Dheeran Chinnamalai's 271st Birth Anniversary Dheeran Chinnamalai was a Palayakkarar (feudal chieftain) of the Kongu region who fought against the British East India Company. He was born on April 17, 1756, near Kangayam in the present-day Tiruppur district, under the name Theerthagiri Sarkarai Mandradiar. He was one of the Palayakkarars who received training from both the French and Tipu Sultan. Inspired by his association with Tipu Sultan, he became highly proficient in guerrilla warfare, archery, horsemanship, and military tactics. Initially, he opposed the exploitative taxation policies of Mysore; subsequently, he became a staunch opponent of the British East India Company. To establish autonomy in the Kongu region, he defeated the Mysore forces in a battle fought on the banks of the Noyyal River. Following the demise of Tipu Sultan in 1799, he constructed the Odanilal Fort to serve as a strategic base for resistance against the British. He played a pivotal role as a key resistance leader during the Second Palayakkarar War (1800–1805). Employing guerrilla warfare techniques, he defeated British forces in battles fought at Kaveri (1801), Odanilal (1802), and Arachalur (1804). His final battle took place in 1805. During this conflict, Chinnamalai was betrayed by his cook and was subsequently hanged at Sankagiri Fort on July 31, 1805.
