slums to lower infant mortality. In 1937 and 1938 she published a study on maternal mortality in Mumbai. She had lived through the daily experiences of a young female medical student, so Jerusha was instrumental in improving hostel facilities for them so they would be encouraged to pursue their medical studies in Mumbai. She was among the first in India to insist upon international safety regulations in hospitals here.

Dr. Jhirad advocated for training traditional midwives and dais in modern medicine for the safety of the mother and child. These women were an asset in rural areas where medical facilities were non-existent. She was against blindly following the practices of western medicine and felt methods had to be evolved to accommodate Indian ways.

On her 80th birthday, a post-graduate library was established at Cama in her name. This was befitting since she had always been particular about doctors and nurses at Cama being up to date with the latest medical information. She had also persuaded the government to give grants for subscriptions to journals and books.

 

In 1934 Dr. Jhirad provided medical assistance during the earthquake in Bihar which was among the worst in Indian history. Of the magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter Scale it flattened entire towns in Bihar and Nepal. She was contacted by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, later President of India, to help women in purdah. Dr. Jhirad and her team spent a month in Bihar.

Dr. Jhirad was fond of teaching so held special classes on weekday evenings and the weekends. She was on the medical faculty of the universities of Mumbai, Vadodara and Pune. She was an examiner for MBBS and MD exams at Mumbai, Chennai and Pune universities. 

Even after retirement, and living with her sister Leah in Dahisar in Mumbai, Dr. Jhirad continued to consult a few days in a week. Her concerns and work for maternal health, childcare centres, maternity leave, rescue homes and child aid societies continued unabated.

Dr. Jhirad’s published on topics close to her heart - maternal mortality, obstetrics, gynaecology and careers in medicine for Indian women.

Dr. Jerusha Jhirad's contemporaries mentioned that high standards of professional work, tact, sympathy, administrative ability and surgical skill were her hallmarks.

Much-deserved recognition

Dr. Jerusha Jhirad was founding member and elected president of Bombay Obstetric and Gynaecological Society, president of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), and from 1947 to 1957 president of the Association of Medical Women in India (AMWI). In 1947, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. In 1950 she presided at the 6th All India Obstetric and Gynaecological Congress, held in Chennai. 

She was awarded Padma Shri (civilian award of the Republic of India) for her services to society and MBE (a British honour given by their monarch for a particular achievement).

Interests apart from medicine

Dr. Jhirad was a pioneer of Progressive Judaism in India, having learnt about it when she was in England. This was Judaism adapted to modern times in which women could participate more than in traditional Judaism. She founded a religious congregation and a reform synogogue with her sister Leah in Mumbai, and organised activities for Jewish teenagers. 

Dr Jhirad passed away at the grand old age of 93 in 1984 after a lifetime of breaking barriers of race and gender, and creating a path for young Indian women doctors after her.

And here’s something unique befitting a pioneer such as Dr. Jerusha Jhirad. The International Astronomical Union, the worldwide union of astronomers names astronomical bodies after women who have made significant contributions in their fields. Venus now has a crater 50 kilometers wide named Jhirad.

Ref:

1. Women Scientists in India: Lives, Struggles and Achievements - Anjana Chattopadhyay

2. Fabulous Female Physicians - Sharon L. Krish

3. Unstoppable - Gayathri Ponvannan

4. https://nbtindia.gov.in/writereaddata/freebooks/pdf/Women.pdf

5. Ramanna M. A pioneer of maternal health: Jerusha Jhirad, 1890–1983. Natl Med J India 2019;32:243-246

 Bibi Dalair Kaur

She defended Anandpur Fort against the Mughals

The early 18th century was a period of turbulence in the Punjab. Frequent wars between the Sikh, the hill kingdoms and the Mughals under Aurangzeb saw alliances between these parties being made and broken constantly. 

