Among the many successor states of the Vijayanagara empire were the kingdoms of Madurai, Tanjore, Mysore, Travancore etc. They kept quarreling among themselves in the 17th century CE. Chokkanath Nayak of Madurai married Mangammal, a non royal. Addicted to fighting, Chokkanath succumbed to death. Mangammal became regent in 1689 to her son and grandson in succession.
Abjuring violence, she concentrated on building infrastructure. Her crowning achievement was the highway between Kanyakumari and Madurai, the modern version of which is named after her. She is said to have died in 1706, imprisoned and starved by her own grandson who had come of age and wanted total control. The Madurai kingdom was finally annexed by the Nawab of Arcot in 1739.
Picture Credit: The Wikimedia image shows a statue of Rani Mangammal.
Among the many successor states of the Vijayanagara empire were the kingdoms of Madurai, Tanjore, Mysore, Travancore etc. They kept quarreling among themselves in the 17th century CE. Chokkanath Nayak of Madurai married Mangammal, a non royal. Addicted to fighting, Chokkanath succumbed to death. Mangammal became regent in 1689 to her son and grandson in succession.
Abjuring violence, she concentrated on building infrastructure. Her crowning achievement was the highway between Kanyakumari and Madurai, the modern version of which is named after her. She is said to have died in 1706, imprisoned and starved by her own grandson who had come of age and wanted total control. The Madurai kingdom was finally annexed by the Nawab of Arcot in 1739.
Picture Credit: The Wikimedia image shows a statue of Rani Mangammal.
