Tamil Nadu showed the lead in resisting colonial rule – from the Palayakarars in the late eighteenth century to the Vellore uprising of 1806. With Western education and an educated middle class, the struggle took the constitutional path. The freedom struggle in Tamil Nadu was unique: it was a struggle for independence from English rule and also from the social disability imposed by the caste system.
1. Early Nationalist Organisations
| Organisation | Year | Founders / Key facts |
|---|---|---|
| Madras Native Association (MNA) | 1852 | Gazulu Lakshminarasu, Srinivasanar; mainly merchants; earliest south Indian body for larger public interests; ceased to exist by 1862 |
| The Hindu | 1878 | G. Subramaniam, M. Veeraraghavachari and four friends |
| Swadesamitran | 1891 (daily from 1899) | Tamil nationalist periodical started by G. Subramaniam |
| Madras Mahajana Sabha (MMS) | 16 May 1884 | M. Veeraraghavachari, P. Anandacharlu, P. Rangaiah; first south Indian body with clear nationalist objectives |