Veera Pandiya Kattabomman (Veerapandiyan means brave one in the pandiyan line)also known as Kattabomman hails from Panchalankurichi, a historically important place, in the present day Tirunelveli a district in Tamilnadu, India. Veera Pandiya Kattabomman's father Aadi Kattabomman was actually a minister in the court of Jagaveera Pandiyan, a desendent in the pandiyan line. Jagaveera pandiyan was issueless and declared Kattabomman as his sucessor. Since Kattabomman was the first of the new clan, he came to be known as Adi Kattabomman (Aadi means first or beginning in sanskrit and tamil). History is that Aadi Kattabomman, before becomming a minister at Jagaveera Pandiyan's court, migrated from the present day Andra Pradesh to Panchalankurichi. His actual name was Bommu. Bommu's physical strength and appearance earned him the name Getti Bommu (strong Bommu)which later, influenced by the provincial language Tamil, became Katta Bommu (Kattabomman).
Veera Pandiya Kattabomman was born to Aadi Kattabomman and Aarumugathammal on January 3, 1760 and became the 47th king of Panchalankurichi at an age of 30. Veera Pandiya Kattabomman is among the kings in southern India who resisted the British East Indian Company. He initially evaded tax that the British demanded and ignored repeated summons to meet collector Jackson. Later his meeting with Jackson ended up into a physical combat in which Deputy Commandant of the Company’s forces, Clarke was slain. He later revolted against the british refusing to pay taxes when a new collector was assigned to retrive due taxes. This resulted in the British East India Company, under the leadership of Major Bannerman dispatched army to capture Kattabomman. Company's army engulfing Kattabomman's fort at Salikulam, a few miles from Panchalanckurichi, intended to arrest him there whcih later turned out to be lossful battle for the british losing a great fraction of the assigned troops and Lieutenant Collins. Immediately after the retraction of the british forces Kattabomman vacated his fort suspecting cannon attacks from the brithsh which his fort may not whithstand. The East India Company priced his head. He was later betrayed by Ettappan which resulted in his arrest and execution later. He was hung from a tamrind tree in 1799. After that his fort was completely demolished by the british and his wealth was looted.
Government of Tamilnadu honoured the hero by raising a monumental fort at Panchalankurichi in his memory. His name is remembered among the people as a brave tamil hero who stood against the british long before the first war of Indian independence that would be instigated by Mangal Pandey on 1857.