Early life

Parathavarma Pandian or Pandiyapathy was born on December 13, 1753, and became the ruler of the Pearl Fishery Coast following the death of Don Caspar Anthony De Cruz Vaz Victoria Parathavarma Pandian in 1779. He was a member of the Paravar community, which was converted to Roman Catholicism by the Portuguese.[1]

Involvement with British

Initially, Pandian allied with the British to defeat the Dutch who controlled the beach road in the 1780s. However, he later joined forces with Veerapandiya Kattabomman to fight against British rule.[1] Pandian sheltered and protected Kattabomman's brother Oomaithurai after his escape from prison and supplied explosives to support the retaliation against the British.[2] Despite orders from the British to capture him, Pandian managed to evade authorities until his death at the age of 56 in 1808.[1]

Legacy

Pandian was also known for his involvement in the traditional practice of pulling the rope of the Tiruchendur Murugan temple car and offering a golden chariot for the Our Lady of Snows Church in Thoothukudi. His tomb is still preserved at the La Salle Higher Secondary School campus in Thoothukudi.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mahotsav, Amrit. "Pandiyapathy". Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  2. 1 2 "Forgotten valour: Pandiyapathy, the freedom fighter king of the Pearl Fishery Coast". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
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