Prime Minister Modi paid tribute to Rani VelNachiyar (Veeramangai) on her birth anniversary (Jan 3).
- Historical Legacy: She was the Queen of Sivaganga (Tamil Nadu) and the first Indian queen to defeat the British East India Company (EIC) in battle.
- Major Conflict: In 1772, the British killed her husband (King MuthVaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar). She went into exile, gathered an army, and formed a strategic alliance with Hyder Ali of Mysore.
- Key Contributions:
- Military Innovation: Established the "Udaiyaal" (all-women army).
- Tactics: Her commander, Kuyili, is celebrated for a suicide attack on a British ammunition storehouse—the first recorded instance of its kind in the resistance.
- Diplomacy: She was a polyglot, proficient in French, English, and Urdu, which helped her secure international support against the EIC.
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
