Velu Nachiyar
| Rani Velu Nachiyar | |
|---|---|
| Queen of Sivagangai Princess of Ramanathapuram | |
Velu Nachchiyar on a 2008 stamp of India | |
| Monarch of Sivaganga estate | |
| Reign | c. 1780-c. 1790 |
| Coronation | 1780 |
| Predecessor | Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar (until 1772) |
| Successor | Vellacci |
| Born | 3 January 1730 Ramanathapuram, Kingdom of Sivaganga (Modern day Tamil Nadu, India) |
| Died | 25 December 1796 (aged 66) Sivaganga, Kingdom of Sivaganga (Modern day Tamil Nadu, India) |
| Burial | 25 December 1796 Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Spouse | Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar |
| Dynasty | Sethupathi |
| Father | Chellamuthu vijayaragunatha Sethupathy |
| Mother | Muthathal Nachiyar |
"Veeramangai" Rani Velu Nachiyar (3 January 1730 – 25 December 1796) was a queen of Sivaganga estate from c. 1780–1790. She was the first Indian queen to wage war with the East India Company in India. She is proudly called by Tamils as Veeramangai ("brave woman"). With the support of Hyder Ali's army, feudal lords, the Maruthu Brothers, Dalit commanders, and Thandavarayan Pillai, she fought the East India company.