Are Naicker Tamil People?

 Naickers, Kallars, Maravars and Devars are Tamil warrior communities. They ruled 72 polypats and they refused to pay tribute to anyone till they fought 3 polygar wars with British spanning a decade. Naickers have Telugu ancestry.

Alagapuri
Alangulam
Ariyalur
Athanakarai
Ayilore
Aykudi
Bodinayakanur
Daramangalam
Doddappa Nayakanur
Elambaram
Elayirampannai
Emukalapuram
Erasakkanayakanur
Ettayapuram
Gavandankottai
Idyakottai
Iluppur
Kachchaikatti
Kadalkudi
Kadambur
Kambam
Kannividi
Karipattu
Kollapatti/Kollalarayadi/Kollamkondan
Kulappanayakanur/Nilakottai
Kulathur
Kurukkavetti
Maduvoor
Malayalam Nanjinattu Rasa
Mamparai
Maniyatchi
Mannarkottai
Maranathur
Marungapuri
Mavilodai
Memandal
Naduvukurichchi
Nagalapuram
Natham
Neduvayal
Neikottanseval
Palani
Panchalankuruchchi
Pavali
Perambr
Periakulam
Pillaimulungi
Pudukkottai Tondaiman
Rajapalayam
Ramagiri
Ramanathapuram Sethupathy
Sennilaikudi
Sethur
Singampatti
Sirumalai
Sivagangai Udaya Thevar
Sivagiri
Sokkampatti
Surandai
Talaivankottai
Talamaru
Tali
Thavasimedai
Thevaram
Thogaimalai
Thottayankottai
Turaiyur
Urkadu
Utthappa Nayakanur
Uttrumalai
Velliyakundam
Virasilapatti
Virupakshi

If Manu would have lived between 13th to 20th century, he would have appreciated their bravery of these communities and branded all North Indian Kshatrias who could not safe guarded their territories as Sudras.

Now we will see their origin of Naickers from Hampi to Kazhugumalai and their role in safeguarding their territories:

1..Vijayanagara Empire which ruled East coast to West Coast, was a resistance to invaders for over three centuries. Mughals are contained by Iranian Sultans of Shia religion, in the Deccan.

2.After losing Talikota war in 1565, Vijayanagara Empire survived till 1660 under Aravidu Dynasty.

3.Senji Naickers survived till 1649 and lost due to family feud.

4.Tanjavur Naickers, due to their feud with Madurai King on marital alliance, called Bijapur for help and finally Marathas occupied Tanjavur in 1674.

5.Madurai Naickers ruled till 1736. The family fued between Regent Queen Minakshi and father of adopted king child Bangaru Tirumala. Chanda Shahib of Mughal representative surfced for mediation initially for money from both ends with the promise made on Quran and he cheated both declared himself as Nawab of Carnatic. He was supported by French from Pondicherry. Queen Minakshi committed suicide. Chanda Sahib was also murdered by Marathas later. However, Marathas, who wanted to reestablish hindu kingdom, did not made Bangaru Tirumala as Madurai Naik to continue. Bangaru Tirumala was poisoned to death by a Nawab Military commander. The adopted king son of Maduari disappeared. Later his family is associated with the Kandy Nayaks in Sri Lanka.

Middle of the 18th Century saw Tamil Country was into chaos, due to so many players in the field.

1.Family feuds of Naickers.

2.Battle between Marathas and Nawabs.

3.Wars of British and French (Anglo French Wars)

4.Wars of British and Pandyas (Polygar Wars)#Tamil Country, under Vijayanagar Empire and Naickers, adopted federal system of admisnistration. Entire region is divided into Polypats (provinces) ruled by Polygars. Each Polygar has to pay one fourth of tax collected to the Centre and extend some military support in case of emergency. The polygar kings are fierce fighters from Kallars (in North), Maravars (in South) and Naickers (Telugu) community. Even they are good at gurilla warfare and an army of 500 people can defeat an enemy army of 10000.

After Queen Minakshi’s suicide at Tiruchi, and Bangaru Tirumali’s death at Dindigul, these polygars did not pay any tribute to Nawabs.

#British took adavantage of family feuds of Naickers and chaos at Madurai. Nawabs took lot of loans from British and they sold these territories which they did not own to British.

#As there is vacuum in Pandyas at Tiruchi, these polygars fought on their own with British, in two successive wars from 1799 till 1810 with violent end. Some of these polygar kings were hung in public by the British in a cruel way. Later British replaced Polygar system to Zamindari System which ended in 1952 by Republic of India. British also faced lot of resistance with their British Collectors / adminsitraters assassinated from time to time by the freedom fighters.

Finally British took control, by establishing a strong military base at PalyamKottai (in Tirunelveli) and deploying their missionaries with Colleges and educational institutions, convertion of ambitious ones into christianity, deputation of those to other British ruled nations.

This is how British India occupied Tamil Country in 19th Century.