Ramaiyan, Ramayyan or Ramappaiyyan was a general who served under the Madurai Nayak king Thirumalai Nayak

Thirumalai Nayak

Thirumalai Nayak ruled Madurai between 1623 to 1659 CE. He was the most notable of the thirteen Madurai Nayak rulers in the 17th century. His contributions are found in the many splendid buildings and temples of Madurai. His kingdom was under constant threat from the armies of Delhi Sultanate and...

. He is the subject of the Tamil ballad

Ballad

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...

 Ramayyan Ammanai.

Personal life

Ramaiyan was a Brahmin

Brahmin

Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...

 soldier who served in the army of Thirumalai Nayak. He acquired fame for his prowess as a swordsman and gradually rose to become an important general in the Nayak's army.

War against Mysore

Ramaiyan's first major battle was against Harasura Nandi Raja, the general of the Mysore kingdom. In 1633, Halasura invaded the Nayak kingdom and marched as far as Dindigul but was repulsed by Ramaiyan and Ranganna Nayak, the polygar of Kannivadi.

Ramaiyan also participated in the Nayak invasion of Travancore in 1634-35.

War against Ramnad

In 1639, Tambi, an illegitimate brother of the Sethupathi Cadaikkan and a contender for the throne rebelled against the king. Thirumalai supported the rebel and sent a huge army under the leadership of Ramaiyan.

Ramaiyan fought the Ramnad troops led by the Sethupathi's son-in-law Vanni in the Maravar country. The war lasted five months and resulted in Vanni's defeat. The Sethupathi, himself, fled to Pamban Island

Pamban Island

Pamban Island , also known as Rameswaram Island, is an island located between peninsular India and Sri Lanka. The island is a part of India and is governed by the administration of Ramanathapuram district of the state of Tamil Nadu...

but was captured and taken prisoner.

Ramayyan Ammanai

Ramaiyan's exploits in the 1639 war were the subject of a popular Tamil ballad, Ramayyan Ammanai. In the ballad, Cadaikkan, initially, ridicules Ramaiyan
On completion of the war, Ramaiyan sends the following message to Thirumalai Nayak:

Death

Ramaiyan died shortly after his victory against Ramnad. His death is believed to have taken place sometime between 1639 and 1648.