What is Polygar Wars?
'''Polygar War''' or '''Palayakarar Wars''' refers to the wars fought between the [[Polygars]] (''[[Palayakarrar]]s'') of former [[Madurai]] Kingdom in [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]] and the [[British India|British]] colonial forces between March 1799 to May 1802. The British finally won after carrying out long and difficult protracted [[jungle]] campaigns against the Polygar armies and finally defeated them. Many lives were lost on both sides and the victory over Polygars made large part of territories of Tamil Nadu coming under British control enabling them to get a strong hold in India. ==First Polygar War 1799== The war between the British and [[Kattabomman]] Nayak of [[Panchalankurichi]] Palayam in the then [[Tirunelveli]] region is often classified as the First Polygar war. In 1799, a brief meeting (over pending taxes) between [[Kattabomman]] and the British ended in a bloody encounter in which the British commander of the forces was slain by the former. A price was put on [[Kattabomman]] head prompting many Polygars to an open rebellion. After a series of battles in the Panchalankurichi fort with additional reinforcements from [[Thiruchirapalli]], Kattabomman was defeated but he escaped to the jungles in [[Pudukottai]] country. Here he was captured by Pudukottai Rajah (after an agreement with the British) and after a summary trial Kattabomman was hanged in front of the public in order to intimidate them, near [[Kayattar]] Fort, close to the town of Kovilpatti and in front of fellow Polygars too who had been summoned to witness the execution. Subramania Pillai, a close associate of [[Kattabomman]] Nayak, was also publicly hanged and his head was fixed on a pike at Panchalankurichi for public view. Soundra Pandian Nayak, another rebel leader, was brutally done to death by having his head dashed against a village wall. Kattabomman’s brother [[Oomaidurai]] was imprisoned in Palayankottai prison while the fort was razed to ground and his wealth looted by the troops. ==Second Polygar War 1800-1805== Despite the