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Area
4,18,900 sq. k.m.
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Population
13,39,101
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District Head Quarters
Sivaganga
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Language
Tamil
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History And Geography
The Kingdom of Ramnad originally comprised the territories of Ramnad, Sivaganga, and Pudukottai of today. Regunatha Sethupathy alias Kilavan Sethupathy, the 7th King of Ramnad, reigned between 1674 and 1710. Kilavan Sethupathy came to know of the bravery and valour of Peria Oodaya Thevar of Nalukottai, 4 kilometers from Sholapuram near Sivaganga. The King assigned Peria Oodaya Thevar a portion of land sufficient to maintain 1000 armed men.
Vijaya Regunatha Sethupathy became the 8th King of Ramnad in 1710 after the death of Kilavan Sethupathy. The King gave in marriage his daughter AKILANDESWARI NACHIAR to Sasivarna Thevar, the son of Nalukottai Peria Oodaya Thevar. The King also gave Sasivarna Thevar lands as dowry, free of taxation, sufficient to maintain 1,000 men, and placed him in charge of the fortresses of Piranmalai, Tiruppathur, Sholapuram, and Tiruppuvanam, as well as the harbour of Thondi.
Meanwhile, Bhavani Sankaran, the son of Kilavan Sethupathy, conquered Ramnad territory and arrested Sundareswara Regunatha Sethupathy, the 9th King of Ramnad. Bhavani Sankaran proclaimed himself as the Rajah of Ramnad. He became the 10th king of Ramnad and reigned from 1726 to 1729. He quarrelled with Sasivarna Peria Oodaya Thevar of Nalukottai and drove him out of his Nalukottai palayam. Kattaya Thevan, the brother of the late Sundareswara Regunatha Sethupathy, fled from Ramnad and sought refuge with the Rajah of Tanjore, Tuljaji.
While Sasivarna Thevar was passing through the jungles of Kalayarkoi, he met a Gnani (sage) named Sattappiah, who was performing Thapas (meditation) under a jambool tree near a spring called ‘SIVAGANGA’. The deposed king prostrated himself before the sage and narrated all the previous incidents of his life. The Gnani whispered a certain mantra in his ears (Mantra Opadesam) and advised him to go to Tanjore and kill a ferocious tiger which was kept by the Rajah, especially to test the bravery of men.
Sasivarna Thevar went to Tanjore, where he became acquainted with Kattaya Thevan, a refugee like himself. Satisfied with the good behaviour of Sasivarna Thevar and Kattaya Thevan, the Rajah of Tanjore wanted to help them regain their states and ordered his Dalavoy to go with a large army to invade Bhavani Sankaran. Sasivarna Thevar and Kattaya Thevan at once proceeded to Ramnad with a large army furnished by the king of Tanjore. They defeated Bhavani Sankaran at the battle of Uraiyur and captured Ramnad in 1730. Thus, Kattaya Thevan became the 11th King of Ramnad.