History of Anandpur

Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth of the ten Sikh gurus, founded in 1665 the town of Anandpur Sahib on the banks of the river Setluj, the longest of Punjab’s five rivers. Rani Champa of Bilaspur had offered him the land during the extensive travels he undertook all over India. He met people to extend comfort and strength to the masses as atrocities on non-Muslims became rampant under Aurangzeb’s influence. His son, Guru Gobind Singh became the tenth Sikh guru.

Anandpur Fort

Guru Gobind Singh lived in Anandpur and his followers also began to settle there. The rulers of the neighbouring hill kingdoms who were allies of the Mughals were uncomfortable with this development. Hence Aurangzeb disallowed large congregations of Sikhs to assemble for their festivals such as Baisakhi. And in 1699 when Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa Panth, transforming the Sikhs into a martial unit of armed men and women in Anandpur to resist Mughal excesses and religious persecution, Aurangzeb responded by sending his army.  This then led to several battles and skirmishes between the Sikhs and the Mughal forces.

The First Battle of Anandpur in 1700 resulted in the Mughal forces being routed. The army fled the battlefield. In the Second Battle of Anandpur in 1704, the Mughal army units were again roundly defeated by the Sikhs. Aurangzeb then sent in a second larger army to break the Sikh resistance. 

This time the Mughals did not opt for open warfare but chose to lay siege to the town from May to December, effectively cutting off all supplies to Anandpur. Under these circumstances Guru Gobind Singh accepted the Mughal offer of safe passage. 

Dalair Kaur in-charge

Before he left the fort however, Guru Gobind Singh handed over charge to young Dalair Kaur who had 100 Khalsa women and 10 Khalsa men with her to defend Anandpur.

Almost as soon as Guru Gobind Singh and 500 Khalsa soldiers left the fort, the Mughals and their allies reneged on their promise of safe passage. They attacked the Sikhs and a tremendous battle ensued. 

Guru Gobind Singh’s family scattered. His wife and a trusted aide made their way to Delhi, his two older sons and 40 soldiers lost their lives in a subsequent battle which the guru survived, and the guru’s mother and two young sons were betrayed by a trusted aide to the Mughals, which led to their brutal execution. 

In the meanwhile, at the Anandpur Fort

The Mughal army readied to walk in and claim victory over the fort at Anandpur after the battle outside. As they triumphantly neared the fort they were greeted by a hail of bullets. Bibi Dalair Kaur and her soldiers were prepared for battle, to uphold the trust the guru had reposed in them.

The sight of so many dead Mughal soldiers when he thought victory was at hand drove the general Wazir Khan into a frenzy of anger.

The Mughals now deployed their cannons and breached the wall of the fort. The Mughal army was much larger in number and better equipped, but the Sikhs were not about to give up the fort without a fight.

Bibi Dalair Kaur was a true leader even under fire. She encouraged her soldiers every step of the way inspite of overwhelming odds. 

As the cry of ‘Bolay So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal’ rang out in the fort, Wazir Khan kept sending in soldiers even as the Sikhs inside began to run out of ammunition. The Sikh defenders were now ready at the breach in the wall with their swords drawn. When the Mughal soldiers clambered over the rubble to try to enter the fort they were astonished to see Khalsa women in the thick of battle, giving as good as they got. Going by the enemy’s ferocity in the earlier skirmish the Mughals had imagined a larger number of Sikhs within the fort.     

Seeing his soldiers hesitate at the sight of women warriors, Wazir Khan egged them on and rode into the breach, only to be felled by a defender. The Mughal soldiers retreated again. They were unsure of how many Khalsa warriors were actually in the fort. 

Now the second commander Zabardast Khan ordered for the cannons to be used. Afterwards as the Mughals now cautiously walked into the breach, they fully expected to be attacked at any moment but there was no retaliation from the Sikhs. Zabardast Khan was convinced the Sikhs were hiding to attack in full force, but even as the Mughals went deeper into the fort nothing happened.

