History of Sivakasi Town.

Sivakasi Town was established during the early 15th century CE. Between 1428 and 1460, a Pandya king Harikesari Parakkirama Pandian ruled the southern part of Madurai region (comprising modern day Sivakasi and it surroundings). As per Hindu legend, he wanted to construct a temple for Hindu god Shiva at Tenkasi and went to Kasi to bring a lingam (an iconic representation of Shiva). While returning to his palace with the prized lingam, he rested under the grove of a vilva tree, the favourite tree of Shiva. When a cow carrying the lingam refused to move from the point, the king realised that the wishes of Shiva were different from his own, and he placed the lingam in the place where the cow halted. The place where the "shivalingam brought from Kasi" was installed came to be known as Sivakasi. Sivakasi was a part of Madurai region during the 16th century. Madurai became independent from Vijayanagar Empire in 1559 under the Nayaks. Nayak rule ended in 1736 and Madurai was repeatedly captured several times by Chanda Sahib (1740 – 1754), Arcot Nawab and Muhammed Yusuf Khan (1725 – 1764) in the middle of 18th century. In 1801, Madurai came under the direct control of the British East India Company and was annexed to the Madras Presidency.
During the 1800s, Nadars, an entrepreneurial South Indian caste, emerged as successful businessmen in the region and established their commercial base in the town. By the late 19th century, all the castes, especially the Maravars (also called Thevars), were against the Nadar domination. Nadars were also the majority in religious conversions from Hinduism to Christianity under the influence of the European missionaries. Some of the Nadars who remained in Hinduism sought entry into the temples governed by Maravars, which was denied as Nadars were considered inferior in caste. The mutual confrontation between the two groups reached its peak in 1899, leading to the Sivakasi riots. A group of wealthy Nadars tried to enter a Maravar temple by force. The temple authorities filed an illegal trespass notice against them in the Sivakasi District Court. The District Magistrate, who was a Muslim, ruled in favour of the Nadars. The Maravars responded by shutting down the temple, preventing all activity inside it. On 6 June 1899, a group of 5,000 Maravars gathered from all parts of the surrounding villages and town against 1500 Nadars. 866 Nadar houses were burnt, seven Nadars and 14 Maravars were killed in the riot out of the 21 known deaths. The Maravar retaliated by attacking the Nadars scattered around Sivakasi killing three Nadars. Eventually the riots came to an end after the intervention of the military in mid-July 1899