Velunachiyar and her Nickname 🗡️

We all know that we've learnt in our textbooks during our childhood about both Velunachiyar and Jhansi Rani, and that both are prominent examples of women freedom fighters in India.

Today, we had a discussion in our class where our teacher asked us whether the statement that describes Velunachiyar as the Jhansi Rani of South India (தென்னிந்தியாவின் ஜான்சி ராணி) is correct.

We all shook our heads, accepting the statement because that's what we learnt in our school days from the textbooks provided to us.

He also shook his head at the statement and asked us a question: "Do you know the year when Jhansi Rani fought against the British?"

The whole class answered in unison that the answer was 1858.

He told us that it was right and added that she didn't win the battle but died a warrior's death on the battlefield against the British.

Then the next question he asked was, "When did Velunachiyar fight against the British?"

At this time, the class realised what he was about to say.

1780 it is. And she won the battle against the British and also continued to rule for ten years until her death in 1796.

Now, what is the gap between both these years? Almost 80 years of gap between the two women warriors of pre-independent India.

Now, he proceeded to ask the same question again, and by this time, we were confused about why she was being called South India's Jhansi Rani when she fought against the British decades earlier, and when she was the only one who won among both the queens.

Though this was just a discussion in my classroom, the thought stayed in my mind until I reached home.

We could realise how history doesn't just explain the events that happened in the past, but also alters what really matters and the perspective of the people as well.

Without realising this for a long time, we proceeded to learn that Velunachiyar is indeed the Jhansi Rani of South India and unknowingly accepted that fact as well.

I could remember this topic being taught during my school days in the history section, but I never once thought about it because we came to accept that what the text says is the truth. Surprisingly, seeing this in the official Samacheer book given to the students by the government makes it even more strange.

Of course, Lakshmibai is a great warrior and a freedom fighter, but we can't exactly name an older person based on a younger person's achievement, right?

Imagine a funny example using Ilaiyaraaja and Sai Abhyankkar. Will people be willing to call Ilaiyaraaja the Sai Abhyankkar of the 1980s?

This same thing is being neglected in history, which needs to be recognised and corrected as well.