Dalair Kaur kept her word

As the Mughals began to loot the place of anything of value, they also moved the rubble from near the breach in the wall. The bodies of the Sikh defenders, Khalsa women and men were discovered there. They had fought to the last of their resources and had given their lives to defend the fort as Bibi Dalair Kaur had promised Guru Gobind Singh.

Reference:

1. http://www.allaboutsikhs.com/sikh-history/bibi-dalair-kaur.html

2. www.sikhiwiki.org

Rani Mangammal

"My people first and foremost."

Rani Mangammal ruled Madurai at the close of the 17th century for 18 years, with great sagacity and resourcefulness in a very turbulent and unsettled period in its history. Like many other women rulers she had to overcome prejudice about her ability based on her gender. However her successful rule at a fractious time in Madurai, and in a turbulent neighbourhood, only proved that she was the right woman for the job, at the right time. And like the Bhaumakara queen Tribhuvanamahadevi about seven centuries earlier and the Kakatiya Rani Rudramadevi of Warangal about five centuries earlier, Mangammal was yet another grandmother who ruled in her own right until her grandson was old enough to be crowned king. 

It is fascinating to realise that these worthy women simply did not allow the prevalent notions of their age and gender to come in the way of being successful rulers. They used the opportunity given by sheer chance to rule and bring about positive changes on the ground.

Family history

Mangammal was the daughter of Tupakula Lingama Nayaka, a general in the Madurai army. Chokkanatha Nayaka, who ruled Madurai from 1659 to 1682 A.D. married Mangammal in 1665. Chokkanatha Nayaka was an ineffective king whose reign saw loss of territory to neighbouring rulers, and hardships such as famine for his subjects. His erratic behaviour also caused much turbulence in the family.

Chokkanatha Nayaka wanted to marry the daughter of Vijayaraghava Nayaka of neighbouring Thajavur as his second wife. Vijayaraghava Nayaka rejected the offer, and died with his son in the battle initiated by Chokkanatha. The women of the family committed suicide. At this time the Maratha ruler Shivaji attacked Thanjavur and established Maratha rule there. Also an attack on Madurai by the Mysuru army was repulsed with the help of the rulers of Gingee and Ramanathapuram. With all this turmoil in the land Chokkanatha Nayak was deposed on the grounds of insanity. 

Although he was reinstated later, Chokkanatha Nayak died soon after. His son Lingama Krishna succeeded to the throne. However, Lingama Krishna born in 1666-67 died of small pox at the age of 21 before he could have much of an impact on the forces arrayed against Madurai. His mother Mangammal then became regent for her infant grandson Vijayaranga Chokkanatha who was born after the death of Lingama Krishna.

Rani Mangammal 

and her successor Vijayaranga Chokkanatha

A troubled neighbourhood and a surfeit of enemies

The start of Mangammal’s tenure (1689-1706 CE) was no bed of roses. She was besieged by trouble on all sides with no help from anyone. Mangammal had to contend with the Marathas of Thanjavur ruled by Shivaji's son Shahu, the Mughal Aurangzeb, Raja Ravi Verma of Travancore and the Mysuru army of Raja Chikka Deva Raya - all actively trying to establish their hegemony over the region. This resulted in non-stop political and military strategems, alliances and readjustments among the various players. Mangammal, in the meanwhile, had laser focus on improving the lot of Madurai’s citizens and keeping the kingdom safe. As such she was prepared to do anything to achieve this.

The key players in the game

Mughal

It was during Mangammal’s reign that Madurai came in contact with the Mughals. Aurangzeb was bent upon invading Madurai and Thanjavur after conquering the fort at Gingee from Shivaji’s son Rajaram. 

In 1693 Zulfiquar Ali, Aurangzeb’s general, planned to attack Madurai. In a cool assessment of the situation Mangammal realised that Thanjavur and Mysuru had sent tributes to the Mughals to avert bloodshed, so she decided to follow suit. 

