Chennai, Oct 24 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Saturday paid tribute to the Maruthu brothers on their death anniversary, remembering their exceptional courage, sacrifice and pioneering contribution to the struggle against British colonial rule.
In a post on X, Vijay said the brothers, who ruled Sivaganga and laid down their lives for their motherland’s freedom, deserved lasting recognition for their bravery and commitment to independence. He recalled that their resistance preceded the 1857 uprising, widely described as India’s First War of Independence. Their efforts to bring people together against colonial domination reflected a vision extending beyond the boundaries of their kingdom.
Vijay particularly highlighted the Jambudweep Proclamation, through which the brothers called upon people to unite against British rule. He praised their determination to rally society around the cause of freedom and resist foreign domination. The heroic legacy of the brothers, who sowed the spirit of freedom in Tamil soil, would endure for generations, the Chief Minister said.
Periya Maruthu and Chinna Maruthu, also known as the Maruthu Pandiyar brothers, emerged as formidable opponents of the British East India Company in southern India. Associated with Sivaganga queen Velu Nachiyar, they became prominent leaders of armed resistance against the expansion of Company power. Their courage was demonstrated through sustained military resistance, using their familiarity with local terrain to challenge British troops.
During fighting in June 1801, rebel forces repeatedly attacked Company contingents around Thiruppachethi and Paramakudi, striking from different directions and forcing British soldiers into retreat. Their campaign also extended to attacks on British positions and convoys elsewhere in the region.
The Jambudweep Proclamation, issued in June 1801, appealed to people across social and religious divisions to join the struggle against European colonial rule. Its significance lay in presenting resistance as a collective cause, rather than merely a dispute over the authority of an individual ruler or kingdom. Despite their determined resistance, the brothers were eventually captured. The British hanged them at Tirupathur fort on October 24, 1801, bringing their armed struggle to a brutal end.
Their martyrdom remains an enduring chapter in Tamil Nadu’s history of resistance to colonialism.
Vijay’s tribute recalled both their battlefield valour and their broader political message: that unity among people was essential to securing freedom from foreign rule and preserving their homeland’s independence.
–IANS
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