Mangammal was the daughter of Tupakula Lingama Nayaka, a balija naidu, a general of Madurai ruler Chokkanatha Nayak (1659–1682).
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The Madurai kingdom had enemies all-around; the Marathas, Mysore army, Mughal army with the Deccan Sultans and frequent interludes by the Thanjavur kingdom.
The mid-17th-century palace at the base of the rock was built by Chokkanatha Nayak, now known as Rani Mangammal Mahal or Town Hall, and features a Durbar hall.