Power struggles of the 18th century (1688–1802)

By the early 18th century, the political scene in Tamil Nadu saw a major change-over and was under
the control of many minor rulers aspiring to be independent. The fall of the Vijayanagara empire and
the Chandragiri Nayakas gave the sultanate of Golconda a chance to expand into the Tamil
heartland. When the sultanate was incorporated into the Mughal Empire in 1688, the northern part of
current-day Tamil Nadu was administrated by the nawab of the Carnatic, who had his seat
in Arcot from 1715 onward. Meanwhile, to the south, the fall of the Thanjavur Nayaks led to a short-
lived Thanjavur Maratha kingdom. The fall of the Madurai Nayaks brought up many small Nayakars
of southern Tamil Nadu, who ruled small parcels of land called Palayams. The chieftains of these
Palayams were known as Palaiyakkarar (or 'polygar' as called by British) and were ruling under the
nawabs of the Carnatic.

Europeans started to establish trade centres during the 17th century in the eastern coastal regions.
Around 1609, the Dutch established a settlement in Pulicat,while the Danes had their establishment
in Tharangambadi also known as Tranquebar.In 1639, the British, under the East India Company,
established a settlement further south of Pulicat, in present-day Chennai. British constructed Fort St.
George[ and established a trading post at Madras.[41] The office of mayoralty of Madras was
established in 1688. The French established trading posts at Pondichéry by 1693. The British and
French were competing to expand the trade in the northern parts of Tamil Nadu which also
witnessed many battles like Battle of Wandiwash as part of the Seven Years' War.[42] British reduced
the French dominions in India to Puducherry. Nawabs of the Carnatic bestowed tax revenue
collection rights on the East India Company for defeating the Kingdom of Mysore. Muhammad Ali
Khan Wallajah surrendered much of his territory to the East India Company which firmly established
the British in the northern parts. In 1762, a tripartite treaty was signed between Thanjavur Maratha,
Carnatic and the British by which Thanjavur became a vassal of the Nawab of the Carnatic which
eventually ceded to the British.

In the south, Nawabs granted taxation rights to the British which led to conflicts between British and
the Palaiyakkarar, which resulted in series of wars called Polygar war to establish independent
states by the aspiring Palaiyakkarar. Puli Thevar was one of the earliest opponents of the British rule
in South India.  Thevar's prominent exploits were his confrontations with Marudhanayagam, who
later rebelled against the British in the late 1750s and early 1760s. Rani Velu Nachiyar, was the first
woman freedom fighter of India and Queen of Sivagangai. She was drawn to war after her husband
Muthu Vaduganatha Thevar (1750–1772), King of Sivaganga was murdered at Kalayar Kovil temple
by British. Before her death, Queen Velu Nachi granted powers to the Maruthu brothers to rule
Sivaganga.Kattabomman (1760–1799), Palaiyakkara chief of Panchalakurichi who fought the British
in the First Polygar War.[46] He was captured by the British at the end of the war and hanged near
Kayattar in 1799. Veeran Sundaralingam (1700–1800) was the General of Kattabomman Nayakan's
palayam, who died in the process of blowing up a British ammunition dump in 1799 which killed
more than 150 British soldiers to save Kattapomman Palace. Oomaithurai, younger brother of
Kattabomman, took asylum under the Maruthu brothers, Periya Marudhu and Chinna Marudhu and
raised an army. They formed a coalition with Dheeran Chinnamalai and Kerala Varma Pazhassi
Raja which fought the British in Second Polygar Wars. Dheeran Chinnamalai (1756–1805), Polygar
chieftain of Kongu and ally of Tipu Sultan who fought the British in the Second Polygar War. After
winning the Polygar wars in 1801, the East India Company consolidated most of southern India into
the Madras Presidency.