Not only that, she also got the assistance of Zulfiquar Ali to retrieve some of her territory from Shahu of Thanjavur. She liberally gave gifts to the Mughals for their assistance against her enemies. Her priority always was to ensure no harm came to her subjects due to warfare and that she did not lose territory. 

Mysuru

The kingdom of Mysuru wanted to capture Madurai even when Chokkanatha was alive. Now, after his death, they thought they had a ready advantage with a woman on the throne. The Mysuru army captured Coimbatore and Salem within Mangamma’s territory. However, they were recalled before they could capture Madurai when Mysuru was itself attacked by the Mughals.

Travancore

The Raja of Travancore had been a feudatory of Madurai for years, but now the ruler Raja Ravi Verma began to withhold paying the tribute expected of him. So he had to be brought in line. Mangammal sent a force under the general (Dalavoy) Narasappaiah which included troops from other chieftains of Madurai to show she should be taken seriously and could not be trifled with. The force returned to Madurai with enormous booty.

Maratha

When the Madurai army defeated Shahu’s forces at Thanjavur to punish him for repeatedly taking away territory, a peace treaty was signed between them. They even decided to jointly fight Mysuru for building a dam across the Kaveri and depleting water at Madurai and Thanjavur. However, before they could do so the dam collapsed in heavy flooding due to rains, thus averting war.

Ramanad

The powerful ruler of the principality of Ramanad, Raghunatha Sethupathy, was in revolt and was aiming to become an independent ruler. He brought about Mangammal’s greatest military defeat which resulted in the death of her trusted Dalavoy Narasappaiah and the decline of Madurai from which it could never recover.

The practical ruler

The reign of Mangammal points to the prosperity of Madurai and her resourcefulness in ensuring the welfare of her people above all else. She is remembered even today for her excellent administration. Her memory lives on through the public works she carried out. In the political sphere the measures she carried out ensured that Madurai did not fall to the covetous powers that surrounded it, but remained as an independent entity. Not only that, she also ensured the return of some parts of the kingdom that had been handed over to other powers earlier, or that had been lost in battle before her reign.

Why is Mangammal still remembered even centuries later?

Apart from her military exploits and excellent administration, Mangammal is remembered for her diplomatic skills and the courage to face the trying circumstances before her both internally and externally. In fact, all her dealings with external powers were to explore how best to ultimately benefit her people best. She was forward-looking and constantly interested in general welfare. 

This attitude led to the construction of better civic facilities such as roads and avenues. Her capital was Tiruchi and she constructed several Anna Chatiram, food inns, on the Madurai -Tiruchi road. There were special horse stables along the road. She kept not just the physical health of the population in mind but also their psychological wellbeing by encouraging the construction of temples, irrigation canals and water bodies, celebration of festivals and even-handed interaction with her subjects regardless of their religious affiliations. Many of her public works in Madurai are still in use today.

She promoted trade and industry, built irrigation networks, an improved road from Kanyakumari to Madurai named Mangammal Salai, and a rest-house which presently stands near the Madurai railway station. Tamukkam Palace built during her reign is now a museum. 

She was open-minded and generous towards converts to Islam and Christianity. She endowed the temple of Meenakshi for which Madurai is famous, and ruled in the name of the deity. This was a practice by many rulers at the time who considered themselves to only be a servant while the real ruler was God.

Her last days

Mangammal died in 1706 after her grandson attained majority and was able to rule. The circumstances of her death are unclear since no verified account is available. 

Thus ruled a sensible queen who ran a stable government although the external circumstances were stormy and could easily have spelt disaster for a less experienced and immature ruler. Mangammal’s calm and steady hand ensured that the citizens of Madurai remained safe, and prospered without losing their lives or property during her reign. 

Ref. - 

1. History of the Nayaks of Madura. R Satyanatha Aiyar

2. Madras District Gazetteers: Madurai - B S Baliga, 1960

3. Psycho-biography: The last days of Rani Mangammal - Dr. O Somasundaram