Who is Maruthanayagam Pillai? Why was he rechristened Muhammad Yusuf Khan? What is his impact on Tamil Nadu?

 1.Muhammad Yusuf Khan was the one who again planned to demolish Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple and to construct a darghah on it.

2.Muhammed Yusuf Khan, an opportunist at early age, sided with French, British and acted as a slave for the Nawab.

3.Being a local, Muhammad Yusuf Khan laid the foundation along with Chanda Shaheb for ending the Naicker rule and opened easy access to British.

4.Chanda Shaheb is well known for swearing in on Holy Quran to earn trust of Regent Queen Minakshi and killed her in Tiruchi fort. Chanda Saheb was later executed by Thanjavur Marathas.

5.Chanda Shaheb and Mohammed Ali forged the documents and heavily taken loans from East India Company.

6.Puli Thevan is a freedom fighter, who fought against the British. He ruled Nerkattum Seval, one of the favored country of Vijayanagara Empire since 14th century.

7.Muhammad Yusuf Khan fought with Puli Thevan, an Indian freedom fighter, at Nerkattum Sevel and later at Vasudeva Nallur with some wins and some defeats. Goddess Gomathy could not help Puli Thevan at the end, but one can see his meditation room in Sankaran Kovil Temple.

8.Finally, Muhammad Yusuf Khan, was hung thrice by his masters, British and the Nizam, and cut piece by piece and thrown in different parts of Tamil country.

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But it is not an end.

Tamil Nadu is well known for ignoring freedom fighters like Puli Thevan and adore Villians like Muhammad Yusuf Khan and there are individuals who think differently.

One such person is Kamal Haasan.

1. He played several roles, received several awards and one of the finest artist in India today.
2. However, it is marred by his hate on humanity and attacking Hindu religion.
3. Hey Ram is an example how he indulges in character assasination and to understand his way of thinking differently.
4. His attempts to take biopic of Muhammed Yusuf Khan has shelved due to financial constraints. Unfortunately, his attempt to project Chanda Shahib and Muhammad Ali as hero's of Tamil did not materialised.

One can see Puli Thevan, a devotee of Gomathy Ambikai, in a meditation room in Sankaran Kovil Temple.

Madurai Meenakshi had destroyed the plans to convert her abode to a darghah.

It happened in 18th century. Earlier it was 14th century by Malik Kafur.

Now it is Kamal Haasan in 21st century.

Q: Is it true that Maruthanayagam Pillay tried to demolish the Madurai Meenakshi temple ?

A: In 1756, an old fakir prepare to build a dargah (Islamic tomb) for himself atop the Madurai Meenakshi Temple with the support of Burkadullah (representing Hyder Ali) and Yusuf Khan (representing British).

This has angered locals. Kallars Polygars ravaged the Muslims, Fakir expelled. Burkadullah ran for cover to Sivagangai and Yusuf Ali Khan was withdrawn by the British.

Disturbances continued to prevail in Madurai.

It is the Kallar Polygar’s fury saved the temple, otherwise Madurai could be another Madura.

Unfortunately, they were without the support due to the death of Madurai Queen and without the support of Vijayanagara empires end. It is one third of the army.

Q: To think of demolishing the Madurai Meenakshi temple is an act of great treachery and the authors of this plan should never be glorified.

A: Launching of Kamal Haasan’s film did show his intention.

I do not remember the year, but to please Queen ElizabethII during her visit to India.

He would have expected the money from Britishers, but could not. I do not want to go into details, which is out of scope.

Q: The British are too clever. It is impossible to extract money from them unless there are very valid reasons.

A: True